Celebrating the People at the Centre of Early Childhood Education

Article

Contributor

Sep 11, 2026

Save

Early childhood educators and leaders from across Sydney have been recognised for their outstanding contribution to children, families and early education at the Mini Masterminds Masters of Childcare Celebration Night, held at The Epping Club on Thursday 3 September.

Coinciding with Early Childhood Educators' Day, the evening brought together educators, teachers, leaders and team members from across Mini Masterminds' Sydney network to celebrate the dedication, leadership and impact of the people who make an extraordinary contribution to children's lives every day.

With 21 early learning services, over 400 team members and 2,000 children across its network, the celebration provided an opportunity to put people at the centre and recognise the individuals and teams helping to shape children's earliest years.

Mini Masterminds Company Director Mark Zaki said recognising and investing in early childhood professionals is fundamental to delivering high-quality outcomes for children.

"Our educators have an extraordinary opportunity to influence the first years of a child's life. They create the relationships, experiences and environments that help children feel safe, confident and excited to learn."

"Early Childhood Educators' Day gives us an important opportunity to recognise that contribution. Our Masters of Childcare Celebration Night was about making sure our people know that the work they do every day is seen, valued and worth celebrating."

Making recognition part of the employee experience

Mini Masterminds Head of People & Culture Zac Taylor said recognising the contribution of team members is an important part of the organisation's commitment to creating a positive employee experience.

"We know our team members bring an incredible amount of passion and commitment to their work every day, but across the sector, early childhood professionals can sometimes feel that their hard work goes unnoticed."

"At Mini Masterminds, we believe our people deserve to be recognised and rewarded for the incredible impact they have on children, families, their teams and communities. That's why taking the time to acknowledge and celebrate our people is an important part of the experience we want to create for every team member."

"The Masters of Childcare Celebration Night is one way we bring that commitment to life, creating a moment where our people can come together, celebrate each other's achievements and know that their contribution genuinely matters."

Recognising excellence across early childhood education

Eleven award categories recognised outstanding achievement across education, leadership, teamwork and contribution to the Mini Masterminds community.

2026 Masters of Childcare Award recipients:

Trainee of the Year – Rachelle Greatrex, Mini Masterminds Tallawong
Cook of the Year – Gail Burke, Mini Masterminds Glenwood
Educator of the Year – Soukaina Ibrahim, Mini Masterminds Brighton Le Sands
Educational Leader of the Year – Maria Garcia, Mini Masterminds Schofields
Most Improved in Quality Education – Mini Masterminds Rockdale
Early Childhood Teacher of the Year – Anizma Mowla, Mini Masterminds Erskineville
Most Improved in Safety & Compliance – Mini Masterminds Sydney Olympic Park (Murray Rose)
Assistant Director of the Year - Archana Jagitiyal, Mini Masterminds Rockdale
Team Player of the Year - Monique Anderson, Support Office
Centre Director of the Year – Sana Mohsin, Mini Masterminds Merrylands
Centre of the Year – Mini Masterminds Tallawong

The awards reflected Mini Masterminds' Extraordinary Together philosophy, recognising that quality early education is underpinned by strong teams, meaningful relationships, capable leaders and a shared commitment to delivering the best possible outcomes for children.

Mark said that while growth and organisational achievements are important, the true measure of success in early childhood education is the experience of each individual child.

"Success isn't simply 21 centres, 400 team members or more than 2,000 children."

"Success is the child who finds their confidence because an educator believed in them. It's a child who feels safe and knows they belong. It's the curiosity sparked through an experience that stays with them long after they leave us."

"Those moments happen because of our people, and that's what we wanted to celebrate."

Don’t miss a thing

Have we forgotten the middle word in Belonging, Being and Becoming?

Australia’s Early Years Learning Framework has a fine title - Belonging, Being and Becoming. But one of those dimensions keeps getting overlooked.

From health checks to everyday support: $6.65 million grant round opens

Eligible early learning services in NSW can apply for up to $7,500 to support four-year-old health checks and developmental support. Applications close on 8 November 2026.

Family day care educators say they are ‘not just babysitters’ as sector declines

Family day care educators are highly qualified early childhood professionals who say they are being overlooked and undervalued within Australia’s early childhood sector, new research from Deakin University has found.

Keeping ECEC places available: what families and providers need to make access work

A Productivity Commission submission revisits how staffing, sustainable funding and different service models can improve early learning access in rural, regional and remote communities.

OSHC needs more than a booking button bolted onto a childcare app

Act for Kids’ protective behaviours program offers resources and training to help children understand personal safety, communicate concerns and seek support from safe adults.