Room for Everyone: Our “All Under One Umbrella” 3rd Birthday

Three years ago, our doors opened for the very first time. There were new shelves, freshly prepared environments and a lot of hope.

What we didn’t have yet was the thing that matters most. We didn’t have you.

On Friday 2 October 2026, Montessori Minds turned three. This is the story of how we celebrated, why we chose an umbrella, and why the only words big enough for this birthday are thank you.

How did it all start?

It started at group time, with a globe.

One of our educators was chatting with the children about where their families come from. Little fingers spun the globe, searching for the places where their grandparents live.

“My nanna lives here!”

“Mine is all the way over there!”

“Is that far? Is it further than Melbourne?”

There was a pause as everyone looked at how many different places their fingers had landed. Then one child said something simple and beautiful: “But we all come here.”

Our educator asked the group a question. Our centre was about to turn three. How could we celebrate a place where everyone belongs?

The ideas tumbled out. A giant cake. Balloons. A party with all the mummies and daddies. Then a quieter voice: “Something really big that everyone can stand under.”

That idea stayed with us, because it describes exactly who we are. Our families come from more than 60 nationalities, and our educators from more than 20. Different languages, traditions and stories, all sheltered by the same care.

Our 3rd birthday theme was born: All Under One Umbrella. ☂️

From an idea to a giant umbrella

Once the children heard there really would be a giant umbrella for the birthday, the questions came pouring in.

• “How big is giant?”
• “Bigger than the slide?”
• “Can my mummy fit too? And my baby brother?”
• “Will it keep the rain off the whole world?”
• “Can my teacher come under it?”

The answer to almost every question was the same: yes. There would be room for everyone. That was the whole point.

And because no birthday at Montessori Minds would be complete without a little wonder, our educators had a surprise of their own. The children had been asking for weeks to see a real reptile, ever since a chat about dinosaurs turned into a big question. So a reptile incursion joined the celebration too. Even the scaly guests would be welcome under our umbrella.

As permission forms went home for our reptile visitors, the excitement spilled out of the centre and into kitchens and car rides across Geelong.

Parents told us their children were counting sleeps. Some asked how they could be part of the day. Others simply shared how much the centre had come to mean to their family.

That’s when it really struck us. This birthday wasn’t only ours. It belonged to everyone who had helped build this place.

When families arrived on the morning of our birthday, they stopped in their tracks.

There it was. A giant umbrella, opened wide, with room beneath it for every single one of us.

Children raced to stand underneath it, then turned back to grab their parents’ hands. “Come in! Come in! You fit!”

Some stood quietly and looked up, taking it all in. One little one tugged an educator’s sleeve and whispered, “It’s like a hug, but a roof.”

We couldn’t have said it better.

Later, Leo from Reptile Encounters opened his mysterious boxes, and the room went still. A shingleback lizard, a turtle, two pythons and, for the grand finale, a young saltwater crocodile. Some children leaned right in. Some watched safely from beside a friend or an educator. Every child was welcome to meet the day in their own way.

But the moment we keep coming back to isn’t the crocodile. It’s the families who lingered at drop-off. It’s the children proudly showing the umbrella to their parents. It’s educators sharing three years of memories with the families they’ve grown alongside.

It was togetherness, in its simplest form.

Why an umbrella?

An umbrella doesn’t ask who you are before it shelters you. It simply makes room.

That’s what we hope every family feels when they walk through our doors. Last year, our commitment to inclusion was recognised with a Geelong Business Award for inclusivity. We’re incredibly proud of it, but that award belongs to our community. It was earned one welcome, one conversation and one shared story at a time.

Thank you, families 💛

To every family who has trusted us with the most precious people in your lives: thank you.

Thank you for the morning waves and the stories shared at pick-up. Thank you for the feedback that helps us grow, the cultures you bring into our rooms and the way you show up for one another. You made three years feel like home.

Thank you, educators 🌱

To our team: thank you for preparing environments with such care, and for following the child every single day. You’ve wiped tears, celebrated first words and first friendships, and made sure every child feels safe, seen and capable.

With educators from more than 20 nationalities, our children see themselves reflected in the people who care for them. That is a gift we never take for granted.

Thank you, children ✨

And to our children, the real reason we celebrate.

Thank you for your questions, your courage and your kindness to one another. Thank you for reminding us that there’s always room for one more under the umbrella.

Watching you grow is the greatest privilege of our work.

What our children learned: the 5 EYLF outcomes

A birthday can be a party. For our children, it was also a rich day of learning, connected to all five outcomes of the Early Years Learning Framework.

1. Children have a strong sense of identity

Standing under the umbrella with their families, children felt they belonged. They saw their own family as part of something bigger, valued and welcomed just as they are.

2. Children are connected with and contribute to their world

With families from 60+ nationalities sharing one space, children experienced diversity as something natural and joyful. Meeting Australian native reptiles also opened a window into caring for the living world around them.

3. Children have a strong sense of wellbeing

Big feelings were welcome, from bursting excitement to a little nervousness around the snakes. Children chose when to step closer, with educators beside them, and clear child-safe practices helped everyone feel secure.

4. Children are confident and involved learners

This whole celebration grew from children’s ideas and questions. They wondered (“How big is giant?”), predicted and then discovered the answers for themselves.

5. Children are effective communicators

Children invited their parents under the umbrella, shared their excitement and retold the day at home. New words like celebration, belonging, reptile and camouflage found their way into everyday conversation.

Growing together, year four and beyond

Togetherness isn’t something we celebrate once a year. It’s how we work every day.

Through Your Voice, Our Commitment, we keep listening and sharing back what’s changed with our regular You Said – We Listened – We Acted updates. Our refreshed Hand in Hand parent committee gives families real ways to help shape centre decisions. And child safety continues to guide every practice, policy and space.

Save the date for our Annual Concert on 27 November 2026. We can’t wait to celebrate our children together once again.

Join us under the umbrella

Looking for Montessori childcare and kindergarten in Geelong? Thinking about kinder in 2027? We would love to welcome your family into our community.

Book a tour or call us on (03) 5222 8135 to visit our centre.

Here’s to three wonderful years, and to everything we’ll build together next. ☂️🎉

Frequently asked questions

When did Montessori Minds Geelong turn three?

Montessori Minds turned three on Friday 2 October 2026, three years after our centre in Norlane first opened its doors.

Why was the theme “All Under One Umbrella”?

The idea came from the children. During group time one child asked for “something really big that everyone can stand under”, which describes our community: families from more than 60 nationalities and educators from more than 20, all sheltered by the same care.

Has Montessori Minds been recognised for inclusion?

Yes. In 2025 Montessori Minds received the Inclusive and Accessible Business Award at the Geelong Business Excellence Awards.

How can families help shape the centre?

Through Your Voice, Our Commitment we share regular You Said – We Listened – We Acted updates, and our Hand in Hand parent committee gives families real ways to help shape centre decisions.

Where is Montessori Minds Geelong and how can I book a tour?

We are at 21–29 Princes Highway, Norlane, open Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm. Book a tour online or call (03) 5222 8135.