Casa Bambini

July is a wonderful month for celebrating cultural diversity at our centres. We have been enjoying various events and experiences that highlight the unique cultures within our community. This week, we reflect on the beautiful moments and connections from our celebrations so far. The learning shared has been truly special.

Today is National Pyjama Day, a special event to raise awareness and support for children in foster care. Each of our Centres will celebrate this event in their own unique way. Keep an eye out for the wonderful experiences your Centre has planned. Together, we can make a difference and create meaningful moments.

We're excited to celebrate NAIDOC Week from 7-14 July 2024. This year's theme, "Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud," honours the resilience and pride of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Our Centres are celebrating NAIDOC Week in ways that are unique and meaningful to their communities. We look forward to sharing how our children, families, and teams connect and celebrate this week.

National Reconciliation Week: 27 May – 3 June

This week we're celebrating National Reconciliation Week with the theme 'Now More Than Ever.' In our centres, children are given the opportunity to explore Australia's shared histories, cultures, and achievements, to explore how we can contribute to reconciliation.

As teachers and educators, our role is to support children to engage in developmentally appropriate ways with reconciliation. One of the ways we do this in Centres, is by honoring the traditional custodians of the lands on which we live and work and paying respect to our elders.

Knowing the traditional custodians in your area is a great way to start conversations with your child about reconciliation. For more info, visit reconciliation.org.au.

We hope all Mothers and Very Important People have a very special day on Sunday 12 May.

‘Earth Day’ should be 'Every Day'!

At Casa Bambini, we're committed to embedding sustainability in our centres. So, this Earth Day, as we celebrate our dedication to a greener future with Earth Day 2024's theme, 'Planet vs. Plastics', let's remember that our efforts should extend beyond just one day.

Earth Day is the perfect opportunity for families to bond and learn together! Here are 5 fun activities to try with your family:
1. Start a family garden
2. Explore worm composting
3. Plan an Earth-friendly getaway
4. Adopt daily sustainability habits
5. Make going green a game by creating a little competition in your family

Let's inspire our community to make a difference, one small step at a time. Share your Earth Day plans with us and let's create a greener future together!

Ramadan Kareem ☪️

At Casa Bambini Essendon, we're celebrating Eid with our special take-home packs.

Inside, our handmade packs made by our amazing team, you'll find an assortment of Middle Eastern treats including, Turkish delight, date biscuits, sugar-coated chickpeas, Turkish fairy floss, drop lollies and more.

We hope our families enjoy our special take home packs!

Wishing all our Casa Bambini families a Happy Easter!

Whether you observe Easter or engage in another cultural celebration during this time, we hope you and your family have a safe, enjoyable and relaxing break.

Happy Harmony Day from Casa Bambini!

Did you know? Statistics prove that embracing diversity makes communities, companies, and societies happier, healthier, and more prosperous.

We're all about celebrating diversity and unity across our Centres. Today, and every day, we stand for inclusiveness, respect, and a shared sense of belonging.

A big shoutout to our fantastic team for creating a welcoming space where every child can thrive, and all families are respected and valued.

Our Victorian Casa Bambini Centres are pleased to invite you to our Kinder Information Night taking place across the week of the 15th April.

What to expect from the night:

- Learn about our innovative, government-approved 3 and 4 year old Kinder program, part of the enhanced learning program for Kinder at our centre and have your questions answered by your centre's Early Childhood Teacher.
- A showcase of the learning and creativity taking place in our learning environments in 2024.
- Representatives from local primary schools have also been invited to join us on the night.
- Our team will be on hand to help you navigate the 'Free Kinder' subsidy and your CCS entitlements.

Our approved 3 & 4-year Kinder programs for 2025 are now open and spots are filling fast. Whether your child is entering Kinder next year or in future, it's never too early to discover all of the options available.

Limited Spaces Available RSVP Today https://g8education.edu.au/events/vic-kinder-night/

Big smiles, new friendships, and endless exploration. 2024 is off to an amazing start for Casa Bambini children.

What exciting adventures is your child eagerly looking forward to this year? Join the conversation and share the excitement using

As we near the end of 2023, we want to say thank you for being a part of our Casa Bambini learning community, and for the wonderful moments we have shared together this year. We look forward to more learning, growth, adventures, and joy in 2024. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season.

Happy World Children's Day!

At Casa Bambini, today and every day, we're celebrating the rights of every child.

We believe that every child deserves the right to a bright future, filled with learning, and possibility. We stand with the global community in dedicating ourselves to ensuring that every child's rights are protected.

Join us in a celebration of the unique spirit and potential within each child.

Happy World Teachers Day to all our remarkable Teachers at Casa Bambini! We are so incredibly thankful for everything you do to educate, support, inspire and empower every child every day. Thank you!

