Midson Rd Child Care Centre

National Reconciliation Week 2026

Following our learning about National Sorry Day on the 27th of May, we continued to deepen our understanding of reconciliation throughout National Reconciliation Week.

Across the week, children of all ages engaged with the ‘All In’ poster to support reflective, age appropriate discussions about what reconciliation means and why it matters.

To further honour the diverse voices within our community, we also incorporated posters in the home languages of our families throughout our displays. These multilingual resources helped children recognise and celebrate the cultural identities represented in our service, reinforcing that reconciliation includes listening to and valuing every story.

We strengthened our community connections by collaborating with our local schools — Carlingford Public School, Roselea Public School and Ngarala Public School to create our 2026 collaborative artworks. Students from our partner schools designed and created the base posters using their creativity and knowledge of reconciliation. The Midson Road Children’s Council then added their handprints, which were combined to form the vibrant 'Sea of Hands' now displayed proudly in our foyer.

These posters have become a powerful visual reminder that reconciliation is everyone’s responsibility, and that every hand placed represents a commitment to building a stronger, more connected community.

The completed Sea of Hands stands as a collective statement of hope, solidarity, and ongoing commitment to reconciliation.

Celebrating Eid Al Adha with Our Educators Asma and Latifa

Over the last week, we have been very fortunate to have two of our educators, Asma and Latifa, share with us how they celebrate Eid Al Adha.

Eid Al Adha is a very special festival of sacrifice and a time for sharing. People celebrate by preparing and sharing delicious food with family, friends, and those in need. It is also a time to dress in colourful clothing, show extra kindness, and come together in celebration.

Last week, Latifa hosted a beautiful group time with our toddlers. She arrived dressed in a stunning traditional outfit, shared stories about the traditions she follows during Eid, and gifted the children and our educators some thoughtful and much‑appreciated presents.

Today, Asma hosted a group time for our older children, dressed in a vibrant traditional Shalwar Kameez, Khussas (hand‑embroidered shoes), and adorned with an ancestral henna design. Asma generously shared her home‑cooked Chicken Karahi served with naan, along with her grandmother’s secret recipe for Gurh Sawayyan (sweet jaggery vermicelli). The experience continued with an interactive learning station where children explored cultural items and participated in creative activities.

Thank you to Asma and Latifa for taking the time to foster and grow our cross‑cultural awareness, and for expanding our knowledge and understanding of Eid Al Adha.

National Simultaneous Storytime 2026
Luna Roo the Kangaroo Baller

We have had a great week at Midson Road using the 2026 National Simultaneous Storytime book Luna Roo the Kangaroo Baller in our programs. Across the centre we enjoyed celebrating through a variety of activities the book Luna Roo by Adam Jackson and Adrian Lloyd.

“Luna Roo is built around the central theme of courage, teamwork, and believing in yourself, wrapped in an energetic, sports driven story for young readers. Luna Roo, a rookie captain of FC Outback, faces nerves, tough opponents, and unexpected challenges during a big match. As she plays, she learns to trust her own abilities, work with her teammates, and push through self doubt showing children that confidence and perseverance help you succeed even when things feel overwhelming.”

The highlight of the week was listening to the story on Wednesday along with thousands of others across Australia. Our younger children listened to the story here at the centre, while our Preschoolers were very excited to join the teachers and students from Ngarala Public School.

Our Preschoolers explored the story by making predictions and discussing the characters and events. They built teamwork skills through cooperative games, practised soccer to strengthen gross motor development, and explored bravery through discussion, drawing, and positive affirmations. The children also extended their learning about Australian animals through movement experiences such as animal yoga and hopping like kangaroos.

Our ‘pre’ Preschoolers enjoyed a week of ball skills as they learnt the simple rules of soccer and created their own drawings of a Luna Roo jersey.

Our toddlers enjoyed exploring Luna Roo in their learning environment with a small world play soccer table, used their bodies as they practised kicking balls, explored the characters using hand puppets, and finished the week watching highlights of a Matildas game, calling out “goal!” just like in the book when a goal was scored.

Our Babies also loved getting involved in the week. Using their senses, they explored a sensory box with animal figures from the book, moved their bodies during music and movement, read the story with props and puppets, explored different animals from the book with finger painting, and finished the week off with a group collage of their own room jersey.

National Simultaneous Storytime is one of our favourite weeks to celebrate, knowing how important language and literacy is to everything.



