Cornerstone Early Learning Academy

18/08/2026

📢 Child Care Subsidy (CCS) Balancing Has Started!

Centrelink has now started balancing families’ Child Care Subsidy for the 2025–26 financial year.

This process checks the CCS you received against your actual circumstances and income for the year. You may receive a top-up, or in some cases, have an amount to repay.

👉 Make sure your income estimate and tax return are up to date with Centrelink to help avoid any surprises.

If you have questions about your CCS balancing, please contact Services Australia/Centrelink directly.

We've started balancing Child Care Subsidy ✨

05/08/2026

🌟 Early Learning Matters Week 🌟

Today, we were delighted to welcome Fiona Phillips MP to Cornerstone Early Learning Academy. It was wonderful to spend time together, sharing what our service is all about and why we are so passionate about early childhood education.

We loved showing Fiona what a day at Cornerstone looks like from joining the children for some fun and learning to chatting to our educators about the importance of play-based learning and the lasting impact high-quality early education has on children, families, and our wider Shoalhaven community.

At Cornerstone, we are incredibly passionate about creating a nurturing environment where every child feels safe, valued, and inspired to learn. We know that the early years lay the foundations for lifelong learning, and we are proud to support children and families through these important years.

A heartfelt thank you to Fiona for taking the time to visit, listen to our educators, and recognise the important work being done by early childhood professionals across our community. Your genuine interest in what matters to children, families, and educators is greatly appreciated.

To our incredible educators, thank you for your dedication, kindness, and passion. The difference you make in the lives of children and families every day is truly remarkable, and we are so proud to celebrate you this week and every week.

03/08/2026

Keeping children safe is at the heart of everything we do here at Cornerstone Early Learning Academy.

We are proud to share our commitment to creating a Child Safe Environment where every child feels respected, valued, included, and supported to have their voice heard.

Please take a moment to read through our Child Safe Community Statement in the poster below, which outlines our commitment to protecting children, promoting their rights, embracing diversity, and working together with families and our community to ensure every child feels safe and supported.

We believe child safety is everyone’s responsibility, and we are grateful for the trust and partnership of our families as we continue to build a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for all children.

02/08/2026

✨ We’re Excited to Share Our Story! ✨

We are so excited to finally share our new service video with our wonderful families and community! 💛

This video captures a little glimpse into who we are, what we value, and the incredible learning experiences that happen every day within our service.

A huge thank you to our amazing educators, children, and families who make our service such a special place. Your smiles, connections, and everyday moments are what bring our story to life.

We hope you enjoy watching and getting to know more about our service, our team, and the heart behind everything we do.

🎬We are so proud to share our story with you!

31/07/2026

📚✨ August Adventures Are Here! ✨📚

We have a fun-filled month ahead with lots of exciting experiences, learning opportunities, and special celebrations planned for our children! 💛

🌟 Mini Monstars Program Begins!
Our brand-new 10-week Mini Monstars Program starts on Friday 7th August! Designed especially for our 0–2-year-old children, this program will support little ones through movement, music, sensory play, and lots of opportunities to explore and grow. 🎶🧸✨

🦷 Dental Health Week | 3rd – 9th August
We’ll be learning all about healthy smiles, looking after our teeth, and building positive dental habits. 😁🪥
Children who attend on Mondays, please remember to return your Oral on the Go dentist forms by Monday 3rd August.

🖤 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Day | 4th August
The children will take part in meaningful experiences that celebrate and acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, stories, traditions, and connections to Country. 🌿✨

🦷 Oral on the Go Visit | Monday 10th August
A friendly reminder that children attending the dental visit need to arrive by 9:00am, for the dentist to begin at 9:30am.

