Shining Stars Early Learning Centre

This NAIDOC Week, we kept our little hands and big hearts busy at SSELC. 💛🖤❤️

To begin our week, our children prepared the ingredients to make a delicious muesli slice while also carefully measuring, mixing and creating take-home muesli jars for our families. These jars became a meaningful extension of our learning, encouraging conversations, connection and shared experiences at home throughout NAIDOC Week.

As part of our learning about respect, gratitude and community, the children helped prepare a special muesli slice that our Service Director delivered to our Elders and Board Members. Alongside their homemade treats, the children wrote heartfelt letters to thank them for sharing their knowledge, stories and wisdom with our community. It was a small gesture of appreciation for the important role they play in keeping culture alive and guiding future generations.

These experiences remind us that NAIDOC Week is more than learning about history, it’s about building genuine relationships, listening with respect, showing gratitude and honouring the voices of those who continue to share culture, knowledge and connection with us every day. 🌿✨

Our NAIDOC Week learning journey didn’t stop at the doors of SSELC, our educators stepped out into our wider community to connect, listen and learn at the beautiful Coomaditchie pop-up art gallery. 🖤💛❤️

Surrounded by powerful artworks, stories and cultural expressions from local Aboriginal artists, our team had the opportunity to deepen our understanding of the strong connections between culture, Country, identity and storytelling.

These experiences continue to shape the way we create authentic learning opportunities for our children, embedding Aboriginal perspectives in ways that are respectful, intentional and connected to our local community.

We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to learn from the knowledge, creativity and stories shared. Our journey of listening, learning and growing continues. 🌿✨

✨ Inspiring, Not Replicating ✨

As part of our NAIDOC Week learning, we explored artworks and shared meaningful conversations about respecting artists, their stories and the cultures they represent.

Together, we asked:
🤎 *How would you feel if someone used your ideas as their own?*
🤎 *What makes your ideas special?*
🤎 *How can we be inspired while creating something uniquely our own?*

These rich discussions encouraged our children to think deeply about creativity, respect and identity. Rather than reproducing what they observed, each child created their own artwork, inspired by their learning and expressed through their own ideas, colours and creative thinking.

At SSELC, we believe children learn most deeply when they are inspired to think, create and express their own ideas, rather than simply replicate the work of others. Through open-ended experiences, intentional teaching and meaningful provocations, we nurture curiosity, critical thinking and creativity, while encouraging children to value both their own ideas and the ideas of others.

This experience reminded us that respecting culture also means respecting the stories people choose to share, acknowledging the knowledge they pass on, and celebrating our own unique voices alongside them.

💛 Every child has a voice. Every idea has value. Every creation tells a story 💛

We have been reflecting on how we share this important week with our community. We always look forward to celebrating NAIDOC Week, yet for us at SSELC, it’s also a reflection of the learning, relationships, and respect that are part of our everyday practice.

Respect for Country, learning about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and fostering a genuine appreciation of Australia’s First Peoples are woven into our environments, experiences, conversations, and the values we nurture in our children each day.

That’s what makes NAIDOC Week so meaningful. It’s a time to celebrate, reflect, listen, learn, and share this journey with our families and community.

While we’re proud of how far we have come, we know there is always more to learn, more to listen to, and more to do. We are committed to continuing this journey with humility, respect, and open hearts - not just during NAIDOC Week, but every day of the year.

We look forward to sharing our celebrations with you throughout the week. ❤️💛🖤

At SSELC, we believe every child’s voice matters.

We are proud to have contributed feedback to Council on behalf of our early learning community, advocating for children to be recognised as valued participants in the conversations that shape our local community.

As one of the few early learning services to formally provide feedback, we shared our vision of a community where children are not only included but respected as capable, thoughtful contributors with meaningful perspectives.

Seeing our submission acknowledged by Council is a powerful reminder that purposeful advocacy can create lasting change. By championing children’s rights and participation today, we’re helping build stronger, more inclusive communities for the future.

Together, we are creating communities where every child is seen, heard, and valued. 💚

Today, we had the privilege of welcoming the Vinnies Van to SSELC. 💙

In the lead-up to the visit, our families and team came together to support a donation drive as a way of giving back and saying thank you for the incredible work the Vinnies Van does to support people across the Illawarra.

Children had the opportunity to step inside the van, explore what it carries, and engage in meaningful, age-appropriate conversations about the care packs and essential items that help support people in our community. Together, we discussed how simple donations—such as toiletries, warm clothing, and non-perishable food can make a real difference in someone’s day.

Experiences like these help children develop empathy, kindness, and an understanding that caring for others is an important part of belonging to a community. We are incredibly grateful to the Vinnies team for sharing their time, knowledge, and passion with our children, helping bring these important conversations to life.

Thank you to all of our families for your generous donations and for helping us demonstrate that even the smallest acts of kindness can have a lasting impact ✨

Stay & Play Day 2026 ✨
Thank you to all the families who joined us for our Stay & Play Day!

It was a wonderful opportunity to open our doors and share a glimpse into our learning environments, and meaningful relationships that form the foundation of our preschool community.

Throughout the morning, families enjoyed exploring our learning spaces, participating in engaging environments, and connecting with our dedicated educators. The children’s enthusiasm, curiosity, and joy were a true reflection of the nurturing and supportive environment we strive to create every day.

We sincerely appreciate everyone who took the time to visit and be part of this special event. Thank you for your interest, your engagement, and for helping make the morning such a positive and memorable experience!

💛 We loved sharing our preschool with you and look forward to many more opportunities to connect with our community ✨

SSELC’s Centre Director was privileged to attend the SNAICC-run training session hosted at the Illawarra Aboriginal Corporation, exploring what “Place for Culture” looks like within ECEC.

💭 A takeaway from our Centre Director:
“It was so refreshing to see services from across the Illawarra come together and share the collective passion for the shift our industry is making. SNAICC created a space to pause, connect and yarn. The reminder was simple but powerful: slow down and reflect on the why behind the connections we create. How can we make a safe space to honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultures, and perspectives and how we can create a stronger future for the next generation.”

At SSELC, we’re proud to keep showing up.
🌱 Continuing the conversation.
🌱 Continuing the learning.
🌱 Continuing the journey.

Today for Thank a First Responder Day, we were so happy to welcome members of the Wollongong Police Department to our service.

We created thank you cards for our visitors, tried on police uniforms, and were amazed to discover a real protective vest weighs over 12kg! The children also got to hear the sirens and explore some of the equipment used by police. 🚨

A big thank you to our local officers for taking the time to visit, share their knowledge, and help us celebrate the incredible work first responders do every day. 👮‍♀️👮‍♂️💙

Come and explore our learning environment!

An opportunity to experience our preschool community and connect with us 💫

📞 Call to book your place