Early Edition Spring - 2020

EarlyEdition SPRING 2020

Children can have diabetes too. Diabetes.

Know the Signs. Ask Perfect Beginnings unlocks STEM learning Mealtimes and why they have become more precious than ever during COVID-19

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EarlyEdition SPRING 2020

Cover Photo:

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

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ACA National President’s Report

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Lessons from a Pandemic – How to encourage global citizenship in Early Childhood

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Awards for Excellence 2020

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Risky Play

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Member in the Spotlight: Perfect Beginnings unlocks early STEM learning with the children in their care

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Educator in Profile: Juanita Blake

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Why paperless filing is another way to care

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ACA Qld 2021 Diary cover interview

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CAECE Congradulates

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Mealtimes and why they have become more precious than ever during COVID-19

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Children can have diabetes too. Diabetes. Know the Signs. Ask

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Early Childhood Educators’ Day 2020

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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.

Supporter Members Directory 28

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE Executive

Committee Members

ACA Qld Office

President - Majella Fitzsimmons

Linda Davies

Rosa McDonald

CEO - Brent Stokes

Vice President - Jae Fraser

Nicole Fowler

Katy Mason

Office Manager - Jen Smyth

Treasurer - Doug Burns

Kerrie Lada

Louise Thomas

Office Admin Assistant - Letitia Berndt

Executive Secretary - Debra North

Pam Maclean

Brent Stokes

Marketing and Communications Officer - Brianna Salmond

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2020

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ACA Queensland President’s Report Welcome to the Early Edition 2020 Spring issue! We hope all members had an incredible Early Childhood Educators’ Day with their team and families!

Thank you for submitting your amazing stories and photographs on how you celebrated this special event!

We would like to thank YOU for the difference you make every day to the children in your care and education and for allowing us to be part of your village. We would like to thank Cargo Crew for providing us with this year’s incredible Early Childhood Educators’ Day merchandise, it was great to see so many of you rocking these during the week. This year is extra special as a result of COVID-19 and 2020 marks ten years since Australian Childcare Alliance Queensland (ACA Qld) launched Early Childhood Educators’ Day to raise professional awareness and show support for the incredible early years’ educators who encourage and inspire children. It was wonderful to see all the support and involvement on social media by early learning services, departments and all sides and levels of government as the dream of Early Childhood Educators’ Day being recognised nationally/ internationally is happening!

The past few months have been incredibly tough on our family, friends and valued colleagues in Victoria and New South Wales, our thoughts are with them all as they continue to combat the impacts of COVID-19. Whilst Queensland early learning services are implementing risk mitigation strategies, we want all services to be prepared in the event a child or early childhood educator/ teacher experiences a confirmed case of COVID-19. ACA Qld has developed an Action Plan for services to follow, which includes the necessary actions to take for a confirmed COVID-19 case in your service. You can download the Action Plan from the ‘Managing a confirmed case of coronavirus (COVID-19)’ webpage on the ACA Qld website qld.childcarealliance.org.au.

Ahead of the Queensland State Election on 31 October 2020, ACA

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Qld has been advocating for our early childhood education and care sector ensuring our children receive the #BestStartInLife and educators and families have the reassurance of affordable access to high quality early learning. ACA Qld has been actively engaged with positive advocacy that has involved many meetings with Queensland State MPs and candidates on our policy manifesto What Queensland parents want. What our children need.

In addition to our ACA National teleconference which occurs at least fortnightly, Jae Fraser – ACA Qld Vice President, Brent Stokes – ACA Qld CEO and I participated in our quarterly ACA National meeting in July via zoom. It was extremely beneficial to have a roundtable discussion learning from the experiences in Victoria, discussing how we can better support vulnerable and disadvantaged families, ACA communication strategies, funding arrangements including pre-budget submission, workforce, strategic plan, and industrial relations. In addition, we had the opportunity to have the Hon Dan Tehan, Minister for Education address the working group, which allowed me to update him on the current environment in Queensland.

We thank Minister Tehan for his ongoing positive consultation.

We welcome any opportunity to engage with all side and levels of Government to achieve the #BestStartInLife for Queensland children. If you would like to be a part of our advocacy, contact our office team on 07 3808 2366 or qld@ childcarealliance.org.au for more information.

ACA Qld Policies including Procedures and Forms are a comprehensive suite of compliant policies, procedures, and forms available by heavily subsidised subscription for current financial members of ACA Qld to apply in their

early learning service. We encourage all ACA Qld Policies subscribers to re-visit the link via the ACA Qld website to ensure you have the latest updates. Please note that members must be signed in to access the current version.

Father’s Day celebrations are a little different this year, but it was still a great day to show our Dads how much we love and appreciate them!

Since COVID-19, it has been challenging to celebrate numerous occasions we would usually in a public setting or together with family however, it is nice to have the option to celebrate virtually with family and friends whilst remaining COVID safe.

Have you ordered your ACA Qld 2021 Diary yet? What are you waiting for!

Only $20 for members and $30 for others, the ACA Qld Diary is made by the sector for the sector and is the Diary for everyone operating in an early learning service. ACA Qld Committee Member Katy Mason caught up for a yarn with the photographer and family behind the diary cover image for 2021. You can read all about how these neighbours united during COVID-19 to honour their community, their culture, and their friendship later in this issue! A reminder that ACA Qld members must be signed into the ACA Qld website to receive member rates. You can order your copy by visiting the ACA Qld Shop qld.childcarealliance.org.au/shop.

Majella Fitzsimmons ACA Qld President

ACA President’s Report 2020: Continuing to navigate our way through the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the return of the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) and the additional support of the Transition Payment, in May it looked like the Australian economy and our valued sector was on track to a slow recovery nationwide. Sadly, the second surge of COVID-19 in Melbourne and Victoria, resulting in Stage 4 and 3 Lockdowns respectively, has put a united economic recovery on hold.

Whilst the majority of our Queensland members now report similar attendance levels to before the sudden impact of COVID-19, unfortunately, this scenario is not shared Australia-wide.

As Melbourne and Victoria work their way through a 6-week period of new restrictions, with no guarantees of when they will be lifted, service providers Victoria-wide have been told to remain open, albeit with drastically reduced attendance numbers.

This localised crisis has meant that the Australian Government had to consider a new, flexible, targeted approach to policy settings for the early learning sector.

Over the past few months, ACA has continued to engage heavily with Education Minister Dan Tehan and the Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE), to help inform their policy settings. We commend their quick response to Victoria’s changing needs, in the form of an additional 30 absence days, an increased Transition Payment, and supplementary support for those services for which the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) makes up less than 50% if revenue.

Meanwhile in terms of national policy settings, as the Transition Payments near their September expiry date, we will continue to engage with government to ensure they understand how the sector is travelling in each state/territory.

This pandemic has pulled the curtain back on just how critical the ECEC sector is to supporting our economy and allowing all working parents emergency and healthcare workers amongst them – to return to the workforce and contribute to the recovery and growth of our economy.

