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 practice. She said that winning the Award was both humbling and deeply affirming.
“I’m genuinely thrilled and incredibly grateful to have received this award.
“The award belongs to our whole team – it reflects a shared commitment to putting children at the heart of everything we do,” she said.
Below, Jasmin explains that at Spring Gully Kindergarten, the team asked themselves a simple but powerful question: What does it look like when School Readiness Funding (SRF) moves beyond a plan on paper and becomes a living, breathing part of everyday practice? The answer emerged through rethinking how planning could be practical, meaningful and sustainable for educators, while remaining responsive to children’s interests.
Below: Jasmin Moore, Shine Bright 2026 Individual Excellence Award Winner.
Making Planning Visible – and Human
At the centre of the kindergarten’s approach is the SRF trolley, a flexible, interest‑based resource that embeds literacy and numeracy priorities directly into children’s play. Alongside it sits a collaborative learning wall, where reflections, observations and intentional decisions are captured in real time.
“The SRF plan isn’t just a document on the wall. It’s a living part of our daily practice,” Jasmin said.
“These tools have helped make planning visible and shared, ensuring every educator’s voice contributes to a collective set of goals. Seeing educators feel empowered, families engage more deeply, and children take ownership of their learning has been incredibly rewarding,” she said.
Why We Changed Course
Jasmin explains that she knew something had to change when traditional planning methods began adding stress and time pressure to already busy days.
“Our goal was to make planning enjoyable again while still meeting SRF objectives and keeping what matters most -meaningful engagement with children – at the centre of our work.
“The SRF trolley allows educators to focus on authentic learning experiences rather than paperwork, guided by children’s curiosity.
“Positioned centrally between our kindergarten groups, the learning wall sends a clear message: our teams are aligned in purpose and practice,” she said.
What It Looks Like in Action
The trolley supports learning in practical ways. The numeracy shelf invites counting, comparing and exploring shapes through hands‑on play. The literacy shelf encourages storytelling, letter–sound games and rich conversations.
“One spontaneous moment perfectly captured the impact of this approach. During outdoor play, children became fascinated by birds in the trees. We added a Bird Bingo activity to the trolley and used the learning wall to capture observations.
“From one genuine interest, we extended numeracy through counting and comparison, and literacy through naming and describing. Planning flowed naturally from the children,” Jasmin explained.
Pictured right: Spring Gully SRF trolley.
Culture, Impact and Reflection
Through flexible tools and open communication, Spring Gully has built a culture that values different teaching styles while staying focused on shared goals.
“Planning no longer feels like an extra task. Collaboration is stronger, stress is reduced, and the children are more confident, curious and engaged.
“This work supports VEYLDF Outcomes 1, 3 and 4, fostering wellbeing, identity and confident, involved learners through reflective and intentional practice.
“I’m honoured beyond words to be recognised for work that centres collaboration, reflection and being fully present with children.
“Our journey shows that best practice doesn’t have to be complicated – just intentional. When we focus on engagement, collaboration and simplicity, everyone benefits – especially the children,” Jasmin said.
Pictured right: Spring Gully learning wall
