At Mount Scopus we want to see our children flourish. Our aim is for children to not only develop their cognitive skills but also their social and emotional wellbeing. This is the time that they begin to learn valuable social skills and use them to build meaningful relationships. We want children to become resilient, sociable and confident learners.

We invite you to share some information with us about your child/ren. This will be used as a starting point at the pre-commencement meeting in December which you can build upon in your discussion with the teacher.

With this in mind, we ask you to complete a child profile form via the link below.  

Starting date: On this form there is also a question relating to your child's starting date. Although the program commences on Thursday 7 January, 2027, and billing commences on that date we understand that some people may still be on holiday at that time. Please complete the question as to  when you expect your child to commence at Little Learners. 

Please click here to access the profile form for Little Learners; please complete by Thursday 15 October.

Children

Children along with their parents are invited to attend a pre-commencement interview. These are scheduled 13 minute meetings on Monday 30 November and Tuesday 1 December  between 8.30am and 11.30am. 

Important: The registration link will be emailed to families who have completed the required documentation a couple of weeks prior to the meeting dates. If your documentation is not completed you will not be able to proceed with the interview and your child may not be able to commence in January. 

These meetings are an opportunity for children to visit their new environment and meet the room teachers. It also allows for parents to discuss any particular likes or dislikes their child may have, or concerns they may have about their child, allowing for a smooth start to the year.  

Parents

Nor are parents forgotten. If you are a first time Mount Scopus parent you may have many queries about the day to day program and logistics. Please diarise the dates and information will follow closer to the time for the following opportunities on offer for parents:

• Little Learners parent information session: Thursday 26 November at 8.00pm
• New Parents Welcome: New date - Wednesday 3 February, 2027

Once the year commences teachers and the school communicate with parent through a number of digital Apps:

The Toddle app is a digital portfolio showing both group and individual learning. 

Teachers and admin post notices and a newsletter to the Parent Orbit app regularly to update on upcoming events, giving vital information.

It is important for parents to keep up to date with these notices as this is a main communication forum. 

See the Websites, apps and portals  page for more information.

New Parents Welcome

First time parents at Mount Scopus in all  year levels will be invited to our New Parents Welcome evening scheduled to be held on Wednesday 3 February, 2027. This allows the opportunity to meet some of the College Leadership Team, as well as other new parents. Invitations will be sent in December. 

Commencement schedule

Little Learners will commence for students on Wednesday 6 January, 2027.

To assist with settling in the children in a calm manner, the first two days for each child will focus on transition visits. 

For the first day parents are invited to visit and remain with your child for an hour either morning or afternoon. This can be on a day they are ordinarily booked in or not.  

For their second visit children can attend a half day (8:30am until 11.30am) without their parents on one of their regular scheduled days; please ensure your child brings their lunchbox with a packed lunch on that day. If they want to do half days for more than one day then that can be accommodated. 

They can then commence attending for full days. 

If you are intending to be away during January, please mention this during the interview and our team can discuss with you whether or not it would be suitable for your child to commence before your holiday or wait untiil your return. This will vary in accordance with a child's nature and any previous experience with care arrangements.

Class list

Family contact details for the year group will be made available to parents in the Parent Lounge portal and via Parent Orbit once school commences in February. These lists are only to be used for contacting other families for invitations and the like. They are not to be used in any other way for commercial, marketing, fundraising or other purposes.

NB: It is up to parents to share their details via the Parent Lounge so if contact details are not visible it means the parent/s have chosen not to share them.

Often families will contact Enrolments to request the names and contact details of new children commencing for the purpose of organising get togethers over the summer break or sending party invitations. Please click here if you do not want your details shared prior to commencement.

Parents Association

The PA is an active body at Fink Karp Ivany (FKI) and run a range of ongoing events including weekly challah sales,  Mother's Day and Father's Day stalls, and whole campus and inter-campus events.  

It also coordinates Helping Hands, supporting families within the school in times of need.

Little Learners parents are invited to become involved in this wonderful and vibrant body. 

College Fees

The College issues tuition fees for the following year in early December. The tuition fees will be available on the Scopus website via this link.

Child Care Subsidy

Our ELCs  are licensed as Approved Long Day Care Centres through Mount Scopus Memorial College Early Learning Limited (ABN 44 611 377 881). By submitting your Child Care Subsidy information, we are able to process the government subsidy for you if your family is eligible.  

All subsidies are directed to the ELC and reduces the out of pocket amount paid for fees. 

If your family is not eligible for the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) then you will need to pay the Tuition Fees in full to the College.

