From Suzie
Dear Families,
I hope everyone is enjoying the longer and brighter days that come with the arrival of Spring.
WELCOME TO ST THERESE’S CATHOLIC SCHOOL OSHC
On behalf of everyone at Lady Gowrie Tasmania (LGT), I am delighted to welcome to our community the children and families from St Therese’s Catholic School Outside School Hours Care (OSHC). We look forward to working with you all and continuing to provide high quality, safe and inclusive Before School, After School and Vacation Care programs for your children.
I would also like to welcome to LGT the fantastic team of OSHC educators from St Therese’s Catholic School OSHC. This team of passionate and experienced educators will continue to work in partnership with children and families to develop fun, play-based learning programs based on children’s developmental needs, interests and experiences.
TASMANIAN TRAINING AWARDS FINALIST
At the recent Tasmanian Training Awards our Trainee Coordinator, Bec Hayes, and I had the great pleasure of accepting a finalist certificate for LGT in the Skills Tasmania Large Employer of the Year Award.
Thank you to Skills Tasmania for recognising the important work we do in supporting over 80 staff undertaking Certificate III or Diploma qualifications in Early Childhood Education and Care. Training is a strategic priority for LGT and is embedded in our daily operations – blending theory and practice through coaching, personalised study plans and peer learning.
Thank you to our trainees whose enthusiasm, passion and commitment to their learning strengthens our workforce and enriches the education and care we provide to children. Thank you also to our incredible team at LGT who provide quality sector-specific training, leadership, mentoring and support to our trainees.
This recognition of our work will further inspire our team to be a leading employer in the sector, with a focus on workforce capability whilst delivering high quality, safe and inclusive education and care programs for children.
CHILD SAFETY INITIATIVES UPDATE
Children’s safety continues to be a strong focus of the work that we do every day at LGT. Our ‘Children First’ philosophy supports the rights of all children to grow, learn and play in a safe place. We have zero tolerance towards abuse, neglect or exploitation of children and are committed to continually improving our child safety practices.
We have strengthened the safety of all children in our care in line with the new Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) child safety guidelines that came into effect on 1st September. Thank you to families for your continued cooperation by not using phones or any device that can take photos in spaces accessed by children in our services and programs.
Other actions LGT is taking to support children’s safety and wellbeing include:
- Continuing to assess risks and implement mandatory child safe standards across our services and programs
- Exploring ways to integrate children’s voices in program planning and play experiences
- Strengthening children’s understanding of their rights and what safety means through conversation, storytelling and everyday practices
- Regularly updating our community with new child safety initiatives and improvements to our child safety practices
- Promoting community awareness of how to identify and report incidents or allegations of child harm
We welcome feedback from all our families as we work together to create safer, stronger communities. Please share your suggestions with your Service Manager or email feedback@gowrie-tas.com.au.
If you have concerns about a child’s safety and wellbeing please: call 000 if you believe a child is in immediate danger; visit https://tellsomeone.tas.gov.au/; phone the Strong Families Safe Kids Advice and Referral Line 1800 000 123; and/or speak with your Service Manager or email feedback@gowrie-tas.com.au if your concern relates to a child attending LGT.
Together, we will continue to build a culture where children are safe, protected and able to thrive.
CELEBRATING EDUCATORS’ DAY 2025
I was proud to witness the entire LGT community come together and thank our educators and support staff for the incredibly important work they do every day to support children’s learning, development and wellbeing.
The messages of thanks from children and families on the pinboards in services were very much appreciated by our educators and support staff, so thank you to all families for taking the time to do this.
LGT recognised this special day of celebration with thank you cards for our teams, providing morning tea at our services and every staff member was given a drink bottle to support their wellbeing at work.
To view a collection of messages and photos from Educators’ Day 2025 at LGT please visit:
https://gowrie-tas.com.au/early-childhood-educators-day/
I hope you enjoy reading through this newsletter which includes meaningful play and learning stories from our education and care services; our Educators’ Day and Book Week celebrations; resources on the power of play; tips on supporting children’s play at home; child safety initiative updates; essential SunSmart reminders and much more!
I hope you enjoy reading through this newsletter which includes meaningful play and learning stories from our education and care services; our Educators’ Day and Book Week celebrations; resources on the power of play; tips on supporting children’s play at home; child safety initiative updates; our upcoming Tassie Mums campaign; essential SunSmart reminders and much more!
As always, I would like to thank families for your continued support and partnership in your children’s education and care journey at LGT.
Until next time,
Suzie Jones
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER