Marjorie Mann Lawley Day Care Centre

At Marjorie Mann, some of the most meaningful learning moments begin with the simplest materials.
A cardboard box becomes a garage.
A drawn window becomes part of a child’s story.
A small car moving in and out becomes an opportunity for language, problem-solving, collaboration and imagination.
Homemade resources invite children to see possibility in everyday materials. They are not perfect, polished or fixed. Instead, they are open, flexible and full of potential.
Through resources like this, children are encouraged to lead the learning, test ideas, revisit thinking and bring their own meanings to the experience. These materials also reflect a sustainable and thoughtful approach to our environment, where creativity is valued over consumption.
As educators, we see these moments as more than play. We see children making connections, negotiating ideas, developing fine motor skills, exploring space and movement, and communicating through the many languages of childhood.
At Marjorie Mann, our environments are shaped with care, curiosity and intention, allowing children to transform the ordinary into something extraordinary.
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🎉 Happy 25th Work Anniversary, Eloise! 🎉

Today we celebrate an incredible milestone – 25 years with Marjorie Mann!

For more than half of your life, you have dedicated your time, passion, care, and commitment to our centre, making a lasting impact on countless children, families, and colleagues along the way.

Your loyalty, knowledge, and unwavering dedication have helped shape the warm and nurturing community that Marjorie Mann is today. We are so grateful for the relationships you've built, the memories you've created, and the difference you've made over the past quarter of a century.

Thank you for everything you bring to our team each and every day. Congratulations on this remarkable achievement – we are proud to celebrate you and this special milestone.

💐 Here's to 25 amazing years- Happy Anniversary, Eloise! 💐

What happens when a team takes the time to pause, reflect, and make their values visible?

Recently, our educators came together to explore our Image of the Child and the responsibility we each hold in creating a culture where children, families and educators can thrive.

Through rich dialogue, reflection and collaboration, we recognised that the way we see children shapes every interaction, every decision and every learning opportunity. We also acknowledged that high-quality outcomes for children are only possible when we intentionally support one another as professionals.

Together, we created five shared commitments:

✨ We See Children as Capable
✨ We Listen Deeply
✨ We Work Together
✨ We Reflect and Grow
✨ We Create Safe and Respectful Spaces

These commitments are more than words displayed on a wall. They are promises to each other. A collective agreement about how we will show up for children, families and colleagues every day.

What stood out most was the understanding that culture is not something that happens to a team—it is something a team creates together.

When educators feel valued, heard and supported, they are better able to create environments where children experience the same.

This work reminds us that an Image of the Child is not simply a philosophy statement. It is reflected in how we speak, listen, collaborate, challenge ourselves and care for one another.

The strongest learning communities are built on shared values, trust, reflection and a commitment to continual growth.

Proud of this team’s willingness to engage in courageous conversations, embrace collective responsibility and continue striving for excellence.

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Walk into any early learning space and you’ll see it…
Beautiful displays. Perfect setups. Carefully planned curriculum.

But here’s the truth 👇
That’s not what makes it welcoming.

A welcoming environment is felt — not displayed.

As our philosophy says —
We believe by building strong, respectful relationships we can focus on children’s social and emotional development, laying the foundations to support them to become lifelong learners.

So the real question is:
Do children feel seen?
Do families feel they belong?
Do educators feel valued?

Because belonging isn’t built on walls —
it’s built in moments.

• A pause to truly listen
• A name remembered
• A family genuinely welcomed
• A child who feels safe to be themselves

That’s what people remember.
That’s what makes them stay.

Because when we get this right…
Everything else starts to fall into place.

Community

This Pride Month, we celebrate the diversity, identity and uniqueness that make our communities stronger.

At Marjorie Mann, we believe every child, family and educator deserves to feel seen, valued, respected and a true sense of belonging. Creating inclusive environments is not about a single month of recognition—it is embedded in the relationships we build, the conversations we have, and the culture we create every day.

As educators, we have a responsibility to foster spaces where children learn that differences are something to be celebrated, where kindness and respect are modelled, and where every person can be their authentic self.

Pride Month provides an opportunity to reflect on the importance of inclusion and equity, while continuing our commitment to ensuring all members of our community feel welcome and connected.

Because when everyone belongs, everyone thrives. 🌈

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🎉 A significant milestone at Marjorie Mann!

