Early Edition Autumn 2015

p o t S t ’ n Do eving Beli

EarlyEdition AUTUMN 2015

The adoption of leadership styles Child Protection in Queensland Final Productivity Commission Report Released Sustainablility in practice

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EarlyEdition AUTUMN 2015

Cover Photo: ACA QLD Conference “Don’t Stop Believing”

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.childcarealliance.org.au Email: qld@childcarealliance.org.au

President’s Report

2

CEO Report

3

The adoption of leadership styles in early childhood

6

Child Protection in Queensland

9

Final Productivity Commission Report Released

11

Sustainability in Practice

12

Engage with AEDC

16

Educator in profile

18

What’s the rush – making the most out of routines

22

Celebrate Harmony Day

24

The Playdough Project

26

Associate Member Directory

28

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.

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE Executive

Committee Members

ACA Queensland Office

President - Jae Fraser

Linda Davies

General Manager - James Blake

Vice President - Brent Stokes

Majella Fitzsimmons

Senior Office Admin - Jen Smyth

Treasurer - Rachel Procida

Kerrie Lada

Office Admin Assistant - Julie Fenech

Secretary - Debra North

Peter Price

KASS Project Manager - Linda McConville

CEO - Gwynn Bridge

Prue Turnbull

Project Support Officer - Claudette Cabilan

EARLY EDITION > Autumn 2015

1

President’s Report Welcome to March and in the world of Early Education and Care, I don’t think time has ever moved so fast. There is a lot happening in our sector at the moment and I praise each and every one of you for keeping up and continuing the amazing work you do to make a difference in the lives of children in their early years.

One of the biggest changes that occurred in our State most recently was the change to the Education (General Provisions) Regulations 2006. This change means children may be enrolled in Prep early if they are 5 years by 31 July in the year of proposed attendance and the school principal is satisfied they are ready for Prep.

It’s important to note that parents of children who turn 4 in July and who do not wish to apply for early entry to prep OR apply and the school principal considers the child is not ready, are actively encouraged to enrol or stay enrolled in kindergarten.

In such cases, the child is eligible to participate in a second year of kindergarten the following year by virtue of the fact that the child is 4 years of age.

Note that all approved Queensland kindergarten services will continue to receive the full Queensland Kindergarten Funding Scheme (QKFS) subsidy for that child throughout the entire second year and there will be no requirement for the service to apply for delayed exit even though the child will turn 5 years. During our recent meeting with the Director General, he assured us that his department will request follow up reports on the progress of July 2010 children who entered prep this year (600). The majority of these children are attending without the benefit of a year in an approved Kindergarten program.

ACA Qld has been advised by members that they have not been contacted by the school Principals to discuss transition or to assist them in determining a decision to ensure the best outcomes for these very young children, many of whom have

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EARLY EDITION > Autumn 2015

attended the service for several years. These children have not only missed out on a formal Kindergarten program, they have had no transition and have not experienced the long period of anticipation and excitement of going off to prep with their peers.

During this period we have also been collating feedback from our members on the Regulation Impact Statement (RIS). Consultation on National Quality Framework (NQF) and the RIS have now closed and we thank all those members who participated in these surveys and shared their views and feedback, this certainly assists us in providing government with feedback from the sector. Feedback from the early childhood education and care sector on the NQF will help governments in making decisions about what changes may be made in 2016 and beyond.

The ACA Qld National conference planning is well and truly moving fast and we encourage all members to lock these dates in your calendar as this one is going to be big!

We have lined up some incredible presenters this year, first class menus, special surprises and gifts for delegates and some outstanding entertainment that will be sure to impress. The theme for this year’s conference is “Don’t stop believing” and this is very relevant to what we do each and every day. We face challenges and hurdles but we don’t stop believing and we always put children first in education and care – the ACA Qld National conference is an event that allows delegates to network, learn, play, and let your hair down all at the same time.

We hope you were able to attend one of our recent member meetings.

If not, there is a recorded version available on our website. ACA Qld member meetings are a great way to get involved with other members, receive information on the latest issues impacting services and raise concerns regarding operating your service.

We are always looking for new and innovative ways to help our members so if you have any suggestions, or need anything, please don’t hesitate to let our incredible office staff know.

They are always willing and happy to assist.

Kind regards

Jae Fraser - President

CEO Report Gwynn Bridge interviewed on ABC24 04.02.2015

Your committee has had a flying start into 2015 with submissions due and a long list of meetings and planning of Association business.

At the moment, we are in limbo as we await information from the Australian Government as to the recently announced “families package” that will hopefully set the sector onto a path of stability well into the future.

and provide government with evidence in order to achieve what is best for our sector and the Australian families.

You can read more about the final Productivity Commission report on page 11.

With a change in Ministers from Assistant Minister Sussan Ley to Minister Scott Morrison, we have moved from the Education portfolio to Social Services which brings concern.

With the recognition of education came endorsement of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) that we know is benefitting children in their preparation to transition smoothly into the formal school system. We will be vocal to maintain recognition of the educational content of our program and not become care only with a charitable and welfare focus.

Through the Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA) nationally, we have gathered information from you on your concerns with the current Modern Award.

During our recent meeting with Minister Morrison in Canberra, he assured us that we will still be linked with Education through the Education Council with the Education Ministers from each state and territory under the Council of Australian Government (COAG). This could ultimately depend on the continuation of the National Partnership Agreement on Universal Access to Early Childhood Education after 2015.

Question 3: …to bring about more flexibility in terms of opening hours (NB: the current award prescribes ordinary hours of work) 72.58% of respondents support flexibility in opening hours

It was heartening to hear Minister Morrison state that he believes he can successfully address the affordability problems for families who rely on early education and care services. It will be interesting to see how this all unfolds with the Prime Minister’s signature Paid Parental Leave (PPL) scheme now abolished and the money directed to a “families package”.

