Casey Cardinia Kids - Autumn 2023

AUTUMN 2023

Skull surgery:

Susie’s brave battle MP reveals

PATH TO PARENTHOOD Steve Biddhulph

on raising kids

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2 AUTUMN 2023

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

About Us

Autumn: We’re falling for you!

AUTUMN is here!

After an unseasonably cool summer, we have to admit we’re looking forward to watching the leave change colour and the crunch of leaves under foot.

There is something so magical about taking the kids for a walk through local parks with the autumn chill in the air as the sun warms your soul.

It’s the perfect weather to mix and match the kids’ wardrobes, too – it’s not just their ‘summer’ wardrobe to choose from anymore, it’s cute leggings with T-shirts and slacks and tops.

Autumn is also the perfect time to go exploring. There’s nothing like falling leaves, dropping gumnuts and pine cones all around and the chance to see more wildlife, out foraging for food before the winter.

So sit back, relax and read about a local mum who left a big gap between her two kids, and a Victorian MP who struggled to fall pregnant and won an election with a newborn.

Casey Cardinia Kids magazine is a Star News Group publication.

We’ve also got the wonderful and insightful Steve Biddulph pondering the question “What if kids could vote?” and another yummy recipe from Lucy’s kitchen.

We have so many wonderful stories to share with you this edition, so grab a warm drink, sit by the sunny window and enjoy.

Casey Cardinia Kids will be published quarterly prior to each of the school holidays.

Casey Cardinia Kids Cnr Princes Hwy and Army Road, Pakenham, 3810 PO Box 9, Pakenham, Victoria 3810 Phone: 5945 0666 Fax: 5945 0777 Editorial Melissa Meehan melissa.meehan @starnewsgroup.com.au

We also speak to a mum whose daughter needed delicate skull surgery but has been kicking goals ever since.

Photography Rob Carew Stewart Chambers

CONTENTS

Group Advertising Sales Manager Mandy Clark mandy.clark@starnewsgroup.com.au

IT’S YOUR LIFE Schooling journey starts

Ground-breaking SLC PAGE 21 Enrolments speak volumes

PAGE 4 Skater’s need for speed

PAGE 21 Starting the year with a smile

PAGE 5 What if kids could vote?

PAGE 6 Family life on the road PAGES 8-9 Mum speaks on ‘hidden shame’ PAGES 10-11 Susie’s still smiling

PAGE 22

Herb and feta quinoa patties

Dance teachers building a legacy

Published by Star News Group Pty Ltd

PAGE 30

ACN 005 848 108.

Train with me in 2023

All material is copyright to Star News Group

MP juggles Parliament and parenthood

Hiding learning in fun

PAGES 32-33

PAGE 23

Time to get on your tummy

New schools open in the south-east

PAGE 34

PAGE 24

FASHION

PAGE 24

Autumn styles with Billy Lidz PAGES 35-36

Everyone has a place

Teaching kids to tackle bullies

PAGE 26

PAGE 37

Starting the year with hope

Discover new children’s books

The magic of breastmilk

PAGE 26

PAGE 37

PAGE 16

Igniting each child’s love of learning

One Centre Square Medical Hub

PAGE 27

CALENDAR

HEALTH

PAGE 17

DENTAL

ENTERTAINMENT

What’s on this autumn

AUTUMN 2023

Skull surgery:

Susie’s brave battle MP reveals

PATH TO PARENTHOOD Steve Biddhulph

on raising kids

Cover Maeve grabs armfulls of autumn leaves.

Picture: Rob Carew

PAGE 38

What’s on at Bunjil Place

Children’s oral health under microscope

PAGE 28

PAGE 18

Experience Walhalla Goldfields Railway

Protecting kids’ enamel

PAGE 28

PAGE 19

PARTY TIME

Is your child scared to visit the dentist?

as soon as possible.

PAGE 23

BOOKS

PAGE 15

Pty Ltd. All significant errors will be corrected

PAGE 30

PAGE 25

Mum loves seven-year age gap

Publisher/Managing Director, Paul Thomas.

REALITY BITES

Little Stars kids shine bright

PAGE 14

Phone: 5945 0608

Eyes set on the future

Ballkids catch tennis fever

PAGES 12-13

BORN TO PERFORM

Paint-a-Pot

PAGE 19

EDUCATION Play is crucial for kids

PAGE 29

GIFTS Gifts galore at Lazy Frog

PAGE 20 Sharanky’s tale takes over Melbourne

PAGE 29

PAGE 20

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instagram.com/caseycardiniakids AUTUMN 2023 3

It’s Your Life

St Patrick’s Primary School twins Xavier and Wade, Alaska and Koah, and Olivia and Ava. Picture: Stewart Chambers

All smiles as school starts

By Shelby Brooks THREE sets of twins started their school journey with big smiles at Pakenham’s St Patrick’s Primary School this year.

Koah and Alaska, Ava and Olivia, and Wade and Xavier had their first day on 31 January and were most excited to have fun on the playground.

Principal Meg Escalante said it was unusual to have so many in one year level.

“It does present an unusual challenge for the teachers. Some of the twins are together in the same grade, while some are not,“ she said.

Pakenham Consolidated Primary School principal Katrina Stewart gave some advice to nervous parents and students as the school year got underway.

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“Let the teacher know any information that may assist with getting to know your child, make sure your child has everything they need and keep your contact details up to date,“ she said.

“Then you can trust that the teacher will do everything to keep your child happy and engaged knowing that they will be able to contact you if they need to.

“When your child gets home, ask

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St Patrick’s Primary School prep student Shingo was all smiles.

questions like ‘What was the best part of the day?’ or ‘What was your favourite activity?’ so your child feels that you are excited about their new journey.“ “When your child gets home, ask questions like ‘What was the best part of the day?’ or ‘What was your favourite activity?’ so your child feels that you are excited about their new journey.“

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

it’s your life

Mack’s need for speed

By Shelby Brooks

In the bank track events, Mack came in fourth in the 500m race, won a bronze medal in the 1000m event and finished fourth in the 3000m.

AN Upper Beaconsfield nine-year-old with a need for speed has skated his way to national acclaim.

“I wanted to get some medals. So I tried my best. I’m so happy about the results,” he said.

Mack Konecny was just seven years old when he first gave inline skating a go in 2020.

Mack said anyone could be good at skating and encouraged other people his age to try it.

“Mum took me to KemizO Entertainment Centre at the summer holidays,” Mack said.

“You don’t need to have any skills,” he said.

“I fell in love with skating.

“One day, I met a boy who was a speed skater. I wanted to be like him so I started having lessons.

“Just have fun and practice.”

Mack, right, won bronze in the 1000m bank track event in Perth.

“You have a boot with wheels attached and race with them on.

“The people who skate are really nice and I love to go around a rink fast.”

In January this year, Mack competed at the 2023 Skate Australia Speed Skating National Championships in Perth.

He was a bit nervous to compete at such a high level.

“I was scared but I still did it,” he said.

He enjoyed making friends with other young speed skaters from different states.

“They were friendly. We played chess and tag and we talked a lot,” he said.

In track events, Mack took home a bronze medal in the 200m time trial, silver medal in the 3000m, and came fourth in the 1000m event.

Mum Anna said her son had big international dreams for a speed skating career.

“At this age, he’s found something he loves and that’s awesome,” she said.

“It’s really hard to find something you love so as a mum, it’s lovely to see.”

Mack loves skating fast.

Pictures: Bernadine Geary

OPENING SOON Pottery painting Pizza Napoletana Art inspired cocktails Events for kids Events for adults Level 2, Westfield Fountain Gate www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

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AUTUMN 2023 5

It’s Your Life

What if kids could vote?

What if kids could vote writes STEVE BIDDULPH THIS weekend I was talking to a young couple in their twenties.

They had decided not to have children, because of their fears that the future would be a terrible place to live.

They looked like a really loving pair who would have made great parents, and it made me very sad. But I could understand where they were coming from. And as I drove home I got more and more angry at what we have done to our world, that this was the situation.

That climate change especially was leaving our kids with a future of great danger, because of what my generation had done to the planet. Angry, and also guilty, because I used to often fly to Europe several times a year on book tours, and thought nothing of it. And I know plenty of people who have had weddings where they and all the guests flew to Fiji or Phuket, or went ski-ing in Japan or to sport games right across the country. And all the other ways we wasted the planet.

Some friends and I this week started an organisation called SUFTY, which is short for Standing Up For The Young.

We have a single goal, and that is to lower the voting age - everywhere in

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the world - to 16. Does that idea shock you? Well, when I was a teenager, Gough Whitlam became Prime Minister, and one of his first actions was to lower it from 21 to 18, because young Aussies of 18 or 19 could die in wars that they hadn’t even had a say in. It only took an act of parliament. We never even blink at it now. And already 11 countries have done it - from Scotland to Austria. New Zealand is looking into it.

Democracy is based on fairness as its key idea. Everyone is equal. In the past we thought that adults would and should vote on behalf of their children’s interests. (Once it was argued that men could vote on behalf of their wives interests - an idea which I am sure makes your blood boil). In fact we have simply failed to do that in the 30 years that climate change has been widely known about.

When you were sixteen would you have liked to be able to vote?

I have worked with refugee rights for a long time, and so can use that with confidence as an example. There have long been around 100 million refugees in the world at any one time. They find safety, eventually, but new ones come along. But lately climate emergencies, famines and wars caused by those, have ramped that up. By 2050 there are predicted to be one billion refugees from climate collapse. One in eight of the human race will be on the move. That is not a world we would want our kids to live in.

Would you have cared about who ran the country? Kids today really do, the kids in Schools Strike for Climate are seeking the vote. And many mental health professionals like me are arguing that it is needed because having some power, some say, is an antidote to depression and anxiety. Its too late to protect teenagers from the knowledge that their lives are in danger. And there is plenty of research that its making them very unhappy.

The main argument people make against having a 16 year old vote is “would they have the maturity?”. I have to laugh when I hear this, because, while its a reasonable question, if you have ever worked in a polling booth, or handed out how to vote cards, you soon realise that maturity is not the basis for getting the vote! Age is no guarantee. As the author of Raising Boys, I know that maturity doesn’t arrive sometimes until about 25! And sometimes it never does!

leave fossil fuels in the ground, the science says nothing else can have enough impact. That means giving our government the electoral cover to stand up to the fossil fuel vote. And guess what - there are half a million Australians aged either 16 or 17. That could make a real tipping point to get a democratic solution to all of our biggest fears.

I am betting on it, and I hope it makes sense to you too.

Steve Biddulph Is the author of Raising Boys, and Raising Girls His books are in six million homes around the world.

More information about SUFTY is on his website www.stevebiddulph.com.

Add 27 to your child’s age, and that is how old they will be in 2050.

SUFTY will be a network of older people fighting for young people to feel supported and given some say in who runs the country.

The only way to stop climate change is to

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

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AUTUMN 2023 7

It’s Your Life

Family life on the road

By Casey Neill “EVERY day I’m mindful of keeping what we created on the road at home.”

Travel was just what the doctor ordered for Corio mum Lauren McDonnell, her partner John Kendall and daughter Lennie, 5.

“The first time we went was because Johnny was made to take his long service leave,” Lauren explained.

“We just packed the essentials. We packed two Coles bags’ worth of clothes and that was it.

“We tidied up and made the house livable for a house sitter.”

They dodged interstate closures and made their way to Queensland then continued north, chasing the weather.

A change of bed and routine took then-3-year-old Lennie some getting used to.

“He was working in Altona at the refinery there.

“On the first trip it took her about a month to get into the swing of it,” Lauren said.

“Because of Covid and they weren’t producing any fuel for the planes, they asked everyone to take whatever leave they had.

“She was quite a shy, really timid little girl before we left.

“He booked himself in for his six months’ long service leave.

“She’s been the easiest part of travelling, because she is so cruisy and laidback.

“Now she is confident, just makes really good decisions, really loves meeting people.

“We’d just bought a caravan like two months before Covid hit.

“There was no plan at all.

Lennie came out of her shell on the road.

Lennie and her parents spent lots of time outdoors.

Lennie’s confidence grew while travelling.

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280 BerwickCranbourne Rd, Clyde

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Loz, Lennie and Johnny.

Loz and Lennie out exploring.

“Both of us being able to experience so much time with her before she leaves for school was great.

“Johnny worked a lot and I was quite unwell when I had her.

“It was really important to have that time with her.

“It’s definitely moulded who she is.

She’s taken the best of both Johnny and I.” They pushed that first trip out to eight months, and while they were away found out that the refinery was closing.

“We came home so Johnny could finish his job and he got made redundant,” Lauren said.

Two days after they returned home, Lauren had an ankle reconstruction.

The nurse and graphic designer spent eight weeks on the couch “doing nothing”- except travel research.

“I didn’t feel like I was done,” she said.They got a new caravan built and made a rough plan to do Western Australia.

“No plan is a good plan,” she laughed.

“There’s no need to book things in and stress about dates.

“Just go 100 per cent with the flow.

“You need to be super relaxed - you can’t be anxious about dirt or eating set foods.“Not everything is a stunning filtered photo. Just embrace the beauty as it is in front of you, without your phone in front of your view.”

They all experienced health benefits from the lad-back journey.

“The amount of outside time, how good fresh air and sunshine actually is for you, and you’re out doing lots and lots of walking,” Lauren said.

“Because you’re active all day you sleep very well at night.

“There’s no stress. You forget how good it is on our bodies.

“I’m a big social person so I absolutely loved meeting new people on the road and finding out about their story and where they’d come from.

“Some of the nicest people we’ve met are 60-plus. “They’d ask if Lennie could come over to bake bread or have a cup of tea.”

“Every day it was just verbal encouragement, telling her what school would look like and how the school day goes.

“But after that we’ll start planning some more overseas travel again.

When they packed for the second trip - admittedly a little better organised than the first - Lauren gave Lennie four small baskets and asked her to fill them with what would make her happy.

“It’s such a massive contrast to ‘let’s spend all day hiking or at the beach’.”

“I definitely want to get back to overseas travel.

They don’t have any new travel plans - yet.

“I just want Lennie to experience as much of the world as she can.”

“Then we did a lot of swaps at op shops with toys and books,” she said.

“The majority of the time the op shops would do it free of charge, or for a gold coin donation.

“When you are meeting a lot of travel families on the road, once you get to know people, everyone’s got clothes to hand down. It’s just a forever exchange.

“We want to look at a three-month trip to Tassie.

Lennie made loads of friends on the road.

“It was always sand, sticks - whatever you could pick up outside.”

Little Lennie was always learning.

“It’s always been a part of our travel life that when we go to a town, we go to the library,” Lauren said.

“We do all the sessions. Whatever free resources we know are happening in a town we attend.

“We carry books and things in the caravan, the whiteboard books that you can wipe clean.

“On rainy days we would get them out.

“She was asking us to read signs, information signs. She’s very inquisitive.

“The informal teaching on the road is so broad.

“You can point to a map and tell them where you are and the name of the place.

For all the little children of the world

“You can tell them how many kilometres you’ve travelled from one place to the other.”

A work opportunity for Johnny brought them home just in time for Lennie to start Prep.

They’d agreed to home school for Prep and maybe Grade 1, but to get Lennie into the school system by Grade 2.

“But the job opportunity came at a really good time,” Lauren said.

Lennie became more confident by the day.

“She was asking a lot about her little best friends at home.

“She’d say ‘Hello, I’m Lennie. Do you want to play?’ and they’d be off for a couple of hours,” Lauren said.

“It felt like exactly the right thing to do.

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“Probably in 12 months’ time there’ll be a plan,” Lauren laughed.

“You don’t need to buy special things.

To be honest, she hardly even used any of her toys.

“It was the best way to find out about the best camps and beaches.”

“We made life-long friends on the road.

“I think I’m up to maybe 50 overseas countries. I did a lot of that pre-Covid.

“We only found out about a month before that she would be going to school.

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“She’s just made it a whole lot easier.

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It’s Your Life

‘Hidden shame of women’

By Casey Neill

Ruby with son Gabriel.

RUBY Crane’s journey to motherhood was “36 months of awful”.

The Braybrook nurse and husband Shermal had a hard time falling pregnant, trying for a year before seeking help from specialists.

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Her mum and sister had no trouble conceiving, and Ruby had no reason to think she’d struggle.

But doctors discovered she has the celiac gene, despite showing no symptoms of the autoimmune condition.

“Whenever something foreign comes in, your body is really toxic to it,” she said.

So she cut gluten from her diet.

Scans, ultrasounds, pills, injections and IVF followed, a process Ruby described as “traumatising”.

From tube flushing to egg testing - it’s not how she thought she’d become a mum.

Many external factors triggered a flood of emotions along the way, with Mother’s Day atop the list.

“It’s the worst day,” she said.

“I think that would be the peak of the worst day for people who are trying.

“I think people need to be more sensitive.

“But going through it makes you have a much greater appreciation for other things and makes you take a step back.

“There are much bigger things to give a s*** about.”

When Ruby finally fell pregnant with son Gabriel, who was 8 months old when we spoke, she didn’t share the news on social media.

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She could too easily imagine herself on the receiving end of similar posts just a few months earlier.

She put miscarriages in the same basket as infertility.

Four friends fell pregnant while she was battling infertility.

“But maybe that’s how they’re comfortable dealing with it.”

“You don’t feel like a woman, you don’t feel feminine. You feel that you’ve failed somehow,” she said.

Ruby had always assumed she’d become a mum one day.

“It’s like you’re a kid and there’s a club and you’re not in the club. You’re the kid standing outside.

“It’s a real silent thing. It’s a hidden shame of women.

“It probably needs to be more openly discussed.

“I think it’s like a rite of passage,” she said.

“I don’t know if I had a maternal instinct to want to do it.”

She finally welcomed Gabriel via emergency cesarean 72 hours after her waters broke - and then parenthood enveloped her and Shermal.

“It was strange. We were not really there but we were there,” she said.

“It was really overwhelming.

“Babies don’t have a schedule,” she said.

“I was really pissed off that everyone focuses on the birth.

“They’re constantly unstructured and consistently inconsistent.”

“There’s way more other things.

Ruby said becoming a mum was “pretty much the hardest thing you ever do in your life”.

“They made it out like the birth was going to have some physical and mental effect on their life.

“They’re fine - it doesn’t matter how they come out.”

“It’s a lot of pressure on a relationship.

I can see now how people break up,” she said.

Ninety-minute breastfeeds, the constant stream of nappies…

“It really defines you. It takes over your entire life.

“No one tells you any of this stuff,” she said.

“The second you think you’ve got it sorted, the four-month sleep regression hits.”

“Why is the feeding taking so long? I thought it would be five minutes.”

Shermal is also a nurse and they both thrive on schedules.

But when Gabriel wakes from his nap and Ruby sweeps him up in her arms, her joy is obvious.

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“When I did talk about it, the majority of the people were struggling but nobody wanted to talk about it.”

“No one talks about it, ever,” she said.

“The time went so quickly between naps, you couldn’t do anything.

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

AUTUMN 2023 11

It’s Your Life

Susie’s still smiling

By Melissa Meehan

This gave her a pointier, more triangle shaped forehead.

SUSIE Cullen has always been a happy and easy going baby.

There is no evidence as to why this happens and only occurs about 1 in 3000 births.

She is always smiling, laughing and making those around her laugh.

And her favourite thing to do is dance around the house and play with her brother Wes. Looking at her now, you wouldn’t know Susie was born with a birth defect called Craniosynostosis.

A condition when the sections of a baby’s skull fuse too early.

The ‘cracks’ in a baby’s skull are called Sutures, and in Susie’s case the Metopic Suture that runs down the forehead was fused at birth.

Her mum Donna McGowan hadn’t heard of the condition when a midwife first raised concerns about Susie’s “unusual” forehead at birth.

A paediatrician assessed her when she was one day old and referred them to the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne plastics department.

“We had a consultation when Susie was three months old. The surgeon took one look at Susie an confirmed she had Craniosynostosis and would require Bi-frontal orbital advancement surgery between 11 and 14 months of age,” Donna told Kids Today.

“Neither of us had heard of it before, but chatting to friends and family we soon realised it was fairly common and many people we spoke to knew of someone that had it.”

Susie’s prognosis was good and her surgeon was confident that surgery would be successful and generally improve her quality of life.

It was clear that he was very experienced, saying that he did this

kind of surgery twice a month, and the success rate was very high “Our hearts sank when he said surgery,” Donna said.

“The thought of our tiny baby having a General Anaesthetic and such an invasive surgical procedure that would require her brain to be exposed for a period of time and a blood transfusion had us terrified.

“But Susie’s surgeons comforted us and they had our full trust.”

Without surgery Susie’s brain wouldn’t have had the ideal space to grow into.

Her forehead would have continued to grow in a pointy shape and she would have looked noticeably different and would have had to live with everything that comes with that.

They waited eight long months to be given a surgery date.

And while they tried not to think of it too much, Donna would get upset when she did.

“I couldn’t help having mum guilt and wondering if it was something I did during pregnancy to cause this,” she said.

Donna, Susie and Wes are all smiles.

Pictures: ROB CAREW

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“Once we had the date the nervous butterflies really kicked in as now it was time to have imaging and blood tests done.”

While in hospital, Brendan did his best to keep Wes’ days as normal as possible with kinder and a sleep over at his grandparents.

But when it was time for surgery Donna pulled herself together to be strong for her little girl.

They would also video call Donna from home, but didn’t show Susie as they didn’t want him to worry.

It was during peak Covid-19 times. So only one parent could attend and because Donna had more knowledge of general anaesthetics through work, seeing hundreds of kids go under anaesthetic she was the chosen one.

Brendan says he found it difficult not being with her as much as Donna was.

“I knew I had to be strong for her, to show her there’s no reason to be afraid and everything would be fine,” Donna said.

“I was fine until just after she went to sleep, then I broke down and all the emotions I had kept down for her came out and didn’t stop for the next 6 hours.”

The surgery consisted of removing the forehead section of skull, breaking it into pieces and putting it all back together using dissolvable pins and screws.

“I remember going into recovery to be with her for when she wakes, seeing her incision line, puffy and different looking face and cords coming out of every arm and leg - it broke my heart,” Donna said. “=It was nothing I could have prepared for. But within hours she was sitting having bottles and smiling and my heart was no longer broken but was filled with pride, that such a tiny human went through such a massive ordeal.”

Within 24 hours after the surgery Susie’s swelling kicked in – both eyes swollen shut and it was obvious she was uncomfortable.

He found himself stressing at nights but he busied himself with caring for Wes. He even treated him to tram rides and McDonalds dinner.

Susie’s surgeons were very pleased with how the surgery went.

And her 3 months post op check her surgeon was very pleased with the new shape of her head and how she was healing.

He doesn’t expect any future issues or need for more surgeries.

She is now on annual checks and will be until 16 years of age.

Donna and Brendan’s words of advice for parents about to go through the same thing: “As hard as it is, don’t blame yourselves. Push that parent guilt aside! Kids are tough, its incredible how much they can cope with,” Donna said.

“I would recommend joining a Facebook group and chatting to families going through similar things or who have been through it already.”

But within three days she was well enough to go home to her brother Wes and dad Brendan.

Susie and Wes share a wonderful bond.

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

AUTUMN 2023 13

It’s Your Life

Lucy Stewart in the kitchen with her son Otis.

Picture: Studio 74 Photography

Herb and feta quinoa patties HERB AND FETA QUINOA PATTIES Makes: 20

in the kitchen

Prep time: 10 mins + 1 hour Cook time: 20 mins Ingredients: ■ 2 ½ cups pre-cooked quinoa

with Lucy Stewart

■ ½ cup rolled oats ■ 4 free range eggs

DID you know herbs can pack in just as much nutrition as vegetables? Just like green leafy vegetables, fresh herbs are a good source of vitamins A, C and K and contain polyphenols – powerful plant compounds that have both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Herbs are also alkalising and help support the bodies natural detoxification processes.

