News Room
Celebrating Fifty Years of Caring & Teaching; Jan Foley, Neangar Kindergarten
At Shine Bright’s Neangar Kindergarten, Jan Foley’s mornings begin the same way they have for decades - small arms around her waist, excited voices calling her name, and a gentle routine that turns even a simple greeting into a lesson in belonging and respect. Below:...
From Plan to Practice: 2026 Individual Excellence Award Winner
Jasmin Moore is the Nominated Supervisor and Teacher at Spring Gully Kindergarten and winner of Shine Bright's 2026 Individual Excellence Award. She received this accolade for a range of reasons including her work on turning School Readiness Funding from plan to...
Reflecting on Best Practice from 2025 – Hear From Our Services
With 44 services across central, northern and eastern Victoria, one of Shine Bright's greatest strengths is its network of nearly 500 early years professionals sharing expertise across the diverse communities that we servce. The booklet below is a summary of...
Introducing the shine bright way video
The Shine Bright Way philosophy was recently refreshed as part of developing the 2026-2028 strategic plan. The Shine Bright Way philosophy was orginally developed to allow our educators to focus on the real work of being with children and to follow our purpose of...
OPEN DAY: Why early learning Matters — and Why the Right Choice of service Makes a Difference
Education Week is a timely reminder that learning doesn’t begin at school - it begins long before a child walks through a classroom door. Early education and care (which includes kinder and Long Day Care), plays a vital role in shaping children’s curiosity, confidence...
2026-2028 Strategic Plan launched
The Shine Bright board and leadership team released the 2026-2028 strategic plan in February 2026. Developed over six months with input from staff, families, and key partners, the plan sets out a clear organisational direction for the next three years for Shine...
Shine Bright 2026 Conference Announced
Now in its 17th year, the much loved Shine Bright Annual Conference will be held on Friday 13 March in Swan Hill at the Grain Shed. The event was established to provide staff with an opportunity to connect, grow professional knowledge, grow sector knowledge, share...
Shine Bright Set to Grow in Mildura
Shine Bright has successfully tendered to operate a new kindergarten currently under construction in Nichols Point in Mildura, and is confirmed as the provisional operator, taking the number of Shine Bright services in the region to six. The kindergarten will be a...
Enrol now and attend a drop in session at the new Kerribana Kindergarten
Shine Bright Early Years Manager (EYM) will commence operation in 2026 of the new Kindergaren on School Site (KOSS) at Kerribana Primary school in Leneva, near Wodonga. We are now taking enrolments. Drop in sessions for prospective families and early years educators...
SHINE BRIGHT EARLY YEARS MANAGER TO JOIN THE KERRIBANA COMMUNITY
To support the roll-out of fully funded three-and four-year-old kindergarten, the Victorian government has built a Kindergarten on School Site (KOSS) at the new Kerribana Primary School in Leneva. Shine Bright Early Years Manager (EYM) has been appointed as the...
BRIGHT SPARKS TRAINEE MENTOR PROGRAM IGNITING CAREERS
The blending of practical experience and formal education is a valuable combination in many professions, and in early childhood education, traineeships provide just that. Participants can ‘earn and learn’, while benefiting from a training approach that maximises...
Shine Bright Seeks New Board Member
Following a period of rapid growth since formation in 2018, Shine Bright Early Years Manager (EYM) is seeking expressions of interest from someone passionate about early years education and care to join our board. READ THE BOARD INVITATION OR APPLY NOW withCurrent...
Sandra Houlahan named 2025 Educator of the Year
After four decades shaping the lives of young children and families, Sandra Houlahan, Nominated Supervisor and Educational Leader at Shine Bright’s Elmore Kindergarten, has been named Educator of the Year in the 2025 Victorian Early Years Awards - a recognition she...
New Chapter for Rochester Kindergarten
The permanent site for the Shine Bright Rochester Kindergarten has been confirmed, and construction is expected to be completed in time for the service to commence in Term 1 2027. The new kindergarten will remain on the Rochester Secondary College campus but in a new...
Unwin Street Kindergarten Celebrates 60 Years
On Saturday 18 October, Unwin Street Kindergarten celebrated 60 years of teaching and caring for children with a celebration attended by current children and families, past and present staff, and lots of special guests. To capture the history of this much-loved...
Kindergarten at Kennington Primary School to Become Part of the Shine Bright Family
To support the roll-out of fully funded three-year-old kindergarten in Victoria, the state government is building a new kindergarten in Kennington and Shine Bright has been appointed as the provisional kindergarten operator. The new kindergarten service is planned...
The Art of Coaching is in Conversation
When it comes to early childhood learning, growth is ubiquitous. Children get taller, smarter, funnier, stronger by the day, with seemingly little effort. When it comes to adults, growth is less clear-cut and generally associated with effort limited by our capacity or...
New Trainee Partnership a Win-Win for Young People and Early Years Workforce
How do you know if a career caring for and teaching young children is right for you? Often, the only way to find out is by being given the chance to try. So, when the Bendigo & District Aboriginal Co-operative (BDAC) contacted Shine Bright about a possible...
