Great Beginnings Reservoir
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Great Beginnings Reservoir Centre overview
Great Beginnings Reservoir Centre highlights
- Our community engagement program encourages children to interact with and discover their local community. We often have visits from community services, and we go out on adventures to teach the children about their local environment.
- Our longstanding team, including staff with over 10 years of experience at the centre, creates a calm and nurturing environment to ensure children feel loved, safe, and secure.
- Our music programs develop key skills and deepen kids' love for music, all while they have fun!
About Great Beginnings Reservoir Long Daycare and Kindergarten
Welcome to Great Beginnings Reservoir. We're ideally located for families in Thomastown, Heidelberg Heights and Epping. Our Long Daycare and Kindergarten Centre provides early education and care for children aged 6 weeks to 5 years.
At Great Beginnings Reservoir, we provide convenient, full care coverage from 9hr, 10hr or full days, 5 days per week, including school holidays.
Our dedicated team of Teachers and Educators provide a safe, nurturing, and inspiring learning environment - where your child can thrive, and be their wonderful self, every day.
Getting school ready? We offer the 3 and 4-year-old Government-approved Kindergarten program that helps ensure your child has a successful transition to formal schooling.
We offer a great variety of learning experiences at Great Beginnings Reservoir including:
- Sustainability Program: Helps children develop and understand the importance of embedding sustainable practices into everyday life. Children learn about recycling, conserving water, growing food and the importance of protecting our planet.
- Community Engagement Program: Encourages children to interact with and discover their local community. We often have visits from community services, and we go out on adventures to teach the children about their local environment.
- Sports Program: Allows the children to be active and learn about different sports and movements.
- Music & Movement Program: Designed to develop fundamental skills that help support children’s self-regulation, memory, and concentration. Children learn to appreciate and develop an understanding of music - and of course, have fun.
- Real Life Experiences: Children participate in fun and exciting experiences such as woodworking, harvesting the veggie garden, caring for our worm farm and early cooking skills.
Fees & Vacancies
Enquire & enrol to get a week on Care For Kids*
*T&Cs apply
Enquire & enrol to get a week on Care For Kids*
*T&Cs apply
Enquire & enrol to get a week on Care For Kids*
*T&Cs apply
Enquire & enrol to get a week on Care For Kids*
*T&Cs apply
Great Beginnings Reservoir Service features
See more (15)Great Beginnings Reservoir service include:
Book a live tour at this carefully curated childcare centre and embark on the journey for your child’s growth and development
Get to know us
Kindergarten/Preschool Programs
Kindergarten/Preschool Programs
Our centre offers the VIC Government-approved ‘Best Start, Best Life’ Kindergarten Program.
At Great Beginnings, your child will benefit from the VIC ‘Best Start, Best Life’ Government-approved program as part of our enhanced learning program. Our program will support your child’s learning, development, and well-being for now, at school and beyond. We tailor our Kindergarten program across:
- Numeracy
- Literacy
- Emotional and Social Development
- Self regulation
- Healthy minds and bodies
The added benefits of our Kindergarten program include:
- VIC ‘Best Start, Best Life’ Government-approved program
- Extended opening hours
- Open all year round (excl public holidays)
- Programs developed and delivered by our Early Childhood Teachers
- Exclusive music and movement program for self-regulation
About the Curriculum
About the Curriculum
“Let the child be the scriptwriter, director and the actor in their own play” - Magda Gerber
Nursery Space: 6 weeks – 2 years
Learning starts from before birth, and our Educators have created a welcoming and nurturing nursery environment where each baby feels safe to explore and discover new things - through their senses, their communication and cues (body language, facial expression and sounds) and by experimenting. On any given day you can see the nursery children engaging in all types of play, water play, music time, story time and more. Every day provides a brand new, exciting adventure for our babies to support their development, learning and wellbeing!
