Meet our Centre Manager

Mel Glass

Mel is the Centre Manager at Bask Early Learning Toowoomba City, where she leads our vibrant early learning community with heart and expertise. Her leadership style embodies the warmth and nurturing spirit that makes our centre feel like a sun-filled second home for children, families, and educators alike.

As a dedicated early childhood professional, Mel believes in creating an environment where children’s natural curiosity and creativity can flourish. Her approach perfectly aligns with our BASK values, fostering bravery in learning, accountability in practice, sparking curiosity in daily discoveries, and ensuring kindness flows through every interaction within our centre community.

Mel’s passion for building meaningful connections with families and supporting her team’s professional journey makes her an inspiring leader at our Toowoomba City centre. She looks forward to welcoming you to our Bask community and partnering with your family to create beautiful learning moments that will shape your child’s early years.

Inspired by Jerome Bruner’s Spiral Curriculum, Bloom with Bask is our unique inquiry-based learning approach where children explore challenging topics in age-appropriate ways, revisiting and expanding their understanding as they grow.

Through shared thinking and nurturing relationships, our curriculum encourages children to become confident learners while exceeding national quality standards, weaving literacy, numeracy, and creative thinking naturally into their daily discoveries.

BASK BUDDIES
Our Enrichment Program
Let us ignite your child’s imagination through six unique learning pathways, where curiosity sparks wild imagination. From creative and performing arts to STEM exploration, music, cultural discovery, and physical wellness, each pathway is thoughtfully designed to nurture your child’s natural talents and interests.

BASK COLLECTIVE
Our Community Connection Circle
We bring together a network of health services, educational partners, and cultural connections to help your child grow stronger, together. From child health nurses and therapists to environmental partners and wellness practitioners, we’ve created a nurturing circle of support that enriches your family’s journey at Bask.

Our Commitment: The Core Values of Bask Early Learning
Our values underpin all that we do at Bask Early Learning. Designed to guide our practices with intent, we encourage bravery, accountability, sparks of curiosity and kindness in all that we do.

Together, these values shape our approach to nurturing growth through care and knowledge, creating an early learning experience that develops confident, capable, and compassionate individuals who will shine brightly in their future endeavours.

Bravery
We believe bravery is about facing challenges with courage and resilience. We nurture children’s confidence to try new things, knowing that just as the sun rises each day, every attempt makes us stronger. By creating safe spaces for taking positive risks, we help children develop the courage to embrace life’s adventures, even when the path seems challenging.

Accountability
We stand firmly by our commitments and choices. We believe in owning our actions and their outcomes, using them as golden opportunities for growth and learning. By demonstrating responsibility in our daily practices, we teach children that accountability isn’t just about accepting consequences – it’s about growing stronger through our experiences and sharing these lessons with others.

Sparking Curiosity
We are passionate co-explorers, encouraging children to question, discover, and marvel at the world around them. Through our inquiry-based approach, we celebrate the joy of asking “why” and “how,” creating an environment where curiosity shines as brightly as the midday sun, leading to endless possibilities for learning and discovery.

Kindness
We create warm, welcoming spaces where care and respect flow naturally, touching everyone who enters our centres. By modelling genuine compassion and empathy, we show children that kindness isn’t just an action – it’s a way of being that makes our whole world brighter, creating lasting connections that warm hearts and foster belonging.

BASK EARLY LEARNING TOOWOOMBA CITY
"Where Curiosity is Sparked, and Imaginations Run Wild"

Bask Early Learning Toowoomba City embraces a multi-theorist approach to children's learning through our 'BLOOM WITH BASK' curriculum framework. We recognise this approach as a theoretical kinship with the theories of Benjamin Bloom, Mary Ainsworth, Magda Gerber, Abraham Maslow, Erik Erikson, Jerome Bruner, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, Howard Gardner, Maria Montessori, and Loris Malaguzzi, among others. As such, we have adopted a pedagogy which uses a child-centred, constructivist approach that utilises self-directed, experiential learning in relationship-driven environments. We offer flexible routines which are responsive to the needs of not only the children, but also the child as an individual.