Eligibility for the CCS is determined by the household income as well as the activity level of parents. Refer to Centrelink for full details of eligibility. 

There is an allowance of 42 absent days per financial year. This means that you can still receive the CCS for days your child would normally attend when they are absent, up to this limit, including if the child is on a holiday.  You don’t need to provide evidence for any absences you use under the allowable absence limit. Additonal absenses will also attract the CCS if supporting evidence, such as a medical certificate, is provided. 

Please note that different rules apply for children who are overseas for six weeks or more during the financial year; contact Centrelink directly for further information.

Centrelink does not pay Child Care Subsidy for enrolled days prior to the first day of physical attendance or after the last day of physical attendance - see Centrelink for full eligibility information.

Click here for more information on the Child Care Subsidy from the Australian Government.

Billable days

Families will be billed based on the days in the place offer confirmation from the first day the program operates, Thursday 7 January, irrespective of whether or not the child attends, even in the case of family holidays.

Parents are not charged for days when the centre is closed for public holidays, Jewish holidays (including all of Pesach) or over the New Year break as per the place offer confirmation. Please note that the last operating day for Little Learners on Friday 17 December, 2027.

Adding / changing days

Casual days can be requested on an ad hoc basis, subject to availability, online via Swapple. 

Swapple.me will allow you to:

• Book last minute spots with our centre (if a spot is available) - note the cut-off time to book a session/swap for that day is 8am.

• Anonymously notify other parents if your child is going to be absent on a particular day. If another parent takes that spot, you will receive a 'thank you reward' of $40. The reward/s will be provided as a credit toward your fees on your Parent Fee Statement generally applied monthly in arrears.

If you wish to change or add to your permanent days then you can do so subject to availability. 

If you wish to reduce your days (down to a minimum of two days per week) then two weeks notice is required. 

Any requests to change permanent days should be emailed to the Little Learners request email.

Parents use the Xplor 'Home' app as follows in our ELCs:

• complete the required documentation 
• can be used for contactless sign in and out of the room
• ELC payments

Swapple is used to request extra days on a casual basis or to offer days in advance if you know your child will be away. Parents receive a small reward if their surplus days are taken up by another family. Information on how to register will be provided in January. 

The other tools are outlined below. 

Health Centre, iIlness and medication

FKI has a Health Centre staffed by Registered Nurses from 8.30am to 3.30pm during school terms. 

Nursing staff are contactable on 8554 4758 or fkinurses@scopus.vic.edu.au.

Outside of normal operating times, rostered staff who have undergone first aid training provide the first point of assistance.

For your own child’s benefit, and the well-being of other students and staff please do not send sick children to school or kinder. An unwell child will not be able to concentrate or learn effectively, and conversely, risks becoming more unwell and delaying their recovery by not being able to rest. 

Medication will only be administered for chronic illnesses, asthma or anaphylaxis. If your child requires other medication then they are not deemed well enough to be attending school. 

The Victorian government maintains a list of the minimum periods of exclusion from primary schools and children’s services for infectious diseases cases and their contacts. Click here to access.

Nut policy 

The College has an ‘Allergy Aware’ policy. Staff and students are strongly encouraged not to bring nut or nut based products onto the College Campus, however this cannot be guaranteed. All anaphylactic students are strongly encouraged to question the ingredients of all foods they eat.

Allergies

Please ensure that any allergies, including hayfever, are noted in the medical section via Xplor and Parent Lounge, so symptoms are not unnecessarily confused with other symptoms.

Our early learning centres are special places where the love of learning and the uniqueness of each child are celebrated. We are committed to the provision of high quality early education programs that promote the physical, social, emotional, cognitive and creative development of young children.

They provide a warm and friendly learning environment. Children learn best when they feel secure. Careful attention is paid to each child so that they will feel known and valued.

Through play, children learn what is possible. Our professional educators are guided by the Early Years Learning Framework and draw from a range of childhood educational theories and practice eg Primary Years Programme, Vygotszky, Howard Gardner, and Reggio Emilia. Through a child-centred approach a wide range of activities is provided, both indoors and outdoors. 

The PYP (Primary Years Programme) which operates at Mount Scopus, encompasses a holistic way of teaching and learning that helps children understand how they learn, and apply that knowledge to a broad curriculum. This has been drawn upon in an age appropriate manner to inform the Little Learners program.

The emphasis is on developing skills within the child, which will set them up for lifelong learning within a soild base of values.