Growing herbs is a great way to help kids understand where their food comes from and research shows that children who are involved in the preparation of their food – especially vegetables – develop a more positive attitude towards, and preferences for, those foods. You don’t need a big garden to grow them in either, just a few pots on the window sill will do.

Some of my favourite herbs for kids to grow include: mint, basil, dill, chives and parsley. Their fragrance and mild versatile flavours mean kids can happily pick, smell and eat the leaves raw or sprinkle them over some of their favourite dishes - even just a small amount goes a long way to giving the a nutritional boost.

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■ 180g feta cheese ■ 4 shallots ■ 1 cup chopped fresh herbs – parsley, dill and mint work well ■ Zest of half a lemon ■ Olive oil for frying Instructions: 1. In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked quinoa, oats, eggs, feta cheese, chopped herbs, shallots and lemon zest and mix together until everything is well combined.

Place in the fridge to set for one hour.

2. Using a tablespoon of mixture, form 20 small patties with your hands.

The finished product.

These little herb and feta quinoa patties are full of freshness and make a great lunchbox addition or vegetarian burger option. Quinoa is high in protein and fibre, two important nutrients that work to keep kids tummies feeling fuller

for longerand their energy levels stable.Lucy Stewart is a mum who is nutritionist specialising in babies and kids health, and a recipe developer.

You can find more of her recipes at https://lucystewartnutrition.com

3. Heat olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the patties and fry for about 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

4. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to five days. www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

It’s Your Life

Maeve.

Emily with baby Maeve.

No second thoughts

By Casey Neill EMILY SEXTON was nervous about having a second baby seven years after welcoming her first.

“I was really content with what I had,” she said.

“I had an amazing child and I loved being a mum of one, so I guess I was nervous.

“We had a lot of intimacy when it was just one of them.

“I think I was trepidatious about that, and perhaps losing some of that closeness.”

But she needn’t have worried about sharing her time between Marlowe, 7, and Maeve, 8 months.

She feels like she has time for both, and they have all the time in the world for each other.

“Because Marlowe is older there’s not that competition for attention,” she said.

“It’s on the whole been way easier than I feared it would be.

“Marlowe’s an excellent big brother.

“Maeve thinks Marlowe is the funniest, most amazing person in her whole life.

“The relationship between the two of them is pretty joyous.”

Emily thought she and husband John Bailey would either stop at one child, or have a big gap between babies “mostly for career reasons”.

Unlike many mums, she didn’t feel the pressure to hurry up and give Marlowe a sibling - mostly thanks to her mum.

“She said ‘what you have is amazing’. www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

“She just took it away as a feeling of pressure. It was very kind.

share that for them, family was taking a front seat over career for a time,” Emily said.

“Once mum and I had that chat I just didn’t worry.

“It was such a unique conversation for him.

“It was like she made the decision for me and I really loved her for it.

“It’s been seven years for him to be able to have that moment.

“Lockdowns just made it feel like there was space for another child.”

“It would be amazing to have the structural support for it to be more of a common occurrence.”

That’s all,” she said.

Covid restrictions also helped with Emily’s return to work.

“Things have shifted in terms of work flexibility more generally,” she said.

“I have a lot of control over how I execute my three work days.

“Both times I’ve gone back to a job share arrangement and I really love it.

“I learn a lot from that other person and it just takes the pressure off.”

Emily is the co-artistic director at North Melbourne theatre venue Arts House.

She started with Melbourne Fringe Festival, ran Next Wave and moved to The Wheeler Centre before landing at Arts House in 2018.

“I’ve always worked in the arts,” she said.

“My partner is the primary carer, one of 7 percent of men in the country who are like that.

“I think there’s some interesting flow-on from that.

“For fathers it can be quite an isolating experience, especially when you consider that that 7 percent includes gay dads as well.”

A recent lunch with an old friend in a similar role was helpful for John.

“They both felt really validated to

Maeve attends childcare next to Marlowe’s school.

“It unlocks such capacity in your life,” Emily said.

“We’re very fortunate that they’ve made such a big investment in that Footscray learning precinct.

“Melbourne’s growing. The more we follow that infrastructure with childcare that’s affordable, the more successful those communities will be as a whole, not as individuals.

“Once your kid goes to school that unlocks most of your neighbourhood and it’s so great.

watch movies and waddle around and mentally prepare yourself.

“When I was younger the transition into being a mum felt pretty full on and I felt quite acutely how I was missing out on stuff.”

But now her friends are in a similar life phase and she’s more embedded in her community.

“I think the best part has been a knowing, an understanding of time that whatever you’re going through it ends and that everything’s a phase and that if you’re finding something hard, very shortly you’ll be onto the next thing,” she said.

“I’ve loved the second time around because I just don’t worry like I did the first time around.”

“The way zoning works, it’s your neighbours that your kid goes to school with.”

Emily was 33 when she had Marlowe, which was quite young among her group of friends.

“The actual birth was on the day I finished work, so that was not ideal,” she said.

“This time it was pretty awesome to get that mat leave time where you can

Maeve adores big brother Marlowe.

AUTUMN 2023 15

Health

Breastmilk the white stuff

By Melissa Meehan THE female body is a marvellous thing.

Not only can it grow life – but it can also produce milk to nourish them.

But for many premature babies, they burst into the world before their mother’s body can produce milk of its own.

With the help of donated breast milk, these premature babies can receive the medicine they need that provides nutrition and promotes growth and development.

Becoming a parent is not always easy

“More than 1,000 babies have benefited from breastmilk provided by the Mercy Health Breastmilk Bank since its establishment almost a decade ago.”

Almost 4,500 litres of breastmilk has been donated by 440 women.

In 2020 alone, the Mercy Health Breastmilk Bank fed 161 sick babies and premature babies.

Only women who give birth at Mercy Hospital for Women, the Royal Womens Hospital in Melbourne or Monash Clayton can donate their breastmilk.

Nurse Crissy Blasseti donated her milk to the Mercy Health Breastmilk Bank when she had her second son.

And very premature babies are the only ones who qualify to receive the milk.

She had first heard of the ability to donate milk while working as a nurse and again while staying at the Mercy Hospital, in Heidelberg, when she had her eldest.

She said breastmilk donors are not paid for their donations and there is no charge for receiving donated breastmilk.

“I guess I just decided that I am going to do it, it was my second time around and I was hell bent on doing it,” Crissy told Kids Today.

“With my first I had a very healthy breast milk supply and I knew I could have enough to donate.”

So Crissy would collect milk once a day to donate.

The Mercy Breastmilk Bank is hoping to further expand the service across Victoria and needs to purchase muchneeded equipment, including freezers and pasteurising machines, to make that possible.

Donations to the Mercy Health Breastmilk Bank Appeal can be made through the Mercy Health Foundation, www.mercyhealthfoundation.org.au

It was a great experience for her knowing she was helping mums and babies who needed it.

Mercy Health Breastmilk Bank unit manager Chelsea Webster says not everyone can donate milk and it’s quite a rigorous process.

But the donated breastmilk can

Having a baby is a life-changing event. While it is usually a happy one, sometimes the change in life can be difficult for new parents.

St John of God Langmore Centre’s specialist Perinatal Mental Health Unit offers inpatient and outpatient services to care for new parents, allowing them to bond, learn new skills and coping techniques, all under the guidance of our experienced clinical team.

often be a stopgap until the mum’s milk comes in or can be a huge help if the mother has issues with milk supply.

“We know that breastmilk has real health benefits for babies, providing the nutrients they need for growth and development,” she said.

www.sjog.org.au/langmorecentre or call 9773 7000

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Health

One place for everything ONE Centre Square Medical Hub continues to provide outstanding services to the community since resumption of operation.

Wednesday at One Centre Square Medical Hub. You can also have your Cervical Cytology Checks and All Antenatal Care with Dr Faizah.

WORK CARE One Centre Square Medical Hub has started its occupational health services providing pre-employment and employment medicals to small and large businesses within the Cardinia area. Please feel free to register your company for pre-employment and employment medicals. As part of the promotion, we offer free occupational health audiometry and spirometry test from 1 February to end of February 2023. You can ring the clinic to schedule an appointment.

FRACTURE MANAGEMENT One Centre Square Medical Hub wishes to notify the community that we provide uncomplicated fracture management – Dr Ben and Dr Wil are very experienced in providing these services. They can apply plaster cast and fracture immobilisation. We work closely with Dandenong fracture clinic to provide ongoing care in your fracture management experience. Feel free to come or bring your child for minor injury management.

MOLE CHECK All our physicians including Dr Daryl Christian provide skin care including mole check, skin cancer surgery and skin diseases management. We work closely with specialist dermatologist to ensure optimum care. Please feel free to book your skin check.

NEW MEDICAL PRACTITIONER We have a new medical practitioner Dr Sukitha Mahanama who is qualified as a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.

He provides uncomplicated chronic pain management, paediatric and aged care.

OBSTETRIC CARE We also wish to specially introduce Dr Faizah who is a GP with post graduate qualification in obstetrics. She provides shared care with Monash and Warragul Hospitals. She has appointments on Mondays and

One Centre Square Medical Hub continues to provide outstanding services to the community since resumption of operation.

Please feel free to attend our practice for care and we hope to make your visit a pleasant patient experience.

One Centre Square Medical Hub, 103/45 Siding Avenue, Officer, telephone 9087 6050.

Our Services

From dream to birth and beyondwe’re with you

FAMILY MEDICINE • Chronic Disease Management • Men’s Health • Paediatric Health • Sexual Health • Mental Health • Minor Procedures • Immunization • Fracture Reduction & Plaster Cast • Pain Management Wound Care OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE • Pre-Employment Medical • Fitness for Duty Assessment • Driving Medical • Medical Review Officer • Rail Medical • Travel Medicine • Aviation Mecical • Occupational Audiometric Testing • Occupational Spirometry Testing ALLIED HEALTH • Physiotherapist • Psychologist • Dietician • Podiatrist

ONE CENTRE SQUARE MEDICAL HUB OFFICER MEDICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH CENTRE

OTHER SERVICES • Pathology: Australian Clinical Labs • Pharmacy • Dentist

Dr Ben Uchenna Specialises in: Occupational Medicine, Travel Medicine, Dermathology / Skin Cancer, Paediatrics Health, Minor Fractures & Injury Management, Rail Medical, Aviation Medical

Dr Wil Van Rheede Specialises in: Diabetes and Chronic, Disease Management, Skin Disease, Orthopeadrics, Mental Health, Employment Medical

Dr Daryl Christian Specialises in: Skin Cancer ChecksTreatment & Surgery, General Skin Surgery

Dr. Sukitha Mahanama Specialises in: Emergency Medicine, Aged Care, Dermathology, Uncomplicated Pain Management and Child health

Dr Faizah Jabeen Specialises in: Chronic Disease Management, Antenal Shared Care, W Gynaecology & Obstetrics, Children’s Health, Women’s Health

12577836-JW49-22

Family Medicine Physicians

When you choose to have your baby at St John of God Berwick Hospital, you’ll be supported with your choice of obstetrician, lactation support, expert midwife care, a longer hospital stay and much more! www.sjog.org.au/berwickmaternity or call 8784 5300

WE ARE NEW PRACTICE & ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS 03 9087 6050 A/H 13 Sick (7425) 103/45 Siding Avenue, Officer, Vic 3809

reception@ocsmedicalhub.com.au www.onecentresquaremedicalhub.com.au

CLINIC HOURS: MON-FRI 8AM-6PM • SAT 9AM-12PM • SUN BY APPOINTMENT www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

12578580-SN49-22

AUTUMN 2023 17

DENTAL

Dental caries imposes a large cost on the Australian economy.

Tackling tooth decay UNIVERSITY of Adelaide researchers will conduct a wide-ranging nationwide four-year study on the extent and causes of tooth decay in Australian children.

The Australian Dental Association (ADA) said the study would also look at the resultant mental health, education and financial impacts.

The results of the, the ADA said, will be compared with findings from the last time this project was undertaken in 2012-14.