Our centre prides itself in offering beautiful learning environments with open-ended resources that create endless learning possibilities. We have a bold, powerful commitment to play and the learning which play offers. We understand children develop the foundations for further learning through the freedom of their play, including exploration of their environment. We have a commitment to offering children long periods of uninterrupted play and exploration, allowing them to discover who they are and where they fit within the world they belong.

Bask Early Learning Toowoomba City recognises and respects the unique place of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, culture, and language as this nation's First Peoples. We believe their unique perspectives should be embedded into the practice of educators through genuine relationships, so we can help preserve their precious language and culture by making it accessible to all children. We recognise that this can only happen through the development of close, open, and genuine relationships with the local Elders and community.

Bask Early Learning is committed to the principles and practices of the Early Years Learning Framework, National Quality Framework, and the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guidelines.
At our centre, we recognise each child as unique. We view children as natural communicators and acknowledge each child as a capable, competent learner, offering each child rich, meaningful experiences which come from taking the time to build genuine relationships with them. We treasure the voice of the child and constantly seek new ways in which to weave that voice into the fabric of their learning.

We see each child as the author of their own growth. We value the unique voice and individuality of each child, taking the time to recognise each child's strengths and spirit. We view children as the main initiators of the learning process. Children are inspired to explore by their own interest, and as such they are endowed with a uniquely individualistic understanding of how to construct learning on their own. We treat children as active collaborators in their education. We see the child as beautiful, powerful, competent, creative, curious, and full of potential and ambitious desires.

Our educators pride themselves in the partnerships we create with children. The educators of Bask Early Learning Toowoomba City guide experiences of open-ended discovery and problem-solving. We thrive in collaboration with children and each other for the children's sake. We recognise the vibrant colour each family brings to the rich tapestry of culture in our community. We invite families and the community to join us in our collaborations. We invite families and the community to walk with the child because we understand the value both groups have to a child's learning. We respect families as the child's first teacher and view them as partners, collaborators, and advocates for their children. We invite families to share their aspirations for their children and welcome their input to strengthen our learning experiences. We believe it takes a village to raise a child.

Bask Early Learning Toowoomba City and our team of early childhood educators has a powerful commitment to pedagogical growth and development to aid us in delivering stronger learning programs to the children. We have a strong commitment to children, their families, to our community and to each other. We will reflect this commitment through respectful engagements and communications that offer a platform for meaningful collaboration between all stakeholders for stronger outcomes for children.

Our Centre Philosophy underpins and guides all aspects of our practice and service operations. Bask Early Learning Toowoomba City is inspired by multiple educational philosophies that continue to inspire early childhood education today. The educators and management of Bask Early Learning Toowoomba City embrace the image of the child as capable, confident, creative, and actively engaged in their learning journey. We believe that the early years are the most fundamental for each child in developing their belonging, being, becoming and wellbeing. We believe that children learn through experiences and interactions that occur during that time. We believe that providing an educational program which is child-centred, stimulating and focuses on children's development, individual children's knowledge, strengths, ideas, culture, abilities, and interests provides long-term benefits for all children.

"Children's early learning influences their life chances" (Early Years Learning Framework, 2009)

National Quality Framework: Quality Area 1 – EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM AND PRACTICE

PROGRAM: We believe in providing children with an environment that is stimulating and challenging where children can learn through play. Children's interests and ideas are the foundation of our program, and this learning is explored through inquiry-based experiences. We believe this encourages children to explore their imagination, creativity, problem-solving, independence, positive relationships, and reflective thinking. Educators actively promote the education of all children in our education and care facilities. The curriculum is connected to each child's everyday lives and interests. (Sociocultural, EYLF Outcome 1.3 & Principle 4) We believe that children learn best through play-based experiences. In conjunction with the Early Years Learning Framework and Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline, our program encourages children to become involved by providing interest-based experiences, which enables them to develop their capabilities and at the same time build on needs and challenge their strengths. Through this curriculum children develop self-confidence, independence, and pro-social behaviours. Being – 'childhood is a time to be, to seek and make meaning of the world.' We believe our Educational Leader is of upmost importance to the educational program and our centre's practices. Our Educational Leader guides, mentors and provides the pedagogical knowledge to assist all educators in planning experiences for children. Our Educational Leader assists all educators to develop educational programs relevant to each child's current strengths, abilities, and interests. We believe the role of our Educational Leader is to support all educators in creating flexible routines, meaningful experiences and promote nurturing interactions with children and families. Our Bask Buddies Enrichment Program offers six learning pathways that integrate seamlessly with our BLOOM WITH BASK curriculum: Inspired Buddies (Creative Arts), Performance Buddies (Theatre, Music & Movement), Wonder Buddies (STEM), Global Buddies (Language & Culture), Active Buddies (Physical Education & Wellness), and Nourished Buddies (Garden-to-Table & Sustainability).