It is in this context that this year’s Early Childhood Educators’ Day was celebrated on Wednesday 2 September. This year we said thank you in a very different climate from previous years, and our 2020 resource materials reflected this. It was an opportune time to acknowledge the important role our educators have played in continuing to provide a safe, stable and happy environment for our children and families during a challenging year, and let them know just how much we appreciate them.

Thank you again to all of our members for your ongoing engagement and support, which has directly informed our engagement with the government during this unprecedented year.

As always ACA will continue to support you as we strive to overcome this pandemic, rebuild our economy, and make sure our children get the best start in life.

Paul Mondo ACA President

If you would like to peruse some of the wonderful photos of the special event, you can do a quick search on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtags #EarlyChildhoodEducatorsDay or #LoveMyECE. ACA is extremely proud of our sector, and the way our early childhood educators have navigated their way through the impact of the pandemic with patience, resilience and utmost care for the children and their families.

We thank them from the heart and greatly appreciate their efforts, not just on Early Childhood Educators’ Day, but every day. We hope you all enjoyed this year’s celebrations.

We are also proud to be able to support the early learning sector through this pandemic.

We hope that our ongoing engagement has provided you with practical, useful guidance as we all adjusted to the emergency relief settings and then back again to the CCS.

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Lessons from a Pandemic

How to encourage global citizenship in Early Childhood Cassie Young > Director, Robina First Early Learning Centre

As shockwaves of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to be felt globally, this once in a lifetime event has inundated us with negative headlines. Despite this dreary backdrop, a positive side effect has also emerged.

In an extraordinary act of global citizenship, a group of up to 165 countries representing more than 60% of the world’s population have now agreed to be a part of the WHO’s COVAX Facility. This global collaborative partnership aims to ensure fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

The current pandemic has highlighted the importance of extensive social cooperation and collective action for the greater good on a global scale.

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So what is global citizenship and why should we be teaching it? The definition varies from source to source but basically, it’s the concept that we are all connected and part of a global community. Children are taught to recognise global perspectives, advocate for others, and communicate across cultures. At Robina First, we focus on two main pillars: civic responsibility and cultural awareness.

Civic Responsibility

Cultural Awareness

Civic responsibility isn’t something we immediately associate with children, but classrooms are designed to prepare children to function within a civilisation. We teach them to interact and communicate effectively, to take turns, to share and to show compassion to their peers for instance. These skills prepare children to be citizens. When we look at children through the lens of global citizenship, we can dive a little deeper.

In 2020, breaking down cultural and language barriers is not only important – it has become integral to our survival.

COVID-19 has generated unprecedented isolation. Locally, entire suburbs have been locked down and state borders have also been closed. Internationally, we’re cut off from our family and friends. The global pandemic has forced us to reconsider how we can stay connected. Yet, through technology, in many ways we’re more connected than ever before. Scientists and governments all over the globe are also working together towards a shared goal: to discover a vaccine. To do so, they must work collaboratively, remove prejudice and communicate across cultures.

With a scarcity of supplies, the global pandemic has presented an opportunity to engage children in thinking deeply and critically about what is equitable. We’ve seen supermarket shelves left barren and scuffles over toilet paper. If someone takes everything, what is left for everybody else? How can we make sure that everyone gets what they need?

We’ve seen international travel limited and state borders open and close again. Why can some people travel when others can’t? Is that equal? Is equal always fair? Why are some countries in lockdown when others are still open?

Anthropologist Margaret Mead was reportedly once asked what she considered to be the earliest sign of civilisation.

The student expected it to be a clay pot or something similar, but surprisingly she said, “a healed femur”. Femurs are thighbones – the longest bones in the human body – and without modern medicine, they take about six weeks to heal. Nothing survives a broken leg in the wild. In order for this femur to heal, someone made the decision to look after and protect this injured person. They provided food, water, shelter and tended the wound for six weeks. Mead believed the earliest sign of civilisation was ultimately, compassion.

Skilled educators can use events like COVID-19 to encourage deeper discussions around civic responsibility.

We can ask children to think about what values are important to them. We can facilitate opportunities to develop children’s ability to advocate for others, establish global perspectives and most importantly, we can teach them empathy and how to show compassion to others.

At Robina First, we place great emphasis on cultural awareness. In this globally connected world, we believe in equipping future generations with the capacity to engage successfully with other cultures and countries. From Italians singing on their balconies to the global wave of Tik Tok dances being produced, the human spirit seeks connection.

In order to make and maintain these connections, we provide our children with interactive cultural experiences like Matariki (Maori New Year) celebrations, Lunar New Year Lion Dancing and traditional Rangoli art during the Holi festival.

These events educate and promote cultural awareness, providing children at a young age with opportunities to explore, embrace and celebrate differences, and respectfully interact with each other.

The ability to work collaboratively, connect and advocate for others has ensured the human species’ survival for thousands of years. Now, COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of equipping younger generations with the skills needed to engage with an increasingly connected global community. At university, my mentor once said, “As educators, we eat lunch with future politicians, architects and leaders of the world. How will your decisions influence and shape these future generations?”. That was a pretty thought-provoking question to pose to a 3rd-year education student, but she was right! The decisions we make around our curriculums today, influence, shape and prepare our children for the future. In an unpredictable world, what skills do you think future generations will need and how will you support them?

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Awards for Excellence 2020 Every year, ACA Qld Supporter Member, HESTA Super Fund offers outstanding students of College for Australian Early Childhood Educators (CAECE) the opportunity to nominate for the Awards for Excellence program.

The intent of the Awards for Excellence is to promote commitment to professional development and community spirit. HESTA, CAECE and ACA Qld aim to support the advancement of talented early childhood educators who are seeking to pursue a leadership role in the early learning sector.

There were three separate HESTA Awards payments of $1000, $750 and $500 awarded to CAECE students.

We received a significant number of high calibre nominations, a testament to the quality of students that we have at CAECE and our hard-working trainers and assessors.

It was a tough decision to choose the three finalists, receiving nominations from some of the most inspiring and passionate educators. The early learning sector is very lucky to have educators inspiring and motivating our students and we are so proud to say they are part of the CAECE family!

Congratulations to Maikki Scott (2nd runner up), Taylah Gallina (1st runner up) and Brittany Coulthard (Winner) for exemplifying Passion, Dedication and Professionalism – the three Pillars of Excellence.

The Awards for Excellence is presented at the ACA Qld National Conference Gala Dinner, however due to the impact of coronavirus, the ACA Qld 2020 National Conference was postponed to June 2021. HESTA Super Fund, CAECE and ACA Qld held separate presentations for the recipients of this year’s Awards for Excellence where Brittany, Taylah and Maikki were presented with their awards and celebrated their achievements with representatives from HESTA, CAECE, ACA Qld and fellow educators and their early learning services.

