Port Explorers Early Learning Centre & Kindergarten

27/08/2026

CBCA BOOK WEEK 2026 – BEST DRESSED EDUCATOR

It’s that time of year again… and our educators have REALLY understood the assignment.

Our annual Best Dressed Educator competition is back, and the effort, creativity, and commitment to Book Week costumes has been next level! From clever characters to seriously impressive costumes, our educators have pulled out all the stops in the hope of taking home the ultimate prizes:

- A fabulous trophy
- A voucher for Salsa Bar & Grill Restaurant
- AND, of course… the highly coveted bragging rights!

Now it’s over to YOU!

Which educator gets YOUR vote for Best Dressed Educator 2026?

Comment the name of your favourite educator below and show them some Book Week love!

Once you’ve cast your vote here, don’t stop there. Head over to our sister centres’ pages and cast your votes there too.

May the best (and best dressed!) educator win!l

Competition ends 9.00am Tuesday morning. Winners announced 10.00am Tuesday morning ⭐️

20/08/2026

📚✨ BOOK WEEK DRESS-UP 2026 ✨📚

🎉Port Douglas Centre🎉

We’re adding a little extra excitement to our Book Week celebrations this year!

Every child and educator who dresses up for our Book Week Dress-Up Day will go into the draw to win a gift voucher for Restaurant in the Reef at Reef Resort Port Douglas. 🎁

A very special thank you to one of our wonderful daycare families for generously donating the restaurant gift vouchers. The restaurant is located at Reef Resort Villas.

We truly appreciate your kindness and support of our centre community. 💙

We can’t wait to see everyone dressed as their favourite book characters! 📖🧙‍♀️🦸‍♂️🐛

12/08/2026

The countdown is on! 🤩🤩
We can’t wait to see everyone’s costumes!

06/08/2026

This one is for the future Saints Preppies 🤩

03/08/2026

Future Port Douglas Preppies - this one’s for you! 😎Tonight’s the night!

22/07/2026

Pyjama Day is almost here!

Get your fluffiest PJs ready because Pyjama Day is happening on Friday, 24th July!

We can't wait to see all our little explorers arrive in their favourite pyjamas for what is one of our favourite days of the year! From cosy onesies to colourful PJs, it's going to be a day full of laughter and fun.

At Port Explorers, we're proud to support National Pyjama Day because every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive. This special day helps raise awareness for children living in foster care and supports programs that provide educational resources, tutoring, and learning support to help them reach their full potential.

We invite families to bring along a gold coin donation, with every dollar helping to fund these important educational programs and giving children in foster care the tools they need for a brighter future.

So, mark your calendars, pop those PJs by the front door, and join us on Friday the 24th of July for a cosy day of fun—all for a wonderful cause!

https://fundraise.thepyjamafoundation.com/fundraiser/PortExplorers5108

13/07/2026

Floral Friday at Port Explorers!

If you've visited one of our Port Explorers centres on a Friday, you may have noticed our team wearing bright floral and Hawaiian shirts.

Every Friday, all our centres proudly take part in Floral Friday—a fun tradition that does more than brighten the day! Floral Friday is a long-standing social tradition that originated on Thursday Island (Waiben) and is widely recognised across the Torres Strait.

Floral Friday supports our commitment to creating culturally safe, welcoming environments where Torres Strait Islander children and families feel respected, included, and connected. When children see their culture reflected and valued, it helps foster a strong sense of belonging, trust, and safety—key elements of our Child Safe practices.

So, if you spot our team looking extra colourful on a Friday, you'll know there's an important reason behind the flowers!

Together, we're creating safe, inclusive, and culturally responsive environments where every child can learn, grow, and belong.

10/07/2026

Our Kindy Program provides a warm, nurturing environment where children learn through play, discovery, and meaningful experiences every day. From creative arts and messy play to science investigations, literacy, numeracy, outdoor adventures, and school readiness, every experience is thoughtfully planned to inspire confidence, curiosity, and a lifelong love of learning.

With the flexibility of long day care hours, we support busy families while ensuring every child receives a high-quality kindergarten program led by passionate educators.

✨ Play-based learning
✨ School readiness
✨ Qualified educators
✨ Engaging indoor and outdoor experiences
✨ Long day care hours to suit your family’s needs

Come and see why our Kindy is a place where children thrive, grow, and belong 💚

02/07/2026

Queensland’s Reportable Conduct Scheme is now live.

At Port Explorers, creating a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment for every child is at the heart of everything we do. We are one of an estimated 10,000 organisations participating in Queensland’s Reportable Conduct Scheme, which helps ensure concerns about child safety are appropriately reported and investigated.

We are committed to meeting the Queensland Child Safe Standards, the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations, and all child protection and Blue Card requirements. Our team also participates in ongoing training to ensure we continue providing the highest standards of care and safety for children and young people.

To learn more about the Queensland Family and Child Commission’s Reportable Conduct Scheme, visit: https://www.qfcc.qld.gov.au/childsafe/reportable-conduct-scheme/what-reportable-conduct-scheme

29/06/2026

Our wonderful Miss Genie 💜

Spotlight: Eugene Maria (“Genie”)

Today we’re shining a light on one of our incredible local early childhood professionals, Eugene Maria — known affectionately as “Genie” — and the depth of insight she brings to her work at Port Explorers.

Genie recently extended her professional development with a focus on attachment theory, demonstrating a strong capacity for reflection, learning and thoughtful practice in how she supports children and families.

Originally from Argentina, Genie also brought forward a beautiful perspective from her cultural background — the idea of the “maestra jardinera”, or garden teacher. 🌱

In this philosophy, children are seen as seeds — each already carrying their own strengths, potential and direction for growth. The role of the educator is not to shape or force development, but to tend the environment around the child: to provide safety, connection, emotional availability and the conditions needed for growth to naturally unfold.

This lens is a very accurate reflection of what Genie brings to her work. She approaches children with care, curiosity and respect for their individual journey, always prioritising relationship, regulation and connection.

It has been a privilege to work alongside Genie and to witness the thoughtfulness and integrity she brings to her practice within our community.

A valued part of the Port Explorers team. 🌿