Spunky Monkeys ELC Lemongrove

🌟 Celebrating 5 Years with Spunky Monkeys! 🌟

At our recent Annual Spunky Monkeys Educators Conference, we celebrated team members reaching important service milestones.

This year, we recognised Gloria, Megan and Bridget for reaching an incredible 5 Years of Service with Spunky Monkeys! 🎉

In 5 years at Spunky Monkeys, you might have:

☕ Consumed enough coffee to keep a small café in business.
📚 Read The Very Hungry Caterpillar more times than Eric Carle ever imagined.
🖍️ Removed paint, glitter and playdough from places they should never have ended up.
👟 Walked enough laps of the playground to complete several marathons.
🍎 Prepared approximately 4,000 fruit platters.
🤧 Wiped more noses than you thought humanly possible.
💬 Answered “Why?” at least 50,000 times.
🦖 Become an expert in dinosaurs, princesses, construction vehicles and Bluey.
🎨 Admired thousands of masterpieces and confidently identified every scribble as a “beautiful drawing.”
🤗 Received enough hugs to last a lifetime.

And somewhere in between all of that…

💛 Gloria joined us as a dedicated casual educator who was always willing to jump in and help wherever needed. Today, she is a valued Assistant Educator in our Babies Cottage at Lemongrove, where her caring and supportive nature helps our youngest learners thrive.

💛 Megan started her journey as a trainee before taking time away to welcome her first baby. Since returning, she has supported both Penrith and Cranebrook before returning to Lemongrove, where she now leads our Babies Cottage team (when she’s not busy enjoying maternity leave!).

💛 Bridget also began with us as a trainee and has continued to grow throughout her career with Spunky Monkeys. Today, she leads our Orangutan Room at Lemongrove and is a valued mentor and leader within the team.

Not bad for five years! 🎉

Thank you, Gloria, Megan and Bridget, for your dedication, passion and commitment to our children, families and teams over the past five years. We are so proud to celebrate this milestone with you.

🐵💛

🖤💛❤️ National Reconciliation Week 💚💙 🖤

Throughout National Reconciliation Week, our children have been engaging in a variety of meaningful experiences that support their understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

The children have enjoyed listening to stories, exploring Aboriginal symbols, participating in conversations about culture and community, creating artwork, and using tapping sticks. They have also engaged in hands-on learning experiences, including exploring a billabong setup and learning about native Australian animals.
These experiences provide opportunities for children to develop respect, curiosity, and an appreciation for the rich histories, cultures, and contributions of First Nations Peoples.

Through play, discussion, and exploration, children are building connections and developing an understanding of the importance of reconciliation. We are proud to support our children in learning about Australia’s First Nations cultures and fostering a sense of respect, inclusion, and belonging for all

Meet Our Educator – Anna 🌟

Today we are excited to introduce our wonderful Anna, our Room Leader in the Chimpanzee Room 🐒

Anna has been working in Early Childhood Education for 4 years and has become a valued member of our team through her caring nature, dedication, and passion for supporting children's growth and development. This year, Anna has stepped into a Lead Educator role, and we are incredibly proud of how she has embraced this opportunity.

💛 What Anna loves most about working with children:
Anna loves watching and supporting children as they grow, develop new skills, and reach important milestones. She finds great joy in being part of each child's learning journey and celebrating their achievements along the way.

🎨 Her favourite activities:
Anna enjoys sensory play and craft experiences, providing children with opportunities to explore their creativity, imagination and curiosity through hands-on learning.

🌱 What she's excited about in the Chimpanzee Room:
Anna is passionate about supporting children's independence and helping them build confidence as they learn and grow. She is excited to continue creating meaningful learning experiences and celebrating the many milestones the children achieve throughout the year.

✨ Fun fact:
When she's not at work, Anna loves playing netball!

We are so proud to have Anna leading our Chimpanzee Room. Her warm, nurturing nature and commitment to supporting children to reach their full potential make her a wonderful part of our team 💛

🪱Spontaneous discoveries! 🪱

Our preschool children made an exciting discovery while exploring the garden , a worm!

