Newsletter June 2025
A warm welcome from all of us at Oakleigh Occasional Care!
We’re thrilled to share our very first newsletter of 2025 with you. Whether you’re part of our Burton Street or Garnett Street community – or you’re just getting to know us – we’re so glad to have you with us.
Our highly experienced staff work hard to design play-based programs that are tailored and challenging for the unique group of children attending each session. At Oakleigh Occasional Care, we’re incredibly proud to provide not-for-profit childcare. Being community-based means our focus is always on the wellbeing and development of the children in our care – not profits. We continue to rely on the generosity of our community – whether through donations or the time and talents of our wonderful network of families.
We currently have vacancies available across both centres, so if you know a family looking for a warm and welcoming early learning environment, we’d love for you to spread the word. Hours available are Monday – Friday 9am – 12pm or 9am – 2pm. Please contact Robyn on 9544 1340 or email: oakleighocc.care@bigpond.com to find out more!
Follow Oakleigh Occasional Care on social media to keep up with our latest updates, events, and joyful moments from our day-to-day activities. 📘 Facebook: Oakleigh Occasional Care 📸 Instagram: @oakleighoccasionalcare.
Thank you for being part of our community. Here’s to a wonderful year ahead!
Warm regards,
The Oakleigh Occasional Care Team
Here’s what’s been happening at Oakleigh Occasional Care this year!
We kicked off in February with our Annual General Meeting which was a fantastic opportunity for families to connect with our amazing educators and staff from both the Burton and Garnett Street centres. It was heartwarming to see so many friendly faces, great conversations, and genuine interest in our programs.
A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated staff who attended and helped prepare for the evening – your time, effort, and passion for what you do truly shine through. We’re also thrilled to share that we raised funds through our raffle on the night. Thank you to everyone who purchased tickets and contributed to making it a success. Your support goes a long way in helping us continue to grow and improve our centres.
Introducing your wonderful committee members!
- President – Elise (Garnett Street)
- Secretary – Kathleen (Burton Street)
- Treasurer – Lauren (Garnett Street)
- Fundraising Coordinator – All Committee
- Burton Street Rep – Ciara
- Garnett Street Rep –Jingjing
In May, we held a rafflefor Mother’s Day and are excited to share that we raised $528!
A huge thank you goes to Zena Floros, who generously donated vouchers to support our fundraiser. Zena is the founder of Intuitive Health & Wellness, a local business offering holistic therapies and wellness services. We’re incredibly grateful for her support—please check out and support her work if you can!
www.intuitivehealthandwellness.au
School Holiday Program at Garnett Street:We are operating on Monday-Thursday during the school holidays (7/7/25 – 17/7/25). Sessions are 9am-12pm or 9am-2pm on each day. Limited vacancies available, contact Robyn to book 9544 1340.
Please call the centre directly 9544 1340 if you will miss your booked session as we have families on a waiting list.
Updates from Burton Street
I want to start by saying a big thank you to Kathleen and Ciara who volunteered to be on the committee on behalf of all families who use our centre and the staff. We appreciate your time and the support you offer at the meetings, as well as other jobs like organizing fundraising and working bees. Thank you for helping in the running of OOC.
Last year we said goodbye to lots of our older children ready to set off to school or 4 year old kinder. Although it is always sad to see families move on it is also wonderful to see how the children had grown – to see them ready for the next big adventure and as staff we are pleased in the knowledge that we helped teach them some of the skills needed to take on the challenges and changes they will face, with confidence, resilience, independence and social competence.
To the children who returned this year and to our new families we offer a happy, nurturing environment teaching the same skills we set the last lot out with ☺ All the children have settled in very well and have already accepted the routine of our days which involve lots of free play in the main room- set up with experiences and exploration, craft activities, group time with the sharing of books and stories. Songs with movement and dancing, eating meals together as a group and lots of fresh air and exercise outdoors on bikes, play equipment and in the sand pit. Friendships have formed and we have lots of laughs.
Unfortunately last year our Fleet street centre closed their doors. The children who attended Fleet moved to our two remaining centres Burton St. and Garnett St. They all seem to be settling in well and enjoying their new spaces and bonded to their carers and with the children came staff too, we welcome Ling, Mary and Di.
Attendances are low at the moment and so we’d like to ask for your help. We know our children’s numbers will climb eventually but a little more help with advertising and parent word of mouth will help us get there quicker. Please help us by telling family, friends, acquaintances and anyone out there complaining about how hard it is to find quality childcare that we are here waiting to serve our community and deliver that great level of care.
Parents, please have a little conversation with staff if there has been any changes to your child’s routine- a busy weekend, didn’t sleep well the night before, moved house or bedroom, or you may think they are coming down with a cold or virus. Communication between parents and staff are key to how a child’s day will turn out.
We’d like to thank the committee for all their support, to our generous parents with their donations and help with fundraising. Also a big thank you to Burton Street staff, a wonderful bunch of ladies whom we have such a great support network together and by no means least to the children who make it such a pleasure to come to work each day.
Our philosophy:
“Talking, listening, playing, singing together and sharing books everyday..…from birth all children need opportunities to do these things with people they love and admire, who recognise, value and encourage their efforts and achievements.”
Loretta, Libby, April, Mary, Simone, Shaylene, Di and Jess
Updates from Garnett Street
Garnett St has had a great start to the year with just a few vacancies still available.
We have welcomed lots of new families this year, replacing the children that have moved on to kindergarten and school. It was also great to welcome back some familiar faces who have joined us for another year. We have been lucky enough to have the same staff start the year with us. This has been very positive when it came to welcoming children back after such a long break.
At the end of Term 1 we said farewell to Prue. Prue has been working at Garnett St for 19 years. We wish her all the best in the next chapter of her life. We welcome Ling who will be working on Mondays.