The essence of PYP is structured inquiry. Units of Inquiry encourage learning and investigation across all disciplines. Teaching methods are inclusive and allow for different learning styles. More than acquiring skills and a depth of knowledge, children explore values and social responsibility. It’s about the heart as well as the mind.

We also operate an immersive Jewish Studies and Hebrew program with both general and Jewish studies teachers working alongside each other. Teaching is bilingual with instruction given in both English and Hebrew. Within a short period children are able to understand and respond in their second language.

We aim to engender in children an awareness of Jewish culture, and a love of Israel as well as immersing the student in the richness of the Hebrew language.

What differences will I see in my child?

The PYP aims to create globally minded young people who are characterised by the student profile:

• Inquirers naturally curious and prepared to research topics of interest

• Thinkers willing and able to tackle complex problems creatively

• Communicators articulate, confident and expressive

• Risk-takers willing to face new situations and ready to challenge established thinking

• Knowledgeable well informed about world and local issues

• Principled having integrity and a strong sense of fairness and social justice

• Caring sensitive to the feelings of others 

• Open-minded open to other points of view and respectful of others’ traditions

• Balanced; aware of the importance of physical and mental balance

• Reflective able to analyse their own learning and assess their own abilities

Your child will become an independent, engaged thinker and learner and a responsible citizen of the world.

Behaviour management/Values program

Our values and behavioural philosophies have evolved to help your children explore, challenge and question the world around them.

• We pride ourselves on providing a safe and secure environment where all aspects of children’s development are nurtured and enriched while simultaneously setting acceptable limits for appropriate behaviour.

• We endeavour to foster children’s understanding and acceptance of their responsibility for any consequences of their actions.

• We encourage children to respect others and the environment through discussion and by example.

• While reinforcing and acknowledging positive behaviour we discourage and redirect unacceptable conduct.

• Particular issues such as bullying are taken very seriously and are addressed sensitively and proactively.

Gender equality

Mount Scopus offers a gender inclusive program, for children and parents and we avoid stereotypes. We believe that both boys and girls have an equal capacity for learning and equal opportunities to develop to their full potential.

Equipment and materials, learning experiences, space and staff time are therefore available for girls and boys without discrimination. 

Books, poems, songs, pictures and language are non-sexist.

Multiculturalism

We recognise that our community is part of a pluralist society composed of people from a wide variety of backgrounds, cultures, languages and expectations.

Our ELCs support the diversity of cultures, languages and identities that offer all children the opportunity for developing positive attitudes towards themselves and others.

Sun Smart policy

Sunscreen should be applied before arrival to Little Learners and each child should have a named roll-on sunscreen for top-ups during the day, SPF30+ is recommended. Parents are required to provide sunscreen and ensure that it is in their child’s bag or kept in the room.

• Children are expected to wear the College sunhat in Terms 1 and 4, which is provided. If the hat is lost then parents will be required to purchase a replacement from the campus office. 

• Shade is provided by shade cloths, trees and undercover areas and children are encouraged to use these areas particularly on warm days.

• It is recommended by Sunsmart that appropriate clothing covers neck, shoulders and upper arms. We understand that children do not always dress this way and it is recommended that you send a T-shirt that can be worn over the top of sleeveless or strappy dresses when they are outside.

• We regularly reinforce Sunsmart behaviour through group discussions and the curriculum.

Lunch and snacks

At Scopus, we promote a healthy eating environment.

• All food provided by the College is kosher (Kosher Australia).  
• The ELCs supply fruit and vegetables for morning fruit time. Please make sure lunches also include a rotating variety of fresh fruit and vegetables.
• We have a healthy eating policy. If snacks are given please consider healthy alternatives. No confectionery is allowed.
• The College has an ‘Allergy Aware’ policy in the Early Learning Centres. Students, staff and parents are strongly encouraged not to bring nut or nut based products onto the College Campus, however this cannot be guaranteed.
• If a child in the class is anaphylactic to a certain food, eg sesame, then we will ask all class parents not to send this food too.
• Any meat sent to school cannot be eaten at the same meal as dairy products.

Sleep/rest time

All children are encouraged to have either a rest or a sleep after lunch. A calm and relaxing atmosphere is created during the rest period. For children who are known to need less sleep, time and space for quiet play is provided. Books, puzzles and quiet activities are offered.

Toys from home

The ELC cannot be responsible for toys that children bring from home, and it can be devastating when toys are broken or lost. However, a special cuddly toy for rest time is acceptable and encouraged, particularly if it enhances a child’s feeling of security. Appropriate books are always welcome as these can be easily shared with the group. Toys encouraging violent play are  unacceptable and are not permitted at the Kinder. 