The study is intended to look at the state of child dental decay, which is the most common childhood infection in Australia.

It has support from the ADA, the South Australian Dental Service, Queensland Health, ACT Health, Northern Territory Government, Tasmanian Health Service, Department of Health, Department of Health NSW, and Department of Health WA. Professor Lisa Jamieson, Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health director, is leading the study.

The research centre is part of the Adelaide Dental School, at the

University of Adelaide.

“With the use of oral examinations and questionnaire data, we will be able to put the results side by side against what was found in the most recent study in 2012-14,” Professor Jamieson said.

“We will be able to test, model, evaluate and disseminate evidence that will enable important questions around child oral health, social and emotional wellbeing, school performance and economic productivity to be answered.

“This is incredibly important so that we can understand how deep and widespread tooth decay is, and what actions policy makers can take to ensure children and parents have the right support available to them.”

The ADA’s Australia’s Children and Young People Oral Health Tracker indicates that tooth decay among children remains a pressing issue.

Professor Jamieson said the study hoped to establish “whether there has been an improvement in the oral health of children in Australia over the past 10 years since the last study was conducted”.

“Dental caries imposes a large cost on the Australian economy. That cost is estimated to be up to $1 billion per year,” she said.

“It also has a direct correlation to poor school performance, inadequate nutrition, problems with sleeping and adverse social wellbeing.

“Children who are in socially vulnerable situations are also more likely to be hospitalised for dental conditions that could have been prevented.

“These are the types of situations we hope this study can shed some light on.”

The ADA said the research has been supported by a grant of $1,499,998.80 from the National Health and Medical Research Council Partnership Project scheme.

Orthodontics and Invisalign from $59 per week.

Implants from $39 per week • We BULK BILL for the $1000 Medicare Child Dental Benefits Scheme • HALF PRICE CROWNS* *after first full priced crown.

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Orthodontic Treatment for children and adults utilising the latest technologies including SureSmile, Invisalign, lingual and clear appliances.

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Phone: 9705 1755

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Mon and Fri 8am to 6pm, Sat 8am–1pm, Tues, Wed & Thurs 8am to 9pm Bookings can now be made online through our website: www.caseydentalgroup.com.au

We offer flexible, interest free payment plans to make orthodontics accessible to everyone.

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WE MAKE CASEY CARDINIA SMILE

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Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 8.30 am to 5.30 pm Suite 5, Level 1/18-24 Clyde Rd, Berwick Phone: (03) 9330 0702 | info@seortho.com.au | www.seortho.com.au

Greaves Rd 12472308-JW51-20

18 AUTUMN 2023

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

DENTAL

Protecting kids’ enamel UNIVERSITY of São Paulo researchers found that anti-inflammatory drugs might be associated with dental enamel defects (DED) in children.

The Australian Dental Association (ADA) reported that this research into the condition, which affects about 20 percent of children globally, “studied the effects of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on the biomineralisation of enamel in male mice”.

It found that after four weeks of exposure to NSAIDs celecoxib and indomethacin, teeth showed “decreased levels of calcium and phosphate and lower mineral density, and they fractured more easily”.

Corresponding study author Dr Francisco Paula-Silva, an associate professor of paediatric dentistry at the university, said the research promised increased understanding of the prevalence of DED in children.

It was triggered by an intriguing

possible correlation between the timing of DED in the first years of a child’s life and the administration of antiinflammatory drugs to combat sickness during this period.

“Right now, the study at least offers us a clue to the identity of a new player that may be involved in the development of DEDs. Hitherto we’ve been totally in the dark,” Dr Paula-Silva said.

The ADA said the researchers next intend to conduct a clinical study, with hopes it will play a role in determining appropriate treatment protocols for administration of anti-inflammatory drugs in children.

Is your child scared to visit the dentist?

THE Endeavour Smiles Group team believes parents play a vital role in making dentist visits positive and enjoyable.

A couple of handy tips to prepare your child for their dental appointment include: ■ Using positive and child-friendly terms when talking about the dentist, such as ‘seeing the tooth fairy’s friends’ or ‘going for a ride in the dental chair’.

Other ways that can help a child feel relaxed during their next dental visit include: 1. Getting them into the clinic to watch an older sibling or family member in the dental chair from a young age.

2. Encouraging good oral health habits, and explaining the importance of dental visits through story books or interactive videos online.

3. Being a great role model by passing on positive emotions about your dental visit.

4. Playing dentist can alleviate their fear.

5. Giving positive reinforcement with praise.

Hopefully some or all of these tips will help your child ease any anxiety and fear that is felt during their dental visits.

Passing on positive emotions about your dental visit can help kids to feel comfortable about their own visit.

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■ Not using the dentist as a deterrent or punishment! Threats like ‘if you don’t

brush your teeth, the dentist will pull them out’ are unlikely to change behaviour but will certainly reinforce fear. Refrain from telling stories about bad dental experiences (even if you’ve had one yourself) or using words such as ‘needle’, ‘pull’ or ‘drill’ as this will only cause your child to become fearful and hesitant.

Preparation is key to stress-free dentist visits. www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

AUTUMN 2023 19

Education

Play is crucial for kids ONE in eight parents believe play is mostly a waste of time.

According to the latest Royal Children’s Hospital National Child Health Poll, Australian families: How we play, most parents enjoy playing with their child.

But two thirds say they often find playing with their child hard or boring.

Dr Anthea Rhodes, paediatrician and poll director, said the findings showed that while parents recognised the importance of play, there were still some knowledge gaps.

“Play is a crucial part of children’s learning and development, with so many benefits for physical, mental and social health,” she said.

“However, our recent study shows that some parents believe play is fun but not essential and one in eight parents believe that play is mostly a waste of time.

“Most parents do enjoy playing with their child but we found many parents admit that they don’t always know how

to play with their child and one half of parents are not confident that they could help their child to play.

The Survey Found 80 Percent Of Parents Would Like Their Children To Spend More Time Outdoors.

“We also found that two in three parents sometimes find it hard or boring to play with their child,

always be supervised by an adult (38 per cent) and say it is not good for play to involve risk (32 per cent).

with dads more likely to find it boring or hard than mums.”

“Trying to navigate risk is an important part of play and can be beneficial for children’s learning,” Dr Rhodes said.

play with digital devices, with more than half of children playing inside on a digital device or screen most days of the week.

“It can sometimes be challenging to identify the difference between a healthy level of risk and a situation that is hazardous, when it comes to children’s play.

“Parents feel that play has changed over the years, with two-thirds saying play was better when they were growing up than it is for children today, and three-quarters believing it is good for children to be bored sometimes,” Dr Rhodes said.

The poll surveyed 2036 parents between September and October 2022, providing data on 3351 children aged between one month and 17 years.

Most parents (94 percent) recognise play is important for a child’s health including physical wellbeing and brain development.

Less than half (45 percent) of Australian children play outdoors most days, and 80 percent of parents would like their children to spend more time outdoors.

“It’s about allowing children and young people to have experiences that challenge and test them, without putting them in danger.

“That line will be different for every child.”

Time, safety concerns and weather are among the leading barriers to Australian children spending more time playing outdoors.

The survey explored differences in types of play, as parents reported on outdoor play, digital play and play away from the home.

A third of parents believe play should

The most common type of play was

“Many parents find their kids are ‘stuck to their screens’ but may not realise that using digital devices can also be a form of play.

“It’s really about how the technology is being used.

“Children can express their imagination, curiosity and creativity through screen-based play.”

Sharanky’s tale takes over Melbourne

By Sahar Foladi

Kalli Ioannou-Booth said students wrote a 300 to 400 word story in a workshop.

A year 9 student from Lyndale Secondary College won the ABC Takeover Melbourne competition.

Young winners from across Greater Melbourne were selected to work with ABC producers to share their story in a piece of media for the ABC website.

Sharanky Sivakumar felt nervous when she took on the youth story-telling challenge, not expecting much.

“Winning it was something I would’ve never imagined,” Sharanky said.

Sharanky recorded her story at the ABC studio as part of the Takeover Melbourne competition.

Takeover Melbourne is a platform for young Melburnians to be heard.

Lyndale’s whole school literacy director

“She got chosen from there, went to the ABC studio and recorded it,” Ms Ioannou-Booth said. “She had a story to tell and she was brave to tell that story.”

Sharanky will be invited to further workshops in the coming months where she will get the opportunity to meet with other winners.

Although the experience had been inspiring for young Sharanky, science has always been her favourite subject.

“She’s a quiet, respectful high achiever,” Ms Ioannou-Booth said.

“We’re all very proud of her and her achievement should be celebrated.”

Seven students from the same school took part in the competition.

To hear Sharanky’s story go to www.abc.net.au/melbourne/ programs/takeover-melbourne/ sharanky-dandenong-takeovermelbourne-winner/101563288

Rivercrest Christian College

• International Baccalaureate World School • Inquiry Learning with a Christian World View • New Secondary Campus • Year 11 starting 2024 (continuing to Year 12) RIVERCREST CHRISTIAN COLLEGE 81 Ferdinand Drive, Clyde North T: 03 9703 9777 W: rivercrest.vic.edu.au 12591206-RC11-23

20 AUTUMN 2023

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

Education

Groundbreaking SLC Executive principal Brendan Kelly checks the progress.

IT was an exciting day at CREST on Tuesday 14 February, as executive principal Brendan Kelly arrived on location to check on the progress of the new senior learning centre (SLC).

The new centre will service Year 11 and 12 students, for both Hillcrest and Rivercrest Christian College students, in 2024.

Mr Kelly was proud to share the current works with staff, students and community members who are eagerly awaiting its completion.

A short recap of the works

undertaken may be viewed at youtu. be/DSPT3rcCBI4.

The SLC is not just a building, but a symbol of CREST’s commitment to providing the best education for its students.

Mr Kelly emphasised that when the facility opens in 2024, it will be a game-changer.

“The SLC will provide a unique learning environment for all Year 11 and 12 students, and will offer a platform for them to achieve their full potential,” he said.

Works are underway.

Enrolments speak volumes WHY enrol your child at Berwick Lodge Primary School?

It is the bottom-line question if you have a pre-school child, are moving into the local area or are considering changing schools for your child.

It goes without saying that you deserve an excellent response.

After all, your child’s education is of the utmost importance to you and, of course, your child.

There are many good schools in the cities of both Casey and Cardinia, all with much to offer, all with their unique features.

Insofar as our school is concerned, we have ours. Word of mouth is a powerful force – as the principal, you would expect me to speak proudly of our school, and I do.

Beyond that, however, the feedback from families whose children attend our school puts into a practical, real-life context, that which you will hear from me or access via media outlet advertisements.

We do not have a very large school enrolment zone in terms of primary school age children.

In fact, barely 30 per cent of our students live within our zone.

Expressed differently, of our 605 students, for the past 15 years or so, about 70 per cent live outside our enrolment zone.

That does say something.

I am very proud to be the founding principal of this marvellous school – it is the people and the programs that make our school what it is today. Why not check us out?

Visit www.berwicklodgeps.vic.edu.au for more.

Henry Grossek, Principal Berwick Lodge Primary School

LEARNING FOR LIFE Our virtual school tour allows you to experience Berwick Lodge Primary School spaces as though you are physically there.

Using emerging technology, we have mapped spaces across the school to create 3D tours and 360-degree walkthroughs.

Immerse yourself in the spaces, move around, explore and look out for LODGIE BEAR along the way.

For more details visit: www.berwicklodgeeps.vic.edu.au Please call for your personal tour.

Berwick Lodge Primary School welcomes out of neighborhood enrolments.

Kevin Heinze Best School Garden Award 2018 P: 9709 6700 F: 9796 2198 E: berwick.lodge.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au Visit our website to check out the virtual tour www.berwicklodgeps.vic.edu.au 12591539-SN11-23

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

AUTUMN 2023 21

Education

Starting the year with a smile THE big day finally arrived for 90 new Foundation students.

These new students began their first ever school day by walking the red carpet where they were greeted by principal Helen Staindl, who welcomed them to St Clare’s School with a special medal.

