Meet Leah from our St John the Baptist Early Learning Centre

We took so much for granted until COVID-19 – connecting with people, having a job, feeling secure. As educators we were so grateful we had purpose and jobs to go to, when so many Australians had lost theirs and faced uncertainty and financial hardship.

CatholicCare educators have been “in this together”. We have been there to give each other a boost when we need it. Small gestures and acts of kindness have made such a difference.

We continued to work onsite in these months, particularly supporting essential workers and vulnerable children. Online activities were set up for preschool children to stay connected when they could not attend and our already robust infection control and hygiene measures were ‘super charged’.
We developed specific lessons to help children understand the pandemic and manage the changing effects on their lives and the lives of their families.

It has brought educators and families closer together – we all went above and beyond to support one another. Families worked creatively to assist us in getting what we needed – donations of hand sanitiser when it was scarce, and biscuits when the supermarkets imposed two packet restrictions were a godsend for us.  Our community also came to our aid – a local Leagues Club which was forced to close kindly donated a dozen cartons of milk to our service.

We gave back by offering free toilet paper to families who were in short supply, we prepared Mother’s Day “drive thru” craft packs so the children didn’t miss out on the opportunity to make something for their mums. We experienced the best of the human spirit in people.

COVID-19 has taught us all to slow down and not take things for granted. Routines should be rituals and interactions to be enjoyed and cherished. We found when we slowed down, teachable moments became clearer. COVID-19 has reaffirmed our confidence in CatholicCare and the NSW Department of Education. Our educators have felt very supported.