BY BONNIE LAXTON-BLINKHORN, KINDICARE

JUNE 5, 2023

A gaggle of great centre managers have been recognised and rewarded at G8 Education’s annual Centre Manager Awards. 

This special occasion is a highlight of the G8 National Conference and provides a forum for G8 Education to celebrate centre managers across a wide range of categories.  

For Sabrina Syamando, Centre Manager of Creative Garden Mount Annan the evening was a special cause for celebration.   

Sabrina was awarded Centre Manager of the Year and also received the Environment and Sustainability Award.    

Sabrina leads a long-standing team of educators and teachers at Creative Garden Mount Annan who she says work hard to deliver a range of fun and engaging learning experiences for children. 

“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.   

Sabrina’s Centre Manager award comes hot on the heels of an ‘Exceeding’ rating from ACECQA, but she says the work doesn’t stop there.  

“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.”    

That’s where the Sustainability Award comes in. 

For Sabrina and the team at Creative Garden Mount Annan sustainability is embedded in their practice. 

Every day the children take actions to improve their understanding about sustainability, from splitting out their meal leftovers into general waste, recycling and compost, to helping their educators with the vegetable garden, feeding their chickens and thinking of creative ways to reuse and recycle when crafting their own projects.  

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

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

“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,” he said.   

G8 Education’s 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