Our Philosophy

“We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love… and then we return home.” - Australian Aboriginal Proverb.

Happy Trails Philosophy is a living document that reflects the knowledge, beliefs, and values of our Educators, Children, Families and the wider community. Our Educators are inspired by theorists such as Jean Piaget, Maria Montessori and John Dewey * These theorists, as well as current research and knowledge, influence and lead our theoretical concept of teaching and approach “ Our Pedagogy.”

“Play is the answer to how anything new comes about.” – Jean Piaget

We believe that early learning is play-based. Our fundamental goal is to establish trusting relationships among children, Educators and parents. Carefully constructed early education experiences and free play promote exploration, critical thinking, cooperative play, role modelling and the development of mutual respect. Our educational programs are reflective and adhere to guidelines set by ACECQA, National Quality Framework and The Early Years Learning Framework, taking the child’s developmental level into account.

Happy Trails Early Learning’s open-door policy aims to facilitate an open flow of communication while maintaining privacy and confidentiality. Partnerships with families provide us with invaluable information relating to diversity, multi-cultural backgrounds and heritage.

“Respect for diversity, I think, makes us unique as it creates a welcoming environment for all the cultural backgrounds of HTELC’s people, and respect for them. A good example of this is our celebration of our country of the month” – HTELC Educator

Darwin’s beautiful climate allows considerable learning time outdoors where the children can have positive experiences. At Happy Trails, we believe that time outside contributes greatly to the overall wellbeing of children. It increases independence, self-esteem and awakens curiosity and connection to the environment, to self, and to others. The learning that comes with hands- on nature play, emerges naturally, and is understood and absorbed easily, making learning fun and engaging.

“ Every week at Happy Trails, the children have gardening and cooking activities which teach them about healthy food and how to plant. In the gardening activity the children learn about nature as well” - HTELC Parent references our weekly Kitchen and Garden program.

Jean Piaget believed that nutritional education in the early years of life influenced and encouraged healthy eating habits into adulthood. At Happy Trails, we are passionate about your child’s development. Carefully planned menus align with guidelines for daily recommended intakes of the food groups. Every day we cook nutrient rich meals made from fresh ingredients, prepared by our qualified chef. Our menus are reflective of our cultural diversity and are planned to offer a consistent variety of flavours and textures, to meet the needs of each child at our service .

Our philosophy gives an insight into the education and care program we provide. We are always looking for ways to develop our knowledge and build on our strengths so we can offer richer experiences to our children and make each day count.

Sustainability

Our Service is passionate about sustainability. We believe in supporting children to appreciate and care for the environment by embedding sustainable practice into the daily operation of our Service, infrastructure, and teaching. To empower our sustainability program, we emphasise children’s ability to make a difference, enabling them to learn and appreciate their environment in an engaging, fun and exciting manner. We do this by engaging children in discussion about sustainable practice, encouraging them to participate in a recycling program, reducing energy and conserving water. We aim to provide children with the skills and knowledge required to become environmentally responsible.