📚 Library Van Visit | Friday 14th August
We can’t wait for another visit from the Library Van! . 🚐📖

🔬 National Science Week | 17th – 23rd August
Get ready for curiosity, discovery, and lots of “why?” moments! The children will enjoy hands-on science experiences, investigations, experiments, and exploring how the world around them works. 🧪🌏

📖✨ Book Week | 24th – 28th August ✨📖
One of our favourite times of the year! Children and educators are invited to dress up as their favourite book characters and celebrate the magic of stories, imagination, and a love of reading. 🦸‍♀️🧚‍♂️🐻📚

We can’t wait to share all the fun, learning, and special moments throughout August! 💛

22/07/2026

🌿 Connecting with Country 🌿

Our children had a beautiful opportunity to participate in a Gumaraa Cultural Experience with Tallara, exploring the rich culture, language and traditions of the Dharawal people.

Through storytelling, Dharawal songs, exploring ochre, and learning about native animals and traditional cultural practices, the children engaged with curiosity, respect and enthusiasm.

These meaningful experiences support children to develop a deeper understanding of the importance of Country, culture, language, community and connection while fostering respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the world's oldest living culture. ❤️🖤💛

A heartfelt thank you to Tallara for sharing her knowledge, stories and connection to Country with our Cornerstone community. 🌿

As we continue our journey of learning and connecting with culture, we invite our families to be part of this experience. Learning and growing together on Yuin Country, we welcome families who would like to share their culture, language, stories, traditions, music, food or special celebrations with the children.

Together, we can create meaningful opportunities that strengthen belonging, respect and appreciation for the diverse cultures within our Cornerstone community. 💚

If you would like to be involved, please speak with one of our educators, we would love to welcome you into our learning journey.

17/07/2026

✨ You’re Invited to Our Cornerstone Early Learning Family Fun Day! ✨

We’re excited to celebrate just over one month since opening our doors at Cornerstone Early Learning Academy, and we would love for you and your family to join us for a special day of connection, fun, and community!

📍 57 St Anns Street Nowra
📅 Saturday, 15th of August 2026
🕚 10:00am – 1:00pm

🎟️ Please RSVP using the link below to secure your place!

We’d love to know you’re coming so we can prepare enough activities, refreshments, and fun for everyone. We don’t want your family to miss out!

https://events.humanitix.com/cornerstone-family-funday?_gl=1%2A1ur8a90%2A_gcl_au%2AODcyNTQwMjEzLjE3ODQ2MzM5NzI.%2A_ga%2AMTIxNjIyNDIyMS4xNzg0NjMzOTcz%2A_ga_LHKW5FR9N6%2AczE3ODQ2MzYyMzckbzIkZzEkdDE3ODQ2MzczMDIkajYwJGwwJGgw&utm_medium=paid&utm_source=fb&utm_id=120252710864950483&utm_content=120252711389030483&utm_term=120252710864940483&utm_campaign=120252710864950483&fbclid=IwY2xjawTfpGVleHRuA2FlbQEwAGFkaWQBqzk0wVDy43NydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR5PN1lb0BXL5FZ2jGfqOTwbiXcIoQLr57i6IARsTdQfrUptt8MebNr7RN7dyw_aem_RZF1Up3fGLdluTbZ5LY6LA

🌿 Come along and discover what Cornerstone is all about!
Over the past month, we’ve welcomed new friendships, shared countless smiles and laughter, and created meaningful learning experiences for our children. Watching children grow in confidence, curiosity, and independence has been the most wonderful start to our journey.

At Cornerstone Early Learning Academy, we believe every child deserves a strong foundation for lifelong learning. Through nurturing relationships, play-based learning, and high-quality education, we are committed to creating an environment where every child feels safe, supported, and inspired to learn, grow, and thrive.

