Cardinia Lakes Early Learning Centre Pakenham

At Cardinia Lakes Early Learning, we are proud to offer a diverse range of engaging programs that ignite children's enthusiasm and cultivate a lifelong love for learning. Our approach is driven by the natural curiosity and evolving interests of each child, seamlessly integrating learning activities between our indoor and outdoor environments. Through play and exploration, children are encouraged to develop essential social, emotional, and cognitive skills, with the continuous support and guidance of our dedicated educators.

Janine MacDonald IDirector) and Ashlee Asmussen (Assistant Director) are the primary staff members at Cardinia Lakes ELC, supported by other co-educators, assistant educators, and chef. Both Janine and Ashlee have earned high regard from parents and hold a strong reputation within the local community.

We maintain a favourable educator to child ratio, with 1:4 for children under 3 and 1:11 for children over 3. This allows us to quickly establish meaningful connections with the children. Our educators spend extended periods of time with small groups, engaging in conversations and fostering shared learning experiences.

Every week, Janine and the Room Leaders review the children's participation in the program. They discuss the educators’ training and support needs, evaluate what worked well, and identify areas for improvement or continuation in future sessions.

Janine, who also serves as the Educational Leader, has an extensive track record of running highly successful Centres accross Pakenham. The team has developed a strong rapport, enabling them to engage in professional discussions about the service both internally and with external professionals. The professional collaboration among the Cardinia Lakes ELC team has flourished over time and continues to serve the community to utmost best of its ability.

At Cardinia Lakes ELC we appreciate and value families as the primary and most influential educators for their children. As a result, we prioritise working closely with families to ensure that our learning environments seamlessly align with and build upon the learning that takes place at home.

We warmly welcome families and the wider community as active participants in our Early Learning programs. We view families as essential partners in their child's learning and development journey. Together, children, families, the community, and our team of educators form a strong community, dedicated to providing the best possible learning opportunities for the children.

We strive to establish a partnership with our families, demonstrating understanding and providing support within our service. We respect and support families' autonomy in making decisions about their children, and we encourage their active involvement at all levels and times within the centre. Our team is always ready to offer advice, encouragement and resources to support our families.