LIFESTREAMERS EARLY LEARNING Report

2023 was a year of constant change for LEL. Over the course of the year, we lost half of our team as they moved on to new experiences and roles. We replaced them with a number of young people who were new to Australia and studying their Cert 3 or Diploma. While we have loved the addition of such a multicultural and enthusiastic group, it was a challenging year for the existing team as they trained them in the way of Lifestreamers while also maintaining the care of the children.

During 2023, we also took over the catering for the children in our care. We wish to thank The Loop Café for supporting us for all these years by providing our lunches.  The move has been a positive one for us as a centre with the flexibility to mix up the menu a bit. We employed a part time cook called Jolly. The children love his meals, particularly the fried rice and chicken stir fry, and they have drastically increased their consumption of vegetables in the process! It is great to see the older ones having a chat to him during their free play times.

We had special events for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Grandparent’s Day, which were well attended and enjoyed by those who could make it.  The team helped the children make gifts and cooked treats, which the families very graciously ate! We also had a number of incursions throughout the year including St John’s Ambulance, Muddy Gully Messy Play and Bunnings Fairy Garden. These were all fun and educational but I am not sure if it was the children or the educators who enjoyed the mud the most!

Singing and dancing is a big part of our day and this year we developed a dance, drama and song enrichment program with Heather, our very own Wiggle! The children have loved the opportunity to sing and dance and are learning lots of new coordination and language skills.  We tested some of these at the Singo Bingo community event when the children moved out to the foyer and sang some favourite songs for the oldies.

Five of our families welcomed new babies and we are looking forward to having them join us in 2024. We also welcomed over 20 new families into our community and have enjoyed getting to know all the little personalities, that keep us on our toes.

Finally, we ended the year on a high with an amazing turn up to the Christmas Festival. The children practiced their songs for weeks and performed on stage in the auditorium. It was an awesome community event and 15-20 families stayed for the Christmas Carols afterwards. 

Thank you for all the support and prayer over the past year, we would not be able to do what we do without it.

Jen Hamilton

Centre Manager