ELC Update – Stage 3 Build and Extension
Dear ELC Families,
We are thrilled to share that Stage 3—the final phase of our extension and upgrade—will commence on Friday 8 November. We anticipate that this stage will be completed before the start of Term 1 in 2025, ensuring an enhanced experience for all in the new year.
This exciting stage of the project includes updated restroom facilities for our Erindale children, as well as expanded and upgraded staff and family amenities to better serve our community.
We are committed to minimising disruption to both our indoor and outdoor learning environments. The construction will primarily take place in the Learning Community 2 foyer and hallway, allowing our learning spaces to continue functioning smoothly. However, there will be some adjustments at the main entrance. For families with children in Learning Community 2, we kindly ask you to enter the foyer upon arrival and access your child’s learning environment via the Learning Community 1 piazza.
Thank you for your understanding and support as we work to enhance our facilities. We are looking forward to sharing this improved space with you and your children, reflecting our commitment to providing an enriching early learning environment.
Warm regards,
Liz Schembri
Director of Early Learners’ Centre
Celebrating World Educators’ Day
On World Educators’ Day, we took a moment to recognise and appreciate the dedication and passion of our educators across the St Peter’s Girls’ School and our ELC. Each teacher received a small token of thanks, symbolising our gratitude for the invaluable work they do every day in nurturing and guiding our students.
In the ELC, our early years educators play a vital role as co-researchers and facilitators, guiding children as they explore, question, and make sense of the world around them. Their work fosters curiosity, creativity, and resilience in our youngest learners, laying the foundation for a lifelong love of learning. On World Educators’ Day, we celebrated the profound impact of our ELC educators and honoured the dedication they bring to their essential role.
Liz Schembri
Director of Early Learners’ Centre
News from Pathway
Celebrations strengthen our connections with each other and the world around us
This term, Learning Community 2 have delved into the meaning of a celebration. The children have come together to experiment with a range of different materials that have sparked conversation and curiosity about celebrations. The incorporation of intentional materials has inspired the children to share their knowledge and experiences of what a celebration is and what makes a celebration special. Providing children opportunities to share aspects of their identity and culture is an integral part of children feeling safe, secure and supported. It also allows them to become aware of diversity of cultures as well as their right to belong and contribute to many communities. These moments have allowed the children to engage with one another, strengthening their connections both with their peers and the world around them. Co-constructing their learning alongside one another, the children have shared their knowledge and understanding during group discussions:
Emi: I celebrate Chinese New Year and Christmas. Celebrate means to be with your family
Ella: Christmas and Halloween is a celebration
Bonnie: We make soup and tea for our celebration
Maxine: I am going to a wedding
Bonnie: You dress up for a celebration
Zoe: You can dance at a party
Willow: At a party you need a disco ball
Reyah: You celebrate someone’s birthday
Aavya: You can have lights for a dance party
Adelaide: You celebrate something special, you make it pretty
Scarlett: You need special lights to make it bright
Eleanor: You need special food like a cake
Scarlett: You need decoration
Zoe: You give special cards
Reyah: Invitations
This term we will be celebrating many special traditions, including Diwali, Christmas, our graduation ceremonies and our End of Year Celebration. We look forward to continuing to explore the meaning and importance of these celebrations through a sustainability lens, reusing materials to create decorations and other symbols of tradition. We invite families to bring in recycled materials for the children to explore and create with, which can include anything from cardboard rolls, yoghurt or milk lids, boxes, etc.
Tori McDonnell
Pathway Hallett Teacher
Strengthening Community Through Cultural Connection
Last Monday evening, we hosted a weaving workshop at the Early Learning Centre, dedicated to fostering community connections among our parent representatives and supporting our ongoing Reconciliation journey.
Kendall Fitzgerald, our Cultural Liaison Officer, led the session, introducing us to the rich tradition of weaving—a beautiful and meaningful practice of First Nations people. This workshop offered a unique opportunity for parents to come together in a reflective and mindful way, deepening our appreciation for cultural heritage.
Participants found the experience both relaxing and enriching, creating woven pieces that symbolised our collective journey toward connection, understanding, and respect. This event not only strengthened our community bonds but also provided a peaceful moment to engage in a hands-on tradition, honouring the significance of shared cultural experiences.
Donation of Recycled Materials
We invite you to bring in recycled materials such as paper towel rolls, bottle caps, colourful packaging and ribbons for our children, so they can transform them into unique creations.
This is a wonderful opportunity for our ELC children to explore their imagination while learning about the importance of recycling. Thank you for helping us inspire creativity and foster a love for art in our children.