On the day, families can:
✨ Explore our beautiful service and learning environments
🌱 Learn more about our values, programs, and approach to early learning
🏡 Tour our rooms and see where children learn, play, and grow
👋 Meet our passionate educators and leadership team
🤝 Connect with members of our wider community
📚 Discover the exciting experiences and learning opportunities we provide every day
🎨 See the creativity, curiosity, and fun that happens throughout our centre

🎈 Enjoy a fun-filled family day with:
☕ Coffee van
🥐 Light refreshments
🏰 Jumping castle and activities for children
🎨 Creative experiences and family-friendly activities
🎉 Plenty of opportunities to connect, explore, and celebrate with our Cornerstone community

🎁 Special Family Fun Day Enrolment Offer!
Thinking about joining the Cornerstone family? Visit us on the day and take advantage of our exclusive enrolment offer available for families who secure their child’s place.

Our team will be available to answer your questions, show you around, and help you discover why Cornerstone Early Learning Academy is a wonderful place for children to begin their learning journey.

We can’t wait to welcome new families, celebrate with our community, and create many more memories together.

10/07/2026

✨ Educator Spotlight: Dayana ✨

🌟 What do you love most about being an educator?
I love being a part of children's early learning and development journey and supporting them as they grow and reach new milestones.

🌟 What is your favourite children's book?
I don't have one specific favourite book, but I enjoy reading animal storybooks with children.

🌟 What do you like to do on the weekend?
I love spending quality time with my kids, and I also enjoy staying at home and relaxing.

🌟 What is your favourite colour?
Purple and pink.

🌟 What is your favourite food?
Indian food and Italian food.

🌟 What is your favourite animal?
Lion.

🌟 What is your favourite experience to set up?
Sensory play.

🌟 What is something fun about you?
When I accidentally hurt myself, I sometimes overreact and pretend to cry to fool my husband and kids!

🌟 What is your favourite thing to do with children?
Playing with children, dancing, and making them laugh.

🌟 What is your go-to coffee or beverage?
A latte, mocha, or milk tea.

🌟 If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
I would choose time travel so I could visit my childhood school and spend time with my school and college friends again.

09/07/2026

🏅 Ready Steady Go Kids 🏅

What a Fantastic 10 Weeks, our children have had an incredible time participating in the Ready Steady Go Kids sports program!

A huge thank you to Jen , who delivered each session with so much enthusiasm, patience and encouragement. She created a fun, engaging and inclusive environment where every child felt confident to participate and give each activity a go.

Throughout the program, the children enjoyed two sessions of each of the following sports:
🏃 Athletics
⛳ Golf
🏀 Basketball
⚽ Soccer
🏉 Rugby

Golf quickly became one of the children's favourite activities, with many enjoying practising their swings and aiming for the targets!

Through this program, the children developed a wide range of skills, including:
⭐ Gross motor skills
⭐ Balance and coordination
⭐ Ball handling and movement skills
⭐ Confidence to try new activities
⭐ Teamwork and cooperation
⭐ Listening and following instructions
⭐ Persistence and resilience
⭐ Respect for others and fair play

These experiences support the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) by encouraging children to develop a strong sense of identity, wellbeing and confidence as learners. Through active play, children strengthened their physical development, built positive relationships with their peers, and practised important social and emotional skills in a supportive environment.

06/07/2026

🖤💛❤️This year's NAIDOC Week theme, "50 Years of Deadly," celebrates an incredible milestone, 50 years of honouring the strength, resilience, achievements, and rich cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. It is a time to celebrate the Elders, leaders, artists, storytellers, and communities who have helped shape the past, inspire the present, and guide future generations.

At Cornerstone Early Learning Academy, we are proud to create opportunities for children to learn about and appreciate the world's oldest continuing cultures. Throughout the week, our children will engage in meaningful experiences including storytelling, art, music, nature play, and conversations that encourage respect, curiosity, and a sense of belonging.

We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we learn and play, and we pay our deepest respects to Elders past and present. We are grateful for the opportunity to learn from the wisdom, traditions, and enduring connection to Country that continue to enrich our community.

Together, let's celebrate 50 Years of Deadly by listening, learning, and walking forward with respect and understanding.

Happy NAIDOC Week from all of us at Cornerstone Early Learning Academy!