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FRE E Issue 16 2013

Dirt Girl Paint the Gong REaD Emotional Intelligence Keeping Bees Cyber Bullying Benny Coles

Plus: Bits & Pieces, Charlie, Write Now, Maths and more

Welcome Hi Everyone Its always great when success comes to a friend. This issue we take a look at the new cookbook written and illustrated by my long time friend Angela Stafford. If you are looking at eating more healthily, getting kids cooking or eating from the garden this beautiful book is for you. It has cooking tips and clear instructions throughout for children wanting to get into the kitchen and create some organic meals. Wonderful friend and Early Years “Write Now “ columnist DC Green has had success with his new book Monster School which has recently been Published by Ford Street. DC has been working on this fab book for years and I knew it would be a success once a publisher got their hands on it! Well done DC and stay tuned for a Monster competition with great prizes in our Kids Section of our next issue released in December for the school holidays. This issue also features a story on bees after my bee keeping workshop with Wild Rumpus. There are wonderful things happening creatively across the

Contents

Illawarra. Wild Rumpus run affordable classes on anything to do with creativity, sustainability and D.I.Y in the Wollongong area. they find talented, interesting people who have a skill to share and build a workshop around it for people to try out.

Book into one of their workshops now and try something new. They particularly suit busy people who can spare a few dollars and a few hours to get in touch with their creative side.

Recently I have made a pom pom garland, sung 80’s acapella and spent a morning with bees eating freshly harvested honey. Try something new, its very motivating and a lot of fun. Also take a look at the Mama Tree from Helensburgh. So many inspiring individuals have come together to form a group that promotes and helps each other with their own business. They also reach out and form connections to families across the community. A network of likeminded individuals wanting to get the most out of community living.go to www.themamatree.org.au and check out

what they are up to. From what I have experienced they are the most lovely , friendliest people who will greet you and your ideas with open arms.

We cover a few topics of interest for parents this issue, the ever debatable IQ, maths and sibling rivalry.

As usual Charlie has some great recipes to try out. Charlie had a great time catching up with some of his friends at the recent Toddlers High Tea held at The Lagoon restaurant and also at the Paint the GONG READ event at Westfield Warrawong.

Enjoy the last term of school, its the last year of primary school for our family, lots of changes and lots of new feelings. Time for me to let go, grow up and join the ride... even if I don’t feel entirely ready.

Marie

Features

12

Paint the Gong REaD – a new initiative to help literacy.

Regular sections 1 Editorial 2 Bits & Pieces – the latest news and events.

26 Animal Instinct with Dr Liz 27 Book Reviews 27 Write Now! – tips on writing from DC Green.

28 Cooking with Charlie.

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Bee a Keeper – why bees are so important.

Nutrition 4 Fairytale Food Safari – a great new book on healthy, natural food.

Child Development 6 Family Dynamite or Dynamic Family: How bullying can potentially impact a sibling of the victim.

16 Maths: Ages and Stages. What’s Normal.

20 Emotional Intelligence. A better guide to your childs intellect.

24

Keeping Your Kids Cyber-Safe – online safety.

Entertainment 8 Dirt Girl – the lowdown on our favourite enviro girl!

22 Benny Coles – Wrestling Parties and Personal Training!

Books 11 Monster School. Enrol if you Dare – DC Greens creepy new book.

Education 11 Worth the Effort. A Family Day Carer’s Story.

Our Cover. John, Zed, Shaun and Chad worked on this painting together. It’s a picture of zombies and ghosts. The big ghost is going to throw the others into the giant volcano.

Publisher: Marie Smith Edited by Sally Odgers Feature writers: DC Green, Caitlin Marshall, Cherise Orvad, Patty Rose, Marie Smith, Leatrice Todd, Sally Warren.

Contributors: Liz Chmurycz, DC Green, Chef Charlie.

Photography: Marie Smith.

Early Years Magazine PO Box 102, Austinmer NSW 2515 www.earlyyearsmagazine.com.au Editorial enquiries: editor@earlyyearsmagazine.com.au Advertising enquiries: email Theresa Gregory at gregorytk@bigpond.com

Art direction: Glue Studio www.gluestudio.com.au Published by Early Years Care.

