Blackfriars’ Early Learning Centre celebrates 10th anniversary
While Blackfriars Priory School celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2023, the Early Learning Centre (ELC) has chalked up its own milestone.
This year marks 10 years since the opening of Blackfriars’ ELC. Work started in early 2013 to transform an old church hall and the surrounding land into a beautiful ELC space.
The centre opened on Tuesday, July 23, 2013, with 25 boys and girls and four staff members. Within a year, student numbers had grown to 80, with eight staff members. Today, there are almost 100 students and 16 teachers and education support officers.
Acting Coordinator of Early Learning Jasmin Moore said the ELC was constantly evolving to ensure every student had the best possible start to their learning journeys.
“We’re proud of our past but we’re really excited for our future,” Moore said.
“We want our boys and girls to be worldly and future-thinking; equipped with skills to be global learners and evolve with how the world is changing.
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“We want to develop relationships and social skills that the children will use not just now, but in Primary School and beyond. And with those relationship skills, develop a community of learners.”
The ELC staff work tirelessly to create inviting teaching spaces and build meaningful relationships with students and their families.
“One really big emphasis is setting up the environment to be inviting, playful and inspire learning so that when the children walk in, there’s awe, wonder and engagement,” Moore said.
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She highlighted the importance of setting up the right activities – or “provocations” – for the students.
“They are set up in a way to provoke learning. There might be things that promote persistence, confidence, organisation, risk-taking, resilience, science, technology, literacy, numeracy, creativity and imagination,” she said.
“The educators at ELC are very passionate and creative in creating those inviting provocations within the classroom and that’s a valuable skillset we have. When you walk into ELC, you can see the provocations and you can see that the children are engaged.”
The ELC educators also endeavour to build positive relationships with every student – and their families.
“That’s a really big focus for all of us,” Moore said. “It starts with the children and is extended out to all the families.”
Enrolments are now open for 2024.
Learn more at elc.blackfriars.sa.edu.au
