Early Years Program
Our Children Learning
Working with families, preschools, schools and the community, our Early Years programs ensure Benalla’s children are ready to learn when they start school, and that any children who have ‘fallen through the cracks’ are given extra assistance to catch up.
ConnectParent
The aim of the ConnectParent program is to increase the capability and confidence of parents and caregivers of children during the critical first 1000 days of life, from conception to age two. The program matches parents with a trained volunteer Community Connector, who assists them to connect with the resources and support they need in the Benalla community. The program was developed in response to a need identified through community conversations at the Benalla Early Years Forum.
Antenatal PEEP
Antenatal PEEP is a free program to support Benalla’s parents-to-be. Over five weeks the program supports expectant parents to:
-
- Manage the emotions that come with pregnancy and early parenthood
- Understand the social and emotional aspects of the transition to parenthood
- Develop a secure attachment with their baby
- Connect with local services
- Meet other expectant parents
Benalla Imagination Library
The Benalla Imagination Library is a part of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library scheme. Children registered in the program receive a free, high quality, age-appropriate book in the mail each month. Resources are also provided to help engage with the book in ways that promote language development and early literacy. In Benalla, the zero-to-two-year-old age group is funded and administered through a joint initiative between Tomorrow Today, Benalla Rural City Council and the Rotary Club of Benalla. When children turn three, they can transition to the program administered by Benalla’s kindergartens.
Parents Early Education Partnership (PEEP)
PEEP helps Benalla parents give their child the best start to life.
PEEP is a facilitated weekly program for families with children from birth to preschool age (0-5 years). The program celebrates the role parents play as their child’s first and most important ongoing educator. It offers a variety of play and learning activities to support children’s entry into kindergarten and school. Every family in Benalla and district with a baby or preschooler is encouraged to join at least one ten-week term of PEEP; most families keep coming for much longer.
What happens at PEEP?
The PEEP program consists of weekly hour-long sessions and is open to Benalla and district families.
Circle time
Parents, babies and children share songs, stories and rhymes, learning games and other fun activities, led by our friendly, experienced team.
Talk time
Each session includes Talk Time, led by an experienced facilitator, where parents and carers discuss parenting and child development topics. Whether it’s speech and language development, play, supporting positive emotions, building confidence, reading, or helping children get ready for kinder and school, Talk Time is a chance to share experience and knowledge, and learn new things.
Play time
While the parents chat, the children are supported by our experienced Early Learning staff to learn and grow through their play. Our engaging play-based program supports children to build skills, learn new things and enjoy socialising with others.
Special events
Special events involving outings in the local community to help families connect to everything Benalla has to offer, and welcoming guest speakers so we can learn from the experts. These may include dietitians, speech pathologists or other local professionals.
Where and when?
At Tomorrow Today in Nunn Street, Benalla.
Multiple sessions are offered each weekday during school term so that every family can find a regular time to suit.
What do parents love about PEEP?
- Great social and support network
- Helps children succeed in learning
- Explores activities available in Benalla
- It’s out of the house, and fun! And it’s completely FREE!
“I love how welcoming it is. I’ve made friends I wouldn’t have made otherwise.”
Early Years Support
Some families aren’t able to attend our on-site or group programs. When geographic isolation, health or accessibility issues are a barrier, we offer Early Years support within participant’s homes. This support may be a modified PEEP session or school transition and readiness support.
The aim is to help families build their confidence and the skills to foster their children’s development.
“The home visits were a godsend and came at a time that was so difficult for us. You will never know how grateful I am for your help.”
Preschool screening
We want our children to have the best opportunity to prepare for school and reach their learning potential.
Tomorrow Today works with our local preschools to provide pre-literacy, pre-numeracy and oral language screening for the children attending. Parents are given tips to enhance their children’s skills through everyday activities at home and preschool teachers are supplied play-based resources and activities to implement in their classroom settings.
