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Diary Dates
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PAG and Board Matters 
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Diary Dates:

End of Year Celebration

Thursday 17th December 6.00-7.30pm with a performance by Cool for Kids and free face paining

End of Year closure

The Centre will close for 2009 on Friday 24th December at 1pm

and re-open in 2010 on Monday January 11 at 8am

News

Programs 

Mandarin Immersion Program

Since February 2008 WCCC  has implementd an additive bilingual (L2) program through language immersion in Mandarin in our 3-5 year age group (Room 3). This is an additive bilingual program because Mandarin is a completely new language to most children. It is an immersion program because during designated periods (currently 9am-12.30pm) of each day the majority of Eunice and Lucy’s communication with children is in Mandarin. There is always a staff member who speaks English available to the children.

Why language immersion?

¨ Every child has the ability to learn additional languages

¨ Learning a second language enhances children’s reading readiness as it develops their metalinguistic awareness or capacity to use knowledge about language.

¨ Young children are intuitive language learners and will learn a second language contextually in the same way that they learn their primary language. That is by hearing it spoken on a regular basis.

¨ Bi-lingual children develop a more positive attitude to non-native languages and foreign cultures.

It is important for parents to be aware of this and discuss with their children as second language immersion programs do well when there is support from parents.  

 PAG Matters 2009

The Waite Campus Childrens Centre, Urrbrae, and the Adelaide Campus Childrens Centre, Adelaide, are owned by the University of Adelaide and managed by the Adelaide University Childcare Services Inc. This body is separately incorporated and is not part of Adelaide University. AUCS Inc is supported in its governance of these centres by a Parent Advisory Group at each Centre and by a Director at each site who is responsible for service management, staffing and administration.

The Parent Advisory Grou consits of 10 parents representing each section of the Centre, the Director and a staff representative.

This group supports centre development and programs through policy and program reviews, interview panels for new staff, and planning and assiting with familiy activities.

Parent Advisory Group (PAG) meetings are the third Friday of the month.

Sustainable Futures for Children

Waite Campus Childrens Centre is committed to exploring and implementing ways to save water and energy, reduce waste, expand children’s environmental education and foster sustainable lifestyles. The approach to environmental education for young children is an experiential one providing opportunities for child-initiated experiences that support children to learn through discovery. Children are actively involved in growing plants, recycling and water and energy saving.

Waite Campus Childrens Centre is  Carbon friendly and has offset their carbon usage for 2008 and 2009 through the purchase of renewable energy credits from Climate Friendly.

UNESCO says “As early childhood education is about laying a sound intellectual, psychological, emotional, social and physical foundation, it has an enormous potential in fostering values, attitudes and skills that support sustainable development.”

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