Education & Care Newsletter | Summer 2025

Tassie Mums – 'Season of Giving' Campaign

A huge THANK YOU to our community for your generous donations to our Tassie Mums ‘Season of Giving’ campaign! It was incredible to see our children, families and staff come together to support Tasmanian babies and children in need.

Our CEO, Suzie Jones, had the pleasure of handing over the donations to Tassie Mums last week. Madeleine Glover and Clair Harris, Co-Founders of Tassie Mums, were thrilled to receive the donations which included a $2000 donation for the purchase of new prams and countless children’s toys, socks, underwear, clothes, pyjamas and books.

The work undertaken by Tassie Mums and their passion for supporting babies and children in need, closely aligns with Lady Gowrie Tasmania’s purpose of putting ‘Children First’ in all that we do. If you would like to learn more about the incredible work undertaken by Tassie Mums and how to donate items, please follow the link below:

https://tassiemums.org/

Thank you again, it is wonderful to know that so many Tasmanian babies and children in need will benefit from the overwhelming kindness and generosity of our community.

Family Updates

Christmas Closure

All Lady Gowrie Tasmania services, offices and programs will close for the Christmas break at the usual time on Wednesday 24^th December, 2025 and will re-open on Monday 5^th January, 2026. Wishing all our children and families a safe, happy and restful Christmas.

Starting School Tips

The transition to school is a significant milestone in a child’s life and having the right support can make all the difference. Great Start Tasmania has developed this fantastic handbook (translated in 7 languages) to help make this a smooth transition for children:

https://www.greatstart.tas.gov.au/primary-school-programs/starting-kindergarten/

Storypark

Storypark allows educators to communicate your child’s learning as it happens by sharing photos, videos, audio, observations and routines within a secure online environment. For more information about Storypark and staying connected with your child’s learning, please speak to your Service Manager or visit: https://au.storypark.com/families

Lady Gowrie Tasmania is a proud supporter and member of the B4 Early Years Coalition (B4). B4 is a movement for change to ensure every child in Tasmania is cared for and nurtured through the early years, no matter what.

To learn more about B4, please visit: https://b4.education.tas.gov.au/

Summer Safety Reminders

SunSmart Reminders

SLIP on some sun-protective clothing that covers as much skin as possible.

SLOP on broad spectrum, water resistant SPF30+ (or higher) sunscreen. Put it on 20 minutes before you go outdoors and every two hours afterwards. Sunscreen should never be used to extend the time you spend in the sun.

SLAP on a hat – broad brim or legionnaire style to protect your face, head, neck and ears.

SEEK shade

SLIDE on some sunglasses – make sure they meet Australian Standards.

To learn more about sun safety for your family please visit: https://www.cancer.org.au/…/caus…/sun-safety/be-sunsmart

Water Safety Reminders

As summer approaches, it’s important to remember that drowning is a leading cause of accidental death among Australian children.

To keep children safe around backyard swimming pools, follow these key actions from the Royal Life Saving Australia’s ‘Keep Watch’ campaign: Supervise, Restrict, Teach and Respond.

SUPERVISE Always keep a close watch on children around water.

RESTRICT Ensure pool areas are securely fenced and access is restricted.

TEACH Educate children about water safety and swimming skills.

RESPOND Be prepared to act quickly in case of an emergency.

Even if you don’t have a backyard pool, you need to be aware of other dangers around the home that can cause drowning, especially if you have children.

For more information about the ‘Keep Watch’ campaign and water safety at home please visit:

https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/stay-safe-active/locations/water-safety-at-home

For information about home pool safety barrier requirements please visit:

https://cbos.tas.gov.au/topics/products-services/safety/pool-safety-barriers

Please stay safe by the water this summer and have fun together as a family!

Family Information

Summer Nature Play Ideas

Summer is the perfect time to head outdoors and explore many intriguing nature play possibilities with your children!

Nature play is fundamental to children’s overall health and wellbeing and significantly improves all aspects of their development.

