Early Edition Summer 2015 by Australian Childcare Alliance Queensland

EarlyEdition SUMMER 2015

How to make your kids sun smart the fun way The Golden Rule of copyright Hydration and staff: the link Effective marketing all year round

NEW LOOK, SAME GREAT ASS OCIATION.

Do you have enough educators to meet the new ratios commencing 1st January 2016? CALL us today to discuss your ACA Qld member only special offer!

Remember, 50% qualified ratio require d at all times during the day. Until 31 December 2015, a Certificate III qualification staff are taken to hold employed as an educator in if they were continuously an for at least 15 years up to 31 education and care service December employed by the same provid2011, and still er. From 1 January 2016, these edu to hold or be actively workin cators will need g approved Certificate III qua towards an lification or higher.

CAECE offers: Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care (CHC50113) Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care (CHC30113)

ENROL TODAY! 07 3299 5784 www.caece.com.au

RTO Number: 40933

EarlyEdition SUMMER 2015

ACA Queensland

Contents

Location: 11/6 Vanessa Boulevard, Springwood Mailing: PO Box 137, Springwood QLD 4127 Telephone: (07) 3808 2366 Fax: (07) 3808 2466 Toll Free: 1300 365 325 (outside Brisbane) Web: www.qld.childcarealliance.org.au Email: qld@childcarealliance.org.au

Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Report

CEO Report

Food safety is everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business

How to make your kids sun smart the fun way

Future proofing children today to build thriving futures

Disclaimer: Articles published in this magazine are published as a service to readers and should not be substituted for specific advice in relation to any issue. While advertising in this magazine is encouraged, ACA Queensland accepts no responsibility for the contents of the advertisements. Advertisements are accepted in good faith and liability for advertising content, goods or services supplied is the responsibility of the advertiser.

The Golden Rule of copyright

Transition to school: what does it really mean?

Hydration and staff: the link

Educator in profile

Educator-to-child ratios milestone in 2016

Effective marketing all year round

Through the glass ceiling

The Assessment and Rating holiday!

Associate Member Directory

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE Executive

Committee Members

President - Jae Fraser

Doug Burns

Vice President - Brent Stokes

Majella Fitzsimmons Janet Schluter

Treasurer - Linda Davies

Kerrie Lada

Secretary - Debra North

Rosa McDonald

Peter Price Louise Thomas

ACA Queensland Office Office Manager - Jen Smyth Office Admin Assistant - Rachael Boatfield KASS Project Manager - Linda McConville Project Officer - Claudette Cabilan

CEO - Gwynn Bridge

EARLY EDITION > Summer 2015

President’s Report Welcome to our last Early Edition for 2015, and what a year it has been for the Queensland early childhood education and care sector. During our recent round of member meetings, it was wonderful to get out and spend time with the members from Cairns to the Gold Coast and out to Ipswich to discuss all of the 2016 changes that are due to occur. Our members meetings were a fantastic networking opportunity for members to get together and discuss the changes that are coming and we certainly appreciate your attendance at these sessions.

Our 2016 National Conference planning is well underway and we have some very exciting presenters and fresh new ideas for next year that we are sure you will love. We are always calling for ideas, and member input so if you would like to share your ideas or know of any great keynote speakers that would add to the value of our conference please let us know. The 2016 theme is “Reveal the Possibilities”.

Since our last report, we have had our Annual General Meeting and we welcome our newest Committee Members Louise Thomas, Rosa McDonald, Janet Schluter and Doug Burns. It is wonderful that we have continued to have representation from all over Queensland with Committee Members from Townsville, Bundaberg, Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Our committee is always working hard for the sector and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for all of their hard work and commitment to the sector.

Distribution of our 2016 Diary is underway and will be in your centres very soon. This year as a special gift, all ACA Qld members will receive a free wall planner for their centres.

There is also a lot happening federally and Gwynn Bridge and I have been very active in this space working very closely with all levels of government through Australian Childcare Alliance (our national body) to ensure that our message is heard loud and clear. Throughout 2015, we have attended many meetings in Canberra to voice our concerns and we are very fortunate to have Gwynn Bridge as National President for ACA. January will certainly be a busy start to 2016 for Queensland with the implementation of the new immunisation legislation and also the 2016 ratio changes. Please remember that we are here to assist you so if you do need any assistance please call our office on 07 3808 2366.

EARLY EDITION > Summer 2015

We hope you all enjoyed your Early Childhood Educators Day celebrations. It is so wonderful to see all of our incredible educators recognised for the great things they do for the children of our future. Thanks for sharing your photos of your day with us. Keep a close eye out for many Professional Development opportunities that are on offer for ACA QLD members in 2016 and be sure to take advantage of these offers. On a final note, we announced recently that from the end of December, Gwynn Bridge will step down from her role as CEO of ACA Qld to take some well-deserved time for herself and her family. Gwynn will serve her term as President of our national body, Australian Childcare Alliance. Gwynn has been an active member of state and national long day care association committees for the past 28 years, and CEO for the past 5 years. She is a leading voice of the private long day care sector. Her dedication in the provision of affordable quality care and improving

the educational outcomes of children resonates in everything she does. Gwynn’s passion is inspiring and contagious. She is a mentor and encourages others to achieve great heights. Gwynn’s contributions have unified the sector, introduced significant reform and achieved better outcomes for families across Queensland and Australia. We acknowledge her tremendous contribution to the early childhood education and care sector. On behalf of ACA Qld, thank you Gwynn. You will be greatly missed. Thanks again for all of your support throughout 2015, and we will continue to work hard for you and the entire Queensland ECEC sector, at both State and Federal levels, to ensure better outcomes for children and the sector.

Jae Fraser President

CEO Report One thing is for sure, we are never short on news in the early childhood education and care sector. Our round of general meetings where all current information is shared has concluded and we thank all members who attended. These meetings provide a valuable networking time for members and also the opportunity for you to voice concerns and provide feedback to your Association on any challenges you may encounter in the operation of your business. We welcome hearing from you so that we can take these issues to governments on your behalf. We are excited, as we welcome Richard Fimeri into our ACA Qld office as the manager of our Registered Training Organisation – the College for Australian Early Childhood Educators (CAECE). Richard comes to us with extensive experience in the training sector. This College, whilst being a separate company, belongs to ACA Qld and therefore the members. Please consider CAECE when you are seeking to enrol a student for the Certificate III or the Diploma course. Association members will receive a reduced enrolment price for students. With the ratio changes being implemented from 1 January 2016 you may find that you need additional Diploma qualified educators or Certificate III educators to upskill to Diploma level to meet the required 50% qualified at all times. There is much discussion and some confusion on the ratio changes and working out the educator to child ratio required across the service. Check the latest Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) newsletter for information on how a qualification can be assessed when working out the qualification level of your educators. Below is an extract from the ACECQA newsletter:

Actively working towards an approved qualification The requirements for actively working towards an approved qualification are: 1. being enrolled in a course for the qualification 2. having commenced the course 3. making satisfactory progress towards completion 4. meeting the requirements to maintain enrolment 5. holding an approved certificate III qualification OR having completed the approved certificate III units OR having completed 30% of the units in an approved ECT qualification. A person who meets requirements 1 to 4 may be counted as a certificate III qualified educator. A person who meets all five requirements above may be counted as a diploma qualified educator. You can also read an article written by the Queensland Department of Education and Training on page 18. We understand that it can be confusing changing from our previous method of counting educator to child ratios by the room group size to the “across the service” model. This model has been used by several other states for many years but was new to Queensland in 2012 when the new regulations were introduced. I have had discussions with ACECQA who have sent me all the previous information that they have circulated. I am in the process of putting together a document that I hope will explain the process simply and efficiently for assessing your educator to child ratio requirements combined with maintaining the 50% qualified at all times.

