Kiri-Ann Combi
ecopreschools, a family owned and operated business, is the brainchild of longtime Northern Beaches resident Kiri Combi, who developed the idea while struggling to find the right childcare provider for her own two children.
In 2003, before environmental sustainability was the buzzword it is today, Kiri set about establishing ecopreschools Seaforth as a pilot program with service practices designed around environmentally friendly principles that reflected
Kiri's upbringing in semi-rural Western Australia.
Kiri is a true entrepreneur who’s start up capital was money saved while working her way through a Masters Degree in Teaching at Sydney University.
Kiri's instincts were spot on. ecopreschool first location in Seaforth opened its doors in 2004 and was successful enough to warrant the establishment of a permanent location.
This second location, ecopreschools Balgowlah, opened in August 2007 allowed ecopreschools to expand and work with younger children and is now an established player in the local market.
Kiri has been recognized both nationally and internationally and has been included in the 2009-2010 Stanford Who’s Who of Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs.
Inclusion in this prestigious organization is limited to those individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and achievement in their industry.
ecopreschools is a boutique independently run Long Day Care center located in Balgowlah, Manly, NSW. Our centre is designed and built to facilitate the teaching and learning of our unique ecopreschools Programming Model which encapsulates both The Department of Community Services NSW Curriculum Framework 2003 and the practical application of our own environmental philosophies, while providing the best modern facilities for all the children in our care.
Our operating hours are Monday to Friday from 7.30pm till 6pm, 50 weeks a year. We are licensed for 36 children aged from 6 weeks to 6 years of age, the mix dependent on current enrollments.
On any one day we have 5 to 10 Babies, 8 to 16 Toddlers and 10 to 20 Preschoolers, spread across three rooms or learning zones. These 3 zones are supplemented by outdoor learning zones which contain our Kitchen Garden which is supported by our unique ecopreshools Programming Model which incorporates Guinea Pigs, Chooks, Compost, Worm Farms and much more.
Our Rooms
Communication is Key
At ecopreschools we recognize that many misunderstandings stem from miscommunication or lack of communication so we strive to ensure that parents are kept informed about as much of their child’s experience as possible. This could include Administrative reporting such as any Accidents or Incidents or more general information relating to Policies or Programming.
Our Parent Communication devices are;
Mail Pockets
Newsletter - Click here to view this months Newsletter
Meal/ Rest/ Nappy Chart
Daily Communicator
Daily Diary
Parent Communication Box
Parent Teacher Interviews
Children’s Developmental Portfolio
Parent Committee
What’s so special about what we do?
Our Animals
At ecopreschools animal handling is a key component of our daily routine. Each day the children feed and handle their Guinea Pigs and Chickens The guniea pigs perform important functions in our school including consuming our waste, providing nutrients for our garden and play a critical role in social, moral, and cognitive development, particularly in a young child's developing sense of self.
Our Chooks also consume our food waste and produce lovely fresh organic eggs which we use in our cooking and craft lessons.
Our kitchen garden
The garden enables children to be active participants in growing their own food and obtain life long skills in the kitchen and garden.
Our seasonal crops include spinach, peas, corm, carrots beetroot and whats more, our children develop a taste for mother natures fast food.
Our focus on the environment and recycling
Many recycling systems operate throughout ecopreshools including water, waste, paper, plastic and more. Recycling practices are integrated into our operational model and staff are trained in ecopreschools systems to ensure they are well equipped to pass this knowledge into their classrooms