The Government has recently released the final Productivity Commission Inquiry Report on Childcare and Early Childhood Learning. As you can expect, we are disappointed and concerned about a number of recommendations.

We will continue to voice our concerns

Thank you for taking the time to complete the survey. Here is a quick overview of the results: Question 2: …More flexibility in terms of staff rosters (e.g. amending the award to allow fewer than 7 days written notice of roster changes) 93% of respondents support an amendment

Many suggestions were proffered on other issues that are causing operational costs and difficulties.

These included laundry allowance, inflexibility, difficulty in understanding the Awards and qualifications not equalling capability.

We have had considerable media interactions through television, radio news grabs, talk back radio interviews and newspaper press over the past month. Interviews have been on the subjects of 2016 ratio changes, affordability for families, and response on ABC24 after the Prime Minister announced the abolishment of his proposed PPL. There has also been media on the Equal Remuneration Order (ERO) claim by United Voice Union which is due to enter its next stage before the Fair Work Commission.

As members of ACA Qld, Industrial Lawyers, ABLA (Australian Business Lawyers and Advisors), will be representing you and the ACA members Australia wide in the Fair Work Commission on the ERO and also on the review of the Modern Award.

We will keep you updated as the case progresses.

ACA Qld has expressed to the DirectorGeneral our strong dissatisfaction that children born in July of the year they turn 5 can, on the approval of a school principal, attend the prep program. We know from extensive worldwide research that children who are older when they commence formal schooling have a higher success rate throughout their school years and beyond. ACA Qld does not and never has, supported a push down in education.

It is not compulsory for July birth children in the Kindergarten program to attend prep and they can be included in the program for a second year without application for late exit.

ACA Qld recommends that services ensure that parents are made aware of this.

ACA Qld will continue to advocate for this decision to be reversed.

You will be advised on any of the outcomes when they come to hand.

If you are on Facebook, please “like” our ACA Qld and Australian Childcare Alliance pages so that you can receive up to the minute information on current issues.

Kind regards,

Gwynn Bridge - Chief Executive Officer

EARLY EDITION > Autumn 2015

3

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The adoption of leadership styles in early childhood Katarzyna Wieczorek-Ghisso

I often come across disgruntled early education directors who verbalise their frustration about staff that lack motivation and/or initiative in their workplace. Confronting as it sounds, underperforming staff is a reflection of how well they have been directed and/or managed.

6

Leading others is not something that everyone can do naturally; therefore, being open to new approaches is highly recommended, especially in the case of newly appointed directors. This article explores the notion of leadership through the lens of competency, using a unique framework that offers practical solutions to manage everyday leadership frustrations.

• be strategic and identify what needs to be done in their workplace

Effective leaders are experienced professionals with integrity and vision. They are driven, have a clear direction of the organisation’s goals and objectives, are able to positively influence and nurture the development of others, embrace responsibility and accountability, have exceptional communication skills, drive standards without compromise, and, most importantly, have the ability to generate leaders. Such leaders are also able to:

• organise their time effectively and efficiently

EARLY EDITION > Autumn 2015

• facilitate leadership autonomy, not dependency • be solutions driven • be proactive, not reactive • develop workable systems and processes

• prioritise and focus on prevention, not cure • focus on the achievement of others • drive systematic follow up and feedback • reflect, revisit and reframe their practices.

Being able to undertake the above leads to the development of a ‘well-oiled machine’, or a team that works effectively within the service hierarchy, achieving high quality outcomes for children, families, colleagues and the broader community. In an ideal world, this would be commonplace in early education contexts; however, in reality, there are many struggling directors overwhelmed by the task of ‘leadership’, with little hope for the future.

The task of leadership, however, needn’t be an arduous or overwhelming process; rather, it should be one that is rewarding.

The key is recognising the strength, experience and skills of staff and implementing a strategy that builds their capacity, rather than doing everything in isolation. Building capacity is about approaching daily

situations through the lens of ability, or what Blanchard (2004) refers to as ‘Different strokes for different folks’, as this ultimately leads to shared accountability and service success. With this in mind, the leadership approach should be a reflection of staff ability level, as in the context of early education, staff vary significantly in their experience, knowledge and understanding.

While there are many leadership theories available in readings, they do not necessarily refer to the early childhood setting, as leadership in the context of early education is a relatively new phenomenon. As a way forward, then, we must be willing to research methods that have worked in other industries and adopt their valuable lessons.

In this article, I reflect on the work of Blanchard, a business specialist who proposed a ‘leadership styles quadrant’, which I believe offers early childhood leaders great insight into better approaches to leading staff, especially for directors out of their depth. In his work analysing effective workplace environments, Blanchard developed four leadership styles based on competency levels.

Using an approach that reflects the ability levels of staff is said to provide an environment for ongoing professional development, something that the new National Quality Standards stipulates as mandatory in Quality Area 7: Leadership and Service Management. Given its usefulness, and in order to better understand the methodology behind the approach, let’s unpack Blanchard’s framework further.

Blanchard proposed four competence levels and four matching leadership styles to better respond to ability levels of staff and consequently lead to increased achievement in the workplace.

Low competence and high commitment The first competence level explored in Blanchard’s quadrant is that of staff members who display ‘low competence and high commitment’.

Staff members that fall into this category are generally fairly new to the context and often lack specific skills to undertake their daily tasks.

They are typically ‘in training’ or have only recently completed their qualifications, with little in-field practical experience. While they

may display a very positive attitude and willingness to learn, they lack knowledge of what is required on a practical level. Staff members functioning at ‘low competence, high commitment’ require a ‘directing’ approach to guide their daily practices.