The medal of St Clare, which came all the way from Assisi in Italy, is a reminder of the school’s Patron Saint.

Once inside the beautiful learning spaces, students and families were greeted by four very excited Foundation teachers.

Twins Alessio and Matteo and family.

students and encourage all to do their best learning within a kind and welcoming environment.

St Clare’s is a Catholic Primary School in Officer with close to 600 students.

The school’s core beliefs are built around the teachings of Jesus and, specifically, the values of respect, optimism, courage, kindness and feeling safe.

The teachers are looking forward to a great year and will work with the

Sacha starts their schooling.

Empowering Curious Minds Find out how our world-class International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program and expert ELC and Junior School staff can help your child flourish in their learning through action in our intimate learning spaces and classes.

Non-Selective | Non-Denominational Small Classes | Co-Educational ELC and Junior School Dedicated Senior Girls and Boys Schools

StMargarets.vic.edu.au 12562664-JC36-22

22 AUTUMN 2023

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

Education

Eyes set on the future

By Sahar Foladi

He wasn’t new to the FPSA program, having participated at the national and international levels and won third place at age 11.

YOUNG Anay Ashwin is focused on the future - and international success.

The Haileybury School student took out second place at the national Future Problem Solving Australia (FPSA) competition.

“I was given this opportunity three years ago and I was instantly hooked by the idea,” Anay said.

The program aims to empower young people from across the world to develop their creative thinking, critical thinking and problem solving skills so they can make a difference in their local and global communities.

At the national FPSA event, Anay shared his ideas and research on what mining might look like by 2056.

“I tackled thought-provoking topics like green building, water supply and mining,” he said.

He will make his way to the international championship in the US next year.

“It’s very proud moment for me to be able to represent my country,” he said.

“I try not to get nervous. My mantra is ‘keep calm and problem solve’.”

Anay Ashwin placed second at the National Finals.

The young achiever competed in the international championships’ junior division last year as a Grade 6 student.

He’ll be in the middle division this time.

“That’s the most popular and larger (division) so that’s from Year 7 to 9,” FPSA program coordinator Kirsten Owens said.

“The program is our select-entry so we target students who have very high ability.

“It makes them think outside the box and extends them in ways that the regular curriculum doesn’t.”

Anay said: “The preparation for the competition involves some extensive research and the solutions we put forward have to be futuristic and creative.

“To be part of the event is a wonderful learning experience. I have met so many inspiring mentors and like-minded peers from around the world.

“My career pathway will definitely involve research and I would like to combine my passion for space exploration and medicine.

“I aspire to become a flight surgeon, to work for the Australian Space Agency and study the impact on humans of space travel or even living on the moon or Mars.”

Kids are learning through fun GOODSTART Early Learning Narre Warren Pound Road South hides the learning among the fun - similar to the grated-vegies-in-the-pasta-sauce-trick!

Colourful, stimulating surrounds ensure the children have the chance to grow and develop through sensory, play-based learning.

Not long ago the centre’s yards were updated, and while the children think they’re ABC, the Goodstart team knows that helps them develop their XYZ.

Outside is a wonderful area for the children to explore and let their imaginations flow.

Centre director Chantelle LovedayLamont said: “In all our rooms, from nursery to kindergarten, our educational program and practices are set-up in line with the Victorian Early Years Learning Framework and the National Quality Standards.”

This means that while children think they are DEF, the team has designed the area to ensure they are working together to build their social skills.

The best way to see the facilities, meet the team and explore how Goodstart can support your child’s early learning journey is to book a tour.

Goodstart has a strong team of dedicated educators, some of whom have been with the centre for more than eight years.

Goodstart’s two areas have sandpits, fairy gardens, a digging patch, vegie patch, climbing area, bike track, tan bark area, and lots of shade.

Goodstart Early Learning Narre Warren Pound Road South caters for children from six weeks to five years of age.

The centre provides a purpose-built childcare centre with well-equipped rooms and Goodstart Early Learning Narre Warren Pound Road playgrounds, with an emphasis South caters for children from on natural resources. six weeks to five years of age.

Committed to giving every child the best possible start in life.

Children are central to everything we do.

We understand the power of early learning - it’s why Goodstart makes every moment count for the children attending our centres.

Our Learning environments • Nursery • Toddler • 3 Year old Kinder • 4 Year old Kinder Scan the QR code to book in a Centre Tour

Goodstart Narre Warren Pound Road South 292 Pound Road, Narre Warren South VIC 3805 (03) 8786 5255 • nwr@goodstart.org.au 12535449-AV11-22

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

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AUTUMN 2023 23

Education

New schools for Melbourne’s growing south-east FAMILIES in Melbourne’s south-east started the new school year with two new schools.

additional needs.

Education Minister Natalie Hutchins officially opened the Quarters and Kurrun primary schools and welcomed the schools’ first students in Prep to Year 6.

Both schools feature specialist learning spaces for subjects including food technology and science, as well as a community hub competition-grade gymnasium, two outdoor hard courts and music and drama spaces.

Kurrun has space for 525 students, while Quarters has space for 715 students, including about 65 spaces for young people with disabilities and

Other new schools that opened for Term 1 were in Melbourne’s growing west and northern suburbs, including the Ngarri, Karwan, Nearnung,

Donnybrook, Barrawang, Thornhill Park and Lollypop Creek primary schools, the Wollert and Mickleham secondary colleges, and Wayi School.

allowing children to make a smooth transition from pre-school and helping parents ditch the dreaded double drop-off.

“These new schools will benefit all local families and students in the area – with modern classrooms and learning spaces that are close to home,” Cranbourne MP Pauline Richards said.

Seven of the primary schools will have kindergartens operating on-site or next door this year, with the remaining three kindergartens opening next year.

All new primary schools have a kindergarten on-site or next door,

The State Government is opening 100 new schools by 2026, with 75 new schools opening between 2019 and 2024.

Charvi Shetty loves playing and watching tennis.

Ballkids catch tennis fever

By Shelby Brooks TWO young tennis lovers from proved themselves on the world stage as ballkids for the Australian Open.

Charvi Shetty, 14, from Clyde North took up tennis 10 years ago and plays for Haileybury College and Cranbourne Tennis Club.

“I wanted to become a ballkid because I love playing and watching tennis, and to be able to have the best seats ever to watch my tennis idols is a dream come true,” she said.

“This is my second year of being a ballkid and the reason I came back is

24 AUTUMN 2023

because I extremely enjoyed my experience during my first year and wanted to have an even better time this year.”

Charvi explained aspiring ball kids took part in many trials to assess their skills.

“It was a bit intimidating, but I’m glad to be selected into the squad,” she said.

She said the hardest part was dealing with the extreme heat while on court.

“But the most fun part is experiencing incredible matches, especially with a fun and loud crowd,” she said.

Walker, 15, lives in Cranbourne

North and plays for Cranbourne Tennis Club and took up the sport seven years ago.

He was inspired to become a ballkid by other friends at his tennis club who had previously served at the Australian Open.

“I thought it would be fun to try and we really enjoyed it,” he said.

The process from application to selection is nine months.

“I love tennis because it is so different to many other sports and I believe it takes the most skill so learn,” he said.

“My goal is to become a professional tennis player.”

Walker has been playing tennis for seven years.

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

Education

Little Stars kids shine bright LITTLE Stars Early Learning and Kindergarten’s Pakenham and Cranbourne centres provide highquality education and care through a play-based learning approach to support children’s learning and development in their most formative years.

learning and development from birth to 6 years.

Guided by contemporary research, Little Stars programs and environments are rich with learning opportunities and support children in developing key skills, including creative thinking, social and emotional skills and early literacy and language skills.

The centres celebrate each child’s individuality, guided by the children’s strengths and ideas to encourage a positive relationship with learning.

Its professional and dedicated educators support children to reach their full potential through a rich learning environment, meeting children at their point of need and providing a secure, warm, and nurturing environment where educators and families can work together to guide and support children’s

The Little Stars team believes in accommodating all cultures and diverse communities through engaging with its community and meeting the individual needs of families and children in its care.

Little Stars has casual bookings available, reduced fees for families not receiving CCS, and two weeks’ free care for newly enrolled children booked for a minimum of three days.

Visit for a tour at Pakenham, 4 Merlot Road, 8608 7901, or Cranbourne, 24-26 Walter Street, 9626 5424.

Visit www.littlestars.vic.edu.au for more information.

Little Stars programs and environments are rich with learning opportunities.

Early Learning & Kindergarten

2 WEEKS

Dancing from Berwick to

FREE

Berwick College Dance Academy is more than just a pathway…..

Berwick College’

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completed Dance from year 7 to 12 here at Berwick. Our graduates have gone on to study ’s Ministry of Dance, Brent Street, Victorian College of the Arts and Spectrum Dance, as well as pursuing Law, Real Estate, Retail, Business degrees and much more.

Our 2023 Dance Study tour departs in June with 25 students preparing to visit New York, being exposed to world renowned choreographers at Alvin Ailey, Steps on Broadway and

“

”

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We are looking forward to welcoming many new students in years to come.

Conditions apply*

“Crescam - I shall grow” and today, through our strong emphasis on excellence in teaching and learning. Our students enjoy a comprehensive curriculum and many career specific pathways, including a Dance Academy, Basketball Academy and a High Achievers’ Program. www.berwickcollege.com.au

Telephone 8768 1000

Pakenham and Cranbourne Centres

1300 316 316 | littlestars.vic.edu.au 12590184-MS11-23

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

AUTUMN 2023 25

Education

Everyone has a place CARLOS the Concrete Truck wants to work with the big trucks and join them on their adventures, but everyone tells him he’s just too small.

“They sense the excitement in the air and the fast pace of the work,” he said.

Carlos wants to fit in more than anything, and his attitude and determination belie his size.

“I like making people smile, and being a catalyst for positive change in their lives.

Elsternwick concreter-turned-author Anton Bialylew created Carlos following the birth of his first child, as a reminder that everyo ne is unique.

“Th e story of Carlos evolved from my passion in my concreting business,” he said.

“The ideas and illustrations in the book reflect the challenges and hard work that this trade demands.

“It’s not only tough physically but it’s also very unforgiving - no second chances when pouring concrete!

“My hope for young kids reading Carlos the Concrete Truck is that it builds their confidence and sends the message that even if you feel different - you are worthwhile and you will in time find your unique skills and strengths.”

Concreter-turned-author Anton Bialylew.

“I’ve always been a creative person who loves working with my hands and pushing my physical abilities to the limit.

“I also find that concreting can be a very creative and meditational experience if undertaken with presence of mind.”

It always puts a smile on Anton’s face when children stop their parents to watch the big concrete trucks roll in and spin and splutter concrete out.

Carlos is small but determined.

Starting the year with hope AS principal of St Patrick’s Primary School, Pakenham, I am pleased to welcome back all my amazing students and their families to another school year.

It is an incredible privilege to watch our young people begin new adventures, take on new challenges and make new friends.

As a Catholic school, we recently celebrated Ash Wednesday and remembered the sacrifices that our Saviour made for us.

This year, the teachers spoke to the students about how we can have a change of heart.

We know that Christ made the ultimate sacrifice for us so that we could

live on to spread his message of love.

It is important that the students understand that these sacrifices can hopefully pave the way for a new and brighter direction and look to how they can be the positive change for all.

Already so much has happened in our first few weeks.

We have had our beginning of the year mass where we presented all our captains with their badges.

Recently, Fr Paul celebrated mass with our Foundation students as they experienced mass for the first time.

Fr Paul commended the students on their behaviour as did many parishioners.

Our grade 2s have begun their swimming lessons, and the implementation of NAPLAN for our 3s and 5s followed, so school is off to an incredible start.

As a staff we are promoting our whole school approach to positive behaviour and it has been so pleasing to see the students respond well to this.

The students move safely through the school, they look out for one another and are able to articulate and demonstrate our values of Respect, Safety, Co-operation and Resilience!

Meg Escalante, Principal

Three sets of twins started their schooling at St Patrick’s this year.

