Early Edition Spring - 2019

EarlyEdition SPRING 2019

Bullying in Early Childhood Head Injuries for Kids and the Red Flags Culture & Diversity In Early Years Education

ACA Qld 2020 Diary made by the sector, for the sector

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY! Available in the ACA Qld Shop!

Expected delivery is mid-October

• • • •

27.6 cm x 19.8 cm, spiral bound Week to an opening Monthly tabs Monthly National Quality Standard checklists and reminders • State and Territory School Term Dates, public holidays • Yearly Planner • Plenty of writing space for notes, reflections, meetings, family feedback and more • National events and activities • Important contacts • Yearly reference calendars

Visit www.qld.childcarealliance.org.au to order yours today!

EarlyEdition SPRING 2019

ACA Qld

Contents

Location: 11/6 Vanessa Boulevard, Springwood Mailing: PO Box 137, Springwood QLD 4127 Telephone: (07) 3808 2366 Fax: (07) 3808 2466 Toll Free: 1300 365 325 (outside Brisbane) Web: www.qld.childcarealliance.org.au Email: qld@childcarealliance.org.au

ACA Qld President’s Report

2

ACA President’s Report

3

Disclaimer: Articles published in this magazine are published as a service to readers and should not be substituted for specific advice in relation to any issue.

While advertising in this magazine is encouraged, ACA Qld accepts no responsibility for the contents of the advertisements. Advertisements are accepted in good faith and liability for advertising content, goods or services supplied is the responsibility of the advertiser.

Bullying in early childhood: how to recognize and stop it 4 Happy 16th Birthday Caboolture Central Early Education Centre!

6

Get Scary this October during Halloween month to Help Sick Kids

7

Food Safety in Early Learning

8

Bright Beginnings Excursion to Queensland Museum

10

When Should I Phone an Ambulance for Head Injury with Kids?

12

Get to know your committee

14

Protect your nest egg by planning early

15

Excursion to Bunyaville Environmental Education Centre

16

Educator in Profile

18

Making those all important Intergenerational Connections

20

Members Talk: The Playground Upgrade Experience

22

Culture and Diversity in Early Years Education

24

Early Childhood Educators’ Day 2019

26

Supporter Members Directory

28

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE Executive

Committee Members

ACA Qld Office

President - Majella Fitzsimmons

Linda Davies

Rosa McDonald

General Manager - Brent Stokes

Vice President - Jae Fraser

Nicole Fowler

Katy Paton

Office Manager - Jen Smyth

Treasurer - Doug Burns

Kerrie Lada

Louise Thomas

Office Admin Assistant - Letitia Murphy

Secretary - Debra North

Pam Maclean

Brent Stokes

Marketing and Communications Officer - Brianna Salmond

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2019

1

ACA Queensland President’s Report Welcome to the Early Edition 2019 Spring issue! We hope Early Childhood Educators’ Day was an eventful day full of fun celebrations for all early learning services!

Thank you for submitting your wonderful stories and photographs showcasing how you made your educators feel special on this day. This year marks eight years since Australian Childcare Alliance Queensland (ACA Qld) launched Early Childhood Educators’ Day with the purpose of raising professional awareness and showing support of the incredible early years’ educators for encouraging and inspiring our children.

The College for Australian Early Childhood Educators (CAECE) has seen a few changes recently. It was with sadness that we wished Felicity Abrahamse, Training Operations Manager at CAECE all the best as she embarks on her new journey. With Felicity’s departure, we welcomed an exciting opportunity for Vicki Shearer to join us as the new Training Operations Manager for CAECE. We are excited to have Vicki on board with a wide spread of knowledge in the vocational education and training sector.

It has been 4 months since the ACA Qld 2019 National Conference with the ACA Qld 2020 National Conference planning well underway. I encourage you to clear your calendars for the weekend of Friday 19 to Sunday 21 June 2020 for yet another incredible weekend of learning! The Approved Provider lunch on the Friday has become a must attend for all, which is great to see. The networking opportunities alone have prompted us into possibly hosting similar events at other times during the year. Stay tuned for the possibility of an Approved Provider workshop later this year!

Tuesday 2 July 2019 was the one-year anniversary of the implementation of Child Care Subsidy (CCS) and I would like to acknowledge and congratulate our members for navigating this time while providing such professional

2

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2019

support to families. I continue to represent members as part of the CCS communications working group, recently consulting in Canberra on social media video releases and flyers relating to the very important issue of ACCS (child wellbeing). We continue to work with DET and DHS regarding issues families and or service providers may be experiencing and how these can be addressed. We will continue to closely monitor the effects of CCS balancing over the coming months.

Congratulations again to The Hon Dan Tehan, Member for Wannon in Victoria and Minister for Education on the re-election of his portfolio. Minister Tehan and his team have had a proactive approach to the discussion of issues in the early learning sector and are dedicated to continuing their work with ACA. More prominent policy changes ACA would like urgently addressed include: a. Minimum level of subsidised access for all children (36 hours per fortnight). b. Change the 8-week rule c. Improve the ACCS approval and application process to ensure that all vulnerable and disadvantaged children have access to subsidies, and d. Resolve the issue of back payments.

ACA Qld sent out congratulatory letters to all electorates and plan to continue our work with all sides of Government advocating for children to have the #BestStartInLife.

Industrial Relations continues to take considerable focus, with the ERO / Work value case and 4-year modern award review. The ERO / Work value case was before the Fair Work Commission for a total of four weeks with over 40 witnesses.

It is expected that a result should be announced early in 2020 while the four-year modern award review should be determined late 2019. I trust that you have received and reviewed “Superannuation on annual leave loading” and “Entitlement to Personal leave” to ensure you understand your requirements.

Our Best Start in Life advocacy paper used extensively in the lead up to the Federal election in May along with our website www.beststartinlife.org.au are currently being updated to reflect the current environment.

Submissions completed by ACA during the past quarter include Optimising Outcomes for Children (QKFS review), ANAO audit on the design and implementation of the Child Care Package, ACECQA review, which assessed the role of ACECQA, NQF review and Education Council’s Review of the Melbourne Declaration.

We are also currently finalising our midyear budget review.

The new ACA Qld shop located on our website has been a great success, with our 2020 ACA Qld Diary as a very popular order. For your chance to have this amazing resource for only $20 plus postage for members please visit the shop located on our website or contact the office on 07 3808 2366 or qld@childcarealliance.org.au.

I hope that you all have a safe and prosperous end to the year, and I hope to see you at members meetings across the State.

Majella Fitzsimmons ACA Qld President

ACA President’s Report Over the last few months, ACA has been extremely busy with political engagement, industrial relations activities and a number of submissions for various audits and reviews.

On the advocacy front, ACA has provided in depth feedback on behalf of our members via various platforms: • We made a submission to the ANAO audit on the design and implementation of the Child Care Package.

• We provided our inputs into the ACECQA review, which assessed the role of ACECQA. • We made a submission to the NQF review at the national level, as well as the state levels.

• We provided a submission to the Education Council’s Review of the Melbourne Declaration, which guides the design and delivery of education Australia-wide.

In early July we met with representatives from the Department of Education (DoE) to raise our concerns about the provider approval process, in particular the issues affecting small businesses running as family trusts, along with our call for a nationally consistent process.

We’re pleased to report that the Department is listening, understands these concerns and is looking to address these issues.

In late July as part of our political engagement strategy, ACA Vice President Nesha Hutchinson and I had the pleasure of meeting with a large number of key Ministers, Shadow Ministers and political advisors at Parliament House in Canberra, to talk about the issues most important to the early learning sector.

This included meetings with the Hon. Dan Tehan MP, Minister for Education and the Hon. Michelle Landry MP, Assistant Minister for Children and Families, Dr Andrew Laming MP, Member Coalition Committee for Health, Aged Care Sport Policy along with the Senior Advisors to Senator the Hon. Mathias Cormann

MP, Minister for Finance and the Hon. Josh Frydenberg MP, Treasurer.

