Yarrawonga Preschool

26/06/2026

We are on the lookout for a passionate ECT for our 4 YO kinder program. This is a fixed term position working with a supportive and well-established team. There could be potential for future roles for the right applicant.

Please forward to anyone that may be well suited for this role.

You can find more information here including the Position Description: https://www.grpsa.com.au/work-with-us

24/06/2026

✨ Boredom isn’t something to fear, it’s an opportunity for growth ✨

When children experience moments of boredom, they are often developing important life skills. These are the moments when they learn to:

• think independently;
• persevere through challenges;
• try something new, even when they might not be good at it yet;
• use their imagination and creativity;
• become resourceful problem-solvers.

As adults, it can be tempting to step in, offer solutions, fill every moment or provide constant entertainment. But sometimes the greatest gift we can give children is time, space and trust.

When we pause and allow children to work through boredom, we send a powerful message: “I believe in your ability to figure this out.”

The next time you hear “I’m bored,” consider it an invitation—not to solve the problem, but to trust that your child can. At Yarrawonga Preschool we lean into it - “You’re bored? Great! That’s when something exciting is about to begin.”

Some of childhood’s most meaningful learning begins with a little boredom.

23/06/2026

✨ Process over product art ✨

Process art invites children to explore, create, experiment and express themselves freely, without the pressure of making something “perfect.”

In early childhood, the value is not in the final piece, but in the thinking, problem solving, confidence, creativity and joy that happens along the way. Every mark, colour choice and idea tells a story of learning.

When children are given the freedom to create without expectation, they begin to trust their own ideas, take risks and develop a genuine love for creativity.

Because childhood is not a race, it is a foundation. ✨

18/06/2026

We have some exciting roles across our services!
Come work with a local not for profit Early Years Management organisation!
We are on the search for educators at:
Punt Rd. Kindergarten & Childcare -4 YO Kinder ECT (Maternity role) Service Cook, After care program leader, Diploma
Eilleen Taylor Kindergarten - ECT for 4 YO Kinder, Cert III and Diploma educator for after care
Toolamba Preschool -After kinder care and lunch breaks
Barmah Kindergarten & Occasional Care - Above ratio ECT or actively working towards ECT - First nations applicants are encouraged to apply for this role
Nathalia and District Preschool - ECT on Fridays and lunch breaks
Undera Kindergarten - Lunch Breaks
Violet Town Kindergarten and Childcare- Diploma and Cert III for Long Day Care
Nagambie Preschool & Childcare Centre- Diploma educator for long day care
Yarrawonga Preschool - 4 YO Kinder ECT - Fixed term
Visit our website for more information and please share!

We are also looking for an HR Manager! This is a hybrid role working with the administration team.

https://www.grpsa.com.au/work-with-us

16/06/2026

✨A matter of rights, not likes ✨

You may have noticed that Yarrawonga Preschool does not share images of children’s faces online. This is intentional.

It is about recognising that children have a right to privacy, dignity and protection in a digital world.

Although we gain parental consent, we believe it is also important to receive a child’s consent. However, how much can a child truly understand about what it means for their image to be shared online, potentially forever, with an audience they cannot see or comprehend?

For us, this is a matter of rights, not likes.

The good news is that there are so many ways to share the magic of learning without putting children on display. We can celebrate curiosity, creativity, relationships, discoveries and moments of joy through stories, reflections, children’s words, their work and photographs that protect their identity.

This decision is also about fostering a culture of presence over performance. We want educators focused on being with children rather than capturing content. The most meaningful moments in childhood are often the ones that are fully lived, not documented.

We remain committed to sharing the rich learning that occurs each day while honouring the rights, privacy and dignity of every child in our care.

15/06/2026

✨ Outdoor play improving children’s developmental outcomes ✨

Science is catching up to what we already know. Outdoor play is so much more than just time outside. It provides children with opportunities to build confidence, resilience, creativity and independence while connecting with the natural world around them.

When children climb, explore, dig, create, run and take manageable risks, they are developing important physical, social and emotional skills that support lifelong learning and wellbeing.

At Yarrawonga Preschool, we believe childhood should be filled with fresh air, adventure, wonder and the freedom to explore.

Because some of the most important learning happens under open skies.

Because childhood isn’t a race, it is the foundation.

Loved hearing from Belinda at about new research released from Scotland this week, perfectly timed with the International Day of Play.

Using nationally representative longitudinal data it provides the first evidence that early outdoor play predicts better mental health trajectories across childhood. The researchers say these findings highlight the need to incorporate outdoor play into the preventative public mental health agenda.

So wonderful when research validates what we intuitively know! Little ones need to play outside in nature.

Read the full paper here:

https://acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcpp.70175

Photo courtesy of Birdwings Forest School as featured in our nature play gallery (https://www.maggiedent.com/nature-play)

11/06/2026

✨ Happy International Day of Play ✨

Protect play. Protect childhood.

In a world that often asks children to grow up too quickly, let’s protect their right to explore, imagine, create, take risks and simply be children.

Yarrawonga Preschool is proud to stand firm in our belief that children deserve long, uninterrupted time to play.

For families wanting to learn more, we encourage you to read Early Childhood Australia’s Statement on Play, which highlights why play is essential for children’s learning, development and wellbeing.

09/06/2026

✨ What early literacy looks like at Yarrawonga Preschool ✨

Early literacy begins long before children learn to read and write. At Yarrawonga Preschool, literacy is woven throughout everyday experiences, relationships and play.

This may look like:

* sharing stories together
* engaging in rich conversations
* singing songs and rhymes
* listening and responding to others
* recognising symbols and signs in the environment
* drawing, mark-making and storytelling and
* hearing new vocabulary through meaningful experiences

We believe literacy is not something we teach to children—it is something children develop through connection, communication and curiosity.

Rather than rushing children towards reading or writing, we focus on building the strong foundations that literacy grows from:

* a love of books
* confidence to communicate
* a rich vocabulary
* listening skills
* imagination
* comprehension.

When children spend their early years immersed in language-rich environments, they begin to see themselves as communicators, storytellers, readers and writers.

Because literacy is not simply about recognising words on a page.

Because childhood isn’t a race. It is the foundation✨

05/06/2026

✨ Remnants of play ✨

Have you ever walked into Yarrawonga Preschool in the morning and there are still play items left lingering from the previous day? This is intentional.

Long after the game has ended, the block tower has fallen or the mud kitchen has been abandoned, the remnants of play remain.

A collection of sticks, a half-built cubby, scattered loose parts or artwork left mid-creation may look unfinished to adults, but to children these remnants tell a story. They are evidence of thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, imagination and discovery.

By valuing and preserving these traces of play, we honour children’s ideas and allow their learning to continue across days, revisiting, refining and extending their thinking.

Because childhood isn’t a race, it is the foundation.

04/06/2026