Should you have any queries in the meantime, please email our office at qld@childcarealliance.org.au. The Jobs for Families package has not at the date of writing been tabled in the House of Representatives. ACA remains concerned for the many children who will not be able to access an ECEC program as a result of this package. Nationally we are commencing a campaign with the hope that consideration will be extended to these children and also to the families whose work hours may not permit them to access ECEC for the number of days per week that their part time/casual position requires. ACA has serious concern for the children who may not have enough subsidised hours to attend a Kindergarten program in a long day care setting. Immunisation changes commence 1 January 2016. Remember that there is Federal legislation and State legislation covering this change. State legislation leaves it up to the service as to whether an unimmunised child is accepted into a service whilst the Federal legislation enforces no subsidy for an unimmunised child. Visit the Queensland Health website (www.health.qld.gov.au/public-health/ schools/immunisation/legislation/ default.asp) for more information on the state legislation. One again, legislation for this across states is not consistent. We will keep you informed through our regular updates when new information on the package is available.

Gwynn Bridge CEO

EARLY EDITION > Summer 2015

Food safety is everyone’s business

Rosemary Hughes> NAQ Nutrition – Food Foundations Program

No matter whether food is provided by your service or parents provide lunchboxes, safe food handling in the delivery, storage, preparation and serving of food is essential to ensure the health of children. With the weather warming up for summer, it’s especially important to check if your early childhood service is meeting food safety requirements. Four major reasons why ‘Safe Food Handling’ is vital in early childhood services: 1. Children’s immune systems are not fully developed, increasing risk of food borne illness 2. Children’s lower body weight means it requires fewer bacteria to make them sick than for healthy adults 3. Dehydration can be fatal in children due to their small body size 4. The larger the number of children being fed, the larger the risk because it’s more challenging to handle larger quantities of food safely Bacteria cause most cases of food poisoning/foodborne illnesses and there are three factors which encourage them to grow to unsafe levels including: 1. Moisture and protein (watch out for high risk foods) 2. Ideal temperature (danger zone = 5°-60°C) 3. Time Your early childhood service can protect children and staff from food poisoning by ensuring safe food practices and controlling these elements needed for bacterial growth.

EARLY EDITION > Summer 2015

High Risk Foods

Legislation

It’s important to be aware that foods containing protein and moisture present high-risk for food borne illness as they provide ideal conditions for bacteria to thrive. High risk foods include meat, poultry, eggs, dairy and seafood as well as cooked rice and pasta.

Did you know that if your service provides food, you need to check with your local council to find out if you need to be a licensed food business? If so, then you will be required to test and record the internal temperature of all cooked and heated food daily. If parents provide the food it’s still best practice to test and record food temperatures to minimise risk.

Safe food temperatures The temperature danger zone for food is between 5°C and 60°C. In this range, bacteria multiply most rapidly, reaching large numbers and producing hazardous poisons. Check your fridges and freezers are cold enough and hot foods are kept at safe temperatures. Best practice is to check and record these temperatures daily.

Probe thermometer For best practice, use a probe thermometer when checking the inside temperature of food. These can be purchased from Fildes Food Safety, found online at www. foodsafetysolutions.com.au/catalogue/ index.php or your local kitchen shop.

To keep food safe ensure:

Time - the 2 hour/4 hour rule

• Frozen food < -18°C

It’s unrealistic that food is always kept below 5°C or above 60°C. The 2 Hour/4 Hour rule tells you how long potentially hazardous foods can be safely held at danger zone temperatures before food poisoning bacteria grow to unsafe levels. Apply the following time limits and actions to ensure potentially hazardous foods remain safe to eat.

• Refrigerated foods < 5°C • H ot foods > 60°C (best practice 75°C) Note: If storing children’s lunchboxes in the fridge, unzip/open lid of lunch bag before putting in fridge to ensure cold air can circulate through the lunchboxes. When cooking or reheating food, ensure the internal temperature reaches at least 60°C (best practice 75°C), before being left to cool to a safe temperature for consumption and then served.

If food has been left in the Temperature Danger Zone for a TOTAL of: • less than 2 hours refrigerate immediately • between 2 - 4 hours use immediately • more than 4 hours must be thrown out

Now let’s look at the 2 hour/4 hour in action:

What should we do with the sandwiches?

9am

The chicken has been in the temperature danger zone for 3 hours in total. The sandwiches should be used immediately or thrown out. From a food safety perspective, we also want to consider if the sandwiches have been contaminated by children’s dirty hands, coughing, sneezing etc. If so, they should not be eaten but disposed of immediately even if in the temperature danger zone for less than 4 hours.

Betty goes food shopping and places cooked chicken in her trolley 9.30am Finishes shopping, pays, and packs her car 10am Arrives back at the service, and gives groceries to the cook. The cook is busy and doesn’t place the chicken in fridge until 10.30. 11.30am The cook takes the cooked chicken out of the fridge to prepare sandwiches for lunch. 12pm The sandwiches are delivered to the rooms 12.15pm Children start eating 1pm Leftover sandwiches are delivered back to the kitchen.

What could we do to prevent food being in the temperature danger zone? • T ake a small insulated cold bag and ice brick when grocery shopping for high risk foods. • H ave groceries placed in the correct storage immediately on arrival at the service. • O nly take things out of the fridge when needed and not all the ingredients at once. • T o prevent food wastage, we may also wish to serve fewer sandwiches at first as more can also be brought out from cold storage if needed.

Did you know? • 4.1 million cases of food poisoning are reported in Australia each year • Food poisoning usually arises from improper handling, preparation, or food storage • Most common food poisoning bacteria causes are Salmonella and Campylobacter, with highest rates reported in children aged 0 - 4 years • Over 50% of salmonella outbreaks are associated with consumption of dishes containing raw or minimally cooked eggs • Food poisoning has delayed symptoms (12 – 72 hours after eating contaminated food) as the bacteria needs time to multiply

EARLY EDITION > Summer 2015

What about expressed breast milk and infant formula? • Transport expressed breast milk (EBM) in an insulated container with an ice brick and place in cold storage (at back of fridge) immediately on arrival at the service • T ransport infant formula to the early childhood service as pre-measured powder and cooled boiled water separately

The low down on eggs Eggs are highly nutritious, but if not handled safely, or if cracked or dirty, they pose a food safety risk with potential to cause food poisoning. Food safety tips for eggs include: 1. Avoid serving children products containing raw or partially cooked eggs. 2. Never wash eggs. This makes shells more porous, allowing bacteria to more easily enter the eggs 3. Keep eggs in their carton and store in the fridge. 4. If you are separating egg whites from yolks, to minimise contact between the shell and the contents of the egg, use an egg separator

• E BM and infant formula don’t need to be heated to above 60°C • C orrect procedure to warm EBM and infant formula is to stand the bottle in a container of warm (not boiling) water and heat to desired temperature • D O NOT heat EBM and infant formula in the microwave

5. Do NOT consume or purchase eggs that are cracked, dirty or unstamped. Bacteria that can cause food poisoning can enter eggs through cracks in the shell. Eggs should be individually stamped with the producer’s unique identification

Can you use eggs from chickens kept at your service? Safe Food Production Queensland is responsible for overseeing egg accreditation. See their website for more information www.safefood. qld.gov.au/index.php?

The Temperature Danger Zone for Food

KEEP HOT FOOD HOT

✃

Cut me out and keep me in the kitchen 6

60°C

The FREE LEAPS (Learning. Eating.ActivePlay.Sleep) program covers Get Up & Grow Healthy Eating Guideline 10: ensure that food is safely prepared for children to eat – from the preparation stages to consumption.