From building forts, to learning with natural materials, to outdoor musical activities, to nature play checklists – Nature Play QLD have collated some incredible nature play ideas for families!

To find out more please visit: https://natureplayqld.org.au/nature-play-ideas

Supporting Children’s Understanding of Celebrations

Celebrations come in many different forms and can enhance a child’s sense of belonging to family, friends and their community. Celebrations also encourage children to question, reflect upon and learn about other cultures and beliefs. The Play School series below ‘Our Celebrations’ is a wonderful way to help younger children to understand what different celebrations mean within their community:

Play School: Our Celebrations

Sharing books together opens new worlds for children of all ages and can be a powerful tool for starting conversations about different celebrations around the world. Suggested books to share with your children are below:

This is just a small sample of the books available on this topic so why not take a trip to your local library or bookshop with your children and see what else you can find?

The Festive Season and Wellbeing

For some, the upcoming festive season is a joyous time for celebration and connecting with family and friends but for others, it can also be a challenging time.

Lifeline have created a practical support guide with great tips on how to look after yourself during the festival season. To learn more please visit:

https://www.lifeline.org.au/get-help/support-toolkit/techniques-and-guides/mental-wellness-during-the-holiday-season

Child Safety and Compliance

Early childhood education and care services are required to create and maintain safe environments for children.

Everyone has a role in keeping children safe in education and care services including approved providers, services, state and territory regulatory authorities and the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA).

To ensure greater transparency for families and clearer expectations for providers on compliance and safety standards, there have been changes made to child safety compliance processes and how compliance actions are displayed.

To learn more about these changes and child safety compliance processes please visit:

https://startingblocks.gov.au/resources/regulatory-activities/child-safety-and-compliance

Child Care Subsidy – 3 Day Guarantee

From January 2026, Child Care Subsidy (CCS) eligible families can get at least 72 hours of subsidised education and care per fortnight or 3 days per week. This change is known as the ‘3 Day Guarantee’.

This means more families will have guaranteed access to affordable education and care, regardless of their work or participation hours. The 3 Day Guarantee doesn’t change how the CCS rate is worked out, and most families will still need to pay a gap fee.

The 3 Day Guarantee is about access to subsidised hours, noting enrolment still depends on provider availability. Some families can still access 100 hours of subsidised care each fortnight for each child if they meet specific criteria.

For more information about these changes and how they will affect your family, please visit:

https://startingblocks.gov.au/resources/what-to-expect/3-day-guarantee-changes-to-child-care-subsidy-ccs

Celebrating Play & Learning

Woodworking at Uni North LDC

At Uni North, the educators support many opportunities for children to play, learn and discover. Recently, the children in the Woodland Room have been engaging in woodworking experiences with our volunteer, John.

John worked as an educator at Uni North for many years until he retired. Since retiring, he has been visiting the service as a volunteer every Tuesday and Thursday to bring his passion and knowledge of woodworking to the children.

The children adore working with ‘Johnny’ and are so excited every time they see him chaining up his bike at the front gate. His latest project has focused on building storage boxes with the children that can also be used as a seat and a chalkboard.

John works with each individual child to find out what colour they would like to paint their storage box and which material they would like for the seat. He then helps them to use the drill to screw the pieces together, paint their box and glue and staple the material on the seat.

The projects are worked on over a couple of weeks with each child, and when finished, they can take them home. John shows great patience, talking with the children throughout the process and guiding them to use the tools safely and effectively.

The children are so lucky to have John working with them with his caring manner, and we feel so grateful to have such a wonderful person engaging with the children and teaching them important life skills.

From the OSHC Team at Uni North LDC

Celebrations & Events

Campbell Street Children’s Art Exhibition

Our Campbell Street Education and Care Service Manager, Bridget Shea, shares her reflection on their 2025 Children’s Creative Arts Exhibition:

‘There was great excitement at our service recently as children, families, valued members of our community and educators attended our annual Children’s Creative Arts Exhibition.

