Sara Jayaratne 

Centre Manager - First Grammar Wantirna South

“Play is the highest form of research.” ~ Albert Einstein

I began my career in early childhood education and care in 2009 and have been working at First Grammar Wantirna South since 2021. I hold a diploma of early childhood education and care and have been working in various roles including assistant educator, lead educator, assistant centre manager and centre manager.

There’s nothing more rewarding than watching a child learn with passion and wonder. As a mother of 2 beautiful children, I understand that parents need a place where they can drop off their precious child to people that genuinely care about them and will help them in those crucial first five years of their learning journey. I love working in early childhood, have grown up with children all my life. To me every day is a new day, there is nothing than rewarding seeing the children develop their own personalities, watching a child learn, grow and becoming their own person.   

The benefits of attending an early childhood education centre are endless. It encourages social skills, improves social anxiety and more development needs. High quality early childhood education gives children the best start in life. It provides important opportunities to learn and develop. Early childhood education can help your child make friends, develop independence, and learn new routines. It also supports their transition to school.

We have qualified educators guided by the children's interests and the Early Years Learning and Development Framework (EYLDF). Our team is extremely passionate about creating a child care centre that is a home away from home for both families and children. The centre really is an extension of the home environment, and we work in partnership with families to ensure this is the case, understanding each child’s individual needs. 

We understand that starting at a new early education centre can be overwhelming, which is why we communicate with families regularly. We walk families through all the forms and administration that need to be done. This includes enrolment forms, Child Care Subsidy (CCS), explaining subsidies, government caps, centre schedules, our centre menu and more.

On the first orientation the child will orientate in the room. Educators will discuss with the family the child’s needs and then the child/children will start after a few orientations or when educator and family think child is ready. Our team will make the transition as smooth as possible. We are happy to help.  

Welcome to First Grammar Wantirna South.