Early Edition Spring 2016

EarlyEdition SPRING 2016

Supporting Children with Autism Empowering Educators with STEM What we did for National Reconciliation Week Financial literacy makes sense for your business

ENROL TODAY! 07 3299 5784

www.caece.com.au Special discount for ACA Qld members RTO Number: 40933

EarlyEdition SPRING 2016

Cover Photo: Bright Beginings Child Edu-Care Centre

ACA Queensland

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

President’s Report

2

Applying a Tiered Approach to Supporting Children with Autism in Early Childhood Settings

4

What we did for National Reconciliation Week

6

Early Years Connect

8

Angry about under the roof ratio? You’re doing it wrong

9

Empowering Educators with STEM

12

Revealing the Possibilities at the ACA Qld 2016 Conference

14

Educator in profile

17

Early Childhood Educators Day at Taigum Child Educare Centre

20

What you need to know about promoting health and wellbeing in the workplace

22

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 Queensland 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.

Underinsurance - A simple term with potentially devastating consequences

24

Financial literacy makes sense for your business

25

What is technology really doing to our children?

26

Associate Member Directory

28

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE Executive

Committee Members

ACA Queensland Office

President - Jae Fraser

Gwynn Bridge

Rosa McDonald

Office Manager - Jen Smyth

Vice President - Brent Stokes

Doug Burns

Janet Schluter

Office Admin Assistant - Letitia Murphy

Treasurer - Linda Davies

Majella Fitzsimmons Louise Thomas

Secretary - Debra North

Kerrie Lada

Project Officer - Claudette Cabilan

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2016

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President’s Report Where has the year gone? Just a couple of months from now, we’re all going to be planning kindy graduations and Christmas parties!

The Management Committee have been working extremely hard for you over the last quarter, preparing and planning for professional development workshops and many other member benefits. Our committee meet monthly for a full day and are working every day to plan, review and work on all Queensland ECEC matters on your behalf. If there is a matter that you are concerned about, need support with or would like us to follow up, please let us know.

our members. We want to ensure that all early childhood educators are wellequipped with the skills to succeed.

Our College

Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham has been reappointed as the Minister for Education and Training under Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s ministry.

Our very own training organisation, College for Australian Early Childhood Educators (CAECE), is steadily growing. This college was created as a specialised RTO for our members to deliver the best face to face hands on early childhood education training.

CAECE is here to serve the needs of the early childhood sector, especially

Our members receive a special discount, so if you have educators wanting to take their study to the next level, please ensure that you refer them to CAECE. If you have any questions, please call 07 3299 5784.

2016 Federal Election

We have sent a letter to the Minister to congratulate him on his reappointment. As you know I sit on the national association to represent Queensland at the National level and

our national body, Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA), has requested a meeting with the Minister to further discuss the Jobs for Families Child Care Assistance Package and his vision for the early childhood education and care sector. We will keep you updated on any movements via our weekly newsletter and member updates.

We also have sent congratulatory letters to all new senators and key ministers and have invited them to work with us in the future direction of the ECEC sector.

Early Childhood Educators Day 2016 I hope you had a wonderful Early Childhood Educators Day celebration on Wednesday 7 September! I love ECE Day – I love how children, families and Approved Providers show their heartfelt appreciation of the amazing work that educators do every day.

You really are every day heroes and I am so proud to be an early childhood educator and I know you are too.

Turn to page 24 to see photos from your celebrations. Make sure to save the date for next year’s celebrations – Wednesday 6 September 2017!

This is a key date for us here in Queensland and we are proud that the day has grown to other states and also around the world.

Member Meetings Member Meetings were held across Queensland in September. The focus of these meetings were on the issues you’re facing based on your feedback.

Please join in these professional conversations and make sure to keep letting us know what issues are impacting you, so we can provide you with as much information as we can.

llege St. Michael’s Co

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Early Learning

Centre

Little Scholars School of Early Learning

Quality Workshops Thank you to everyone who attended our ‘Helping children reach their potential’ and ‘Handling the worst case scenarios’ workshops.

If you would like us to bring these workshops to your area, please let our office team know. All of our PD is planned to directly benefit you, so if there is a topic you would like or need, please let us know.

After feedback from members, we are excited to announce we have organised an Approved Provider workshop day being held on 18 October. This is an intensive one-day workshop for Approved Providers and is free for members. We have created an agenda that will directly benefit Approved Providers in the management and operation of their service. There will be guest speakers from the Department of Education, the Kindy funding team, IR

and HR experts and other business management experts.

We are working on rolling out more quality professional development opportunities, please get involved!

Modern Award Review We are keeping a very close eye on this for you as well. With fortnightly teleconferences, ACA Qld along with our national body, ACA, have been monitoring the Modern Award Review very closely and have engaged the Australian Business Lawyers and Advisors (ABLA) to represent us in this case.

We have sent member updates on this issue and will keep you updated as we move through the process.

for the 2017 conference, and spent a great deal of time reviewing and analysing all feedback forms from both exhibitors and delegates. We use this feedback to plan our next conference, so your input and ideas are crucial to ensuring that we plan the very best conference for you.

I am very excited to let you know that our next conference will be held at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre on the beautiful Gold Coast from 2 – 4 June 2017!

Registration will open early next year, so make sure to open all emails from us so you don’t miss out and places will fill fast, as they did this year.

2017 Conference – Save the date!

Jae Fraser

We have been working very hard locking in new and exciting presenters

President

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Applying a Tiered Approach to Supporting Children with Autism in Early Childhood Settings Dr Beth Saggers > Queensland University of Technology

It can often be difficult for educators to feel that they are effectively catering to some of the more unique and individualised needs of children with autism in inclusive early childhood contexts.

However, a tiered approach can allow educators to deliver support that is more responsive to some of the more complex needs some children with autism can bring to the early childhood setting. Implementing support through a tiered approach can often help to effectively promote and strengthen not only social-emotional learning, general wellbeing, and positive behavior but also academic outcomes. A tiered model of service delivery and support works well across a range of settings and can be particularly suited to supporting children with autism.

What is a Tiered Approach to Support?

A tiered approach to support comes from the Response to Intervention model and can be described as a tiered system of instruction that can help cater for all children in the early childhood setting. Using this approach to support, children are exposed to several levels or tiers of increasingly intensive instructional intervention or support.

These tiers of support are based on the child’s individual

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needs. There are generally three key tiers of support as seen in Table 1. The First Tier – Tier 1 – provides the primary intervention and has a focus on preventative instruction targeted at effectively meeting the needs of the majority of children within the early childhood setting. The Second Tier – Tier 2, often called the secondary intervention level – is the level of intervention where children identified by the educator or multidisciplinary team receive more intensive supplementary instruction and support which concentrates on specific areas of need identified for those children.

Often between 20-30% of children in the class may access this tier for support in identified areas. This support is often delivered within small groups. The final and Third Tier – Tier 3 – focuses on more specialised, intensive instruction and intervention which targets the more specific and unique needs of individual children within the group. Up to 5% of children may need to access support at this level and this support is often delivered one-to-one to provide explicit instruction and practice in specific areas of need.

Table 1. Framework for a Tiered Approach to Support Tier 1

Primary Intervention – Implementing universal support applied across the whole early childhood classroom, including preventative strategies and support that will benefit all children in that setting.