Toddler Space: 2 - 3 years
Our teachers and educators encourage the children to learn through play to help enhance their sensory-motor development. This happens through carefully planned music, dance, games and reading experiences.
On any given day the Toddler children can be seen developing their numeracy by building a tower, sorting objects, pointing and identifying shapes and patterns and participating in counting songs and games.
Children in our toddler space are encouraged to participate in group play. Group play is important as it helps our toddlers develop important social skills such as, turn taking, developing self confidence and emotional self regulation. Our team helps children through talking, planning and role modelling.
Kindergarten Space: 3 – 6 years
Kindergarten is a unique time for learning with peers and developing skills for later learning including confidence and curiosity, important skills for starting school. Our play-based program encourages active engagement in learning and supports a range of positive developmental outcomes including resilience, independence, critical thinking and creativity.
The oral language supports literacy learning. A child’s oral language ability is the best predictor for later success in learning to read and write. Hearing the sounds within a language is the first critical step for all literacy learning. Our team supports our Kindergarten children's development by engaging in rich discussions, introducing new vocabulary as part of everyday conversations, as well as singing, playing games, and reading with the children daily.
Throughout the Kindergarten year, children use their language to share ideas, ask questions, express themselves, and connect with peers and adults in social settings.
Social-emotional skills, including the ability to self-regulate emotions, is supported through group learning environments. Our team supports each child’s social and emotional development by labelling and talking about emotions and supporting appropriate responses as together, they engage in new and challenging situations. Lastly, ensuring that all children are ready for the ‘big school’ by preparing them for all that ‘big school’ has to offer.
Morning
Jesse is 11 months old and enjoys sensory play outside in the sandpit with her friends. She sits near her educator who helps teach her how to scoop the sand into the bucket. Jesse is learning how to dig, carry, and move the sand. She is also exploring texture and learning what happens to the sand when she adds water!
Lunch
Jesse has finished her lunch and is preparing to take a nap. Her educator changes her nappy, prepares a bottle and reads Jesse a story before her afternoon sleep.
Afternoon
Jesse and some of her nursery friends enjoy some story time and songs outside in the shaded garden. They read ‘Peepo’ which is Jesse’s favourite book.
Morning
Nick is two and a half years old and loves to start his day at the centre outside on the climbing equipment. His friends join him, and together they pretend to be pirates on a ship looking for treasure. Through this exciting dramatic play, Nick is learning about himself and the world around him. Dramatic play is helping Nick identify his interests, abilities, likes and dislikes.
Lunch
Nick is watering the vegetables in the garden. By doing this, Nick is learning the importance of growing and caring for the veggies in the garden. Nick picks a tomato from the garden, which the Chef will use to help make Nick and his friend’s lunch - Spaghetti Bolognese!
Afternoon
Nick enjoys art, and today he is painting a beach scene from a recent family holiday. He adds the finishing touches and sets the painting aside to dry; so that he can take it home to share with his family.
While painting, Nick is learning how to express himself creatively and how to convey his ideas and emotions. Painting is also helping develop Nick’s hand eye coordination, finger, wrist and hand strength. Making marks on paper is important for self expression as well as later learning.
Morning
Daniela is almost five years old and can’t wait for today’s carpentry experience - she loves building things! Carpentry experiences allow Daniela and her friends to extend their learning through real-life experiences. While participating in carpentry, Daniela is learning to problem solve, experiment and predict. She is also improving her hand eye coordination, manipulative skills and muscular strength.
Lunch
Before Daniela sits down for lunch with her friends and educators, Daniela takes part in the centre’s sports program. Daniela loves sports. Sports helps Daniela improve her flexibility and strength (perfect for growing bodies!). Sports also allows her to practice different skills in a fun and engaging way.
Afternoon
Daniela is off to ‘big school’ next year and she can't wait to start! Daniela and her friends will be visiting the local primary school next week. In preparation for the visit, the class is creating a list of questions to ask the Principal and school children.