5°C

NAQ Nutrition’s Food Foundations program offers a range of food safety workshops, fact sheets, food safety auditing, consulting and food safety training (including Food Safety Supervisor) courses to assist early childhood settings to meet the National Quality Standard: element 2.1.3 effective hygiene practices are promoted and implemented.

Best Practice for vulnerable groups heat food above 75°C

HEAT OR CHILL FOOD QUICKLY

KEEP COLD FOOD COLD

EARLY EDITION > Summer 2015

Where to go for more help?

WARNING TEMPERATURE DANGER ZONE

For more information on the LEAPS program and Food Foundations courses see the NAQ Nutrition Training website training. naqnutrition.org.

How to make your kids sun smart the fun way

The Team at Sundicators

It’s a well-known fact that Australia’s sun is dangerous. This is evident in the rise in skin cancer cases in Australia. It’s so serious now that every 90 seconds, one Australian gets diagnosed with skin cancer. The statistics are shocking – 2 out of 3 Australians are most likely to develop skin cancer by the time they’re 70-years-old. Your child We all know that UV rays are dangerous, but we’re often unaware of how severe it can be. Up until your child is 13, they’re at a much greater risk than you are as their skin is 30% thinner than the average adult. Sunburn doesn’t set in immediately, which is why it’s often too late. Skin doesn’t typically turn red immediately and it could take anywhere between 2 - 6 hours to become noticeable. Set an example Kids like to emulate their parents. If your child sees you outside in the garden without any sun protection, they’re going to want to follow suit. Sun protection should become a family routine. Set a time in the morning when your children need to have their sunscreen applied, and make checking they have their hats and sunglasses fun. Be prepared As a parent, you know you have to be prepared at all times. If your child is in childcare, ideally they should always

have an extra hat in their bag or cubby hole for that ‘just in case’ moment. The same goes for carrying spare sunscreen - keep a small handy-size bottle in your bag at all times. When and where If you’ve got something outdoors planned for the day, the ideal time to do it is in the early morning or early evening when the sun is not as strong. Choosing the right outdoor spot is also essential. If you want to have a day at the park, look for options that have a lot of natural shade or shade sails. Technology Today, technology can help us. With Cancer Council’s SunSmart app you will not only stay ahead of technology, you’ll also stay safe. Use something like a sundicator; a simple UV indicating sticker or wristband that reminds you when to reapply sunscreen and when to avoid the sun. Comfort Sometimes the feeling of sunscreen on children’s skin makes them feel uncomfortable. If your children don’t like the cold feeling of sunscreen hitting their bare skin, switch to an alcohol-free sunscreen. And if they don’t like the slimy feel, choose a solid sunscreen stick instead.

Fun Applying sunscreen to your child’s face could be treated like face painting. Perhaps you could do it for them or they could do it themselves it doesn’t really matter, it’s still fun! Just don’t forget to rub it all in afterwards. Zinc is great. It protects the sensitive areas of the face such as the nose and around the eyes. Instead of boring old white zinc, let your kids choose their favourite colours. Things to always remember: • A pply sunscreen to your child’s body 20 minutes prior to going outside. • R eapply sunscreen every few hours, more if your child is sweating, swimming or doing sport. • Use a minimum of SPF30. • D on’t rely only on sunscreen to protect your children from the sun – think sleeved shirts, sunglasses, hats etc. • M ake sure your sunscreen hasn’t expired. • C heck your child’s skin on a regular basis, and if you have any concerns, contact your family doctor. www.sundicators.com.au

EARLY EDITION > Summer 2015

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Future proofing children today to build thriving futures Roxanie Lebsanft > Bare Hands

Have you stopped to think today how important you really are? As childcare providers and suppliers, you are part of the fabric that provides the potential to transform future generations. Recent psychological research on resilience and compassion in children shows that the earlier we can teach coping skills, compassionate communication and strengths-based learning, the more likely we are to prevent adult anxiety and depression. With one in four Australians experiencing mental illness, the role of childcare educators has never been more important in our community, so thank you. Giving children the best start in life for future mental health and emotional wellbeing requires just a few things: self-compassion, compassion to others and resilience skills. It sounds like common sense but it’s not common knowledge and what you do plays a big role in teaching these things. Key things you can do to continue making a difference… Self-compassion This starts with you. A gentle reminder - be kind on yourself first. Quieten the inner critic and accept that some days are better than others. When you’re modelling good self-care this ripples out to staff, colleagues, family and the children who are watching your every move. Research into stress management shows that the less we compare and compete with others and the more we embrace our strengths, the greater the reduction in anxiety and depression. Embracing strength means acknowledging what you do best, what comes easily and naturally and working with those innate skills in the workplace. In every role there will be some tasks which seem like a grind, drain your energy and seem less enjoyable. Limit how much you do of these wherever possible. There will be other people around you who are good at those tasks and who are naturally skilled at the things that you’re not.

Working with diversity in an inclusive and connected way, not only builds workplace resilience, but it reduces the stress of everyone involved. Self-compassion includes building delegation skills. Compassion for others It’s easy when stressed or feeling overwhelmed to move into the blame and shame game. Kids are great at it. “She did it!” When things feel out of control and chaotic, looking for a quick fix can mean using strategies that don’t necessarily build long term compassion or resilience, i.e. taking an authoritative approach or using punishment. This may work for immediate behavioural incidents but it has the potential to undermine collaboration, connection and doesn’t model empathy, the foundation of compassion. Childcare providers are at the forefront of behaviour management education and provide a valuable resource from which parents can learn good modelling skills. “Most people don’t wake up in the morning and ask themselves, ‘What can I screw up today?’” Long term resilience and compassion education starts with asking questions like: “What would it feel like if Johnny did that to you?” “What happened?” “How are you feeling about what happened?” “What were you hoping to achieve by what you did? Is there another way we could do this next time that might be more effective?” Taking time to really listen engages minds into resilient problem solving and empathic thinking. It takes away criticism and judgement and invites curiosity and a willingness to do things differently. The greatest thing we can teach children is that it’s

okay to keep learning and that in fact, it’s the greatest achievement we can work towards throughout our whole lifetime. If we’re willing to stay curious and to keep learning, admitting when we don’t know something and able to be vulnerable and authentic about it, then we instantly build deeper connection, trust and respect. A generation of children who have this modelled for them will transform our mental and emotional health as a society. Resilience Skills Teaching resilience involves many things but the core concepts upon which resilience training arises are: autonomy, freedom balanced with responsibility, benevolent and empathic thinking, curiosity, working with strengths and optimism. Too often people say things like, “I’ve failed”, “I’m stupid.”, “I’ll never/ always…”. Martin Seligman in his book, Learned Optimism, highlights the need for us to turn our language away from permanent, negatively focused words to temporary, hope filled expectations. Instead, we can model resilience skills by making statements like, “…(describe the event) happened. What worked? What didn’t work? Next time I’ll do this and see how it goes.”, “I learned a lot from that experience.” As a community, let’s keep nurturing the future generations to thrive. Bringing an education pedagogy focus towards compassion and resilience, we have the potential to accelerate positive growth and create vibrant futures. It’s possible through a caring educational environment to enhance community connection and build cultures of tolerance, diversity and long-term, sustainable relationships in which families become the foundations of emotional and mental wellbeing. Education is how that will happen. www.barehands.com.au

EARLY EDITION > Summer 2015

The Golden Rule of copyright Dr Brenda Abbey > Childcare by Design Roslyn Copas > AusVoc Educational Publishing

Early childhood educators love to share ideas and collaborate over resources. Their motivation is to facilitate the best outcomes for children. However, in the process, these same educators often unknowingly or purposely disregard the copyright of others, and also display poor professional ethics. What can you do to avoid this? First, consider whether you or your colleagues might have been accidentally guilty of any of the following in the past: • D ownloading policies and procedures from other sources or previous centres where you’ve worked, and replacing the logos and copyright statements with new ones. • R eproducing program formats, but removing the name of the original author. • D uplicating or pirating DVDs and CDs.

