SECTION 1:
DIRECTOR: Good morning. Welcome to the Early Learning Childcare Centre. How may I help you?
CAROL: Hi. I spoke to you last week about enrolling my daughter for next year.
DIRECTOR: Oh, yes. I’ll just get some details from you. So, you’re her mother?
CAROL: That’s right.
DIRECTOR: And, can I have your name?
CAROL: It’s Carol, Carol Smith.
DIRECTOR: And your daughter’s name?
CAROL: It’s Kate.
DIRECTOR: Now, we have several groups at the centre and we cater for children from three to five years old. How old is your daughter?
CAROL: She’s three now but she turns four next month.
DIRECTOR: I’ll put four down because that’s how old she’ll be when she starts.
CAROL: Fine, she’s so excited about her birthday and coming to the centre.
DIRECTOR: That’s good to hear. And what’s your address?
CAROL: It’s 46 Wombat Road, that’s W-O-M-B-A-T. Woodside 4032.
DIRECTOR: And what’s the phone number?
CAROL: Oh… it’s… 3345 9865.
DIRECTOR: So, have you decided on the days you’d like to bring your daughter here?
CAROL: I’d prefer Monday and Wednesday if possible.
DIRECTOR: Mmm. I’ll check. Monday’s fine, but I think the centre is already full for Wednesday. Erm. Yes. Sorry. It seems to be a very popular day. We can offer you a Thursday or a Friday as well.
CAROL: Oh dear. I suppose Thursday would be all right because she has swimming on Friday.
DIRECTOR: OK, got that. Because a lot of parents work, we do offer flexible start and finish times. We are open from 7:30 in the morning until 6 o’clock at night. What time would you like your daughter to start?
CAROL: I need to get to work in the city by 9:00 so I’ll drop her off at 8:30. You’re pretty close to the city here so that should give me plenty of time to get there.
DIRECTOR: That’s fine. Now, we also need to decide which group she’ll be in. We have two different groups and they’re divided up according to age. There’s the green group, which is for three- to four-year-olds. And then there’s the red group which is for four- to five-year-olds.
CAROL: She’s quite mature for her age and she can already write her name and read a little.
DIRECTOR: Well, I’ll put her in the red group and we can always change her to the green one if there are any problems.
CAROL: That sounds fine.
DIRECTOR: OK. Let’s move on to meals. We can provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As she’s finishing pretty early, she won’t need dinner, will you give her breakfast before she comes?
CAROL: Yes, she’ll only need lunch.
DIRECTOR: Now, does she have any medical conditions we need to know about? Does she have asthma or any hearing problems, for example?
CAROL: No. But she does need to wear glasses.
DIRECTOR: Oh, I’ll make a note of that.
CAROL: Yes, she’s pretty good about wearing them, she can’t see much without them.
DIRECTOR: Right. OK. Now, I also need emergency contact details.
CAROL: So what sort of information do you need?
DIRECTOR: Just the name and number of a friend or family member we can contact in case we can’t get hold of you at any time.
CAROL: OK. That’d better be my sister… Jenny Ball. That’s B-A-double L. Her phone number is 3346 7523.
DIRECTOR: Great. So she is the child’s aunt?
CAROL: Yes, that’s right.
DIRECTOR: I’ll make a note of that as well. Now, is there anything you’d like to ask?
CAROL: What about payment? How much are the fees each term?
DIRECTOR: Well, for two days and the hours you’ve chosen, that will be $450 altogether.
CAROL: OK, and do I have to pay that now?
DIRECTOR: No, we send out invoices once the children start at the centre. You can choose to pay at the end of each term or we do offer a slightly discounted rate if you pay every month.
CAROL: Oh, I’ll do that then. I find it easier to budget that way and I’m not used to the term dates just yet.
DIRECTOR: Good, it makes it a lot simpler for us as well. Well, that’s everything. Would you like me to show you around…?
VOCABULARY:
- drop off /drɒp ɒf/ (v) – To deliver or leave something or someone at a specific place.
SYN: deliver, leave
Example: Carol will drop off her daughter at the childcare center at 8:30. - asthma /ˈæsmə/ (n) – A medical condition that makes breathing difficult.
SYN: respiratory issue, breathing problem
Example: The director asked if Kate had asthma or other medical conditions. - invoice /ˈɪnvɔɪs/ (n) – A document showing the amount of money owed for goods or services.
SYN: bill, statement
Example: The childcare center will send out an invoice once the children start. - discounted /ˈdɪskaʊntɪd/ (adj) – Reduced in price.
SYN: reduced, cheaper
Example: Carol chose the discounted monthly payment option for easier budgeting.