The exhibition featured amazing artworks by children utilising every possible medium from woodwork to painting, fabric, clay, and collage from all programs that were respectfully displayed throughout the service for all to see. Alongside each of their displays, artist statements and children voices were included to capture each child’s genuine creative process and also highlight the importance of recognising each child’s voice.

It was such a delight to see the children proudly share their masterpieces with their families and explore the other children’s artworks on display. Each year we are overwhelmed by the support from our local community and families, not only in their attendance, but additionally from their dedication to support the exhibition by coming together to gather resources such as natural and recycled materials that we are able to share throughout the service.

In addition to art based creative experiences, we also collated a short slideshow to highlight the creativity that has been expressed through music, dance, and play experiences from throughout the year, which was also enjoyed by those who attended on the evening.

Heartfelt thanks must go to our wonderful educators who worked so hard to support the creation of each art piece and collaborated together on the art exhibition concept to display all the creative pieces so respectfully.

Thank you to all our families and members of our community who came along to share the children’s excitement and to show your appreciation of the play and learning opportunities offered to your children within our programs. Our close-knit community of children, families, educators and support staff is a very special one and that was very evident on the night.

Please enjoy these photos which showcase just a small sample of the incredible children’s artworks on display at the exhibition.’

Congratulations to all the team at Campbell Street on yet another beautifully curated Children’s Creative Arts Exhibition!

2025 Helen Stephen Memorial Scholarship Recipient

At our recent Annual General Meeting, Nic Stephen (Lady Gowrie Tasmania Board member and son of Helen Stephen) had the pleasure of announcing Naomi Reynolds as the recipient of the 2025 Helen Stephen Memorial Scholarship.

Nic shared a heartfelt reflection about Helen’s commitment to children and their learning, then shared Naomi’s announcement:

‘Naomi is a dedicated and experienced early childhood educator with over 16 years in the education and care sector. Since joining Lady Gowrie Tasmania in 2009, she has progressed from a casual employee to a permanent team member and now serves as Room Leader at the University South service. Naomi holds a Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care and is currently completing her a degree in Early Childhood Education.

Naomi’s passion for working with children led her to pursue formal qualifications, starting with a Certificate III and progressing to her Diploma. Naomi is known for her leadership, mentoring of colleagues and students, and her commitment to fostering positive outcomes for children. She actively supports her team through role modelling, guidance on child behaviour and promoting safe practices aligned with national standards.’

Helen Stephen was the Kindergarten Teacher at our Battery Point Education and Care Service for 25 years and during this time she played an important role in the lives of many children and their families. She also influenced the pedagogy and practice of many early childhood professionals with whom she came into contact.

To honour this legacy, we provide an annual scholarship in Helen’s memory to an educator who has committed to undertake study towards an early childhood degree qualification. We thank the Stephen family for their attendance at the AGM each year in support of the scholarship, further testament to the rich history between Lady Gowrie Tasmania and the Stephen family.

Congratulations Naomi and we look forward to following your professional learning journey at Lady Gowrie Tasmania over the coming years.

From Miffy

Dear Families,

Celebrating a Year of Growth and Community

As 2025 draws to a close, our Education and Care community reflects on a year filled with play, learning, laughter and milestones.

We extend heartfelt thanks to all families for your unwavering support and partnership. Watching your children grow and thrive has been an absolute privilege.

The festive season is a time for rest and celebration. We encourage everyone to take care on the roads and enjoy these special weeks safely with loved ones.

To the children heading off to school next year – congratulations! Your achievements have been remarkable, and while we’ll miss your smiling faces, we know you’re ready for this exciting new chapter. Families, thank you for entrusting us with your child’s early learning journey.