Outside of the Coalition, key stakeholders they met with included Mr Owen Torpy, Chief of Staff to Hon. Amanda Rishworth MP, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education and Development, Senior Advisor to the Hon Joel Fitzgibbon MP, Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Resources, Senator Dr Mehreen Faruqi, Education and Early Learning spokesperson for the Australian Greens, Rebekha Sharkie MP, Education and Early Learning spokesperson for the Centre Alliance and Mr Bob Katter MP, Independent.

The implementation of the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) was a hot topic of discussion. Minister Tehan and his team of staff were responsive to ACA’s feedback and are continuing their work with ACA to address the issues identified.

If you would like to peruse some of the wonderful photos of the day, you can check out the Latest News articles on the website - www.

EarlyChildhoodEducatorsDay.org. au or do a quick search on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtags #EarlyChildhoodEducatorsDay or #LoveMyECE. Thanks again for your wonderful support of this national community event.

Paul Mondo National President Australian Childcare Alliance

Discussions also included a review of the activity test to provide a base level of subsidised early learning to all families, the continuation of preschool funding in the year before school, and the lack of planning around the building of new early learning centres.

ACA will continue advocating across all of the policy outlined in our Best Start In Life campaign and we look forward to positive outcomes across the range of items we are advocating for.

On a final note, we were delighted to see that Early Childhood Educators’ Day was celebrated so widely across the country this year! We hope you took part in the celebrations and organised some really fun activities to make your educators feel recognised and appreciated.

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2019

3

Jessie Mitchell, Senior Advisor, Bullying > Alannah & Madeline Foundation

It’s common for young children to be aggressive when they feel frustrated, excited, or upset.

Children need our help to learn to manage their emotions, be gentle, share or wait and take turns.

However, sometimes even young children will use aggression repeatedly and on purpose in order to hurt, scare or control someone else. That’s why we need to talk about bullying.

Bullying is when someone with more power repeatedly and deliberately harms someone else who feels unable to stop it happening. Power might stem from physical size or strength or from social advantages, such as having more friends. Bullying can be physical, verbal, social, or online.

Children who are bullied face higher risks of health and wellbeing problems – especially if they have also bullied others.

Bullying isn’t solved by punishment or by telling children to ‘toughen up’. It’s a social and relationship problem, and we need adults and other children to work together to change the outcome.

We might not worry if a child snatches another child’s toy, calls them a silly name, assigns them an undesirable role in a game or refuses to let them play. But it should raise concerns if a child does this again and again, or if it’s making other children anxious, distressed or isolated.

2. Know the signs

It’s especially important for adults to step in if a child seems very focused on aggression, if they target children who are weaker or less confident than they are, if they enlist other children to help them or if they use aggression when they think adults are not watching.

A child who has been bullied may show frequent tears or anger, unexplained injuries, damaged or missing belongings or clothing, sleeping problems, loss of appetite, becoming withdrawn, or refusing to go to school. (However, not all bullied children will show these signs to you.)

Early childhood bullying tends to be direct and face-toface, with physical aggression more common amongst boys and relational aggression (‘No one play with Sally!’) more common amongst girls. At this age, friendship groups are less organised, so young children may target many other children indiscriminately, with less consistent support from their peers. Some children who bully others are struggling to fit in themselves, while others are popular, with strong social skills. Children who are usually ‘nice kids’ can still become involved in bullying.

3. Change the behaviour

What can early childhood educators do?

1. Prevent bullying Early childhood educators are experts at building children’s emotional and social skills. Their approaches to prevent bullying include: • Be a good role model; demonstrate calm, respectful, assertive behaviour.

4

• Teach empathy, kindness, respect, courage, problemsolving and bystander action through story-telling, art, drama, music, picture-boards, books, puppetry, physical games, role-playing, dance and technology. These activities should include scenarios about bullying, such as children being left out of games, teased or treated unfairly.

• Work with children to set clear, consistent rules about how we treat each other, and illustrate these rules by creating posters, songs etc.

• Create positive opportunities for children to have power, such as feeding a classroom pet or helping staff solve a problem.

• Help children learn to calm themselves, join in games nicely, say ‘yes’ and ‘no’ assertively and ask adults for help.

• Teach the difference between nice and mean nicknames.

• Supervise physical and digital spaces.

• Celebrate behaviour that helps others.

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2019

If bullying happens, intervene calmly and focus on changing the behaviour. Tips from early childhood educators include: • Don’t label a young child as a ‘bully’; this may encourage further aggression.

• Stop the behaviour, state the ‘no bullying’ rule, and briefly describe what just happened and why it was wrong.

• Reassure the child who was bullied, and gently support them to stand tall and speak up.

• Get other children to involve the bullied child nicely in their activities.

• Make sure the bullied child knows what to do if it happens again, such as moving away, saying ‘no, stop that’, sticking with friends, or telling an adult.

• Encourage the child who has used bullying to put into words what happened and how their behaviour made others feel.

• Show that child another way to solve the problem and have fun without aggression.

• Address the cause. Is this child struggling with boredom, anger, frustration or a need for attention? Is the child learning violence, intimidation, exclusion or humiliation at home? Sometimes, follow-up action is needed.

4. Engage parents The first time a parent hears the word ‘bullying’, it should not be about their own child! We want parents to understand bullying as a community problem that everyone can help prevent.

Parents can help prevent bullying by modelling respectful behaviour, setting clear, consistent rules, being specific about why certain behaviours are OK or not OK, and teaching children empathy, problem-solving, sharing, taking turns, managing emotions, and caring for others.

Some parents may need extra support - for example, from a GP, counsellor, or Parentline.

5. Keep learning Check out National Centre Against Bullying.

Bullying No Way, PromotePrevent, Free of Bullying, and explore the eSmart Digital Licence (Foundation – Year 2): a must-have online safety education program that teaches children about good behaviour and how to deal with bad behaviour online.

The Alannah & Madeline Foundation and Dolly’s Dream will roll out cyber safety program eSmart to 100 Queensland primary schools, provide 400 Queensland primary schools with eSmart Digital Licence and deliver 50 Connect workshops from early next year.

Happy 16th Birthday Caboolture Central Early Education Centre!

Emma Taylor > Caboolture Central Early Education Centre

Thank you so much to our wonderful families who came along and joined us for our afternoon of celebration!

We would like to thank Craig & Cooper Wright for coming in and welcoming our event with an Acknowledgement to Country and for teaching our guests all about the special cultural items they brought in to display.

Another big thank you to The Healthy Cooking Company for providing us with our celebration cake and a platter of afternoon nibbles of seasonal fruits and vegetables to share. The Healthy Cooking Company provides our centre with all of our meals each week which is delivered to the service and also available for our families to purchase themselves.

Our special guests from Caboolture Neighbourhood Centre and Caboolture State School were also very welcomed.

We appreciate them coming and joining us to signify this special occasion and our involvement within our community. We have a strong partnership with Caboolture State School engaging in their community breakfasts with our before school care children, and especially at this time of year as our school readiness children commence orientation visits preparing for Prep next year.

Miss Emma (Centre Director) was joined with Miss Julie (Lead Educator) to cut the cake and recognise that Miss Julie has worked at our service since the day we opened the doors sixteen years ago. Miss Julie is a well-recognised and respected educator by all families and staff who is just as dedicated to her role now as she was 16 years ago when our doors opened.

Our celebration was made even more special with the help of Geckoes Wildlife who came to share their wildlife animals with us. Our wonderful presenter was set up for a meet and greet and the children, families, community members and staff were able to come and go and meet the animals on display. The crocodile and snake were a big favourite! Overall, we had a brilliant afternoon and can’t wait to see what the next 16 years of service involves!

In keeping with the spirit of Reconciliation, we acknowledge the Gubbi Gubbi People, traditional owners of the lands where Caboolture Central Early Education Centre now stands and recognise that these have always been places of teaching and learning.

We wish to pay respect to their Elders - past, present and emerging - and acknowledge the important role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to play within the Caboolture Central Early Education Centre community.

6

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2019

Get Scary this October during Halloween month to Help Sick Kids Rachele Whelan > Kids with Cancer Foundation Australia

Scare Cancer is the National Fundraising campaign for Kids with Cancer Foundation (Australia).