EARLY EDITION > Summer 2015

• C opying images from websites for your own posters, PowerPoints, or newsletters.

• P resenting someone else’s material as your own, perhaps with a few changes, e.g. on your website.

• U sing sections from published articles without referencing the author or asking permission where required.

Almost all of these things are actually against the law and could be subject to heavy penalties, and all of them are unethical and could cause others to mistrust your professional values.

• R ewriting articles from other people without consent of the author and publishing them under your own name. • U sing extracts or video clips from training materials with no acknowledgement or permission from the developer.

We teach children to show respect for each other’s property, and to respect and obey the law and rules of society, but doing those things in the list above contradict those messages. Our industry and professionals everywhere need a mind shift to make sure they are aware of how to respect copyright

and adhere to expected standards of professional practice. The number one thing to remember is that all material that already exists, or is in the process of being created in written or visual or audio form, belongs to someone. Depending on the circumstances, it could be the creator, or their publisher/ broadcaster, or their employer, or another person or organisation that commissioned or contracted the creation of that material. It is their property, just like any other material object – their handbag, their chair, or their car. It’s your responsibility to find out who owns the copyright and then to act accordingly. If you work for a childcare service, the copyright of any original material you create that is in any way related to your work belongs to your employer, even if you do it at home, on your own computer. In many cases, you can’t use someone else’s copyright property without permission from the owner – even if you have access to that material from the internet, or you bought the DVD, and even if you reference the source. However, it’s easy to ask for permission, and most copyright owners will happily agree to let you use their content for non-commercial and educational purposes in an early childhood education and development workplace, as long as you make sure to properly acknowledge the real creators and owners of that material and use it only in the ways they have permitted. Sometimes you will find material you want to use that has a statement

to say you can download and use it for educational or personal purposes. It’s important to remember that this means you can copy it and use it in your own work with children and colleagues. Unfortunately it doesn’t automatically mean you can change it, and it doesn’t mean you can publish it in another work, or put it on a website, for example. There are several different ‘copyrights’, and it matters whether you intend to reproduce (copy or download in any way), communicate (distribute the information to others by any means), publish (release it to any public audience), or adapt material (change it in any way). When you find out the copyright status of any material and ask for permission to use it, you must be honest about how you want to use it, and the owner can choose to give permission for some rights, but not all. You must respect their decision, the same as you would if you asked to use someone’s car. Copyright also involves ‘moral rights’ and this refers to the rights of the creator to be attributed for their work, not to be falsely attributed for their work, and to ensure the integrity of their work has been respected. Moral rights may be held by the original creator, who may not be the same as the owner of the copyright property rights of the material. When you are referencing other people’s work, you will typically need to acknowledge both the owner of the copyright (e.g. the publisher) and the holder of the moral rights (e.g. the author). When you are an employee creating material for your organisation, employers often require as part

of your employment arrangement that the moral rights belong to the organisation and not the individual. However, other employers are happy for creators to be attributed – but usually in the acknowledgements, not on the cover, for example. Also remember that technology does not exempt you from copyright laws. Just because you: • c an access copyright material and download it from the internet, doesn’t make it legal for you to use it. • c an post someone else’s photo or video clip to your Facebook page, doesn’t make it legal to do so. • w rote something for your past employer, doesn’t mean you can rebadge it and use it with your current employer. • c ould get away with using someone else’s article as your own, doesn’t make it legal or ethical to do so. Always show respect for other people’s copyright, and you should be able to expect the same in return. That’s the Golden Rule of copyright. For more information: Dr Brenda Abbey www.childcarebydesign.com.au www.facebook.com/ ChildcareByDesign Roslyn Copas www.ausvoc.com.au/contact.php

EARLY EDITION > Summer 2015

Transition to school: what does it really mean? Linda McConville > Kindergarten Advisory Support Service (KASS)

The Harvard Family Research Project describes the transition to school as “a rite of passage in the lives of children and their families.” They define transition as a process and not just a one off event. A positive transition where families, schools, early childhood education and care services and the community work together and develop relationships, has a positive impact on a child’s social, emotional and academic outcomes for years into schooling. We have to remember that an effective transition process should commence long before the orientation visits just before the child enters school. It may even start at birth as children begin their journey of life. “Children will not enter school ready to learn unless families, schools and communities provide the environments and experiences that support the physical, social, emotional, language, literacy and cognitive development of infants, toddlers and preschool children.” (US National School Readiness Indicators Initiative.) Ready Families + Ready Communities + Ready Services + Ready Schools = Children Ready for School

EARLY EDITION > Summer 2015

Research indicates that to optimise school readiness, services, programs and strategies need to be in place before it is time for a child to enter school. This has led to an approach known as the “Ready Child Equation” developed by the US National School Readiness Indicators Initiative. The Supporting Successful Transitions – School decision-making tool states that children’s continued learning and development in school is optimised when the following factors are considered as integral to the transition to school process: • Children’s readiness for school • Schools readiness for children • T he capacity of families and communities to provide developmental opportunities for their young children. “Educators work with children, families, other professionals and the broader community to ensure successful transitions between settings and that children feel secure and confident.” (Early Years Learning Framework p.16) What we have to remember for our programs is that transition to school: • i s not just to somewhere but from somewhere so the point at which a child is about to make a change, all stakeholders have to understand

where the child has come from, whether it be from home to ECEC, ECEC to school or moving into a new room at the ECEC service. We need to prepare the children for the transition so that each transition will build on the child’s previous experiences and there will be familiarity and a sense of belonging to the new environment/ circumstance • i nvolves small to large scale interactions and highly personalised to less personalised relationships • i nvolves limited age ranges to an environment of many age ranges. Imagine a child who is challenged by new situations, attending school for the first time. The teacher has arranged for a familiar, more confident child from the same ECEC service to be their buddy and asks about how the camping trips have been. The child is feeling more secure to explore the environment (with their friend) and in turn discovers some books about camping that the teacher placed there to assist the child with the transition. How did the teacher know all this? The ECEC teacher provided this information in the transition statement that was shared with the school by the child’s family.

This is a prime example of how a collaborative approach to transition to school assisted to make the process more positive for this child. I am sure you can think of many more examples. According to Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority, one of the purposes of a transition statement is to “help each child’s parents/carers, teachers and other partners plan ways to support the child’s transition to school”. So why is all of this important? Caring and Responsive Relationships Stimulating Experiences Readiness to Continue Learning at School

• I nclude childcare and education together • Provide for cultural diversity • P romote social, emotional skills and self-regulation

1. Establish positive relationships between children, parents and educators

• I nclude early literacy and numeracy skills

2. Facilitate each child’s development as capable learners

All the documents that we are so familiar with support us in this transition process and all have reference to transitions:

3. Differentiate between “orientation to school” and “transition to school” programs

Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF)

4. Draw upon dedicated funding and resources

In the practice of Continuity of learning and transitions:

5. Involve a range of stakeholders

As children make transition to new settings, educators from early childhood settings and schools commit to sharing information about each child’s knowledge and skills so learning can build on foundation s of earlier learning. - (EYLF p16)

How effectively we prepare children for this transition is important for their long term outcomes.

Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline (QKLG)

The experiences of early childhood have lifelong implications for our health, wellbeing and development including our ability to become productive, socially adjusted contributors to society. - Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth

Continuity and connectedness between children’s past, present and future are essential for smooth transitions and success in life and learning. (QKLG p6)

We now understand that a child’s readiness for school is more than just reaching a certain age and acquiring certain academic skills. School readiness is part of the transition process which has evolved due to our understanding of the importance of the early years, research on brain development, influence of risk and protective factors, nature of the family and a child’s health and wellbeing. What and how children learn is dependent upon their relationships with others and the variety and richness of experiences. This significantly contributes to their ability to positively transition to school. To best achieve this positive outcome for transition our programs will most benefit children when they: • Are intentional • P rovide for active engagement of children • I nclude nurturing relationships with educators

for Effective Transition to School Programs (Docket, Perry & Howard, 2000).

In the principle of continuity in learning:

The National Quality Standard (NQS) In QA6, Standard 6.3, and Element 6.3.2 Continuity of learning and transitions for each child are supported by sharing relevant information and clarifying responsibilities. • A ssessors may observe – Children experiencing positive transitions between the service and school • A ssessors may discuss – The strategies and processes used to support: ·· Children’s positive transition to formal schooling ·· Children with additional needs in their transition to school and to specialist services • A ssessors may sight – Examples of plans and statements to assist children in making a positive transition from the service to formal schooling (including specialist schools) It is possible to develop a transition program for your service. You may like to consider these 10 Guidelines

6. Are well planned and effectively evaluated 7. Are flexible and responsive 8. Are based on mutual trust and respect 9. Rely on reciprocal communication among participants 10. Take into account contextual aspects of community and of individual families and children within that community For further information and to expand on these Guidelines you can read the full research paper: http://bit.ly/1MG4gjr. As Dr Spencer Kagan states, starting school is a big deal. Transition to school should be viewed as a process that can be developed in collaboration with many stakeholders in supporting children to achieve the best possible outcomes for success in life. It is something that develops over time, not a one time event. It’s now time to reflect on what your service has in place and include as part of your Quality Improvement Plan if it’s not already there. These questions may assist you: How can I develop a transition plan for my service? What will it include? Who will be involved? Where can i find out what is already in place in our community? What will be the proposed timeframe?

EARLY EDITION > Summer 2015

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Hydration and staff: the link Penni Lamprey > Healthy Happy Staff

What springs to mind when I ask what essential nutrient lubricates your joints, regulates body temperature, promotes digestion and delivers nutrients to cells....? We’re not talking carbohydrates, protein or fats today, rather the humble aqua - water, and the effects of not having enough on a regular daily basis Your body is made up of 60% water, with the brain and muscle containing up to 75% water, so it makes sense that thirsty muscles tire easily, reducing work capacity, mental prowess, concentration, alertness and short-term memory. Symptoms of mild dehydration include fatigue, dizziness and headache; all of which are known to lead to poor work performance. You can start today, right now in fact, in improving your educators’ health and your bottom line by encouraging them to drink plenty of water. Ideally, your hydration should be a continual effort to avoid any signs of dehydration (concentrated urine, thirst, headaches, fatigue or constipation) with mild dehydration of even as little as 1–2% causing fatigue, thirst, and perceived exertion in everything we do. Some simple, yet effective measures to encourage more water consumption by your staff, include: • I nstall water stations in central locations - either plumbed or free standing units which can be easily and quickly accessed.

• E ncourage staff to have a cup of water each hour over an occasional sip. • K eep ice cubes in the freezer for hotter days in the workplace, or conversely room temperature for those who prefer to avoid the chill. • M any people complain plain water is boring and therefore don’t drink enough water. To counter this statement, pop some herbal tea bags, fresh herbs (such as mint or basil), lemon slices and aromatic spices for your staff into the staff room, allowing your staff to flavour their water. • H ang some engaging posters about the health benefits of drinking water around the workplace humour works better than boring facts. • T op up the staff fridge with bottled water, being sure to remove the fizzy stuff and fruit juices. Encourage staff to then top up water bottles throughout the day to help counter the waste.

How we hydrate at Healthy Happy HQ A quite spiced bevvie is a great way to greet each morning, start a team meeting or aid digestion after lunch with the added gains of encouraging a little extra water to be drunk throughout the day. At Healthy Happy HQ, in an infuser pot, for each person we add: • 1-2 tsp each of coriander seed • fenugreek • cloves • fennel • 1 cinnamon quill • 2-3 star anise • fresh slices of lemon • g inger (to help boost our immune system) Boiling water is poured over and the blend is allowed to steep. The same pot of spices is topped up through the day, with fresh lemon added on occasion. www.healthyhappystaff.com.au

• G ift drink bottles, glasses or cups with the business name to your staff - this can also contribute to the team culture and identity of the organisation.

EARLY EDITION > Summer 2015

Educator in profile

Kristin Tettmar is the kindergarten teacher at Tewantin Early Learning Centre on the Sunshine Coast. What inspired you to forge a career in early childhood education and care? You know those children, who very early say “I’m going to be a vet” or “I’m going to be a truck driver” ….. That was me! “I’m going to be a hair dresser or a child care worker”. I can’t explain why I was inspired to work with young children but once I had begun my career it was the work itself that inspired me to continue. Why are you passionate about early childhood? How would you describe your early childhood philosophy? We were child care workers back then and while the work is integrally the same, our status, the acknowledgement for the work we do has been realised and we are Educators now. I always knew how significantly important the job I did was. That’s my passion. I have long held the view that one philosophy does not fit every

EARLY EDITION > Summer 2015

situation or child. I don’t believe the ECEC sector takes a one size fits all approach either. I see that being more eclectic when developing a personal philosophy allows you more breadth of scope to meet the requirements of your role. What do you find is most enjoyable and rewarding working in the early childhood sector? Someone once told me, we, the ECEC sector, have the only job in the whole world where we can be a butterfly or a dead spider or absolutely anything you can imagine any day of the week. It’s true. That the children in our care see us as being people in their space they can share their thoughts and ideas with and to then be able to see real learning occur is precious, and there are many many moments in each day from the time they enter the learning space until they leave that are just as precious, momentous, significant.

What is your biggest challenge as an educator? What strategies do you put in place to manage these challenges? Everyone knows the answer to this….. Time! The ECEC sector has embraced major changes over the years and the changes have provided us with a place that allows us to spend more time ‘doing’ the real work of being with the children. The focus on play based learning has brought the importance of that forward and while we all still play catch up, we are moving in the right direction. How has the challenges you face helped you to grow as an early childhood educator? I think every challenge we face offers opportunity for growth… time won’t change but how we manage it does. Children presenting to our services with developmental or behavioural issues is another enormous challenge. I’m taking more time to work with

these challenges than before and it shows rewards. What is the most important skill you hope to develop in the children you care for? Without doubt my main goal is for children to have the necessary social and emotional skill and knowledge prior to their first year of school. Social and emotional development needs to be solid and strong for any other learning to occur and be enacted successfully. What role do families play within the program you deliver? How do you engage them?

Our families are involved in our programs as much and as often as time allows them. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d hazard a guess we all use the same strategies to encourage families to play a greater role in what we do and I still believe they do as much as they can. Embrace it. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Good question! What advice would you give to someone wishing to start a career in early childhood education and care? Study, listen, observe, professionally converse with your colleagues, reflect

and then do it again. The more you do this the greater repertoire of knowledge and skill you have to draw on when you need it. Be eclectic in your philosophical approach, embrace your own curriculum position and embrace otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s positions for what they also bring to our role, our day. Never underestimate the value of working with a supportive, diverse and reflective team. Be a butterfly or a dead spider every day and enjoy. If you want your outstanding educator featured in our next magazine, contact us on 07 3808 2366 or send an email to qld@childcarealliance.org.au.