"Children are not things to be moulded, but are people to be unfolded." - Jess Lair

Happy Book Week! As we celebrate this special occasion, we reflect on the profound impact that reading has on young children's minds and lives. This quote by Jess Lair perfectly captures our belief that children are not objects to be shaped, but individuals to be unfolded. At our centres, we understand the importance of nurturing each child's unique personality and interests through diverse stories and perspectives. Books play a vital role in this process, allowing children to explore and discover their passions and values, while gaining a better understanding of the world around them. Let's continue to encourage a love of reading in our children and help them unfold into the amazing individuals they are meant to be. 📚

Our 42k Your Way challenge starts today!
We are so proud to be part of the bigger team of dedicated early-learning professionals at G8 Education.
This year, G8 Education has partnered with the Children’s Hospital Foundation to raise $200,000 for childhood cancer research to help create brighter futures for Australian children.
If you would like to support our fundraising efforts, you can visit the 42k Your Way website to find your centre. https://www.42kyourway.org.au/fundraisers/G8

NAIDOC Week is a time to recognise and celebrate the histories, cultures and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.

Our centres will be exploring the theme ‘For our Elders’ this week, reflecting on the important role that Elders have had, and continue have, in our communities and families.

We look forward to sharing how our children, families and team connect and celebrate this week.

A sneak peek at our wonderful Casa Bambini Coburg learning environments! We have thoroughly enjoyed outdoor play recently! ☀

This World Environment Day, our centres will explore ways they can . ♻
We are incredibly inspired by the current efforts of our sister centre, First Grammar Bankstown!
The First Grammar Bankstown team is embracing the circular economy by reusing cot bars, bottles, kitchen utensils and pipes to create spaces in their outdoor area, including science investigations, hat storage and planters.
By practising sustainability, we empower our children to think creatively and critically about how we can create change and develop a deep connection and appreciation of our environment and the animals, plants, people and places that are important to them. 🌎

This National Reconciliation Week, our children and teams are exploring what it means to ‘Be a Voice for Generations’.
Our centre teams work to connect with their families and communities to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into their practice every day, to create environments of listening, of learning, of fairness and unity.
Over the week, we look forward to sharing unique stories from our centres as we explore together what it means to ‘Be a Voice for Generations’.

As the weather gets cooler, we tend to crave wholesome foods that are warm and comforting. Here's a round-up of our top Autumn produce to keep in your pantry. 🤎http://ow.ly/4o0L50Ntk0z

The best autumn produce to have in your pantry (that children love) By Karla Gilbert Karla Gilbert is an accredited Nutrition and Health Coach, and a mum of two girls. She shares her top tips for the best seasonal produce as we move into autumn. As we move from su…

Changes to the Child Care Subsidy 📢
From 10 July 2023, the Commonwealth Government Child Care Subsidy (CCS) is making high-quality early education and care more affordable for Australian families.

Key changes include:
• If your family earns less than $80,000 per year, your Child Care Subsidy rates will increase from 85% to 90%.
• If your family earns under $530,000 annually, you’ll now be eligible to receive Child Care Subsidy. Previously, families needed to earn under $356,756 per year to be eligible.
• Your Child Care Subsidy rates will decrease by 1% for every additional $5,000 earned over $80,000.
Families earning below $362,408 with more than one child aged 5 or under in care can still get a higher rate for their second and younger children
• First Nations children will be eligible for at least 36 hours of subsidised care per fortnight. Families can get more subsidised hours based on their circumstances.

Navigating these changes can be tricky, but we're here to help. Over the coming weeks, our enrolled families will be invited to a dedicated family information event to be held in-centre in early May. Families will also have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with their Centre Manager, to help calculate your potential Child Care Subsidy entitlements. We’re looking forward to supporting the possible Child Care Subsidy (CCS) outcomes for your family.

In the meantime, visit https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/ for further information.

Commencing care for the first time may seem like a daunting experience, but it doesn't have to be! If your child is joining us in the new year, read on for our top tips to help settle them into care. http://ow.ly/HHPe50LHCq6

10 tips to help your child settle in when they start child care It’s your child’s first day at child care. You’re dropping them off, overwhelmed with emotions and not ready to trust someone else with the safety of your child. This experience is all …

Casa Bambini updated their info in the about section.

This Nutrition Week, let's look at some of the best ways in which we can avoid food boredom at home. Here are some of our favourite exciting yet nutritious snack ideas! 🍌⭐ http://ow.ly/9nfE50LcGYg

Easy ways to avoid food ‘boredom’ at home with children By Karla Gilbert Karla Gilbert is an accredited Nutrition and Health Coach, and a mum of two girls. She shares her top tips on fun snack ideas to try with your children at home. In some states arou…

Science Week is upon us, running from 13-21 August. 🧪 🔬 Learn more about how we encorporate STEM experiences through play-based learning at our centres.
http://ow.ly/OQQM50Kmtc5

National Science Week: how we incorporate STEM in our centres National Science Week is upon us again – this is Australia’s annual celebration of science and technology, running from 13 – 21 August in 2022. Supported by the Australia Governme…

Flu season is well and truly here! 🤧 If you're one of those parents who just can't seem to catch a break, we feel for you. In this handy guide, you'll find everything you need to know to keep your child safe and healthy! http://ow.ly/SxBn50KfuHf

Common child care illnesses: what you need to know By Sarah Rogers-Anderson When children start child care, their immune systems are often still developing. They may be more susceptible to common viruses until they build up immunity or get vaccinat…