Aims & Philosophy

AIMS OF OUR MOBILE
Through our staff and programs, Galloping Gumnut aims to provide social experiences for children and their families who live in rural or remote areas.  We aim to provide a program that will help your child grow and develop in all areas.  Specifically we aim to stimulate and extend you child to:
• Discover he/she’s a person of worth who can achieve and grow in many different ways
• Realise what he/she does affects others
• Express feelings in constructive ways
• Assume responsibility for his/her own behaviour
• Express ideas through art/music/language/science
• Develop foundations for reading, writing and number work
• Build their own confidence and self-esteem through positive interaction with other children and adults

If you want your child to:
•    Develop creativeness
•    Make decisions independently
•    Develop physical co-ordination
•    Extend social skills and behaviours
•    Be self confident
•    Enjoy learning
•    Develop through positive PLAY experiences,

……. Then our Early Childhood Program is just right for your child.  The key to successful learning experiences is to focus on your child’s interests, and to use those interests to engage your child in actively exploring and learning about their environment and their world.

You, the PARENT, are the child’s first and most important teacher.  Your home is your child’s first and continual environment.  You decide your family’s routine – when you get up, eat, play, do chores, etc.  The way you talk with your child makes a tremendous difference in how they think, how they feel about themselves, and the kind of people they will become.

We aim to be able to work co-operatively with you and your family when we visit your area.  We see our service as a vehicle to helping your child develop in an extended environment to their home.

Another extension of our service is community networking.  Many places that we visit are very remote and families do not have the opportunity to see each other very often.  At our sessions it allows people in the community to gather and build friendships and network to help build community morale, ownership and a sense of belonging.  Galloping Gumnut works closely with other community organizations such as schools, councils, hospitals, playgroups, sporting groups and other general services to ensure that a variety of needs are being met in the community.
 
 
PHILOSOPHY
The Galloping Gumnut Mobile Children’s Services Van Inc is an Early Childhood Service that is funded by the Department of Education, Employment and Work Place Relations and provides quality educational opportunities to rural and remote children and families.

The staff and committee of the service understand and acknowledge the importance of providing a quality children’s service to geographically isolated families living and working in the Greater City of Lithgow and adjoining districts as to meet their needs both socially and educationally.

The service also is committed to providing a support network and referral system for those families who live “out of town”.  This consists of keeping families up-to-date with the latest information relating to parenting skills, educational methods, health suggestions, community events, and general interest material.  This will be achieved through the implementation of the Toy Library which will provide a variety of materials, toys and information.