At Little Scholars School of Early Learning, we are incredibly proud of the passionate, dedicated educators who bring our values to life every single day. Our annual Pillar Awards recognise team members who truly embody our core pillars: Learn, Grow, Inspire, and Contribute.
In 2026, we are thrilled to celebrate four outstanding individuals whose commitment, heart, and impact have made a lasting difference across our communities.
Claire Forbes exemplifies what it means to be a lifelong learner. Her commitment to professional growth is evident in everything she does—actively seeking opportunities to expand her knowledge, reflecting on her practice, and embracing feedback with openness and purpose.
Claire consistently applies new learning to enhance outcomes for children, demonstrating curiosity, initiative, and a genuine passion for best practice. Beyond her own growth, she generously shares her knowledge with colleagues, fostering a culture of continuous learning within her team.
Her dedication not only strengthens her own practice but creates a ripple effect, positively impacting both her peers and the children in her care.
Llogan Nelson’s journey over the past year is a powerful example of growth in action. Stepping into the role of Lead Educator in the Senior Kindy studio, she embraced a challenging environment and transformed it with determination and resilience.
Faced with behavioural, team, and environmental challenges, Llogan actively sought feedback, welcomed guidance, and consistently looked for ways to improve. Her commitment to implementing strategies discussed in behaviour meetings led to meaningful and lasting change within the studio.
Now transitioning into Kindergarten, Llogan continues to build on this success—working collaboratively to ensure children experience a smooth, positive transition. Her willingness to learn, adapt, and lead with intention truly reflects the spirit of the Grow pillar.
Rylee Misa brings creativity, energy, and heart into everything she creates. As a content creator and events coordinator, she goes above and beyond to design experiences that are meaningful, memorable, and inspiring for children and families alike.
Rylee holds herself to a high standard, always striving to create environments and events that feel thoughtful, engaging, and special. What truly sets her apart is her ability to listen—ensuring the voices of children, families, and her team are reflected in every experience.
Her passion and attention to detail help shape vibrant learning environments where our community feels seen, included, and celebrated. Rylee’s work continues to inspire not only those around her, but the experiences we create as a service.
With nearly a decade of dedicated service, Lyle Bala is the heart of contribution within her centre community. Approaching her 10-year milestone, Lyle continues to go above and beyond for children, families, and her team.
She is always ready to lend a helping hand, never missing an opportunity to support events or step in where needed. Lyle takes immense pride in creating positive, welcoming experiences for families, and her warmth and enthusiasm are felt by everyone she meets.
Her supportive nature helps families feel valued and connected, while her energy and care make each day brighter for the children. Lyle is a truly cherished member of the Little Scholars community.
Each of our 2026 Pillar Award winners represents the very best of Little Scholars School of Early Learning. Through their dedication, passion, and commitment to our values, they help create environments where children, families, and educators can thrive.
We are incredibly grateful for the impact they make every day—and we are so proud to celebrate their achievements.
Congratulations Claire, Llogan, Rylee, and Lyle!
Inspired by our incredible educators? At Little Scholars School of Early Learning, we’re always looking for passionate, dedicated individuals who want to make a meaningful impact in the lives of children and families.
Discover what makes our team so special and explore current opportunities here:
You remembered the sunscreen, the spare clothes, the show-and-tell item AND made school lunches before 7am. Nobody clapped. Nobody noticed. This one’s for you.
Not the written list — the one in your head. The one that never gets put down, never gets turned off, and most definitely never gets acknowledged at the end of a long day.
This is the mental load. And if you’re carrying it, you already know exactly what it feels like. Heavy. Relentless. Completely invisible to almost everyone around you.
The mental load isn’t the doing of things. It’s the knowing of things. The tracking, the anticipating, the never-quite-switching-off awareness that something needs to happen, and that if you don’t hold it in your head, it simply won’t happen.
Research consistently shows that in households with young children, this cognitive labour falls disproportionately on one person — and that person is almost always the mother. Not because partners don’t care. Not because the system is working exactly as intended. But because it is a pattern so deeply embedded in how we were all raised that most of us didn’t even notice it settling into place.
And here’s the thing that makes it particularly exhausting: the mental load is invisible labour. Nobody sees it. Nobody measures it. Nobody hands you a certificate at the end of the week that says ‘outstanding work anticipating that the 2-year-old was going to need an extra layer today.
You just do it. Because it has to be done. Because you’re the one who knows.
When the mental load is consistently too heavy, something gives. Sometimes it’s sleep. Sometimes it’s the relationship. Sometimes it’s the version of yourself that used to have hobbies, or opinions about things that weren’t nap schedules and developmental milestones, or the ability to sit in a room for five minutes without mentally running through tomorrow’s logistics.
Sometimes it’s all three, quietly, at the same time.
This isn’t weakness. This isn’t failing at parenthood. This is what happens when one person holds too much, for too long, without enough support. It is a structural problem dressed up as a personal one. And the solution is not to be more organised, or more patient, or more grateful. The solution is to actually put some of the weight down.
Here is something we wish more parents understood: the right childcare centre doesn’t just care for your child. It carries part of the load with you.
When you trust the place your child goes every day — genuinely trust it, in your body not just your brain — something shifts. The morning drop-off becomes less fraught. The Sunday night dread eases. The mental bandwidth you were spending on is she okay, is he settled, did they remember about the allergy gets freed up for other things. For work. For rest. For being present with your family in the hours you do have together.
A childcare centre that communicates clearly, that knows your child as an individual, that has educators who notice when something’s off and tells you about it — that is not a luxury. That is part of the infrastructure of a functioning, sustainable family life.
The right childcare centre doesn’t just care for your child. It carries part of the load with you.
At Little Scholars, we think about your child constantly. Not just during the hours they’re with us — but in the planning that happens before they arrive and the documentation that captures what happened after they leave.
We think about whether the environment is set up to meet where your child is developmentally right now. We think about how to support the transition between home and care in a way that makes Monday mornings less hard. We think about nutrition, about outdoor time, about which educator is the right fit for which child on which day.
We think about your child the way you think about your child. Which means that for the hours they’re with us, you are genuinely allowed to think about something else.
We want to say this clearly, because we think someone should: you are doing an extraordinary amount. Every day. Often without acknowledgement, often without thanks, and almost always without anyone fully understanding the cognitive weight of what you are managing.
The invisible work is real work. The mental load is real labour. And the fact that it happens mostly in the quiet parts of the day — before anyone else is awake, after everyone else is asleep — does not make it less significant. It makes it more.
You are not failing at this. You are carrying it. And there is a difference.
Not the abstract, Instagram-caption version of a village. The real one — actual humans who know your child, who show up consistently, who make the load feel lighter on the days when it threatens to flatten you.
That’s what we’re here to be. Not just a place your child goes. A genuine part of the support system around your family. One less thing to carry alone.
Because you’ve already got enough on the list.
Let us hold your hand and help looking for a child care centre. Leave your details with us and we’ll be in contact to arrange a time for a ‘Campus Tour’ and we will answer any questions you might have!
Let us hold your hand and help looking for a child care centre. Leave your details with us and we’ll be in contact to arrange a time for a ‘Campus Tour’ and we will answer any questions you might have!
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