Kids with Cancer Foundation was established in 1998, and to date has provided over $25 million to: cancer research, family financial assistance and children’s hospital networks Australia wide.

The thought behind our “Scare Cancer” campaign was to get Kids involved with helping Kids! What a better time to do that than Halloween, when the Kids have so much fun dressing up and getting their spooky on!

We thought to scare cancer from our kids, and to this aim the “Scare Cancer” fundraiser has been running since 2014, and in those 4 years has raised just over $66k. In 2019 we would love to see it grow even further, by encouraging companies, businesses, sporting clubs, schools and pre-schools to hold an event during October for Halloween to raise funds. Your event could include a mufti day, a scary morning tea, lunch or dinner party, a scary office BBQ or street party, to name a few.

Our promise to you is that 100% of all money raised during the Scare Cancer Campaign, will be passed on to where it is needed most, the Kids! The money that is donated will help sick kids and their families

in the following ways, by paying; rents, mortgages, utility bills, car registrations, car repairs, school fees, palliative accommodation, the list is never ending. This will also lessen the financial burden on these families, and allow them to be with their child to help them to continue living and supporting them back to full health.

The financial assistance we are currently paying to these families is well over $40k per month.

Hospital Networks around Australia have also benefited from our donations, we currently provide salaries for Clinicians in 5 children’s hospitals, with Oncology Social Worker positions in 4 of those hospitals in different states (including Bear Cottage in Sydney) and the provision of funding in support of: cancer research, bone marrow transplants, stem cell treatment, and the late effects of cancer treatment in young adults, and much more.

We have for many years been at the forefront of cancer services by providing funds to improve or construct paediatric oncology wards and research units. We funded the construction of the Children’s Cancer Research facility at Sydney Children’s Hospital with a payment of $1.5 million thereby providing an increase in clinical, research staff and fellows from 25 to 45 people, and earlier paid to refurbished Kids with Cancer Foundation Day Ward in 2006 with a donation of $500,000 from the Foundation.

Another donation of $500,000 in 2003 greatly assisted with the capital funding needed to open Australia’s first stem cell facility, the “Sydney Cord Blood Bank”, and we were told at the time: “without your donation there would be no Stem Cell Facility” (Sydney Cord Blood Bank).

With over $1 million in funding we paid to construct and fit-out the Children’s Cancer Unit in Monash Children’s Hospital, and also funded the revamp at John Hunter Children’s Hospital in Newcastle.

Kids with Cancer Foundation is one of the only charities in Australia that passes 100% of all directly donated funds we receive from fundraisers to families, and Hospital Networks. We are able to do this due to the fact we conduct our own lotteries/Art Unions, which we run continuously and draw every quarter. We sell $2.00 tickets for $100k worth of prizes of your choice; these lotteries entirely support the running costs of the charity.

This October show your support of the kids and help us to put the “Care” back into “Scare” Help us Shine a Light in a Child’s life TODAY! For more information, please contact Rachele Whelan – Fundraising Manager (02) 9680-7444, email fundraising@ kidswithcancer.org.au. Or check out our website: www.kidswithcancer.org.au and you can find us on Facebook!

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2019

7

Food Safety in Early Learning Glenn Raine > CaterSafe

Have you ever been out for dinner and the next day you are not feeling the best? Possibly caught a bug or was it something you ate? Perhaps that restaurant you visited might not have had its food safety up to scratch and here you are with food poisoning!

It can happen so easily. Have you considered the food safety at your centre and what the outcome would be if the children in your care were all as sick as you were? It would not be good, some serious questions about your food safety would be asked by Queensland Health, which is why food safety in early learning is so vital.

It is a common misunderstanding amongst some operators of child care centres that a food licence and a documented food safety program is not required, the simple fact of the matter is if you provide food that has been prepared and cooked on the premises or, sourced from a ready to eat meals provider by law you require one.

So, what will happen if the local Council find out that you are preparing and serving food at your centre and you don’t have a food licence or food safety program in place?

8

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2019

In most cases the local Council will require you to commence the process of compliance. This includes application for a food licence and the implementation of a food safety program which documents the food handling processes at your child care or early learning centre. The timeframe will be at the discretion of your local Council.

Once completed your food safety program will undergo a ‘Desktop Review’ by a ‘Queensland Health Approved Food Safety Auditor’ who will then provide a ‘Notice of Written Advice for Accreditation’ this ‘Notice’ along with the food safety program is then submitted to your local Council for final ‘Accreditation’.

This will also need to be in conjunction with complying with all the other requirements of the Food Standards Code as listed in the Council application.

The next step in the process is an on-premise ‘Food Safety Audit’ by a ‘Queensland Health Approved Food Safety Auditor’ this will normally take place within six (6) months of the date of accreditation of your food safety program. The ongoing audit frequencies are then set by your local Council.

A well-documented food safety program will ensure the ongoing food safety for the children who attend your centre.

If you already have a food safety program in place are you confident that it is current, meets your needs and the requirements of the Queensland Food Act 2006? Now might be the time to undertake a review and update your program.

You just never know when you could end up with a lot of very upset little tummies…

About the Author Glenn Raine • Glenn is the Principal of CaterSafe a provider of Food Safety Programs.

• CaterSafe is a Supporter Member of Australian Childcare Alliance Qld (ACA Qld).

?

Did you know

Did you know that Food Standards Australia New Zealand, Standard 3.3.1 states: ‘This Standard requires food businesses that process food for service to vulnerable persons to implement a documented and audited food safety program.

Food businesses that process or serve potentially hazardous food for hospital patients, aged care recipients, children in childcare centres and vulnerable people receiving other services will generally fall within the requirements of this Standard provided the food is intended for six (6) or more vulnerable persons.’

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2019

9

Bright Beginnings Excursion to Queensland Museum Amanda Timms > Bright Beginnings

Kindy A at Bright Beginnings have been investigating a space experience lead from a child initiated curiosity. Illustrating pictures from storybooks and focussing on fine motor skills lead to many questions about planets and wanting to enquire more about the topic.

This interest, soon became very popular with a Big Bang of space related parent input and meaningful learning. An investigation of creating a home corner Space Station has taken over our Kindy A world. We have investigated the planets, creating models for display with paper mache in the environment. We have researched constellations and extended upon this with Indigenous perspectives talking about our night sky and the art formed. To collate all of our learning and further investigate space at a deeper level we organised an excursion to the Queensland Museum to further explore NASA’s space exhibition. What a wonderful experience this was. A day of learning, a day of fun and a day that linked the children with their community in an interactive way!

Steps to complete for the excursion: We discussed as a team how we could best capture the learning through reflection. With extensive amounts of preparation, risk assessments and organisation of food and scheduling we were off on an adventure via the public bus. The children were exposed to numeracy and were obsessed with writing the bus number 345. We were very fortunate to have assistance with parent helpers, our centre director (Robyn) and our outdoor educator.

The excursion was such a big hit that we even had children who didn’t normally attend the excursion day tag along with their parent

10

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2019

/ guardian. We have only heard positive feedback on an incredible experience.

Parent Involvement: We are lucky to have such a supportive parent community in Kindy A. Once we announced our intent to go on the excursion, numerous parents offered to chaperone and assist with the children on our journey. They were a massive help with supervision and were very supportive during the excursion transitions singing away in harmony. This excursion was a support day and was very inclusive of the additional needs and requirements of the day. What an experience to have Thomas included with the speciality bus ramp and a wheelchair access lift that enables Thomas to view the Space ship with his peers.

Costing of the Excursion: We were fortunate enough to have the costing at a minimum for the excursion.

All children were free to travel on the local bus and the cost of the exhibit was also complimentary.

The only charge for the day was for adults travelling on the bus and the childrens lunch fee, approximately $13. We decided to have food catered from the local Museum Café Muse.

The children enjoyed a lunch in the Dinosaur eating area and this was interactive with many activities surrounding it.

The excursion was such a big hit that we even had children who didn’t normally attend the excursion day tag along with their parent/ guardian.

Preparation of the Excursion: We did a lot of lead up preparation prior to the excursion. We practiced walking to and from the bus stop every single day.