Providing such specific instruction means that the new training staff member is able to achieve what is required, having very specific instructions and follow-up. Once the staff member demonstrates that they do not require explicit direction, they can move on to the next level of the quadrant.

Some competence and low commitment The second competence level explored in Blanchard’s quadrant is ‘some competence and low commitment’. Staff that fall into this category are those who may display some relevant skills in their role, but are not in a position to successfully achieve a task without support from their leader. They may also be an existing staff member who is required to undertake a task that is outside of their skills set.

Staff members functioning at ‘some competence, low commitment’ require a ‘coaching’ approach to guide their daily practices. In this case, the leader must introduce new tasks with clear direction and support. Coaching a staff member at this level requires the leader to explain the need for the task to be completed, monitoring the member’s progress with support and encouragement. Once the staff member demonstrates that they do not require coaching, they can move on to the next level of the quadrant.

not require this amount of support, they can move on to the next level of the quadrant.

High competence and high commitment The fourth competence level explored in Blanchard’s quadrant is ‘high competence and high commitment’.

Staff members that fall into this category are those who are highly experienced in their role, comfortable with their own ability, self-motivated, experienced and knowledgeable. Staff functioning at ‘high competence, high commitment’ level require a ‘delegating’ approach to guide their daily practices. In the case of a highly competent and committed member, the leader can turn over task responsibility fully without the need for specific direction and/or monitoring.

The intention of the four leadership styles is to increase staff competence progressively from needing explicit direction to responding confidently to task delegation. This long-term strategy significantly supports directors in professionally supporting staff regardless of ability; therefore, its adoption is highly recommended.

The aim is to monitor staff at every level and appreciate that each employee will progress at their own pace, something that can be part and parcel of a long-term monitored professional journey – realistically, an ever-changing and evolving journey. www.earlychildhoodconsultancynetwork.vpweb.com.au

High competence and variable commitment The third competence level explored in Blanchard’s quadrant is ‘high competence and variable commitment’. Staff that fall into this category are those who may be highly experienced and capable, but may lack the confidence, initiative or motivation to implement the task independently.

Staff functioning at ‘high competence, variable commitment’ level require a ‘supporting’ approach to guide their daily practices. In this case, the facilitative leader supports efforts and drives task accomplishment through manageable deadlines. Often sharing responsibility, the leader will keep the momentum going by providing regular feedback and support. Once the staff member demonstrates that they do

EARLY EDITION > Autumn 2015

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Child Protection in Queensland Michael Pecic > In Safe Hands Educators In Safety Pty Ltd

The Queensland Government has made important changes to Child Protection legislation and practices. These changes will directly affect educators and services within the early years education and care sector in responding to the safety and wellbeing of children within their care.

To understand the changes and how they came about, the following will help service operators and educators amend existing policies, procedures and training practices.

Development and implementation of the National Quality Framework (NQF) took place within the context of several other major early childhood reforms. The most significant of these was the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2009 – 2020, which is focused on a long term agenda to improve the safety and wellbeing of children in our country.

Based on the premise that “protecting children is everyone’s business”, this Framework targets the high level outcome that “Australia’s children and young people are safe and well.”

These two Frameworks provide a timely basis for a nationally consistent approach to Child Protection training in the early years education and care sector.

Child Protection is more than recognising abuse and reporting it appropriately. Child abuse is like sun cancer in our communities. Everyone is at risk and protection needs to be broad spectrum and a part of daily lives. A national approach aimed at measurable positive outcomes needs to centre overwhelmingly on prevention and early detection rather than responding after the abuse has happened and managing the often devastating social and financial consequences.

As part of the Stronger Families Reforms Program, the Queensland Government made legislative changes and introduced a Family and Child Connect service which came into effect as of January 15 2015. It is important every educator within the early years education and care sector in Queensland have a clear understanding of what these changes mean.

themselves in need of support can also access Family and Child Connect for advice and help. But remember this service is only to support educators in identifying tools and services available in their community to support them in addressing their child protection concern. Educators still need the skills to implement this support with families to provide effective early intervention.

The legislative changes clarified definitions including the definition of a child needing protection and when the Queensland Government will raise a notification and intervene. In simple terms the government has clearly articulated that they will respond to a child at significant risk of harm and where there is no parent willing or able to protect the child. This message clearly supports the premise that “child protection is everyone’s business”, placing more emphasis on services having the ability to identify concerns and implement prevention and early intervention strategies to ensure that the child does not become a child at significant risk. This is now seen as a clear duty of care for all services.

Child Protection training is a system.

The primary stage of training needs to focus on a whole of community approach to the prevention of abuse.

The second stage requires utilising contemporary methodologies to identify families at risk and provide early intervention, education and support to prevent them entering the child protection system. The third and final stage of training incorporates the responsive strategies of recognising indicators of abuse, documenting, dealing with disclosures, and reporting appropriately. Educators do not selfteach themselves first aid, they seek professional training, child protection training needs to be viewed with the same importance by services.

In recognising this, the Queensland Government has also launched the Family and Child Connect. Family and Child Connect provides information and advice to people seeking assistance for children and families where there are concerns about their wellbeing. Families who find

Visit the Queensland Department of Child Safety Website to obtain in depth information on changes. www.communities.qld.gov.au/ childsafety/protecting-children/howto-prevent-abuse/family-and-childconnect www.insafehands.net.au

EARLY EDITION > Autumn 2015

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Professional Development for

Early Childhood Educators Popular workshops include: • Through the eyes of a teddy bear: nurturing cultural competence •

The world came to my place today: bringing multiculturalism to your classroom

Submit your photos!

