Lowood Early Education Centre

Name: Tracey Siekai

Tell us about your career in early childhood. How long have you been working in the industry?

I began my journey in the Child Care Industry in March 1990. Through study and years of experience, I have been able to work my way up to become the Nominated Supervisor at Lowood Early Education Centre and Pre-School. 

Tell us about the relevant qualifications you hold that assists you in your position?

I hold an Advanced Diploma of Children’s Services, current First Aid, CPR Certificate, Asthma and Anaphylaxis Management Training and Blue Card.

When did you first join the QCCS team?

I first began my journey with QCCS at Busy Learners Early Education Centre in Inala as the Assistant Director in April 2014. From August 2014, I stepped into the position as Acting Director. In December 2015, I was given the opportunity to transfer to Lowood Early Learning Centre to take on the position of Director/Nominated Supervisor. So, from the 4^th of January 2016, I began my new journey as Director at Lowood.

What do you find most rewarding about your career in early childhood?

I love coming to work knowing that my team and I have made a difference in each child’s life, by extending on their knowledge, skills and abilities. Learning through play has always been my belief as an early childhood educator. It is very rewarding and satisfying to see the children develop and grow whilst in our care.

I love the fact that I am able to communicate and interact with my families on a daily basis and support them in any way I can.

Why should families choose Lowood Early Education Centre?

Families should choose Lowood Early Education Centre and Pre-school because we are a high quality Centre with dedicated staff that care about each child’s education and care.  As we value each child’s health and well being, we provide three healthy meals a day from our Healthy Cooking Company and also provide a physical education program that is implemented not only by our team of educators, but also by a highly qualified personal trainer. At Lowood we have an open door policy where we encourage all of our new families to come in and spend some time in their child’s room, which they are able to get to know their child’s educators and routines. We strive on having open and honest communication with our families to ensure consistency between their home and the Centre. Having a Centre courtesy bus enables our Centre to support the families in our community that do not have their own mode of transportation. We are a one stop Centre, providing before and after school care, plus vacation care during the school holidays. What more could you ask for!!!

Come in and meet the team at Lowood. We look forward to seeing you!

Why do you choose to work for QCCS?

I choose to work for QCCS because QCCS chose me! As a leader I believe in the company’s philosophy, goals and values. As a leader I also am committed to the advocacy of families and children. QCCS is very passionate about each child’s health and well-being and together with the implementation of physical activity programmes and healthy nutritious food (which is supplied by our very own Healthy Cooking Company), they believe that they are giving each child the best possible start in their early years. QCCS also contributes to each employee’s ongoing professional development through mentoring, in service training, professional courses and seminars for all their employees. QCCS has a supportive management team that is there to support me and all employees of the company, they value each Centre and employee. I would not have grown to be the leader that I am today without all the support and mentoring that I receive from such a fantastic company.

Welcome to Lowood Early Education Centre and Preschool. The Centre is located within walking distance to the local library and supermarket. We are a short, 2 minute drive from Lowood State School. 

We have been rated as an Exceeding Centre by the Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)!

Our aim is to provide the highest standard of care to you, the families, as well as to the children who are within our care. Our Centre celebrates diversity, welcoming families with different cultures and backgrounds.

Our hours of operation are from 6:15am to 6:15pm. We are open Monday through to Friday, 52 weeks a year (excluding public holidays). Our Centre opened in December 1996 and caters for 75 children aged from birth to school age. We provide before and after school care to school age children as well as vacation care in the school holidays.

We offer a free courtesy bus service which transports children to and from the local schools in the area. We also have the option to transport children to and from home for families who have no access to transport or in emergency situations, within a 10km radius (conditions apply). The schools we currently service are Patrick Estate State School, Lowood State School and Fernvale State School.

As security is one of our priorities, our Centre has a security door access system which only allows authorised parents/guardians to drop off and collect their child/ren from the Centre via a personal pin code.

Our Team:

Our team are qualified, friendly and caring staff who are committed to continually improving their skills and knowledge by frequently attending in-service training and seminars. All staff are required to have an up to date First Aid, CPR and Blue Card. All new employees of QCCS attend an Induction Session prior to commencing at any of our Child Care Centres; thus, ensuring they will be well equipped to step into their new role. In addition, we provide regular professional opportunities as well as monthly Centre Director and staff meetings to ensure that all our employees are up to date with industry developments.

Our Centre aims to be at the forefront of industry developments and trends. Therefore, at QCCS your child will benefit from an array of experiences:

• Interactive smart boards
• Dynamic Emergent Curriculum based on the Early Years Learning Framework and Kindergarten Guidelines
• Individual child portfolios. QCCS realises how important it is to be kept informed on your child’s progress and daily activities.
• Healthy nutritious meals including breakfast, morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea.
• Sun Safety is a priority with a large percentage of the playgrounds covered with artificial and natural shade. Each Centre aims to avoid sun exposure between 9am-3pm to give the children that added level of sun protection.
• Transition to school programs along with transition statements

We are committed to the implementation of the National Early Years Learning Framework and operate an Emergent Curriculum. Our program is based on the individual needs of the children in our care. Our program is balanced and developmentally appropriate. It has variations, providing for a wide range of individual experiences. These experiences give the children the opportunity to make choices and take on new challenges. Our centre programs are based on the individual child, thus ensuring it does not exclude any one child. Our goal is to inspire delight, curiosity, and inquiry in the classroom. We are very proud to offer the below to all our families at no additional costs:

Kindergarten Program
Our Centre is pleased to be operating a Queensland Government approved Kindergarten Program with a qualified Early Childhood Teacher. This program is aimed at preparing our pre-prep children for primary school. Our Centre implements the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline and focuses on building upon children’s learning and development including literacy and numeracy skills as well as exploring the foundations of mathematics and science. We are committed to developing and building on community partnerships with local schools, Teachers and families to ensure children are being well prepared for their school years.

