Newsletter | December 2025
What’s On This Month
Key Dates
3rd December | International Day of People with Disabilities
10th December | Human Rights Day
25th December | Christmas Day
26th December | Boxing Day
31st December | New Years Eve
Recipe | christmas Brownies
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Serves: 16
Ingredients
85g dark chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1 1 /3 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tbs vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt flakes
2/3 cup plain flour
50g dark chocolate, melted
3 candy canes, crushed
Method
Preheat oven to 175 C and line a 20 cm x 20 cm square tin with baking paper. Grease the baking paper with a little butter. Set aside.
Place the chocolate and butter into a heat-proof bowl and place over a saucepan of simmering water. Do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water. Stir the mixture until melted. Take off the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla to the melted chocolate and whisk to combine.
Add the salt and plain flour and whisk to combine.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted removes cleanly. Allow to cool in the tin
To Decorate: Drizzle melted dark chocolate over brownies and top with crushed candy canes. Cut into 16 pieces.
Source: Image & recipe mylovelylittlelunchbox.com.
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Sustainability
A New-to-You Way to Celebrate
This Christmas, consider embracing the joy of toy swapping, a simple, sustainable way to refresh your child’s playtime without the constant cycle of buying new. Children are naturally drawn to toys that feel different, exciting or “new-to-them,” which makes swapping with friends, cousins or neighbours a fun and meaningful alternative.
A toy swap encourages children to explore new interests, practise sharing, and appreciate the value of re-using rather than replacing. Gently used books, puzzles, figurines, blocks, and dress-ups can feel brand new in the hands of another child. It’s also a great way to clear out items your family no longer needs while giving them a second life.
By choosing “new-to-you” toys this Christmas, families can reduce waste, save money, and model thoughtful, environmentally friendly habits. It’s a small change that brings big joy—and reminds children that the magic of Christmas doesn’t have to come wrapped in plastic.
Public Holidays
As we move through the year, we’d like to remind families of how public holidays work within Family Day Care:
Educators are not required to provide care on public holidays.
If your child’s regular booking falls on a public holiday and care is not provided, your usual fee still applies.
If an educator chooses to provide care on a public holiday, a public holiday rate may apply.
These guidelines help ensure consistency for families and fairness for our educators. If you have any questions about your child’s bookings, please feel free to contact us anytime.
Making the Most of the Holidays Together
As the end of the year draws near, we’re reminded of how precious those long, warm summer days are, especially when shared with our little ones. Life slows down, routines pause, and families come together for the all-too-brief holiday break. While the festive period often carries a bustle of celebrations and to-do lists, it’s also a rare window in our children’s lives full of innocence, wonder and unhurried time. This season offers a chance to shift our focus and intentionally savour the moments. Here’s how we can do just that:
1. Embrace the slower pace
With schools and centres closed, the rhythm of the day changes. Instead of rushing from activity to activity, allow for pockets of unstructured time where children can wander, imagine and simply be. A lazy afternoon in the backyard, watching the sunlight drift, or a spontaneous nature walk down the street can create rich memories.
2. Make every day feel festive
The décor, songs and smells of the season are exciting for children, but it doesn’t need to be over-the-top. Involve kids in simple traditions: turning on the fairy lights at dusk, decorating craft stockings, or making a “holiday tree” from found branches and nature’s treasures. These small rituals become the stories your children will remember.
3. Create together-time, not just events
It’s tempting to pack holidays full of outings, visits and celebrations. While those are special, the most meaningful moments often happen in the ordinary. Set aside time for baking together, board-games in the afternoon sun, or building a fort in the lounge. These slower moments deepen connection not because they’re perfect, but because they’re shared.
4. Let children lead the wonder
When children are still young, their sense of awe is at its them, height. Encourage their questions, explore what fascinates and allow plenty of room for slow moments. Time to find a shiny leaf, a curious bug, watch the way the sunset glows through the window. Their wonder is contagious and reminds us to slow down too.
5. Balance togetherness and rest
While it’s wonderful to be “all home” and present, holiday togetherness doesn’t mean constant high energy. For younger children especially, innovation, noise and novelty can sometimes overwhelm. Build in intervals of calm: a quiet book under a tree branch, a nap or simply lying on the grass and watching clouds drift. Those pauses help keep everyone’s spirits high.
Educator of The Month
Congratulations to …
Julie Zhou
Rowville
Coordinator: Lynsey Chen
We are pleased to introduce Julie as our Educator of the Month and recognise her outstanding contributions to our learning community. Julie builds strong relationships with her children, fostering a sense of security and value in each child. She provides engaging learning experiences that promote young children's growth.
Julie is committed to nurturing children's identity and their sense of belonging, effectively supporting their cultural backgrounds by encouraging the learning of their mother language. Her passion and dedication to developing well-rounded, confident children truly set her apart as an exceptional educator.
Congratulations Julie!
Books we Love
Our Top Picks
Christmas Tree Craft
This cheerful holiday activity invites children to create their own Christmas tree using painted cardboard triangles and fun collage materials. It’s simple, hands-on, and gives children plenty of freedom to explore colour, texture and design.
How It Works:
Start by cutting triangles from recycled cardboard; these will become the first layer of the tree. Children then paint their triangle in festive colours such as green, pink, red or teal. You can also collage the trees using crepe paper in Christmas colours.
Once dry, tape a piece of string to the top of your child’s tree. Children then thread a range of items: buttons, sequins, cut-up straws and paper shapes onto the string. When your child has finished their threading, help them wrap the string around their tree and secure it with tape. Add a star and the tree is all done!