Headstart

Our little chefs at Headstart had a wonderful afternoon creating refreshing banana yoghurt ice blocks 🍌✨

The toddlers enjoyed slicing and mashing bananas, then mixing them with yoghurt to make their own healthy treats. A fun way to build confidence, develop fine motor skills, and explore new textures and tastes!

⭐️Supporting healthy vision from an early age

We recently had the STEPS Eye team visit our centre to check our preschoolers’ eyes, and it was such a great experience for everyone involved! 💜

Early vision screening plays an important role in supporting children’s learning, development, and confidence, helping them get the most out of every day.

Thank you to the team for making it such a positive and engaging experience for our little learners! ✨

Our preschoolers have been busy builders today! 🏗️✨

Through hands-on play, our preschoolers explored a sensory tray filled with sand, blocks, and vehicles, creating their very own roads, bridges, and buildings. 🚗🌉

Experiences like this support creativity, teamwork, and communication, while encouraging sensory exploration and imaginative thinking. Every scoop of sand and carefully placed block helps build not just structures, but confidence and independence too. 💛

We love seeing their unique ideas come to life as they learn, discover, and grow through play!

Our toddlers really enjoyed heading out on their planned park excursions last week proudly wearing their Headstart hi-vis vests to stay safe and visible along the way.

On their recent visit to the park, the children enjoyed exploring nature, discovering leaves, smelling rosemary, listening to the different birds, enjoying parachute play and enjoying some morning tea.

Experiences like these support their growing confidence, curiosity, and connection to the world around them.

We love seeing our children learn through play and exploration! 🌱✨

At Headstart Early Learning Centre West Ryde, we are running the Emmy and Friends Protective Behaviours Program to help children grow in confidence, understand their feelings, and learn how to stay safe in everyday situations.

We’d love our families to be part of this journey! Join us for a FREE webinar to learn more about the program and discover simple, practical ways you can continue these important conversations at home.

🎤 Presented by: Nathan Gallagher
(Act for Kids – Child Protection Training & Development Lead)
🗓 Tuesday, 14th April 2026
⏰ 7:30–8:00pm (AEST)

✨ Free Vision Screening for 4-Year-Olds ✨

At Headstart Early Learning Centre West Ryde, we’re proud to support children’s health and development by participating in the StEPS (Statewide Eyesight Preschooler Screening) program.

This program provides free vision screening for children aged 4 years who are enrolled at our centre, helping to identify any potential vision concerns early on.

Early detection plays an important role in supporting children’s learning, confidence, and overall wellbeing ☀️

🌟 April Fun at Headstart West Ryde Early Learning Centre! 🌟

We’re so excited to share all the wonderful experiences happening this month! Our calendar is packed with fun, learning, and memorable moments for our little learners 💛
✨ What’s on this April:
🍊 Mandarin Classes – Every Thursday
🌳 Park Excursions – Exploring nature and enjoying the outdoors
🐣 Easter Celebrations – Crafts, activities & lots of festive fun
🌱 Sustainability Experiences – Learning to care for our planet

We can’t wait to see our children grow, explore, and have fun together throughout the month. Stay tuned for photos and updates! 📸

At Headstart West Ryde, we believe that healthy children start with healthy food. That’s why we choose high-quality, grass-fed meats for our meals, supporting our growing bodies with the nutrients they need to learn, play, and thrive every day.

Grass-fed meat is rich in essential nutrients like iron, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins that help support brain development, energy levels, and overall wellbeing. Plus, it’s free from added hormones and raised more naturally, something we know our families value as much as we do.

A big thank you to Valley Meats for delivering fresh, premium produce straight to our centre. We love knowing exactly where our food comes from and that we’re giving our children the very best.
Fresh food. Healthy children. Happy learning 💛

Our children from Headstart Early Learning Centre enjoyed a lovely excursion to Anzac Park in West Ryde! 🌿☀️

They explored the natural environment by searching for different shaped leaves, had fun with parachute play, and shared a relaxing morning tea together in the park.
Experiences like these support children’s curiosity, teamwork, physical development, and connection with nature.

We love providing meaningful learning opportunities beyond the classroom! 💚

🚒 Fire Truck Visit – Learning About Fire Safety

Today we had a very exciting and important visit from our local fire brigade! The children were thrilled to see the big red fire truck arrive at our centre. The firefighters took time to talk with us about how they help keep people safe.

The firefighters explained that if there is ever a fire and we need to leave the building, we must not stop to grab our toys. Our job is to listen carefully and move quickly to stay safe. They reminded us that toys can be replaced, but people are precious.

The firefighters also showed us their special protective suits, helmets, and breathing masks. Some of the gear looked big and a little unusual! They explained that if we ever see firefighters dressed in their full suits, we do not need to feel scared or cry. Even though they may look different, they are there to help and save lives. The children listened carefully and asked thoughtful questions.

We practised an important fire safety action together:
“Bend down low and go, go, go!”
The firefighters taught us that in a real fire, smoke rises up high, so we need to bend down low to stay safe and move quickly to an exit. The children eagerly practised crouching down and moving together, showing great listening skills.

One of the most exciting parts of the visit was having a turn to hold the fire hose! With the firefighters’ help, the children felt the strong pressure of the water as it sprayed out—just like putting out a real fire.

Throughout the visit, the children demonstrated curiosity, confidence, and growing awareness of personal safety. Experiences like this help build children’s understanding of emergency procedures in a positive and empowering way.

Thank you to our wonderful local firefighters for teaching us how to stay safe and for being real-life heroes in our community! 🚒🔥

Last night our educator team completed our CPR training ❤️

We are committed to making sure every member of our team is fully qualified and confident to respond in an emergency. Keeping our children healthy, safe, and well cared for is always our highest priority.
Thank you to our amazing educators for giving up their evening to refresh their skills and continue their professional development. We are proud to have such a dedicated team ensuring the best possible care in our service! 👏

Our elf has been busy in the Headstart Christmas kitchen! 🎄✨,
Today he whipped up some very silly "brown-E's'... the cheekiest brownies you'll ever see! 🍫