Families with eligible children attending an approved Kindergarten Program may be entitled to a QKFS Plus Kindy Support Subsidy to assist with the out of pocket expenses of attending the program. To be eligible, families must either:

• Hold a current Health Care Card, Veterans Affairs Card or Australian Government Pension Concession Card 
• Identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander 
• Have three or more children enrolled in the same year (must be the same age)

Your Centre Director can provide you with further information regarding this subsidy.

Early Learning Languages Australia (ELLA)
Our Centre also boasts a second language program (German), we are proud participants in the Early Learning Languages Australia (ELLA) initiative. ELLA is an Australian Government initiative aimed at reviving the teaching of foreign languages in Australian schools, with the aim of significantly increasing the number of Year 12 students studying a language other than English within a decade.

Bush Kindy Program
Our children eagerly anticipate their fortnightly Bush Kindy Sessions. Each session runs for approximately two hours and begins with a 5 minute drive from our Centre to the Jensens Swamp Environmental Reserve.

As part of our Bush Kindy Program we learn all about the world around us and connect with nature whilst always acknowledging the traditional landowners – the Jagera, Yuppera and Ugarapul people. Children are given the chance to explore and learn new things, climbing, running and inadvertently expanding upon their gross motor skills. Exploring the plants, trees, rocks and water creates spontaneous conversation, interactions and valuable risk-taking opportunities. The sessions are unstructured and initiated by the children, to inspire problem solving and promote self-confidence.

Observing insects/animals in their natural habitat is often a highlight for the children, their excitement and intrigue is always evident in their laughter and smiles. The Educators encourage their inquisitive instincts and questions.

There are many known physical and social benefits to exploring nature and evidence shows that exposure to nature can reduce stress and increase academic performance. This is especially important in the technology driven world we live in where screen time is ever increasing for adults and children alike.

Hey Dee Ho Music Program
Our professional Music Program is facilitated by ‘Hey Dee Ho Educational Services’. Hey Dee Ho visits our Centre fortnightly. The program is an educational music experience where children learn the concepts of beat, rhythm, tempo, pitch and dynamics in a play-based environment. https://heydeeho.com.au/ourprograms/#music

Exposing children to music during early development helps them learn the sounds and meanings of words and is known to accelerate brain development, particularly in the areas of language acquisition. Dancing to music helps children build motor skills while allowing them to practice self-expression.

Hey Dee Ho understands that each child has their own unique set of needs and interests. They have developed a range of activities to address the varied developmental needs of all children from birth. From relaxation and mindfulness to playing musical instruments to high energy dances, Hey Dee Ho programs engage and enhance children’s learning and fine motor development while giving them plenty of opportunity for fun.

Little Scientists
Our Centre is proud to be a Certified Little Scientists House. This program is run daily by demonstrating our commitment to hands-on, inquiry-based learning in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education. It is designed to recognise services and schools that promote an active learning environment, incorporating best practice elements such as inquiry-based learning, metacognition and co-construction.

Veggie Fun Program
Veggie Fun for Everyone is a 12-week food literacy program run in our Kindergarten Room, created by our very own Healthy Cooking Company designed to develop a positive attitude toward vegetables in children. The Kindergarten children will be encouraged to explore vegetables, leading to positive experiences and self-directed tasting.

Perceptual Motor Program
Perceptual Motor Program (PMP) activities form a part of our daily routine as your child’s Educators aim to help them become physically active and promote healthy growth as well as development of bones, muscles, flexibility, balance, posture and cardiovascular fitness. It can also help establish connections between different parts of the brain that develop memory and language.

We believe food ingredients should come from the kitchen, not from a lab. From this belief came the inspiration to open our own production kitchen, the Healthy Cooking Company. We aim to create and promote natural and wholesome food with a number of health benefits:

• Organic baby food
• Preservative Free
• No artificial flavours
• Low in sodium & refined sugar
• Naturally sweetened with honey

We promise that our nutrition labels will be free of numbers, so there will be no need to decipher nasty food additives. We are dedicated to providing delicious food that your children will love. Parents can rest assured that their little ones are being provided with a good start with healthy, nutritious morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea meals provided.

As Educators, we believe in teaching children that physical activity can be fun as well as good for our bodies and minds. As a result we coordinate exciting exercise programs within our centres that have been developed by our Sports Dietitian in consultation with Primary School Physical Education Teachers. We want the children in our care to experience the numerous health benefits that regular physical activity can provide such as:

• Stronger muscles and bones
• Long term positive attitude towards exercise
• Reduction in the likelihood of becoming overweight
• Reduction in the likelihood of developing illnesses and diseases

Through this we aim to incorporate at least three hours of physical activity each day into our room routines and programs with:

• Morning physical activity routine
• General indoor physical activity
• Outdoor experiences