Childcare Awards

WINNERS FEATURE

Absolute joy to see awards back More nomination records broken

 CHIANG LIM

IT was an absolute joy to see the Excellence in Early Childhood Education Awards for 2021/2022 held on a beautiful Saturday, March 26, 2022 at the Hyatt Regency at Sydney’s Darling Harbour.

Not only were two more records broken as the Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA) NSW hosted almost 550 people in att endance as well as a 40.9% increase in the number of nominations received.

I believe the fact that we had so many people together in one place aft er the experiences of the last two years of COVID-19 pandemic must have imbued even greater confi dence as we look to our futures while living with COVID.

ACA NSW is also extremely proud of the fact that these Awards continues to be open to all 3,357 long daycare services across NSW while being blind to sizes, brands, governance structures and locations.

And it certainly will continue to not be limited to ACA NSW members either. Th is particularly guarantees that the Excellence in Early Childhood Education Awards remain the biggest and only awards program that is universal and impartial to Approved Providers, educators, teachers and support staff who work so tirelessly at their long daycare services. It may also just be the largest of its kind for the sector across Australia.

Th is also makes the Excellence in Early Childhood Education Awards the most respected of all by parents and families as they discern between services and draw understandings of the extraordinary off erings of long daycare services for their precious children.

What these annual Awards also provide is an opportunity to “peek” into what excellence tangibly looks like among the best of the best services.

With an unashamed convergence toward benefi cial outcomes for children and their families, all award categories provide every nomination the opportunity to highlight their successes for celebration.

Th ese Awards also provide inspiration from others to draw from so that all of us can strive even further and higher in our individual and collective aspirations.

All fi nalists and winners of this year’s Excellence in Early Childhood Education Awards must be extremely proud of their success and their services. And most importantly, we celebrate the many people who make all our long daycare services’ successes become realities for the children under their care and for their families. And we won’t even let a global pandemic impede us!

HONOR ROLL: All 2021 WINNERS

Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care Annika Terry The Rumpus Room - Darling Street, Broadmeadow Children’s Wellbeing & Health Program Excellence Bambini of Lilyfield Community Involvement Program Excellence Bridge St Kids Early Learning Centres Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care Haylee Drieman Gumnut Kidz Kindergarten Environmental Program Excellence Narrabeen Children’s Centre Excellence in Food & Menu Design Sustainable Play Preschool Excellence in Indoor Learning Environment Bambini of Lilyfield Excellence in Outdoor Learning Environment Bambini of Lilyfield Family Involvement Program Excellence Clovel Childcare & Early Learning Centres - Merrylands Inclusivity Practices Program Excellence Gilgandra Preschool Large Community Service (40 places or more) Hunter Valley Grammar School Early Learning Centre Large Private Northern Metropolitan Service (40 places or more) Little Zaks Academy - Epping 2 Large Private Regional Service (40 places or more) The Rumpus Room - Pelican Large Private Southern Metropolitan Service (40 places or more) All Star Early Learners Large Private Western Metropolitan Service (40 places or more) Oakville Preschool Learning Centre Male Educator Excellence Award Alec Peters Toybox Early Learning Metropolitan Educational Program Excellence Bambini of Lilyfield Metropolitan Educator Leader Excellence Award Melissa Traversa Mikids - Northern Beaches Metropolitan Female Educator Excellence Award Melinda Singleton Little Zaks Academy - Epping 2 Metropolitan Program illustrating ‘My sustainable world’ JumpStart 4 Kids - Blacktown Metropolitan Program illustrating ‘Stimulating children’s senses’ Starkingdom Childcare Centre & Kindergarten Multicultural Program Excellence Gilgandra Preschool Program illustrating ‘Being a good sport’ Oakville Preschool Learning Centre Program illustrating ‘Communication with children’ Clovel Childcare & Early Learning Centres - Liverpool Program illustrating ‘The confident child’ All Star Early Learners Program illustrating ‘The creative child’ Innovative Early Learning - Artarmon Program illustrating ‘We are all Australians’ Clovel Childcare & Early Learning Centres - Merrylands Regional Educational Program Excellence Gilgandra Preschool Regional Educator Leader Excellence Award Sarah Bilton-Smith Hunter Valley Grammar School Early Learning Centre Regional Female Educator Excellence Award Ashleigh Oldfield Pied Piper Preschool Regional Program illustrating ‘My sustainable world’ Kookaburra Early Learning Centre Regional Program illustrating ‘Stimulating children’s senses’ Little Treasures Preschool & Early Learning Centre Service Support Person Excellence Award Natarsha Stuart Clovel Childcare & Early Learning Centres Small Private Metropolitan Service (39 places or less) Clovel Childcare & Early Learning Centres - Merrylands Small Private Regional Service (39 places or less) Developing Dreams Early Learning Centre - Chain Valley Bay Team Excellence Award - Metropolitan Service Oakville Preschool Learning Centre Team Excellence Award - Regional Service Gilgandra Preschool Young Female Educator Excellence Award (25 years or less) Xanthe Young Explore & Develop Leichhardt Young Male Educator Excellence Award (25 years of less) Yifan Hu Goodstart Early Learning - West Pymble