The 2021 Awards for Excellence nominations will open later in the year. Visit caece.com.au/about/awards-forexcellence/ for more information.

Congratulations!

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Brittany Coulthard (Winner)

Taylah Gallina (1st runner up)

Maikki Scott (2nd runner up)

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Risky Play Jon Webb > Educational Leader at Everton Park

Risky Play seems to be a relatively new buzz word that we hear many early childhood professionals discussing and more centres implementing within their programs. At Everton Park Child Care and Development Centre we don’t, we do however run an outdoor program that is filled with ‘Adventurous Physical Play’.

Adventurous Physical Play experiences have played a major part in our program for over 6 years now and has continued to grow and evolve each year. When we made the decision to give the children more freedom to explore their limits and capabilities in the outdoor environment, we started slowly and had no idea just how far it would progress. Four to five years on we have children confidently and safely climbing to the tops of Jacaranda trees, launching themselves off platforms on a zip line and balancing

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on ropes courses strung through the trees. I think the only thing more surprising than how far these experiences have evolved is the amazing outcomes that we have observed in the children.

From the very beginning, we noticed the children building their confidence in the outdoor environment and their coordination as they navigate throughout the environment. As time went on, this confidence grew not only outside but also inside the classrooms. Children demonstrated

more confidence in exploring the indoor environments and building their resilience. We saw the children experimenting in different ways to achieve successful outcomes and if their first or subsequent attempts were not successful, they did not become upset they just reset and tried a different approach.

This is no surprise when you read recent studies on brain development in children in their early years. The studies have identified direct links in children exposed to free play and

free time exploring environments that produce appropriate challenges building stronger neurological pathways that have a direct impact on children’s ability to learn in a classroom setting.

We have also noted a drastic reduction in challenging behaviours across all age groups in our setting as the children spent more time freely exploring and playing in our natural outdoor environment. We have identified a steep increase in children collaborating and supporting each other as they engage with fresh challenges, and probably most surprising, we have noticed a huge reduction in injuries occurring across the centre.

We have consistently seen improved outcomes for children over this time. These along with increased knowledge on brain development leads us to wonder why it took us so long to reach this decision in allowing children to have a childhood that closely reflects the way many of us grew up?

One thought is the fear of potential negative reaction from parents and community members who have a genuine concern for the safety of

their children or through our concern for potential injury.

For this reason, we do not promote ‘risky play’ we practice ‘adventurous physical play’. We feel the term risky play has a negative connotation when people first hear it and find it hard to move beyond the thoughts that the experiences produce too much risk of injury. Naturally, there are risks involved when children are climbing trees, balancing along rope courses, and jumping from the top of a fort, but there are also risks when a child is running along perfectly level astroturf chasing their friends. There are, however, simple steps to take to mitigate and reduce the risk to a level where the benefits outweigh them.

As I referred to earlier changing practices by offering these experiences to children was not something that happened overnight, it was a very slow and calculated process.

Before making any changes to the environment all our educators spent many hours discussing, reflecting and researching information.

This produced our risk/benefit assessments (that are updated and reflected upon regularly).

After producing this it was time to seek input from our families and community members. Once we had the support of our centre community the changes started slowly and only progressed as the children’s interest, confidence and ability grew.

After 6 plus years of offering these experiences daily in our program, we must start again at the beginning of each year. With new children arriving at the centre, the appropriate level of risk must drop to continue to ensure the benefits outweigh the potential risk. The difference now is that the challenges grow much faster as the returning children take on the role of mentors for the new children and helping offer an infinite number of amazing learning opportunities.

After observing all the improved outcomes for the children, we would love to see and hear of more adventurous physical play being offered through more centres and schools in a safe environment.

It is a long journey but one that is worth doing!

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Member in the Spotlight Perfect Beginnings unlocks early STEM learning with the children in their care Crystal McGifford > Nominated Supervisor, Perfect Beginnings Childcare

Perfect Beginnings Child Care Centre – 104 Holmead Rd, Eight Mile Plains is celebrating becoming a Little Scientists House. The prestigious national certification is awarded to applicants that have demonstrated their commitment to hands-on, inquiry-based STEM* learning in their service.

Children at Perfect Beginnings discover the joys of STEM in a fun, play-based way. They are introduced to concepts and skills that will become more and more important throughout their education journey. Inquiry-based learning allows them to explore scientific topics in a setting that amplifies their natural curiosity, their eagerness to learn and encourages them to be inquisitive.

As STEM became a focus in the educational program Perfect Beginnings educators decided that their goal was to be seen as a standout STEM Centre in the region.

After reflecting, educators at Perfect Beginnings attended inquiry-based STEM workshops on topics like Optics, Water, unplugged Computer Science and Engineering through Little Scientists. These workshops provided educators with the skills to facilitate strong engagement with STEM in the early years. This can influence children to build stronger

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“ We want all of Australia's children to grow into resilient, problem-solving individuals, capable of critical thinking. “ Sibylle Seidler, Project Director at Little Scientists Australia.

and more lasting interests in STEM subjects. The program promotes active learning environments, where educators and teachers are learning coaches and the actual learning, problem-solving and research is undertaken by the children themselves.

and used their skills as little engineers to create the final project piece of a working drawbridge. The children learnt how to use tools safely and with guidance used power tools successfully and confidently to complete their project.

“We want all of Australia’s children to grow into resilient, problem-solving individuals, capable of critical thinking, through inquiry-based learning and playful scientific exploration. We firmly believe that together with early childhood professionals we are changing the educational landscape of Australia,” said Sibylle Seidler, Project Director at Little Scientists Australia.

Perfect Beginnings project included inquiry-based learning, hands-on practical work, ownership, documentation and elements of design, engineering, science, maths, literacy and technology.

Perfect Beginnings Child Care Centre submitted a wonderful project as part of their Little Scientist House application. The project involved children in actively investigating castles (which included structures, defences and lifestyles). The children worked collaboratively together and with educators as they explored, planned

To become a Little Science House, Perfect Beginnings had to demonstrate that its educators engage in inquiry-based scientific research with the children every day, document their progress and commit to ongoing professional development through Little Scientist workshops. All learning programs at Perfect Beginnings align with the Early Years Learning Guidelines, the Queensland Kindergarten Guidelines and the NQS.

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Educator in Profile: Juanita Blake Meet Juanita Blake, who works at Springwood Kidzco Early Learning Centre.

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

My current role within the service is as an Early Childhood Teacher. I run a Government Approved Kindergarten program within our long day-care service. In the next five years I hope to take on more of a leadership role where I can mentor and share my passion with others. I would love to mentor Early Childhood Education graduates and help them in running successful Kindergarten programs.

