Orchard Early Learning Centre in St Ives is hosting an Open Day on Saturday 5 August 9am-1pm. Bring your family and explore this beautiful centre and all it has to offer your child. On the day there will be an animal farm, cooking demonstrations, live music, donuts, market stalls and more.
Located in the leafy suburb of St Ives, Orchard Early Learning Centre is a fabulous long day care that offers an inspired nature-based program where children spend large amounts of time outdoors. A huge part of their vision and philosophy is to ensure their pedagogy and practice in early childhood education sets children up for a lifetime of successful learning so they can make a positive contribution to their world, their sustainability program is just one element of how they achieve this at Orchard Early Learning.
Orchard Open Day: Saturday 5 August
Come along and experience the centre firsthand at the Orchard ELC Open Day on Saturday 5 August from 9am-2pm.
- Explore their Service with a Centre Tour
- Meet team of educators
- Cooking demo from their Executive Chef Tawnya Bahr
- Delicious food from their Paddock to Plate suppliers
- Face painting
- Art workshops
- Coffee cart
- Ice cream van
- Live music
- And much, much more…
REGISTER FOR ORCHARD ELC OPEN DAY
Outdoor Learning
Kids love the tractor
The children have the opportunity to tend to the gardens on a daily basis. Planting, watering, mulching, picking, and tasting and cooking. Their well-established kitchen garden allows the children to try different food experiences and the children are involved in every process from planting to harvesting, cooking to serving a shared meal with their friends.
The service has created a lush forest like experience filled with plants, pear trees and apples, edible gardens, sensory gardens, sand, rocks, mud, recycled water stations and other elements from nature. These spaces invite open-ended interactions, spontaneity, risk-taking, exploration, discovery, and connection with nature.
Indoor Learning
Indoors is just as stunning, with large spacious free flowing classrooms. Their curriculum is a collaborative venture, with input from children and families and developed by qualified early childhood teachers. Magda Gerber’s RIE philosophy is a fundamental part of how they approach learning with under 3’s. This philosophy is based upon respectful practices and interactions to create a calm and peaceful place for your child to build confidence in themselves and their abilities.
The 3-5s preschools are run by 4–year bachelor-trained Early Childhood Teachers who work alongside qualified and experienced Diploma and Certificate III educators. They provide an in-depth school readiness program that builds knowledge, skills, and behaviours that enable children to participate and succeed in a school environment. The School Readiness program is a balance between play and more intentionally planned experiences that prepare children for the school journey. They also provide families with a “home curriculum” that mirrors the school readiness program. There is lots of support for this important transition to ensure your child can do their best in a school setting.
Fresh meals
Another important fact to note is that they prepare 5 fresh, nutritionally balanced meals every day. They have an on-site chef who will use produce from the children garden and ensures children meet all nutrition and dietary needs. A sample of this 5-star menu for one day consists of:
- Breakfast: Buttermilk pancakes with sliced banana and fresh milk.
- Morning Tea: Ham and cheese frittata served with cherry tomatoes, cucumber spears and a smoothie.
- Lunch: Orchard signature chicken, veggie and leek pie served with peas and a garden salad and wholemeal roll.
- Afternoon Tea: Moroccan spiced crunchy Lebanese bread served with cubed tasty cheese and their house made ricotta beetroot hummus dip. Served with sliced oranges & fresh milk.
- Light dinner: Beef San Choy Bau Noodle Bowl or vegetarian with rice noodles, stir fried veggies, cherry tomatoes, lettuce tossed in a light soy and ginger dressing.
Sample this and all Orchard Early Learning Centre has to offer at the Open Day on the 5 August 9am – 1pm.
REGISTER FOR ORCHARD ELC OPEN DAY
Environmentally Sustainable features
- Solar power installation
- Large rainwater tanks throughout the outdoor areas
- Water saving devices
- Recycled construction materials and the consideration of breezeways and natural light
- Environmentally sustainable centre design
- 5-star sustainable solar panelling
Gorgeous gardens
- Large chicken coop
- Citrus and fruit trees
- Children’s garden featuring natural stone pathways and native edible plants
- Stingless native bees and beehive
- Water play and mud kitchen
- Composting and worm farms
- Garden tee-pees with climbing edible herbs
One fee, all inclusions
Nutrition and Mindfulness
- Paddock to Plate nutrition with five healthy meals per day
- Creation of menu with executive chef Tawnya Bahr and dietician
- Gardening program
- Yoga and mindfulness classes
- Pre-school readiness program
- Music classes
- Weekly language lessons with their multi-cultural team
Community Connections
- Weekly gardening incursions with Sadie the Garden Lady, Wild Kids Australia and Young Yogis
- Paddock to plate chef, Tawnya Bahr
- Local school collaborations with St Ives schools to support the school readiness program
- Connection to local indigenous elders
- Support of local business purchases throughout St Ives community
Supportive framework with inclusions
- Extended opening hours from 6:30am to 6:30pm
- Simple drop off and pick up via Woodbury Road
- All nappies, wipes, bed linen, bibs, pawpaw ointment and Sudocrem
- Discount for siblings
REGISTER FOR ORCHARD ELC OPEN DAY
Watch! North Shore Mums video tour Orchard ELC, St Ives
Essential Details: Orchard Early Learning Centre
- Address: 58 Woodbury Road, St Ives NSW 2075
- Phone: 02 8123 2369
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: orchardelc.com.au