Little Zak s Academy is a group of early learning centres across Sydney dedicated to providing children with avenues to reach their full potential. By focussing on a play-based learning approach, we can foster an environment wherein children are encouraged to develop academically, physically and socially through spontaneous and intentional learning! Our watchful educators are always on the lookout for opportunities to instil valuable learning concepts covering maths, language and science as your child discovers and explores on their own. Enhanced by an engaging and nurturing environment, we can foster in children a love of discovery, build on their natural curiosity and inspire a lifelong passion for learning at our daycare centres in Sydney!

Little Zak's Academy works toward building healthy eating habits in our children. In order to do so. we prepare 5 meals a day on-site, using a rotational menu system. Our meals feature seasonal ingredients and help our children learn to make smart food choices by introducing 'always foods’ and 'sometimes foods.

Scenes for the 2021 gala EECEA Awards night.

Bambini creating leaders of tomorrow

Bambini’s INSPIRE Curriculum and the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) is incorporated into all of Bambini’s learning environments. For more information visit: bambiniearlylearning.com.au/bambini-curriculum. Activities and programs at Bambini of Lilyfield are aimed at ‘inspiring young minds’ to create leaders of tomorrow.

BAMBINI of Lilyfield has a multicultural team of more than 20 educators, who are dedicated, highly-qualified and have broad experience.

Th e early learning centre and preschool has been rated as exceeding the National Quality Standard.

Its high standard of early childhood education was reinforced last September when it was named a fi nalist in 13 categories at the Excellence in Early Childhood Education Awards 2021.

At the heart of everything Bambini of Lilyfi eld does is the goal of inspiring young minds.

“We are fi rmly focused on your child’s learning and development,” Bambini of Lilyfi eld centre director, Anmol Lohia, says.

“Th rough our Bambini INSPIRE Curriculum and our open-ended, collaborative and nurturing approach, we are with your child at every step of the way as trusted leaders in early childhood care and education.”

Children enjoy specially designed outdoor playscapes with many spaces to explore, including climbing equipment, a vegetable garden and an undercover area.

Indoors, Bambini has state-of-the-art spaces that encourage children to learn and grow at their age and stage of development, including a dining room, an art atelier, with alternating music, yoga studio.

Bambini’s INSPIRE Curriculum

Bambini Early Learning’s point of excellence includes a university qualifi ed Early Childhood Teacher in every room and its highly-qualifi ed and dedicated educators provide exceptional care and tailored programs to help engage young minds from six weeks to six years.

Bambini has developed ‘Th e INSPIRE Curriculum’ which, along with the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), is incorporated into each of its rooms.

