Goodstart Early Learning Elara - Harvest Street

Strong relationships are the foundation for confident, curious learners 💛

Goodstart’s key educator approach ensures every child is known, supported and feels safe - through consistent, nurturing connections with educators and meaningful partnerships with families. These bonds help build wellbeing, resilience and a true sense of belonging from day one.

Discover how this approach supports your child’s learning journey: https://brnw.ch/2

💛🖤❤️ Celebrating National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day ❤️🖤💛

This week at Goodstart Elara Harvest Street, our children celebrated National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day through meaningful experiences that honoured the rich cultures, histories and contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Across our centre, children engaged in storytelling using Indigenous books and Dreaming stories, counted together in Dharug language, danced and moved to Aboriginal music, and participated in respectful Acknowledgements of Country. Our educators also created inviting learning spaces that encouraged children to explore culture through books, natural materials, music, dramatic play and meaningful conversations.

These experiences help children develop a strong sense of respect, belonging and appreciation for the world's oldest continuing cultures, while fostering curiosity, empathy and understanding from an early age.

At Goodstart Elara Harvest Street, we are committed to embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into our everyday curriculum—not only on special occasions, but throughout the year—so that children grow up valuing diversity, inclusion and the importance of caring for each other, our communities and Country.

A heartfelt thank you to our incredible educators for creating such thoughtful and engaging learning experiences, and to our families for supporting us on this important journey.

💙👖 A HUGE THANK YOU from Goodstart Elara – Harvest Street! 👖💙

What an incredible Jeans for Genes Day we shared together yesterday!

A heartfelt thank you to all of our amazing children, families and educators who wore their denim, donated so generously, and helped raise awareness for children living with genetic conditions.

Together, we proudly raised $232 to support the Children's Medical Research Institute and the important work they do to help find treatments and cures for genetic diseases. Every donation, no matter the size, will help make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and their families.

Throughout the day, our children also explored why we wear jeans, discovered the colour blue, created beautiful denim-inspired artworks, enjoyed meaningful conversations about kindness, helping others and giving back to our community, and proudly took part in supporting a cause bigger than themselves. 💙

Thank you for once again showing what a caring, compassionate and generous community we have here at Goodstart Elara – Harvest Street. We are so proud of the kindness and community spirit shown by everyone.

Together, we're helping create brighter futures—one pair of jeans at a time. 👖🧬💙

💙👖 We're Wearing Our Jeans to Make a Difference! 👖💙

This Thursday, 6 August, our Goodstart Elara Harvest St community is proudly supporting Jeans for Genes Day!

Every year, this special initiative raises vital funds for the Children's Medical Research Institute, helping researchers find better treatments and cures for children living with genetic diseases.

We're inviting our wonderful families, children and educators to join us by:

👖 Wearing your favourite jeans or denim
🪙 Bringing along a gold coin donation (optional)
💙 Or making a donation through our fundraising page or by scanning the QR code at our reception display.

Every contribution, no matter the size, helps bring hope to children and families across Australia.

If you're visiting our centre this week, be sure to stop by our foyer, check out our display and scan the QR code if you'd like to support this important cause.

Thank you for helping us show our children the power of kindness, compassion and community. Together, we can make a real difference. 💙

🦷✨ Healthy Smiles, Happy Learners! ✨🦷

What a fantastic day celebrating Dental Health Week at Goodstart Elara Harvest St!

Our children enjoyed a fun and interactive visit from Tooth Fairy Yara from Smiles Dentacare, who brought oral health to life through engaging games, demonstrations and hands-on learning experiences.

The children explored:
🪥 How to brush their teeth correctly
🍎 Foods that keep our teeth healthy
🦷 Why regular dental visits are important
✨ Everyday habits that help us care for our bodies and our smiles.

Some children also participated in dental check-ups, helping build confidence and positive experiences around visiting the dentist.

At Goodstart, we believe that developing healthy habits begins in early childhood. Experiences like these empower children with the knowledge and confidence to care for their own health and wellbeing while making learning meaningful, fun and engaging.

A huge thank you to Yara and the team from Smiles Dentacare for sharing their expertise and making the day so special for our children.

📸 Here are some highlights from today's wonderful celebration!

💙🪥🦷

Did you know we invested $65.5M into our social purpose last year, a 14% increase on the year before? 👏 At Goodstart, we're proud of the impact we have on children, families and communities. As a not‑for‑profit, every dollar we earn is reinvested to improve outcomes – from high‑quality learning and educator development to extra support for children who need it most.
Because when we put children first, the impact goes further 💛

🌟 A Letter... A Voice... A Community That Listened! 💙📬

At Goodstart Elara – Harvest Street, we believe every child has the right to be heard, and our incredible Preschool 1 children have shown us exactly why.

A few weeks ago, as part of their "Our Community" inquiry, the children shared their ideas about what they would love to see in the future of Marsden Park. They brainstormed, drew, discussed and proudly wrote a letter to the Mayor of Blacktown City Council, sharing their dreams for their community—including more parks, bigger playgrounds, spaces for nature, and places where families can enjoy time together.

📮 They even took a special excursion to post their letter themselves, learning all about how mail travels and how their voices could reach the people who help shape our community.

✨ And guess what...

They received a reply!

The Mayor's office wrote back to thank the children for their thoughtful ideas, creativity and passion for making Marsden Park an even better place to live, learn and play. The letter recognised the importance of children's perspectives and encouraged them to continue dreaming big and making a difference in their community.

We couldn't be prouder of our Preschool 1 children and educators. This experience reminds us that meaningful learning happens when children are empowered to ask questions, share ideas and discover that their voices matter.

Because at Goodstart...
💛 Every child is capable.
💛 Every child belongs.
💛 Every child's voice can help shape the future.

Congratulations, Preschool 1! We can't wait to see where your curiosity and confidence take you next. 🌱💙

🐟🌊 Swimming Together Towards Reconciliation 🌊🐟

Last NAIDOC Week, our foyer was transformed into a beautiful Sea of Fish, with every fish lovingly created by the children across our centre.

Each fish represents a unique voice, story and journey, reminding us that while we are all different, we are stronger when we come together with respect, understanding and a shared commitment to reconciliation.

The Sea of Fish Movement is a powerful way to honour and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultures and histories, while encouraging conversations about belonging, connection and caring for one another.

As our colourful sea continues to grow, so too does our hope for a future where every child learns the importance of respect, inclusion and walking together.

Thank you to our wonderful children, educators and families for helping bring this meaningful display to life. ❤️💛🖤

The research is clear 📚 reading aloud is one of the most powerful things we can do for our children.

When we read with a child, we’re doing far more than sharing a story. We’re building the foundations for language, confidence, curiosity and a lifelong love of learning.

Decades of research shows that children who are read to regularly:

💛 Build stronger language skills
Hearing rich varied language in books exposes children to far more words than everyday conversation alone. This growing vocabulary helps them understand, communicate and make sense of the world.

💛 Develop early literacy skills long before they learn to read
Through stories, children learn how books work – that print carries meaning, that pages turn left to right, and that stories have a beginning, middle and end. These early understandings make learning to read feel familiar and exciting.

💛 Strengthen phonological awareness
Rhymes, rhythms and playful sounds help children hear the building blocks of language.

💛 Grow their comprehension and thinking skills
Talking together about a story, predicting what might happen, wondering how a character feels, and connecting events to real life helps children develop memory, problem-solving, and higher-order thinking.

💛 Experience connection, comfort and joy
Shared reading fosters calmness, closeness, and moments of joint attention. These warm interactions support a child's sense of security and belonging.

Most importantly, children who experience positive, engaging reading moments from a young age are more likely to develop a genuine love of books - something that matters even more than early literacy skills alone.

Reading is simple, joyful, and sets children up for success in school and life.

Here is a list of some of our favourites below 👇