(ABN 33 779 348 909). No material may be reproduced in part or in whole without written consent from the copyright holders. ©2013 Early Years Care. All rights reserved.

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Hi-5 Come to the Gong

Twirly skirt. CHECK! Sparkly shoes. CHECK! Singing voice.

CHECK! Let’s get ready to PARTY! You’ll sing, dance and party along with your favourite friends when Hi-5 return to Wollongong for a very special concert tour.

Be part of the action as Lauren, Stevie, Dayen, Ainsley and Mary celebrate a very special house warming in the new Hi-5 House with a concert spectacular full of fun,

music, dancing and laughter LIVE on stage.

Hi-5 House Party!

Sunday 10 November, 10am & 1pm All tickets: $32.50 Please note that children over the age of 12mths require a paid seat.

To secure your tickets, visit IPAC’s box office, call (02) 4224 5999

Christmas Toddler High Tea at The Lagoon Restaurant Lagoon is hosting High Tea, without the fine bone china.... For parents, carers and their little ones.

As well as a scrumptious High Tea delights for both adults and children there will be loads of kid’s activities and some great surprises.

With a spectacular playground just across the car park The Lagoon Mums and Bubs High Tea is the

Convoy Is Back i98FM’s Camp Quality Convoy with Marty and Bianca, is back for its ninth year. Organisers are confident that 2013 will see the Illawarra community again come together to raise funds for Camp Quality Illawarra who help to brighten the lives of kids living with cancer and their families. Last year’s event saw 764 trucks and 926 motorbikes take part in the Convoy with a total of $1,034,921.54 in funds raised, taking the grand total to more than $3.2 million dollars since the inaugural event in 2005.

This year’s Convoy will be held on Sunday, November 17. The Convoy will depart under police escort from the Illawarra Coal’s West Cliff Colliery on Appin Rd at 8am and follow a route

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that will take them down Mt Ousley through Warrawong and past Stockland Shellharbour, then onto Croome Road, Albion Park Rail.

The action continues with a free Family Fun Day at the football fields located within the Croome Road Sporting Complex, Albion Park Rail when the registered motorbikes and trucks begin arriving at around 9am.

The Fun Day also includes lots of great entertainment, stalls, rides and activities. Food, market and trade stall registrations as well as truck and motorbike registrations are available online at www.i98fm.com.au.

ideal place for Mothers Groups, Playgroups, Children’s fundraisers or a nice morning out.

Toddlers High Tea is a nut free event.

Booking essential. Phone Phone 42261677 or email bookings@ lagoonrestaurant.com.au For further information or suggestions, please contact jonni@ lagoonrestaurant.com.au This event will be held on a Monday twice monthly and have different activities/themes and special visitors for the children.

Location: The Lagoon Seafood Restaurant, Stuart Park, North Wollongong Cost: Adults $25 Kids $7 (over 1yr) lagoonrestaurant. com.au

New Funky clothing

Check out a new clothing store set up by sisters Pamela and Teresa.

They decided to start the idea because they have always had a passion for shopping and believe no person is ever too young for style!

Their clothing range is best described as ‘Funky and hip’ with very affordable prices. Get in now for Christmas.

You can find the girls on Facebook at facebook.com/ funboysandgirls.

You can also organize a ‘shopping party’ with friends and as the host you will receive some great rewards.

For more information or to book a party contact 0423 294 736 or 0421 420 812.

What is Quicksticks tape?

It is a ‘tear, peel and stick’ silver craft tape (40m x 3.5cms) with a .5cm non adhesive edge. It is this edge that enables the children (4 years+) to work independently as the backing can be easily removed, then the tape adhered to children’s imaginative constructions. Being so durable and easy to use, it is ideal for child focused activities.

Benefits of Quicksticks tape for children: ff Fine motor skills develop by the tearing, peeling off the backing and with the use of crimpers. ff there are opportunities for children to learn as they discover, create, construct and imagine. ff mathematical concepts, estimation, spatial awareness and problem solving as children create ff Individual and small group experiences where children can discuss their ideas and understandings.

We love Quicksticks tape at Early Years you can make almost anything!