Submit photos from your service for the Winter 2015 cover page!

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SPRING 2014

SUMMER 2014

ACA Queensland welcomes

a new President

Vaccination facts

New training college launched Celebrating Early Childhood

Reading the world: Global literature and multicultural resources

The Global Learning Centre is excited to offer a suite of irresistibly engaging, hands-on workshops for Early Childhood Educators in 2015.

Specialists in multicultural education and diversity training, all workshops are tailored to suit the needs of your centre.

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The effective managem

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A bad case of the

NEW LOOK,

NEW LOOK, SAME GREAT ASSOCIATION.

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What is loose parts

Educators Day

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SAME GREAT ASSOCIATION .

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The image could be one or more children engaged in indoor or outdoor activities and feature any aspect of the wonderful learning experiences children and educators share each and every day.

The photo must be high resolution.

www.glc.edu.au

Remember to comply with appropriate privacy policies and seek parental permission where needed.

Global Learning Centre

Please send in your photos via email to qld@childcarealliance.org.au

Call now to secure a booking in 2015 07 3857 6666 or email coordinator@glc.edu.au

Final Productivity Commission Report Released The Federal Government has recently released the final Productivity Commission Inquiry Report on Childcare and Early Childhood Learning.

You can access the full report, overviews and key points at www. pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/ childcare/report. We have been working very closely with our national body, the Australian Childcare Alliance (ACA), this morning to review the detail. You can read ACA’s media release in response to the final report on our website.

The Federal Government has spent the last few months analysing the report and may choose to adopt some, all or none of the Productivity Commission’s recommendations. As such, please assure the families and educators at your service that today’s report does not change current policy, funding or subsidies.

What will result in changes to policy, funding and subsidies is the Federal Government’s Families Package, which is still being prepared. We have been assured that we will be consulted on the early childhood related aspects of the Families Package, which may be released as early as the Federal Budget in May 2015.

Some of the final Productivity Commission report recommendations include: 1. The introduction of a meanstested, activity-tested Early Care and Learning Subsidy (replacing the current Child Care Benefit, Child Care Rebate and Jobs, Education and Training Child Care Fee Assistance schemes) paid directly to services for up to 100 hours per fortnight, based on a benchmark price (which replaces their earlier proposal of a ‘deemed rate’).

There will be a sliding scale starting at an 85% subsidy rate for a family income of <$60,000 down to 20% for a family income of $250,000 per annum. Any difference between the subsidised amount of the benchmark price and the actual price charged by the service would be met by parents.

There will be an activity test, meaning that: • to receive up to 100 hours of service per fortnight, parents must undertake at least 24 hours per fortnight of work, study or training, or are in an exemption category (eg in receipt of a Disability Support Pension); or for children who have as their primary carer someone other than their parent/s • to receive up to 20 hours of service per fortnight, parents who do not meet the above activity test must be in receipt of a Parenting Payment, or for up to 30 hours per fortnight for children undertaking an approved preschool program in a long day care centre 2. The benchmark rate will be determined semi-annually as the median of published prices for ECEC services (which replaces their earlier proposal of a ‘deemed rate’).

For the same reasons that we rejected the previous concept of a ‘deemed rate’, we are concerned that a national median rate will not reflect the massive variation in operating costs. For example, different Early Childhood Teacher (ECT) requirements between states/territories, metro and regional variation.

The median price quoted in the final report is $7.41/hour for a 0-35 month old child in long day care and $7.20 for a child in long day care aged >36 months. Whilst we welcome acknowledgement of the higher operating costs for providing early childhood education and care to younger children, these rates do not reflect current operating costs.

The benchmark price will be lower for children in their year before school receiving a preschool program. The rationale is that this will prevent ‘double-dipping’, as the Federal Government already

provides funding (via Universal Access) for 15 hours/week, 40 weeks a year.

3. The range of services approved for assistance should include approved nannies that meet National Quality Framework requirements (and who have a minimum Cert III qualification), linked to a coordinator (similar to current Family Day Care arrangements).

4. Educators responsible for children aged <35 months should have a minimum of a Cert III qualification and be supervised by a Diploma qualified educator.

5. ECT requirements should be based on the number of children aged >35 months, which could have significant impacts on the number of ECTs required per service.

6. Improved access to outside school hours care (OSHC) and nationally consistent staff ratios for OSHC 7. Changes to operating requirements (eg removing rigid requirements on hours per day; hours per week), but we note that this will require support from all levels of government, given that local government can impact on services’ operating hours. There is no change proposed to the maximum number of weeks per year a service is required to operate.

Remember that the above are simply recommendations. What the Federal Government chooses to do with the recommendations will depend on our feedback, their budget, and their ongoing discussions with key stakeholders.

ACA will be distributing surveys in the coming weeks to seek feedback to ensure that we have strong data to present to government. We want to convey to politicians that some of these recommendations will not support affordability for families and ongoing viability for services.

We will keep you updated on this issue.

EARLY EDITION > Autumn 2015

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Sustainability in Practice Anne Clark > Sustainability Consultant SA

What does it mean for educators, how do we understand the natural environment, appreciate it and engage children with it?

Growing up as a child with family who had experienced the depression and wars we were always thrifty, great at reusing and recycling. Nothing was wasted and the weekly household rubbish collection was a small metal dustbin.

in caring for the environment and contributing to a sustainable future.

We are asked to embed practices and support children to understand and respect their natural world and the interdependence between people, plants, animals and the environment.

Somehow we have progressed to a landfill bin twice the size and a recycling bin always full often for less people! Consumerism and packaging has come at a cost to our environment and planets wellbeing.

