Choklits Annual Letter 2024
Dear Choklits Community,
Reflection is one of our Five Pillars at Choklits. By taking the time to review our actions and their impact on ourselves and our community, we create opportunities to adjust, grow, and improve every day.
Although reflection is part of our daily practice, the period between Christmas and New Year offers the perfect moment to look back over the entire year. As parents, we know life with young children can sometimes feel like a whirlwind, but pausing to reflect helps us appreciate how far we’ve come.
This is the fifth edition of the Choklits Annual Letter, written for our growing community, which now includes nearly 500 families and over 120 dedicated educators and teachers across our three services in Ringwood, Surrey Hills, and Croydon.
Thank you, Choklits families, for an incredible 2024! This year has been full of growth, collaboration, and learning.
Together with our amazing team, we feel incredibly privileged to support children during their early years. Knowing that we get to come to Choklits every day to inspire and nurture little learners is, as one of our children put it, “pretty cool!”
A Year of Connection and Collaboration
We started 2024 with a focus on community. At Choklits, we’re not just three separate services sharing a name—we’re a connected group working together. Our educators share ideas and collaborate across locations to ensure every child benefits from the best of what we have to offer.
Led by our Area Manager, Deb Prelorenzo, our educators began traveling between services this year. This initiative has been a resounding success. Educators are naturally creative, and when they collaborate, one idea can spark many more. It’s like magic—the more we share, the more we learn, and the greater our collective knowledge becomes.
This collaboration directly benefits the children. Research shows that early childhood is not only the first stage of life but also the most critical. During these years, children’s brains grow rapidly, and the habits and skills they develop often last a lifetime. That’s why providing enriching, nurturing environments is at the heart of everything we do.
Bush Kinder
In 2024, we expanded our popular Bush Kinder program across all three services. This nature-based program offers countless benefits, including:
- Building physical strength and coordination through outdoor play.
- Developing emotional resilience by tackling challenges in a calm, natural setting.
- Encouraging curiosity and problem-solving by exploring the natural world.
- Promoting teamwork and communication through group activities.
- Fostering environmental awareness and a sense of responsibility.
- Supporting health and immunity with fresh air and sunlight.
Preparing for School
Our team also strengthened connections with local schools to support children’s transitions from kindergarten to primary school. These relationships allow us to arrange school visits, meet-and-greets with teachers, and buddy programs with older students. These experiences help children feel confident and excited about starting school, and they provide valuable support for parents as well.
Technology
In 2024, we embraced technology in exciting new ways, both to improve how we operate and to enhance learning opportunities for children.
From an organisational perspective, we adopted many AI tools to help eliminate repetitive tasks, such as data entry and scheduling, that previously consumed significant time. By streamlining these processes, our educators and team leaders gained more time to focus on what truly matters—spending time with the children, planning engaging activities, and building meaningful connections.
On the curriculum side, we introduced more technology-based learning experiences, particularly in areas like robotics and coding. Inspired by ideas from local primary school demonstrations, we integrated simple, hands-on activities to introduce children to problem-solving and creativity through technology. These programs not only spark curiosity but also prepare children for the increasingly digital world they will grow up in.
Additionally, our move to the KinderM8 platform, led by Zac Essens, our Group Compliance and Education System Training Administrator, was a major milestone. This system has transformed how we manage data and streamline compliance requirements. By connecting information within our services, KinderM8 allows us to reduce unnecessary paperwork and focus more time and energy on the children. In an industry often bogged down by administrative compliance, this shift has been a welcomed relief.
By combining the efficiency of technology with our commitment to nurturing care, we’ve created more opportunities for quality interactions and learning experiences. At Choklits, we believe technology should empower, not overwhelm, and this philosophy guides our approach as we continue to innovate and improve.
Our Team
None of this would be possible without the incredible Choklits team. Our educators are the heart of our services, and this year we introduced new professional development opportunities and wellbeing programs to ensure they feel valued and supported.
We also embraced the “Dance Floor and Balcony” analogy to reflect on teamwork. While being on the dance floor represents the daily action and collaboration of our team, stepping onto the balcony allows us to see the bigger picture, adjust our strategies, and move forward effectively. This balance is a key component of a successful team.
The Chokliteers
We were thrilled to release The Chokliteers Discover the Big Secret, the fifth book in our beloved series. This story celebrates all Five Pillars of Choklits—Growth, Communication, Collaboration, Consistency, and Reflection. Santa delivered a copy to every child, and judging by the feedback, we might need to continue the series soon! Chesterfield Farm also continues to sell The Chokliteers Chesterfield Farm Visit, which highlights our collaboration with the farm and our sustainability program.
2025
As we move into 2025, we’re excited to build on this year’s momentum. We’ll be making further investments in our team, systems, and programs to provide even more enriching experiences for the children at Choklits.
Our guiding belief remains the same: if we can end each day a little wiser than when we started, we’re on the right path.
From our family to yours, we hope 2025 is your best year yet.
Choklits Owners
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Previous year’s letters-
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