OH ray it sounds like it's getting worse! What a contradiction: moving the cots yet opening the doors! trying to supervise children of that age who are allowed to roam in and out sounds dangerous! I couldn't imagine trying to do it! you'd have to double the staff in that area or have a staff member standing in the doorway... and in the middle of winter????
Interesting tactics on behalf of the centre and the director - it seems she is really trying to put her stamp on the centre.
Atleast with making changes prior to the meeting you and the other parents will have more concerns to raise. Please remember to record DS's behaviour changes, comments and your questions as they come to mind so you are fully armed to address the meeting
Cot decision - rather strange - can't see the value or reason behind it, most centres catering for 0-2's or 0-3's would have a separate cot room so that the really young babies are not disturbed by the wandering bodies and arms of other younger children. Common practice is to have a staff member every 10 mins to look in on the cot room and initial viewing on a board nearby that records sleep and wake times. This practice would be in place regardless of children being inside or outside.
Open indoor/outdoor play - this is rather common in most centres and the rationale often stems from the relatively new reasoning behind programming for children's interests rather than stated developmental objectives. By allowing children to choose their play from a variety of experiences and environments you are catering for a spectrum of children's interests. Some children prefer to be outside for the majority of their time and vice versa, and takes into account that some children do not get much outdoor play when at home (live in apartments/small backyards). It works by splitting the staff between indoors/outdoors, it can be tricky to manage especially with younger children during nappy changing times, setting up rooms for rest and when parents are coming and going. It relies heavily on having an additional staff member who performs those duties while the other staff supervise and interact with the children. While it can be cold during winter and if the centre is sensible they will not operate this practice on really cold or wet days. The same can be said for hot days in summer and it is important to remember that the cancer council advise not allowing children outside during the hours of 11-3 (daylight saving or 10-2) to prevent against the strongest part of the sun's uv rays. I think however if suitable shade cover is available then the children are able to be outside as well as having sunscreen applied prior to going outside and must be wearing hats.
Anyway probably rambled on again - was actually thinking how everything was going and will continue to check in to see what is going on.... All the best for everything...
I hadn't thought of it that was Ursula, the indoor/outdoor play. See if she would give us this sort of information about why things are changing, it would be a whole lot less confusing.
The big meeting is tomorrow night. I doubt anything will eventuate or be resolved, I think they are doing it more to be seen to be listening than anything else.. mmm time wil tell.
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