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

The children inspired me to start my career in early learning. When I was in University studying my Bachelor of Primary Education, I did some casual relief work in early learning services. I thought Kindergarten was

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something I wouldn’t enjoy, and I was proven pleasantly wrong. It was there that I fell in love with Early Childhood Education. I loved the idea that the children were always in charge of their own learning and the teachers were the facilitators. When I finished my degree in Primary Education, I took my first job as a Kindergarten teacher and never looked back.

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

The most rewarding part for me is the sense of pride a child shows when he/she have used their own imagination and ideas in their play, and they want to share it with you. It’s such an incredible feeling to be able to observe the organic learning happening through unstructured play.

4. How would you describe your early learning philosophy?

My strongest belief in teaching children of any age is the importance of strong bonds. I believe that nothing is more important than the bond that you have with the children in your service. A child needs to feel safe and secure with their teachers in order to play, learn and grow.

I am passionate about providing children with organised, stimulating and inviting play spaces where they can build, create and play. I love incorporating lots of open-ended resources into my environments like loose parts and items from nature. I love to challenge the children and never underestimate them in their creative capacity.

A child needs to feel safe and secure with their teachers in order to play, learn and grow.

5. How do you engage the families in your service?

We use StoryPark which enables the families to keep updated and involved in what is happening.

We communicate, share goals, achievements and the children’s learning journey together. I also hold information evenings twice a year – one for my new families starting in the room and one for my current families to give them information about starting Prep.

I really believe in the saying ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ and I love getting to know a child’s family and embarking on a learning journey together.

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

My biggest challenge I have faced in my career is learning how to differentiate between children with varying needs. I feel like no amount of University readings can prepare you for real life teaching. I have a different

relationship with every single one of the children in my care. I have different expectations, different goals and different approaches. I think learning to be flexible has been my biggest challenge and it is something I continue to work on.

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

I think having experience in a few different early learning services has really helped me grow and learn over the years. I have worked in a couple of different services situated in low socio-economic areas and I have faced the challenges that come along with that. These experiences have taught me what good quality education and care looks like and I strive to maintain the high quality in the teaching environment.

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

I want the children in my class to feel safe and supported. I want to equip them with the resilience to keep trying and to know that it is ok to make mistakes.

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

I would check that this is where their passion is as being passionate about the sector is my biggest piece of advice.

In addition, it would be to always have the relationships with the children at the forefront of your mind. It’s so easy to get carried away with expectations, programming and managing a class but if you have good bonds with your children, the rest will fall into place.

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

I remember always wanting to play in home corner. I loved to pretend to be a mother or a chef. I remember always having opportunities to play and use my imagination.

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Made by the sector, for the sector.

ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY! The diary for all educators.

2021

Diary

• 27.6 cm x 19.8 cm, spiral bound • 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

Only $20 for members and $30 for others.

ACA Qld members must be signed in to the ACA Qld website to receive member rates.

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

Why paperless filing is another way to care Dianne Filipenko > Info-Organiser

At the heart of a digital filing culture is an ethos of care – care for information, care for your staff and care for customer service. Without exception, for over 20 years, we have seen in every sales enquiry that unless a business actually cares, there is no incentive to change from paper-based to digital or paperless records filing.

We are seeing this play out right now in 2020, as even small businesses adopt new technology that enables staff to work from home. Agile technologies previously put off year after year are now required for day-to-day operations.

Customer care is the unexpected result of a paperless culture

• No-one wants to be lugging customer files from home to work. Apart from the compliance breaches, it becomes frustrating to mental and physical health.

• Dropbox and OneDrive can only do so much. Despite best intentions, information remains siloed and searching through ever-growing folder structures become tiresome.

Buying decisions are driven by the motivation to either move away from pain or towards pleasure. For businesses like childcare centres, lack of space is the most common pain motivator for moving to a paperless office. Followed by a desire to save time looking for information that isn’t where it should be or is too hard to get to where it is.

Only a secure and searchable company-wide database can solve the headaches caused by siloed customer information. Info-Organiser is the perfect agile solution for small businesses and childcare centres.

Improving customer experience is the number one unexpected result of digital filing. Here are five ways it works:

Even in a hybrid workplace, any technology choice needs to consider the return on investment. With Info-Organiser, the return is immediate. It’s in the happy smiles of your staff when they realise there is no more filing of hardcopy docs. It’s in the freeing up of space, so people have room to move and do better work. It’s in the customer experience journey across your business once information becomes interconnected.

• Ability to email a document in real-time to a customer while on the phone.

• Allows customer file history to be arranged in multiple search options at the click of a button, depending on who needs it – e.g., customer care, accounts, HR or Centre Director.

• Ease of compliance results in much less paperwork for the business owner and customer.

• Reduces the admin load on staff, so they can file and find records faster.

• Better filing security results in fewer documents lost or needing to be recreated.

Agile access to customer info with hybrid work

Customer care and the bottom line

Which all adds up to fewer expense leaks, increased productivity savings, and an overall positive impact on the bottom line. As well as the peace of mind from knowing that private information is safe and secure.

All excellent reasons to care.

We are seeing many businesses adopting a hybrid model of work where business owners and staff rotate in the workplace while working at home for the remainder of the time. As this trend becomes a norm for the foreseeable future, easy access to information is integral to happy customer experiences, and happy staff.

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Ashlee Mesken Interview 2021 Diary Cover Image Katy Mason > ACA Qld Committee Member

Thirty kilometres from Toowoomba on Queensland’s Darling Downs is a small rural town, Cambooya. This quiet and close-knit community of 1500 people were not immune to the turbulence of 2020. With ongoing drought crippling the area, and the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions heightening an awareness of world views, two neighbours came together to create a powerful image of connectedness.

Ashlee Mesken, is a photographer and Mum to Heath (9 years) and Quinn (6 years). Their neighbours and best friends are Emily Cooper and Thomas Landsborough, and their three children, Jahkota (8), Azariah (7) and Tysean (6). The Mum’s explain their children’s bond to be more like siblings than neighbours.

During the pandemic, the families supported each other through the trials and tribulations. Ashlee’s son Heath suffers from hearing loss, and her husband is facing a significant health battle of his own. The true sense of neighbourly love was felt with the support from over the fence in Emily, Thomas, and their children. During this time, the Black Lives Matter campaign also rose to the forefront of discussions amongst both the adults and the children.

Young Heath (aged 9) tells me “You can’t judge anyone;

Pictured at top of page (left to right). Heath Mesken (9), Jahkota Landsborough (8), Quinn Mesken (6), Azariah Landsborough (7), Tysean Landsborough (6). Photographer – Ashlee Mesken (Mother of Heath and Quinn) Parental heritage of Landsborough children: Mother – Emily Cooper – of Gungarri Tribe (QLD Mitchell), father – Thomas Landsborough of Kamilaroi Tribe (NSW).

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we are all just people”. The Cooper-Landsborough family identify as indigenous and many conversations were had around this topic as the international coverage of this campaign escalated. “Our kids don’t see race, just like they don’t see gender or disability, they just love each other” explains Emily, a proud Gungarri woman. Together the two families sort to undertake a project that reflected the strength of connection, community and love.