Each of us comes with a set of interests, passions, knowledge and experiences with our natural world.

We need to share these and support each other on our sustainability journey with the children, families and businesses in which we work.

As educators we are tasked with the responsibility of taking an active role

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EARLY EDITION > Autumn 2015

Sustainability is about thinking, living and working in more conscious ways giving regard to the impact our actions and decisions have on the environment, our community and the world. What do we need to ask ourselves along the way? What do we already do and how can we improve our practices? Are the children involved in learning, understanding and responding? How do we know if we are doing it well? Are we good role models? What fits within our centre and community?

An essential place to start is in the development of a statement, goals and objectives of what we hope to achieve along with an action plan of where we would like to go and how we will get there.

Many aspects of changing or improving our practices are simple, cost nothing and in actual fact save money – that’s got to be worth exploring!

In talking with services it is common to hear staff say we recycle or have chickens – a great start, but sustainability is so much more than that – it’s a way of daily life.

Just consider a few areas: Our yards and gardens can be enhanced by pot plants, planter boxes, hanging gardens, growing herbs, bulbs, fruit and vegetables, attracting birds and insects with appropriate regional plantings, bird baths and feeders, nesting boxes, involving children with watering, harvesting, cooking and eating. If you don’t have space, get creative with wall gardens or share local community gardens.

Food is one of the biggest wastes to landfill and in turn produces methane. Simple methods of reducing food waste can be using chickens, composting, worm farms, having your food waste collected each week or using products like Jaki Bokashi compost buckets. If you have

children bringing their own food to your service then promote nude food lunch boxes. This is a fantastic way of reducing packaging as well.

Recycling is so simple and easy and teaches children a lifelong habit. We can reuse items multiple times in multiple ways before they need to be placed in the recycling bin. It is important for adults to teach children the correct processes and what can be recycled otherwise bins become contaminated and this contaminates the load resulting in more landfill waste. You can use this area as an opportunity to be a hub collecting clothing for charities, recycling ink cartridges, batteries, mobile phones etc.

You can source commercially made games around many environmental topics including recycling or you can make your own. Find out what your state waste organisations and local councils provide, often for free.

We can engage childrens exploration of natural materials like sand, mud, clay, pebbles, shells, pods, flowers etc. We can add water to the play and increase the learning to include how we collect, store and use water.

When we are doing many activities daily with children we are already connecting them with nature. Our observations of weather, wind, sun, seasons, plants, insects, life cycles etc

makes us think and learn about what is occurring. One of the great topics children love is dinosaurs – what a great way to explore extinction! Use your supply of books, puzzles, games, music, songs, rhymes and resources to extend childrens learning.

We can engage with the community through opportunities to visit parks, beaches, farms, gardens, museums, zoos, wetlands or have community groups visit us.

As well as waste matters children can be involved in water and energy saving activities. Good practices and role modelling in turning out lights, switching appliances off when not in use, turning off taps, using rain water tanks, hanging out washing to dry, teaching children about the half flush (yellow and brown dots work well!) and developing signage will all assist in reducing costs, helping the environment and instilling responsibility in children.

The ideas are limitless and there are lots of resources, agencies and training available. Find your area of interest and get started, you will be amazed what you discover about yourselves, the children and this wonderful planet of ours.

EARLY EDITION > Autumn 2015

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ACA QLD

NATIONAL CONFERENCE 17-19 JULY 2015

Don’t Stop Believing

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre

Learn from exceptional speakers An array of renowned speakers will be presenting at this year’s conference including our patron Laurie Lawrence. You will be treated to a choice of 12 workshops and 3 key note presentations.

Greg Page

Galina Zenin

Marc Armitage

“Climbing the Ladder of Success”

“Learning and Teaching through Music”

“Measuring Playing from a Playwork Perspective” and “Playwork Perspectives: The possibilities”

(The original Yellow Wiggle!)

(Bonkers Beat)

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See the latest products and services There will be approximately 70 exhibitors who will be showcasing the latest innovations in childcare.

Network with your peers Come to the welcome drinks to kick off a great weekend of learning, networking and making new friends.

Our conference wouldn’t be complete without the gala dinner.

Let your hair down and wear the most amazing ‘Black & White’ costume possible! You can be a penguin, Cruella de Vil (don’t forget the dalmatians), salt and pepper shakers - the choices are endless.

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Engage with AEDC Linda McConville > Kindergarten Advisory Support Service

I was fortunate to be able to attend the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) National Conference held in Adelaide from 18-20 February.

The title of the conference was Bridging the Divide – Linking data to action in schools, communities and governments across Australia.

The presentations and symposiums presented at the conference covered four different streams - research, government and policy, schools and communities to inspire and inform how the AEDC can be used in our work.

Several themes emerged as the conference progressed: “Sharing of ideas and experiences – give children the best possible start in life.”

“What is working well and what needs to be improved in supporting children and families.”

“Bring about positive changes for children, families and communities.”

Central to all this is a focus on achieving positive outcomes for children and families. Isn’t that what we, as early childhood educators/ teachers in our services, are focused on?

If we are not then we should be.

Another major focus during the conference was the importance of collaboration and partnership between all services in a community such as early childhood services, schools, community groups, local governments etc.

So what of the AEDC you may say.

Where does it fit into all of this?

So first just a little background for those who are not familiar. The AEDC is a national census of early childhood development with data collected every three years. The first national data collection took place in 2009 and another will take place this year.

The data is collected at the school level using an AEDC Checklist through

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EARLY EDITION > Autumn 2015

government, Catholic and independent schools, with information being collected by teachers on children in their first year of formal full-time school. There are approximately 100 questions over five domains of child development which are considered to be “good predictors of adult health, education and social outcomes.”

