Our Philosophy and History
Established in 1967 the Dungog Community Preschool has been an integral part of local families lives for over 50 years.
Our Philosophy
Our Community:
We are committed to building trusting and respectful connections and partnerships with families so that everyone feels comfortable and valued when using our services. We believe it is crucial to listen to and consider the voices of all families in any decision-making processes, as their input is essential to a child’s well-being and sense of belonging. Dungog Preschool operates with an open-door policy for children, families and fosters connections with the local community and neighbours. We highly value our relationships with other services, agencies, and individuals in the community with whom we engage.
Wellbeing:
At Dungog Community Preschool, we are dedicated to creating a nurturing environment that inspires children to appreciate and respect nature. We prioritize sustainability by integrating eco-friendly practices into our daily routines, such as using water tanks, free ranging chickens, composting, and cultivating worms. We also educate children about their role as caretakers of the planet. We encourage children to explore, discover, imagine, and create in all areas of their preschool. We recognize that our environment plays a crucial role in children’s learning, and we all have a part to play in ensuring the sustainability of our planet for future generations.
Connection:
Dungog Community Preschool provides a supportive environment for children to learn and develop understanding. We promote kindness, empathy, inclusion and cultural awareness. Our goal is to encourage children to explore different cultures, traditions, and perspectives, fostering a global awareness that promotes tolerance and cultural sensitivity. Our educators are committed to learning alongside the children and celebrate cultural diversity while promoting a deep respect for First Nations heritage through Aboriginal ways of learning.
Play:
We believe that children are active learners who are actively involved in acquiring knowledge. Children are experimenters, scientists, artists, and collaborators who use play to explore their ideas. We provide spaces for children to use their imagination and curiosity to engage, investigate, and gain understanding and knowledge about the world around them.
Our History
Dungog Community Preschool was formed by a group of mothers and opened in March 1966 with the help of donations from many local organisations. The preschool operated in the Presbyterian Hall until September 1967 and relocated to 1 Chapman Street Dungog, into the old railway barracks building.
Dungog Community Preschool continues today as a non-profit, community-based organisation. The preschool runs collaboratively with qualified educators and a Management Committee, elected annually at the AGM.
Management Committee
Dungog Community Preschool Management Committee over sees the business plans, finances, growth of the preschool and is the approved provider. The committee consists of 8 members 4 of which are members holding an office bearing position such as President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. The Preschool Director/ Nominated Supervisor and the committee members make up the Management Team.
The team work collaboratively with the committee to communicate the running of the daily program, feedback from families and future goals for our beautiful and inclusive learning environment.
Preschool Hours
Monday – Friday
8.30am – 4.00pm
Dungog Community Preschool is only open during the NSW school term. Please click here to view the calendar on the NSW Education Website.
Dungog Community Preschool acknowledges the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first inhabitants of the nation and the traditional custodians of the lands where we live, learn and work. We acknowledge the Gringai people as the traditional custodians of the Dungog region and pay our respects to Gringai elders past, present and emerging.