ENROLMENTS NOW OPEN FOR 2024 Ph: 5943 9000 or email office@stppakenham.catholic.edu.au to book a school tour

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We pride ourselves on being a Catholic, welcoming school where everyone is valued and respected. Our committed and professional staff provide a safe, caring environment where we aim to engender a love of learning in every student.

136 Princes Highway, Pakenham | www.stppakenham.catholic.edu.au | (03) 5943 9000 26 AUTUMN 2023

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

Education

Igniting each child’s love of learning PRECIOUS Seeds Early Learning in Hallam opened its doors in February.

The family owned and operated centre features plenty of indoor and outdoor play spaces, and small and age-appropriate group sizes.

Your child will spend the day with friends and develop a genuine love of learning at Precious Seeds.

The centre has been designed to be an extension of your family home, offering flexible routines and play-based learning programs.

Precious Seeds’ community engagement programs facilitate a holistic perspective through interaction with the local community.

Its team of highly experienced and qualified educators participate in regular professional development, mentoring and networking sessions.

The centre has been designed to be an extension of your family home.

Enrichment classes are designed to support academic development and essential life skills.

The Precious Seeds children’s rooms are light-filled and offer small class/ group sizes and learning experiences.

Growing bodies need nutritious, delicious, and balanced meal options.

Precious Seeds’ industry-accredited menu provides variety across a fourweek rotating menu, prepared fresh daily by an in-house chef.

Catering for children from three months to school age, your child will develop their skills and confidence in natural and open-ended environments.

As an Allergy Aware service, the menu and team are equipped to cater for allergies, intolerances, and dietary restrictions with ease.

The centre’s learning and enrichment programs will ensure your child is engaged and encouraged to learn, grow and develop at their own pace.

Precious Seeds is at 99 Frawley Road, Hallam. Call 9702 3111, email hello@preciousseeds.com.au or visit www.preciousseeds.com.au.

The Precious Seeds children’s rooms are light-filled.

IGNITING YOUR CHILD’S LOVE OF LEARNING

Hallam 99 Frawley Road Ph: 9702 3111 www.preciousseeds.com.au Open Monday to Friday 6:30am to 6:30pm.

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• Now open and taking enrolments • Family owned and operated • Abundant indoor & outdoor play spaces • Small and age appropriate classes • Reggio Emilia inspired learning • Program based learning

BOOK A TOUR NOW TO VIEW OUR BEAUTIFUL FACILITY AND MEET OUR AMAZING TEAM OF EDUCATORS. www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

AUTUMN 2023 27

Entertainment

Stink, fly and dance! of their carer.

for ages 3 to 8 years.

The Victorian State Ballet’s production of Snow White is a classical ballet rendition of this famous fairy tale.

The Fish That Wanted to Fly is about having the courage to pursue something even if it seems likely you will never reach it.

There are shows at 10.30am and 12.30pm on Friday 21 April.

The show is appropriate for all ages, and will hit the stage at 7.30pm on Saturday 25 March and 2.30pm on Sunday 26 March.

Meet a little fish whose lagoon is drying up. All the other fish have left, and she wants to learn how to fly so she can see them again.

Tickets are $69 for adults, $33 for children under 15 years, $55 per person for groups of 10-plus, $59 for pensioners, seniors and students, and $39 for youths aged 16 to 19 years.

She meets a kingfisher, who helps her and encourages her to keep trying.

At 2pm on Sunday 30 April or 10am on Monday 1 May, join 8-year-old Grace and her family on their adventurous and often funny expedition around Australia.

It’s not until she meets a cormorant, who offers to take her up into the sky that she flies for the first time.

This Alison Lester classic book comes to life on stage, with songs and fun for children aged 3 to 10 years and their adults. Tickets are $16.

Mr Stink stank. He also stunk. And if it was correct English to say he stinked, then he stinked as well.

The tale is about friendship, resilience and sustainability and is recommended

Visit www.bunjilplace.com.au for bookings or more information.

THE Bunjil Place stage will host plenty of family fun this autumn.

Tickets are $8 each or $28 for a group of four.

David Walliams’ award-winning book comes to life on stage for children aged 6 to 12 years and their adults.

Chloe, just about the loneliest girl in the world, makes friends with Mr Stink, the local tramp.

When he needs a place to stay, Chloe decides to hide him in the garden shed.

Can a fish learn how to fly?

Picutre: Jeremy Lavender

See Mr Stink at 6pm on Wednesday 12 April or 10.30am on Thursday 13 April.

All tickets are $18, but come down to $17 per person in groups of four or more.

Children under the age of 2 years do not require a ticket if seated on the lap

See Snow White told in ballet form.

Walhalla Goldfields Railway

Experience Walhalla Goldfields Railway SPEND an unforgettable day with the family at Walhalla Goldfields Railway.

Relax and take in the breathtaking views as the train winds its way through the spectacular Stringers Gorge on what is considered one of the country’s most picturesque rail journeys.

Departing the historic Walhalla Station on your one-hour journey you will travel through the station yards with the sheer, stunning cliff face on one side and the winding Stringers Creek on the other side.

OPEN DURING SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.

Winding through the gorge past Happy Creek Station on your way towards Thomson Station you cross seven bridges which in themselves are a marvel of engineering before reaching the spectacular Thomson River bridge.

Upon arrival at Thomson Station passengers disembark and have the opportunity to peruse the station and surroundings before re-boarding for your return journey.

For young train buffs, we also offer a Ride in the Cab Experience for a small extra fee.

See the amazing track work and bridges.

Make Walhalla Goldfields Railway your next family day out.

Get up front and experience a different perspective from the vantage point of the locomotive cab.

Trains depart Walhalla at 11am, 1pm and 3pm on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday weekly, and daily during school holidays.

See the amazing track work and bridges and chat to our knowledgeable crew along the way.

Bookings can be made at www.walhallarail.com.au Call 5165 6280 for more information.

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28 AUTUMN 2023

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

gifts

Baby gifts and more in store!

DID you know that Lazy Frog Gifts is a stockist of a huge range of beautiful, quality baby products?

It has a large range of Toshi baby wear and accessories, along with other brands such as Cracked Soda, Pure Baby and Snuggle Hunny.

The new autumn range for Toshi will include organic sweats, baby denim and swim wear.

Toshi is a designer lifestyle brand dedicated to the creation of children’s accessories, headwear, and organic baby gifts.

Its objective is to offer beautiful, aesthetically-driven products with high integrity and intelligent functionality.

Along with the baby wear, Lazy Frog is now a stockist of the very popular Smoosh silicone range. It is BPA free.

There is also a large range of baby accessories, blankets and bath accessories, feeding accessories, comforters and rattles and keepsakes.

Call in and see Jackie and the friendly staff at Lazy Frog for all your baby needs. Shop instore or online.

Lazy Frog is located at 109 Main Street, Pakenham. Call 5941 2225 or visit lazyfroggifts.com.au.

Lazy Frog has a wide range of baby gifts.

Party Time

Pamper Party Factory

Fun for all ages PAINT a Pot Art Studio is the art hub of Melbourne’s south east, with a pottery painting studio and loads more in the heart of Narre Warren.

Paint a Pot has pottery suited to all age groups, from small figurines and party animals to trinket bowls, plates, platters and mugs.

Located opposite Bunjil Place and Fountain Gate Shopping Centre, Paint a Pot offers art classes, kids parties and after-hours parties.

Get thirsty, hungry or need to keep the kids busy? No worries! There’s an on-site cafe and play centre so guests can stay as long as they need, to keep on creating.

By day, pop into the kid-friendly studio, grab a piece of pottery and spend the day creating artwork with the family or friends.

Also on offer are kid’s art classes and the keepsake casting of hands, feet and even little paws.

- a large range of CERAMICS animals/ characters to cater for all children to paint as they wish!

- a SOFT PLAY area for kids of all ages - a full CAFE with lots of variety for kids and adults to get through a busy art filled day!

- art classes for kids from ages 5-12.

- choose from one of our amazing PARTY PACKAGES and let us do all the work so you and your guests can enjoy yourselves!

4/1 Vesper Drive, Narre Warren Ph: 8794 9997 • www.paintapot.com.au Follow us on @paint.a.pot and Paint a Pot Narre Warren

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OUR CHILD FRIENDLY VENUE OFFERS A RANGE OF ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS:

Paint a Pot KIDS

Minis Teens Juniors Hens Bridal Pamper Parties for princesses big and small! pampermeprettyparties.com or 1300 711 072 12589784-JC11-23

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

AUTUMN 2023 29

born to perform

The teachers of Dance Legacy are so proud of what the students are achieving.

Teachers build a legacy DANCE Legacy is a dance studio based in Pakenham offering expert tuition by experienced teachers for students aged 18 months to adult.

It’s a home for all dancers. It offers classes for not only the serious dancer but also those who purely want enjoyment and recreation.

The team at Dance Legacy prides itself on having an experienced faculty that promises to provide excellent training coupled with fun, fitness and endless laughter.

Studio owners and teachers Miss Danielle and Miss Loren have a combined 30-plus years dance teaching experience.

Over the years they have not only produced award-winning choreography but have fostered a love of dance in hundreds of students and have celebrated many achievements, no matter how big or small.

They were very excited to open their

very own studio in 2021 and are very proud of the wonderful community they have created so far and can’t wait to continue their journey in 2023 for what they are calling their biggest and best year yet.

The teachers of Dance Legacy are so proud of what the students are achieving.

In 2022 the studio doubled size and this year its wonderful community is growing even more. They have welcomed many new faces through the door and seen students skip for the first time, seen students wing for the first time, and seen students achieve personal goals they have set for themselves.

Last year they saw students complete their first dance exams with amazing results and the very first company represented Dance Legacy wonderfully at local competitions.

But what Miss Loren and Miss Danielle love to see the most and are

the most proud of is students gaining or re-discovering a love and true enjoyment of dance.

Everybody that walks through the doors of Dance Legacy mention the awesome energy and vibe that the studio exudes and always walk out of class with a smile on their face.

Dance Legacy offers a wide variety of classes for ages 18 months through to adults in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, acro and stretch/conditioning.

It was the first dance school in the area to offer its popular ‘Legacies’ classes designed for students who danced at an elite level in their teenage years and want to continue their dancing for fun and fitness, and still want a challenge without the commitment.

The adult classes are also becoming super popular for anyone over the age of 18 with any or no dance experience.

Dance Legacy is also excited to take three age groups in its company stream to public performances such as the Pakenham show and competitions for the 2023 season.

Dance Legacy is only in its third year but has already grown to 150-plus students, and it’s growing every week.

The school moved into its very first home in 2022 and now owns two purpose-built studio spaces for almost 50 classes throughout each week, with plans to expand even more over the coming years.

Dance Legacy promises to provide an inclusive and safe environment to help develop the person as well as the dancer.

The team pledges to nurture and further a dance legacy for every student that dances through the studio door.

Love to dance? So does the Dance Legacy team.

Call 0422 774 665 to book a free trial.

Train with me in 2023 MEET Malaika. She is 15 years old and has been taking performing arts classes at Cathy-Lea Studios for 10 years.

Malaika loves to sing and takes private singing lessons in Cathy-Lea’s music school.

Her favourite dance styles are hip hop and jazz.

She won the Open Hip Hop solo section at the Southern Dance Festival and Southern Federation of Dance Competition in 2022.

She was also a finalist in ATOD Australasian Jazz Scholarships.

One of Malaika’s favourite experiences in 2022 was the Cathy-Lea Queensland Dance trip.

Malaika is studying Advanced 1 Cecchetti Classical Ballet, having competed her intermediate exam with honours.

She gained 100 per cent in Elementary Jazz and honours in Intermediate Tap (ATOD) in 2022.

She also takes classes in contemporary, lyrical, commercial jazz, conditioning and acrobatics, trains in the academy’s Elite Training Program.

One of her favourite experiences in 2022 was the Cathy-Lea Queensland dance trip, which included dancing in the Dreamworld parade and taking classes at Dance Force Studios in Tweed Heads.

