Milpara

Milpara Early Learning Centre is located next to Burnie Primary School, in the education precinct of Park Grove. Milpara opened in 2005, and has a strong history of providing exceptional education and care to children on the North West Coast.

Milpara Early Learning Centre has a long standing and supportive relationship with Burnie Primary School, working closely with the Kindergarten teachers to ensure smooth transitions to school and regular involvement in school activities.

Milpara Outside School Hours Care, including Before School, After School and Vacation Care, operates from Burnie Primary School. Please see the Milpara Outside School Hours Care location page for further information and contact details.

P: 6433 4792

E: milpara@discoveryelc.com.au

15a Van Diemens Crescent, Park Grove, Tasmania 7320, Australia

Meals

Our service is a lunch box service and provides nutritional morning tea and afternoon tea. Our menu is designed to take into account children’s likes and dislikes, special dietary requirements and the Australian Dietary and Infant Feeding Guidelines.

Milpara Early Learning Centre is a Move Well Eat Well accredited service.

Additional Programs

MOVEMENT TO MUSIC

Milpara Early Learning Centre participates in the Discovery Movement to Music program. A local music therapist attends the service each week to help children in areas of development including: fine motor skills through action songs and instrument playing, gross motor coordination through dance, and development of rhythm.

Excursions

The Discovery bus enables regular opportunities to go on excursions and strengthen links with the local community. These excursions expose children to a range of different experiences and enable them to further connect with their community. Children also have the opportunity to enjoy regular walking excursions to a variety of locations.

Milpara has a special relationship with Umina Park, where children regularly visit the elderly residents, forming relationships and sharing experiences. This inter generational learning program purposefully brings together different generations to share experiences that are mutually beneficial.

Our service has a well developed nature play program, with weekly visits to View Road Nature Reserve. This program enables children to build resilience, self confidence, initiative, creativity, and creates healthy, happy minds.

Hours

Full day session

6:30am
6:30pm

Long Day 1

6:30am
4:30pm

Long Day 2

7:30am
5:30pm

Long Day 3

8:30am
6:30pm

Short Day

8:00am
2:00pm

Morning session

6:30am
12:30pm

Afternoon session

12:30pm
6:30pm

Leadership

  • Director
    Heather McCarthy

    Heather has worked in the Early Education and Care sector since 1987, working at Alexander Beetle house as an educator, becoming the Director in 1996. She transferred to Milpara in 2005. Heather is active in the community and was a Girl Guide Leader for many years. She currently volunteers most Saturday mornings at the local Park Run. She has been married for thirty years with an adult son and daughter. Her family love to go camping and keeping active and their pets are an important part of their lives.

  • Assistant Director
    Rachel Halpin

    Rachel has worked in early childhood since 2004, and began her career at Discovery in 2014, stepping into the Assistant Director role in 2020. Rachel believes that relationships with families and children are a key foundation upon which to build, and facilitate children’s growth and development. Rachel has two children that she supports in their sporting and scouting endeavours. In her spare time Rachel enjoys spending time with her family camping and playing board games.

Programs

Early Learning

0 to 5 years

Our Early Learning Centres offer play based learning in a safe, nurturing environment.

More info…

Preschool

3 to 5 years

Our preschool program focuses on the importance of developing life skills in preparation for entering primary school.

More info…