Gwydir
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FOR THE GWYDIR SHIRE AND SURROUNDS
June 2022 Edition • www.gwydirnews.com March 2021 Edition • www.thegwydirnews.com.au
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THARAWONGA CONTINUES TO SERVICE OUTLYING COMMUNITIES
GWYDIRNEWS Community news for the Gwydir Shire and surrounds MARCH 2021 EDITION • WWW.THEGWYDIRNEWS.COM.AU
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Above, left: Tharawonga Service Director, Emma Read, with Maggie Uebergang, and right: Lucy Uebergang taking orders for the preschool cafe
A mobile preschool that offers non-profit, caring and friendly childhood, play-based education to families across five small communities in the Gwydir Shire that runs weekly may sound too good to be true, but Tharawonga Mobile Resource Unit provides all this in our own backyard and is currently nearing it’s 30th year. Tharawonga is classified as a long day care service and opens its travelling doors to children between the ages of 2 - 6 years. Children of North Star, Croppa Creek, Yetman, Gravesend and Yallaroi continue to benefit from the fun, early learning service provided by educators that are invested in providing opportunities to children, no matter where they live. Young people are offered experiences that nurture childhood development, skills and social opportunities. A quality start to education is essential and Tharawonga Director, Emma Read, says that the service can help parents reach the 15 hours per week of early childhood education recommended by the NSW State Government’s Start Strong for Community Preschool’s program. “At Tharawonga, the idea is to offer the same access to early childhood experiences as any regular preschool service,” Emma said. The days are full of action with a vast range of activities on offer on any one day. Tharawonga’s vehicles are loaded up at the start of each week with all manner of toys, craft supplies and equipment that would be utilised in any other preschool or day care service.
“Mobile services are very organised. You’ve got to be because if you don’t have the things that you need, there is no going back,” she said. In the past month the service has undergone an accreditation assessment – the first of its kind for providers such as this across NSW. Whilst the process was rigorous Tharawonga Director, Emma Read, says that expectations of accreditation are already met each day in order to offer their program to the region’s young people. “We had a couple of periods of disruption over the past years due to COVID-19. During this time we created packs of things the children could do at home with their families, mostly via email, to provide that opportunity,” she said. Amongst the activities offered were packets of seed that were sent home. Following simple instructions, children were able to grow plants such as broccoli and send in photos to staff. Back in the community halls that allow the service to operate, children paint, play, read, ride and interact with each other and staff, before it is time to pack the whole lot up and start again in a new place, on another day.
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