“I want to thank you for the time and effort you have put in to help us and all the kids of Benalla. I found your work with the children very positive and helpful.” – local preschool teacher
Kinder Pals
Benalla has a very active volunteering community and our Kinder Pal program harnesses the good will of volunteers to help build literacy and numeracy in preschool children who need a bit of extra help.
Our Kinder Pals are trained volunteers who work with children either one-on-one or in small groups within the preschool setting. Kinder Pals expand children’s language skills by reading to them and engaging in story retelling, picture description and rich conversation.
“The children love to hear stories that our Kinder Pal reads. She makes all the funny voices and the books come alive.” – local preschool teacher
Kinder Immersion
Tomorrow Today works closely with Benalla’s preschools. Our Kinder Immersion program supports local kindergartens to prepare children for school entry.
The program is offered to children who are starting primary school the follow year but have been identified by their preschool teachers as not being academically or socially ‘ready’. Our play-based activities immerse children in opportunities to enhance their pre-literacy, pre-numeracy and oral language skills.
Great Start to School
The transition from preschool to school is a time of major change for parents and children. Our Great Start to School program is designed to make this transition smoother.
Great Start to School is a two-week program for parents, to increase their confidence in supporting their child’s transition from kinder to primary school. The program is run at Tomorrow Today and is open to all families with children starting at any of Benalla and district’s primary schools.
Sessions focus on different aspects of school readiness including the importance of a morning routine, arriving at school on time, strategies to encourage physical and emotional independence, and activities to help develop pre-literacy and pre-numeracy skills.
“The Great Start to School Program, held at the end of each year, greatly assists our prep students to have a calm and settled commencement to their school life.” – Benalla P-12 College junior campus principal
Prep Immersion
Children start school with a range of social, emotional, language, physical, literacy and fine motor skills. When these skills are not well established, children can soon find themselves playing ‘catch up’ compared to their peers who may be progressing more quickly.
Prep Immersion targets students considered by their school to be in need of focused support to ‘switch on to learning’. This program is run in partnership with Benalla P-12 College. Activities help students’ comprehension, literacy, communication, and socialisation skills.
“Thank you for the effort and time you’ve put into my son” – parent
“It’s feels good to be able to read and know lots of words” – student
Reading Buddies
Literacy is the foundation for doing well at school, socialising with others, problem-solving, making decisions, developing independence, managing money and working. Some children need a bit of extra one-on-one reading support to reach required reading levels. Tomorrow Today supports Benalla P-12 College to make sure this happens.
Reading Buddies are trained volunteers who help improve the literacy levels of the individual students they’re matched with in Year One or Two. As well as practising their reading, students also enjoy being read to as they develop a caring and trusting relationship with their Reading Buddy.
Financial Assistance
Thanks to the generosity of local donors, Tomorrow Today is able to support young people with financial assistance for educational costs.
Families experiencing financial disadvantage may be eligible to receive funding assistance to purchase uniforms, spectacles, books, course fees, school camps, educational equipment and fees for special educational settings. This assistance ensures all Benalla children are able to fully participate in school activities.
Tomorrow Today works with local referral agencies, including all schools to provide necessary support for educational costs. We do not accept direct requests.
Families from Benalla and district with a pension or health care card are offered financial assistance to enable their children to join a local sport or hobby club of their choice.
The ongoing support of the Foundation of Regional Rural Renewal (FRRR), means we can distribute $50 Back To School vouchers to local schools to assist families to purchase school essentials.
“The vouchers have helped immensely. I left a domestic violence situation with my three children. We lost everything and this has caused huge financial stress” – Financial Assistance recipient
Come and Try Day
Participating in sport and other recreation activities in the community helps young people improve their health and wellbeing and importantly keeps them engaged with school and learning.
Tomorrow Today, in partnership with local sports and recreation clubs, runs an annual ‘Come and Try Day’. This event provides a great opportunity for local children to try out many activities at the one location, free of charge.
In addition, we provide financial assistance to families with a pension or health care card to assist their children to join local clubs.