Tier 2

Secondary Intervention – Usually provides intensive supplementary instruction often targeted at small groups of children with similar needs.

Tier 3

Tertiary Intervention – More specialised intensive instruction targeting the more specific and unique needs of individual children. Often delivered one-to-one or in pairs.

It is important for educators to be aware that access to different tiers of support is a fluid process that can be responsive to the changing needs of the children involved or the focus of the teaching. For example, a child may access Tier 2 support to help with their communication needs, while another child may access Tier 3 intervention for social and behavioural support, but may be in Tier 1 for aspects of academic learning. The need to access support at different tiers may change over time.

Examples of the Tiers in Action to Support Children with Autism in Early Childhood Settings To help address the more specific and unique needs often experienced by children on the spectrum, a number of supports and interventions need to be considered at each tier. These supports will also be of benefit in supporting the needs of other children in the early childhood context.

Some examples are shown in Table 2.

Table 2. The Tiers in Action: Examples Tier 1

a) Direct instruction on classroom routines b) Use of visual supports to support independence in following daily routines: ·· making children aware of pending change or transition ·· making clear the expectations or demands of set tasks ·· supporting comprehension of the task ·· visual tracking of progress and rewards ·· classroom routines c) A formal classroom behaviour support system to assist the children to be aware of the expectations of the classroom and how these can be met. For example: ·· Discussion of and posting of classroom rules ·· Formal teaching of behaviours or skills that help the child meet expectations ·· Reinforcement and rewards for meeting expectations ·· Incidental teaching as required of functional communication and social skills needed for successful classroom participation (for example, play skills, working as part of a group, sharing and turn taking, social communication, and friendship making skills)

Tier 2

Direct teaching, often in small groups, of: ·· emotions ·· play and social skills ·· self-regulation and staying calm – managing stress and worry ·· alternatives to aggression ·· social communication skills

Tier 3

At Tier 3, functional communication and social skills development training will be at a much greater intensity and duration than in Tier 1 or Tier 2. Intervention at this level may include a formalised behaviour support plan, and extensive input from a transdisciplinary team for additional wraparound specialist support and intervention.

A key benefit of a tiered approach is the emphasis it places not only on early identification of a child’s needs but also the focus it has on prevention and appropriate support.

This approach develops interventions that are based on the identified needs of individual children and focuses on

preventing minor issues escalating into serious problems that require more intensive support. It is a useful approach to consider when working with children with autism that can help meet the needs and benefit all children in the current early childhood context.

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What we did for National Reconciliation Week Everton Park Child Care and Development Centre

At Everton Park Child Care and Development Centre, we are committed to providing a safe place for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and will actively work to reduce prejudice by providing rich learning experiences that strengthen knowledge and understanding and foster a community that celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

In recognition of National Sorry Day and National Reconciliation week, we planned several learning opportunities in addition to our regular Indigenous Inclusion Program.

On National Sorry Day both our Centre Director and our Indigenous Inclusion Educator attended the Sorry Day Ceremony, which is hosted by our local Stolen Generation Support Group in Teralba Park, and on behalf of the centre signed the following pledge:

‘I pledge my support towards the fulfilment of the fifty-four recommendations of the Bringing Them Home Report, as well as ensuring Indigenous Australians the equality, justice and human rights to which they are entitled.’

Educators facilitated small group discussions with the children in our Yarning Circle, in which we discussed the impact of the Stolen Generation and past government policy. We read the story ‘Stolen Girl’, which offers a child’s perspective on being removed from her family and culture. The footprint is often used by the Bringing Them Home Committee to symbolise

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the children of the Stolen Generation.

The Pre-Kindy Two and Kindy Three children created their own footprint artworks to show support for the children and families of the Stolen Generation and to help guide their way home.

Over Reconciliation Week, the children worked with our Outdoor Educator to plant Tibouchinas in our Reconciliation Garden which surrounds our Yarning Circle. We also installed a Sea of Hands around our Reconciliation Garden, and asked families to sign the backs of the hands as a symbol of their family’s support for reconciliation. Our Sea of Hands was very successful, and between families, educators and centre visitors, we received a total of 87 signatures over the course of the week. We also asked families, educators and centre visitors to write down a few words to describe what reconciliation means to them. We took these words and phrases to create a Wordle Word Cloud, which we have framed and hung in our foyer as a permanent symbol of our community’s commitment to reconciliation.

ories e exciting st Do you hav share? you want to ory to st r u Email yo rg.au realliance.o ca d il ch @ ld q

ACA Qld 2017 National Conference

Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre

2 - 4 June 2017

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Early Years Connect Are you an early childhood educator based in Queensland? Then you need to know about Early Years Connect.

The latest in professional development for inclusion support, Early Years Connect is a collaborative project of Early Childhood Australia (ECA), C&K and Autism Queensland, funded and supported by the Queensland Government.

Early Years Connect is all about strengthening the inclusion of children with disability and complex additional needs in early childhood education and care (ECEC) services. It’s been developed specifically for ECEC educators in Queensland and includes a wide range of resources, including monthly webinars, online learning modules, information sheets and a blog. There is also a Facebook group, designed to facilitate discussion between educators. All of these resources can be accessed via the Early Years Connect website (www. earlyyearsconnect.com.au), which forms the central hub of the project.

Early Years Connect aims to give ECEC educators working with children with complex additional needs the skills to assist every child to learn, develop and participate fully at the service.

The Early Years Connect resources help participants to understand why the inclusion of children with disability and complex additional needs matters,

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and how to meet these children’s needs. These resources are free for all Queensland ECEC service staff, including long day care, family day care, kindergarten and outside school hours care services.

Early Years Connect features 15 online learning modules that can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All professional development completed through Early Years Connect can also be recorded within an eJournal, a portable, secure electronic journal for each participant.

The monthly webinars feature expert presenters on topics like strategies for children with speech, communication and language needs, IT tools to support learning, understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder and managing difficult behaviours. The webinars are hosted live at various times of the day and evening, and a recording of each webinar produced is available on the Early Years Connect website and can be accessed at any time. Each person who registers and logs into the live webinars also receives a certificate of attendance.

Early Years Connect also includes a series of information sheets addressing legislation, updating your policies and procedures, inclusion and

working with families and allied health professionals to support children with disability and complex additional needs.

In addition to providing online resources, Early Years Connect is forming communities of practice and support, through a blog and a Facebook discussion group. The blog features real-life stories, expert advice and information updates. ECEC educators are warmly encouraged to contribute to the blog – through submitting short pieces of writing or simply commenting on posts.

Finally, the Facebook group allows educators to connect and collaborate with each other online, at any time.

The Facebook group is not open to the general public, and access is controlled by the Early Years Connect team of moderators. This is a safe space to engage in reflection, offer support and tips and celebrate your achievements in building inclusion for children with disability and complex additional needs.

Visit the Early Years Connect website (www.earlyyearsconnect.com.au) and build your professional skills and leadership today!

Angry about under the roof ratio? You’re doing it wrong Sandi Phoenix > Phoenix Support for Educators

If you cringe when the words ‘under the roof’ are uttered, then chances are you’re doing it wrong.

The Australian National Quality Framework (NQF) brought with it ratios intended to improve outcomes for children. The notion of determining ratio of educator:child under the roofline (or across the service) was not a free ticket to run a service with ratios that are stressful for both children and educators alike. That’s just dumb.

Firstly, you won’t find the term ‘under the roof’ in the Regulations. It is a thing… but it’s not a thing.

Under the National Regulations (henceforth referred to as the Regs), the minimum educator to child ratios are calculated across the service. So, the number of educators required is calculated based on all children under a single roof, regardless of the room configuration. This information about ratios calculated ‘under a single roof’ was not printed in the Regs. It was, however, shared by the Office of Early Childhood Education and Care in Queensland on the DETA website. It may have been distributed elsewhere, but it is possible that this is where the term ‘under the roofline’ that has caused so much conjecture, may have come from.

Below is an excerpt from the DETA website (http://goo.gl/Rlynga):

Under the National Regulations, the minimum educator to child ratios are calculated across the service - that is, the number of educators required is calculated based on all children under a single roof regardless of the room configuration (see the educator to child rations page for more information).

Yes, I know we don’t have rations don’t blame me for the typo, it’s a direct quote.

Here’s a little more from the same website (http://goo.gl/nXk6tF):

Under the National Regulations, the minimum educator to child ratios are calculated across the service that is, the number of educators required is calculated based on all children in attendance at the service regardless of the room configuration.

For those of us that were around in the days of counting heads and moving children through spaces to ensure constantly upheld ratios, we breathed a sigh of relief with this information and the new Regs. Well... that was until the misunderstanding and blatant abuse of this flexibility started to impact children.

Take these examples:

“I’m so exhausted because I’ve been the only educator in a babies’ room with 6 babies on my own all day, because we run under-the-roof ratio.”

You’re doing it wrong.

“Our centre uses under-the-roof ratio which leaves us grossly out of ratio and I worry about safety and supervision of the children.”

You’re doing it wrong.

“Sometimes we have one extra child in Toddler 1 room and one less in Toddler 2 room on a given day. We used to move one child into a different room all day to fix the ratio, which left that child crying and distressed at the door, wanting to go back to their own room. These days, Toddler 1 and Toddler 2 room educators plan for both groups of children and we open the gate between the rooms for some of the day. We now ensure that both educators are working towards the outcomes of both the groups of children. We worry less about getting the ratio perfect and more about being responsive to the individual needs of the children.”

Well that makes a whole lot more sense, doesn’t it? So how do we know what’s right and what’s not?

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Stop taking other people’s word for it, and make sure you check for yourself.

I’ll summarise some stuff here, but please don’t take my word for it. Look for yourself. That’s what you should be doing, whenever something doesn’t feel right. Sure, ask a colleague, then ask them to tell you where to find it yourself. Don’t assume it’s right before doing that. If it doesn’t seem right and you don’t see it in black and white in the Law, Regs, or a guide distributed by ACECQA, then chances are… it’s not good.

Let’s take a closer look…

According to staffing arrangements outlined in Part 4.4 of the National Regulations, the educator-to-child ratios and qualification requirements outlined in regulations 123, 125 to 135 are dependent on the size and nature of the service. No matter the grouping of the children, the ratio required is always calculated according to the age of the youngest child allocated to an educator for the purposes of calculating ratios.

In accordance with regulation 121, the minimum number of educators and their qualification requirements are calculated across the service,

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regardless of the individual room configuration. This was the exciting thing about the new Regs! It meant ratios are no longer calculated on the number of children and educators present in a group or ‘room’. Be gone with the counting heads and moving bodies in and out of spaces to meet ratio. This flexibility in calculating ratios allows services the ability to tailor the operation of their service to meet the needs of families and children.

Well, that was the intention. What followed has been a blatant misuse of this flexibility at some services, which has led to confusion and even anger about this ratio regulation blessing.

On the bright side, high quality services have been supported by regulations that make sense to their way of operating. When determining groupings of children, in their best interests, they have therefore been able to provide unique, responsive groupings from mixed age, indoor/ outdoor flow, family grouping, even free-flow environments where children can move between any of the rooms of a centre throughout the day. At the very least, these Regs have ensured that children have not

been disrupted, for example, when the service is short staffed for a day and the ratio in one room is out by one child. In the past, I witnessed on many occasions the oldest child from the group being moved to an unfamiliar room with an unfamiliar educator, to the detriment of that child’s wellbeing. There is some flexibility in the new Regs, all things considered, to find other solutions.

Here’s the most important bit that has seemed to have been lost in translation. You can’t have a dodgy ratio in one room on a permanent basis and say, “We do under the roof ratio, so we’re all good”.

No, actually, you’re not.

Under regulation 122, the educator must be ‘working directly with children’ at the service. That’s right, ‘An educator cannot be included in calculating the educator to child ratio of a centre-based service unless the educator is working directly with children at the service.’ (An educator is still considered to be working directly with children for the purposes of the educator-to-child ratio requirements if they are taking a rest pause or are briefly absent in accordance with

Regulations 313-317). Regulation 13 of the National Regulations defines ‘working directly with children’ as being both physically present with the children and being directly, actively engaged in providing education and care to the children. Directly. Actively.

Engaged. Did we get that?

Let’s think about this.

Am I directly engaged with the children when I’m working in another room?

Am I physically present with the children when I’m working in the office doing Supervisor or administration duties?

Am I directly engaged and actively working with the children if I am in a 1:5 ratio room, and I take 4 children out to the veggie patch for an hour while the other educator in the room works inside with 6 children?

Below is an excerpt from the ACECQA website (http://goo.gl/VYUOGZ):

Is adequate supervision different from ratio requirements?

Yes, it is different. Meeting educator to child ratios does not automatically mean adequate supervision. For example, additional educators may be needed when going on an excursion or when children are engaged in a water

activity.

A number of factors must be considered when determining if supervision is adequate, including: the number, age and ability of children the number and positioning of educators each child’s current activity areas where children are playing, in particular the visibility and accessibility of these areas risks in the environment and of experiences provided to children the experience, knowledge and skill of each educator.

More information about adequate supervision is in the Guide to the National Law and Regulations (pages 64-66).

The educator-to-child ratios outlined in the National Regulations provide the minimum requirements which education and care services must meet. The Approved Provider needs to consider the size and composition of groups for educators to achieve quality education, health, safety and wellbeing outcomes for children.

Beyond complying with the minimum ratios, under section 165 of the National Law the Approved Provider

and Nominated Supervisor must ensure that children being educated and cared for by the service are adequately supervised at all times.

Your professional judgement takes precedence here. Sometimes, this means the minimum ratio is not enough.

To sum up, a quality education and care service for children will: • consider the ratio recommendations as a minimum, not a bench mark; • ensure educators counted on ratio are working directly with the children they are assigned to; and • d etermine ratios that allow for children to be adequately supervised at all times.

Reflect on the information, expectations, standard and regulations set out in the National Quality Framework and adjust your practice to suit. If ‘under the roof’ ratio calculating is happening at your service and it feels dodgy or stressful… stop it. www.phoenix-support.com.au www.facebook.com/PhoenixSFE

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Empowering Educators with STEM The Educational Experience Team

As an educator, there is arguably a level of comfort that comes with being able to confidently provide engaging learning experiences for children about concepts we may be unfamiliar with.

In making a conscious decision to become an educator, you unconsciously dedicate your life to learning. You make a promise to never be satisfied with what you know now, rather, forever question why, and pine to know more. Your life becomes a quest for knowledge. There has never been a more appropriate time than now to start exploring where the gaps in your pedagogy may be.

With the Government pledging $8 million to developing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills in preschool aged children, educators have been thrust into the spotlight where the application of their knowledge is tested.

At this vital time in our educational landscape, and in a country where our economy is tied so closely to innovation and the advancement of technology, it is essential educators feel a sense of empowerment.

Challenging traditional boundaries and creating a culture of problem solving, theory testing, and risk taking in the areas of STEM, will enable our children to explore what will inevitably become their future.

As educators and parents, it can be difficult to find the balance between intentional teaching methods and child initiated learning experiences, particularly in areas such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics where complex concepts may require purposeful planning.

The Early Years Learning Framework guides educators on how to promote STEM based learning using descriptions such as modelling mathematical and scientific language and encouraging children to make their theories visible to others. However, science is much more than just a process or experiment. It is a meaningful, flexible and ongoing learning experience that can be embedded in everyday programs.

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Here are some simple points to remember as you continue your STEM journey: • Cooking experiences provide opportunities to explore mathematical concepts, chemical reactions and the earth to plate food journey.

• Environmental print is everywhere! Point out numbers that are all around us such as speed limit signs while travelling, numbers on drink bottles and clock faces to encourage a love for numbers.

• Use of technology in Early Childhood is most rewarding when it expands, enriches, implements, extends, and individualises the curriculum in a broader sense.

• For many years we have referred to resources as “construction” resources. But what if we start to refer to them as engineering resources. They no longer imply something you just build with. They now mean something that you think about, something you plan for, something you investigate, something you experiment with and create with.

• Sustainability forms a core concept of STEM. Sustainability is environmental science at work.

Exploring composting and growing and harvesting food are easily embedded into everyday practice regardless of space.

For more interesting reading on STEM, visit our blog at http://www.edex.com.au/blog.

You can also connect with us on

Revealing the Possibilities at the ACA Qld 2016 Conference Every year, we set ourselves a challenge: hold our biggest and best conference.

This year, despite the uncooperative weather, we did just that!

We urged everyone to be totally awesome and our attendees took awesomeness to a whole new level!

The conference, held from 3 – 5 June 2016, kicked off with a game of golf, followed by our carnival themed welcome drinks function. Stilt walkers, jugglers, and carnival games kept everyone entertained. All attendees reconnected with old friends and met new ones sharing the same passion.

On day one, delegates had the chance to grow their knowledge from experts: Professor Frank Oberklaid, who spoke about the building blocks of a successful and prosperous society; Dr Deborah Harcourt, who provided us with the key principles that underpin the Reggio Emilia Educational Project; Caroline Fewster who animatedly presented us with 50 practical ways to inspire children’s learning; and other outstanding speakers.

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In true form, ACA Qld made sure that everyone also had fun filled activities that have made our conferences such a popular event.

The Masquerade Carnivalé Gala Dinner was an unforgettable night with guests dressed for the occasion. The food was superb, the dance floor was vibrant and the music brought everyone to the dance floor!

Day two started out with Samuel Johnson, the star of Network Ten’s ‘Molly’. Samuel had everyone grabbing tissues while sharing his legacy as well as raising awareness for his much loved charity, ‘Love Your Sister’.

A challenge was presented to our conference attendees to raise $5,000 for this worthy charity, and it wasn’t long before this goal was achieved.

Throughout the conference, delegates as well as sponsors and exhibitors showed such strong support for the cause that they exceeded all

expectations to raise over $10,000.

The ACA Qld committee was so deeply moved by Sam’s passion and by everyone’s generosity, that they increased ACA Qld’s own contribution to bring the grand total of the donation to $20,000.

Julie Cross wrapped up an incredible conference, bringing her contagious energy and enthusiasm for life. Julie urged delegates to embrace the possibilities, be aware of the impact we have on others and strive for the ability to take responsibility - a perfect ‘sparkly’ finale to our conference!

Thank you to all our awesome delegates and generous sponsors and exhibitors. Your support and passion for our sector is the reason why our conference was a great success.

We hope that the conference revealed endless possibilities for you to explore.

See you again next year! www.childcareconference.com.au

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2016 15

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Educator in profile

Melanie Gapes is the Educational Leader at Torquay Kids Early Learning Centre in Hervey Bay.

“I truly believe as early childhood educators we can have such a positive impact on each child’s life as we support them to become strong and capable individuals.”

What inspired you to forge a career in early childhood education and care?

Born in New Zealand, my journey started from a young age, as I enjoyed spending time with young children.

Through high school I used to babysit for a lot of the local families that lived in my area. Once I left school, it was one of the families that I was doing babysitting for that recommended I apply for a job at the childcare centre where their children attended, as they knew I was interested in choosing this path as a career. On their recommendation I was successful with a position and so started my career at 17. I started studying towards my Diploma of Early Childhood Education about a year later while continuing to work. My career and journey in early childhood education has continued; about four and a half years ago I moved along with my

family to Queensland and quickly commenced work here in an amazing and inspirational centre in Hervey Bay. I then embarked on completing my Bachelor of Early Childhood Teaching as this had been a personal goal of mine for a long time.

Why are you passionate about early childhood?

I find children simply beautiful. They are free spirited, happy and so much fun to be around. I find this to be such a rewarding job as you work closely with each child, developing special relationships and supporting them throughout the early stages of their life journey. I truly believe as early childhood educators we can have such a positive impact on each child’s life as we support them to become strong and capable individuals.

I also am an advocate for the education and professional growth of early childhood educators. As the Educational Leader within our service I enjoy sharing my own knowledge and supporting others to grow and become the best that they can be. Working in a centre of excellence encourages me to continually engage with current research and findings within the early childhood sector and strive to ensure we continue to keep ourselves achieving in our program and practice.

I am also very passionate about documentation, and using documentation to track meaningful moments within a child’s journey.

My training in New Zealand along with the New Zealand Curriculum (Te whariki) inspires me to assist others to understand the importance of early childhood education and the benefits of a high quality program.

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2016

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How would you describe your early childhood philosophy?

My personal philosophy has changed slightly over the last few years as I embark on new professional journeys of my own, including delving into the Reggio Emilia approach. Many theories influence my philosophy, both contemporary and historical. With current research and findings, new knowledge and ideas that emerge, it can change your outlook a little.

However, the basis of my personal philosophy never changes and that is that each child has the right to feel safe, secure and important. Each child deserves our time, our attention and the best care and education possible. Children are very capable and confident little learners. With our support, the right environment, and with the right elements in place, they are capable of learning and achieving anything.

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

The most rewarding moments working in the early childhood sector are those break-through moments. The moments where you see you have made a difference in someone’s life.

Whether this is a child, a parent or indeed another educator, when you have shared some knowledge, offered some support or inspired someone to learn something or give something new a try. When you see something you have taught someone actually

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EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2016

happening; it is a wonderful moment.

When a parent approaches you to share with you something that their child has learnt as a direct result of being in your care, that moment is the most rewarding moment as an educator. These moments include things such as the language development that children learn while alongside you or sometimes it could be a new interest that has sparked as a result of a project that you have been embarking on with the children.

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

I think my biggest challenge is and always has been time. The lack of time to achieve all that we want to achieve as educators and leaders. The time to create beautiful areas within our service, the time to research, find and set up new and inspirational ideas, the time to record all of the special moments that happen within a day for every child. The time to sit with our fellow educators to discuss current happenings and interests for the children and share ideas of “where to next”. The time as Educational Leader at this service to support every educator to grow themselves and become the best that they can be. The time to network with other services to share ideas within our community. I think if you ask any educator you would find we all share the same challenges in regards to time. The only strategy that seems to work is just to balance the best you can. I think you learn to prioritise what

is important. Children and our families always come first. I found a quote not long ago which I love and try to remind myself of every now and then; “The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow, but the rainbow won’t wait while you finish the work.”

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

I try not to waste too much time worrying about what you haven’t managed to do yet and focus on the moment. What is happening right at this moment and how can I make the most of this moment. With the children I have learnt the best thing to do is just to “be.” Be present, be with them. Engage in the moment and really listen to what it is that they are telling you. I have learnt to allow the children to lead the way in regards to what our day together will look like. As educators we can use just about any moment as a teachable moment and I find being flexible really makes a difference. Sometimes we have amazing things planned and set up ready to go. Sometimes these experiences take place, your intentional teaching practices are used effectively and all goes well.

Sometimes the children have other ideas about where they want to be and what it is they would like to be doing and I have learnt that the best strategy is to follow their lead. Some of my most amazing “wow,” moments as an educator have been by listening and following the children’s cues.

Some of my best documentation in

regards to learning has been achieved from using this exact method.

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

The most important skill I want to develop in young children is the ability to be a lifelong learner.

To ask questions, to know how to investigate, to discover and to research in order to truly understand the world around them. I want them to have the skills and confidence to know that they are capable of learning themselves. So many times we are too quick to just give children the answers and don’t support them on their journey to find things out for themselves. As educators we are the co constructors of knowledge. We need to view ourselves as facilitators, and support children by providing the right resources, support and guidance as required. It shouldn’t matter how long these journeys take, sometimes ongoing learning and discoveries can last for days, maybe even weeks.

What role do families play within the program you deliver? How do you engage them?

I believe that our families are the most important and influential people in their child’s life. I believe we need to value our families and value the input that they have. We do our best to ensure each and every one of our families knows that they belong here with us, that they are important and valued. We work as closely as possible with our families as we believe they

hold the key to their child’s future.

I strongly believe that by working together with families we can reach each child’s full potential.

With open communication we can share each other’s goals and aspirations for their child and, as much as possible, work together consistently to help achieve the best learning outcomes possible for their child. Each day we make ourselves available to have this time with parents during pick up and drop off periods. When our parents share with us some of the important things that have taken place at home or maybe a current interest of the child’s we will try to incorporate this as much as possible into our program. For example, if a parent mentions to us that their child has been enjoying baking or learning to help prep for meals then we will provide similar experiences within our program to support this.

We also organise times for parent – educator meetings at a time that suits our families. This time is set up by appointment so that time is available to talk without the interruptions of everyday tasks. We have an open door policy where our parents can spend as much time at the service as they like, playing, interacting or sometimes sharing a special talent of their own. At the moment we are lucky enough to have one of our wonderful mums spend time with us once a week teaching the children Yoga. We hold lots of events and functions at the centre, where our

families are also invited and included in the celebrations. Other ways that we engage our families is via online methods including emails, online learning journals where parents can comment directly and add input to their child’s journals while accessing photos, observations and stories from the day. We also have a very active Facebook page where we connect with both our families and the local community.

What advice would you give to someone who wishes to start a career in early childhood education and care?

I would recommend maybe spending some time within an early childhood setting to see if it feels right for you.

If the idea of being with children motivates and interests you then absolutely, I say go for it. If you do decide to further your career in early childhood I cannot recommend enough to enrol in some study and gain some qualifications. The more study you embark on and the more professional development you attend, the better equipped you are to be the best that you can be as an educator and therefore offer children the highest level of care and education that they deserve. I can also highly recommend choosing a reputable training organisation to study through to make sure you get the best start. Also gain the best experience possible by choosing a service that offers a high standard of quality care and education.

your If you want ucator d e g in d outstan e, our magazin featured in 07 3808 2366 on contact us an email to d n e s r o rg.au realliance.o a c d il h c @ qld

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2016 19

Early Childhood Educators Day at Taigum Child Educare Centre Susan Cooper > Taigum Child Educare Centre

Taigum Child-Educare Centre

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”

Henry Ford Educators Day here at Taigum Child Educare Centre is a day where we unite as a team and commend our staff members for the passion they share. Building foundations for the children they care for each day is a true testament to their dedication and commitment here at Taigum.

We chose to gift our staff with a gift bag, inclusive of a salt lamp, sweets and treats and a night away at Tangalooma where our team will enjoy a team building event together and reflect on our current year and plan for 2017. Feeding dolphins being the highlight of our adventure away.

Choosing a salt lamp assists with increasing energy levels. Himalayan pink salt lamps are natural negative ion generators, recharging our energy and improving better sleep, which our hardworking staff all deserve and in need. A scrumptious lunch was provided for all, filling our staffroom with chatter and laughter.

Our Centre supports cultural diversity, with many staff members of many cultures, with so much to share.

Building bridges allows us to build professional relationships and respect one another, travelling on the same journey. Educators’ day is a day of 20

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2016

celebration for all cultures, inclusive of all, celebrating the profession they have chosen and the impact that Educators can have on children’s lives and fellow co-workers.

A Tree of Love was set up in our foyer for parents to place a note of appreciation, filling the branches with notes of endearment for our Educators.

Throughout the year, our team comes together to face many challenges and with the support from our “family” here at work, we conquer them all.

Most recently we received exceeding in all seven national quality areas, this is recognition and a reward for all that they do.

During my year as Educational Leader, I have grown with the team in my profession, gaining the support and respect from co-workers has allowed me to lead the team to be the best they can be. To build a winning team, I place great emphasis on individual strengths of each Educator, acknowledging each for their skills and knowledge that they can share.

Collaboration and reflection as a team, allows us to achieve an overall vision.

I believe in building good relations

between leadership, staff, families, children and the wider community.

It is important for each one of us to appreciate and acknowledge the efforts of others, feeling valued encourages us to achieve our best potential.

“I felt so appreciated, that all our hard work was acknowledged and a day filled with positive feedback and thanks. It was nice to come together on the day and share some moments together and take the time to reflect why we have all chosen to work in this industry.”

- Caitlin Byrne “I felt very special, it made me feel happy and appreciated.”

- Jennifer Gibbs “It re-affirmed how special it is to be part of the Taigum Family.”

- Vanessa Williamson

LEAD Childcare Goondiwindi

LEAD Childcare Goondiwindi

From the ACA Qld Management Committee and team, to all the dedicated and passionate educators, thank you and we hope that Early Childhood Educators Day was a wonderful celebration of your achievements and hard work.