Shine Bright Celebrates all Early Years Educators
Welcoming Millewa Preschool to the Shine Bright Family
In July, Shine Bright welcomed Millewa Preschool, located adjacent to the Werrimull P-12 School, to Shine Bright EYM, taking the number of Shine Bright services in Central and Northern Victoria to 41. The kindergarten and school enjoy a close relationship that has...
A heart-centred approach is the answer according to expert at Mallee Early Years Conference
Shine Bright staff converged on Mildura SuniTAFE to attend the 2025 Mallee Early Years Conference with keynote speaker Dr Justin Coulson, a psychologist, author, media personality and leading voice in parenting in Australia. Michelle Riordan, Shine Bright Irymple...
New Look Lockington
The Lockington outdoor play area has had a major makeover and children are enjoying running, jumping, role-playing, hiding, seeking and playing. Nominated Supervisor/Educational Leader at Lockington, Tracey Norris, said that having upgraded facilities and outdoor...
MEDIA RELEASE: It’s Official – Echuca Gets Another Kindergarten
PICTURED: Parliamentary Secretary for Children, Nathan Butler MP, with Anstruther Street Kindergarten children at the official opening event on 1 July. The new Anstruther Street Kindergarten built at Echuca Primary School was officially opened today by the...
Shine Bright Staff Deepen First Nations Understanding
To help support Shine Bright Teachers and Educators in integrating First Nations Perspectives into everyday learning, two of our Early Years Advisors attended the recent 2025 Aboriginal Best Start forum held in Melbourne. Kayla Enever (Early Years Advisor, Swan Hill...
Inspiring the Next Generation of Educators
Left to right: Kate McDonald, Alex Wheeler and Kayla Enever represented Shine Bright at the Murray Mallee Local Learning and Employment Network career expo in Swan Hill. School students from the Swan Hill region attended a career expo hosted by Murray Mallee Local...
It’s Bright Alright!
Visitors to Echuca who want to find our Echuca South kindergarten will know they have arrived when they see the new multi-colored mural painted by children at the kindergarten alongside clients at Vivid disability services located next door. The mural is made up of...
The Dolly Parton Imagination Library: Nurturing Young Minds One Book at a Time
Dolly Parton, a name synonymous with country music, has also become a beacon of hope and inspiration in the realm of early childhood education through her remarkable initiative, the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. Established in 1995, this program has had a profound...
Kindergarten Open Days
Shine Bright Early Years Management (EYM) is a deliverer of Exceeding early childhood education in Regional Victoria. Shine Bright supports exceeding practice across 40 kindergartens throughout regional Victoria, providing a safe and nurturing environment where your...
Shine On Podcast – Mental health and wellbeing in Early Childhood Education
Alex and Sophie are in conversation with Nicole Lees. Nicole is a consultant for Be You with Early Childhood Australia. Nicole’s background includes educator and leadership roles, consultancy and research. She spent several years working in the education sector...
Shine Bright Staff Conference
Thank you to everyone who made the 2024 Staff Conference a huge success. Staff who wish to revisit any of the presentations, documents or images, you can do so below. 2024 Annual Staff Conference Presentation 2024 Annual Staff Conference - Showcase Booklet About our...
Magic Bean Planting Activity Update
Back in October 2023, we had Charlie planting Magic Beans as one of our activities for Children's Week in Rochester. Charlie has since been tending to his beans, which are now fully grown and sprouting their own beans!
Media Release – Shine Bright Helm Street Kindergarten Selected for Bilingual Program by Department of Education
Shine Bright is proud to announce that Helm Street Kindergarten has been successful in their application for a Bilingual program sponsored by the Department of Education. Out of over 70 applications received state wide, only 11 were chosen, and Helm Street...
Shine Bright selected as kindergarten provider for Kyabram P-12 College Kindergarten
Mornings are about to run smoother for Kyabram families as Shine Bright is announced as the service provider for the new Kyabram P-12 Kindergarten. This initiative, part of the $14 billion Best Start, Best Life reforms, aims to provide accessible and high-quality...
Media Release: Shine Bright embarks on a new era of early childhood services in Charlton
2024 will bring a new early years service provider in the Charlton region. Shine Bright Early Years Manager (Shine Bright) has been appointed to deliver early years services, including sessional kindergarten and the much eagerly awaited addition of Long Day Care (LDC)...
Featured Articles
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Speaking Spot Bendigo – Telehealth
Free online Speech Pathology clinic for children under school age Speaking Spot Bendigo is a free telehealth clinic providing an opportunity to speak with a Speech Pathologist and Maternal & Child Health Nurse about your child’s speech and language. The service is...
Exciting News: Early Childhood Courses Now Available for $0
Practical Outcomes are thrilled to share some exciting news. Their childcare courses are now available for $0 with funding! Understanding the importance of quality education in the field of early childhood development, Practical Outcomes want to make it accessible to...
FunLoong FUn Day Poster 2023!
Coaching for Returning Teachers and Educators Program
The Coaching for Returning Teachers and Educators Program is a free coaching service now available for teachers and educators returning to or joining the Victorian early childhood workforce. Gowrie Victoria will coordinate the coaching, which supports early childhood...
Victorian Refugee Health Network – September 2023 Newsletter
The latest Victorian Refugee Health Network Newsletter (September 2023) is available to read. In this September issue: News and Events Health and Community-based resources Disability Updates COVID-19 Updates Research, Submissions and Advocacy Opportunities...