Creative Garden Early Learning Centre Heathcote

Our centre chef prepares and cooks healthy and nutritious meals daily, catering to the unique dietary requirements of every child. We believe that by encouraging active participation (such as growing their own fruit and vegetables, preparing, and finally cooking!) children learn to appreciate and understand the importance of healthy eating. 

Our centre offers children nutrient-rich, unprocessed, and seasonal whole foods – created to delight the fussiest eaters. 

Hi my name is Jaclyn, and I am the Centre Manager here at Creative Garden Heathcote. I started working in Early Education in 2015 post completing my certificate III traineeship and started working at Creative Garden Heathcote in February 2023.

I have completed a Certificate II in Community Services (Childcare) through TVET course at school after graduating high school I went on to complete a traineeship Certificate III. I also completed my Diploma in 2016 and since then I have enrolled in Bachelor of Education (Birth to Five).

As a teenager I really enjoyed looking after my younger brother which is why I turned to child care and early education. Since being in the sector I have enjoyed watching children learn and develop in all areas. When a child achieves a goal, they have been working towards it makes me feel very proud that I was part of their learning growth.

The first thing I learnt being in child care and early education is that children want to play and enjoy themselves with someone who they have formed a strong attachment with. A teaching practice I often use in my approach is playful pedagogy and the circle of security. This method aims to make the learning environment a playful space for both the children and educators. Children are guided through their play by the educator to learn.

Ensuring each child is seen as an individual and given equal opportunities. Approaching all learning journeys with children feeling as though they are included. As we are a small service, we can achieve this each day in our centre. I like to take the time to get to know the children in the centre so I can ensure that they are getting all their needs met.

Being able to be in an environment that allows children to build on their social and emotional wellbeing whilst engaging in a play-based learning environment is key to building the foundation skills for life ahead.

We have a passionate team of educators who are passionate about helping every child succeed in discovering their identity and become confident, happy, and resilient learners.

After completing a tour at our centre, I send a thank you email to the family who attended, from there I have a clear step by step process on how they would like to enrol their child. I also have an open-door policy if families have any questions they may need answered or even if they need help with enrolment forms. Our centre holds family events for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Easter, and Christmas for all families to come and join.

We also offer information nights for families, and I also provide a ‘Tips & Tricks’ section in our newsletter for families these tips can range from getting rid of the dummy to how to teach my child to tie their shoelaces. Building a working partnership with families is an extremely important part of the enrolment process. As a centre manager I always try to schedule myself on an open and/or closed shift to ensure I get to see all our families weekly and have a conversation with them. I always ensure I attend all centre events from Mother’s Day and even all centre excursions when I can which we invite families to also attend if they can.