The first step of your child’s education is a milestone moment for families, and where a lifetime of learning begins.
It’s no secret that the early years of your child’s life are fundamentally important for building the foundations of their future development. Wilderness School believes in providing the highest quality early childhood program which honours and celebrates the unique qualities of each girl, every step of the way.
Early Learning at Wilderness
Within your first moments inside the gate of the Mamie Brown House in the morning, the starting place for three-year-old girls at Wilderness, a journey of curiosity and wonder begins, for both you and your daughter. This is where she embarks on her first steps into the Wilderness – and on her educational journey – and only time will tell what she could become.
The big wide world awaits her…The Wilderness School Early Learning Centre is where she starts.
Will she visit the chickens on the way down to the House? How many eggs have they laid?
Will she make a mud pie in the mud kitchen, play with her new friends in the cubby or paint under the trees?
Maybe today she’ll put her gumboots on and water the garden.
Inside, there are even more possibilities.
Becoming a Wilderness girl
Taking that first step into the Wilderness for our youngest learners is the start of their educational journey. From the beginning, ELC girls see themselves as ‘Wilderness girls’. They wear a uniform, learn from highly-skilled early childhood teachers and and participate in specialist lessons within the School, including lessons in Music, Yoga, Library and Physical Education, and, most importantly, they are connected to the School Values, especially that of Respectful Relationships.
As the girls play and learn together, the spirit of unlimited kindness is reinforced and valued at every opportunity.
Inspiring a love of learning
Wilderness girls are encouraged to explore their interests and actively engage in their education. It is here your daughter’s dispositions, experience and knowledge are enriched and respected and her individual right to learn is acknowledged and supported.
Fundamental to the Wilderness way is that a spirit of joy should underpin all teaching and learning and thus, inspire a love for learning in each and every one of the girls. Joy in the ELC is experienced through the development of friendships, creativity, imagination, new learning, play and simply by being together in the moment, enjoying this special time of early childhood.
The calm and welcoming atmosphere of the Early Learning Centre provides the perfect space to say goodbye and begin the day knowing your daughter will be safe, stimulated, and inspired through an education that will prepare her for the next step on her journey to being the ‘best she can be throughout her life’.
Learning through play
The Wilderness teaching and learning program is inspired by the principles of the Reggio Emilia philosophy, informed by The Early Years Learning Framework, connected to the high quality, innovative teaching practices at the School and, most importantly, created especially for your daughter.
The Wilderness ELC runs with consistent routines and timings very similar to any Wilderness School day. ELC girls really do attend ‘school’ but the learning is conceptualised in a way that is high quality and age appropriate and emerges from the needs and interests of the girls individually, and collectively as a class.
Begin the learning journey at Wilderness
Your daughter may begin her early learning journey in the year that she turns 3, as long as her birthday falls before 30 June in the respective year. If your daughter turns 3 years of age after this date, she will commence in the following year.
0–3 YEARS: Get started on your Wilderness way at Playgroup
Your daughter doesn’t have to wait until she’s three years old to become part of the Wilderness family and learning community. Joining the welcoming playgroup, held every Friday morning during term time for children aged 0-3, will give both you and your daughter the opportunity to become familiar with the school environment, meet future Wilderness friends and get to know other families.
Discover more
If you would like to know more about the Playgroup or Early Learning at Wilderness, please contact the Wilderness Registrar, Mrs Natalie Klein at registrar@wilderness.com.au or visit:
