Goodstart Early Learning Mount Gambier

🌟 Celebrating 5 Years with Goodstart! 🌟

We recently celebrated Beth and Caitlin, who have both reached the amazing milestone of 5 years with Goodstart!

Beth, thank you for the care you bring to our centre each day. Your commitment to the children, families and team is appreciated, and we are so grateful to have you as part of our Goodstart family. 💐

Caitlin, our wonderful Goodstart cook, thank you for the love and care you put into everything you prepare for the children. Your delicious meals, dedication and contribution to our centre make such a difference every day. We are so lucky to have you looking after our little ones’ tummies! 👩‍🍳💗

Congratulations to you both on 5 wonderful years! We are so grateful for everything you do and look forward to celebrating many more milestones with you!

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

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 💛

Have you used the CaFHS online booking system? We'd love your feedback! Complete our short 5-minute survey and help us improve CaFHS services and the online booking experience for families in Goodstart Early Learning centres. The survey is anonymous and closes on 21 August 2026.

Complete the survey here: https://brnw.ch/21x4tsI

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 👇

Recently we celebrated some very special milestones at Goodstart Mount Gambier.

A huge congratulations to Lisa on achieving 10 years of service, and to Jess and Stacey on reaching 5 years of service with Goodstart.

These milestones reflect years of dedication, passion, and commitment to providing high-quality care and education for children and families in our community. We are incredibly grateful for the positive impact each of these educators has made and continues to make every day.

Thank you for your hard work, kindness, and the difference you make in the lives of so many children. We are proud to celebrate this achievement with you and look forward to many more years ahead.

Congratulations, Lisa, Jess and Stacey! 💐❤️

Did you know there is a free program available for families with babies aged 6–18 months who may be showing early differences in communication or social interaction?

Inklings is a research-backed program that helps parents and caregivers better understand and respond to their baby’s unique way of communicating. Families receive up to 10 free sessions with a trained practitioner, tailored to their child and family.

Families who have participated in Inklings say the program helped them feel more confident, connected and supported in their parenting journey.

The program is available across metropolitan and regional South Australia and can be accessed through health services, children’s centres, at home or via telehealth.

To learn more or register your interest, visit: inklings.org.au/sa

Just a reminder Goodstart Mount Gambier will be closed Monday 8th June for the Kings Birthday Public Holiday. Have a great long weekend and stay safe 🙂