PRACTICE: We believe in providing children with the time, space, and resources they need to engage in periods of uninterrupted play, this enables the children to actively engage in the learning process. Educators actively observe, plan, implement and reflect on children's learning journeys. Educators and children then reflect on their learning and work together to achieve the next step in their learning journey. The educators respectfully display documentation of children's thoughts and progression of thinking. Our educators are guided by the approved frameworks, the practices the principles stated in the UN Convention on the rights of the child and the code of ethics are reinforced within daily practices. Through reflective practice and being guided by EYLF, NQF and our BLOOM WITH BASK philosophy we can provide an ever-evolving environment which allows for intentional teaching and spontaneous learning. Never to forget that we too as educators and adults can learn from children as much as they can learn from us. We believe that our educator's pedagogical practices are thoughtful, deliberate and contribute to individual children's learning experiences. We believe that all educators can intentionally scaffold children's understanding and learning through our inquiry-based approach. We believe by incorporating key principles of multiple educational philosophies we can further children's understanding of themselves and their place in the world through their interactions with others. Our approach guides educators' practices on ensuring there is a strong focus on social collaboration, working in groups and that each child's thoughts and questions are valued. We believe in promoting each child's agency and embed the key concepts of belonging, being and becoming. We believe in providing children the right to have a voice and make decisions about the educational program. Children's developmental progress is tracked through the OWNA system, ensuring comprehensive assessment and planning.

ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING: We believe that by providing equal opportunity for the educators, families, children, and management to contribute to reviewing the centre philosophy provides a sense of being and belonging. We believe that it is the responsibility of the Nominated Supervisor and Educational Leader to encourage all educators and families to be meaningfully involved in the Philosophy Review.
National Quality Framework: Quality Area 2 – CHILDREN’S HEALTH AND SAFETY

HEALTH: We believe in providing children with knowledge about developing a strong sense of wellbeing and providing them with an understanding about good nutrition and the importance of an active lifestyle. We believe that encouraging healthy eating and overall wellbeing will contribute to children's ability to concentrate, contribute, and learn. We will provide children and families with useful information and experiences that will promote positive lifelong patterns and encourage children to take part in the responsibility for their own health and physical wellbeing. We aim to embed health and physical wellbeing into our educational programs and foster all aspects of children's health. We aim to implement a variety of health, hygiene and physical practices which will reflect each child's health needs. Our on-site chefs prepare fresh, nutritious meals daily, supporting children's health and introducing them to diverse, wholesome foods through our Nourished Buddies program.


SAFETY: Bask Early Learning Toowoomba City provides a special place for children away from home that fosters a sense of belonging and security, where children are cared for in a safe, healthy, and comfortable environment that meets their needs and those of their families. (EYLF: Children have a strong sense of identity – Children feel safe, secure, and supported). Educators aim to provide beautiful learning environments with open-ended resources that create endless learning possibilities. We believe that supervision is a key aspect for ensuring each child's safety and have implemented appropriate measures to protect children from potential risks. We believe our service has reflected upon all aspects of supervision and implemented various measures and taken reasonable precautions to support each child's safety. We maintain teacher-to-child ratios of 1:4 for children under 2 years, 1:5 for children aged 2–3 years, and 1:11 for children aged 3–5 years.
We believe in providing children the opportunity to explore, engage and participate in excursions outside the service. We will commit to ensuring all risks have been assessed and all safety precautions have been taken into consideration. Our service is committed to protecting children from potential risk or hazards. We have appointed a Workplace Health and Safety Officer who is responsible for implementing risk minimisation plans and conducting maintenance checks. We believe that providing a safe environment for children also reflects how we manage hygiene and food safety and aim to embed hygiene and food safety into our programs.