“We had an idea of what we wanted to achieve” says Ashlee as they headed to the local park with the children for a photo, “but in the end the kids just took the lead and made it their own”. Ashlee described how Thomas was so passionately engaged in sharing his Kamilaroi heritage, particularly in Tysean’s attire and body paint.

“Thomas had so many great ideas to share” explains Ashlee. His involvement was instrumental in ensuring the experience, and the photos, were culturally appropriate and meaningful. Emily added that for their people connectedness is paramount, and the struggles during Covid have impacted the indigenous communities in a multitude of ways. Emily tells me, “Our heritage is a part of our everyday. Family keeps you connected. Talking to everyone from our mob, whether it’s cousins or Aunties and Uncles we are talking all the time, now on video with Covid. We aren’t all together like we were. Thomas from NSW and my mob extend all the way to Palm Island. We are all distant from each other and now we are more distant because we can’t travel to see each other. We have had to find new ways of telling our stories. The kids are video calling every day to maintain that connection to country. Particularly to those in New South Wales living in the bush, and that’s where the kids normally learn about the bush and their culture. So now we video call and see them at the fire, out in the bush connecting and that keeps us connected still”.

On the day the photographs were taken the children played in a dry creek bed at the local park. Ashlee had hung a swing in an old tree with the hope of capturing the children with the sunset behind them at some point. The two Mums detailed with such emotion how the children and their interactions that evening was so powerful. “We just let them play, and all the while I snap the photos” says Ashlee. Emily explained that while Ashlee and Thomas were with the children, she stayed back and snapped a few pictures on her phone. At 36 weeks pregnant with her fourth child, Emily shows me her photos. There is a green orb under Tysean as he reaches for Heath’s hand. Emily goes on to explain this as a very powerful moment of cultural significance for her.

“I took one particular photo and there was a green orb. In our culture it means the spirit of nature. There was a green orb under Tysean’s feet when he was shaking Heath’s hand. It was so powerful. I looked over and the boys were actually talking [to each other]. Tysean was welcoming Heath to country. The whole time we kept saying “this is so powerful”. Thomas shows everyone that photo”. Emily Ashlee explains that the photo that is our diary cover for 2021 is a recognition of true inclusion and a celebration of all Australians. It displays varying abilities, all genders and cultural heritage – but most importantly it displays love.

These children are connected. To their country and each other. Emily says of taking the photos that day “it just felt like it was the right thing, with the spirit of nature and connection to earth”. Ashlee added “we are celebrating that it is who you are as a person that matters”.

ACA Qld encourage members and others to submit photographs and stories from their early learning services for use in future ACA communications. Submit your photos and stories via email to qld@childcarealliance.org.au.

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2020

17

CAECE

Congradulates...

CAECE congradulates highlights recent CAECE graduates having completed their Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care and Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care.

Over the last quarter we have had the opportunity to congratulate CAECE graduates from both our Diploma and Certificate III qualifications. With the ongoing support from our lovely CAECE trainers, students have been guided to achieve their goals in becoming fully qualified educators.

If you or someone you know may be interested in studying and working towards their qualifications in early childhood education and care, our friendly staff and trainers are willing to guide and support your early learning journey!

For more information please contact our team on 07 3299 5784 or email support@caece.com.au.

CAECE would like to congratulate the following graduates and wish them all the best for their future as an early learning educator!

CAECE graduates for the last quarter: Ofel: Completed Diploma at The Woods Early Education Centre and Pre School - Diploma (Trainer Karla)

Esther: Little Bunya’s Early Education Centre of Excellence – Diploma (Trainer Sonja)

Brittany: Tiny Tiger Early Learning Centre – Diploma (Trainer Karla)

Luh: Creative Minds Early Learning Centre Pimpama – Diploma (Trainer Karla)

Teagan: Munchkins Early Education Centre – Diploma (Trainer Sonja) Maricar: Educating Kids Children’s Centre – Diploma (Trainer Lainie) Mikayla: Educating Kids Children’s Centre – Certificate III (Trainer Lainie) Maricel: Bright Start Childcare Centre – Diploma (Trainer Joanna) Ella: Bright Start Childcare Centre – Drewvale – Diploma – (Trainer Joanna) Amie-Lee: Treasure Island Child Care Centre – Certificate III (Trainer Kellie) Betheny: Little World for Scholars – Diploma (Trainer Kellie)

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EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2020

Kyandra: Little Gems Child Care & Early Learning Centre – Jimboomba – Diploma (Trainer Karla and Sonja)

OFEL

Jesse: Petit Early Learning Journey – Burdell 2 – Diploma (Trainer Lainie) Amelia: Bright Start Childcare Centre – Drewvale – Diploma (Trainer Karla) Jasmine: The Children’s Centre of Beenleigh – Diploma (Trainer Sonja) Jessica: Waterford West Education and Care Centre – Certificate III (Trainer Sonja)

BRITTANY

TEAGAN

MARICAR AND MIKAYLA

MARICEL

ELLA

AMIE-LEE

BETHENY

ESTHER

LUH

KYANDRA

AMELIA

JASMINE

JESSICA

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2020 19

Mealtimes & why they have become more precious than ever during COVID-19…

Kirsty Doig > Nutrition and Dietetics Student Intern, Kids Dig Food

So far, 2020 has been a very unpredictable and unstable time for all families in Australia.

The COVID-19 worldwide pandemic has impacted the lives of young children a lot.

Just like adults, children have also had their day-to-day lives and routines turned upside down. Whether it is being home-schooled, no dance lessons, or not being able to go to the park with their families or visit their grandparents – it is easy to reflect and see just how much children’s lives have changed.

We know that all children thrive and learn best in a structured environment, some more than others. Most children rely heavily on the comfort and certainty of an established routine. In this time of everchanging circumstances, it is important that we focus on aspects of life that are predictable and enjoyable for children. That is why mealtimes are more precious than ever, as they build nurture and provide a routine for children and are an incredibly valued part of their day.

Mealtimes have always been precious.

They are a time where children get to practice and learn essential life skills.

These range from the simple social

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interactions they get to have when they sit down to eat with others, to more complex ideas surrounding learning to eat food. This may seem easy enough to us; however, learning to eat is a very complex task that takes years of learning requiring the use of all 5 of their senses.

We can look deeper, through the lens of the Feeding Dynamics model (fdSatter) created by Ellyn Satter, a renowned American dietitian for her work on feeding children.

Ellyn’s Feeding Dynamics model outlines the roles that parents and carers, and children have in the feeding relationship. This is Satter’s Division of Responsibility in Feeding.

Parents and carers are responsible for the WHAT, WHEN and WHERE of feeding.

We are responsible for creating regular meal and snack times for children with enough of the right types of foods to satisfy them. This ensures the child trusts that they will be fed frequently enough to not feel

hungry, which provides them with the certainty and nurture they crave.

