Lead educator from Milestones Early Learning Darwin a finalist in prestigious awards

Gabriela Savio, a lead educator from Milestones Early Learning Darwin City, has been named as one of only three finalists in the Outstanding Educator category of the 2023 Northern Territory Education and Care Awards.

Ms Savio will join the other finalists at a gala awards ceremony on the evening of Friday 22 September in Darwin, at which time the winners of the prestigious awards will be announced. 

For Affinity Education Group Northern Territory Area Manager Tameka Meehan, the announcement serves as recognition of Gabriela’s dedication to continuous professional development in order to provide exceptional education and care to the children in her centre. 

“Gabriela is always the first educator to put her hand up to participate in any form of professional development to increase her knowledge and skills so she can provide the highest quality of care and education to all children in her care,” Ms Meehan shared.  

During her time with Affinity Education Group, Ms Savio has completed the 3a Abecedarian Approach Australia training and now incorporates the four key elements of enriched caregiving, learning games, conversational reading and language priority into her current role as the Toddler Lead Educator.  

“I am a strong believer in using evidence-informed practices to influence my own practices and planning for quality outcomes for children’s learning,” Ms Savio shared. 

“During my time as a lead educator in the nursery room, I used my knowledge of the circle of security, attachment theory and key educator relationships to ensure I was providing a safe and secure learning environment whilst building strong, reciprocal and communicative relationships between each child and family based on trust and respect.”

“I take the time to build secure relationships with both the children and their families to better understand what their strengths are and how best I can support each child to their full potential. I have a strong passion for inclusion and am very intentional in the way I set up learning environments to ensure the full participation of all my children, regardless of their abilities.” 

Affinity Education Group, Tameka and the whole team at Milestones Early Learning Darwin City are extremely proud of Ms Savio and the acknowledgement she has received for her outstanding work in the early childhood education and care sector. 

Learn more about the awards here.