Bright Beginnings Chermside Early Childhood Educators’ Day for many is a new thing, over the last 28 years we have called it by many names including Superstar Day, Celebrate Day, Show You Care Day and Just Because Day. We have a beautiful centre, with amazing equipment, supportive, committed families, and a strong extended community. Word of mouth is our advertising schedule, neighbours, cousins, extended families, and workplace groups are our clientele. A centre can be shiny and new, or a little worn like us, but we are nothing, without our educators. Early Childhood Educators’ Day or week as we call it, is a massive celebration at our service. Our director Robyn is the queen of events. She feels that our educators deserve more than one day, and as we have so many part-time educators, she wanted to ensure everyone is honoured. This year as always, we asked the families and children to write notes to the educators which Robyn scrapbooked into a journal of memories. Robyn then printed an invite for the educators outlining the week’s events: • Individual flower bouquets, chocolates, and self-care packs. • Sweet morning with divine cupcakes and dessert bar.
An initiative this year was to do something nice for a colleague’s name that you pulled out of a hat. This was so much fun - balloons with notes in lockers, Uber Eats lunches delivered, flowers, Uber car called for educators without cars and gift vouchers. They all remained anonymous, and the diversity and personalised gifts were divine. We also celebrated our centre director Robyn - with a beautiful gift and framed artwork by the children with love notes. One of our traditions is to come together in the foyer and sing a song to the individual. Some would say why the need to say “thank you”. Easter, birthdays, and Christmas are the traditional times to show you care. Early Childhood Educators’ Week for me is a separate time, to celebrate the extra things that educators do every day to support the families, so in turn, the economy can keep pumping and people employed. If childcare stopped, Brisbane would stop - we are the village and we need to thank the people that open their hearts to the littlest hearts daily.
• Parents donated ingredients for a Mexican lunch with one of our lovely mums offering to cook and present the items for the educators. • Individualised Zaraffa coffee and doughnuts. • Pizza lunch. • Massages. • A crisp $50 note and goodies bag.
Tugulawa Early Education At Tugulawa Early Education, the “heart” is woven through what we do every day, it features in our philosophy and vision, it forms part of our Acknowledgement of Country, and it is even in our logo. It comes as no surprise that the heart features heavily in our Early Educators’ Day celebrations. In what has now become a centre tradition on this special day, our team write to one another. Each team member, including everyone from our centre chef, administration person and casual team are allocated another team member to write to. A mailbox is then created (think cardboard boxes, glue and collage bits and bobs!), and it takes up residence in our staffroom in the weeks preceding Early Childhood Educators’ Day. Each person then writes a card to their nominated person, containing a heartfelt message that lets their
18
EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2021
colleague know exactly why they are so important to our team. These cards get incredibly creative, most of them handmade with such care and thought. On Early Childhood Educators’ Day, our Co-Directors open the mailbox and go room to room, hand-delivering the cards. This small part of our celebration is much loved, shines a light on each person’s personal contribution and with a little sprinkle of attention and care for another, you make their day. And that is where the heart is.