The first term has been full of exciting activities, learning experiences and lots of happy moments, and we are sure this will continue throughout the year.
During the early part of this year, we have been concentrating on making separation easier for the children, as well as establishing a routine for the children and encouraging them to settle at the activities that are provided.
We have placed the focus on activities that promote social interaction and language development, such as playdough, the home corner, and group time, as well as the sandpit and waterplay outside. Our group time consists of stories, songs, music and movement, and the children are always eager and excited to participate.
The children have also been enjoying the variety of art/craft activities that are being provided, including pasting, roller painting and golf ball painting, as well as creating beautiful Mother’s Day gifts and cards.
All these activities provide an opportunity for children to develop their language and social skills, as well as fostering creativity and fine motor skills, while allowing children to express themselves through art.
One of the advantages of multi age grouping in childcare is shown when we often observe the children showing kindness and care for each other and the older children helping the younger children throughout the sessions. This interaction helps foster their sense of community and social skills.
Thank you to the parents from Garnett St that attended the AGM, and also to the parents that have volunteered to be on the committee.
Garnett St continues to be a happy thriving centre, and we are all looking forward to an exciting year ahead.
Carola, Kerryanne, Anna, Simone, Mary, Ling and April
Friendly Reminders from the staff
Warm Clothing
Please ensure your child brings a named coat and warm hat for outdoor play. We head outside in all kinds of weather!
Label Everything
It’s important that all lunchboxes, drink bottles, and clothing are clearly labeled with your child’s name
Need to order name labels? Check out our fundraising info below and order online – a portion of each purchase supports our centre
Absences & Make-Up Sessions
If your child will be away, please call the centre to let us know. If you notify staff before 8:30am, we can offer:
- A makeup session on another day
- The opportunity for another family to access a make-up spot
Healthy Eating
At Oakleigh Occasional Care we promote healthy eating habits and love seeing lunchboxes filled with fresh or dried fruit, sandwiches, yoghurt or cheese. Both centres have a fridge and microwave available if needed
Allergy Aware – No Nuts or Eggs Please
We are a nut and egg product-free centre. Please avoid packing: Nutella or peanut butter / Whole nuts / Muesli bars containing nuts / Hard-boiled or fried eggs. We appreciate your support in keeping all children safe.
Fundraising Committee – News and Reminders
(Parents: Elise, Kathleen, Lauren, Ciara and Jingjing)
Thank You – We’ve Raised $768.50 So Far!
A big thank you to all our wonderful families and supporters – thanks to your generosity, we’ve raised $768.50 so far this year! Every contribution helps improve our centres and supports the learning and wellbeing of the children in our care.
What We’re Fundraising For:
★ Burton Street Centre – New Cubby House
We’re working with Bunnings to purchase a new cubby house to create a fun and imaginative outdoor space for the children.
We’d love your help!
- Donations towards the cubby house
- Assistance with installation, painting, or general handywork
- Please get in touch with Burton St staff or Robyn if you or someone you know can help!
★ Garnett Street Centre – Pole Protectors
To keep our play areas safe, we’ll soon be installing pole protectors. Your support is helping us make this happen!
We’re in need of A4 paper for everyday use with the children. Both white and coloured paper, new or recycled. We go through a lot each week for drawing, craft, and learning activities!
We’re Also Collecting Donations of:
- Books (new or in good condition)
- Paper (A4 white or coloured – new or recycled)
- Cardboard (clean, good condition – great for craft and construction play)
- Outdoor play equipment
- Dolls and toys (clean and in good condition)
- Wipes and tissues – thank you to the families who’ve already donated!
Current Fundraising
Chocolate Fundraiser – Now On! Our annual chocolate fundraiser has officially begun! Please return all money to your centre by Friday, 4th July 2025.
Bunnings Sausage Sizzle – Sunday 2nd August. We need volunteers to help at our upcoming Bunnings BBQ. It’s a fun day and a great fundraiser for our centres! We are also seeking donations of:
- Soft drinks and water
- Serviettes
- Sauces – Tomato, BBQ, Mustard
- Foil trays
T-Shirts & Hats for Sale
- Oakleigh Occasional Care t-shirts and hats are available for your children to wear at care. Order forms can be collected from either centre.
- T-shirts: $13 each. Hats: $12.50 each
Birthday & Celebration Cards
- We’re selling packs of 10 beautiful cards for $10.
Perfect to have on hand for birthdays or special occasions! To purchase, speak to staff or contact Robyn via email.
My Name Label – Ongoing Fundraiser
- Order your child’s name labels online and support Oakleigh Occasional Care! Visit: www.mynamelabel.com.au / Use our fundraising code: 89152d66 and Receive 5% off, and 15% of your order will be donated back to us! Labels are great for clothing, lunchboxes, drink bottles and more.
Upcoming Dates for your Diary!
Sunday 2nd August:
- Bunnings sausage sizzle Bunnings Oakleigh – 1041 Centre Road, South Oakleigh, 8:30am – 4:30pm – come along and enjoy a sausage!
Garnett Street Working Bee:
- Details will be emailed to families shortly
Sunday 19th October:
- Family Photo Fundraiser – A lovely opportunity to capture a special moment with your family.
Details and booking information will be emailed to families shortly.
AGM February 2026 (date TBC):
- All families have the wonderful opportunity to hear from our dedicated staff, chat with your child’s wonderful educators, enter the raffle to win great prizes and meet other parents and carers.
Thank you to our supporters!
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the following businesses for their generous support of Oakleigh Occasional Care through advertising and donations. If you’d like to support our service and promote your business here, we’d love to hear from you – your contribution can make a big difference to our community! Please contact Robyn: 9544 1340 or email: oakleighocc.care@bigpond.com