Australian Library and Information Association

Connections with our Community — A Visit to Ngarala Public School for National Simultaneous Storytime

Our Preschoolers were absolutely buzzing with excitement as we enjoyed our annual walk to Ngarala Public School yesterday to join in this year’s National Simultaneous Storytime. Together, we listened to Luna Roo the Kangaroo Baller, the 2026 NSS book, and the children were completely captivated.

Over the past few days, our Preschool groups have been exploring Luna Roo through a range of creative experiences, and we can’t wait to share more of our Luna Roo learning with our Midson Road community at the end of the week.

A big thank you to Ngarala Public School for welcoming our children and educators so warmly. We love spending time with your school community and truly value these shared experiences that help build confidence, connection, and a positive transition to school.

National Sorry Day – Tuesday 26th May

Today we came together to recognise National Sorry Day. This is an important day for all Australians, as we remember the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were forcibly removed from their families — known today as the Stolen Generations. It is also a time to honour the strength and resilience of Survivors and to reflect on how we can all contribute to healing.

As Jessica Staines from the Koori Curriculum explains, National Sorry Day is a moment for all Australians to acknowledge the past and walk together towards a better future.

At the service, the children explored the meaning of Sorry Day through thoughtful group discussions and by reading the picture book Sorry Day by Coral Vass and Dub Leffler. This story supported their understanding in a gentle, age‑appropriate way. Throughout the day, the children also worked together to create a collaborative Sorry Day poster, expressing their learning through art and shared conversation.

Recognising days of significance like National Sorry Day is an important part of our Reconciliation Action Plan. It reflects our commitment to respecting and valuing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and perspectives, and to nurturing this understanding in our children.

🐝 Celebrating World Bee Day 🌼

World Bee Day is celebrated globally on May 20th. For early childhood settings, it’s the perfect opportunity to introduce young learners to nature, sustainability, and our environment. Children can explore the essential role of pollinators through fun, hands-on sensory play, interactive games, and creative storytelling.

As proud hosts of our own native stingless beehive (thank you to Sydney stingless bees for helping us get set up), World Bee Day has provided a wonderful opportunity for our educators and children to explore the vital role bees play in our environment.

Our younger children have enjoyed exploring bees through creative experiences and over the last week our Preschoolers worked closely with their teacher, Cindy on an in depth project about bees.

The project began by reflecting on the children’s existing knowledge before extending their understanding through books, posters, games, and puzzles. The children learned about the many different bee species found in Australia, their unique characteristics, and the importance of pollination. They also participated in a sensory pollination activity, pretending to be bees visiting colourful flowers, and explored how beehives function.

The learning continued outdoors as the children observed the native stingless bee hive in our Midson Road yard. They examined the hive’s structure, discovered more about the species living inside, and finished the experience by tasting honey—discussing its flavour, texture, and how bees produce it.

To conclude the week, the Preschoolers explored ways to protect bees in our environment. After brainstorming ideas and listening to a story about saving bees, the children created their own “Bee Promises,” pledging actions they can take to help care for the bees in our yard. Thank you to Cindy and our Preschoolers for being such ‘beeautiful’ bee protectors!

Families Week 2026 – Celebrating Every Family, Everywhere

Families Week is always one of the most meaningful celebrations in our calendar, and this year’s theme — Every Family, Everywhere — highlighted the diversity, strength, and love that make each family unique.

Since 2003, Families Week has aligned with the United Nations International Day of Families. It provides a special opportunity for communities across Australia to come together and recognise the vital role families play in supporting, nurturing, and guiding children as they grow.

Throughout the week, our centre was filled with connections. The children engaged in a variety of experiences across all learning areas, including art and craft, dramatic play, and story sharing. One of the highlights was welcoming our families into the centre for afternoon tea, a wonderful chance to slow down, connect, and celebrate together.

We also invited children and their families to contribute a drawing for our foyer display. These artworks, along with the photos captured throughout the week, reflect the warmth and individuality of each family and we are sure will be treasured for years to come.

We continued our much loved Family Collage Project. Families added textured love hearts to the collaborative artwork, building on the layers contributed in previous years. This evolving piece stands as a beautiful symbol of our growing and connected community.

Families Week is an initiative of Families Australia, and we were proud to share helpful links and resources with our educators and families to support ongoing learning and reflection.

Thank you to all our wonderful Midson Road families for your involvement, enthusiasm, and support. We hope you enjoyed celebrating Families Week 2026 as much as we did.