January 15, 2014
Nanango teacher Sarah Campbell has swapped schoolbooks for fingerpainting … and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Sarah started work at South Burnett CTC’s Nanango Childcare Centre at the beginning of this year, the first fully qualified teacher the centre has had since CTC took over running it.
The former teacher from St Patrick’s Catholic School will be looking after the needs of two to five-year-olds, developing special programs for them to enjoy.
And although there is an educational component, the emphasis is on having fun.
“It’s all child-led,” she explained. “We write the program around what their interests are. They’ll be learning as they are playing.”
Some of their children’s current activities include painting, making playdough shapes and working on scrapbook pages.
And there’s some special treats planned for Australia Day.
“We’re going to make damper, do cave paintings and decorate boomerangs,” Sarah said.
The not-for-profit Nanango Childcare Centre is located at 21 Drayton Street, Nanango, and caters for babies from birth to age 2, and children from age 2 to 5.
Places are limited to just eight in the “babies” room but co-ordinator Theresa Cullinane said parents could add names to a waiting list.
There are 24 places in the older age group and many of these are still available to be filled.
Theresa also co-ordinates South Burnett CTC’s “Community Kids” centre, just a short walk down Drayton Street, opposite Nanango State School.
This centre offers activities for three to five-year-olds, including before and after school care, vacation care and “pre-prep” for older children who will be going on to Prep next year.
Rhonda Cummings is the teacher at Community Kids who directs the State Government “Kindergarten-approved” program for children aged 4 and above.
The pre-prep children learn the alphabet and how to count, recognise and write their names, and social skills such as how to share, be part of a group and relate to other children.
“We get them ready for Prep and teach them to be safe and secure,” Rhonda said.
Community Kids has also recently introduced a new service … a bus which can pick up and deliver children back home in the local area.
Theresa said there were also 24 places at Community Kids, with a number of vacancies still available this year.
The two South Burnett CTC centres in Nanango are open from 7:00am to 6:00pm, Monday to Friday.
For more information, contact Theresa on (07) 4171-0033 or (07) 4163-1279.
