Wilston Kids Care

Today, our Wilston Kids Care team proudly took part in Jeans for Genes Day, swapping our usual work attire for our favourite pair of jeans to help raise awareness and show our support for children and families impacted by genetic conditions.

A huge thank you to our wonderful educators who embraced the Bake It Blue campaign by baking and bringing in some delicious blue-themed cupcakes to share. It was a lovely opportunity to take a few moments together before the afternoon session, enjoy some treats, catch up as a team, and reflect on the importance of supporting such a meaningful cause.

We're proud to be part of a team that is always willing to get behind initiatives that make a difference in our wider community. 💙👖🧁

Recently, our outdoor adventurers have been exploring and connecting with the natural world through hands-on discovery and play. Children have been identifying different leaf shapes, patterns and plant species, using their observation skills to learn more about the environment around them.

Using sticks, leaves, bark, seed pods, stones and other natural loose parts, children have been designing, building and creating unique structures inspired by their surroundings. Our outdoor spaces have also become the setting for imaginative adventures, with children creating homes for tiny creatures, building shelters and working together to bring their ideas to life.

These experiences encourage creativity, collaboration, problem-solving and a deeper appreciation for the natural world, while supporting children's curiosity and sense of wonder. 🌿🍂

🍓🍍 Foodie Friday – Fruity Fun at WKC! 🍇🥝

Our young chefs had a fantastic time at Foodie Friday today, creating their own delicious Fruit & Marshmallow Skewers! 🍢

The children enjoyed selecting and threading a colourful variety of fresh fruit onto their skewers, including:
🍓 Strawberries
🫐 Blueberries
🍍 Pineapple
🥭 Mango
🥝 Kiwifruit
🤍 Marshmallows

Not only was this a tasty afternoon treat, but it was also a wonderful opportunity for the children to develop their fine motor skills, practise safe food preparation, make healthy food choices, and express their creativity by designing their own unique Skewers.

There were plenty of smiles as everyone proudly showed off their colourful creations before enjoying them together. It was wonderful to see the children encouraging one another, trying different fruits, and having fun in the kitchen.

🌟 Coming Up Next Week! 🌟

Next Friday, our young chefs will be baking a delicious batch of Pumpkin Cheese Scones! 🎃🧀 We're looking forward to another fun afternoon of mixing, measuring, baking, and, of course, tasting our freshly made creations.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for another successful Foodie Friday. We can't wait to cook with everyone again next week!

🍓🍍🥝 Happy Cooking! 🥭🫐

David
Foodie Friday Club Leader

📢 Policy Update - Release of Chapter 4 - Workplace, Health, Safety and Protection Policies and Procedures

At Wilston Kids Care, we are committed to providing the highest standards of care, education and wellbeing for every child. As part of our ongoing commitment to continuous improvement, Chapter 4 - Workplace, Health, Safety and Protection has now been formally reviewed, ratified and released as part of our annual policy review process.

We would like to thank the families who took the time to provide feedback during the consultation period. Your input is valued and helps us ensure our policies continue to reflect the needs of our community.

Following this review, the policies have been updated to align with current legislation, regulatory requirements, best practice and operational improvements.

📅 Policy Release Date: Friday, 31 July 2026
📅 Effective Date: Friday, 14 August 2026

The updated policies are now available via the Wilston Kids Care Parent Portal.

Our Parent Portal is your central hub for important service information and resources, including:
✅ Policies and Procedures
✅ Family Handbook
✅ Service Philosophy
✅ Risk Assessments
✅ Wellbeing Resources
✅ My Time, Our Place (MTOP) Framework
✅ National Quality Framework information
✅ National Law and Regulations
✅ Before School Care, After School Care and Vacation Care information

🔗 Parent Portal - All families were sent the link via an Xplor notification today.

We encourage all families to regularly visit the Parent Portal to stay informed about our policies, procedures and important service updates.

Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership as we continue to strengthen our practices and provide a safe, healthy and high-quality environment where every child can thrive.

