Above and Beyond Early Education Centre

🌿🍓 Our Bush Tucker, Fruit and Vegetable Garden🥕
Our Bush Tucker, Fruit & Veg Garden is coming to life at Above and Beyond Early Education Maryland! 🌱💚
Together, the children have been planting, watering and caring for strawberries, snow peas, blueberries, carrots, our orange tree and a variety of Australian native bush tucker plants including Native Mint, Native Thyme and Lemon Myrtle. 🌿
Our native plants provide meaningful opportunities to introduce children to Aboriginal peoples’ knowledge and continuing connection to Country, while exploring the traditional uses of native plants and foods. 🖤💛❤️
Through hands-on gardening, children are learning about sustainability, healthy food, responsibility, nature and where our food comes from, while developing curiosity and respect for their environment.
We can’t wait to harvest, taste and discover what our beautiful garden produces! 🌱🍓
NativePlants AboriginalPerspectives ConnectionToCountry GrowingTogether GardenToTable Sustainability EarlyChildhoodEducation EYLF ReggioEmiliaInspired LearningThroughPlay NatureBasedLearning ChildLedLearning

✨ Our Family Gathering Night ✨

What a beautiful evening we shared with our Above & Beyond community! 💛

This year, we made the decision to celebrate a Family Gathering Night in lieu of separate Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Grandparents Day celebrations, this was also decided on after a survey was put out to our families.
Our aim was to create a celebration that is more inclusive and recognises the many different people who make up a child’s family, support network and village. 🌿

It was wonderful to see our children proudly welcoming their special people into their learning environment, sharing experiences together, exploring, connecting and simply enjoying time with one another. 🥰

At Above & Beyond, we believe every family is unique and deserves to feel seen, valued, welcomed and celebrated. Creating one inclusive family celebration allowed us to honour the beautiful diversity within our community while strengthening the meaningful partnerships between our children, families and educators.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the evening so special. We loved spending this time with you and creating such beautiful memories together. 💫

It truly takes a village, and we are so grateful that you are part of ours. 🤍

🌿🖤💛❤️ NAIDOC Week 5th-12th July at Above and Beyond Maryland 💙💚🤍

What a meaningful week of learning, connection and celebration we have shared together during NAIDOC Week at Above and Beyond Maryland.

Throughout the week, the children immersed themselves in experiences that celebrated and acknowledged the rich cultures, histories and contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Together we:
🌱 Planted bush tucker plants and explored how to care for Country.
🦘 Investigated Australian animals and their connection to our land.
🍞 Made and enjoyed traditional damper.
🖤💛❤️💙💚🤍 Explored the colours and meanings of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags through creative experiences.
🥁 Created our own musical instruments inspired by Indigenous music and storytelling.
🍃 Investigated natural elements through sensory play, art and exploration.
✨ And so much more!

These experiences encouraged curiosity, respect and a deeper appreciation for the world's oldest continuing cultures. We are committed to embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into our everyday program, fostering children's sense of belonging, respect for diversity, and connection to Country.

A heartfelt thank you to our children, families and educators for embracing this special week of learning together. ❤️

July 5th-12th 2026

🌈✨ Why is Vestibular Play So Important? ✨🌈
Did you know that vestibular-based sensory experiences play a vital role in your child’s development? The vestibular system, located in the inner ear, helps children develop their balance, coordination, body awareness, and understanding of where their body is in space.
Here at Above and Beyond Early Education Maryland, we intentionally incorporate vestibular activities into our daily program through opportunities such as climbing, balancing, spinning, rocking, jumping, dancing, obstacle courses, and exploring different ways to move our bodies. 🤸‍♀️🌿
These experiences do so much more than provide fun! They help children to:
🌟 Develop balance and coordination
🌟 Strengthen core muscles and posture
🌟 Build confidence when exploring their environment
🌟 Improve concentration and attention
🌟 Support self-regulation and emotional wellbeing
🌟 Enhance motor planning and body awareness
🌟 Lay important foundations for skills such as writing, reading, and participating in sports
Every child develops at their own pace, and providing a variety of movement experiences allows children to challenge themselves, build resilience, and develop the confidence to take on new learning opportunities.
Movement truly is learning, and through play, children are building the foundations for lifelong health, wellbeing, and success. 💙
EYLF ChildDevelopment GrossMotorSkills BalanceAndCoordination SelfRegulation SchoolReadiness NaturePlay ActiveLearning PlayBasedLearning GrowingTogether 🌿🤸‍♀️💙

✨ We’re proud to share that our team has successfully completed the ACECQA Quality Support Program! 🌱📚
Participating in this program has provided our team with valuable opportunities to reflect on our practice, strengthen our knowledge of the National Quality Framework, and continue building on the high-quality education and care we provide every day.
At Above and Beyond Early Education Maryland, we believe that quality improvement is an ongoing journey. By engaging in professional learning and meaningful reflection, we continue to strengthen our practices, enhance outcomes for children, and build strong partnerships with our families and community.
A huge thank you to our dedicated team for embracing this opportunity with such enthusiasm and commitment. Your passion for continuous improvement ensures we continue to provide the very best start in life for every child in our care. 💙🌿
EarlyChildhoodEducation EarlyLearning ProfessionalGrowth ReflectivePractice QualityEducation ChildFocused PartnershipsWithFamilies CommunityConnections LifelongLearning NSQ EarlyYears

🏡✨ Take a look inside our newly renovated learning environment! ✨

We are so excited to share our brand-new Above and Beyond Early Education Maryland pamphlets with our community! 💙💚💛🧡