This helped us to walk together and to walk at a sensible pace. We could understand road safety, pedestrians, crossings, our surroundings and venturing to our local community. Daily discussions in yarning circle filled the room with excitement and wonder about what could be. The children collaborate all their learning about space and projects in a daily project book that highlights their learning, understanding and reflection.

Before the excursion, I took myself and an educator on the weekend to scope out the excursion. This was to ensure we could benefit from all the facilities with inclusion and also to make a clear understanding of the schedule.

This excursion was a big adventure, a wonderful experience taking 23 children in total. We had many rules for the excursion and safety precautions which guided our day. We allocated partners for the excursion.

We talked about looking left, right, left in driveways and across roads. We always had to remain with a teacher.

I decided to break the group off into 4 groups which helped with viewing the exhibit more thoroughly and safely. Groups were decided by myself (Teacher) with children who work best together. This event was a huge success, and an event to definitely be proud of. We would of course do this again and again and again!

Information required by department to hold an excursion The Education and Care Services National Law (National Law) and the Education and Care Services National Regulations (National Regulations) prescribe a number of requirements for services when educators take children outside the service premises on excursions or regular outings.

An excursion is an outing organised by an education and care service.

This does not include an outing organised by a service located on a school site if the child/ren leave in the company of an educator and remain on the school grounds (regulation 4, National Regulations).

A regular outing is an excursion undertaken regularly. It is a walk, drive or trip to and from a destination that a service visits frequently as part of its educational program and where the circumstances outlined in the risk assessment are the same (regulation 4, National Regulations).

Regular outings include kindergarten programs delivered off site such as bush, beach or rainforest kindy.

Before taking a child off site, the approved provider must ensure they have the written authorisation of the parent or person named in the enrolment record (regulation 99 (4) National Regulations).

Excursions, including regular outings, enable children to explore the wider community and are valuable learning and development opportunities.

Approved providers, however, must consider the potential additional risks to children’s safety, health and wellbeing.

During an excursion or regular outing, the service must continue to operate in a way that: • ensures the safety, health and wellbeing of the children • meets the educational and developmental needs of the children (section 51, National Law).

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2019

11

When Should I Phone an Ambulance for Head Injury with Kids?

National First Aid Training Institute National First Aid Training Institute

We have lost track of the number of times in a childcare first aid course we have been told ‘we weren’t sure if we needed an ambulance or not’. The most common injury we see associated with this issue, are head injuries.

If a child suffers a head knock, a debate quickly follows as to whether an ambulance must be called, or just notify the parents, or do nothing as the child seems fine.

We want to give you specific and simple guidelines for exactly when we should phone an ambulance for a child that has suffered a head injury.

As always, the most important point we can get across is that when you are caring for a child, and something about them seems wrong or ‘off’ after a head injury, don’t hesitate, ask for help!

12

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2019

What follows are the 5 red flags that will let you know the child is not OK, and an ambulance should be called.

5 Red Flags Checklist 1. Mechanism of Injury

4. Obvious Injury

How far has the child fallen to hit their head? If the answer is more than twice their height, this classifies as the mechanism of injury red flag. As you can appreciate, for a baby, twice their height is not very far at all.

Regardless of whether the child seems okay after the fall, if they have fallen twice their height or more and hit their head we should always phone an ambulance so the child can be transported to hospital and get professionally assessed.

The range of injuries we should be worried about are many and varied, but the most serious and concerning are the following: • Dings, dents or divots in the skull (very carefully place your fingers around the injury site to see if you can see any malformations around the area)

2. Vomiting More Than Once A single vomit after a head knock is not actually that uncommon and generally isn’t considered dangerous.

Sometimes just the shock of it happening is enough to trigger a vomiting action. Vomiting more than once, however, is a very serious concern and could be an indication of an underlying concussion or even a more serious brain injury.

3. Were they Knocked Out? This seems an obvious one, but if the patient was unconscious after a head injury we must phone an ambulance. This doesn’t always look the way it does in the movies though. If the child went limp or like a rag doll, (even if it was only for a second or two) after a blow to the head, then the first aid guidelines state it is better to be safe than sorry and phone an ambulance.

• Cuts or gashes more significant than just a scratch • Clear or straw coloured fluid leaking from their ear or nose (with a young child and there is clear fluid, please make sure it isn’t just mucus)

5. Disorientation or Confusion This is much easier to assess on a child that is walking confidently and is old enough to talk and answer simple questions. If you notice that a child is falling over consistently, or seems disoriented or confused after a head knock, please err on the side of caution and phone an ambulance. You can ask very simple questions like “What’s your name?’ or ‘Would you rather fight 100 duck sized horses, or one horse sized duck?’

In conclusion These symptoms are by no means exhaustive but are certainly the most serious signs or symptoms to worry about. As always, the most important point we can get across is that when you are caring for a child, and something about them seems wrong or ‘off’ after a head injury, don’t hesitate, ask for help.

The team at NFTI are a Queensland based First Aid Training Provider and Registered Training Organisation. We specialise in contextualised first aid training for those in the early education industry.

We also offer the following services First Aid Kits and Supplies, Customisations for centres who need something a little extra for example advanced training in Epilepsy/ Diabetes Management or debriefing following an incident. www.nfti.edu.au

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2019

13

Get to know your committee Katy Paton > Eastwood Early Education

Hello everyone, my name is Katy Paton. Firstly and most importantly I am a mother of an amazing 12 year old daughter Zara, I am an Early Childhood Teacher, Approved Provider and ACA Qld Committee member based in Toowoomba.

In my early years working as an ECT I worked in a variety of settings from early learning (long day care, centre based) services, State and independent schools, and higher education. In 2010 my family and I opened our first early learning centre based service in Toowoomba, Eastwood Early Education, and only a few months ago we opened Wyreema Early Education, just out of town in a semi-rural agricultural area.

Early Childhood Education and Care is my passion. I have been in the industry for 19 years and have witnessed many changes; both in myself as an educator, leader and in our sector. I have continued to study since finishing my teaching degree and have just begun my journey to complete my PhD. I am blessed that in my everyday working life, my role on the ACA Qld Committee and my study provides me with multiple opportunities to positively impact the lives of children. My day can start with supporting a kindergarten child with learning to tie their shoe and by lunchtime I am having wonderful critical, constructive and collaborative discussions with one of my fellow educators. I often engage in opportunities to be your eyes and ears in the political realm and take great pride in advocating for the voice of approved providers, operators, educators, and families as I fly the ACA Qld flag in our committee meetings, consultations with partner organisations and different levels of Government.

ACA Qld offers wonderful support to our valued members and I encourage all of you to take time to understand the comprehensive benefits of your membership. Reacquaint yourselves with all the ‘perks’ of your membership. There is a sensational team working behind the scenes for you. From the talented office staff, CAECE your registered training organisation, our General Manager Brent Stokes, and all of your volunteer committee.

We are able to provide services with member benefits such as free Industrial Relations advice through valued Supporter member, Employer Services – have you seen the updated award wages? There are other fabulous Supporter members such as MTA and Educational Experience who provide you with discounts on catalogue prices and freight.

Be sure to maximise the benefits of your membership fees by keeping up to date with our weekly Early Edition eNewsletter and monthly magazine.

It is a privilege to advocate on behalf of members as part of the ACA Qld committee. I thank you for the opportunity and I hope to see many of you at our upcoming AGM in September.

Child Care Package More support for more families

www.education.gov.au/childcare

14

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2019

Protect your nest egg by planning early Kelly Stubberfield, Private Wealth Adviser > Elston Private Wealth

The day that you sell your business may still be a long way off, however it’s important to plan ahead and think about the possible impact of factors like Capital Gains Tax (CGT).

Planning today can give you a lot of flexibility in the future. For example, you may be able to make more money available to you now, or in retirement, by taking advantage of CGT concessions. These concessions could help to reduce the taxable capital gain associated with the sale. And yet, we’ve found at Elston that small business owners are often unaware of how the concessions work, until they start to think about selling.

One thing that is important to be aware of, is the number of times you can apply. So long as you meet certain conditions, the legislation lets you apply for as many CGT concessions as you are entitled to, until the capital gain associated with the sale reduces to nil.

