The diocese is committed to supporting family life as the foundation of society and of the Church. One aspect of this is providing educationally sound and professionally staffed Early Education. We’re excited to see this come to life as we open both our Singleton and Newcastle West centres in 2016.

So why St Nicholas?

St Nicholas, traditionally the patron saint of children, delivers on our goal to facilitate each child’s optimal social, intellectual and physical development and education, in partnership with parents and educators. We recognise that a safe, secure and consistent environment supports trust and encourages the development of confidence, skills and friendship. We welcome one and all to our centre.

Staffed by a dedicated team of qualified early childhood professionals, St Nicholas complies with all national regulations and licensing requirements, and is Child Care Benefit and Child Care Rebate approved, allowing parents and carers to access government support.

We are committed to the children we care for and aim to promote a positive, nurturing and trusting relationship, so they feel a sense of belonging at St Nicholas. We respect children’s unique learning styles and include their voices in our curriculum. We view children as capable, creative and confident learners and recognise the significance of the ‘here and now’, a sense of being for each child. We will offer an environment that acknowledges change within the early years, and which, in turn, allows children to become confident learners. We are committed to offering acceptance and support for children with additional needs and nourishing positive self-esteem in all children.

At St Nicholas, we work together with families and the wider community to promote and encourage positive and respectful relationships. We believe that families play the most important part in the life of their child and a strong link between home and care fosters positive outcomes. Through daily communication and shared decision-making, we welcome families to assist us to provide the best outcomes for each child on his/her learning journey.

Our curriculum is based on the children’s interests and needs, and reflects the vision of the Early Years Framework and the National Quality Standard. We include children’s voices in our program and ensure daily reflection promotes continual self-evaluation. We provide a stimulating and challenging environment that encourages our children’s curiosity and creativity, building confidence along the way. Our curriculum is play-based in an enriched learning environment that includes both open-ended and group learning. We aim to link our wider community and our families to our program for optimal outcomes for each child.

We are also excited to enhance children’s learning at St Nicholas through the provision of both natural and man-made materials in safe, stimulating, inclusive and clean indoor and outdoor areas. Every St Nicholas Early Education site has been designed to promote environmentally friendly learning and play where children are taught the importance of sustainability through recycling and water conservation activities.

Working within the ethos of equality and encouraging inclusion of children from all cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, St Nicholas operates 51 weeks of the year, closing only between Christmas and New Year.

Our first location is St Nicholas Singleton which officially became part of the St Nicholas family in April this year. Led by Director, Fiona Wissink, St Nicholas Singleton cares for 80 children each day with a dedicated team of 26 staff. Singleton will soon be joined by a new St Nicholas location, with Newcastle West opening in coming weeks.

Under leadership from Director Toni Warburton, Newcastle West is a totally refurbished 52-place Early Education Centre, ideally located close to the Newcastle CBD at 845 Hunter Street. With four playrooms tailored by age group, children will be placed in smaller groups and benefit from specially designed programs for their stage of development. Pre-schoolers at St Nicholas Newcastle West will also benefit from a dedicated pre-school room and a school readiness program to develop skills to take them forward to their next step in education.

Interested in a place at St Nicholas Early Education? Register for the waiting list now at stnicholasmn.org.au or P 4979 1110. 

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