Specialist programs

Each week our Little Learners benefit from the expertise of specialist teachers at the College. These include our music teacher, garden specialist, librarian and College Rabbi, amongst others.  

Kabbalat Shabbat

• Is celebrated every Friday.

• Children are encouraged to bring a coin for Tzedekah. 

• Flowers for the Shabbat table are always welcome, and children are invited to wear smarter clothes than during the week.

Chagim

• Punctuate the kinder calendar and are celebrated with excitement.

• Help provide the basis for a life long Jewish identity.

Make it a Happy Birthday

• We always celebrate your child’s birthday. Please discuss the celebrations with the teacher. who will advise how it can be celebrated in class.

• We ask that you consider all families when organising your child’s party, that it does not take place on Shabbat or Yom Tov.

• We encourage birthday parties to be catered kosher so that all children are included. Free access to the Kosher Australia app is available via iOS or Android app stores.  

• If invitations are handed out at school then all children in the class should be invited. If the whole class is not invited we recommend that invitations are e-mailed or posted. Please be mindful not to exclude just a handful of children. As a community school we encourage inclusion.

Parent involvement

We encourage parents to become as involved as much as possible. We are a community, and as such do not just care for the children, but support the whole family. There will be opportunities to contribute by participating on Parent Association committees, fund-raising events, working bees, social and information evenings. Each campus also runs a Parent Security Group and we encourage as many parents as possible to participate once a week, month or term. 

Parents can also volunteer to read to the children or share a skill or passion. Parents are invited to come in to make food with us during the year.

Eligibility to volunteer

• A Working With Children Check is required for all volunteers at the College.
• No individual can volunteer prior to completing the College's volunteer induction program; click here to access.

The most important contribution from parents is the sharing of information about your child with staff. 

We will keep parents informed through notices on the app. This includes campus specific events and general information, a re-cap of activities, and details of forthcoming events and important dates. We use Toddle, a digital portfolio of your child's individual learning as well as whole class inquiry and celebrations, to share your chil's learning and experiences with you.

Together it is our responsibility and pleasure to make our Early Learning Centres the best places for our children in their most formative years.

Parent Feedback

Parents are encouraged to contribute to the Kinder’s policies and management and offer evaluations and input regarding the program. If a parent has a complaint regarding any aspect of the operation or management of the Kinder, parents are encouraged to raise these issues with the classroom teacher who will attempt to resolve the matter to the satisfaction of the parent. The Kinders are committed to maintaining open, constructive discussions with parents and being responsive to their needs.

At Mount Scopus we recognise the incredible work of our educators, and invite parents to share any positive feedback with us so the actions and dedication of our staff can be acknowledged internally. Comments can be shared with Bonnie Gardiner, Director of ELCs, on 9900 4666 or bgardiner@scopus.vic.edu.au.

Conversely, parents with possible grievances should:

1.Discuss their concern with the classroom teacher;

2. If the parent is still not satisfied the matter should be brought to the attention of the Director of ELCs;

3. If necessary, the matter can be brought to the attention of the Deputy Principal (Primary) and/or Principal of the College; and

4. If the parent is still concerned, he/she may telephone the Children’s Services Adviser on 8904 2500 or send a complaint to the Department of Education and Early Childhood. Children’s Services via email to

licensed.childrens.services@education.vic.gov.au.

For any campus specific information you can contact your campus office:

Fink Karp Ivany - 8554 4700

Gandel Besen House - 9900 4600

We would like to take this opportunity of wishing you and your child a long and happy association with the College.

ELC Key Contacts

Once your child commences, the following are the key contact details you may require.

ELC Director:                                                  Bonnie Gardiner    9900 4600 ext 364     OR       0427 237 756

Fink Karp lvany Campus:                                                                                              8554 4700

FKI Health centre                                               fkinurses@scopus.vic.edu.au            8554 4758

Accounts:

OSHC and Child Care Subsidy enquiries               accounts@scopus.vic.edu.au             9834 0000

Tuition fee queries                                                 accounts@scopus.vic.edu.au            9834 0026  

Main Reception - Gandel Campus, Burwood:                                                               9834 0000  

For general enquiries at the College  

To contact financial and administrative staff  

Principal’s Office:                                                       Dan Sztrajt                                     9834 0005  

To contact College Principal only:                        

Deputy Principals:  

Deputy Principal, Primary:                                       Jodie Doble                                        9900 4602

Deputy Principal, Director of Alter Family School of Jewish Studies and Ivrit

                                                                                 Matti Borowski                                  9834 0003