We are proud to share that 100% of our team — including permanent educators, part time educators, casual staff, and visiting support professionals — have now completed mandatory GECCKO Child Safety Training.

Child safety is not a policy sitting on a shelf; it is a shared responsibility that guides every interaction, every environment, and every decision we make.

By ensuring every adult who enters our service understands their role in creating safe, respectful, and empowering environments for children, we continue to strengthen a culture where children are heard, protected, and valued.

This achievement reflects our collective commitment to:
✅ Embedding child-safe practices in everyday routines
✅ Recognising and responding to children’s rights and voices
✅ Maintaining high standards of professional accountability
✅ Creating environments where children can learn, play and thrive with confidence

A huge thank you to our dedicated team for embracing this important learning and demonstrating that child safety is everyone’s responsibility.

When children feel safe, they are free to explore, belong, and flourish. ❤️

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Hand washing isn’t just a routine… what if it’s a moment for real understanding?

At Marjorie Mann, we recently revisited our hand washing practices—not just to check the steps, but to deepen the why behind them.

Working alongside a doctor, we moved beyond:
“turn on the tap”
“use soap”
“dry your hands”

And asked a more important question:

Do children truly understand why this matters?

Because when learning stays at the level of routine, it can be followed…
but not always understood.

Through intentional conversations and experiences, children began to explore:
✨ how germs spread
✨ why soap matters
✨ how hand washing keeps themselves and others safe

It shifted from compliance… to meaning.

We saw children:
– reminding each other
– taking ownership of their health
– making connections beyond the routine

This is what child-safe practice looks like in action.

Not just policies on paper…
but building knowledge, agency, and responsibility in children.

Because when children understand the why…
they don’t just follow rules—
they carry them into life.

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Last week was Allergy Awareness Week, an important reminder of the responsibility we all share in creating environments where every child feels safe, included, and able to fully participate.

At Marjorie Mann, the heart of our centre is our kitchen. It is a place where care, connection, and wellbeing come together each day. Our chef Veronique thoughtfully considers the individual needs of every child, ensuring that allergies, dietary requirements, and cultural preferences are respected while providing nutritious, delicious meals that support children’s growth and learning.

In a Reggio Emilia-inspired setting, we understand that food is more than nourishment. It is an opportunity for relationships, conversations, belonging, and community. Sharing meals together helps children build connections with one another and develop a positive relationship with food from an early age.

We are incredibly grateful for the dedication, knowledge, and care Veronique brings each day. Their work ensures that every child can sit at the table with confidence, knowing they are valued, included, and cared for.

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Child safety isn’t a checklist—
it’s a culture.

Too often, we talk about policies, procedures, and compliance.

But child safe practice goes far beyond that.

It lives in the everyday moments:
👀 The way we position ourselves so every child is visible
🗣️ The way we listen—really listen—when a child speaks
🤝 The way we build trusting, respectful relationships
🚿 The way we teach routines like handwashing with intention and understanding

Recently, our team revisited handwashing—not just how to do it, but why it matters.
Because when educators understand the “why,” practice becomes meaningful—not mechanical.

Child safety is not about doing things to children.
It’s about working with them.

It’s about creating environments where children feel:
Safe.
Seen.
Heard.
Valued.

And where every educator understands the responsibility they hold—every moment, every interaction, every day.

At Marjorie Mann, child safe practice isn’t something we switch on.
It’s who we are.

Because every child deserves nothing less.

At Marjorie Mann, reconciliation is not something reflected on for only one week of the year.

It is a commitment to listening deeply, walking respectfully, and continuing to learn alongside children, families, and community.

As we approach National Reconciliation Week, we are reminded that reconciliation begins in relationships.

In the everyday moments.
In the stories we share.
In the perspectives we value.
In the environments we create for children to grow with respect, curiosity, and connection to Country.

Children are born with a natural sense of wonder and belonging within the world around them. When we create spaces where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures, voices, and ways of knowing are genuinely embedded — not added as an extra — we help nurture a generation who understands the importance of care, respect, and shared responsibility.

At Marjorie Mann, we continue reflecting on what it truly means to walk alongside one another with humility and intention.

Not rushing to have all the answers.
But remaining open to listening, learning, and doing better together.

Because reconciliation is not a destination.

It is something we must continually live through our actions, relationships, and everyday practice.

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