If you are thinking about selling a small business asset, there are a number of important areas that should be considered, such as your age, the timing of your business sale, and how the ownership of the asset is structured. Naturally you’ll need to talk to a professional to get advice before you act. Here are a couple of things you might want to ask them about.

Nil CGT for retirees

Delaying the CGT

If you’ve owned the business for 15 years or more, you may be exempt from CGT on the sale of your business when you retire. Plus, part of the sale proceeds may be contributed into superannuation without being treated as either a concessional or non-concessional contribution.

Have you heard of the small business rollover exemption? It effectively delays the tax payable on the capital gain from the sale of a business, giving you up to two years to acquire a replacement asset.

Halving your CGT If you haven’t had the business for 15 years, you may be entitled to a 50% discount on the CGT when you sell.

This concession is like the general 50% CGT discount available to individual asset owners, although business owners do not have to hold the asset for 12 months to get the discount.

Age does count Capital gains from the sale of active assets may be exempt up to a $500,000 lifetime limit, which is not indexed. However, conditions apply. For example, if you’re under 55 years of age, the exempt amount must be paid into a complying super fund or retirement savings account. If you’re over 55, this forced contribution rule doesn’t apply.

If you are thinking about selling a small business asset, there are a number of important areas that should be considered, such as your age, the timing of your business sale, and how the ownership of the asset is structured.

What does all this mean?

You don’t have to wait until a business sale to benefit from the above concessions. You can use these concessions when restructuring your existing asset position to better prepare for sale or retirement. Therefore, it is vital to plan up front.

With the help of someone like an Elston financial adviser and your accountant you can see how you might be able to minimise tax payable, maximise your net wealth and adopt strategies that are in line with your financial goals.

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2019 15

Rediness Cherubs: Excursion to Bunyaville Environmental Education Centre Michelle Stanley, Teacher and QCCS Company ECT Mentor > The Prince Charles Early Education Centre

Our School Readiness Cherubs have had the most “deadly” excursion to Bunyaville Environmental Education Centre (BEEC). Bunyaville Environmental Education Centre is a day visit centre situated in Albany Creek. Bunyaville EEC designs, promotes and delivers highly effective environmental education P-12 programs for schools and the community including building capability of schools with professional development for teachers.

After a big discussion with our children about making great choices, using our best listening ears and being on our best behaviour, we boarded the big bus with our wonderful parent helpers and teachers, along with our hats, big backpacks, packed lunches, and our drink bottles. The children were just so excited! In no time we arrived at beautiful Bunyaville and were warmly welcomed by Bunyaville’s lovely staff who taught us all about how to care for our beautiful land, mother earth, and about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture who are very strong in their love, respect and care of their land. Our children even brought a tear or two to our eyes as they joyfully sang our “Acknowledgement of Country” song with actions. They also had their best listening ears on for the wonderful story, “Sorry Sorry”.

Just before morning tea we learnt to wash our hands in a bucket of water with some natural soap leaves that aboriginal people use,

16

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2019

and after rinsing we did the special Bunyaville shake, to shake all of the water off our hands. After morning tea we made sure we did not leave a scrap of rubbish as there are no bins at Bunyaville as part of being a sustainable environment! We then headed off for a yarning circle time before our beautiful long winding bushwalk that had us mesmerised by the wonderful variety of elongated trees and the peaceful serenity of the environment we were entering.

On our walk we saw a giant long snake skin in a tree, some stingless bees that had made a nest in a tree trunk, and a termite nest as well which was fantastic! We even got to lay on our backs and hear the sounds of nature while observing the tree tops, all while a local inquisitive bush turkey meandered on past us, scratching around for food. We heard many beautiful birds chirping in the trees and we saw a big kookaburra observing us cautiously from his branch nearby.

After lunch we got to explore the beautiful play areas set up especially for us which included some amazing Aboriginal painting in the bush gallery, lots of play with different animal puppets, using lots of beautiful natural resources to create different things, different types of games, and even a simple cubby making experience that included some sticks and some pretty sparkly material.

The children were buzzing around everywhere all at once and having such a wonderful time exploring everything. It was the most tremendous experience and we are very grateful to have learnt so much.

After waving goodbye to the lovely welcoming staff at Bunyaville, we arrived back at School Readiness very tired but happy about our day. Thank you to all our dedicated families that helped us, and thank you to beautiful Bunyaville for having us. We had such a great time and highly recommend a visit!

In no time we arrived at beautiful Bunyaville and were warmly welcomed by Bunyaville’s lovely staff who taught us all about how to care for our beautiful land, Mother Earth, and about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture who are very strong in their love, respect and care of their land and mother earth.

- Michelle Stanley

The reality is that without QikKids, we couldn't run our business here I've known QikKids since 2001, everything we do in the office involves QikKids! Looking at our key metrics every week and giving Managers the tools to EASILY see where our centre's tracking financially is really important to us.

We've got our finger on the pulse every single week around what's happening in the organisation, so QikKids has been a HUGE HELP. QikKids is listening to what this sector and industry needs - and that is really, really comforting!

– Jae Fraser, Business Owner, The Scholars Group

CONTACT QIKKIDS

1300 367 770

qikkids.com.au

Educator in Profile:

Duangporn Di Phochiangrak Meet Duangporn Di Phochiangrak, Co-educator in the Nursery and Kindy Room, at Mosaic Christian Early Learning Centre.

What is your role within your service and what do you want to achieve in the next five years?

In my current roles at Mosaic Christian Early Learning Centre, I am working as a co-educator in the nursery room for two days a week and also two days a week in the kindergarten room.

My role in nursery is to build a trusting relationship with families and to help young babies bond and settle into the service. I understand that it can be very hard for new parents having to leave their young babies, so I feel like I have been given a privilege to work collaboratively with the parents in order to provide love and care for their little ones.

My role in kindy is to assist the kindergarten teacher to provide an educational plan through our kindy learning program. I enjoy assisting in all kinds of activities such as literacy, craft, art, music and cooking. The essential part is to help children to gain independence in readiness for school.

I am seriously considering doing further studies in the next five years and am planning to become an early childhood teacher in the future.

What/who inspired you to forge a career in early learning?

I have wanted to work with children since a very young age, and I decided to take on study to be an early childhood educator 8 years ago. Being a volunteer for Sunday school at my home church for over ten years also inspired me to want to work with children. There are also many people in my life who are my inspiration as great early year teachers. These include my pre-prep teacher, my brother-in-law’s mother and many of my colleagues. They have all demonstrated love and care for young children and that has inspired me to follow a career in early learning.

18

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2019

What do you find rewarding about working in the early learning sector?

I am so privileged to witness the developmental milestones of children who have been attending Mosaic Christian Early Learning Centre from a very young age. As a mother of two children myself, I am very grateful to be involved in the lives of young children and their families.

I feel so much love and appreciation for children and parents, and I have made good friends with some families.

Being an early childhood educator allows me to care for and teach young children while building relationships with both the children and their families which I find extremely rewarding.

How would you describe your early learning philosophy?

My centre’s philosophy reflects what I value. I do believe that each child is unique and that they are precious gifts from God. To me it is important to be part of a service that can help provide high quality, family oriented child care and early education that understands the needs of the individual child and family.

I acknowledge that Australia is a diverse society which consists of a variety of ethnic and social people groups.

Coming from a different background myself enhances my awareness and acceptance of individual cultures and values. I believe that we can enhance our children’s sense of ‘belonging’ through our inclusive program and promote their different abilities, needs, backgrounds and cultures with respect. I also believe that we can enrich children’s sense of ‘becoming’ by incorporating our community history with our daily practice and our Indigenous background and culture to reflect who we are and how we connect to our community. To me it is very important to teach our children to learn from our past and to promote children’s ‘being’, and learning through play.

Because the early childhood years are very important to children’s future development, an educator plays a big part of little children’s lives.

How do you engage the families in your service?

At Mosaic Christian Early Learning Centre, we always strive to build trusting relationships with parents and we welcome their input into our programs. We have an open door policy and families are welcome to volunteer their time for example - to teach children a skill, read a story or play a game with the children. They are also encouraged to give suggestions on how we can improve on our service and programs and to review policies and procedures.

We also hold various centre events throughout the year and Mums are invited to join us for a Mother’s Day breakfast and Dad’s enjoy a sausage sizzle and games night for Father’s Day. There is also a wonderful end of year Christmas concert where families gather to enjoy items performed by every age group.

What is your biggest challenge as an educator and what strategies do you put in place to manage these challenges?

Working with two different age groups is very challenging because the children in the two rooms are at different developmental stages and have totally different needs.

In kindy, the children are very energetic. They are curious learners who always have hundreds of questions.

They have formed nice relationships with their friends.

They look up to educators as their role models. I have learned how to deal with the children’s behaviours and to support them in getting ready for school. However, it is totally different in the nursery as young babies need a lot of love and need to have their basic needs met.

In the first 12 months, they develop so much physically and emotionally to become little people with their own personalities.

The best strategy is to work collaboratively with my teams and families. Communication is also the key to achieve our plans and to help children learn and reach their development milestone. I am very blessed to work with many amazing talented educators in both nursery and kindy rooms.

How have the challenges you faced helped you to grow as an educator?

I have learnt so much from all my colleagues as I observe them working professionally and collaboratively with the children and their families in both age groups. I have developed and broadened my skills and my professional performance as an educator for nursery and kindergarten.

I also have the opportunity to study my Diploma in Early Learning Education which helps me to understand more about planning the program and doing all sorts of observations and how we implement the NQF in our work.

What is the most important skill you hope to develop in the children you educate and care for?

I wish to encourage a sense of independence and confidence in all children so that they have every opportunity to become happy well-adjusted adults.

What advice would you give to someone who wishes to start a career in early learning?

It is important that you enjoy working with and caring for young children if you wish to start a career in early learning. Volunteering in the childcare sector or other child related voluntary work can help to give you a glimpse of what it is like to work in this industry.

Finally, what’s your fondest memory from your own childhood?

During nap time in kindergarten when I was about 5 or 6 years old, I could not go to sleep. My teacher knew and asked me if I wanted to do drawing while my other friends were still asleep. I thought that was very special.

I drew a picture of a rabbit on one side with nice sky and a person flying a kite. On the other side of the picture it was raining. My teacher gave me a compliment that it was a very nice picture and that I was a very good artist.

It was very encouraging and touched my heart. Now that I looked back as an educator, I realize how important it is to encourage a young child.

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2019 19

Making those all important Intergenerational Connections Debra North > Munchkins Early Education Centre

What are the benefits of building intergenerational connections?

What do these relationships mean to us?

For several years now, Munchkins Early Education Centre’s kindergarten program has brought into focus the importance of building enduring and unique relationships within our local community. We carried out research into the possibility of connecting with an aged care facility in our local area and initiated contact with a reputable, beautiful facility. This began our life affirming journey for educators and the children, creating opportunities and wonderful memories that will remain with all of us for the years to come.

“Connections between generations are essential for the mental health and stability of a nation” - Margaret Mead

20

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2019

This partnership continually supports the children to build stronger communication skills and develop caring relationships with seniors, whilst encouraging them to lead their own learning by planning the activities for our monthly visits that we very much look forward to. One of the major benefits of intergenerational programs is the ability to bring together diverse groups that otherwise may not meet or engage, breaking down those stereotypes as the seniors and children interact. The relationships built create a sense of identity whilst celebrating each other’s differences.

When we meet, our connection can be as relaxed as reading a book together, or building a number stack, completing puzzles or playing a matching game. The most amazing stories are told by the residents.

The conversations really go back to the ‘good old days’ when we had storytellers in our communities.

That’s how we learned history and skills of survival, courage and life — through our elders. This can be

lacking in our children’s lives now with fractured families, absent grandparents or isolation being the experience of some of our children.

One resident Bob, shares the stories of his family growing up in the early 1900’s, his wife as an artist, and the house he once landscaped with a white paling fence. The kindergarten children adore Bob, along with the other residents who have continued to join our visits over the years. Our friend Bob has impacted on our lives so much so that families have a love of Bob from the stories their children take home to share. So deep is our respect and friendship with Bob that we have been able to celebrate Bob’s 99th birthday, and were a part of the resident and family party for Bob turning a century, and more recently we celebrated Bob’s 101st year.

Research shows that when generations come together, everyone can benefit. There are clear, positive outcomes for all involved. Children are exposed to the traditions and wisdom of the residents, while

developing respect and empathy for older people. The older generation can expand their social networks, alleviate boredom and isolation, and stay physically and mentally active.

The children have now become comfortable with the seniors; conversation is inspired about aging and the children raise interesting questions as they explore the world around them. Competence, engagement, resilience, sense of generosity and relatedness are dispositions that have been exhibited by the children during our many valued visits. Showing an understanding of another person’s experience requires a connection between people. This relatedness is evidenced in the children’s expressions towards the senior residents and the contact with the back and forth conversation. By us offering our time and resources that are authentic and charitable, it inspires a sense of goodwill in the children. Sharing and giving, patience and persistence, observer and listener; something all children should have the opportunity to experience.

Quality Area 6 of the National Quality Standard (NQS) acknowledges the value of collaborative partnerships with communities in contributing to children’s learning, development and wellbeing. Working in partnership with our Arcare community enriches and informs what we do every day. It is now a mainstay of our kindergarten program and one that the centre’s children look forward to as they enter the kindergarten space each year.

I like to go to Arcare to see Bob. He had his birthday. I was happy ‘coz I got to have cake.

– Kyuss

We read them books.

– Bodhi

I like Bob – Lennox We get to play with the old people. It makes me happy to visit them to give them company and to chat with it’s because they are nice and funny.

– Lyla

William – ‘coz we go on the Kindy bus.

– Tyler

Seeing bob and the ladies.

Makes me happy.

– Imogen

I went to Arcare to share the Easter eggs.

– Zara

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2019

21

Members Talk:

The Playground Upgrade Experience Prue Turnbull talks about her playground transformation experience with Mathiou Services.

Can you walk us through your process? What did you do first?

Firstly, I made a mental list of all my must-haves and don’t wants. I wanted large areas for children to use motor skills, areas of texture and nature play, as well as a place where the children could enjoy those quiet moments. I envisaged a performing area where they could dress up and freely sing and dance, as they do. But I also factored the accessibility and storage of equipment and resources for my educators, by making sure everything was immediate and available.

Did you talk to your staff about it before engaging with the builder and designers or did you get the plans first?

Yes, my Manager and I spoke to staff first, took lots of pictures of the playground that weren’t working anymore and gathered ideas for upgrades for their input. As a team, we also approached the families for their comments through displays, newsletters and our online centre communication. We had fabulous feedback from everyone who was excited and on board with the process.

I know that every centre wants to put on their ‘best dressed’ and have that WOW factor (she laughs). But for me it had to be practical, it had to work functionally and complement our early childhood philosophy. It had to be beautiful and inviting for children because then, it would be easy for the educators to engage with children in a play space, so they felt a sense of ‘belonging’.

From there, I started finding the right people to do the job.

I’m sure it was at an ACA Qld meeting where I saw Mathiou Services brochure and I thought well if ACA Qld is promoting you then there is something worth looking at here.

From our first meeting, I sensed a good working relationship. I appreciated that Jamie Mathiou and his team

22

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2019

were listening to the suggestions, ideas and plans. I, in turn, took away the importance of the groundwork that needed to be done before everything starts coming out of the ground. I came to Mathiou Services, with all of the ideas, our list, and I said this is my list this is what I’d like.

Can you transform all these bits of paper into some sort of plan that we, together, think would work?

At what point did you engage with council or Department of Early Childhood Education and Care? How long did the approval take?

We were fortunate in that our playground construction did not need any Council approvals. But, the approval of the plan created between myself and Mathiou Services had to be approved by the Department of Early Childhood Education and Care. Very, very important that all your plans that are up here (points to head), and that are on paper are given to your governing body, which, in our case was the Department of Early Childhood Education and Care, Mt Gravatt. For me, the approval from the department took all of March to get started in April. And we stuck very much to the plan. The team at Mathiou Services were in and out, a week ahead so that was good.

