G8 Education has celebrated its Centre Leaders at its annual Centre Manager Awards as part of the 2023 G8 National Conference.

Sabrina Syamando, Centre Manager of Creative Garden Mount Annan was amongst the award winners, awarded Centre Manager of the Year and the Environment and Sustainability Award.

“I come to work every day wanting to strive for excellence for my team, the children in our care and their families, and so it is truly humbling to be recognised in this way,” said Ms Syamando.

“I am so proud to lead the long-standing, talented team of educators and teachers at Creative Garden Mount Annan who deliver fun and engaging learning experiences for children day in, day out.”

The G8 Education award recognition follows the centre receiving “Exceeding” from the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) in a recent assessment. 

“Though we have met our Exceeding rating target and I have been recognised as part of the G8 Centre Manager Awards, the progress doesn’t stop; we want to continue improving and creating a sustainable future for our community.”

For Ms Syamando and her team sustainability is something which is embedded in their practice and the children’s days.

From splitting out their meal leftovers into general waste, recycling and compost, to helping their educators with the vegetable garden upkeep, feeding their chickens and thinking of creative ways to reuse and recycle when crafting their own projects, sustainability is at the heart of it all.

“We promote children’s agency and independence by allowing them to actively participate in meeting our sustainability goals,” said Ms Syamando.

“We are educating the leaders of the future and so we want to build those leadership and innovation capabilities from an early age.”

G8 Education CEO Pejman Okhovat said he applauded all of the Centre Leaders recognised for their excellence.

“The dedication these leaders have for supporting the best outcomes for our children and teams every day is remarkable,” he said.

“I am so proud to stand alongside such amazing leaders and all of our team of educators and teachers because I know how important the work they do is in laying the foundations for children’s learning, development and wellbeing during the critical first five years of life.”

All the award winners will have the chance to go on an international study tour to New Zealand later this year, facilitated by Childspace Early Childhood Institute.

The 2023 G8 National Conference entitled Belong, Inspire, Transform was the 6th conference held by the provider, and saw more than 500 delegates travel from across the country for the three-day agenda.

If you’d like to learn more about G8 Education and the benefits for working for the national provider, you can visit the Careers website.

Centre Manager Award recipients:

• Transformation Award: Venita Rutley, Centre Manager at Community Kids Heatley QLD
• Rising Star Award: Hannah Jordan, Centre Manager at The Learning Sanctuary Mary Street QLD
• Business Award: Kimberley Fuller, Nurture One Wangaratta VIC
• Family and Community Award: Venita Rutley, Centre Manager at Community Kids Heatley QLD
• Safety Award: Amy McCormack, Centre Manager, Community Kids Narre Warren VIC
• Environment and Sustainability Award: Sabrina Syamando, Centre Manager at Creative Garden Mount Annan NSW
• Quality Practice Award: Pavithra De Alwis, Centre Manager at Kindy Patch Clarinda
• Culture and Team Engagement Award: Julie Turner, Centre Manager at Great Beginnings Kenwick WA
• Team Development Award: Sara McCulloch, Centre Manager at Aldinga Kinder Haven SA
• Centre Manager of the Year Award: Sabrina Syamando, Centre Manager at Creative Garden Mount Annan NSW
• Area Manager of the Year Award: Cassandra Black, Area Manager in Victoria