The Nest Early Education Centre of Excellence

SCIENCE WEEK AT THE NEST ……WHEN SALT MEETS ICE!

Our young scientists have been putting their investigative thinking into action as they explored a fascinating frozen flower experiment!

What happens when we sprinkle salt onto frozen flowers?
Will the ice melt?
Will it happen quickly or slowly?
What changes can we see, feel and observe?

The children watched closely as the salt interacted with the ice, creating tiny channels and beginning to dissolve and melt the frozen surface.

Through this hands-on investigation, they were encouraged to make predictions, test theories, observe changes and share their thinking.

This is meaningful STEM learning in action—building early understandings of matter, temperature, melting, cause and effect and scientific change, while developing language, concentration, problem-solving and persistence.

At The Nest, science isn’t something we simply teach—it’s something children are encouraged to question, investigate and discover every day.
“I wonder what will happen next?”

That little question is where big learning begins.

STEM AT THE NEST | THE WONDER OF BUBBLES!

Science Week has us diving into the wonder of bubbles at The Nest!

Our little scientists have been busy mixing, swirling, blowing and experimenting as they discover what happens when we combine different materials and introduce air.

With curious hands and thoughtful minds, the children are exploring cause and effect, prediction, observation, fine motor skills and problem-solving—all through playful, hands-on investigation.

We love seeing STEM naturally woven into our everyday curriculum, where a simple bubble can become the beginning of a much bigger question:

“I wonder what will happen if…?”

At The Nest, we nurture that curiosity, giving our youngest learners the time, space and quality teaching interactions to investigate, test their ideas and make their own discoveries.

Because the greatest learning often begins with a little wonder.

Our Talking Web — Every Voice Matters

Sometimes the most powerful learning experiences begin with something wonderfully simple — a ball of wool, a circle of children and an invitation to share.

In Kindergarten, our Talking Web is so much more than an activity. It is an intentional opportunity to learn about turn-taking, respectful relationships, active listening and belonging.

As each child held the wool, they were invited to share their ideas before carefully passing it to a friend.
The children were learning to hold their own ideas until it was their turn to speak, while developing the patience and self-regulation to truly listen to others.

Slowly, strand by strand, the web grew across the circle.

Every strand represented a contribution.

Every connection showed that someone had been heard.

No single child created the web — we created it together.

The children could see something that can sometimes be difficult to understand: every person matters, every person contributes and every person belongs.

These are sophisticated social and emotional capabilities that provide important foundations for school, relationships and life.

This is intentional teaching. This is quality in practice.

Quality early education is not simply about providing activities. It comes from knowledgeable, experienced teaching teams who recognise what children are ready to learn and intentionally create experiences that foster confidence, relationships, communication and capabilities.

Quality teaching teams build quality programs.

This is our difference.

With teachers who bring decades of collective experience, our children are guided to think beyond themselves — to listen, wait, contribute, respect different perspectives and understand that conversations are built together.

Come and see what sets us apart.

Where every voice matters.

Every contribution matters.

Every child matters

Travelling Colour: A Little Stem Science Investigation

Studio Eight became scientists this week as we explored a fascinating question:

Can colour travel through the stem of a flower?

With curiosity leading the way, the children made hypotheses about what they thought might happen, observed carefully and then tested their ideas by placing flower stems into coloured water.

As the colour began to travel through the stems, the children were encouraged to notice changes, compare their observations and revisit their thinking.

This simple experience brings so much rich learning into our Kindergarten curriculum — developing scientific inquiry, prediction, observation, communication, critical thinking and an emerging understanding of how water moves through plants.

Most importantly, the children are learning that their questions matter, their ideas are worth testing and that sometimes the most exciting discoveries begin with “I wonder”

When the Air Show Became Our Classroom!

This morning, we became the audience as the air show set the pace above us!

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Little eyes were looking every which way, trying to capture every plane, spectacular stunt and parachutist as they moved across the sky.

There were plenty of “Look up!”, “
Did you see that?” and moments of pure wonder!

What a wonderful opportunity to pause, observe and share in the excitement of our wider community.
Sometimes the best learning experiences happen when we simply look up and wonder together

Painting on the Move!

Studio Five embraced a wonderful creative challenge this week — painting on a moving surface!

As the surface shifted beneath their brushes, the children had to adapt their movements, slow down, concentrate and think carefully about how they wanted their paint to flow.

