Philosophy
Our Mission
To provide a play-based program where children learn through inquiry, relationship, and authentic connection with educators, peers, families, community, and the natural world.
Core Statement.
At Orenda Circle, we hold a deep respect for children as whole, capable beings whose voices, choices, and ways of knowing shape our shared learning. Our pedagogy is grounded in relationship and guided by the belief that learning is co-constructed through curiosity, connection, and community.
Families are partners. Educators are co-learners and reflective practitioners. Nature is an active teacher. Inquiry, wonder, and joy sit at the centre of all we do, forming a living philosophy that grows alongside our community.
We draw from the wisdom of multiple frameworks: Reggio Emilia’s image of the child, Steiner’s reverence and rhythm, RIE’s trust and respect, Gardner’s multiple intelligences, and contemporary inquiry-based practice. These perspectives guide us to listen deeply, slow down, and create intentional spaces where children can flourish.
Documentation and displays make learning visible, support reflection, and help children see themselves as capable thinkers and contributors.
Our Educators – Professional Pedagogy
We view our educators as lifelong learners and co-researchers who engage with children through curiosity, reflection, and respectful relationships. Each educator brings unique strengths, perspectives, and intelligences that enrich our community.
Professional growth, both personal and pedagogical, is central to our work. We work together to build confidence, competence, and a strong sense of professional community.
Leadership at Orenda Circle is supportive, approachable, and hands-on.
We are committed to scaffolding each educator toward confidence and success, and we prioritise staffing decisions that enhance relationships and exceed basic ratios where possible.
Above all, quality guides our decisions.
We strive to create a place of joy, connection, and wonder for children, families, and educators.
Our Children
We believe children are capable, complete humans with the right to speak, express, and share what they learn, think, and feel.
Children thrive when they feel a secure sense of belonging.
Children are active participants who bring ideas, questions, feelings, and theories about the world. We create space for play to unfold naturally, trusting children to explore, collaborate, question, and build confidence through inquiry.
Our multi-age community enriches relationships, supporting children to learn with and from one another in meaningful, authentic ways.
We foster curiosity and wonder, knowing that these are the foundations for lifelong learning.
Our Families
We believe families have the right to feel a strong sense of belonging at Orenda Circle.
We honour the knowledge families bring and aim to create a welcoming environment where they feel supported and connected.
We value authentic communication, shared decision-making, and meaningful conversations that deepen understanding.
We aim to create a true community where families feel connected, supported, and valued.
Connection to Country & Aboriginal Perspectives
For the Tasmanian Aboriginal people, story is the thread that binds all things together: land and sky, ancestors and children, the seen and the felt. These stories are living lessons, carried in the voice, remembered in the body, and held in the heart.
At Orenda Circle, we honour this by recognising that we live, learn, and play on pālawa Country, where children’s learning is strengthened through connection to the land, water, and sky that hold stories older than memory. Storytelling, inquiry, and daily encounters with nature allow children to build their own relationships with Country. Whether tending the garden, listening to the rhythms of the beach, or exploring the shapes, colours, and movements of their environment, children come to understand that they are part of a place with deep history and ongoing significance.
Storytelling invites reverence, imagination, relationship, and belonging.
Inquiry encourages children to ask, notice, wonder, and engage deeply with place.
The garden is a space to learn through cycles, care, growth, and reciprocity.
The beach is a place to listen to Country, observe natural rhythms, and feel connection to ancestors and landforms.
We approach this learning with respect, openness, and a willingness to listen. Through shared stories, careful observation, and a sense of wonder, we help children recognise that belonging is shaped not only by the people around us, but by the land that holds us. We are committed to continuing our learning, seeking guidance where appropriate, and honouring the first storytellers of this place in continual practice.