The domains are physical health and wellbeing, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive skills (school-based) and communication skills and general knowledge.

Associate Professor Sally Brinkman, Co-Director, Fraser Mustard Centre, Telethon Kids Institute (Adelaide) stated that AEDC is now embedded in government policy and is no longer a research project but is run and owned by the Australian Government.

You may be confused at this point and asking, “If this all happens at a school level what does it have to do with early childhood?”

Here is the answer: Professor John W. Frank (Director, Scottish Collaboration for Public Health Research and Policy, The University of Edinburgh Scotland) during his keynote address stated that “the consequences of early life deprivation are embedded in a person’s future.” Making the most of children’s development in the early years is vital to their future success and communities need to give children the best start in life.

Research has shown that children who are developmentally vulnerable in language and cognitive skills or communication and general knowledge have lower NAPLAN numeracy and reading test scores and this gap does not improve as they get older.

As early childhood educators, we know we can contribute to giving

children the best start in life. Children are central to everything we do. The best way for us to engage with the AEDC is to become familiar with the results for our catchment area and work at a service and community level to develop programs to improve outcomes for children. Depending upon the vulnerabilities of children in your community, you may for example, introduce a program or practice at your service or collaborate at a community level to improve outcomes.

Use the AEDC results to begin a conversation with other services/ schools and network groups in your area and it may even lead to the development of a collaborative transition plan for your kindergarten children and families.

What we do may contribute to making a difference for these vulnerable children when we use the AEDC results to inform our program and practice.

The AEDC website provides a wealth of information from understanding the results, maps and percentages for your community, community profiles, case studies and resources. It also has a dedicated section for early childhood educators, which describes how to include engagement with the AEDC in your service Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) and you may meet some Standards and Elements in Quality Area 1 and 6 of the National Quality Standards.

I urge you to become familiar with this and engage in your practice. “Link the data to action” and make a difference for our children, communities and future.

For further information go to www.aedc.gov.au

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Educator in profile

Tim Smith is the kindergarten teacher at Paradise Point Kindyland on the Gold Coast.

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

I always thought I would end up being a teacher. Inspiring teachers throughout my own schooling had a major effect on my developing years, and I found myself wanting to have a positive influence on others.

When the time came to decide which teaching degree I wanted, I researched the different options available and early childhood just spoke to me. First year of university opened my eyes to the possibility of teaching within the primary school sector, but as I worked my way towards graduation, I realised the early childhood field was where I really wanted to be.

Why are you passionate about early childhood? How would you describe your early childhood philosophy?

I am passionate about bringing out the best in every child. Each child in my care has individual strengths, and I see it as my job to identify and foster

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EARLY EDITION > Autumn 2015

them. I also believe a major aspect of my position is to provide our children with a positive male role model. In some instances, I am the only male role model. I believe this is extremely important to help our children develop into well rounded members of society and lifelong learners. My personal philosophy centres on the child as an individual and capable of shaping their own learning.

What do you find is the most enjoyable and rewarding working in the early childhood sector?

By far the most rewarding part of my job is being present when a child makes attempts at working things out for themselves, which ultimately leads to them succeeding; giving them the support and resources necessary to â&#x20AC;&#x153;work it outâ&#x20AC;? for themselves. Seeing a child do this is personal validation that I am having a positive impact on them as learners and also that they are developing the skills necessary

to be active participants in their own learning. Another rewarding aspect of being a Kindergarten teacher is the personal satisfaction I feel and the feedback I receive from families when children move on to school totally prepared to head off on their journey.

Describe any major challenges (past or present) you face as an early childhood educator? What strategies do you put in place to manage these challenges?

Initially, being male in the early childhood sector was a bit of a challenge. Over time, as males have become more prevalent, it has become less so challenging. Perceptions of families have changed, and the vast majority now see having a male teacher as an advantage. Currently, the biggest challenge I face is documentation. I like to be actively involved in play and learning; the main focus being scaffolding the childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exploration and sharing

ideas through conversation. Coming back to document this after the fact can sometimes feel repetitive. To help overcome this, I remind myself that this amazing learning that is taking place is not being seen by parents, so it’s my duty to make sure they have a record of what occurred.

How has the challenges you face helped you to grow as an early childhood educator?

I feel that I have had to prove myself as a carer. Whilst most families recognise my abilities as a teacher, being an early childhood educator also requires care and emotional support for the children. Some parents don’t expect this from a male educator. I have learnt to expect this, to a certain degree, and actively reinforce to families that this aspect of care is also part of what I do on a daily basis.

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

I believe the most important skill I can develop in my children is selfconfidence. In preparing for the transition to school, I believe it is far more important to be able to ask for help when needed, than to know the

alphabet backwards or to count to 100. I also think it is vital to teach my children not to take themselves too seriously, and to assess the situation and not to forget humour in their lives. This helps them to deal with situations a lot easier.

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

Our families are involved in every aspect of what we do. We are lucky that most of our families are extremely interested in our program and our service and are comfortable making suggestions on the direction of the program. We encourage dialogue between parents and children as the main means of sharing information, and staff also share information with families on a daily basis. The paperwork we provide families gives those who are pushed for time the opportunity to participate also.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Ideally, I would like to see myself taking on a training, management or advocacy role within the sector. I feel I have had a positive impact on each of the children I have taught over the

years, and would like to have a similar impact on the sector on a broader scale. We have come a long way, but there is still more to be done to increase the recognition the sector deserves. I also hope to promote increased participation of men in the sector. From experience, male educators usually move on to other careers after a short time, and I feel children are missing out on a wealth of experiences and perspectives.

