January
February 🎉
Newsletter · 2026
A busy, joyful two months — new faces, new programs, and a whole year of learning ahead. Welcome to our January–February community update from Gurwood Early Learning Centre.
A Warm & Busy Start
to 2026
"
"We are incredibly proud of the warm, welcoming environment created by our team — and we thank our families for their ongoing trust and support."
February has been a busy and positive month at Gurwood Early Learning. We have loved welcoming several new children and families to our community, and it has been wonderful to see children settling into their rooms, building relationships, and feeling confident in their learning environments.
We are also excited to share that our Preschool Program has officially commenced in the Wallabies room. This program is designed to support children as they develop confidence, independence, and important foundational skills as they prepare for their transition to school.
Throughout the month, our educators have continued to work collaboratively to ensure consistent routines, strong communication, and high-quality care. Health, safety, and wellbeing remain a priority at Gurwood.
It has been especially lovely to hear feedback from families in the community who have shared that Gurwood Early Learning comes highly recommended. As always, please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or would like to chat about your child's day.
The Voices Behind
This Newsletter
Laura has been supporting our amazing educators with programming and assisting with routines and practices within the rooms. Children have all successfully transitioned into their new spaces and formed great connections with their new educators.
She's been leading the roll-out of our daily floor books — snapshots of each day including photos, drawings, and children's voices, displayed in each room and uploaded to OWNA.
As staff trainer and mentor, Tayla has worked closely with each new educator to ensure confidence and compliance in key areas — including child protection, allergen awareness, and safe sleep practices.
She's also planning an exciting range of community incursions for 2026: police officers, firefighters, dog safety, sports programs, magic shows, and more. Ideas welcome!
A quick reminder that our service is part of the Start Strong for Long Day Care program. If your child is at least 3 years old before 31 July 2026, please return your form as soon as possible to receive fee relief.
Each child also receives 42 allowable absences per financial year. Once consumed, a medical certificate is required to receive CCS for further absences.
The Wallabies Room
Is Now Open!
Our Preschool Program has officially started, running each day from 8:30am – 4:30pm. The program is designed to support children's school readiness, independence, confidence, and social skills, while encouraging curiosity, creativity, and a love of learning through play and intentional experiences.
Children take part in group times, hands-on learning, outdoor play, and opportunities to build independence — including signing themselves in each morning. Katie has been working hard on the curriculum and the expectations of the room.
Excursions & Incursions
Planned for 2026
We are excited to be planning a range of excursions and incursions throughout the year to extend learning beyond the classroom and connect with our local Wagga Wagga community.
Got a community connection idea? Email training@gurwoodelc.au — we always value family input.
Things You Need to Know
Our service is part of the Start Strong for Long Day Care program. If your child is at least 3 years old before 31 July 2026, you are eligible to receive this fee relief.
Please return this form as soon as possible. Even if you are not claiming the additional fee relief, please still return the form so we can record this accurately.
Each child receives 42 allowable absences per financial year. When your child is absent, you are still charged for your permanent sessions. These 42 absences do not require evidence.
Once all allowable absences are used, any additional absences will not be subsidised unless you provide a medical certificate. Without evidence, you will be charged the full fee.
Additional approved absence reasons are available on the service website.
We have welcomed several new educators to our team this year. Our staff trainer Tayla has worked closely with each to ensure they are confident and compliant in child protection, allergen awareness, and safe sleep practices.
As new educators join throughout the year, this ongoing compliance checklist will continue to ensure our team maintains the highest standard of care.
All observations, learning moments, and daily floor book snapshots are shared through OWNA. Please continue to check the app regularly for updates from your child's room.
Also look out for our "What's On" notice boards located in both hallways — these are updated with upcoming events, excursions, and incursion dates throughout the year.
Leave Us a Google Review ⭐
Thank you for being a valued part of our centre community. Your feedback means a great deal to us and helps us continue providing high-quality care and education.
If you feel our centre and services deserve a 5-star rating, we would be so grateful if you could scan the QR code and leave us a Google review. Your kind words help other Wagga Wagga families learn about the support we provide.
Google Review
5 stars would be amazing!
CPR Training — February
The Gurwood ELC team will be attending a First Aid and CPR course in February as part of our ongoing professional development. This training allows us to refresh and upskill our knowledge, ensuring all educators remain confident and compliant.
Safety, Wellbeing &
Community First
We continue to review and update health information to ensure we are well prepared to support every child's individual needs. Educators focus on positive guidance strategies supporting emotional and social development.
We have loved welcoming new families to our community. Building strong partnerships between educators and families creates the very best outcomes for children. Please always feel free to reach out.
Looking ahead to 2026, we have many exciting experiences planned — incursions, excursions, floor books, QIP in action, and more. Watch OWNA and our notice boards for updates throughout the year!
Here's to a Wonderful
Year of Learning & Growth!
We look forward to a wonderful year ahead with all our children and families. Thank you for your ongoing trust and support — it means everything to our team.