Children are responsible for deciding HOW much and WHETHER to eat.

We must learn to trust children to listen to their internal cues of hunger and fullness and learn from their mistakes. Structured mealtimes help children practice and learn how to eat to their appetite.

So, in this time where children are craving structure more than ever, how do we create predictable and valuable mealtimes that provide an environment to enable all this learning?

Mealtimes may not always feel like a time of nurture and learning, because the roles of educators in the feeding relationship are often forgotten or misunderstood.

Mealtimes are not the time for policing food intake.

When children eat poorly at childcare, parents get worried. This puts extra stress on educators to ‘get kids to

eat’. Even without pressure from parents, it is natural for educators to want children to eat ‘good’ amounts of food when in care.

getting children to taste a new food or eat a certain amount. Allow them to explore food at their own pace using all their 5 senses.

Be a competent feeder means that we TRUST children to eat enough food at mealtimes to grow into the body that nature intended. We do not need to pressure children to eat or police food intake at mealtimes.

Policing and pressuring can damage children’s developing relationship with food and eating and may make for a future of feeding issues. To put your worries to rest, we know from research that children’s appetites are extremely variable, and they will most often make up for poor eating at another meal time in the following days or weeks. If the problem seems persistent, take a problem-solving approach with parents or reach out to an Accredited Practising Dietitian with experience in feeding for support.

It is not the educator’s role to get children to eat a certain amount of food or try new foods.

When we realign our intentions at mealtimes, we create an environment that takes the pressure off children to eat and allows them to feel safe.

• Take time with children to prepare your eating space – e.g. put calm music on, lay down a mat, put tablecloths on tables, pick a flower to place on the table.

• If possible, sit and enjoy food with the children – children learn a lot from watching you eat and enjoy food.

• Talk about the day, the weather enjoy conversations.

• Tell them about the food you’re eating “These rice crackers are really crunchy!”

Children are then free to explore and learn to eat food in their own time and mealtimes become a good experience for everyone.

The more good eating experiences a child has the more comfortable they will be around new foods, to sneak up on them and eventually taste and eat them. Put aside your food agenda of

Your role is to create a safe and pressure-free environment where children can explore food and eat to their appetite. Let’s take a moment to consider how much a child would value eating if they got to share meals with their trusted caregivers like you…

When children are in your care you have a great influence on their relationship with eating. Do not underestimate the power your words and actions can have at mealtimes.

How educators can make mealtimes even more nurturing:

Structured mealtimes help children practice and learn how to eat to their appetite.

• Help children to be as independent as they can be at mealtimes e.g. serving food, pouring drinks, feeding themselves in ways that are developmentally appropriate for them.

• Remove expectations on children to eat a certain amount – all children are different and need to eat different amounts of food at different times.

• Let children know when they will eat next - “Next time we will be eating is lunchtime”.

• Remove distractions at mealtimes – make it a clean and calm space where children can concentrate on eating.

• Remove talk and labels of “healthy” and “unhealthy” foods – children are too young to conceptualize that food impacts health. All they hear is “good” and “bad” which can lead to them feeling like they have made a bad decision for eating food they enjoy. Food is food, and whether it is valued for enjoyment or nourishment, all food is good food.

We hope all your mealtimes are as enjoyable for the children in your care as they are for you, as they are well-deserved!

If you would like to read more about the Division of Responsibility in Feeding and feeding children, you can find more information on the Ellyn Satter Institute website here - ellynsatterinstitute.org/resourcesand-links-for-the-public/

Eat Happy!

Kids Dig Food kidsdigfood.com.au

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2020

21

Children can have diabetes too.

Diabetes. Know the Signs. Ask Children’s Health Queensland

Almost half of all Queensland children with type 1 diabetes aren’t diagnosed until they develop a lifethreatening complication called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). DKA can be prevented.

Type 1 diabetes is a disease that destroys the cells that produce insulin. Without insulin the body cannot covert glucose to energy, this leads to a build-up of lifethreatening amounts of glucose in the bloodstream.

When this happens, it is very dangerous.

Recognising the 4T signs of high blood glucose is key to preventing DKA. Parents, grandparents, teachers and early childhood educators play an important role in seeking urgent medical review of children with any of the 4T signs that can prevent DKA. Ask the doctor’s surgery for a same day appointment because you are concerned about type 1 diabetes.

Be aware of the 4T signs of high blood glucose: Thirsty, going to the Toilet frequently to wee, Tired, losing weight and getting Thinner. It may be type 1 diabetes and a simple finger prick blood glucose test can find out if urgent care is needed to prevent the emergency of DKA. Don’t delay asking your closest doctor for a fast and free on-the-spot blood glucose check. Your doctor will be able to tell you straight away if your child has type 1 diabetes and what to do.

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“In the early stages of type 1 diabetes children appear healthy and well despite having the 4T signs. Delays lead to DKA so see your local doctor urgently if you notice any of the 4T signs.

Type 1 diabetes is common in children but is rare in most general practice consultations and undiagnosed can lead to a severe complication called diabetic ketoacidosis. We have a problem with DKA in this country but there is a really easy way to fix it.

We want our community to take advantage of a quick, easy and free blood glucose finger prick check available to prevent DKA.” Paediatric Endocrinologist, Dr Jason Yates. Project Lead for the Reducing DKA at Diagnosis, funded by Clinical Excellence Queensland.

4

Checklist––top topfour four T T signs signs Checklist Thirst: is your child always thirsty?

Thirst: is your child always thirsty?

This sign can be difficult for parents to pick up, especially during the This sign can be difficult for parents Children to pick up, especially during hot summer months in Queensland. under two are mostthe at risk hot summer months in Queensland. Children under two are most at risk of DKA because they can’t tell you they’re thirsty. Be alert for babies of DKA because they can’t tell you they’re thirsty. Be alert for babies and and bottles. bottles.IfIfyour yourchild andtoddlers toddlerswanting wantingmore morebreastfeeds, breastfeeds, drinks drinks and child quench tell your doctor urgently as thirstiness can’tcan’t quench their their thirstthirst tell your doctor urgently as thirstiness is a is a sign of type 1 diabetes. sign of type 1 diabetes.

Toilet: has your child returned to wetting the bed or is your Toilet: has your child returned to wetting the bed or is your child frequently goes to the toilet to pass urine? child frequently goes to the toilet to pass urine?

It can be difficult to tell if your baby is weeing more. If you are worried, It can be difficult to tell if your baby is weeing more. If you are worried, change your baby’s nappy more often and keep a close eye on the change your baby’s nappy more often and keep a close eye on the nappy’s and toddlers toddlers nappy’sweight. weight.See See your yourdoctor doctorurgently urgentlybecause because babies babies and under undertwo twohave havethe thegreatest greatestrisk riskofofdeveloping developingDKA. DKA.