EARLY EDITION > Summer 2015

Educator-to-child ratios milestone in 2016 Department of Education and Training Queensland Regulatory Authority

The National Quality Framework (NQF), which was introduced in 2012, reaches another important milestone on 1 January 2016 with the next phase of changes to educator-to-child ratios. Lisa McCoy, the Department of Education and Training’s Executive Director of Regulation, Assessment and Service Quality, said the ratio changes were phased in to allow services time to adjust.

‘To be prepared, approved providers and educators should consider the new ratio requirements, and ensure staffing for next year is sufficient for children to be adequately supervised at all times,’ she said.

‘The aim of the changes is to ensure each child receives more individual care and attention – a key factor in quality early childhood education and care,’ Ms McCoy said.

Adequate supervision

‘The reduced number of different ratios makes it simpler for services and families to understand, and brings Queensland another step closer to national consistency.

EARLY EDITION > Summer 2015

Ms McCoy said the NQF changed the way we think about ratios. ‘Adequate supervision should now be the foremost concern and ratios seen as the minimum requirement,’ she said. Section 165 of the National Law states the approved provider of an education and care service must ensure all children being educated and cared for

by a service are adequately supervised at all times. Ms McCoy said that professional judgement was needed to ensure children were adequately supervised at all times, including under regulation 120 of the National Regulations, supervision of educators less than 18 years of age. ‘Effective supervision requires educators to be actively involved and physically present with children in a way that is “hands on” rather than “stand back and watch”. ‘This means knowing where children are at all times, what they are

Adequate supervision is determined by a range of factors, including: • number, ages and abilities of children • number and positioning of educators • each child’s current activity • areas where children are playing, in particular the visibility and accessibility of these areas • risks in the environment and experiences provided to children • the educators’ knowledge of each child and each group of children • the experience, knowledge and skill of each educator. Guide to the National Law and Regulations (page 64)

engaged in and that the activity is supporting their health, wellbeing and learning. ‘Only educators working directly with children are included in the ratio.’ Ms McCoy said there were key times when approved providers should plan for adequate supervision including start and end-of-day procedures, excursions, nappy change, and children sleeping. ‘For example, where some children are resting, one educator may leave the room to assist with a more active group, as long as ratio requirements are met and adequate supervision is still ensured for both the resting and active children,’ she said. ‘As the regulatory authority, the department will first observe adequate supervision based on outcomes for children, rather than looking at ratios in individual rooms. ‘Educators and staff will recognise that with children of different ages and abilities, different levels of supervision will be needed at any given time,’ she said. Calculated across service Ms McCoy said the NQF approach to ratios gives more flexibility because the minimum educator-to-child ratio was calculated across the service.

‘The number of educators is calculated based on all children under one service approval regardless of how the room or building is configured,’ she said. ‘This means that as a provider you have the flexibility to arrange staffing across your service in a way that achieves quality outcomes for children in your care’. ‘This phase of ratio changes is not about reducing the number of places for children in approved services,’ she said. Mixed-age groups Ms McCoy said services could continue to cater for a mixed-age group during early morning and late afternoons. ‘If your service is catering for children of mixed ages, you need to ensure the relevant ratio for each child is maintained,’ she said. ‘When calculating the educator-tochild ratio, the ratio for the youngest child in your care applies.’ ‘If there is spare capacity within the ratio of the youngest child in the group, older children from a different age group ratio can be added to the care of that educator. However, older children can only be added up to the limit of the youngest child’s ratio.

‘For example, Educator A may be working with three children aged 0 to 24 months. The educator-to-child ratio for children aged 0 to 24 months is 1:4. One additional older child may therefore be counted in the 1:4 ratio that applies to Educator A.’ Ms McCoy said it was important that age-appropriate activities were delivered at all times, and children were being supervised appropriately for the activities they were engaged in. ‘Educator-to-child ratios are minimum standards and when considering ratios and ages of children, it is important to factor in all seven quality areas and how this may affect your assessment and rating outcome.’ Ms McCoy said that the department had prepared some online resources to explain and illustrate the ratio changes. More information www.deta.qld.gov.au/earlychildhood/ office/national/podcast.html www.acecqa.gov.au Contact www.qld.gov.au/families/babies/ childcare/contacts/pages/regional.html

What’s changing on 1 January 2016? [Regulation 123] Age range*

New ratios

children older than 24 months and less than 36 months of age

1:5

children aged 36 months or over (not including children who are over preschool age which means a child enrolled in schooling (Prep onwards) and attending any time in the same calendar year (regulation 4)

1:11

*A separate ratio no longer applies for children 30 to 36 months or for children aged 4 years and above.

EARLY EDITION > Summer 2015

Solving the Childcare Puzzle What is my centr wort e h?

What is the best way to sell?

How do I attract a buyer?

Who are the buyers and what are they paying?

What is the best time to sell?

What is due diligence?

How can I minimise disruption to daily operations?

What information should I provide?

What regulatory processes need to be followed?

If you are contemplating selling your centre and need help solving the childcare puzzle, contact John Wall and his team today for a no obligation, completely confidential discussion. Phone 1300 851 331 or email john.w@totalchildcaresolutions.com.au www.foundationearlylearning.com.au

www.totalchildcaresolutions.com.au

Effective marketing all year round Hilary Knights > Outsourcetous.com.au

A well-considered practical marketing plan can assist in maintaining consistent occupancy for your centre throughout the year, rather than an ad hoc approach of only doing marketing when your occupancy levels are down! This only adds stress for you and your staff and by implementing an effective marketing plan, throughout the year marketing will become second nature for your whole team. Your marketing plan doesn’t have to be a long winded formal document that gathers dust in the bottom of your filing cabinet – make it a practical and effective marketing calendar that you and your staff can quickly update and display on a wall in your staff room so everyone engages in your marketing efforts. Here’s some tips on preparing a marketing strategy that you and your staff will be happy to review at regular staff meetings.

Step 1: Define your Business and Marketing Objectives To get the most out of your plan, it’s crucial that you clearly define your goals. Write down what you’re trying to achieve in both the short and long term as a centre. Be as specific as you can. That’s because your strategy and budget will be a whole lot different if you are: 1. Launching a brand new centre; or 2. You have an established centre and you want to increase your occupancy. We’ve all heard the saying before but that is because it works - make your marketing objectives S M A R T, that is

• S pecific – spell out your centre’s goals, what services you want to provide, what occupancy level you want to achieve and by when (if opening a new centre or a new room). Naturally increasing your occupancy enables you to increase the level of service you can provide so you need to clearly outline your goals and timeframes to achieve this aspiration. • M easurable – make sure you measure the results. Every marketing dollar needs to be accounted for and a return on investment made. • A chievable – you need to be able to achieve your marketing objectives.

EARLY EDITION > Summer 2015

Do you have resources to implement your marketing tactics?

• H ow do the centres market themselves?

Can you keep up with social media?

• W here are they active in the local community?

Do you have a good content writer to articulate your centre’s key messages to the right target market? If you answered no to any of these questions, consider outsourcing elements of your marketing to experts. Surround yourself with marketing experts to support you in your core business of delivering early childhood education. • R elevant – the objectives need to relate to your centre’s growth and the delivery of high quality early childhood education. • T imely – include deadlines so you are not caught unaware of a marketing opportunity and miss out. Step 2: Market Research – Look outside Your Centre Once you’ve decided on your marketing objectives, step outside your centre for a moment and put your neighbouring childcare centres under the microscope. • H ow are the local centres positioning themselves? • What are the centres doing well? • What aren’t they doing well? • W hat gaps does that leave for your centre?

