Grants
To maintain our beautiful kindergarten, we rely on fundraising and grants to purchase children's learning resources, play equipment and technology. Thanks to our grants officer within our committee who apply's for new grants throughout the year.
21-29 October 2023 - Children's Week
We are very thankful to Kingston Council who provided us funding for the 2023 Children’s Week Grant.
The theme for this year’s children’s week is “Children have the right to relax, play and take part in activities they enjoy”. As children have enjoyed learning a wide variety of Aboriginal traditions, Aboriginal games, the Boonwurrung language and our acknowledgement of country, we are so thankful to receive this grant of $605 as it is allowed our educational team and children a wonderful opportunity in having Didgeridoo Australia visit our 3 year olds groups.
The children participated in a highly engaging Aboriginal Cultural presentation and discussion of traditional bush food, hunting tools, musical instruments, arts and crafts. Authentic objects are passed to the children for that memorable, hands-on experience: animal skins, possum skin ball, emu eggs, boomerangs, emu caller, baskets and necklaces. Didgeridoo Australia demonstrated how to make traditional paint with ochre, charcoal and clay. Children also had the opportunity to play Aboriginal instruments - didgeridoo (boys) and clap sticks (girls).
Thank you City of Kingston for supporting Chelsea Heights Kinder
2023 Victorian Junior Landcare and Biodiversity Grant
We’re excited to announce that our kindergarten is one of 123 childcare centres, schools, Scouts and Girl Guides groups, and youth groups to receive a 2023 Victorian Junior Landcare and Biodiversity Grant. Delivered through Landcare Australia’s Junior Landcare program, and funded by the Victorian Government, the grants provide young people with the opportunity to engage in outdoor, hands-on biodiversity focused projects or learning activities that encourage them to value and actively care for Victoria’s biodiversity and natural environment. We are so thankful for this amazing experience.
We used our $1029.00 grant for an excursion for the 4’s to visit the Royal Botanical Gardens in October 2023. At the gardens they participated in the “mini beasts program”
Children learnt that Minibeasts are tiny animals (invertebrates) such as insects, spiders and worms. Some minibeasts are well camouflaged. We need to look carefully on flowers, under leaves, on the bark of trees. Plants also provide food and shelter for minibeasts.
They also learnt that bees collect nectar and spread pollen from flower to flower which makes new seeds.
The children and educational team were also able to walk through rain forests and explored wonderful smelling plants. They stopped along the way to hear from the learning facilitator who spoke about the trees that were on the planet for hundreds of millions of years ago that produce boy cones and girl cones, watched and listened to the learning facilitator who taught them about the smallest coconut in the world produced by a giant tree that is very rare, and made a pot pourri bag to take home and investigated worms.
The Victorian Junior Landcare and Biodiversity Grants are funded by the Victorian Government through the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action. They contribute to the targets of Protecting Victoria’s Environment – Biodiversity 2037, the Victorian Government’s plan to stop the decline of our native plants and animals and improve our natural environment.
2023 Woolworths Junior Landcare Grant
22 June 2023 - Special thanks to Simone and Demi from Chelsea Woolworths for presenting us with our Woolworths Junior Landcare grant certificate, some fresh fruit and cookies.
Caring for the environment is an important part of everyday life. Everyone can do their part to try and make our world a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable planet. Recycling is an important aspect in achieving this. Thanks to Woolworths Junior landcare for approving our grant request for some new recycling bins for each room. These bins will allow children to start taking responsibility for a sustainable waster management system which includes: separating their food scraps, soft plastics, cardboard and paper. Recycling doesn't stop with the children at kindergarten, with our blue bins we'll be asking families for goods they no longer need so we can reuse or repurpose. This is all to help our children in learning about the 7 r's. (Recycle, Re-use, Reduce, Repurpose, Refuse, Repair, Rethink)