Growing children, growing eachother

Two things became very clear while reading this year’s 92 Sanctuary Redlynch nominations.

The first: Redlynch is a team of makers.

Gardens are grown, materials are repurposed, displays are built, costumes are created and learning experiences emerge from things somebody else may have thrown away.

The second: Redlynch grows its own people.

Nomination after nomination described somebody teaching, mentoring, guiding or helping another educator develop. Taken together, those themes tell the same story: this is a team that invests in children, environments and one another.

Skye arrived at Sanctuary Redlynch with very little experience. That is worth recognising because of where she is now.

Her teammates describe an educator who learned quickly and has become one of those rare people who can step into almost any room and simply fit.

Skye embraces feedback, shows initiative and ensures the fundamentals are never lost: children feel safe, secure and supported while having opportunities for fun and meaningful engagement.

Her Rising Star recognition celebrates just how quickly she has developed into someone the Redlynch team relies upon.

Kelina leads with calm, consistency and an enormous amount of heart.

Her studio reflects that approach: organised, thoughtful and centred around children’s interests, strengths and needs.

What her nominations returned to most, though, was her generosity as a teacher. Kelina is always available to guide less experienced educators. One colleague described watching her effectively duplicate her own skills by teaching the people around her, while a newer team member wrote that Kelina had already become their role model.

As one nomination put it simply: Redlynch needs more people like her.

Jet knows the name of every parent at Redlynch.

And the grandparents.

And the aunts, uncles and siblings.

That is not a party trick. It comes from taking the time, again and again, to know the people within the centre community.

Families feel seen because Jet remembers their names, stories and the little details that make people feel important. And despite carrying the responsibilities of the Director role, Jet remains a hands-on presence on the floor, checking in with children and educators throughout the day.

Her warmth, kindness and genuine interest in people make her, quite literally, the heart of Redlynch.

Emila’s move into the Dolphins room this year demonstrated just how quickly she can create trust. From her first week, families were already offering positive feedback about her warmth, energy and strong presence.

Her communication at handover is regularly praised because families feel genuinely heard rather than simply informed. Perhaps the clearest evidence is the small queue that can form at pick-up, with families waiting specifically to hear from Emila about their child’s day.

That kind of relationship cannot be manufactured. It comes from consistency, honesty and genuine interest repeated day after day.

Bryan was Redlynch’s most nominated person this year.

His teaching is deeply intentional, from long-term gardening projects to inquiries into birds and animals that allow children to follow their questions over time.

Even Kindergarten graduation is approached as more than an event. For Bryan, it becomes an opportunity for children to reflect on how far they have come and step towards school with confidence.

He is also exceptionally resourceful, regularly collecting recyclable materials and spending his own time creating resources and experiences for children.

One nomination acknowledged that Bryan’s professional journey has included challenges too, but throughout them he has remained grounded in why he does the work: the children and their learning.

His colleagues captured the result perfectly: Bryan’s passion is contagious, and working alongside him makes them better educators.

Congratulations to Michael Nagua, Coffee Order Memory Award; Margareth Ugnit, Glitter Wrangler; Samia Jahan, Human Snooze Button; Adrian Bell, Lunchbox Whisperer; Lyngel Pastor, MacGyver; Nina Derksen, Most Likely to Be Found on the Floor; Zita Mueller, Nature Explorer; and Kimberly Jones, Walking Wikipedia.

Ninety-two times, someone at Redlynch stopped and said, in effect: I see what you contribute. That might be one of the strongest signs of a healthy team there is.

You are what makes Sanctuary Redlynch, Sanctuary.

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