Our Willow Classroom offers a dynamic and inspiring program that extends upon the foundations built in the 3-year-old kindergarten experience. This program is designed to prepare children for a successful and confident transition to school, supporting the development of essential skills, dispositions, and understandings for lifelong learning.
The Willow program invites children to become active participants in their own learning through project-based exploration and intentional teaching.
Educators foster curiosity and critical thinking by offering open-ended investigations that connect to real-world concepts — encouraging children to question, predict, test ideas, and reflect on outcomes.
Children engage in meaningful opportunities to strengthen early literacy and numeracy, including phonemic awareness, vocabulary development, storytelling, writing, counting, sequencing, patterning, measurement, and problem-solving.
These experiences are intentionally embedded throughout the day to develop communication, reasoning, and comprehension skills — forming a solid foundation for reading, writing, and mathematical thinking.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) principles are woven through the curriculum, allowing children to explore how things work, make observations, and draw conclusions through hands-on discovery.
A strong focus on school readiness runs through every aspect of the Willow Classroom.
Educators intentionally build children’s executive function skills — such as focus, memory, persistence, and flexible thinking — alongside independence and emotional regulation.
Children are supported to manage routines, organise their belongings, follow multi-step instructions, and take responsibility for their learning environment.
Collaborative group projects nurture social confidence, teamwork, and problem-solving, helping each child feel capable and ready for the next stage of their education journey.
The Willow Classroom also prioritises wellbeing and leadership.
Children are encouraged to share ideas, take initiative, and demonstrate respect and empathy for others. Educators provide opportunities for children to act as mentors and role models within the classroom community, strengthening their self-esteem and sense of belonging.
As with all programs at Mt Eliza House Academy, the Willow Classroom combines a high-quality, Government-Funded Kindergarten program with the flexibility of extended hours care — allowing families to experience the best of both worlds: a rich, play-based educational program within a supportive and consistent environment.
