Bottling the Moments: Time with our Ashmore team

Welcome back to Bottling the Moments, where I take you behind the scenes of my centre visits and share some of the moments that make me smile, make me laugh and remind me why early childhood education is such a special place to be.

My recent visit to Sanctuary Ashmore was particularly special because I GOT to spend Educators Day with our team and children! And if there was ever a day to celebrate the incredible people who choose to work in early childhood education, this was it.

Ferlicity and the team had already started building the excitement the day before with a scavenger hunt, and by the time I arrived, Ashmore had gone completely Hawaiian. Music was playing from the moment I walked through the doors, everyone was getting into the spirit and there was such a fun energy throughout the centre.

But what I loved most about spending Educators Day at Ashmore was that I got to celebrate it in the best possible way, with our educators and the children they care for every day.

I started my morning with our littlest friends in Starfish and Jellyfish. Roman and a few of his friends were completely absorbed in a tuft tray activity filled with rice and utensils. Little hands scooping, pouring, filling and emptying over and over again. Something as simple as rice and a few utensils can create so much curiosity and concentration, and I loved just standing back and watching them explore it in their own way.

Nearby, Eli and James were playing inside a crate and very kindly invited me in. I don't think they were quite expecting me to actually say yes! But in I climbed! There was a brief moment where they both seemed to be wondering what exactly they had gotten themselves into, but Eli had his truck with him, so we played together for a little while before I eventually climbed back out.

Apparently, us being squished into a crate together looked like far too much fun to miss, because other little friends quickly hurried over to jump in and see what all the excitement was about.

Then came the dancing.

Madison, Florence, Roman, Luciano.P and Luciano.M joined me for a dance with Bunny and we had so much fun. I really love seeing the joy on their faces.

Madi had already greeted me with the most beautiful cuddles when she arrived that morning, and apparently one cuddle wasn't going to be enough. Any opportunity for another cuddle, a dance or some play and Madi was front and centre.

I loved every minute!

Over in Dolphins, Ryka invited me into some playdough play. Before long we were creating dinosaurs and flowers together and chatting as we went.

When I arrived in Coral, the children were sitting together having morning tea and very quickly filled me in on the most important news of the day. It was Miori's fourth birthday! Miori proudly shared a special family photo with me from his trip to Uluru, and of course I also managed to squeeze in one of my always delightful chats with Sienna and Saskia.

By the time I reached Seagulls, the energy was so calm, and the children were getting ready to start their morning stretch with Miss Jo, so naturally I joined in.

The children did such a beautiful job following Miss Jo's guidance as we moved and stretched together.

Afterwards, we spent some time talking as a group and Mickey shared some photos Miss Jo had printed for him from his trip to Uluru with his mum, dad and brother Miori.

He was a little too nervous to speak in front of everyone, but his friends were so interested in his photos and excited to see what he had to share. Miss Jo has created this into a beautiful learning journey display with picture prompts for the children and has given them many opportunities for Mickey to discuss this with his friends throughout the day.

Later, after some outdoor play, I came back inside to find Abigail wearing glasses, standing at the whiteboard and very seriously informing me that she was the teacher and was teaching the class! And on Educators Day of all days, I couldn't help but smile at that.

Our children are always watching the people around them. They are learning from them, building relationships with them and, in Abigail's case, apparently deciding they might like their job too!

After spending the morning celebrating alongside the children, it was time to celebrate our team.

Ferlicity had organised the most beautiful Educators Day lunch, with Subway and sushi platters rom Toah's family sushi shop Mr Sushi Ashmore, followed by delicious cookies.

And the celebrations weren't just about food! Every team member also had the opportunity to enjoy a massage throughout the day, by Kana - Hiro, Tayo and Yamato’s mum. Our educators spend their days giving so much of themselves to others, caring, comforting, teaching, playing, listening and being there for our children. So, on Educators Day, I loved that for a little while they got to stop, be looked after and have someone take care of them. They absolutely deserved it.

I decided to spend a couple of hours in the lunchroom so I could sit with our educators as they came through for their breaks, away from the busyness of the rooms. No agenda, just time together. And I loved it.

We talked about everything and nothing. Everyone was buzzing from the Educators Day celebrations. We chatted about travel, family coming to visit, our children, friends, weekend plans, new opportunities and everything in between.

Some of our team love a big chat, while others are perfectly happy to pop in, say hello, enjoy their lunch and do their own thing. And I completely respect both.

It is actually something I think about when planning my visits. I want to create opportunities to sit and chat with the team members who love that connection, but I also know that isn't everyone’s preferred way of connecting. Sometimes the best way for me to connect with someone is simply to spend time alongside them in their room, with the children, while they are doing what they do best.

A few of the team asked me questions about what inspired Damian and I to start Sanctuary. I am always happy to share our story, and I got to learn a little more about the people sitting around the table too.

Moments like this matter just as much to me as anything that happens in the rooms.

Our educators give so much of themselves every day. They really know our children. They celebrate their birthdays. They learn what makes them laugh, what interests them, when they need encouragement and when they simply need someone beside them. And they build relationships with our families so that we can know and support each child together.

So, on Educators Day, it was really lovely to have the time to sit together, eat, laugh, talk about life and get to know each other a little better. Nothing formal or planned. Just genuine time together, and the opportunity for me to say thank you.

As I left Ashmore that afternoon, I thought about what I had seen throughout the day.

Children completely absorbed in play.

Two little boys inviting me into their crate.

Dancing and cuddles with our littlest friends.

Dinosaurs made from playdough.

A very proud four-year-old birthday boy.

Mickey sharing his family photos with his friends.

Abigail very confidently taking over as teacher.

And a lunchroom filled with the people who help make all of those moments possible.

That is what felt so special about celebrating Educators Day at Ashmore. Everywhere I looked, I could see genuine relationships between our educators and children.

I didn't just get to thank our educators for what they do, I got to spend the day seeing it. In the play they created, the relationships they had built and in the confidence of the children around them.

In the laughter, the cuddles, the conversations and all those ordinary little moments that happen every single day.

To our Sanctuary Ashmore team, thank you.

The theme for Educators Day this year is ‘The Future Starts with Us’, and after spending the day with our Ashmore team and children, I don't think there could be a more fitting message.

My wish is that every educator takes the time, not just on Educators Day but throughout the year, to stop and recognise the incredible impact you are having on the children in your care. The energy, patience, fun, love and care you bring every day matters. The relationships you are building matter. And the impact of those relationships reaches far beyond Educators Day.

It is something I am grateful for every day of the year.

It was an absolute privilege to celebrate Educators Day with you.

Until next time...

Lauren x