Newcastle Community Preschool

01/06/2026

Office Administrator wanted at Newcastle Community Preschool

We are a community-based, not-for-profit preschool in Cooks Hill, serving 25 children a day.
Rated Exceeding NQS across all seven quality areas.
We are looking for a warm, organised Office Administrator to join our small team. Permanent part-time, 10 hours per week across two fixed on-site days. You will be the first point of contact for parents arriving at Preschool, and work alongside our Director on enrolments, funding applications and day-to-day admin.
Award wages under MA000002 Clerks Level 3 from $29.70 per hour, plus super and leave loading.
School-hours pattern, predictable days, no after-hours work.
Applications close Monday 15th June 2026.
Email [email protected] with
your resume, two work-related referees and a response to our selection criteria.
Full details are available on Seek
More about us at

Discover Newcastle Community Preschool, a nurturing, inquiry-based environment fostering community, relationships, and children's growth in Cooks Hill.

23/05/2026

Cert III Educator wanted at Newcastle Community Preschool 🌿

We're a community-based, not-for-profit preschool in Cooks Hill, Newcastle, serving 25 children a day. We're rated Exceeding NQS across all seven quality areas and our 2026 philosophy is grounded in Belonging, Relationships, Agency and Nurture.

We're looking for an experienced Certificate III Educator with at least three years in Early Childhood to join our warm and collaborative team. Permanent full-time, 38 hours across 5 days, term-time with paid non-term blocks. Part-time arrangement available for the right candidate.

Award wages under MA000120 - Level 3 baseline (from $29.52/hr for Cert III), progressing to Level 4
($31.50/hr) after four years' post-qualification experience at Level 3 under the March 2026 structure.

Applications close Friday 12 June 2026. Email [email protected] with
your resume, two work-related referees and a response to our selection criteria. More about our philosophy at newcastlecommunitypreschool.com.au

18/05/2026

💚💚💚Thank you for being in our preschool community Kirsty Liljegren Consulting representing Reggio Emilia Australia Information Exchange for the day. We truly appreciated you listening, collaborating, engaging and inviting us to look through a lense or curiosity and wonder. As we begin to challenge ourselves to broaden our work with children, enrich our learning environment and develop practice that truly invites children to be curious and engaged in the learning opportunities. You were so warm,kind and genuine it made this day so rich and invaluable for our team. We can not thank you enough. If only you were here today to see the clay. The ideas, theories and stories the children were expressing through their hands was incredible. You reminded us of the valuable role we play when working along side children. 🌟

16/05/2026

What a truly beautiful day of collaboration, connection, and collective thinking at the Igniting Creativity …. Artful teaching for young minds workshop with Kirsty Liljegren.
We were so proud to support International Child Care College RTO ID 90081 in bringing Kirsty Liljegren Consulting from Thecreativecollectionece to Newcastle and to witness a gathering of passionate educators and teachers who came together with open hearts, curious minds, and a shared commitment to children and the art of learning.
There was such richness in the conversations, the reflection, and the shared inspiration. Days like these remind us that education is deeply relational, and when educators gather in dialogue and creativity, beautiful possibilities unfold for children, families, and communities.
Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the encounter such a meaningful and successful celebration of pedagogy, connection, and beauty in practice. ✨

05/05/2026

02/05/2026

Newcastle Network Meeting | With special guest Kirsty Liljegren 💚

We welcome all to Newcastle’s first Network Meeting with special guest Kirsty Liljegren as a Reggio board member. This is an opportunity to gather, connect and engage in dialogue about how we can nurture the Reggio inspired community in Newcastle.

The meeting will be held on Awabakal Land. The traditional Aboriginal name for Newcastle is Muloobina. This comes from the Awabakal language and means ‘Place of Sea Fern’.

Register here: https://events.reggioaustralia.org.au/NewcastleNetworkMeeting #/

30/04/2026

Today we were privileged to welcome Aunty Michelle for a special “Walking on Country” experience.

Together, we explored our local environment using magnifying glasses, taking a closer look at tree bark, paperbark, lichen, rock sediments, insects, and flowers. Along the way, we also discovered special artworks hidden within our park. One exciting find was an eye painted on our big tree, we wondered if it might be there to keep a watchful eye over our preschool.

We walked, yarned, and enjoyed a peaceful stroll, taking time to connect with Country and each other. When a light rain began to fall, we gathered under the shade of the big tree, which became our natural canopy, keeping us dry until the rain passed and our exploration could continue.

We also encountered a small hiccup when a magnifying glass was accidentally dropped into a foundation. This became a valuable learning moment, as Aunty Michelle explained the importance of caring for borrowed resources. With kindness and initiative, Mack offered to retrieve it for us. Some park visitors were curious about what we were doing, but once we explained, they celebrated with us as Mack successfully returned the magnifying glass, a lovely moment of community connection.

It was a wonderful adventure filled with rich cultural knowledge, curiosity, and shared learning. We finished our time together with a story about Edward the Emu and recorded a special message on our talk button for next week’s children.

Thank you, Aunty Michelle, for sharing your knowledge and guiding us on Country. 🌿

27/03/2026

𝓕𝓲𝓻𝓮𝓯𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓿𝓲𝓼𝓲𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓬𝓱𝓸𝓸𝓵

Today’s visit from the fire brigade provided a meaningful and engaging learning experience for the children, supporting their understanding of safety within their community. As we were waiting for morning tea, the children excitedly noticed the arrival of the fire engine. Their curiosity and enthusiasm grew as three firefighters joined us and began talking about fire safety. When asked what number to call in an emergency, the children confidently and unanimously responded “000,” demonstrating prior knowledge and awareness of emergency procedures. This moment highlighted their growing understanding of how to respond in potentially dangerous situations.
Through discussions with the firefighters, the children developed a deeper awareness of how to stay safe during a fire. They learned about the importance of evacuating immediately rather than hiding, even though fires can feel scary. This conversation supported the children in recognising their own feelings while also equipping them with practical strategies to keep themselves safe. The firefighters further extended the children’s thinking by introducing the concept of safe and unsafe fire. Using visual examples, the children explored scenarios such as a supervised BBQ being safe, and how it becomes unsafe when left unattended. They also connected this understanding to familiar experiences like birthday candles, reinforcing the importance of adult supervision.
The hands-on experiences offered rich opportunities for exploration and inquiry. The children showed great interest in the firefighter’s protective gear, eagerly touching and testing the strength of the suit and helmet. This sensory engagement allowed them to better understand how firefighters protect themselves in dangerous situations. The children actively participated in practicing important safety actions such as “Stop, Drop and Roll” and “Get down low and go, go, go.” Through movement and repetition, they began to build confidence in applying these strategies if ever needed.
The learning experience concluded with a visit to the carpark, where the children observed firefighting tools such as a cutting device and chainsaw. This real-world exposure further strengthened their understanding of the important role firefighters play in keeping the community safe. As the firefighters prepared to leave, the children excitedly waved goodbye, watching as the siren sounded. This experience not only fostered knowledge about fire safety but also nurtured respect and appreciation for community helpers, leaving a lasting impression on the children’s learning.
Thank you to Cooks Hill Fire Brigade for visiting today