Tired: Tired: is is your your child child always always tired? tired?

IfIfyour yourchild childisishaving havingtrouble troublegetting gettingup upin inthe themorning, morning, is is uninterested uninterested ininplaying playingwith withtheir theirfriends friendsor orisissleepier sleepier than than usual usual ask ask your your doctor for adoctor blood for glucose test.

School-age children and teensand withteens undiagnosed a blood glucose test. School-age children with type 1 diabetestype may1 have difficulty concentrating in class and may be undiagnosed diabetes may have difficulty concentrating in class and may be finding it hard to seeing the board at the front of the finding it hard to seeing the board at the front of the classroom. High classroom.

High blood glucose canso affect eyesight so appointment please make an blood glucose can affect eyesight please make an for appointment for your child or teen with your doctor. your child or teen with your doctor.

Thinner: is is your your child child losing Thinner: losing weight weight despite despiteaahealthy healthy appetite? appetite?

Don’tput putweight weightloss lossdown downtotoa agrowth growthspurt. spurt.Often Oftengrandparents grandparentsand and Don’t relatives who don’t see the child every day notice weight loss.

If your relatives who don’t see the child every day notice weight loss. If your child is losing weight take them urgently to see your doctor and ask child is the losing weight take them urgently to see your doctor and ask about possibility of type 1 diabetes. about the possibility of type 1 diabetes.

For For further further information informationon ontype type 11diabetes diabetesvisit visitwww.jdrf.org.au www.jdrf.org.au A joint initiative of the Townsville Hospital and Health Service and Children’s Health Queensland.

A jointsupported initiative by: of the Townsville Hospital and Health Service and Children’s Health Queensland.

Proudly

Proudly supported by:

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EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2020 23

Early Childhood Educators’ Day

2020

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, Elephas Education Loganholme, Green Leaves Early Learning, Kids ELC, Mother Duck Childcare Kallangur and Edge Early Learning on how they celebrated Early Childhood Educators’ Day 2020.

Early Childhood Educators’ Day at Elephas Education Loganholme For Elephas Education, Early Childhood Educators’ Day is one of the most significant days of the year. A day to really celebrate and appreciate the work educators do to nurture, guide and support children in these often unpredictable times.

As a new company that truly values their tribe of educators, we took the opportunity to celebrate our first official Early Childhood Educators’ Day in a BIG way. What better way to celebrate than “Under the Big Top” as a token of appreciation for our Education Tribe’s commitment to the wellbeing and healthy development of each Elephas child attending our centre.

For our tribe at Elephas Education Loganholme, the day began with side show alley games, a showbag pavilion, a magic show, delicious carnival food and sweet treats, an inflatable Disco Dome and other fun carnival activities for our educators to enjoy throughout the day. We also gave them an opportunity to relax with a paint and sip experience under the “BIG TOP” and to finish off the

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day, our tribe of educators were given mindfulness gifts including a gratitude angel with daily tasks of how they can show gratitude to themselves and others.

At Elephas Education, we prioritise the wellbeing of our educators and continually promote a positive work environment. Our company culture is influenced by the FISH! Philosophy which is aimed at fostering a fun and happy workplace. Guided by this philosophy, we encourage our educators to lead with empathy, love, energy, passion, honesty, appreciation, and support whilst we aim to rejuvenate team morale every month with celebrations such as Good Vibes Day and our annual Educator Gratitude Event.

Early Childhood Educators’ Day 2020 was an incredible day where we were able to create something truly memorable for our valued tribe. We look forward to another remarkable ECE Day in 2021.

Boe Hasanovic, Centre Manager

Early Childhood Educators’ Day at Green Leaves Early Learning At Green Leaves Early Learning, we have a team of over 900 educators nationwide, and we’re still growing. On Early Childhood Educators’ Day 2020, we wanted to thank our incredible team of educators for bringing continuous light, love and nurturing to Green Leaves Early Learning every single day!

In celebrating this significant day, we hoped to evoke a sense of unity, support and community between our centres, while also welcoming our new educators that have recently joined our family. This year has brought with it many new challenges and educators in every centre across Australia have continued to provide stoic support for families, children and each other. We know our team members have persevered through these challenges and have continued to provide safe and essential education and care when our families have needed it most. To acknowledge their many efforts, we wanted to make their day extra special!

Each of our centres 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. Within each educators gift bag were cooler bags, oversized chocolate freckles, handwritten cards and many more wonderful gifts from the Centre Director, Support Office and the children within their care! Each centre built a tree of appreciation, for their families and children to write a message or note to an educator to share how much their educator means to them.

We hope this day has left a meaningful imprint on our educators, in that we value and acknowledge their commitment and dedication to the youngest members of our communities. We are grateful each day for our educators contribution to making Green Leaves Early Learning a provider of premium education and care.

Tracy Kittle, Marketing Manager

Early Childhood Educators’ Day at Kids ELC As Early Childhood Educators’ Day approached, the support office at Kids Early Learning Centres was abuzz with excitement! We had something special planned for our remarkable educators and we couldn’t wait to share it with them.

cream cones, covered with chocolate and sprinkles, created and served by our very own support team. It took only a few test runs, but our team of servers got the hang of the soft serve machine pretty quickly, and this added even more appreciation and enthusiasm from our educators.

Inspired by the concept of servant leadership, our support office decided to bring some joy and sweetness to each of our twelve centres throughout Queensland. Dressed as icecream servers, we hired a soft serve ice cream truck and headed off to visit our Kids ELC family. As we arrived at each centre, we rolled out the red carpet for our VIPs and filled their ears with music to bring a jive to their day!

With perfect weather as our backdrop, Early Childhood Educators’ Day was an opportunity for Kids Early Learning Centres to honour the ladies and gentlemen that make our centres the playful, unique, and celebrated places that they are. Just as our children are at the heart of everything that we do, our educators are central to our journey and Early Childhood Educators’ Day gave us the perfect opportunity to walk the talk, serving our Kids ELC family joy and gratitude from our hearts.

Throughout the course of the day, our centre carparks were transformed into places of absolute excitement and delight as our educators were spoiled with an array of ice

Samantha Worthington, Head of Marketing

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2020 25

Early Childhood Educators’ Day at Mother Duck Childcare Kallangur On Wednesday the 2nd of September 2020, it was Early Childhood Educators’ Day- one of our favourite days of the year! This day is incredibly significant as early childhood educators are recognised nationally for the impact they have on the wellbeing and development of children.

Each year we develop a gift box for each educator across eleven Centres and Mother Duck Kallangur were excited to oversee this project for 2020. The gifts take months of planning, and we were so proud to create a gorgeous giftbox including a potted plant, personalised cookies, and an insulated travel cup. Exactly 285 personalised gifts were shared across Mother Duck Centres. Across our two Centres at Kallangur, along with the gift boxes, our educators also enjoyed two incredible grazing platters (created by a talented team member).