When asked what she liked about training at Cathy-Lea Studios, Malaika said: “I always feel welcome. It’s like my second (very diverse) family and home. Our teachers are always teaching us new things and providing us with many opportunities.”

“There’s never a dull moment in class. Everyone is always laughing and learning, which makes you really want

to go to dance, be proud of your studio and strive to achieve your goals.”

Cathy-Lea Studios has been training children of all abilities in performing arts since 1991 and offers classes for children from 18 months through to adults.

Programs offered include the award-winning Ready Set Dance program, Cecchetti International Ballet, ATOD jazz and tap, drama and musical Theatre, instrumental music, preprofesisonal training, VCE dance and VET dance.

The studio also runs a talent agency to connect students to professional performance opportunities.

Find out how you can dance with Malaika at Cathy-Lea Studios in 2023.

Visit cathy-lea.com to enrol, make an enquiry or register for a free trial class.

Train with us in 2023 Dance Music & Drama classes • All ages • All abilities • Free trial classes • Fee discounts • Recreational classes • Pre-professional training • Ready Set Dance • VCE & VET Dance

dance classes in PAKENHAM for 18 months+ to Adult ENROL NOW FOR

2023

Creating stars since 1991

30 AUTUMN 2023

12590716-AV11-23

5/15-19 Vesper Dve, Narre Warren 9704 7324 office@cathy-lea.com www.cathy-lea.com

12591086-ET11-23

admin@dancelegacy.com.au

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

DINING OUT The Great Australian Bakehouse, Pakenham

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Speak to our friendly staff to turn your plans into an event.

Come in and grab a delicious pie and hot coffee or choose from our great range of cakes and pastries

Fresh sandwiches made to order.

The best coffee from Vittoria.

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Great place to sit and relax for lunch.

Open 7 days a week

Open 7 days early until 3pm

25 High Street Berwick www.lavainberwick.com.au facebook.com/lavainberwick facebook.com/lavaloungeberwick 12591494-AV11-23

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P: 5941 3262

14 Northey Road, Lynbrook

Phone 8787 8599

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Available on Uber Eats and DoorDash!

Downtown Dogs 30 Adams Lane, Berwick (Inside of New York Barbers) downtowndogs.com.au

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SAT: 8am - 2:00pm SUN: Closed 12578576-ET49-22

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

AUTUMN 2023 31

Reality Bites

Ruairí the lucky last

By Casey Neill GABRIELLE Williams always had in the back of her mind that she “probably couldn’t have kids”.

“As a protective mechanism I worked from the assumption that I couldn’t, and therefore tried not to want it too much,” the Dandenong MP and State Government Minister said.

“As I got older and then made the call to do IVF, I wanted it a lot more.

“With every failure and loss and with the clock ticking, that longing grows.

“I also began to think it was less and less likely.”

She was approaching 40 and over 5.5 years had been through multiple IVF cycles to circumvent her polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

“I’d already made the decision that I couldn’t keep going, I couldn’t keep doing it, so that was it,” she said.

Then Ruairí came along.

“He was the last embryo,” Gabrielle said.

“I’d ended up with five or six, which was a pretty good haul of embryos, but by the time I got them tested, that wiped out all of them bar one.

“I was convinced it wasn’t going to work and almost moved on the minute I’d had it done.

“I went straight back to work from the clinic and got on with my day.”

“I was less manic about that round.

“It wasn’t occupying every minute of my thoughts the way that every other round had.”

A self-described “chronic pregnancy tester”, Gabrielle took an at-home test five days post embryo transfer.

“It came up positive and I thought ‘oh yeah, I’ve been here before though and it’s faded’,” she said.

She tested again on days six, seven and eight and that line kept getting darker.

“But I was still not ready to get too excited yet,” she said.

“Then we got into the world of scans and he was there

and confirmed.

option for her.

“Then I thought I lost him at six weeks. I was convinced I’d lost him.”

“We do have a donor shortage so the list is pretty thin. Sometimes you have to wait quite a while for the right one,” she said.

She’d had a bleed but it was the weekend, so her specialist told her to come in on Monday.

But one of her sisters wouldn’t let her wait under the worry. She drove Gabrielle to Monash Medical Centre and waited outside for her, in the midst of Covid challenges.

She waited a few weeks, requesting the list of potential donors at 7am every morning.

“If you found one that was appropriate you had to be really quick at requesting it,” she said.

“I hadn’t at any point heard the baby’s heartbeat before then, and I wasn’t expecting it would be there,” she said.

“There’s legislative caps on how many families each donor can have.

We’ve just changed it from 10 women to 10 families.

“I’d kept it together until then, but I completely fell in a heap when I heard him and he was fine.”

“It’s a bit of a competition to land your donor.

Despite having her age and PCOS as risk factors, Gabrielle’s pregnancy progressed well.

“It was hard getting to him, but when he was there it seemed to run fairly smoothly,” she said.

Gabrielle had started the IVF process while she was married, but when the relationship broke down she was determined to continue the process alone.

“That meant going through a sperm donor, which is not an easy process,” she said.

She thought hard about whether to ask someone she knew but decided an anonymous donor was the best

“Because I’m raising him as a single mum - it sounds a bit silly, and perhaps it is silly - but I wanted him to feel as connected to me as he could.

“So I was looking for someone with the basic attributes that I had - brown hair, brown eyes, but hopefully a bit taller.

“That is what I found, basically. I even found a donor that said he had wavy hair as well.”

There’s no compensation for sperm donors.

“And it’s not an easy process because you’ve got to provide a lot of information about yourself, there’s genetic screenings,” she said.

“So men who commit to doing this, it’s a big commitment.

Gabrielle and Ruairí in her elecorate office.

Picture: Rob Carew

“I find myself now always having conversations with friends who fit the eligibility criteria, saying ‘you should do this’, it’s really helpful and it changes someone’s life for minimal inconvenience to them in the greater scheme.

Gabrielle and baby Ruairí.

32 AUTUMN 2023

www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

Gabrielle and Ruairí in her elecorate office.

Picture: Rob Carew

Gabrielle on the campaign trail with baby Ruairí.

“Statistically, there are more and more women having children on their own.

was still alive and he was still looking happy and I was OK I thought ‘I can do this’.

“There’s going to be more of us, not less, which means the role of donors then becomes more important.”

“It was a good crash course, those first 24 hours.”

Gabrielle made a “calculated decision” to become a single mum.

“I weighed up the reality of doing it alone pretty heavily and had conversations with my family about it,” she said.

“For me to be able to do it, I had to make sure I had plenty of support from them.

“I’m very blessed to be one of four girls so I’ve got three big sisters.

“I knew I had their support and they were very eager to give me that support.”

Her parents are also a huge support.

But the reality of entering motherhood solo?

“It’s a shell shock for everyone,” she laughed.

“My mum was in the delivery room with me. He was born first thing in the morning.

“You get to the end of the day and you’re in bed and mum’s gone home and I remember having him lying in the bassinet next to me and thinking ‘oh wow, what now?’.

“It was just me and him.

“It was a very big jump in the deep end, not having anyone with me that first night.

“I thought ‘it’s never going to be quite so hard, in a way, as it is tonight’ because it’s all new, I’m confined to the bed because I’d just had a caesarean.

“By the time the sun came up and he www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

Ruairí was four months old when we spoke and, like most mums, Gabrielle was still in the thick of figuring out motherhood - and how to make it work alongside a demanding career.

“What works this week might not work next week, so I’m having to build that uncertainty into my diary and into how I work,” she said.

“There’s a serenity, almost, attached to the fact that you can’t change it and it is what it is.

“I’m fortunate enough to be in a job that does give me some flexibility.”

Breastfeeding and pumping mean carting a pump and other supplies around Parliament House, and instigating a parenting room.

“I’m very lucky that I’ve been able to feed and it’s happened quite easily for me, which isn’t the case for everybody,” she said.

“But feeding is a challenge, it’s a challenge that I continue to navigate.

“You never master it.

“I do find that there’s a calm in just accepting that you can’t predict it.”

Gabrielle has great support from her electorate and ministerial staff.

Newborn Ruairí.

weeks after he was born and he came with me,” Gabrielle said.

reminder of why we’re here and what we’re doing.”

“I had to be doing it and it was important.

Gabrielle was reluctant to give any advice to other women battling infertility.

“I tried to target what I was doing.”

Previously she would have spent every day at pre-polling booths, from open to close. So she cut back the hours.

“The upside of having him when I’ve had him is on the back of Covid, we’ve got a lot more used to doing things online,” she said.

She’s acutely aware that everyone’s situation is different.

“Be kind to yourself, no matter what decision you come to,” she said.

“You can’t be influenced by whatever anyone else says. It’s not their experience.

Gabrielle was first elected in 2014 and never considered stepping away from the seat.

“The only advice I can give is you’ve got to listen to your own circumstance and make the call yourself.

“I’ll always do this job as long as I’ve got the passion for it,” she said.

“You’ll get pulled in different directions

“Having him didn’t change that.

“Keep checking in with yourself.

“If anything it’s made me more impatient for change.

“You can get caught on the roller coaster of it.”

Ruairí was born just weeks before the 2022 Victorian State election.

“I can see in my own domestic circumstances the impact of what we do and in very real terms the idea that you want to leave the place better than where you found it.

Watching Gabrielle hold a smiling Ruairí on her lap while we chat, it’s obvious that every low on her roller coaster was worth it.

“I did my first press conference two

“He’s another inspiration point and a

“They’ve all had to learn how to do their jobs a little bit differently,” she said.

“But they’ve ridden the journey with me as well.

“Now that he’s here they’re all rapt.”

“He’s everything I could have hoped,” she said.

AUTUMN 2023 33

Reality Bites

Time to get on your tummy

Nadeshka Withanage with daughter Chanel Sacco.

Chanel Sacco heads outside for tummy time.

By Casey Neill

“Read books together, or even use glossy magazines in the early months.

TUMMY time is the best way to help your baby get moving.

“You can use a yoga mat in front of a mirror.

Glen Iris physiotherapist and mum of two, Nadeshka Withanage, says tummy time can be performed safely from birth.

“As they get older, you can get more creative. Fill a shallow pan with water and add plastic toys.”

Try pushing a car past or rolling a ball past your baby, encouraging them to turn their head.

“Your baby lays on their tummy and they’re supporting their own body weight through their own forearms,” she said.

“You can get siblings involved and other family members,” she said.

“It gives baby the opportunity to use and strengthen their neck, back and shoulder muscles for moving, rolling, then crawling.

“My favourite thing is to go outside for tummy time.

“For a baby to see leaves blowing on the trees, the garden plants moving, the breeze on their face can be very beneficial.

“Tummy time is one of the first things you can do with your baby to set them up for an active and healthy start to life.”

“Bring a picnic rug to a park. Set baby up on their tummy, even when you’re out socialising.”

Ms Withanage said it was also shown to prevent flat spots from long periods spent sleeping on the back, and extended periods in prams and cars “which tends to happen now that we’re all on the move so often”.

“Some parents can get discouraged by a lack of head and neck control in early weeks,” she said.

“But even when a baby is held against a parent’s body, lap or forearm in the early days it can count towards time spent on their tummy.”

During the first few months she used a rolled-up towel under her baby’s chest with their forearms in front of the towel.

“That can help minimise the effect of gravity and make it easier for your baby to maintain that activity,” she said.

Incorporate tummy time when baby is alert and hasn’t recently been fed, to avoid reflux and vomiting.

“You can start with 30 seconds and 34 AUTUMN 2023

build up,” Ms Withanage said.

“Try several times a day, and aim for 30 minutes across the entire day until baby is well and truly crawling.

“Don’t get discouraged early on.

“Change the way you do tummy time regularly, change it up.

“You’ll find there might be particular ways that your child is really engaging in tummy time.

“If you still have concerns or you’re really struggling to find an appropriate time, speak to health nurse or GP.” She recommended a back massage after a shower as one way to incorporate tummy time with a reluctant bub.

Parents can also lay flat on their back with bubs on their chest or tummy.

“This can let them feel safe and not so alone during it,” she said.