LEAD Childcare Goondiwindi

St. Michael’s College Early Learning Centre

Bright Beginnings Child Edu-Care Centre

Early Childhood Educators Day is held every year on the first Wednesday in September, and next year’s Early Childhood Educators Day will be held on Wednesday, 6 September 2017.

St. Michael’s College Early Learning Centre

Taigum Child-Educare Centre EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2016

21

What you need to know about promoting health and wellbeing in the workplace Penni Lamprey > Healthy Happy Staff

“You’re in the Health and Wellbeing industry? Interesting, so how do you find clients?

Do you just look for workplaces with fat staff?”

This question followed a tap on my shoulder from a new acquaintance at a business event recently. This being an interesting way to make an introduction, I thought.

Weight is an easy target to see, and has been the darling of media attention for years now, so this question did not surprise me but confirmed the need to ramp up and clarify what health and wellbeing, and the promotion of it, encompasses; and it has little to do with isolating an individual’s weight.

So I took a deep breath and a quick glance over my new acquaintance let’s call him Max, - and made a few assumptions of my own as I replied with “well, health and wellbeing is different for everybody. Some people like yourself who are slim could be unhealthy because they get no exercise. Or, they could have

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decided that smoking is no longer acceptable to them. Maybe their continually messy house is driving them nuts, with them wanting order and neatness. Not having a decent dinner each evening could be getting them down, or perhaps their bursts of anger are causing remorse. The ‘what’ you will find is different for everyone, but once that something is no longer acceptable to an individual, applied effort to change their current behaviour is needed. So, no, I don’t target workplaces with a particular type of staff, I work with organisations that understand an individual’s health and wellbeing is uniquely personal and are willing to offer support on that journey.”

Contemplative silence followed.

“Well, you hit about four nails on the head for me,” responded Max.

“Can I take your card to give to my boss? There’s a few in my office I think could do with that kind of help from you.”

Now it is unlikely Max will address whatever his four nails are today, but may go forward with a new understanding of what health and wellbeing is (and knows he is responsible for addressing it himself), Max may for the first time notice a poster about the damages of smoking.

Or he may see people are walking with intent and a smile at lunch.

Smells from the break room might pique an interest to google a recipe or a local cooking class; Max will have received a message that hits one of his proverbial nails a little harder on the head than last time – this is health and wellbeing promotion in action.

Moreover, the key to successful health and wellbeing promotion in the workplace is the relevancy and understanding your staff obtain from the information and resources promoted or displayed. This is what will encourage your employees to engage in their health and wellbeing.

That conversation with Max may very well have triggered a jump from pre-contemplation to contemplation when you look at the transtheoretical model of change; the foundation model of change behind the Healthy Happy Staff program.

So this is where you, the astute business manager/HR advisor/ Wellbeing Consultant or caring workplace peer can be a covert player in linking individual change with your workplace health and wellbeing program. Health promotion activities such as newsletters, posters, and flyers, holding live demonstrations with enthusiastic presenters (such as myself...), workshopping health and wellbeing policies and the likes, can encourage your staff to move from pre-contemplative, “I can’t” or “I don’t”, to “I may” or “I will” statements.

Your staff and colleagues will move into the action stages of change without them even realising it has

happened, but as they suddenly become enthused, change their vocabulary and make collaborative plans for team health and wellbeing activities, you will notice the difference. Most importantly, because the message Max received wasn’t manipulative or forceful, but rather ‘his’ idea, the message will resonate longer and louder, gaining more traction than if you suddenly mandated a food policy that excluded chips and chocolates from the workplace.

FYI - that is instant revolt material!

So you see, it can all start with your health and wellbeing promotion efforts – think of yourself as the silent subconscious stalker - the welcomed kind of stalker, that is...

So then what?

What happens after your health and wellbeing promotion efforts have worked and your staff has identified a particular nail to address?

Often workplace wellbeing programs target a specific area; be it nutrition, physical activity, stress management or quit smoking programs. That is fine if your staffing teams are made up of the same type of people facing the same health and wellbeing issues.

However, a program that allows the

individual to tailor and personalise their health and wellbeing journey is more likely to result in more of your employees undertaking their desired behaviour change, together.

Once the journey towards becoming Healthy Happy Staff commences, you will see some changes in your co-workers.

They will face their roles and responsibilities, play a lead role in constructive conversations, nourish themselves with quality over quantity, take every opportunity to move and find themselves smiling - a lot.

This change will also concurrently increase your organisation’s bottom line as your staff gain the knowledge, skills, and experience to create an intentional life for themselves, disrupting the water cooler ‘woe is me’ discussions, and increasing productivity!

From me to you To support you, support your organisation’s health and wellbeing promotion efforts I have a range of colourful promotional posters for your workplace I’d like to share – email me at info@ healthyhappystaff.com.au for details. www.healthyhappystaff.com.au.

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2016 23

Underinsurance A simple term with potentially devastating consequences The Team at Guild Insurance

One of the biggest business risks faced by childcare centre owners is underinsurance.

You need to consider the rarely discussed application by some insurers of the ‘average’ insurance clause and the potential impact it can have on property insurance claim settlements.

In this example, the ‘averages’ clause leaves the insured with a $1M shortfall due to underinsurance. That’s money that will have to come straight out of the owner’s pocket.

The danger of an averages clause

While specific ‘averages’ calculations among different insurance providers may vary, in whatever form they occur, underinsurance places a serious financial risk to practice owners who have unintentionally understated the true replacement value of the buildings or contents at the time of a claim.

The ‘averages’ clause is an insurance provision that can reduce the amount an insurer pays when a claim is made because the sum insured is lower than the value of the property.

Unfortunately, most people don’t discover the impact of an ‘averages’ clause until they come to make a claim; and by then, it’s too late.

Where a childcare centre owner’s insurance policy is subject to an ‘averages’ clause, the financial impact can be disastrous. For example, if an insured event (e.g. fire, storm or flood) causes $2 million of partial damage to a building which is insured for $6M, but at the time of the claim its true value is determined to be $12M, the settlement would be calculated as follows: Settlement x

$2M x

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Claim = Current Value Sum Insured $6M $12M

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2016

= $1M

It is important to note that not all insurance policies are the same, and in fact, some policies do not include an ‘averages’ clause.

Minimising the risk of undervaluing property To minimise the impact a mistaken valuation could have on a claim, some insurers use independent valuation tools that calculate the value of your property and its unique characteristics.

This can remove the risk of undervaluing your property altogether.

A safety net for total loss Some policies can also provide a ‘safety net’ cover over and above the valuation provided. This means that if the sums insured for buildings or business contents prove to be inadequate following a total loss, the policy can automatically increase each of the sums insured by an agreed percentage, further reducing the possibility of any uninsured loss.

Protection against partial loss There are also policies within which the averages clause will not be applied to partial losses. Meaning, under our previous example, the practice owner would receive the full $2M payout, and incur no personal loss on that claim.

It is essential that you discuss the notion of under insurance with your provider so that you can avoid the pitfalls described above. If you would like to contact Guild Insurance to discuss your specific needs, call 1800 810 213. www.guildinsurance.com.au

Guild insurance is the preferred insurance provider of Australian Childcare Alliance.

Financial literacy makes sense for your business The Team at Child Care Super

Money worries are normal and all of us have them in some form and to some degree. It’s worth remembering, however, that people often go to work with those worries still in their head and it affects their behaviour at work and their engagement with their jobs.

Employees’ financial worries can have a significant impact on the workplace in the form of reduced productivity, reduced engagement and absenteeism.

Smart employers take an interest in their employees’ financial health and their level of financial literacy because they know that an employee who is on top of their financial situation will have the time and the capacity to engage more fully in their work. They will be on the job mentally as well as physically.

Wellness Survey found that 20% of employees reported that issues with personal finances have been a distraction at work and 37% of those surveyed said they spend three or more hours at work each week thinking about or dealing with issues related to their personal finances.

The business case for helping employees to cope better with their finances

Financial concerns commonly experienced by employees include issues such as meeting day to day expenses, having insufficient savings for emergencies, mortgage payments, carrying credit card debt, having insufficient retirement savings and not knowing when they will be able to retire.

Helping employees to improve and manage their financial health and to increase their level of financial literacy can be a win-win for employers as well as employees. By building employees’ skills in these areas, employers will increase the economic security of their employees, which will benefit their health and resilience and therefore their overall workplace culture and productivity.

There is clear evidence that financial stress impacts on employee health and productivity. Among other things, PwC’s 2015 Employee Financial

Financial education and support offered through the workplace can take many forms. The key is to deliver it in a timely and opportune context,

rather than expecting people to come and help themselves to it (it is human nature that most people – particularly those who most need it - do not seek out financial education).

Information and tools that are championed by respected people in the workplace will always be a good strategy. You can also arrange for a Child Care Super consultant to come to your workplace and give an educational presentation to groups of employees or you can refer your employees to Child Care Super’s range of online tools and calculators that have been designed to help them understand key financial concepts and to plan effectively for retirement.

Helping your employees to better understand money and to improve their financial health will be a great investment for your business. For more information on this important topic visit childcaresuper.com.au/financial-literacy

Guild Trustee Services Pty Limited ABN 84 068 826 728 AFS Licence No. 233815 RSE Licence No. L0000611 as Trustee of the Guild Retirement Fund ABN 22 599 554 834 (which includes Child Care Super) My Super Authorisation No. 22599554834526. Before making a decision about Child Care Super, you should consider whether the product is appropriate to your needs, objectives and circumstances. Accordingly, you should read the Child Care Super Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) before you make a decision about this product. You can get a copy of the PDS by calling 1800 060 215

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2016 25

What is technology really doing to our children?

Elise Waghorn > Phoenix Support for Educators

The amount of screen time children receive is alarming. It has been reported that on average, 83% of children under the age of 6 years old in the United States today use some form of screen time.

It was also found that on average, before a child has even entered kindergarten, they will have watched 4,000 hours of television.

Technological devices have woven their way into the daily lives of many families. Of all the potential issues that surround children’s education in today’s society, few have had as much impact as the exposure of screen time (Ernest et al., 2014). Some of these impacts include changes in family dynamics, behaviour, cognitive development, and health.

In considering this, it is important for families to understand the impacts of the use of technology on children.

One issue surrounding technology has to do with family interactions.

When we consider a typical family living room arrangement, it is often set up for television viewing more than for the ease of interaction or conversations. Not only does media shape the spatial organisation of our homes, but also the chronological patterns of family living (Jordan, 2004).

Media devices are widely used amongst families to dictate time and family activities such as mealtimes, bedtime, chore time, and homework.

As such, it could be considered that

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technology is having a profound impact on family relationships, which could lead to detrimental long term impacts on domestic relations.

Another issue in relation to screen time and children can be seen with aggression. Exposure to acts of violence can occur up to 25 times per hour in programs that are aimed at children. Children who are exposed to excess screen time often display addictive behaviours, become more accepting of aggressive attitudes, and are becoming more desensitised to violence resulting in less empathy (Ernest et al., 2014).

An alarming comparison determined that the correlation between media and aggressive behaviour is only slightly less than the relation between cigarette smoking and lung cancer (Vandewater et al., 2005). This shows the magnitude of how excess usage of media with violent content is having a negative impact on children.

Another area of concern in relation to children and technology is that of cognitive development. Children growing up today have a significantly different experience than those of previous generations with a radical shift on how they spend their time

with greater access to technologies (Jordan, 2004).

Over the years more research has been carried out on the excessive use of technology and the impact this is having on children’s learning and development. Media devices have been explored for their role in stunting cognitive development, primarily imagination. This is thought to be due to the amount of time children sit in front of media devices which significantly reduces the amount of time children spend in creative play (Jordan, 2004).

Children’s neural growth occurs at an increased rate of 700 new synapses per second during early childhood, which is more rapid than any other period of life. This raises concern around excess exposure to technology during this time which could have overall effects on the future development and wellbeing of infants and toddlers. Therefore, there is a growing concern that children under the age of two that are exposed to excess media devices may have long term unanticipated negative effects on their brain development (Ernest et al., 2014).

Public health experts have further expressed their concern on excess media usage with regards to childhood obesity (Hollingworth et al., 2012). Weight gain has increased dramatically over the years, especially in infancy and early childhood which correlates to the increased amount of screen time children are viewing (Lifshitz, 2008).

With the constant advertisement of fast food and soft drinks on media devices along with the decrease amount of physical activity, children are at a higher risk of obesity (Lifshitz, 2008).

a growing number of children that now have electronic devices in their room, including computers and tablets (Gerber, 2014). The high level of visual and cognitive stimulation from media use puts undue stress on the brain and body, which is having a negative impact on children’s sleep (Gerber, 2014). Untreated sleep disturbances in children is having terrible consequences, including accidents, irritability, mood swings, conflict among friends and family, health problems and underachievement in school work (Gerber, 2014).

and health when it comes to children.

Another area of health that is thought to be severely affected by the excessive use of technology is children’s sleep patterns. There is

It has become clear that technological devices are having a profound impact on family dynamics, behaviour, cognitive development,

www.phoenix-support.com.au

In today’s society exposing children to technology is unavoidable, therefore it is a matter of finding an acceptable balance so that media can be used as a beneficial tool instead of being a detriment to children’s learning.

With more and more children around the world having greater access to technology it is vital that families and communities continue to play an active role within their children’s learning and development. www.facebook.com/PhoenixSFE

References Ernest, J.M., Causeya, C., Newtona, A.B., Sharkinsa, K., Summerlina, J., & Albaizb, N. (2014). Extending the global dialogue about media, technology, screen time, and young children. Childhood Education, 90(3), 182-191.

Gerber, L. (2014). Sleep deprivation in children: A growing health concern. Nursing Management, 45(8), 22-28.

Hollingworth W., Hawkins J., Lawlor D.A., Brown M., Marsh T., Kipping, R.R. (2012). Economic evaluation of lifestyle interventions to treat overweight or obesity in children. International Journal of Obesity, 36(4): 559-566.

Jordan A. (2004). The role of media in children’s development: An ecological perspective. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 25(3): 196206.

Lifshitz, F. (2008). Obesity in Children. Journal of Clinical Research in Pediatric Endocrinology, 1(2), 53-60.

Vandewater, E., Bickham, D., Lee, J., Cummings, H., Wartella, E. & Rideout, V. (2005). When the television is always on: heavy television exposure and young children’s development. American Behavioral Scientist, 48(5): 562-577.

FUNDED TRAINING

Fantastic opportunity to achieve your career goals

$550

CHC30113 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care*

$1180

CHC50113 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care*

$969

CHC50213 Diploma of School Age Education and Care*

Certificate 3 Guarantee Funding* for casual staff, relief staff, staff that are not eligible to undertake a traineeship, Family Day Care providers and Outside School Hours Care educators. Higher Level Skills Program* must be 15 years of age or above and no longer at school, can be unemployed, working full-time, part-time or on a casual basis, or be self employed Queensland resident. Enrol any time of the year.

Call ECTARC QLD today on 07 3345 8272.

www.ectarc.com.au

LOOKING FOR A REWARDING CAREER? G8 Education has over 480 services across Australia and we are constantly searching for Australia’s leading Early Childhood Professionals to join our team.

Why should you work for G8 Education?

Ongoing professional development and training programs Health and wellness program Educational leadership and career pathway programs.

For more information about G8 Education and our culture please visit our careers page.

visit careers.g8education.edu.au

Associate Member Directory Company

Contact

Location

Contact No

Website

ANZ Business Bank

Lyn Lange

Brisbane

07 3947 5326

www.anz.com

Bankwest

David Annand

Brisbane

0418 423 355

www.bankwest.com.au/childcare

Benchmark

Lincoln Bridge

Robina Town Centre

07 5562 2711

www.childcare4sale.com.au

Graeme Pettit

Graeme Pettit

Benowa

0421 289 818

www.harcourts.com.au

Absolute Support Training & Resources

Darlene Wadham

Wynnum

0488 666 455

www.absolutesupport.com.au

Affinity Education Group

Fiona Alston

Biggera Waters

07 5528 0633

www.affinityeducation.com.au

Childcare By Design

Brenda Abbey

Mooloolaba

0419 661 921

www.childcarebydesign.com.au

Churches of Christ Care

Cathy Kennedy

Brookfield

07 3327 1681

www.cofcqld.com.au

Elite Childcare Managementt

Debbie Thompson

Cannon Hill

0435 743 212

www.elitechildcaremanagement.com.au

G8 Education

G8 Team

Varsity Lakes

07 5581 5300

www.g8education.edu.au

Giggletree Pty Ltd

Samantha Ahearn

Rothwell

07 3204 1102

www.giggletree.com.au

Guardian Early Learning Group

Helen Baker

Kelvin Grove

07 3832 7933

www.guardian.edu.au

Impressions Childcare Management

Jeanine Scull

Carindale

0428 218 771

www.icmanagement.com.au

Kids and Adults Learning

Annette Cunado

Northgate

1300 783 880

www.kal.net.au

Kidsoft

Kidsoft Team

Gold Coast MC

1800 827 234

www.kidsoft.com.auÂ

Limelight Management Group Pty Ltd

Rebecca Wilson

Caboolture

0476 392 724

www.limelightmanagementgroup.com.au

QLECS (Qld Lutheren Early Childhood Services)

Maryann Sword

Milton

07 3511 4079

www.qlecs.org.au

Yi Xin Education and Consulting (Australia) Pty Ltd

Sophia Lui

Carseldine

0425 533 387

Mark Elliott

Balmain

02 9235 2807

www.careforkids.com.au

Karen Burgess

Sunshine West

03 9909 7743

www.help2buy.com.au

Little Tummy Tucker Too Pty Ltd

Les Cook

Salisbury

07 3216 6021

www.littletummytuckers.com

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

Giovanni Porta

Geebung

07 3265 3888

www.portalawyers.com.au

Nathan Mullan

Newstead

07 3124 5500

www.ezidebit.com.au

Banking Services

Brokers

Consultancy/Management

Directories/Marketing Careforkids.com.au Directories: Suppliers Help2Buy Food & Nutrition

Insurance Services Guild Insurance Legal Porta Lawyers Payment Solutions Ezidebit

28

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2016

Company

Contact

Location

Contact No

Website

Ausplay Surfacing and Shade

Barry Healey

Wacol

0400 294 378

www.ausplay.net.au

Timberplay

Sally Alderton

Chirn Park

07 5503 0692

www.timberplay.com.au

Ausco Modular

Amanda Bull

Goodna

07 3864 7800

www.ausco.com.au

Jardine Architects

Greg Jardine

Brisbane

07 3229 9322

www.jardinearchitects.com.au

The Natural Cleaner Company

Brian Connell

Yatala

0438 728 779

www.thenaturalcleaner.com.au

Cloudbridge Pty Ltd

Tony Musgrave

Yeronga

0409 268 648

www.thecloudbridgegroup.com.au

JourneyTree

Bryn Jones

Robina Town Centre

0412 810 569

www.journeytree.com.au

Kidsoft

Kidsoft Team

Gold Coast

1800 827 234

www.kidsoft.com.auÂ

MiCare Global

Samantha Ahearn

Brisbane

0413 636 790

www.micareglobal.com

QK Technologies Pty Ltd - QikKids

Sean Murphy

Morningside

1300 367 770

www.qikkids.com.au

Kayleen Tolley

Cannon Hill

0414 559 997

www.physikids.com.au

Expect A Star

Robyn Lee

Brisbane

1300 669 653

www.expectastar.com.au

McArthur

Nicola Taylor

Brisbane

07 3211 9700

www.mcarthur.com.au

Child Care Super

Julie West

West End

0498 001 193

www.childcaresuper.com.au

HESTA Super Fund

Bronwyn Barling

Brisbane

07 3223 4906

www.hesta.com.au

QIEC Super

Natalie Whittal

Brisbane

07 3238 1267

www.qiec.com.au

Educational Experience

Mary McCafferty

Brisbane

0407 693 391

www.edex.com.au

Modern Teaching Aids

Marco DeGeus

Brookvale

02 9938 0411

www.teaching.com.au

Suppleyes

Chelsea O'Neill

Ashmore

07 5539 1668

www.suppleyes.com.au

ACE Community Colleges

Robyn Keenan

Burleigh Heads

07 5520 3026

www.acecolleges.edu.au

Australian Child Care Career Options (ACCCO)

Narelle Cossettini

Fortitude Valley

07 3257 1972

www.accco.com.au

College for Australian Early Childhood Educators (CAECE)

Richard Fimeri

Springwood

07 3299 5784

www.caece.com.au

Careers Australia

Paul Smith

Burleigh

0402 987 972

www.careersaustralia.edu.au

Gold Coast Institute of TAFE

Maxine Griffiths

Gold Coast

07 5581 8280

www.gcit.edu.au

The Training Store

Danielle Peters

Southport

1300 399 665

www.thetrainingstore.com.au

GD Trivett & Associates Pty Ltd

Darren Trivett

Fortitude Valley

07 3216 1011

www.trivett.net.au

Herron Todd White

Simon Fox

Brisbane

07 3002 0900

www.htw.com.au

Playground Equipment / Surfacing

Property Services

Software / IT Support

Sports and Fitness Physi Kids Staff Recruitment

Superannuation

Toys & Resources

Training Providers

Valuers

EARLY EDITION > SPRING 2016 29

Learn and play the sustainable way High quality, safe, natural rubber wooden toys for early years

P 1800 251 497

F 1800 151 492

W teaching.com.au