Health and Nutrition
Health and Nutrition
Our centre chef prepares and cooks healthy and nutritious meals daily, catering to the unique dietary requirements of every child. We believe that by encouraging active participation (such as growing their own fruit and vegetables, preparing, and finally cooking!) children learn to appreciate and understand the importance of healthy eating.
Our centre offers children nutrient-rich, unprocessed, and seasonal whole foods – created to delight the fussiest eaters.
Meet the team
Meet the team
Hi my name is Lana, and I am the Centre Manager here at Great Beginnings Reservoir. Started my career in early childhood education and care in 2011 and in the same year started working at Great Beginnings Reservoir
I believe children are confident and capable learners, and we need to facilitate their learning by providing activities and experiences that are engaging and extend their interests. I love seeing children grow and facilitating their love of learning. I am keen to make a positive impact in every child’s life at our early education centre.
Attending an early childhood education and care centre provides many benefits. Children have the chance to socialise with other children not only their own age but across all age groups. They gace access to dedicated group learning opportunities such as story time, activities, learning programs, show and tell, specialised programs, visitors from the local community and so much more.
The best part of my job is the team – they are so committed and positive about their role as educators. The whole team sees their role as incredibly important, helping children establish the building blocks for a successful lifetime of learning.
Health and safety is extremely important and is a priority to us at Great Beginnings Reservoir. We ensure all safety measures and protocols are followed and in place, including risk assessments, supervisions plans, management plans, policies and procedures. All team members have completed and refresh every 12 months their complete child protection certifications. We also have a dedicated food safety supervisor that oversees our food safety plan and the daily serving of food to children. All team members also complete their food handling certifications.
We spend a great deal of time with each new family assisting them with the complete enrolment process. In conjunction with our Family Support Team, we ensure that families receive all the necessary information that is required about the child care centre and enrolling. We provide a comprehensive tour, that explains all child care centre information, learning programs, view our environments, meet the team, and answer any questions the family might have.
We regularly host family events such as Mother's and Father’s Day, Grandparents Day, date nights, and more. This encourages our families to come together as a local community with our team and we also host celebrations at the end of the year. We have meaningful face to face discussions with families every day to ensure they feel that the relationship is important to us.
We build rapport and relationships with our families through meaningful daily conversations, providing regular updates on their child’s progress, listening to their feedback and actioning it.
The team at Great Beginnings Reservoir cannot wait to meet your family and begin this exciting journey with you.
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763 Gilbert RdReservoir, VIC, 3073
Centre Reviews
Wonderful centre! Management and the educators are amazing. My child enjoys her time here. Highly recommend this centre. Wonderful centre! Management and the educators are amazing. My child enjoys her time here. Highly recommend this centre.
Great Beginnings Reservoir is an exceptional childcare centre with a team of caring and dedicated educators. My child, Aidan, absolutely loves going there... Great Beginnings Reservoir is an exceptional childcare centre with a team of caring and dedicated educators. My child, Aidan, absolutely loves going there every day! The staff create such a warm and nurturing environment, and I feel confident knowing Aidan is in great hands. I highly recommend this centre to any parent looking for a place where their child will be well cared for and happy. Read more
Dear Rupal, thanks for leaving us such a wonderful review. We are thrilled that you loved your experience; our staff will definitely be happy to read what you wrote. We put customer experience and satisfaction as our priority, and your review reaffirms the hard work we put in every day. Kind regards, The Great Beginnings Team.
Highly recommend Great Beginnings Reservior. Amazing staff, who go above & beyond for the children & parents. Couldn't be happier. Highly recommend Great Beginnings Reservior. Amazing staff, who go above & beyond for the children & parents. Couldn't be happier.
Dear Christie, thanks for leaving us such a wonderful review. We are thrilled that you loved your experience; our staff will definitely be happy to read what you wrote. We put customer experience and satisfaction as our priority, and your review reaffirms the hard work we put in every day. Kind regards, The Great Beginnings Team.