Jenny’s Early Learning Armstrong Creek is putting community at the heart
Armstrong Creek is a new community in the greater Geelong area, which has been designed to cater for growing families.
Originally published by Freya Lucas – The Sector
Right at the heart of this emerging community is the team from Jenny’s Early Learning, who are bringing their well respected presence to Armstrong Creek to support families and to offer a unique opportunity for early childhood educators to be part of something truly special.
Jenny’s have established a reputation for being not just present in the communities they serve, but for being active participants, building genuine partnerships with educators who collaborate with children, families, other professionals, community members and teachers in schools to support children’s learning, development and wellbeing.
Community engagement
Opening a new service in a new community is always exciting, but for the educators at Jenny’s Early Learning Armstrong Creek one of the most exciting aspects is being able to expand the world of the children in their care, beyond their first teachers (their family) and into the wider world, knowing that these connections will enable their confidence to grow.
Community engagement nurtures a sense of belonging for children and creates a network of connections that supports them throughout their lives. For the children in Armstrong Creek, they will be growing up alongside their new community, and will soon be an established part of the suburb’s framework.
Under the leadership of director Christine Bristow the Jenny’s Early Learning Armstrong Creek team have already started making strong connections with Biyal-a Armstrong Creek Library, Give Where You Live Geelong, and have become a major sponsor of the upcoming Surf Trek, an initiative that raises money for Kids+ and The Give Where You Live Foundation.
“Being able to support initiatives like Surf Coast Trek is a really meaningful way for us to acknowledge our role in building and supporting compassionate communities,” Christine said.
“Numerous bodies of research have shown that children thrive when they are connected to their communities, and that’s a responsibility we don’t take lightly,” she continued. “We aim to provide more than just a high quality early childhood education – we are committed to fostering a deep sense of community, inside and outside our centres.
Community connections help children to thrive
Rhonda Livingstone, ACECQA’s National Educational Leader, has also spoken strongly about the value of community when it comes to children’s development.
“Community is essential to quality outcomes for children,” she said.
“A community provides an important relationship environment; promotes belonging, a sense of identity and learning; supports active participation in the world and continuity of learning; and connects children and families to supportive relationships and resource networks. Young children develop in an environment of relationships, with a child’s community providing a vital relationship context for their learning and development.”
Everything from the location of Jenny’s Early Learning Armstrong Creek, which is tucked away on a quiet court, to the way it has been sympathetically constructed to fit in with its residential surroundings, has been chosen to make the service a true part of the community.
Floor to ceiling windows allow natural light to pour in, with each room having access to a large outdoor playspace, complete with quirky scarecrow, inviting children and visitors alike to spend time engaging with nature, and invite the children to see the community they are part of.
“When you walk into a Jenny’s ELC centre, we want to create a feeling of comfort, positivity and safety – all things that make it feel just like home,” Jenny’s ELC Managing Director Darren Reid said, highlighting studies which demonstrate that learning environments that reflect the local community help children build social awareness, respect, and identity.
Growing children in a growing suburb
As Armstrong Creek continues to grow while the children who live there do, the team from Jenny’s Early Learning will be right alongside them, taking pride in their growth, and in the growth of the community.
“We love supporting local communities,” Darren Reid said.
“All of our Educators are just so passionate about what they do and we can’t wait to welcome more of the Armstrong Creek families to our beautiful service so they can see for themselves,” he added.
