Midson Rd Child Care Centre

Refugee Week 2026 – "A Million Stories"

Refugee Week 2026 runs from June 14–20, ending with World Refugee Day on June 20. This national week encourages Australians to learn more about who refugees are, why they seek safety here, and the many ways they enrich our communities.

At Midson Road, we look for meaningful ways to help children understand the world around them. Refugee Week is especially significant for our team, and this year we used it for deeper learning and connection.

Our wonderful educator Latifa came to Australia as a refugee. Throughout the week, she shared her story with our Preschoolers including her journey to safety, her memories of home, and some of her favourite customs. We were humbled to learn that Latifa not only arrived safely herself, but also helped 11 younger children reach safety too.

We also used the 2026 Simple Acts poster, featuring illustrations by Quentin Blake to connect our learning with how many of these simple acts we achieved through our learning.

Latifa has been part of the Midson Road community for three years, last year she completed her Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care, an achievement she is very proud of.

🌼 Latifa’s Message to Our Children, Families and Community 🌼
Latifa believes refugees deserve kindness, understanding, and support because they leave behind their homes, families, and everything familiar in search of safety and a better future. By sharing her story, she hopes to help others see the courage, resilience, and humanity behind every refugee journey.

To learn more about Latifa’s experience, you can watch her SBS Australia story here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r50tkmmiz6M





Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA)

🌿 Reconcilation Action Plan (RAP) Renewal 2026–2027🌿

Midson Road Child Care Centre is proud to announce that our Reconciliation Action Plan has been renewed for the 2026–2027 cycle.

Maintaining a RAP for over five years demonstrates our strong commitment to cultural safety, respectful relationships, and meaningful engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Thank you to our educator Cindy for coordinating the documentation for our RAP and to our educators for their reflective contributions.

Our RAP continues to strengthen our practice across Quality Areas 1, 5, 6, and 7, ensuring reconciliation remains embedded in our everyday work with children and families.

June - September 2026 Centre Tours

We are excited to invite families who are considering joining us to book a tour of our beautiful centre.

Midson Road Child Care Centre has been a proud and stable part of the Epping community for over 27 years.

During the tour, one of our wonderful educators will guide you through the centre, showcasing our learning environments, educational programs, and our comprehensive Preschool Program.

Families are welcome to join our waitlist at any time:
https://forms.owna.com.au/waitlist.aspx?c=midsonroadccc

We currently have limited vacancies on some days for families seeking immediate care, families are welcome to join the waitlist for future enrolment dates.

If you are unable to attend one of our scheduled tour times, please contact the centre—we are more than happy to arrange a time that suits you.

To book a tour, simply call our friendly team on 9868 7787.

Tour Times
• 10:00 – 10:30 am
• 5:30 – 6:00 pm

Tour Dates for June - September 2026
June - Wednesday 17th June
July - Wednesday 1st, Wednesday 15th & Wednesday 29th July
August - Wednesday 12th and Wednesday 26th August
September - Wednesday 9th and Wednesday 23rd September

We look forward to welcoming you!

National Reconciliation Week 2026

Following our learning about National Sorry Day on the 27th of May, we continued to deepen our understanding of reconciliation throughout National Reconciliation Week.

Across the week, children of all ages engaged with the ‘All In’ poster to support reflective, age appropriate discussions about what reconciliation means and why it matters.

To further honour the diverse voices within our community, we also incorporated posters in the home languages of our families throughout our displays. These multilingual resources helped children recognise and celebrate the cultural identities represented in our service, reinforcing that reconciliation includes listening to and valuing every story.

We strengthened our community connections by collaborating with our local schools — Carlingford Public School, Roselea Public School and Ngarala Public School to create our 2026 collaborative artworks. Students from our partner schools designed and created the base posters using their creativity and knowledge of reconciliation. The Midson Road Children’s Council then added their handprints, which were combined to form the vibrant 'Sea of Hands' now displayed proudly in our foyer.

These posters have become a powerful visual reminder that reconciliation is everyone’s responsibility, and that every hand placed represents a commitment to building a stronger, more connected community.

The completed Sea of Hands stands as a collective statement of hope, solidarity, and ongoing commitment to reconciliation.

Celebrating Eid Al Adha with Our Educators Asma and Latifa

Over the last week, we have been very fortunate to have two of our educators, Asma and Latifa, share with us how they celebrate Eid Al Adha.

Eid Al Adha is a very special festival of sacrifice and a time for sharing. People celebrate by preparing and sharing delicious food with family, friends, and those in need. It is also a time to dress in colourful clothing, show extra kindness, and come together in celebration.

Last week, Latifa hosted a beautiful group time with our toddlers. She arrived dressed in a stunning traditional outfit, shared stories about the traditions she follows during Eid, and gifted the children and our educators some thoughtful and much‑appreciated presents.

Today, Asma hosted a group time for our older children, dressed in a vibrant traditional Shalwar Kameez, Khussas (hand‑embroidered shoes), and adorned with an ancestral henna design. Asma generously shared her home‑cooked Chicken Karahi served with naan, along with her grandmother’s secret recipe for Gurh Sawayyan (sweet jaggery vermicelli). The experience continued with an interactive learning station where children explored cultural items and participated in creative activities.