What could have been a tricky challenge quickly became an invitation to experiment, problem-solve and explore.

Their love of painting was clear as they immersed themselves in the process, discovering that creativity doesn’t always need a perfectly still canvas!

At The Nest, we love creating experiences that challenge children to think differently, take creative risks and discover new possibilities through play and exploration.

Sometimes the best learning happens when the canvas won’t sit still!

Building Healthy Smiles Together!

We had a very special visitor at The Nest this morning — Carlos, a dentist…. Dad to Gabi, Lili and Leo!

With our much-anticipated Tooth Fairy visit coming up soon, Carlos helped the children discover why looking after our teeth is such an important part of keeping our bodies healthy.

Together, we explored:
🦷 How many teeth do we have?
🪥 How many times a day should we brush our teeth?
⏰ How long should we brush for?
🍎 The difference between everyday foods and sometimes foods
👨‍⚕️ What does a dentist actually do?
😁 Why regular dental care is important for our growing smiles

Carlos also shared the important message that parents are encouraged to help brush their children’s teeth until around 8 years of age, supporting children as they develop the skills and independence to care for their own teeth.

And there was an extra special surprise — every child received a little dental care pack to take home! THANKYOU!!!

At The Nest, we value the powerful partnerships we build with our families and local community. When families share their knowledge, skills and experiences with us, children see that learning extends beyond our educators and into the wider community.

A huge thank you to Carlos for sharing his expertise, answering all those curious questions and helping us prepare for our Tooth Fairy adventure soon!

Healthy habits, confident children and strong family partnerships — now that’s something worth smiling about!

Celebrating You, Kaylin

What a wonderful achievement we are celebrating this week — congratulations, Kaylin, on graduating!

Balancing full-time teaching with extra study takes incredible dedication, commitment and determination.

Kaylin has shown that learning never stops, and that continuing to grow as a teacher is one of the greatest gifts we can give the children we teach.

We are incredibly proud of her achievement and so grateful to have such a passionate and professional educator as part of our team.

Our educators continually challenge themselves to learn, reflect and grow because they genuinely want to provide the very best learning experiences and opportunities for every child.

At The Neat we believe in supporting our team to keep learning, keep questioning and keep reaching for what’s possible .

When our educators grow, our children benefit too.

Kaylin, your hard work has not gone unnoticed. We hope you take a moment to celebrate this incredible milestone — you have absolutely earned it!

A huge thanks to our trainer Mel from CAECE who walks alongside us in our ongoing learning. caece_rto40933

Congratulations, Kaylin! We are so very proud of you!

Welcome Back, Uncle Allan

Our beloved Uncle Allan returned to the Nest today, and oh, how we have missed him!

After taking some time to recover from a few health concerns, the children were absolutely delighted to see him walk through the door. Their faces lit up, and he was warmly welcomed back with so much excitement, love and connection.

Uncle Allan has returned with Carol, who will be supporting him as he slowly settles back into the Nest over the next six months. We are so grateful to have them both sharing this special journey with us.

Today, Uncle Allan and Carol shared learning with the children about leaves and bush tucker, creating another beautiful opportunity for children to connect with Country, culture, nature and community.

Welcome home, Uncle Allan. We are so very happy to have you back!

Sound, Movement & Discovery

For Early Learning Matters Week, we celebrated the incredible learning happening with our smallest cohort at The Nest — where even the simplest experiences can create opportunities for big discoveries.

Our youngest learners explored sound and movement, experimenting with a variety of resources and discovering what happened when they touched, shook, tapped, moved and manipulated them.

As they explored, the children began to notice the relationship between their actions and the sounds and movements they created — an early introduction to cause and effect and a wonderful foundation for scientific thinking.

These experiences also supported:

🎶 Sensory exploration and awareness
👂 Listening and attention
🤲 Fine and gross motor development
💬 Early communication and interaction
✨ Curiosity and exploration
🌱 Confidence and emerging independence

For our youngest children, learning happens through their whole body.

Every shake, tap, reach, grasp, movement and sound is an opportunity to investigate, communicate and make meaning.

At The Nest, we recognise that early learning matters from the very beginning.

Our educators intentionally create rich, sensory environments where even our youngest children can explore at their own pace, build confidence and discover that their actions can make things happen.

Because when a baby reaches out, makes a sound, watches what happens and tries again… that is learning!