EARLY EDITION > Summer 2015

• What are their key messages? • W hat is a possible place of ownership for your centre that is your unique selling proposition? Then consider your entire catchment area, factor in the current economic and community sentiment and work back to see how it relates to your centre and how it can define your unique selling proposition. Step 3: Define your target markets Finally, focus in on your target audience. It’s not enough to just say your target audience is parents. You need to drill right down further e.g. mothers 25-35, white collar, earning 50K+ working 38 hours + or large extended families, different ethnicities etc. Build a strong profile of who your parent community is and identify exactly what your families’ need - whether it’s a focus on school preparation, socialising, variety of extra-curricular activities, or simply high quality child care, then you’ll be clear on what you need to say to get their attention! Don’t forget your important secondary target markets of feeder schools and even your suppliers, as these referral channels will also provide enrolments for your centre.

Step 4: Brand and Positioning Based on your research on competitors and target markets review your centre’s brand: • D oes it define exactly what your centre is about? • Does it clearly define what your promise to your families is? • Does it reflect what your customers say? • D oes it clearly communicate what your centre offers and how you do it differently compared to your competitors? • D oes your message clearly deliver into your families’ ‘listening’? Step 5: The Marketing Strategy Now the fun begins! You and/or your marketing expert are ready to develop a no-nonsense strategy to deliver real results to your centre’s bottom line. This is where strategy and creative tactics meet budgets and implementation deadlines. In writing the strategy you’ll need to match the marketing tactics to your objectives and your centre’s target market. Decide what will give you the best result and the most value for your money. Marketing tactics to consider for your centre include: • R egular direct mail/letterbox drop campaigns. • Hold annual open days.

• P ress releases to your local media contacts on your events and celebrations. • H ave an interactive exhibit at your local shopping centre. • F orm alliances with local children’s suppliers (e.g. toy shops, clothing stores). • E nsure your promotional material is placed in local community centres such as libraries, real estate agencies etc. • G et involved in networking and speaking engagements targeting your catchment area. • H old competitions and giveaways through the local media. • C onsider outdoor signage (e.g. fences, windows and centre buses). • P articipate in community fairs, school open days and local special events. • U se your website as a marketing tool through e-campaigns and regular eNewsletters. • I ntroduce a referral program and tap into your loyal advocates. Ask them to refer to you – sometimes they simply don’t know you are seeking more enrolments.

• E mbrace social media and engage with your audience with relevant content. Proud parents love to share with other locals and word will spread. Run competitions through social media to increase referrals. • R oll out a mobile app to your families and tap into a wider audience through push notifications, geo targeting and referrals. • R evisit your waiting list on a regular basis and ensure you are communicating with them regularly – if your centre is at front of mind most often if families are on several waiting lists they will choose your centre when the time is right!

track? • E nrolment leads and conversions by suburb or area. • R eview monthly with a view to understanding the cost of each lead and enrolment. • E nrolment lead/conversion by channel, that is whether it came through social media, a referral, local media coverage or another channel. • Stage in the enrolment cycle. • C lient satisfaction after securing enrolment.

Tracking and Measuring Your Results

Review every marketing activity to ascertain your return on investment and to continue your market success!

An important component of any marketing plan – yet often the element missing – is a decision about how to track each new enquiry coming into the centre and where it came from.

So, make your plan crisp and to the point, think creatively, insist on deadlines, check off each activity as you implement it and keep moving forward.

By implementing a rigorous tracking and reporting system you’ll be able to monitor the effectiveness of your marketing budget. You’ll then be in an informed position to allocate resources to the ongoing marketing of your centre knowing exactly what works and how many enrolments a particular marketing tactic achieves.

Remember it is better to have a strategic plan that’s 80% of what’s possible but 100% implemented rather than 100% of what’s possible but only 80% implemented! Until next time, happy marketing! www.outsourcetous.com.au

So what does your centre need to

EARLY EDITION > Summer 2015 23

If you wish to discuss any aspect of your Approved Kindergarten or the barriers that you are encountering in operating a quality kindergarten program, contact KASS today!

CALL 1300 4 KINDY EMAIL info@kass.net.au email info@kass.net.au

VISIT www.kass.net.au

KASS is a no cost service operating through funding provided by the Queensland and Commonwealth Governments to assist all Queensland long day care services to access advice and support on implementing and maintaining a quality and effective approved kindergarten program.

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Through the glass ceiling Sandi Phoenix > Phoenix Support for Educators

There is an exciting new paradigm shift currently underway in the early childhood education and care sector. No longer the rigid, inflexible, red taped despotism it once was; quality education and care is now more flexible, innovative, adaptive, and responsive. The cage door has been opened, and it may take some courage and ingenuity to step outside again. For some, this may take some getting used to… but once you do, boy is it exhilarating! Take a look at this flexible sleep practise at Cherubs Childcare, Toowoomba, Queensland. This photo broke the internet in September 2015. Within a week, thousands of educators viewed, liked and shared our picture. What was it about this image that attracted more than 57,000 views, and oodles of staff room conversation? My guess? It is the challenging of the status quo. This image says, “Anything is possible”. This image says, “I respect children enough to put them first”. This image says, “It’s ok to think outside the box”. This example of flexible sleep, breaks routines that have been embedded in traditional practices in education and care for decades. This example says the dishes did not get done at rest time on this day, and that’s ok. This example shows that the educators are trusted in their professionalism to make decisions for children. This image challenges us all to think, “What else could we do differently?” Education and care in Australia is the coolest place to work in right now. I am ecstatic and blessed to be able to work alongside incredible, brave, creative, caring, and dynamic educators and advocates for children. To all educators who smiled on the inside when they saw this photo before they assessed the risks, thank you for being you.

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Call ECTARC QLD today on 07 3345 8272.

www.phoenix-support.com.au www.facebook.com/PhoenixSFE www.facebook.com/groups/forumforeducators

www.ectarc.com.au EARLY EDITION > Summer 2015 25

The Assessment and Rating holiday! Darlene Wadham > Absolute Support Training and Resources

One of the most common problems with the Assessment and Rating process is that we try to do it all ourselves! No man (or woman) is an island, as the Nominated Supervisor or Approved Provider it is easy to take on the responsibility of the team in achieving the best possible rating, but at what cost? Your Service’s rating is just that – your service’s. It does not define any one person or any one room. To truly achieve the best from your journey everyone needs to be on board and actively participating. As we approach the holiday season I have opted not to talk about the importance of leadership, delegation, organisation and communication, all of which are essential for success but to take a lighter path and get you thinking about your assessment and rating journey, just as you would a wonderful holiday experience.

• T alk to others about their experiences and recommendations

Over the years I have seen many different approaches to “getting the team on board”. After a recent holiday overseas I have drawn some analogies.

• K eep families and friends up to date with your adventures with pictures and stories via postcards, emails and social media

• S et out a plan, timeframe and budget • L ist what you need to take, places you want to visit & experiences you want to have • E mbark together on the journey, be flexible, see and do things you didn’t even know about before you arrived, turn that corner and explore a different path

• M OST IMPORTANTLY ENJOY, BE IN THE MOMENT, LEARN ABOUT NEW THINGS AND HAVE FUN!