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

I would say to them, make sure you are doing it for the right reasons. Over the course of my career I have met many young people who start in the Early Childhood sector because they “like to play with kids.” They tend to not last long. You need to realise that you will have a lifelong impact on the development of many children, and influence how they progress throughout their schooling and into adulthood. If you have passion, focus and a desire to make a change, you will succeed.

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What’s the rush – making the most out of routines Linda McConville > Kindergarten Advisory Support Service (KASS)

The Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline (QKLG) refers to routine as a regular event during the day that has a familiar organisational and temporal pattern and that is used as a context for learning e.g. mealtime, quiet activities or story reading (QKLG, p80).

Routines are important for children as they: • Give children predictability over the day • Foster independence and self-help skills • Provide great opportunities for educators to interact with children • Provide another platform to enhance learning Children feel safe, secure and supported. This is evident when children use effective routines to help make predicted transitions smoothly (EYLF Outcome 1).

In looking at routines, instead of just seeing them as how the pattern of the day runs, it may be useful to think of them as a learning opportunity and part of the curriculum with opportunities to have rich interactions either in small groups or with individuals.

When planning routines educators need to ensure that: • Routines respond to individual needs • They are calm without hurrying children to the next part of the day • Educators are active participants in the routines, sitting and interacting as appropriate • They include a variety of settling techniques and transitions • They involve children in the planning process

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EARLY EDITION > Autumn 2015

Some general hints for dealing with routines to make them less challenging is to: Plan the environment to accommodate different moods, abilities and interests at different times of the day. For example, children may be most energetic when they first arrive but tired and cranky towards the middle of the day. The routines can be adjusted to accommodate this.

Be flexible from day to day. Deal with the dynamics. For example, if children are busily engaged let them be instead of hurrying them along to “finish” so the next part of the day can proceed. Alternatively if the children are indicating they are hungry and not as engaged, have lunch a little earlier. Children are not motivated by the clock – what is important for them is to know what is coming next in the routine not the length of time something is to happen. Remember to keep in mind that predictable routines give a feeling of security, safety and support for children.

Consider the children’s ideas and family input when planning routines.

They will have some valuable contribution - especially children. A greater respect and knowledge of why routines are important will be fostered when they have a role in deciding when things should happen. There will be greater predictability and security – building of self-esteem, identity and wellbeing. Allowing children to reflect on how the routines of the day are working supports their sense of agency.

EYLF defines agency as having the ability to make choices and decisions, to influence events and to have an impact on one’s world (EYLF, p45).

This is a great way to make learning visible to families by involving them in decision making (QA 6) and assisting them to have a greater understanding of the curriculum and that every part of the day is a learning opportunity (not just filling in-between the “real” learning time).

Clearly explain expectations.

Explaining is an intentional teaching practice (QKLG p63). Make sure children know what is expected of them so they can begin to understand how to self-regulate. Contribute significant time into explaining routines and expectations as you would other experiences for the day.

Limit changes. Limit the amount of times that the routine changes during the day. Too many changes result in stress for both children and educators.

Reflect on your routines. Discuss what works well and how they might be improved, including other educators in the process. Ask yourself the question “Are the routines planned the way they are because it is convenient for educators or do they benefit the children?” If the answer is “convenient for educators” then you need to reflect on this and think about benefiting the children. You may need to change the way you think about routines – true reflection often ignites change.

The first KASS webinar series for 2015 will focus on tips and ideas for managing the top 4 challenging routines of the day (as identified by workshop series 3 participants in 2014). www.kass.net.au

KASS Webinar Series Strategies for managing daily routines in kindergarten Tips on how to tackle the Top 4 most challenging routines

Rest Time

Group Time

Tidy/Pack-away Time

Transitions

presented by Linda McConville

Thursday, 26 March 2015 6 pm - 7 pm This webinar will: • give context around routines • cover the Top 4 daily routines that services find most challenging • provide useful ideas to assist in dealing with these challenges when planning your program

Register now!

www.kass.net.au/webinars

Proudly funded and supported by the Queensland and Commonwealth Governments

Celebrate Harmony Day Harmony Day is celebrated throughout Australia on 21 March. It is a significant day of cultural respect for everyone who calls Australia home – from the traditional owners of this land to those who have come from many countries around the world. It is also the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

The central message of Harmony Day is that ‘everyone belongs’, reinforcing the importance of inclusiveness to all Australians.

There are many ways we can celebrate Harmony Day – through sport, dance, art, film, storytelling, cooking and sharing cultural meals.

Wear orange, the colour chosen to represent the event, to show your support for cultural diversity and an inclusive nation. By participating in Harmony Day activities we can learn and understand how all Australians from diverse backgrounds equally belong to this nation and make it a better place.

There are some fascinating stats about Australia’s diversity that can be good conversation-starters with your children. Did you know: • around 45 per cent of Australians were born overseas or have at least one parent who was • 85 per cent of Australians agree multiculturalism has been good for Australia

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EARLY EDITION > Autumn 2015

• apart from English the most common languages spoken in Australia are Mandarin, Italian, Arabic, Cantonese, Greek, Vietnamese, Tagalog/Filipino, Spanish and Hindi • more than 60 Indigenous languages are spoken in Australia • 92 per cent of Australians feel a great sense of belonging to our country.

Education is a key focus for Harmony Day. This Harmony Day, we encourage you to undertake activities with your children to learn the important lessons of respect and understanding of cultural diversity.

examples of harmony in nature/in the world?

• Family diversity: Who is in your family? Talk about how families are the same and different.

Diverse stories: Read and listen to stories depicting a variety of people, cultures and lifestyles.

My groups: Talk about all the groups to which you belong e.g. team, family, friendship group, hobby. What things help you to feel you belong?

