Confidential Record Form

All families are required to complete an Enrolment Form in full and return it to the kindergarten before your child can begin attending. The form is included in your enrolment package and collects important information such as:

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• Contact details

• Allergy, immunisation, and medical condition information

• Emergency contact details

 

It’s essential that this information is accurate and kept up to date. If any of your details change during the year, please inform your child’s teacher as soon as possible so we can ensure the safety and wellbeing of your child at all times.

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Immunisation Requirements

Under Victoria's "No Jab, No Play" legislation, children must have an up-to-date immunisation status (or an approved exemption) to enrol in kindergarten and childcare services. Families will be required to provide a current Immunisation History Statement upon enrolment. For more information, please visit the Victorian Government's No Jab, No Play page.

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SunSmart Procedures

In line with our SunSmart Policy, children use a variety of sun protection measures whenever the UV rating is 3 or above. These include:

 

• Playing in shaded areas

• Applying and reapplying sunscreen

• Wearing SunSmart hats

• Wearing sun-protective clothing

 

All children are required to have a Ness Reserve Pre-School hat, which will be kept at kinder for the year and worn whenever the UV index is 3 or above.

 

What Should my Child Wear to Kinder

To help your child fully participate and stay comfortable during all activities—indoors and outdoors, rain or shine—please ensure they come dressed appropriately each day.

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Footwear:

• Children should wear appropriate shoes, such as runners or closed-toe sandals.

• Thongs, Crocs, and slip-on shoes are not suitable as they can be unsafe for active play and climbing.

 

Warm Weather / Sun Safety:

• When the UV rating is 3 or above, children, teachers, and educators are required to wear sun-safe clothing that covers as much skin as possible—especially the shoulders, back, and stomach.

• Singlets and crop tops are not considered sun-safe and should be avoided.

 

Cold and Wet Weather:

• In cooler weather, please provide your child with warm and waterproof clothing, including a waterproof jacket.

• We will be accessing the outdoor environment every session, unless weather conditions are extreme.

 

Messy Play:

• We will get dirty! Your child will be engaging in hands-on, creative play and may come home with paint, dye, or mud on their clothes.

• Please send your child in comfortable, ‘play’ clothes that are okay to get messy.

 

Active Play & Climbing:

• All clothing and footwear must be safe and suitable for climbing and active play.

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What Should my Child Bring to Kinder

Your child will need a medium-sized bag or backpack that they can carry themselves and that easily fits their lunch box, drink bottle, and spare clothes. We recommend having a few practice runs at home so your child can get used to packing and unpacking their bag independently.

 

Every child’s bag must include:

• At least one full spare set of clothes, including underpants, and socks, in a plastic bag.

• A lunch box with a healthy snack, lunch, and afternoon tea. For example:

  • Fresh fruit or vegetables

  • Crackers and cheese

  • A sandwich

  • Yoghurt

• A drink bottle filled with water only.

• All items (bag, containers, drink bottle, clothing) must be clearly labelled with your child’s name.

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Families as Partners

Families are always welcome at Ness Reserve Pre-School, and we encourage you to be involved in ways that suit you best. Information about what’s happening at kinder is available through our Storypark App and on the noticeboards at the kinder entrance.

 

Ways Families Can Be Involved:

 

• Join us for a stay and play session

• Assist with the maintenance of equipment

• Participate in kindergarten social events

• Join the Committee of Management

• Attend an information session

• Share a story, activity, or cultural celebration with the group

• Contribute to our Quality Improvement Plan (QIP)

• Join our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Working Group

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Stay and Play Sessions

Throughout the year families are invited to nominate a day to stay and have a play with us at kinder.  During this time, you may be invited to help with an activity, but mostly you’ll have the opportunity to play with your child and their friends, observe our daily routines, and learn more about life at kinder. During this time, you may be invited to help with an activity, but mostly you’ll have the opportunity to play with your child and their friends, observe our daily routines, and learn more about life at kinder. Stay and Play volunteers will need a current Working with Children Check and will need to sign a Child Safety Code of Conduct prior to engaging with the group at kinder.

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Important Information for Volunteers

All volunteers, including those attending a stay and play session, must have a Working With Children Check and sign a Code of Conduct to ensure safe and respectful interactions with all children.

 

Sustainability at Ness

At Ness Reserve Pre-School, we are mindful of our impact on the environment and encourage children to think about how their actions can contribute to the health of our planet.

 

During mealtimes, we aim to minimise packaging and reduce waste. Families are encouraged to use reusable lunch boxes and containers to bring foods that children would normally eat at home. Pre-packaged snack packets can be costly, are often unnecessary, and can be difficult for children to open. Wherever possible, we ask that families pack a “nude” lunch box—free from excess packaging.

 

This approach not only helps the environment but also supports children in developing independence and responsibility for their food.

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We also love finding new ways to recycle and reuse materials in our learning experiences. Some items that are particularly useful at kinder include:

 

• Plain or coloured paper or cardboard

• Boxes, small e.g. Toothpaste, soap, cereal

• Soft, untreated wood

• Threads – string, medium to thick wool, ribbon

• Corks – wine or larger

• Nails – all sizes

• Cones from inside wool

• Paper doyleys

• Newspapers

• Old kitchen items such as saucepans, cake tins, wooden spoons

• Clean jar/bottle top/ milk bottle lids

• Pine cones or other collected natural materials

• Buttons

 

f you have other materials you think may be useful, please ask—we can often find a creative way to use them!

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