Th e Bambini INSPIRE Curriculum is based on the skills required for tomorrow–to adapt, inquire, question and cooperate–life skills, innovative learning, inspiring and fun.

At the INSPIRE Curriculum’s core is:

AQ: Adaptability and Resilience–To inspire young minds, instilling adaptability and resilience is key. Bambini is not just about engaging play, it is committ ed to building leaders of tomorrow, by equipping your child with self-help skills, regardless of their stage in life.

EQ: Emotional Wellbeing–Bambini is passionate about creating compassionate, caring and empathetic leaders who are equipped with strong emotional intelligence. As your child learns to interact with others, Bambini teaches them how to recognise complex emotions, deal with confl ict, build healthy relationships and display empathy.

SQ: Social and Community–SQ and EQ are skills that help children to work out challenges and respond to situations successfully. Th ese cannot be measured in any kind of IQ tests but are of great importance in navigating life successfully. Th e ability to manage yourself has become the new measure of assessing competence in the 21st century.

IQ: School Readiness–Starting school is an important milestone in your child’s life, and at Bambini Early Learning, strong foundations are created for learning in school and beyond. Bambini provides building blocks to help prepare your child for school the minute they walk in the door, with its holistic ‘School Readiness’ program.

With unlimited street parking, families are ensured a safe and effi cient drop off and pick up every visit.

Th ere is also a nearby bus stop and light rail connections, providing further transport options to the city and surrounding suburbs.

Bambini of Lilyfield is located at 284 Balmain Road, Lilyfield. For all enquiries call 9810 7780 or for more information visit bambiniearlylearning.com.au

Activities at Morisset Early Education Centre.

Positive learning through partnerships

MORISSET Early Education Centre (MEEC) believes in providing an environment where all educators work in partnership with families and the wider community to provide positive and holistic learning in line with the Early Years Learning Framework.

It has been educating children six weeks to six years old in the local community for 38 years and strives to support a sense of belonging that will enhance the children’s overall development.

Centre Manager, Rebecca Buckley–aff ectionately known to preschoolers as ‘Miss Bec–said the early childhood education and care sector faced considerable staffi ng challenges during the pandemic, but MEEC had emerged more resilient.

“We believe all children are competent, resourceful individuals who are capable of directing their own learning,” she said.

“Th e whole child, including the mind, body and spirit, is nurtured and valued at Morisset Early Education Centre.

“We support and encourage each child to relate positively to the people around them, improving their own sense of well-being and being respectful of others.”

MEEC comprises two separate learning environments–the ‘Starfi sh Room’, accommodating eight children aged 0–3 years; and the ‘Seahorse Room’, an exciting, engaging environment for children 3–5 years old.

Th e Starfi sh Room program is designed to enhance your child’s social and emotional development through experiences which include yoga, meditation, visual arts, literacy and numeracy, music and exploring the outdoor environment through a play-based program.

Th e Seahorse Room aims to enhance your child’s social and emotional development through experiences such as yoga and meditation; group participation and contributions.

Academic knowledge such as numbers, lett ers and pre-writing skills is also introduced through play-based learning while the program also aims to foster independence and self-responsibility.

Activities for both groups aim to build on a child’s self-help skills and they participate in regular excursions to the local library, local shops, schools, ovals and Bush Kindy.

Th e National Quality Standards, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Early Years Learning Framework and the Children’s Services Regulations are all embedded in MEEC’s everyday practices.

“Amazing litt le centre that puts the children and families fi rst,” says parent, Jessica Bayliss, a in a recent online review.

“When we initially looked at sending our child there, the minute we walked in we felt at ease and knew this was the right place for our litt le family.

“It is always a warm and nurturing environment and the teachers all know your child and have a personal connection with them.”

She said the Centre off ered great early education program balanced with fun activities.

MEEC is almost at capacity, but ‘Miss Bec’ says there are still a few places remaining in its Seahorse Room.