Let’s say your goal is to plan the ultimate European getaway with your family or friends, let’s plan together… • Discuss where everyone wants to go, why, who has been there before • R esearch to find out more, maybe allocate some of these tasks amongst the group and come together to share (over a cheese plate and glass of wine)

• W hen you arrive back don’t forget to reflect, review and share with others What sort of holiday do you most enjoy? For me some planning is essential, that’s the organiser in me, but I also need to have choices that can be made last minute depending on the day, my mood, the weather

and location. Ask your team how they plan for their holidays, it will give you an insight into how best to support them on your A&R journey. Some teams can plan and enjoy the ultimate holiday independently and other’s feel more secure and supported if they use a travel agent or guided tour, that’s where consultants can help your team with their journey. The degree of support depends on your team, your leader and your current position at this point in time. After experiencing a guided bus tour for 10 days we now feel equipped to go back next time on our own and explore without the early morning wake ups and strict timetables, others though will seek the structure of another tour. That’s the beauty of our individualities! So start planning your A&R holiday together with your team - research, discuss, action, reflect and keep moving. Be realistic, Rome wasn’t built in a day and remember it is about the journey not the destination, enjoy every minute along the way! www.absolutesupport.com.au

ASSESSMENT AND RATING APPROACH

HOLIDAY EXPERIENCE

The Nominated Supervisor just does it all

Holiday planned but no one knows where they are going, how to get there and the highlights to explore when they arrive

Talk, talk, talk & information overload

The tour guide who doesn’t stop talking resulting in you tuning out and missing the adventure

A central list of what everyone has to do

A generic packing list which ultimately ends up with something missing from the suitcase as you can’t think of everything for everyone

Dragging others reluctantly onto the journey

Resulting in non-participation and bouts of grumpiness or total immersion in Facebook instead of the local scenery

Allocating “champions” to drive certain aspects

Everyone gets to enjoy a part of the holiday but not all – you do the spa treatments and I will experience the dining and we can compare stories

EARLY EDITION > Summer 2015

CA TO R

PRO UD

BE AN EA O R T

U HOOD ED

From the ACA Qld team and Management Committee, to all the hardworking educators across Queensland, thank you and we hope that Early Childhood Educators Day was a wonderful celebration of your achievements. The event is held every year on the first Wednesday in September. The next Early Childhood Educators Day is on Wednesday 7 September 2016.

EARLY EDITION > Summer 2015 27

Associate Member Directory Company

Contact

Location

Contact No

Website

Patrice Sherrie

Brisbane

07 3222 9777

www.bentleys.com.au

Lyn Lange

Brisbane

07 3947 5326

www.anz.com

Benchmark

Lincoln Bridge

Robina Town Centre

07 5562 2711

www.childcare4sale.com.au

Graeme Pettit

Benowa

0421 289 818

www.harcourts.com.au

Queensland Childcare Sales

Linda Harley

Pacific Paradise

0488 103 310

www.queenslandchildcaresales.com.au

Absolute Support, Training & Resources

Darlene Wadham

Wynnum

0488 666 455

www.absolutesupport.com.au

Affinity Education Group

Fiona Alston

Biggera Waters

07 5528 0633

www.affinityeducation.com.au

Churches of Christ Care

Cathy Kennedy

Brookfield

07 3327 1681

www.cofcqld.com.au

Giggletree Pty Ltd

Samantha Ahearn

Rothwell

07 3204 7767

www.giggletree.com.au

Guardian Early Learning Group

Helen Baker

Kelvin Grove

07 3832 7933

www.guardianearlylearning.edu.au

Impressions Childcare Management

Jeanine Scull

Carindale

07 3393 9185

www.icmanagement.com.au

Kids and Adults Learning

Annette Cunado

Northgate

1300 783 880

www.kal.net.au

Limelight Management Group Pty Ltd

Rebecca Wilson

Caboolture

0476392724

www.limelightmanagementgroup.com.au

NumeroPro

Diane Girvin

Gold Coast

07 5592 5800

www.earlylearningmanagement.com.au

QLECS (Qld Lutheren Early Childhood Services)

Maryann Sword

Milton

07 3511 4079

www.qlecs.org.au

Ready Now Resources

Louise Thomas

Helensvale

0410 456 607

www.readynowresources.com.au

Total Childcare Solutions Australia

John Wall

Geebung

07 3632 1127

www.totalchildcaresolutions.com.au

Kids Gourmet Food

Matthew Krelle

Brookvale

1300 870 054

www.kidsgourmetfood.com.au

Little Tummy Tucker Too Pty Ltd

Dinah Pheros

Red Hill

07 3216 6021

www.littletummytucker.com.au

Yummies for Little Tummies

Natalie Lawson

Sumner

07 3161 8063

www.yummiesforlittletummies.com.au

Peter Jarrett

West End

07 3230 8501

www.guildgroup.com.au

Giovanni Porta

Geebung

07 3265 3888

www.portalawyers.com.au

Ryan Brough

Newstead

07 3124 5500

www.ezidebit.com.au

Accountants Bentleys Chartered Accountants Services ANZ Business Bank Brokers

Consultancy/Management

Food & Nutrition

Insurance Services Guild Insurance Legal Porta Lawyers Payment Solutions Ezidebit Pty Ltd

EARLY EDITION > Summer 2015

Company

Contact

Location

Contact No

Website

Ausplay Surfacing and Shade

Barry Healey

Wacol

07 3879 4444

www.ausplay.net.au

Timberplay

Sally Alderton

Southport

07 5503 0692

www.timberplay.com.au

Jardine Architects

Greg Jardine

Brisbane

07 3229 9322

www.jardinearchitects.com.au

Rochele Painting

Jeremy Festa

Albion

07 3262 8233

www.rochelepainting.com.au

The Natural Cleaner Company

Brian Connell

Yatala

0438 728 779

www.thenaturalcleaner.com.au

Sean Murphy

Morningside

1300 367 770

www.qikkids.com.au

Randstad Education

Maeve Cawley

Brisbane

07 3337 5230

www.randstadeducation.com.au

Expect A Star

Robyn Lee

Brisbane

1300 669 653

www.expectastar.com.au

Kayleen Tolley

Cannon Hill

0414 559 997

www.physikids.com.au

Child Care Super

William Ly

Brisbane

0418 199 279

www.childcaresuper.com.au

HESTA Super Fund

Bronwyn Barling

Brisbane

07 3223 4906

www.hesta.com.au

QIEC Super

Natalie Fone

Milton

07 3238 1267

www.qiec.com.au

Educational Experience

Mary McCafferty

Queensland

0407 693 391

www.edex.com.au

Modern Teaching Aids

Marco de Geus

Brookvale

0409 192 728

www.teaching.com.au

Australian Child Care Career Options (ACCCO)

Narelle Cossettini

Fortitude Valley

07 3257 1972

www.accco.com.au

Careers Australia

Paul Smith

Burleigh

07 5593 4386

www.careersaustralia.edu.au

College for Australian Early Childhood Educators

Kiera Field

Springwood

07 3299 5784

www.caece.com.au

Evocca Workplace Training

Lorraine Eggers

Springwood

07 3827 5300

www.evoccawt.com.au

Gold Coast Institute of TAFE

Maxine Griffiths

Coomera

07 5581 8280

www.gcit.edu.au

Management Institute of Australia

Tim Mackew

Noosaville

07 5302 7730

www.mia.edu.au

GD Trivett & Associates Pty Ltd

Darren Trivett

Fortitude Valley

07 3216 1011

www.trivett.net.au

Herron Todd White

Simon Fox

Brisbane

07 3002 0900

www.htw.com.au

Playground Equipment / Surfacing

Property Services

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

Sport and Fitness Physi Kids Superannuation

Toys & Resources

Training Providers

Valuers

EARLY EDITION > Summer 2015 29

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Just add $200 of Art & Craft OR Consumables

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