How did you find the process?

It was a lot easier than I expected. Mathiou Services was doing the project managing, we had their lead builder on site almost every day and if he wasn’t, I could contact them.

Communication is key, and the communication (with Mathiou Services) was excellent, there was never a point where I felt like I didn’t know what was going on. It also helped that Mathiou Services set out exactly what was going to happen at each stage. So, I could tick it off as we went, and I could go on-site and see what was happening each day.

What was your favourite part?

I had so many favourite parts, I think my most favourite part was seeing everyone’s faces when it was done, it was such a change. It was amazing! The Educators just loved it and the families and the children too. The construction fencing came down early one morning before opening and as families arrived, they all said “WOW”!!! - they just walked on the grass and through the playground and couldn’t believe it.

What would you have changed?

There was nothing that I would have changed because the process was so well-thought-out. There was time to think about it. The engagement with the Mathiou Services team onsite was so good that any changes that had to be made, were made then. There were no surprises at the end.

If you could give someone 5 tips on what to do on their process what would it be?

1. Research – seek out as many ideas and advice as you can.

2.

Engage with your staff - Your staff are the people who have to work in that environment and look after the kids at the same time.

3. Engage with your Department, right from the beginning of the process.

4. Make sure the accessibility and immediacy of your

outdoor equipment storage are accessible to educators.

5. Stay happy! But that’s all about getting the right

people on board. And honestly, Mathiou Services made this an excellent experience.

For the full interview visit the Mathiou Services website.

Culture and Diversity

in Early Years Education Rebecca Mills > Bright Buttons Banora Point

Through embedding Culture and Diversity in everyday practice, Early Childhood Educators have the power to make a significant and positive difference to enhance the lives of all Children.

24

Bright Buttons Banora Point aims to provide an environment that acknowledges Australia as a multicultural society where different cultural groups coexist harmoniously, and are free to maintain and practice their cultures without prejudice.

Recognition of the family cultures we value and acknowledge within our Service, respect for diversity and working for equity are critical aspects of the work Bright Buttons Educators do every day to create an inclusive rich community for all.

The children and educators at Bright Buttons held a ‘Multicultural Community Day’, inviting families and members of the wider community into the service to showcase the importance of embracing cultural diversity within an early years education and care environment.

Our Educators acknowledge the first traditional custodians of the land, and understand the importance of nurturing a commitment to continued learning and promoting a greater understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and shared histories.

Through visual representations, interactive learning experiences, and community involvement, this learning journey aimed to cohesively empower our children, families and educators to gain valuable knowledge in building Cultural awareness whilst promoting inclusive practice, equity and respect for others.

Through the development of our Reconciliation Action Plan, the Bright Buttons team shares a vision to understand and acknowledge the past histories whilst educating for the future.

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2019

By strengthening the relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the wider community and embedding cultural competent opportunities in our everyday practice, enhances the level of knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures for all Australians.

Whilst focusing on the National Quality Standards, QA1 Educational program and practice and QA6 - Collaborative partnerships with families and community, our aim for the ‘Multicultural Community Day’ was to engage and educate the children, families and wider community, through building collaborative partnerships, providing hands-on learning experiences and exploring opportunities for discussions that embed significant learnings.

Children learn respect from those that demonstrate respect. Demonstrating respect for diversity requires educators to seek knowledge and create inspiring learning environments that promote positive, inclusive and equitable opportunities for children, families and community to offer contribution of ideas, interests and questions, whilst fostering their sense of identity, and belonging.

Learning outcomes are most likely to be achieved when Early Childhood Educators work in partnership with families and the wider community. Engaging with the wider community strengthens children’s interests and skills in being and becoming active contributors to their world (Early Years Learning Framework).

The early years are formative years for our children and a critical start to a lengthy educational journey to adulthood. From an early age, children recognize differences between themselves and others (Connolly, 2011), and are aware of the attitudes to such differences of those around them (Bar-Tal & Teichman, 2005). Their attitudes towards difference are “grounded in their day-today experiences” (Connolly, 2007, p.51).

The importance of partnership between educator and family is embedded within The Early Years Learning Framework. The common goal of these partnerships relates to enhancing children’s learning outcomes and wellbeing, which is achieved when families are valued as partners and communication and active involvement is encouraged. Effective partnerships are a core element of quality early childhood practice.

Only by teaching children cultural competence can we hope to have a society based on mutual respect and acceptance. Addressing such observations and questions about differences is a proactive way to foster cultural competence. The learning environment can maximize the potential for learning by facilitating children to see each cultural encounter as an enriching experience.

A strong sense of community and incorporating culture in program delivery is vital in providing a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment. Embedding inclusive practice in our curriculum enriches learning experiences and adds a depth of knowledge for all Bright Buttons children to carry throughout their lives.

Through the development of our Reconciliation Action Plan, the Bright Buttons team shares a vision to understand and acknowledge the past histories whilst educating for the future.

- Rebecca Mills

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2019 25

Early Childhood

Educators’ Day 2019 Early Childhood Educators’ Day proved to be another fun filled day for all passionate educators around Australia. We can’t thank you enough for everything you do for our young children and we hope you had an amazing day celebrating your achievements and hard work within the early learning community.

We have received some lovely stories from our members, Springwood Kids Early Learning Centre and Green Leaves Early Learning on how they celebrated Early Childhood Educators’ Day 2019

Early Childhood Educators’ Day at Green Leaves Early Learning Rachel Haffenden, Marketing Coordinator At Green Leaves Early Learning we have a team of over 800 educators nationwide and growing. On Educators’ Day 2019, we wanted to thank our incredible team of educators that bring continuous light, love and nurturing to Green Leaves Early Learning!

Each centre had a morning or afternoon tea to celebrate and acknowledge the hard work of our educators. The Centre Directors provided personalised gifts to the educators and a certificate of appreciation, as a token of our gratitude. We distributed over 1000 stamped cookies to each centre, to contribute to their celebrations. Our centres celebrated in a range of different ways including establishing a wall, a box and even a tree of appreciation for their families to write a message or note to an educator expressing the special impact on their children.

In celebrating the day nationwide, we hoped to evoke a sense of unity, support and community between all of our centres, and also for our new educators that have recently joined the Green Leaves family. We hope this day has left a meaningful imprint on our educators, in that we value and acknowledge their wonderful contribution to the wellbeing and healthy development of the young children in our care. We are grateful each and every day for our educator’s contribution to making Green Leaves Early Learning a provider of premium care.

26

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2019

Early Childhood Educators’ Day at Springwood Kids Early Learning Centre Priscilla Farry, Business & Operations Coordinator For Springwood Kids ELC, Early Childhood Educators Day is one of the most important days of the year.

As a company that is based on providing a supportive environment for their employees, Early Childhood Educators Day is a day where we get to truly show our appreciation for our committed team and all that they do to provide the high quality early learning space for children.

We invest with loyalty and commitment in our educators and strongly believe that it is only through equipping our educators fully with the tools required can they, in turn, become successful in their roles. Our educators participate in a weekly “Sparkle Day” where they are given a special shirt to wear for the day that proudly states, “This early childhood educator has sparkle and isn’t afraid to use it”. However, Early Childhood Educators’ Day is our BIGGEST SPARKLE DAY of the year!

We also encourage our families to participate in Early Childhood Educators’ Day by setting up an “Educator Appreciation Station” where they can write notes to their child’s educators and handpick posies to gift them to the educators.

To celebrate how out of this world our team is, we organised a day of surprises. The day started with Educators being invited into a new and improved staff area, complete with new sofas for relaxing. We had an all day long grazing table with a selection of hot and cold food, a hand made out of this world themed galaxy cake and donuts a plenty.

Our wonderful Head Office team organised massage angels to come out to the centre, offering Educators a pampering break where they received a head, neck and shoulder massage. A relaxing treat in what we all know can be a tiring profession!

To finish off the day, our team of wonderful Educators were presented with personalised gifts, consisting of a travel mug and ‘Happy Educators Day 2019’ shirt. It was an amazing day for all and our team, ourselves included, left feeling appreciated and loved.