Whether your child is starting school, moving rooms, or meeting new educators, here are some helpful settling tips for next year:

Talk about what’s coming – share positive stories about the new environment and routines

Visit and explore – if possible, visit the new setting together before the first day

Keep routines consistent – familiar routines at home help children feel secure

Stay connected – communication with educators is key, reach out with any questions

Throughout 2025, we’ve proudly recognised and celebrated the outstanding contributions of our educators through our Reward and Recognition program. Recipients were:

January – March

Heena Kouser (Fahan), Breanna Young (Pedder), Casim Casim (Integrated Centre) and Tamara Whyte (Youngtown OSHC)

April – June

Monica Ding (Integrated Centre), Jemma Sullivan (OSHC North), Jessica Oates (University South) and Casey Pinchin (Norwood LDC)

July – September

Zoe Upton (Norwood OSHC), Mia Long (Richmond LDC), Dominique Pennell (Norwood LDC) and Sean Pu (Glenorchy OSHC)

We are grateful for the dedication, commitment and passion of these educators that makes a lasting impact on children and families every day.

Congratulations to Midway Point Education and Care for achieving Meeting the National Quality Standard with three quality areas rated Exceeding. This result reflects the team’s commitment to excellence and creating high quality, safe and inclusive environments that go above and beyond expectations.

As we wrap up this year, we want to share a heartfelt thank you, not only to our families but also to the incredible educators and teams who make our services such special places for children to learn and grow.

Every smile, every milestone and every moment of wonder is possible because of their dedication and care. Behind the scenes they work tirelessly to create safe, nurturing and inspiring environments where children can play, learn and thrive.

We are proud of the passion and professionalism they bring to their work every day, and we know families join us in appreciating the difference they make in the lives of children. Their commitment is the foundation of our community, and we couldn’t do this without them.

As we look ahead to the new year, we’re excited to continue this journey together with our families and our educators, building on the strong relationships and shared goals that make our community so special.

Many thanks,
Miffy Wedd
GENERAL MANAGER – EDUCATION AND CARE

From Suzie

Dear Families,

Welcome to the final Lady Gowrie Tasmania (LGT) newsletter for 2025 which showcases so many of our wonderful celebrations and children’s play and learning stories.

Thank you to our incredible team for supporting children’s health, safety and wellbeing and maximising opportunities for them to learn and thrive this year.

It has been a privilege to have worked alongside our passionate and committed team of professionals who put ‘Children First’ in their work every day.

Celebrating our Work

Our recent 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM) was a time to acknowledge and celebrate the remarkable work undertaken in our services and programs by our passionate and dedicated teams. To view our online 2024-25 Annual Report please visit: https://annualreport.gowrie-tas.com.au/2024-25/

A highlight of the AGM every year is the announcement of the Helen Stephen Memorial Scholarship recipient. Congratulations to this year’s recipient, Naomi Reynolds (University South), and we look forward to following Naomi’s professional learning journey over the coming years.

Valuing our People

As part of our ongoing commitment to recognising and rewarding the contribution of our valued workforce, we were pleased to pass on the second Worker Retention Grant wage increase to eligible employees on 1 December. Our new LGT Enterprise Agreement 2025 was also recently submitted to Fair Work Commission for approval, ensuring 3 pay rises for educators over the life of the agreement. Rewarding our workforce in their vital work with children and families is a priority and is important to the Board and Management at LGT.

Child Safety Updates

Children’s safety continues to be a strong focus of the work that we do every day. Thank you to all families for your continued cooperation since we strengthened the safety of all children in our care in line with the new ACECQA child safety guidelines that came into effect in September, particularly with mobile phone/device usage in licensed areas.

From February 2026, all educators will be required to complete mandatory national child safety training. Mandatory child safety training will ensure educators have the skills, ability and authorising environment to detect, escalate or report child abuse. LGT will support educators to complete the training and will keep families updated of our progress.

I hope you enjoy reading through this newsletter with stories about children’s play and learning, recent celebrations and events, Tassie Mums ‘Season of Giving’ campaign, Christmas closure reminder and tips about starting school – to name just a few!

On behalf of our amazing team, we take this opportunity to wish all our children and families a safe and happy festive season. We hope you find time to recharge and make some great memories together.

To those families leaving us in 2025, thank you for entrusting us to support your children’s education and care journey and we wish you all the best for the future.

To those families returning in 2026, we look forward to strengthening our partnership with you and doing all we can to support you and your children.

Until next time,
Suzie Jones
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER