One of Queensland’s largest not-for-profit early learning providers, C&K, has announced the winners of its 2022 C&K Excellence & Innovation Awards, recognised for their exceptional practice and efforts to fulfil the organisation’s vision, where every child flourishes.
C&K’s Chief People Officer, Paula Holden, said there were many inspiring applications this year with winners selected from across C&K’s 338 kindergartens and childcare centres in the categories of Pedagogy and Practice; Children, Families and Community; Exceptional People; Kaizen (Japanese for ‘improvement’ or ‘change for the better’) and Leadership and Advocacy.
“It’s been another challenging year for employees in our sector, navigating COVID-19, natural disasters and staff shortages. We wanted to ensure we acknowledged the commitment and dedication of our exceptional workforce, so we introduced an additional award in each category – one for continuous improvement and another for exceptional practice,” said Ms Holden.
CEO, Dr Sandra Cheeseman, said it was a proud moment to see so much rich practice taking place in C&K centres.
“Children come first in everything we do at C&K, and these award submissions showcased genuine partnerships with children, families and local communities; exceptional practice in inclusion and care; respect of diverse cultures, challenging thinking and advocating for the environment. This is what high-quality early learning looks like when we nurture and inspire children to succeed, it’s truly something to celebrate!” said Dr Cheeseman.
A special mention went to double award-winner Louise Stallard, Director, Teacher and Educational Leader at C&K Forestview Community Kindergarten in Bundaberg. Louise was recognised for exceptional practice in Leadership and Advocacy and was the overall winner of the MTA Emeritus Professor Mary Mahoney Award for Excellence in Early Childhood Education and Care.
“No educator applies themselves to their work with the sole mission of receiving awards for their efforts, however being acknowledged for many years of passionate service to both early childhood education and C & K and receiving not one but two awards was an absolute honour. I am a passionate educator and adore inspiring and mentoring peers in the industry to see the possibilities in their teaching and connections with children, families and community, especially around embedding global citizenship perspectives in all that we do each day with and alongside advocating for play and all that we hold dear in the early childhood years. It is an absolute privilege to support young children on their learning journey to be curious about their community, country and world, to learn about different perspectives and that we are part of an interconnected world that requires our care, connection and respect for a sustainable future,” state Louise Stallard.
Adding to her 28 years’ experience as an early childhood teacher, 21 years of those at Forestview Kindergarten, Louise is a passionate lifelong learner, supportive leader and champion of exceptional practice.
She has become an outstanding advocate for Global Citizenship in early childhood, developing quality resources to engage with children and families on what global citizenship looks like, feels like and sounds like in a kindergarten setting.
The strong, authentic relationships she has developed with local First Nations people have enabled her to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and learnings into everyday practice at Forestview Kindy, so children can learn the importance of ‘interconnectedness’ and being ‘caretakers of the land’.
Louise was also instrumental in employing a Japanese teacher to support children’s learning of language and culture through the Early Learning Languages Australia (ELLA) program, extending this to the broader community where children have been able to collaborate on cultural celebrations and events.
C&K CEO, Dr Sandra Cheeseman, said she was particularly impressed with the professionalism and passion that shone through in each of the award submissions.
“I am proud to be part of the C&K team with people who bring joy and exceptional skills to their roles each day, and I congratulate all the 2022 winners for their outstanding efforts,” she said.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2022 WINNERS:
*OVERALL WINNER – MTA Emeritus Professor Mary Mahoney AO Award for Excellence in Early Childhood Education and Care: Louise Stallard-Director, Teacher and Educational Leader at C&K Forestview Community Kindergarten.
*PEDAGOGY and PRACTICE
Exceptional Practice – C&K Ripley Childcare Centre (Kindergarten team)
Continuous Improvement – C&K Caboolture Kindergarten
* CHILDREN, FAMILIES and COMMUNITY
Exceptional Practice – C&K Wilston Childcare Centre
Continuous Improvement – West Moreton Community Kindergarten
*EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE
Exceptional Practice – Kylie Goodwin, C&K Marian Community Kindergarten
Continuous Improvement – Carly Smith, C&K Kuluin Community Kindergarten
*KAIZEN (Japanese for ‘improvement’ or ‘change for the better’)
Exceptional Practice – C&K Coolum Childcare Centre
Continuous Improvement – C&K Wynnum Manly Kindergarten
*LEADERSHIP and ADVOCACY
Exceptional Practice – Louise Stallard, C&K Forestview Community Kindergarten
Continuous Improvement – C&K Gabbinbar Community Kindergarten
Special thanks to Modern Teaching Aids, Cos, HESTA, Story Park and Childcare Now for their generous support of the 2022 C&K Excellence & Innovation Awards.