💙💛 Happy OSHC Educators' Day! Celebrating Our Amazing Wilston Kids Care Team 💛💙

Today we celebrate the incredible educators, administration team and leadership team who make Wilston Kids Care such a special place for children and families.

Every day, our team arrives ready to create a safe, welcoming and inspiring environment where children can learn, play, connect and simply be themselves. They are the friendly faces who greet children in the morning, the familiar smiles waiting for them after school, the people who listen to their stories, celebrate their achievements, support them through challenges and create moments of joy throughout their day.

Our educators do so much more than provide care. They build relationships. They create belonging. They encourage confidence. They help children develop friendships, discover new interests, explore their creativity and feel valued as individuals.

The magic of Wilston Kids Care comes from the connections our educators make with children and families. The trust you place in our team each day is something we truly value, and we know that leaving your child in someone else's care is a privilege that comes with great responsibility.

Behind every activity, every game, every conversation and every smile is an educator who has chosen to make a difference.

Today we say thank you to our amazing team for:
✨ The patience and kindness they show every day
✨ The relationships they build with children
✨ The care and encouragement they provide
✨ The creativity and enthusiasm they bring to our programs
✨ The countless little moments that make a big difference

To our Wilston Kids Care educators, you are the heart of our service. You help create childhood memories, provide children with a place where they belong, and make our community stronger.

Families, we would love for you to help us celebrate our wonderful team today! 💙

If there is an educator who has made a difference for your child or your family, please leave them a message below. A few kind words, a thank you, or sharing a special memory can mean so much.

Let's fill this post with appreciation and celebrate the amazing people who care for our children every day!

Or, if you'd like to recognise a staff member through our Employee Value & Appreciation Program, you can submit your message here:

👉 https://www.wilstonpandc.org.au/employee-value-and-appreciation

Every message of thanks reminds our team why they do what they do and reinforces the positive impact they have on the lives of children and families in our community.

Happy OSHC Educators Day to our incredible team, we are so grateful for everything you do.

💙💛 Wilston Kids Care

🌟 Friendly reminder……..Tomorrow is OSHC Educators Day! 💙

Hi Families,

Tomorrow, we celebrate the incredible educators, administration team and leadership staff who make Wilston Kids Care such a special place for children and families every single day.

Our team does so much more than supervise and play with children they build meaningful relationships, create safe and inclusive environments, inspire curiosity through play, provide comfort when it's needed most, celebrate achievements, encourage confidence, and create memories that last a lifetime. They are often the first smiling face children see before school and the reassuring face that welcomes them to after school care after a busy school day. The trust you place in our team each day means the world to them, and your ongoing support and partnership are truly appreciated.

💙 We'd love your help in making tomorrow extra special!
If you're at the service tomorrow, please take a moment to wish our educators, administration team or leadership team a Happy OSHC Educators' Day! A few kind words can make a lasting impact.
If you're not attending tomorrow but would still like to share your appreciation, we'd love to hear from you!

💬 Leave a comment on this post telling us about your child's favourite educator or sharing a special memory, and we'll make sure your message is passed on.

Or, if you'd like to recognise a staff member through our Employee Value & Appreciation Program, you can submit your message here:

👉 https://www.wilstonpandc.org.au/employee-value-and-appreciation

Every message of thanks reminds our team why they do what they do and reinforces the positive impact they have on the lives of children and families in our community.

To every member of the Wilston Kids Care team, thank you for your passion, kindness, dedication and the difference you make each and every day. We are incredibly proud of you and can't wait to celebrate you tomorrow! 💙💛

Thanks, Raeleen Wren
Wilston Kids Care - General Manager

📝 We Value Your Feedback – Policy Review 2026

At Wilston Kids Care, we are currently reviewing our Policies and Procedures (Chapter 4 Workplace, Health, Safety and Protection), as part of our commitment to continuous improvement and maintaining the highest standards of care for children and families.