Our heartbeat as an organisation is to create a culture where educators feel valued, however, this year recognising the work of early childhood educators across our community held an even greater significance. During

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the COVID-19 pandemic Mother Duck Childcare learned the true meaning of the word “community”. Over this challenging time our educators willingly dropped hours of work to protect the jobs of their teammates, worked additional hours or even a different shift or day. They did whatever it took to support our Mother Duck Community.

Therefore, to further amplify and advocate for the important work of early childhood educators across our communities, our organisation designed a Facebook campaign. Each Centre Facebook page included videos and blogs as well as opportunities for families to share how our educators have impacted their family. The response from our families was overwhelming and our Facebook pages were flooded with genuine expressions of gratitude.

All in all, 2020 Early Childhood Educators’ Day was an amazing success and we are already on the count down for next year!

Amanda Kinniburgh, Approved Provider/Nominated Supervisor

Early Childhood Educators’ Day at Edge Early Learning Edge Early Learning has roots spread across south east Queensland with 18 centres throughout the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sunshine Coast region, and a team of over 450 amazing educators.

Early Childhood Educators’ Day 2020 was a special day for all and an opportunity for Edge Early Learning to celebrate and acknowledge the exceptional work of our educators and thank them for their wonderful contribution to the wellbeing and healthy development of children in our care.

At Edge, we actively like to say thank you to our teams every day for their dedication and commitment, but Early Childhood Educators’ Day is our biggest thank you yet.

It’s an opportunity for us to extend our appreciation by showering our team in gifts, experiences and amazing arrays of food and heartfelt gratitude for their wonderful contribution to making sure children’s early years count.

The celebrations kicked off at all of our centres, with each of our Centre Directors organising individual celebrations for their teams. It was all about showing gratitude and paying tribute to the educators that work day in and out to fulfil their role of education and care for our children.

Some of the activities across the centres included enjoying lovely grazing platters, gift hampers, massages, visits from food trucks and even non-alcoholic paint and sip.

Edge Early Learning’s Support Office team members also conducted surprise visits to every centre, delivering cakes and flowers, as a gesture to spread the appreciation across the teams for all that they do.

We are proud to say that the educators at Edge Early Learning are passionate and go above and beyond to take the time to form strong relationships with our families.

This was reflected across the board, with many families making personal gestures to the teams at their local centre thanking the educators for making such a difference to their lives and allowing them to feel confident in leaving their children in our care.

Early Childhood Educators’ Day was a wonderful day for all and we hope it left our team feeling valued for the exceptional work that they do!

Jane Andrewartha, Marketing Manager

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2020 27

Supporter Members Directory Service

Contact

Area

Phone

Web

Elston

Ben Greenwall

Gold Coast Mc

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

Childcare4Sale

Lincoln Bridge

Paradise Point

0424 370 025

www.childcare4sale.com.au

JDS Childcare Sales

Jason Stephenson

Miami

1300 537 227

www.jdschildcaresales.com.au

Bunnings

Gerard Brewty

Mansfield Bc

0447 032 873

www.bunnings.com.au

Jardine Architects

Greg Jardine

Brisbane

07 3229 9322

www.jardinearchitects.com.au

Jorgensens Pty Ltd

Tim Cox

Molendiner

07 5597 6620

www.jorgensens.com.au

Mathiou Services

Justin Miller

Burleigh Heads

1300 363 423

www.mathiouservices.com.au

Scope Protective & Data Solutions

Peter Karadimas

Northcote

1300 172 673

www.spds.com.au

Stoddart

David Richardson

Karawatha

07 3440 7600

www.stoddart.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

X-Alt Solar

Brian Mills

Ormeau

0402 658 313

www.x-altsolar.com.au

Absolute Support Training & Resources

Darlene Wadham

Wynnum

0488 666 455

www.absolutesupport.com.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

Harmonise Solutions

Michellena Shelton

Maudsland

0410 569 195

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 Town Centre

0410 456 607

www.readynowresources.com.au

Scholars Consulting

Jae Fraser

Labrador

0408 872 492

www.thescholarsgroup.com.au

Deb Blakley

North Lakes

0413 433 144

www.kidsdigfood.com.au

Peter Jarrett

West End

07 3230 8501

www.guildgroup.com.au

Giovanni Porta

Geebung

07 3265 3888

www.portalawyers.com.au

Accounting, Bookkeeping & Financial

Banking Services ANZ Business Bank Brokers

Building & Property Services / Consultants

Consultancy / Management

Food & Nutrition Kids Dig Food Insurance Guild Insurance Legal Porta Lawyers

28

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2020

Service

Contact

Area

Phone

Web

1Placechildcare.com

Martin Bing

Auckland

6495 200 612

www.1placechildcare.com

ChildCareCRM

Chuck Gibbs

Brisbane

02 8880 0404

www.childcarecrm.com

Child Care Central

Bridget Ryan

Chermside

1300 733 667

www.childcarecentral.com.au

ChildHR

Barry Lehrer

South Yarra

03 9098 4317

www.childhr.org.au

Intellikid Systems

Jamie McVeigh

Nervada

0458 034 402

www.intellikidsystems.com

Kidsoft

Kidsoft Team

Broadbeach

1800 827 234

www.kidsoft.com.auÂ

Penelope QIP

Steve Collier

Toowoomba

1300 435 962

www.penelope.com.au

PTC Phone Tech & CommBerinda

Brodin Dalglish

Berinda

0476 668 889

www.ptc.net.au/business

QK Technologies - QikKids

Sean Murphy

Morningside

1300 367 770

www.qikkids.com.au

Rubiks iT

Andre Campbell

Mermaid Beach

07 5613 7889

www.rubiksit.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

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

St Kilda

1300 555 972

www.preschoolequipment.com.au

Think Education Supplies

David Knibbe

Darra

07 3376 3497

www.thinkeducation.com.au

ACE Community Colleges

Robyn Keenan

Burleigh Waters

07 5520 3026

www.acecolleges.edu.au

Australian College of Teacher Aides and Childcare (ACTAC)

Admin Team

Bowen Hills

1300 511 455

www.actac.com.au

Child Wise

Paola Piccinno

Carlton

03 9079 0427

www.childwise.org.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 198 625

www.parenttv.com

Phoenix Support

Sandi Phoenix

1300 361 243

www.phoenix-support.com.au

PST Training Store

Danielle Peters

Gold Coast Mc

1300 399 665

www.thetrainingstore.com.au

Triple P

Nikki Rassalski

Indooroopilly

07 3636 1212

www.triplep.net

Herron Todd White

Simon Fox

Brisbane

07 3002 0900

www.htw.com.au

Trivett Property Group

Darren Trivett

South Brisbane

07 3216 1011

www.trivett.net.au

Software / IT Support

Sports and Fitness Physi kids Superannuation

Toys, Resources & Suppliers

Training Providers & Consultants

Valuers

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