Glen Education Centre Road

Connecting With Our Community

By Revangini Dang

At Glen Centre Road Kindergarten, our focus this year has centred strongly on nurturing meaningful connections with the community and deepening our understanding of Indigenous perspectives, supporting our service goals of strengthening relationships and fostering a deep sense of belonging for all. 

Visits to Warrawee Community Aged Care Residence 

One of the highlights of our year was our visits to the Warrawee Community Aged Care residence. These intergenerational encounters created a warm and thoughtful space where children and residents engaged in a variety of shared activities, including reading books together, playing simple board games, colouring, and building with blocks. These interactions were filled with gentle chatter, laughter, and genuine connection. Through these visits, children developed empathy, confidence, and an understanding of respect for older generations. This partnership added depth to our kinder program by connecting learning with lived experience and encouraging children to recognise themselves as active contributors to their community. 

Partnership With Bunnings 

We also strengthened community ties through our partnership with Bunnings. Their team visited the kindergarten to donate gardening tools and work alongside the children to create a worm farm.This project has since become an ongoing learning experience. Children have been actively involved in collecting food scraps, feeding the worms, and observing how the worms break down organic waste. Through this hands-on process, children are developing an understanding of decomposition, soil health, and the importance of reducing waste. They are learning to care for living creatures and noticing how small actions—like placing scraps in the worm farm—can have a positive impact on the environment. 

Deepening Our Connection to First Nations Culture 

Creating the Bunjil Eagle 

Another important focus this year has been our service goal of honouring and exploring cultural diversity. With gentle guidance and storytelling, children worked together to create a representation of Bunjil the Eagle using paperbark and other natural materials. They also explored painting with the colours of the Aboriginal flag and experimented with mud as a natural pigment. These experiences encouraged children to think creatively and respectfully about Aboriginal culture and symbolism. Working with natural resources helped foster a sense of connection to Country, invited sensory exploration, and strengthened children’s ability to notice, compare, and appreciate the materials around them.  

Yarning Circles  

Our yarning circles supported equality and respect—every child had a voice, and every voice mattered. Gathering together in this way provided a warm, calm, and reflective space where children could share ideas, listen to one another, and build a strong sense of group identity. Around the campfire, children helped roast vegetables such as corn, capsicum, and sweet potato. These experiences opened rich discussions about healthy eating, fire safety, and the cultural significance of gathering around a fire in Aboriginal communities. The children discovered that yarning is not just talking—it is a way to connect, care for one another, and learn from everyone around them.  

All of these moments—big and small—have shaped a year that truly reflects who we are as a Glen Education community. Our children have grown in confidence, empathy, and understanding, and we feel privileged to have shared this journey with them. With hearts full and spirits high, we look forward to welcoming another wonderful year of learning, discovery, and connection.