As part of our current policy review process in 2026, Wilston Kids Care is actively embedding the updated Child Safe Standards across all policies and procedures within this chapter. These updates reflect recent sector and regulatory developments that place an even stronger focus on children’s safety, rights, and participation. Safety is paramount to everything we do, and through this review we are strengthening how our policies guide staff practice to ensure children feel safe, heard, respected, and supported at all times.
A key focus of this work is also ensuring cultural safety is clearly embedded, recognising and valuing the diverse cultural identities of the children and families in our community.

By intentionally incorporating these principles into our policies, we are reinforcing our commitment to creating an inclusive, culturally safe environment where every child experiences a strong sense of belonging and where their wellbeing and protection remain our highest priority.

📅 During August and September 2026, we are reviewing the following policies:

• Active Supervision Policy
• Anti-Bullying Policy
• Child Protection Policy
• Children's Health and Safety Policy
• Death of a Child Policy
• Furniture and Equipment Policy
• Management of a Chemical Spill Policy
• Managing Notifications Policy
• Safe Storage of Hazardous Chemicals Policy
• Shared Facilities Policy
• Smoke Free Policy

📖 All policies and procedures are available for families to view via our Parent Portal.

💬 We'd love to hear from you!

Your feedback plays an important role in helping us strengthen our policies and practices while ensuring they continue to meet the needs of our children, families and community.

Please share your thoughts using the feedback form below:

https://forms.gle/atU1n6tJNYHypPbL9

Thank you for partnering with us as we continue to create a safe, inclusive and nurturing environment where every child can thrive. 💙💛

Check out our latest Beyond the Bell newsletter, which is out now! Catch up on all the updates and highlights from the past fortnight and Vacation Care via our website https://www.wilstonpandc.org.au/wkc-newsletter

🧱✨ LEGO Club – Week 2 Wrap-Up! ✨🧱

What an exciting week we’ve had in LEGO Club! Our builders have once again impressed us with their creativity, imagination, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. 🌟

🌎 Senior LEGO Club – Celebrating Colombia National Day

On Monday, our Senior LEGO Club celebrated Colombia National Day with a creative building challenge inspired by the country’s incredible landscapes, culture, and landmarks.

Our talented builders created an amazing range of LEGO models, including:

🌿 Lush jungles
🏔️ The Andes Mountains
🇨🇴 The Colombian Flag
🌊 Beautiful beaches and oceans

It was fantastic to see the creativity and teamwork that went into each build. Every team embraced the challenge, shared their ideas, and proudly presented their creations to the group. 🙌

🏆 Congratulations to our Senior LEGO Club winners!
Your creativity, attention to detail, and teamwork were outstanding!

☠️ Junior LEGO Club – Pirate Adventure 🏴‍☠️

On Thursday, it was the Junior LEGO Club’s turn, with an exciting Pirates-themed challenge!

Our young builders eagerly got to work creating:

🚢 Pirate ships
🏝️ Treasure islands
💎 Hidden treasure scenes
⚓ Imaginative pirate adventures

It was wonderful to hear the conversations, ideas, and teamwork happening as everyone worked together to bring their creations to life.

After building time, everyone presented their creations before voting for their favourite builds (remembering you can’t vote for your own creation 😉).

🏆 Congratulations to our Junior LEGO Club winners!
Your fantastic builds and creative thinking were amazing! 🎉

A special highlight of the afternoon was when David brought along his own LEGO Pirate Ship to share with the group. The children loved exploring all the incredible details, and it was the perfect addition to our pirate adventure! 🏴‍☠️🧱

🌟 Week 2 was another fantastic week filled with creativity, collaboration, problem-solving, and plenty of smiles. It’s always wonderful to see our builders encouraging one another and celebrating each other’s amazing ideas.

🔜 Next Week’s Challenges

🗼 Senior LEGO Club: The Great Tower of WKC
⛏️ Junior LEGO Club: Minecraft Challenge

We can’t wait to see what our builders create next week!

🧱 Happy Building!

David
LEGO Club Leader