School Holiday Program - Monash Youth & Family Services

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SCHOOL AGED HOLIDAY PROGRAM

CURRENT PROGRAM NEWS

Come along and join in the fun at our school holiday programs!! Programs start on the 20 th September and run for two weeks finishing on the 1 st October. Come to the Tim Neville Arboretum and enjoy the adventure playground and all the park has to offer. Spend a day getting active with a visit from “Fernwood fitness”, join in on their fitness classes and active activities! Broaden your horizons with visit from “Blacklords fencing club” where you will learn the art of fencing in a safe and secure environment.

Come along and enjoy a day exploring light and colour with some artistic pictures, mosaics and yummy smoothies. Bring in the spring with some spring construction and blossom creations or join in on our junior/senior day and try creating some tricky placemats or have a teddy bear's picnic! Don't forget that it is Melbourne show time, so get creative and bring the show to the holiday program or show your pet some adoration on pet day where we celebrate all our fury friends. There is so much to do at our holiday programs so come along for all sorts of fun and games throughout the two weeks! Please make sure children bring a drink bottle, hat, sunscreen and suitable footwear to the programs, for more information call us at MYFS - see you on the holidays!

NEXT PROGRAM DATES

March 29th - April 09th 2010

PROGRAM LOCATIONS & PHONES

Glendal Primary

Sussex Heights Primary

Jordanville Community Centre

BOOKINGS

Call MYFS on 9518 3900

USEFUL NUMBERS

Department of Human Services

1300 650 172

MYFS NEWSLETTER

GAMES

ABOUT SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAM

>WHAT IS THE SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAM

School Holiday Programs, or Vacation Care programs, are provided to assist families with the care of their primary aged children during school holiday periods. They are intended to provide a safe, stimulating space for children while families meet their work or study commitments.

The City of Monash offers three holiday programs in our community. These programs are recreation based, designed to offer a wide range of centre based activities and opportunities to visit exciting places in and around Melbourne on excursion days. Activities are planned so that they are age appropriate, encourage fun and co-operation and provide opportunities for children to learn new skills. Children also have time for self-directed play at our programs.

All City of Monash Holiday Programs have obtained QA accreditation and programs are fully supervised by experienced staff. Programs operate from 7.30am - 6.00pm week days during school holidays for 9 weeks of the year. Brochures are available approximately a month prior to school holidays.

>MORE INFORMATION

Please contact Monash Youth & Family Services on 9518 3900.

STORIES FROM THE KIDS AT THE PROGRAM

Hi my name is Nesreen,

Something special about me is that I was born in Jordan. When I was young I visited many countries and lived in New Mexico and Michigan in America. We travelled by truck to Michigan and I passed lots of American states in just three days, it was a great adventure.

Six years later I moved to Dubai in the U.A.E, that was fun and there are lots of rich people. My biggest adventure was going to England for a month and a half on a holiday, it was awesome, it felt like the olden days and the weather was nice and cold. Now I am here in Australia, it's wonderful and it's the best country I have been to!

And as for the holiday program, well wow I actually was really amazed when the exciting excursions and the great activities make it sooooooo FUN! And all other kids are so nice. But the number one things are the leaders, they know what to do and they always treat you really well! So I say the holiday program is great!!!

- Nesreen

CLICK HERE FOR MORE STORIES

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Where can I get a brochure?

Enrolment brochures can be obtained from most local primary schools, all council libraries and buildings or can be mailed to you if you join our mailing list.

How do I access the program?

Programs are designed for children who are aged 5 to 12 and currently attend primary school in the City of Monash. Once you have completed an enrolment form, bookings are accepted by mail only at MYFS and only during the designated booking period. Bookings are accepted following Commonwealth Priority of Access guidelines. Forms must be completed in full so that program staff have all the necessary information for the care of your child.

Can I fax or email my enrolment form?

No, our brochures are quite large and are colour coded for administration purposes. Additionally, all information must be clear and legible so we do not accept faxed or emailed enrolment forms.

What happens if I miss the booking period or I need care at the last minute?

Bookings are only accepted at MYFS during the designated booking period. This is to allow sufficient time for the processing of all bookings and also to ensure that program staff have some time to familiarise themselves with the children in their care. If you miss the booking period, you can contact the program directly from the first day of the program to determine whether there are vacancies on the day/s you require care. If vacancies exist, you can enrol directly at the program. You will be charged an additional $5.00 late fee per child to cover the cost of processing the form outside of the booking period.

What if my child has additional needs?

If your child has additional needs or is from a culturally and linguistically diverse background please call the Holiday Program Team Leader at MYFS (Monash Youth and Family Services) on 9518 3900, prior to the booking period to discuss inclusion support. Children with additional needs will be included into the program wherever possible, however, to ensure that we are able to meet each child's unique needs we must thoroughly plan, and have appropriate resources available, for a successful inclusion. Councils Inclusion Support Facilitation team can assist in this process as well.

How much does it cost?

Program fees are set by Council. Currently fees for a centre-based day are $38.00 per child and $ 49.00 per child on an excursion or special clinic day. However, most families are entitled to reduced fees through their Childcare Benefit (CCB). CCB is available to eligible families through the Family Assistance Office. Please call them on 13 61 50 for more information and be sure to quote the Customer Reference Number of the City of Monash holiday program your child will be attending as listed on the enrolment form. Once you have your CCB percentage please contact MYFS on 9518 3900 for your reduced daily rate before sending in your booking form. Payment must accompany your booking form. You can pay by cheque, money order or credit card. You will receive a booking confirmation once your booking has been processed.

What does my child have to bring?

Children need to bring a school/sports bag with them. They need to bring lunch and snacks that are nutritious and do not require heating. Children should also bring a drink to the program. We request that children wear appropriate clothing and footwear for an active program. Children must also bring a hat and sunscreen to the program each holidays, with the exception of the June / July program, in line with our Sun smart policy.

Does my child have to attend the whole day?

Absolutely not! The programs are open those hours to try to accommodate the varied working hours that families sometimes need to meet, however, your child can be dropped off anytime after 7.30am that suits your commitments. On excursion days however, it is necessary for all children to be ready to go by the times indicated on enrolment forms. This is usually 9.00am. Children who are not dropped off and signed in by then will be unable to attend excursions. Scheduled activities on other days usually run within the hours of about 9.30 - 3.30pm so that is a good guide. We know that 7.30 - 6.00pm is a long day to be in care for children, so find the hours within that range that suit you and your child.

Where do the children go on excursions?

All sorts of places - museums, zoos, playgrounds, movies, sports facilities and more!