After School Care offers children a gentle bridge between the structure of the school day and the freedom of home. It’s more than just a place for children to spend time at the end of the day, it’s a space for them to unwind, connect and continue growing in a way that compliments their school experience. It’s a time for rest, play, creativity, and connection. A space where learning continues naturally through shared experience with peers across classes in a supported and wholesome way.

Our program gives children opportunities to explore their curiosities in an unhurried and gentle way. We continually reflect on their experiences in order to create a program that is enriching, meaningful, inspiring and fun.

For example, some of the experiences that were enjoyed last term included:
Cooking: Many children enjoy helping to prepare food and everyone has loved contributing to our menu. We have even begun to create our own recipe book which we will continue in Term 4.

Art: Including painting, clay, wood sculptures, and a LOT of drawing! I’ve got lots of plans of bringing in some more art experiences this term as well.

Marble Runs: This has been an ongoing interest and has evolved to creating the most wonderfully elaborate designs using different shapes blocks to make ramps and jumps. I love the collaborative nature of this play.

Outside Play:From climbing trees, playing group games, sandpit play, and more recently the ‘caretaking’ of the water feature. The children spent day after day cleaning and fixing up the water feature which became a central part of play for many children.

Afterschool care also nurtures the social and emotional development of children. The mixed-age environment encourages cooperation, leadership and empathy as older children naturally guide younger ones in play and conversation. I value emotional literacy highly and these social experiences outside of the classroom can offer children a unique and meaningful way to deepen their social experiences, including their capacity to navigate challenges, disagreements and differences in opinions in a supported way.

For families, I hope that this can feel like a beautiful extension of the school’s heart. A place where you can have peace of mind knowing that your child is in a caring, familiar environment, supported by educators who know them well and who value each child’s individuality and wellbeing.

If you are interested in your child joining this enriching experience, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact us to enquire about vacancies or to arrange a visit at care@kindlehill.nsw.edu.au.

Meredith Mallin After School Care Coordinator and Playgroup Coordinator

Meredith is a trained and practised Early Childhood Teacher with a special interest in Art Education. Meredith has been supporting the children in the school already through teaching relief work and relief in ASC in 2024.