“I think that’s often why babies often don’t like tummy time - it’s hard work, and it often feels like a very independent activity.”

Get down on your own tummy and have a conversation with your baby.

“Face to face interactions are valuable and fun,” Ms Withanage said.

“You can chat to them about anything, from dinner options, to weekend plans, to nursery rhymes.

“Use colourful toys or even shake a rattle on floor level.

Ms Withanage said the The World Health Organisation suggested not restraining your baby for more than an hour at a time, in a pram or stroller, or even strapped onto your body or in a high chair.

“They don’t recommend screen time as a way to get your baby to focus or do tummy time that way,” she said.

“Additional devices such as walkers and exercise jumpers that claim to help your baby with walking or reaching developmental milestones are not encouraged and in-fact can delay the natural progression of development.

“They have also been shown to cause injury due to overuse and tightening of muscle groups, and increase the risk of accidents around the house as babies are moving around too quickly.

“Floor-based play including lots of tummy time is the safest and best way to reach overall total development.” www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

Fashion

Fall for autumn fashion FIND stylish autumn additions for your child’s wardrobe at Billy Lidz.

designer children’s and baby clothing brands and overseas favourites.

The Berwick boutique is filled to the brim with clothing, accessories, shoes, toys and great gifts.

The store also stocks hand-knitted dolls from cuddle + kind, a brand that gives 10 meals to children in need for every doll sold.

Find the perfect outfit for strolling through fallen leaves at a park through to that special event.

Billy Lidz stocks leading Australian

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Visit the boutique at Blackburne Square, Berwick, or check out the range via the online store, www.lovemybillylidz.com.au.

AUTUMN 2023 35

Fashion

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36 AUTUMN 2023

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Books

Blocking bullies CHILDREN, parents and therapists alike can learn a thing or two from a little dog named Harry.

Armadale psychologist and bullying expert Evelyn M Field wrote Harry the Bully Blocker to empower anyone being bullied - child, teenager or adult.

Harry’s tale is written as a rhyming poem to help readers remember the words.

In a dream, the shy, bullied little dog meets some friendly animals who teach him useful bully-blocking skills.

Mia the meerkat tells him the best ways to respond to bullying.

Ollie the owl emphasises eye contact.

Gerry the giraffe explains the importance of good posture.

Harry is told that “when you block others politely, they feel confused and stuck. They don’t know what to do or say, and become dumbstruck”.

It takes away their power, the other wise animals tell him, and they become surprised and embarrassed.

“You need respect, they realise,” the book says.

“Everyone knows that being embarrassed is a real pain.

“You can be sure that they won’t try to bully you again!”

Harry puts his new skills into practice and welcomes the results.

The story is based on the therapy model Evelyn developed to train psychologists, and on years of teaching bullied people of all ages to manage their basic survival instinct.

“Harry the Bull Blocker can help anyone who feels like a bullied child learn how to block bullies and build important social skills,” Evelyn said.

Harry’s tale is written as a poem.

Children’s books...

Little Treasure

Jamie

Hello, Emma Memma

Chanelle Cosper & Jennifer Goldsmith

A beautiful and uplifting story from L.D. Lapinski, author of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency, about how to make your own place when the world doesn’t think you fit anywhere. For readers of Alex Gino’s Melissa, and Benjamin Dean’s Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow.

Introducing Emma Memma!

A tender picture book that will touch the hearts of children and parents alike, with its poetic observations about the unbreakable bond between mother and child and its reminder to treasure every moment together. Perfect for Mother’s Day. Lothian Children’s Books $24.99

Jamie Rambeau is a happy 11-year-old non-binary kid who likes nothing better than hanging out with their two best friends Daisy and Ash. Orion Children’s Books $16.99

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Join Emma Memma for a magical story time as she says hello to the world.

Here she is! The wait is finally over, beloved children’s entertainer Emma Watkins’ next chapter has been unveiled as she makes a joyful transformation into Emma Memma.

Sing, dance and sign with Emma Memma!

Puffin $19.99

Ratbags 1: Naughty for Good

Can You Get Rainbows in Space?

Shiloh Gordon and Tim Harris

Dr Sheila Kanani

From award-winning bestselling author and funnyman, Tim Harris, comes this stupendously rat-tastic new series. These are the Ratbags.

They have pizza, and they are NOT afraid to use it.

Why is blood red? Why are carrots orange? Who invented the lightbulb? Why is the world ‘going green’? Is the sky really blue? And what is ultraviolet light?

Let’s face it – rats are mischief. Rats are rule-breakers.

Rats are ratbags. They’re all the same. All, that is, except one...

You’ll discover the answers to these questions - and many more - in this incredible collection of scientific facts about colour.

When Jigsaw runs into two of the most ratbaggy Ratbags known to rats, his orderly world is turned upside down and he pulls off one of the best pizza heists EVER! Will his newfound pizza obsession make Jigsaw the naughtiest Ratbag yet? Or will Jigsaw figure out how to be naughty – for good?!

Keep reading to discover why leaves change colour in the autumn, why your veins look blue but your blood is red, and how the language we use shapes the colours we see . . .

Puffin $14.99

Puffin $32.99

And you’ll even be taught by a real astronomer, Dr Sheila Kanani, exactly how to make a rainbow - in space.

AUTUMN 2023 37

Kids Calendar

What's on this Autumn UNTIL 24 MARCH GLOBAL FLAVOUR FEAST Stuck for that Friday night dinner? Grab the family and head down to the Bunjil Place Plaza Friday nights through March for this year’s exploration into some of the rich cultural diversity Melbourne and the Southeast has to offer.

Find food plus cultural performances and demonstrations from 5.30pm to 9.30pm.

UNTIL 10 APRIL JULIAN OPIE: STUDIO FOR KIDS This interactive exhibition for children and families was developed in collaboration with Julian Opie, one of Britain’s leading contemporary artists, and invites visitors to create portraits.

National Gallery of Victoria hosts this free event.

UNTIL 31 MAY MINI MAKERS Little hands and feet can play with paint, glitter, paste, sand, clay, slimy spaghetti, chalk, and much more.

National Wool Museum, 26-32 Moorabool Street, Geelong, is hosting several sessions, 10.30am to 11.15am.

Tickets are $6 for kids and free for accompanying adults

UNTIL 31 DECEMBER FITZROY GARDENS OUTDOOR ADVENTURE Entertain the kids by taking the outdoor adventure challenge in the heritagelisted Fitzroy Gardens.

Starting off at the Fitzroy Gardens Visitor Centre, kids will collect their map and then head off on their hunt to answer 12 questions around the gardens.

Suitable for primary school-aged children, but adult assistance is necessary. Remember to bring a pen or marker.

The Visitor Centre is open every day except Christmas Day in Wellington Parade, East Melbourne.

This is a free event and bookings are not required.

DAILY

HOLLAND FESTIVAL

8 APRIL

CHILDREN’S GALLERY MELBOURNE MUSEUM

Visit Akoonah Park, Berwick From 10am to 6pm for kibbeling, stroopwafers, ollie bollen and more.

BARWON RIVER DUCK RACE

Children can explore, play and learn at the Pauline Gandel Children’s Gallery at Melbourne Museum.

Visit www.hollandfestival.org.au for more information..

Excavate fossils in a dinosaur dig, traverse the discovery garden, and boogie at a ‘camouflage disco’.

23 MARCH

The exhibitions combine hands-on exploration and discovery, open-ended play-based learning, extraordinary immersive environments and unique museum collection objects.

Psychologist and bestselling author Evelyn M Field presents Bully Blocker for Kids in this online workshop, 7.30pm to 8.30pm.

Suitable for babies to five-year-olds.

Melbourne Museum is at 11 Nicholson Street, Carlton. Book at museumsvictoria.com.au/ melbournemuseum/whats-on/ childrens-gallery.

9-12 MARCH MOOMBA FESTIVAL CARNIVAL Now running over five days, this event has rides to suit both big and little kids.

Enjoy the fun at Birrarung Marr. Tickets are priced from $7 to $20.

12 MARCH BELLARINE AGRICULTURALSHOW The 31st Annual Bellarine Agricultural Show is a traditional country show and it’s got something for everyone.

Head to Portarlington Recreation Reserve, Boat Road, Portarlington, from 9am to 3pm.

Tickets are free for kids, $7.50 for seniors and $12.50 for adults.

VIsit www.bellarineshow.com.au.

18 MARCH CASEY KIDS CARNIVAL From noon to 5pm the Old Cheese Factory will host face painting, roving singing sailors, rides and inflatables, music and dance performers, stilt walkers, circus performers, gymnastics activation, AFL activation, a petting zoo, and much more.

There will also be displays by Ambulance Victoria, Victoria Police, Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) and the City of Casey Waste Team and Road Safety Team.

Entry is free but bookings are essential.

Visit tickets.bunjilplace.com.au/ casey-kids-carnival.

38 AUTUMN 2023

BULLY BLOCKER FOR KIDS

Raise money for Ocean Grove Rotary, Barwon Heads Primary School, Barwon Heads Scouts and the Barwon Heads Association.

From noon, ducks will make their way from the Barwon Heads pedestrian bridge to the finish line at the Ozone Jetty.

Entry is $10 per duck, with prizes up for grabs.

The session will cover: What is happening in schools today, how this impacts students, and how parents can empower their children.

Visit www.stonnington.vic.gov.au for more.

25, 26, 30, 31 MARCH, 1 & 2 APRIL OBANG ArtPlay is hosting this performative installation space designed for babies aged 6 to 18 months along with their care-givers, and is inspired by the traditional Korean concept of Obang.

In this work, Obang refers to five primary colours and explores the spatial meaning of home.

You are invited to a Korean grandmother’s home for a meal.

Together you will experience her daily life, including cooking, washing and singing.

Tickets are $15 for one child and an accompanying adult.

11-15 APRIL HAMLET: PRINCE OF SKIDMARK Playhouse is hosting this cheeky, irreverent riff on Hamlet made especially for children from The Listies.

Tickets are priced from $25 to $35.

21 APRIL THE FISH THAT WANTED TO FLY The Fish That Wanted to Fly is about having the courage to pursue something even if it seems likely you will never reach it.

Bunjil Place in Narre Warren will host the show at 10.30am and 12.30pm.

It’s recommended for 3 to 8 year olds.

Tickets are $8.

30 APRIL & 1 MAY 1, 12 & 13 APRIL

ARE WE THERE YET?

MR STINK

Bunjil Place in Narre Warren presents this play based on Alison Lester’s book at 2pm on 30 April and 10am on 1 May. Join 8 year old Grace and her family on their adventurous and often funny expedition around Australia.

Tickets are $16.

Mr Stink stank. He also stunk. And if it was correct English to say he stinked, then he stinked as well.

Lonely Chloe makes friends with Mr Stink, the only person who’s ever been nice to her and hides him in her garden shed. What happens next?

28 MAY

Suitable for ages 6-plus and their adults.

Shows run at 2pm and 5pm at Costa Hall, 1 Gheringhap Street, Geelong, on 1 April. Tickets are from $22.

Shows run at 6pm on 12 April and 10.30am on 13 April at Bunjil Place, 2 Patrick NE Drive, Narre Warren. Tickets are $18.

MILLION PAWS WALK Celebrate the joy dogs can bring, take a walk in the fight against animal cruelty, browse pet-centric exhibits and sample delicious foods.

Runs 8am to noon at Eastern Garden Circuit, corner Podbury and Eastern Park drives, East Geelong. Tickets priced from $17. www.CaseyCardiniaKids.com.au

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AUTUMN 2023 39

St Clare’s Catholic Primary School in Officer

Our faith leads to wisdom and courage. ’s and is embedded in the ethos of the school, the curriculum we offer and the

I invite you to visit us at St Clare’s and discover this dynamic learning environment and start the beginning of, what I hope will be, a life-long learning partnership.

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Please contact the school now to make a booking Ph 5940 6777 St Clare’s Primary School Officer Officer 3809 Phone 03 5940 6777 Email enrolments@stclaresofficer.catholic.edu.au 40 AUTUMN 2023

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