Melaleuca Room
Our Melaleuca Room is home of up to 12 children each day, aged 0 to 2 years.
We understand it can be really hard for parents to leave their children in the care of new people for the first time.
We want you to feel comfortable knowing that your child will receive love and support from the educators in the Melaleuca room.
When you and your child join our family, our focus is on forming connections and ensuring that everyone feels a sense of security and belonging so you can say goodbye each morning confident in the fact that your child will laugh, learn, and play every day.
Our Acknowledgement of Country
We, in the Melaleuca family enjoy a conversational Acknowledgement of Country each day.
This involves us thanking the land on which we live, the animals we share it with, and the Aboriginal people who have, and who continue to; protect, respect, and cherish it. We discuss this with the children and encourage open discussion about it.
We then open the circle to share a time that we felt connected to country, or for educators to share a time that a family member has shared on behalf of their child.
We then say…
“Hello land (touch the land)
Hello sun (reach to the sky)
Hello me (hug yourself)
Hello friends (open your arms)”
+ Our Educators
PRIYANKA PRAJAPATI
Team Leader
Priyanka is studying toward a Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care and is qualified with a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care. She has been working in the early childhood education profession since 2019 and joined Baringa in 2022.
EMILY HALL
Assistant Team Leader
Emily has been with Baringa since 2018. She has completed her Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care and is currently studying towards her Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care.
RASHA RAWDHAN
Educator
Rasha is qualified with a Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care. She was a primary school teacher in Bahgdad, Iraq prior to coming to Australia and has many years of experience working in the early childhood education profession.
OLIVIA NEDIC
Educator
Olivia is studying toward her Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care. She began her professional journey with
Baringa in 2023.
SIENNA GRIFFITHS
Educator
Sienna is studying toward a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care. She began her journey in the profession with Baringa this year.
+ Room Information
We encourage you to take this opportunity to familiarise yourself with our Centre Policies including our Exclusion Policy and Fees Policy and Food Menu. For new families, and those whose children are transitioning to a new room, we ask you to kindly fill in the following forms and return to your educator or the Baringa Office:
Collection authorisations (if required):
On-going collection via My Family Lounge (desktop not mobile)
Login and click QK enrol and first ensure the person you wish to authorise is listed as a contact. Once listed, click “edit” next to your child’s name, then under "authorisations” select and save the collection authorisation for the relevant contact.
+ Our Promise
Each day with us your child will learn something new
Some days it will come home in their hands
Some days it will come home in their heads
And some days it will come home in their hearts
+ Items to Bring
- 6 x nappies – 4 to use during the day and 2 spares
- 3 sets of spare clothes
- Attachment items: dummies, teddies, blankets, photos etc.
- Breastmilk, formula, bottles
- Coats and beanies for winter
- Broad brimmed hats (Baringa hats are available for purchase)
- Sleeved tops for summer – singlets do not meet sun safety requirements
- A water bottle that has been labelled with your child’s name
- Sensitive sunscreen if needed - we provide standard sunscreen
NOTE: Please do not bring any toys from home as it can be distressing for your child if they are lost, broken, or used by other children. ‘Home toys’ will be placed back in your child’s bag. Attachment items are welcome and will be used at rest times to help bring comfort to your little one.
+ Morning Song
Good morning Melaleuca,
Good morning Melaleuca,
Good morning Melaleuca,
Let’s see who’s here today
____ is here today,
____ is here today,
Wave hello and clap your hands,
____ is here today.
+ Daily Rituals
In the Melaleuca Room we have room ‘rituals’ rather than routines. This is because we repeat certain steps or transitions throughout the day however the word routine is often linked with more regimented practice.
Whilst we do repeat actions, we don’t expect these to happen at specific times of the day. This feels more supportive of each child’s needs and supports their autonomy in a more authentic manner.
As such, our ritual list has times next to each ritual that are purely a guide and will be adjusted daily to suit children's needs.
7.30 - 8.15 // Children arrive at Baringa and Melaleuca are joined with the Hakea Room. Once there are two Educators from each room, the rooms slowly separate.
8.15 - 9.00 // The children have the option of indoor/outdoor play.
9.00 - 9.15 // Hand washing commences.
9.15 - 9.45 // Morning Tea. The children are encouraged to sit down to enjoy morning tea as a family. The Melaleuca team encourage a leisurely morning tea to take advantage of this lovely bonding opportunity. Morning tea is started with the Acknowledgement of Country and Good-morning song.
9.45 - 10.45 // Indoor/Outdoor play is provided for the children. Children are encouraged to have input with the selection of resources they would like during this time. Nappy changes will commence, and children who have two sleeps generally go down after their nappy change.
10.45 - 11.15 // Children begin to transition inside and are encouraged to take off their own shoes, socks and hats. Hats are placed into the hat basket, and shoes and socks are placed in their bags. One educator runs ‘together time’ – reading and singing songs. Another educator helps children to wash their hands and put on their bibs for lunch.
11.15 - 11.45 // Lunch – Children are encouraged to sit down for lunch. Educators again encourage this as a time for bonding, so it is taken at a leisurely pace. To provide children with agency, tables are set up to ensure children are able to indicate that they would like more food, and to encourage children to feed themselves where possible.
11.45 - 12.30 // Nappy changes commence and children who sleep will get ready for bed.
12.30 - 2.00 // During this time, the children who have two sleeps are generally awake, and are sitting down for their lunch. Educators spend one on one time with children who are awake. By 2:00pm most of the sleeping children start to wake, and children who have two sleeps will be ready to go down for their second sleep. Nappy changes occur as each child wakes up/before their sleep.
2:00 - 2.15 // Hand washing commences for the children who are ready to sit down for afternoon tea.
2.15 - 2.45 // Afternoon tea – Children are encouraged to sit down for a leisurely afternoon tea.
2.45 - 4.30 // Children have the option of indoor/outdoor play. During this time, the afternoon nappy changes commence.
4.30 - 5.00 // Children are assisted with hand washing and then are encouraged to sit on the mat for ‘together time’ – reading and singing songs, while enjoying afternoon vegetables.
5.00 - 6.00 // Melaleuca transitions to the Hakea room.
6.00 // Centre closes.
+ Drop Offs
Saying goodbye can be hard and emotional for yourself and your child. It is recommended that you always say goodbye, and reassure them that you will return. Once you have said goodbye, it is recommended that you do not come back into the room, as coming and going can confuse your child and make it harder for them to settle. If you need to drop something off you are welcome to leave it in the foyer and one of us will collect it.
Give a timeline if you’d like for example “after your nap you will have a play and I will come and pick you up”. Try to make the drop-off short and sweet. Long drop-offs can cause some confusion as children may think that you’re going to be staying with them, and it will be harder for them to settle when you do leave.
We will try to comfort them in many ways before we attempt to contact you. We have a lot of tricks up our sleeves and will do our best to make your little one feel safe and secure. It is a big change though, and it can be tricky for some children. Keeping communication clear is important, so please feel free to call to check-in at any time!