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2019 27

Supporter Members Directory Service

Contact

Area

Phone

Web

Accounts Advantage

Wanda Reynolds

Beenleigh

07 3209 8266

www.accountsadvantage.com.au

Elston

Ben Greenwall

Gold Coast

1300 357 866

www.elston.com.au

Ezidebit Pty Ltd

Nathan Mullan

Newstead

07 3124 5500

www.ezidebit.com.au

Make it Cheaper

Lucy Block

Sydney

02 8077 0005

www.makeitcheaper.com.au

Peter Price & Associates

Peter Price

Mt Ommaney

07 3376 3411

www.peterprice.com.au

ShineWing Australia

Jeremy Wicht

Brisbane

07 3085 0888

www.shinewing.com.au

Lyn Lange

Brisbane

0401 992 583

www.anz.com

Hilary Knights

Fortitude Valley

0407 572 725

www.childcareconcepts.com.au

Bikerton Masters

Mason Harrop

Fortitude Valley

07 3257 3622

www.bickertonmasters.com.au

Bunnings

Gerard Brewty

Mansfield

0447 032 873

www.bunnings.com.au

Cyber Drafting & Design

Jodie Mark

Tingalpa

07 3393 9159

www.cyberservicesgroup.com.au

Jani King

Rohan

Kenmore

07 3870 9966

www.janiking.com.au

Mathiou Services

Mathiou Services Team

Burleigh Heads

1300 363 423

www.mathiouservices.com.au

Sensus Building Group

Zane Taylor

Brendale

0409 498 429

www.sensus.com.au

Surface Pro

Janet Osbourne

Nerang

0418 741 507

www.surfacepro.net.au

Timberplay

Sally Alderton

Chirn Park

07 5563 3755

www.timberplay.com.au

Wearthy

Caitlin Murphy

Mudgeeraba

0456 780 201

www.wearthy.co

Absolute Support Training & Resources

Darlene Wadham

Wynnum

0488 666 455

www.absolutesupport.com.au

Early Learning Management

Naomi Freney

Bundall

07 5592 5800

www.elm.net.au

Elite Childcare Management

Debbie Thompson

Cannon Hill

0435 743 212

www.elitechildcaremanagement.com.au

G8 Education

G8 Education Team

Varsity Lakes

07 5581 5336

www.g8education.edu.au

Giggletree Pty Ltd

Samantha Ahearn

North Lakes

07 3482 2490

www.giggletree.com.au

Guardian Early Learning Group

Helen Baker

Kelvin Grove

07 3832 7933

www.guardian.edu.au

Kids and Adults Learning

Annette Cunado

Northgate

1300 783 880

www.kal.net.au

QLECS (Qld Lutheran Early Childhood Services)

Maryann Sword

Milton

07 3511 4079

www.qlecs.org.au

Ready Now Resources

Louise Thomas

Helensvale

0410 456 607

www.readynowresources.com.au

Scholars Consulting

Jae Fraser

Labrador

0408 872 492

www.thescholarsgroup.com.au

Mark Elliott

Balmain

02 9235 2807

www.careforkids.com.au

CaterSafe - Food Safety Programs

Glenn Raine

Port Curtis

0409 685 344

www.catersafe.com.au

Kids Dig Food

Deb Blakley

North Lakes

0413 433 144

www.kidsdigfood.com.au

Wholesome Child

Ricky Rosettenstein

Sydney

0413 956 129

www.wholesomechild.com.au

Yummies for Little Tummies

Darlene Clark

Sumner

07 3161 8063

www.yummiesforlittletummies.com.au

Peter Jarrett

West End

07 3230 8501

www.guildgroup.com.au

Accounting, Bookkeeping & Financial

Banking Services ANZ Business Bank Brokers Childcare Concepts Building & Property Services / Consultants

Consultancy / Management

Directories/Marketing Care For Kids Food & Nutrition

Insurance Guild Insurance

28

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2019

Service

Contact

Area

Phone

Web

Giovanni Porta

Geebung

07 3265 3888

www.portalawyers.com.au

1Place Online

Martin Bing

Auckland

6495 200 612

www.1placeonline.com

ChildCareCRM

Chuck Gibbs

Brisbane

02 8880 0404

www.childcarecrm.com

ChildHR

Barry Lehrer

South Yarra

03 9098 4317

www.childhr.org.au

Kidsoft

Kidsoft Team

Broadbeach

1800 827 234

www.kidsoft.com.auÂ

MiCare Global

Sharyn Fewster

Brisbane

1300 393 359

www.micareglobal.com

New Neighbours

Gregory Neumann

Mitchelton

0439 880 877

www.newneighbours.com.au

Penelope QIP

Steve Collier

Toowoomba

1300 435 962

www.penelope.com.au

QK Technologies - QikKids

Sean Murphy

Morningside

1300 367 770

www.qikkids.com.au

Kayleen Tolley

Cannon Hill

0414 559 997

www.physikids.com.au

Child Care Super

Melinda Di Vita

West End

1800 810 213

www.childcaresuper.com.au

HESTA Super Fund

Joanne Fenton

Brisbane

07 3223 4906

www.hesta.com.au

QIEC Super

Kate Graham

Fortitude Valley

0437 516 830

www.qiec.com.au

ABC School Supplies

Graham Bone

Capalaba

07 3823 2999

www.abcschoolsupplies.com.au

Bellbird Kid-z Educational Resources

Chris Carson

Dandenong

03 8795 6999

www.bellbirdkidz.com.au

Bright Spark Enterprises

Keith Garrett

Samford Valley

07 3289 2800

www.brightsparkenterprises.com.au

Educational Experience

Andrew Williams

Brisbane

0407 693 391

www.edex.com.au

Modern Teaching Aids (MTA)

Marco De Geus

Frenchs Forest

02 9938 0411

www.teaching.com.au

Officeworks

John Rizk

Brisbane Airport

0439 284 173

www.officeworks.com.au

Pre-School Equipment

Karen Clark

Elsternwick

1300 555 972

www.preschoolequipment.com.au

Step 4

Katie Kennard

Lisarow

1300 720 353

www.steplearningresources.com.au

ACE Community College

Robyn Keenan

Burleigh Waters

07 5520 3026

www.acecolleges.edu.au

Australian College of Teacher Aides and Childcare (ACTAC)

Admin Team

Nundah

1300 511 455

www.actac.com.au

College for Australian Early Childhood Educators (CAECE)

CAECE Team

Brisbane

07 3299 5784

www.caece.com.au

ECTARC

Melissa Moutia

Warrawony

02 4223 1111

www.ectarc.com.au

Fluid First Aid

Gayle Guthrie

North Lakes

1300 976 276

www.fluidfirstaid.com.au

In Safe Hands Educators in Safety

Michael Pecic

Arana Hills

1300 794 644

www.insafehands.net.au

Inspire Education

Kirsten George

Brisbane

1800 506 509

www.inspireeducation.net.au

National First Aid Institute (NFTI)

Liz Bryant

Maroochydore

07 5443 1966

www.nfti.edu.au

ParentTV

Sam Jocket

Albany Creek

0401 198 624

www.parenttv.com

Phoenix Support for Educators

Sandi Phoenix

Wellington Point

1300 361 243

www.phoesnix-support.com.au

Safe Sleep Space

Cindy Davenport

Collingwood

1300 775 337

www.sleepsmarteducation.com.au

Herron Todd White

Simon Fox

Brisbane

07 3002 0900

www.htw.com.au

m3property

Craig Berridge

Fortitude Valley

07 3620 7900

www.m3property.com.au

Trivett Property Group

Darren Trivett

Fortitude Valley

07 3216 1011

www.trivett.net.au

Legal Porta Lawyers Software / IT Support

Sports and Fitness Physi Kids Superannuation

Toys, Resources & Suppliers

Training Providers & Consultants

Valuers

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2019 29

Quality Assured

FREE Freight*

Widest Range

Local Team

Curriculum Relevant

teaching.com.au

#BuildingKnowledgeTogether

*On orders over $199. Promotional value excludes GST. Offer excludes new projects and international orders.