National Quality Framework: Quality Area 3 – PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

DESIGN: At Bask Early Learning Toowoomba City we believe in providing well-designed facilities which have been influenced by families, children, educators, and management. We view the environment as the Third Teacher. We believe in providing provocations emerged from children's interests in the environments maximises engagement and positive experiences. We believe that well-designed environments are flexible and provide opportunities for children to choose how they engage. Our centre features nature-inspired classroom names and child-centred design principles that prioritise natural light, ventilation, safety, inclusivity, and sustainability. Our oversized outdoor playscape offers children rich opportunities for exploration and physical development.


USE: At Bask Early Learning Toowoomba City we believe in the importance of 'Sustainability' and encourage children to develop an awareness of how we can build a sustainable future for ourselves and future generations using natural environments and resources. We believe in providing developmentally appropriate resources and environments, both indoor and outdoor, that encourage children to explore, develop a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around them and allow them to follow their own interests. Educators reflect on their environments to ensure that we are providing children with natural open play spaces that encourage collaboration, communication, and exploration. Our Nourished Buddies program integrates garden-to-table experiences and sustainability education into daily practice.

National Quality Framework: Quality Area 4 – STAFFING ARRANGEMENTS

STAFFING ARRANGEMENTS: We believe in continuity of educators across our service and believe children have the right to engage with familiar educators. We believe appropriate staffing arrangements enhance children's learning and development. Our centre operates Monday to Friday, 6:00am–6:00pm, with flexible sessions to support working families.


PROFESSIONALISM: 'The Early Childhood Education Ethics' and 'Professional Standards' guide are used to reflect upon and inform our pedagogy. We believe that the key to an effective Service starts with a strong team. We work hard to ensure we develop effective, positive relationships with each other, so we can fulfil our roles as Educators to the highest standard. We believe in the importance of being honest, trustworthy, reliable, acting with integrity and always maintain a sense of professionalism. Management, Educators, and staff are collaborative, respectful, and ethical. Our team engages in ongoing professional development through monthly Centre Team Forums, Educational Leader training, and annual leadership development opportunities. We are committed to exceeding national standards through continuous pedagogical growth.

National Quality Framework: Quality Area 5 – RELATIONSHIPS WITH CHILDREN

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN EDUCATORS AND CHILDREN: At Bask Early Learning Toowoomba City, we strive to work hard to ensure that we build positive, responsive, and reciprocal relationships with all our children, parents, and families. We believe that these relationships are the foundations for building important life-long learning dispositions and encourage children to possess a positive self-image that will create successful and passionate learners. We will provide every child with a safe, warm, and friendly place to belong, where they can grow into competent, imaginative, critical thinkers that are confident, happy, and creative. Bask Early Learning Toowoomba City provides a special place for children away from home that fosters a sense of belonging and security, where children are cared for in a safe, healthy, and comfortable environment that meets their needs and those of their families. (EYLF: Children have a strong sense of identity – Children feel safe, secure, and supported). Educators aim to provide beautiful learning environments with open-ended resources that create endless learning possibilities. Our service supports the United Nations Rights of a Child. All our Educators are familiar with this and support this in their practice and advocate for children's rights. Our core values of Bravery, Accountability, Sparking Curiosity, and Kindness guide every interaction and relationship we build with children.


RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CHILDREN: We believe that providing a consistent approach to behaviour guidance is essential for each child's needs to feel supported. At Bask Early Learning Toowoomba City each child is supported to build and maintain sensitive and responsive relationships. We model and nurture kindness, empathy, and compassion in all interactions, creating welcoming spaces where children learn to care for one another.

National Quality Framework: Quality Area 6 – COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES

SUPPORTIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH FAMILIES: We recognise and acknowledge the importance of parents as the child's first teachers. We work in partnerships with parents and families to ensure children are supported in every area, as are parents and families. We have an open-door policy and encourage discussions with families at any time. All families have a range of diverse social and cultural practices that are respected and incorporated into our curriculum (Socio Cultural & EYLF Outcome 2.2). We create respectful, supportive, and professional relationships amongst educators and families which are upheld through open friendly communication. Families are viewed as the child's first teacher, as partners, collaborators, and advocates for their children (EYLF Outcome 4.3, 5.1). Families and staff are provided with opportunities to continuously contribute to and evaluate all aspects of the centre. Families are encouraged to be involved in every aspect of the curriculum, encouraging a connection to each child's life (Socio cultural, EYLF Outcome 1.3, 3.1). We communicate with families through the OWNA system, sharing children's learning journeys, programs, rosters, and events.


COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS: We pay our respects to the traditional owners of the land and believe in the importance of embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into our practice, pedagogy, and ideology. We make links with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people wherever possible to seek valuable knowledge and advice in all areas of our Service. The educators at Bask Early Learning Toowoomba City embrace the richness and diversity of Australian society in our environments; we celebrate diversity and believe all children should be included regardless of race, religion, gender, disability, and difference, this is reflective in our environment and daily practices, as well as consistently reflected in our calendar of events and daily practices. We believe in the importance of building strong relationships with the wider community to support the programs we run for our children and the running of our Service. Our Bask Collective: Community Connection Circle integrates health services (nurses, dentists, hairdressers, nutritionists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists) and community partners (educational, cultural, environmental, wellness) into our year-round Community Connections Program. We recognise the importance of holistic learning, and we understand the importance of integrating children's physical, personal, social, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing into the program and daily routine. Our Educators embrace the richness and diversity of Australian society in an environment where all children feel valued and respected for who they are.

National Quality Framework: Quality Area 7 – GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP

GOVERNANCE: Our service is committed to ensuring a comprehensive induction process is in place to give educators the tools to succeed in their roles within our service. Well-established governance arrangements which are regularly reviewed contribute to the effective management of the service. Our leadership team is supported by our Support Office at Shailer Park, ensuring consistent quality, compliance, and operational excellence across all Bask Early Learning centres.


LEADERSHIP: We, as a team are committed to critical reflective practice as a way of continually improving ourselves in all areas. Our reflective practices are guided by the EYLF, NQF, Kindergarten Guidelines. By continually engaging in reflection, we can provide children with an ever-evolving learning environment which allows for intentional teaching and spontaneous learning. Bask Early Learning Toowoomba City leaders aim to assist educators in engaging in professional development to ensure our practices are informed by the most up to date knowledge and research. A suitably qualified and experienced Educational Leader oversees the effective development of our curriculum and ensures the establishment has clear goals and high expectations for teaching and learning. Our Centre philosophy is a living document, continually changing and evolving as our Service grows and expands. We invite feedback from children, parents, families, staff, members of the community and the Elders of our local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, so that we also incorporate your values, beliefs and ideas while ensuring we are working with our guiding documents 'National Quality Framework', 'Being, Belonging and Becoming' and 'Kindergarten standards'.

Our leadership structure includes our Centre Manager, Assistant Centre Manager, Administration Leader and Educational Leader, and dedicated team members who work collaboratively to ensure the highest standards of care and education. We are supported by our Head of Operations, Head of People & Culture, and Pedagogy & Practice Mentor, who provide ongoing guidance, mentorship, and professional development opportunities. Our vision is "To make the world a better place for the children and young people of tomorrow." This vision drives everything we do at Bask Early Learning Toowoomba City. We are committed to nurturing unique child development, teaching practical life skills, creating individualised learning journeys, and fostering a growth philosophy tied to warmth and sunshine, the very essence of what it means to Bask.

Our core values of Bravery, Accountability, Sparking Curiosity, and Kindness are lived experiences that shape our daily practice:

Bravery: We encourage children and educators to face challenges with courage and resilience, fostering confidence and positive risk-taking in a supportive environment.

Accountability: We own our actions and outcomes, using experiences as opportunities for growth and learning. We are transparent in our practices and committed to continuous improvement.

Sparking Curiosity: We encourage children to question, discover, and marvel through inquiry-based learning. We create environments that ignite wonder and inspire exploration.

Kindness: We create welcoming spaces where compassion and empathy are modelled and nurtured. We believe kindness is the foundation of all positive relationships.

These values are embedded in our monthly focus activities, centre forums, and daily interactions, ensuring they remain at the heart of everything we do.

Revised October 2025 by Educators, Families, Children, Management, and the Wider Community