Our beautiful, newly renovated environment has been thoughtfully designed to create a warm, welcoming and inspiring space where children can learn, grow and thrive. From our engaging learning areas and natural resources to our cosy reading spaces and mixed-age group environment, every part of our service has been created with children’s wellbeing, development and sense of belonging at the heart. 🌱📚🎨

As a small 35-place service, we pride ourselves on building meaningful relationships with children and families, creating a close-knit community where every child is known, valued and supported. 💕

📖 Pick up one of our new pamphlets to learn more about:
⭐ Our play-based learning approach
⭐ Our commitment to child safety
⭐ Our mixed-age learning environment
⭐ School readiness and wellbeing programs
⭐ Our newly renovated spaces
⭐ Our current enrolment offer of 3 Weeks Fee Free Care (*T&Cs apply)

📞 Book a tour today

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🚒✨ Firefighters Visit Above & Beyond Maryland! ✨🚒

Here at Above & Beyond Maryland, our children recently participated in an exciting fire truck incursion with firefighters from our local Wallsend Fire Station 👨‍🚒🔥

This experience was inspired by the strong curiosity and interest children showed during our Evacuation Week, where we explored emergency procedures and learned about the important role emergency services play in our community.

🔥 During the visit, firefighters engaged the children in interactive discussions, exploring different fire scenarios and helping them identify what is safe and unsafe and why.
🧑‍🚒 They demonstrated how they put on their full protective gear, including helmets, jackets, breathing apparatus, and masks. This helped children understand that although firefighters may look different in their equipment, they are safe, friendly helpers we can trust.

🚨 Children also participated in hands-on fire safety activities, including:
➡️ Practising “Stop, Drop and Roll”
➡️ Learning to crawl low under smoke to safely exit a building
➡️ Exploring inside the fire truck
➡️ Using the water hose

These meaningful, play-based experiences reinforced children’s understanding of fire safety, built confidence, and strengthened their awareness of how firefighters help keep our community safe ❤️

We look forward to continuing our learning about the amazing people who help keep us safe every day! 🚑🚓🚒

🚒🔥

Reconciliation Week (National Reconciliation Week) 🤎💛🖤❤️💙💚 is a significant time in Australia, held each year from 27 May to 3 June, to reflect on our shared history, celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and commit to building respectful relationships and a more inclusive future.

During Reconciliation Week 2026 at Above and Beyond Maryland we came together to reflect, learn and grow in our understanding of Australia’s shared history, cultures and future. 🤎💛🖤❤️💙💚

At our service, reconciliation is not just a moment in time, but an ongoing commitment to respect, inclusion and meaningful learning. Throughout the week, our children engaged in hands-on, play-based experiences that helped build early awareness and appreciation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

We created and began caring for our very own bush tucker garden, learning about the deep connection between First Nations peoples and the land 🌱 We explored Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags and colours through sensory play and playdough, discussing what each colour represents in a way that was meaningful for young learners 🎨

Our learning extended into nature as we explored textures with our hands and feet from our environment leaves, mud, water and sand, encouraging curiosity and connection to Country 🍃 We painted with sticks and experimented with making our own natural paints using flowers, berries and leaves, linking these experiences to how Aboriginal Elders traditionally created paint from the land 🌸

These experiences supported rich conversations, respect for culture, and a growing sense of belonging and understanding in our children and are now embedded into our daily practice.

Reconciliation starts with education, respect and listening, and we are proud to walk this journey together. ❤️

School Readiness at Above and Beyond!

At Above and Beyond, our school readiness program is thoughtfully embedded into our everyday experiences, supporting children to build the skills, confidence, and independence they need for a successful transition to school.

Recently, we have been engaging in a variety of meaningful learning opportunities that promote both social and cognitive development. Our children have been exploring school uniform dress-ups, sparking conversations about what school might look and feel like. This has been extended with a booklet showcasing a local school, including images of the environment, facilities, and teachers, helping children become familiar with real-life school settings and easing any uncertainties.

We are also proud to be liaising closely with our local schools, building strong connections to support a smooth and positive transition for our children. This includes, engaging in discussions about school expectations. These partnerships help ensure continuity of learning and provide valuable insights into how we can best support each child’s individual transition.

Through group activities, children are developing essential social skills such as turn-taking, patience, and cooperation, which are fundamental for classroom routines and peer interactions. We have also been focusing on number, letter, colour, and shape recognition through hands-on and engaging experiences that promote higher-level thinking, problem-solving, and early literacy and numeracy skills.
Our group time discussions have been a wonderful opportunity for children to share their thoughts and feelings about starting school, what they are excited about, what they might be unsure of, and what they are looking forward to. These conversations help build emotional readiness, resilience, and a sense of belonging.

All of these experiences, and so much more, work together to support a holistic approach to school readiness, ensuring children feel confident, capable, and excited as they prepare for their next big step.

🍌🌱 From Scraps to Soil at Above & Beyond Maryland 🌱🍌

At Above & Beyond Maryland, we’ve been turning everyday waste into something amazing, our very own banana skin fertiliser!

The children explored how banana peels can be reused to support plant growth, learning that they are full of important nutrients like potassium and phosphorus. Through this hands-on experience, children engaged in sustainable practices, cared for our environment, and developed an understanding of how we can reduce waste 🌍💚

By soaking and preparing the banana skins, the children discovered how natural fertilisers help plants grow strong and healthy, a wonderful connection between science, nature, and everyday life!

✨ This experience links to the EYLF:
• Outcome 2: Children become socially responsible and show respect for the environment
• Outcome 4: Children develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity, cooperation, and problem-solving
• Outcome 5: Children engage with a range of texts and express ideas (through discussions and observations)

We love seeing our little learners becoming environmental stewards 🌿

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