• What is diversity? What are some of the ways that people can be different from each other?

You can find more lesson and activity ideas on the Harmony Day website www.harmony.gov.au. On the website, you can also find some suggestions on how to make your own Harmony Day products such as paper chains, paper balloons, paper badge, clickety clak and paper medal or you can register your event to receive free Harmony Day promotional materials.

• All the same: What things make us the same?

Information from www.harmony.gov.au

You can discuss the following:

• What is Harmony Day? What does harmony mean? What are some

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The Playdough Project Christie Warner and Amanda Lucas > Kids Academy Spring Hill

In October 2014, we travelled to Vanuatu to visit a school and kindergartens on the island of Malo. Prior to our trip, we fundraised over $3000 to buy them much needed educational resources in Vanuatu.

We planned the trip with support from Allan Hemerik from Remote Island Aid/Pacific First Aid. Allan had shared photos and videos about his aid projects in Vanuatu during first aid courses he had provided at our childcare centre. Inspired by his work, we made the decision to plan a trip to visit some of the kindergartens and a school Allan was helping as a part of his aid projects. He suggested we buy the resources they needed in Luganville, the closest â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to the remote islands we planned to visit.

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EARLY EDITION > Autumn 2015

This way, we could support their local economy and save in luggage costs. We had expectations for our trip based on what Allan had shared with us, but many of these changed once we were immersed in their environment and culture.

As we had never been to Luganville, shopping was an interesting experience not only because the currency is different but the availability of educational supplies and resources is limited compared to Brisbane.

We met our host teacher, Lusian who is a teacher at Avunatari Primary School on Malo. She went shopping with us in Luganville to buy the resources the school and kindergartens needed.

Once we visited the school and kindergartens we discovered many other ways we could have used the money we raised. We learnt that what WE thought they needed and what they actually need are two different things. After conversations with the

ch m e: at bu b w al Tu s n to You nW o ca o u ph on q_ Yo ital rip Sl0 t z g d i o ur e / Q a m u.b fro out y

teachers, parents and children as well as being immersed in some of their daily routine we realised their needs are very different to ours.

Just because their classrooms don’t have the types of resources we do or even the furniture we have, doesn’t mean they need it. They are extremely resourceful, for example sandpit toys were made from bamboo and coconuts, no need for plastic commercial toys.

One of the resources that were donated for our trip was playdough, the children had never seen playdough and at first didn’t know what to do with it. After some exploration they were hooked and we were able to share a simple recipe with the teachers and families. We learnt from locals and other aid workers we encountered while over there that as a part of their culture when they are given something, they feel they need to give you something in return. In this way it was important to explain to them how they are helping us grow as teachers before handing over the resources we had bought for them.

From our experiences in Vanuatu we’ve learnt how to be more resourceful and have become even more passionate about teaching as well as learning. Through conversations and interactions we’ve learnt more about ourselves and made some incredible friends along the way.

We have every intention of going back to Vanuatu this year to strengthen bonds with the teachers we met and connect with more teachers, continuing to learn from them and help them in whatever ways we can.

theplaydoughproject

Inspired to make a difference in paradise?

The staff at Bernier Bay Primary School on Aore Island, Vanuatu, needs a qualified teacher to share teaching strategies and provide them with support. Some teachers in Vanuatu haven’t even finished high school let alone completed a teaching degree. The people of Vanuatu are extremely friendly and welcoming, if you have some time to help out (whether it be a couple of weeks or a few months), and want to teach in paradise get in contact with us via our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/

EARLY EDITION > Autumn 2015 27

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Contact

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Patrice Sherrie

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EARLY EDITION > Autumn 2015

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Brisbane

0418 199 279

www.childcaresuper.com.au

HESTA Super Fund

Bronwyn Barling

Brisbane

07 3112 2332

www.hesta.com.au

QIEC Super

Natalie Fone

Milton

07 3238 1267

www.qiec.com.au

Educational Experience

Mary McCafferty

Queensland

0407 693 391

www.edex.com.au

Modern Teaching Aids

Natalie Toh

Brookvale

02 9938 0411

www.teaching.com.au

Australian Child Care Career Options (ACCCO)

Narelle Cossettini

Fortitude Valley

07 3257 1972

www.accco.com.au

Careers Australia

Karin Lesage

Burleigh

07 5593 4386

www.ku.edu.au

Charlton Brown

Trevor Ganley

Fortitude Valley

07 3216 0288

www.charltonbrown.com.au

College for Australian Early Childhood Educators

James Blake

Springwood

07 3299 5784

ww.caece.com.au

Evocca Workplace Training

Lorraine Eggers

Springwood

07 3827 5300

www.evoccawt.com.au

Gold Coast Institute of TAFE

Maxine Griffiths

Coomera

07 5581 8280

www.gcit.edu.au

Management Institute of Australia

Tim Mackew

Noosaville

07 5302 7730

www.mia.edu.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

Gold Coast Inclusion Support Agency

Jo Goodwin

Mermaid Beach

07 5595 8999

www.lccq.org.au

Physi kids

Kayleen Tolley

Cannon Hill

0414 559 997

www.physikids.com.au

QLECS (Qld Lutheren Early Childhood Services)

Maryann Sword

Milton

07 3511 4079

www.qlecs.org.au

Rochele Painting

Jeremy Festa

Albion

07 3262 8337

www.rochelepainting.com.au

The Natural Cleaner Company

Brian Connell

Yatala

0438 728 779

www.thenaturalcleaner.com.au

Payment Solutions Ezidebit Pty Ltd Playground Equipment / Surfacing

Software / IT Support QK Technologies Pty Ltd - QikKids Staff Recruitment

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