Thank you to Asma and Latifa for taking the time to foster and grow our cross‑cultural awareness, and for expanding our knowledge and understanding of Eid Al Adha.

National Simultaneous Storytime 2026
Luna Roo the Kangaroo Baller

We have had a great week at Midson Road using the 2026 National Simultaneous Storytime book Luna Roo the Kangaroo Baller in our programs. Across the centre we enjoyed celebrating through a variety of activities the book Luna Roo by Adam Jackson and Adrian Lloyd.

“Luna Roo is built around the central theme of courage, teamwork, and believing in yourself, wrapped in an energetic, sports driven story for young readers. Luna Roo, a rookie captain of FC Outback, faces nerves, tough opponents, and unexpected challenges during a big match. As she plays, she learns to trust her own abilities, work with her teammates, and push through self doubt showing children that confidence and perseverance help you succeed even when things feel overwhelming.”

The highlight of the week was listening to the story on Wednesday along with thousands of others across Australia. Our younger children listened to the story here at the centre, while our Preschoolers were very excited to join the teachers and students from Ngarala Public School.

Our Preschoolers explored the story by making predictions and discussing the characters and events. They built teamwork skills through cooperative games, practised soccer to strengthen gross motor development, and explored bravery through discussion, drawing, and positive affirmations. The children also extended their learning about Australian animals through movement experiences such as animal yoga and hopping like kangaroos.

Our ‘pre’ Preschoolers enjoyed a week of ball skills as they learnt the simple rules of soccer and created their own drawings of a Luna Roo jersey.

Our toddlers enjoyed exploring Luna Roo in their learning environment with a small world play soccer table, used their bodies as they practised kicking balls, explored the characters using hand puppets, and finished the week watching highlights of a Matildas game, calling out “goal!” just like in the book when a goal was scored.

Our Babies also loved getting involved in the week. Using their senses, they explored a sensory box with animal figures from the book, moved their bodies during music and movement, read the story with props and puppets, explored different animals from the book with finger painting, and finished the week off with a group collage of their own room jersey.

National Simultaneous Storytime is one of our favourite weeks to celebrate, knowing how important language and literacy is to everything.



Australian Library and Information Association

Connections with our Community — A Visit to Ngarala Public School for National Simultaneous Storytime

Our Preschoolers were absolutely buzzing with excitement as we enjoyed our annual walk to Ngarala Public School yesterday to join in this year’s National Simultaneous Storytime. Together, we listened to Luna Roo the Kangaroo Baller, the 2026 NSS book, and the children were completely captivated.

Over the past few days, our Preschool groups have been exploring Luna Roo through a range of creative experiences, and we can’t wait to share more of our Luna Roo learning with our Midson Road community at the end of the week.

A big thank you to Ngarala Public School for welcoming our children and educators so warmly. We love spending time with your school community and truly value these shared experiences that help build confidence, connection, and a positive transition to school.

National Sorry Day – Tuesday 26th May

Today we came together to recognise National Sorry Day. This is an important day for all Australians, as we remember the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were forcibly removed from their families — known today as the Stolen Generations. It is also a time to honour the strength and resilience of Survivors and to reflect on how we can all contribute to healing.

As Jessica Staines from the Koori Curriculum explains, National Sorry Day is a moment for all Australians to acknowledge the past and walk together towards a better future.

At the service, the children explored the meaning of Sorry Day through thoughtful group discussions and by reading the picture book Sorry Day by Coral Vass and Dub Leffler. This story supported their understanding in a gentle, age‑appropriate way. Throughout the day, the children also worked together to create a collaborative Sorry Day poster, expressing their learning through art and shared conversation.

Recognising days of significance like National Sorry Day is an important part of our Reconciliation Action Plan. It reflects our commitment to respecting and valuing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and perspectives, and to nurturing this understanding in our children.

🐝 Celebrating World Bee Day 🌼

World Bee Day is celebrated globally on May 20th. For early childhood settings, it’s the perfect opportunity to introduce young learners to nature, sustainability, and our environment. Children can explore the essential role of pollinators through fun, hands-on sensory play, interactive games, and creative storytelling.

As proud hosts of our own native stingless beehive (thank you to Sydney stingless bees for helping us get set up), World Bee Day has provided a wonderful opportunity for our educators and children to explore the vital role bees play in our environment.

Our younger children have enjoyed exploring bees through creative experiences and over the last week our Preschoolers worked closely with their teacher, Cindy on an in depth project about bees.

The project began by reflecting on the children’s existing knowledge before extending their understanding through books, posters, games, and puzzles. The children learned about the many different bee species found in Australia, their unique characteristics, and the importance of pollination. They also participated in a sensory pollination activity, pretending to be bees visiting colourful flowers, and explored how beehives function.

The learning continued outdoors as the children observed the native stingless bee hive in our Midson Road yard. They examined the hive’s structure, discovered more about the species living inside, and finished the experience by tasting honey—discussing its flavour, texture, and how bees produce it.

To conclude the week, the Preschoolers explored ways to protect bees in our environment. After brainstorming ideas and listening to a story about saving bees, the children created their own “Bee Promises,” pledging actions they can take to help care for the bees in our yard. Thank you to Cindy and our Preschoolers for being such ‘beeautiful’ bee protectors!