The children were full of curiosity and asked some fantastic questions:
❓ Do worms breathe?
❓ Do worms have tongues?
❓ Do worms poo?
❓ Can worms see?

After doing some research together, we learned that worms breathe through their skin, don't have tongues like we do, and make tiny poos called castings that help plants grow. We also discovered that while worms don't have eyes, they can sense light and dark.
The children carefully observed their wiggly visitor, discussed where worms live, and learned why they love damp soil. Most importantly, they showed kindness and respect by handling the worm gently before returning it safely to its home.

These spontaneous moments of discovery are where some of the best learning happens, sparking curiosity, scientific thinking, and a deeper connection with the natural world. 🌱💚

🌟 Celebrating 2 Years with Spunky Monkeys! 🌟

At our recent Annual Spunky Monkeys Educators Conference, we celebrated team members reaching important service milestones.

This year, we recognised Chloe M from our Penrith service for reaching her 2-Year Anniversary with Spunky Monkeys! 🎉

In 2 years at Spunky Monkeys, Chloe has:

Read approximately 7,482 stories.
Sung Baby Shark more times than she’d care to admit.
Used enough paint to redecorate a house.
Walked enough steps to make her fitness watch proud.
Given endless cuddles, encouragement and support.

And somewhere in between all of that…

Completed her traineeship.
Continued studying towards her Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care.
Become the leader of our Gorilla Room.
Built strong relationships with children, families and her fellow educators.

Not bad for just two years!

We are incredibly proud of everything Chloe has achieved since joining us as a trainee. Her growth, dedication and passion for Early Childhood Education have been wonderful to watch, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds.

Congratulations on your 2-Year Milestone, Chloe!

Happy Birthday, Sam! 🎉

Today we’re celebrating a very special member of our Spunky Monkeys family — Sam! 💛

Sam first joined us back in 2015 as a trainee, and over the years she has grown into an incredible educator and a much-loved part of our team. From her early days learning the ropes to becoming the amazing educator she is today, Sam has brought kindness, reliability, and warmth into every room she has worked in.

At our recent Educators Conference, Sam was proudly recognised and celebrated for an incredible 10 years of service with Spunky Monkeys — such a special milestone and a true reflection of her dedication and commitment to our children, families, and team. ✨

Now working in our 3–5 year old room, Sam continues to make a positive difference every single day through her caring nature, gentle approach, and the beautiful relationships she builds with children and families.

Thank you, Sam, for your dedication, your caring heart, and the many laughs you bring to our team. We are so grateful to have you as part of the Spunky Monkeys family.

Wishing you the happiest birthday and a year ahead filled with love, laughter, and happiness! 🎂✨

Our Safe Bananas group became safety inspectors for the morning! 🦺🍌
Each child received a special clipboard with their very own safety checklist and headed out to the baby yard ready to help Anna complete the morning safety check. We even had some extra friends join in while some of our regular group members were away!
Together we checked for spider webs, explored the yard for any hazards, and finished by locating the evacuation bag and first aid kit. The children loved ticking off each item and learning about the important jobs educators do each day to help keep everyone safe.
It was such a fun and engaging experience that the children have already asked if we can do it again next week! 💛

Today we welcomed a lovely group of residents from the Anglicare social and wellness centre come to our service to spend time with the children. Together they enjoyed a range of activities including playdough, beading, colouring in, and imaginative play in the kitchen home corner.

It was wonderful to see the children building connections, sharing conversations, and engaging so confidently with our visitors. These experiences create meaningful relationships across generations and bring so much joy to everyone involved 💛

We are ready for our 2026 educator conference! We hope all educators have an inspiring day.

The Safe Bananas took on the challenge of creating their Classroom Safety Rules!
Together, we brainstormed and collaborated to come up with 4 rules for the children and 4 rules for their teachers. This gave the children the opportunity to share their ideas, have their voices heard, and contribute to creating a safe and respectful classroom environment, supporting Child Safe Standard 1.

Once the rules were decided, each child was given one to create a special picture for. They were so excited to share their artwork and proudly explain their ideas for keeping everyone safe!