Our Philosophy

  • At Tamborine Mountain Community Kindergarten, we recognize the first Australians, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as we acknowledge the land on which our service is built, the rich Indigenous cultures that can inform our practice as we engage children in developing knowledge, skills and dispositions from historical perspectives as we work towards a future of reconciliation and partnership.
  • At Tamborine Mountain Community Kindergarten, we actively embrace diversity and support inclusion of all children and families as we celebrate and empower the individual differences of our children, families, cultures and community as a strength. Our program and environment will strive to engage all children and families, considering their cultural backgrounds, prior knowledge, current interests and visions through collaborative partnerships that enhance all children’s progress and engagement in their learning journey.
  • At Tamborine Mountain Community Kindergarten, we see all children as active agents who are capable and competent learners and enquirers. They are active agents in their own and others learning journeys. All children have rights as accorded by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1990). Children are accorded the right to make decisions across the day regarding their learning, wellbeing and to have a voice that is valued and respected. Children’s voices will be embedded in all aspects of the service including strategic planning, programming, assessment and reflection on the service delivery.
  • At Tamborine Mountain Community Kindergarten, we believe a sustainable future is everyone’s business. Our service will regularly review and embed sustainable practices, sustainable environments, education for sustainability and empower children to be active agents for sustainability into the future. Our program will engage external agencies and partnerships to support sustainability where possible. Deeply embedded in this is learning about our Mother Earth and Father Sky from indigenous perspectives through history to now and into the future that make all children custodians of our Earth.
  • At Tamborine Mountain Community Kindergarten, we value kindness, gratitude and other dispositions for developing Emotional Intelligence which contributes to a caring community. We embrace this in our daily relationships with children and families in our care and beyond to our community as we work together for positive experiences in life for all. Seeing the positives in ourselves and others and the difference a little kindness can do for others can be rewarding and self-actualizing with a focus on being one and many.
  • Tamborine Mountain Community Kindergarten deeply values artistic expression and creativity as we encourage children to look for different ways of living and being in their education and life pathways.

We believe:

  • Children are influenced by their environment
  • Children learn best in an environment that is safe, supportive, attractive and stimulating
  • Children learn best when they know they are liked and accepted
  • Every child is unique, each with their own special abilities, needs, interests and prior experiences
  • Every child should be allowed to learn at a pace and in a way that is best for that individual
  • Providing a program for individuals requires consultation between family and staff and other professionals where necessary
  • Providing a program for individuals is a continuous process that involves observing, recording and analysing children’s behaviour and interests and planning, implementing, evaluating and planning further
  • It is vital to consider the whole child and see all aspects of a child’ s development (physical, social, emotional, cognitive and language) as being important and interrelated
  • Young children learn by doing, using concrete materials
  • Young children learn best from experiences that are relevant and meaningful to them
  • Young children require a play-based approach to learning
  • Children learn best when they have high self-esteem and confidence in themselves and their abilities
  • The family is the first and most important influence in a child’s life, and this special relationship should be valued and promoted
  • Confidentiality should be maintained with regards to information concerning children and families
  • Every person, whether adult or child, should be treated warmly and with respect, and should not be denied information or opportunities because of race, culture, gender, lifestyle or individual ability
  • Children learn by imitating others and require good role models
  • Children learn best from a program that is both age appropriate and individually appropriate.

About TMCK

Tamborine Mountain Community Kindergarten was established in 1981, with the assistance of the Tamborine Mountain branch of Rotary, and local volunteer labour.

Tamborine Mountain Community Kindergarten is a non-profit organisation, providing early childhood pre-prep education for children.

Age eligibility: First preference is given to children who turn 4 by 30 June in the year they are attending kindy and will be eligible to start school the following year. If there are vacancies, places may be offered to children who will turn 4 after 30 June.

The Tamborine Mountain Community Kindergarten is a not-for-profit organisation incorporated under the Associations Incorporations Act 1981 (Queensland). An elected Management Committee of parents and other interested community members is responsible for managing the Kindergarten. Kindergarten meetings are held once a month on a Wednesday at 7pm and all parents are invited to attend.

Affiliation and Standards

Our affiliated Central Governing Body (CGB) is The Gowrie (Qld) Inc.

We meet National Quality Standards under The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care.