How do you order Quicksticks?

Phone or fax 02 8356 9262 or send an email to quicksticks@pnc. com.au For more information go to quicksticks.com.au

Early Childhood Educators wanted for 2014 Early Years Care Family Day Care is seeking Educators in the Northern Suburbs of the Illawarra and Helensburgh. If you are interested in working with children from your home under the guidance of a reputable company please call Yvonne on 02 4256 2072 or email yvonne@earlyyearscare.com.au

The ART BOX with Lucy Lee The Art Box based at Helensburgh conducts art workshops that encourage kids to develop their creativity, make discoveries and find inspiration from our local environment.

They use a combination of high quality art materials along with found, natural and recycled products.

“By using recycled materials as a base I can then spend money on good quality art materials to complete the project,” says Lucy. “I love encouraging children to be creative with what they can find around them - and then turn it into art with a bit of paint, glue and imagination!” She regularly visits the Reverse Garbage and sources materials from

University of Wollongong Early Start Facility A FIRST FOR AUSTRALIA, A MODEL FOR THE WORLD Early Start is the most exciting academic and community engagement project that is currently taking place in Australia. From the simple idea that , “every child deserves the best possible start to life” the University is developing the most sophisticated teaching, research and community engagement initiative in higher education.

Early Start is a $44 million project that aims to create and enrich life opportunities for young Australians from birth – 12 years.

Early Start will become an international hub for research that tackles issues as varied as early cognitive development, healthy lifestyles and inspiring creativity in our young. Most of all, Early Start will remain as it started a “grass roots” program that will engage

wherever she can Lucy started The Art Box in April and has been busy since! Children love her classes and in October she will also be offering classes for adults: a weekly evening art class and a monthly ‘Crafternoon Tea’, where you can learn a variety of craft techniques while enjoying tea and cake.

Lucy has also begun collaborating with teachers from other arreas so she can combine art with other disciplines.

Currently Lucy runs classes from the Bushland Chapel at Helensburgh but will be expanding to other areas due to their popularity.

To keep up to date with The Art Box you can email Lucy on theartbox2508@gmail.com or call 0429 990 337 She also has a great facebook page at facebook.com/ TheArtBox2508/info

young children and their families, share experiences and connect people with University for life.

Early Start is an exciting initiative that is based at the University of Wollongong.

Developed in response to a new wave of research confirming the critical impact of education on children’s health, development and life outcomes, Early Start will transform teaching, research and community engagement in the higher education sector.

Facilities along with the latest technologies will ensure student, family , community connections to many different services across regional, rural and remote communities as well as nationally and internationally.

An initial network of 38 Early Start Engagement Centres (childcare and community services) situated in areas of recognised disadvantage across New South Wales.

The Early Start building will act

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as a hub for collaborative activities across these three dimensions and with the broader community.

The main building will be purpose built to transform teaching, learning and research activities. Areas that integrate face-to-face experiences with an online and virtual learning environment will provide a medium for enriching student access and engagement, particularly for those who aspire to higher education in regional, rural and remote areas. Research facilities are designed to enhance collaboration whilst virtual access will help to bridge the barriers of distance.

The Children’s Discovery Centre is a shared environment, with public access inviting children and their families to engage in a variety of innovative learning experiences. Virtual visitation using internet resources and social networking technologies will enable participation for a wide geographical audience. Teaching and research opportunities will also be possible through face-to-face as well as virtual access to this space.

The Early Start Engagement Centre network will facilitate multi-directional interactions. It will ground teaching and research in real life settings, providing authentic learning opportunities for students and researchers across many disciplines. Opportunities for professional development with a focus on enhancing the practice of staff in these connected centres will also be possible, as will improved connections between ‘experts’ in children’s health, education and development and the families and communities involved.

Professor Paul Chandler at UOW, recognised as Australia’s most cited educational researcher and an

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innovative force in teaching and learning, leads a vibrant academic team with a clear focus on social inclusion and equity in the Early Start initiative.

THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY WILL DELIVER: ff A new generation of graduates to work with children (0-12 years), young people and their families. ff A multi-disciplinary research program that will radically transform educational, health and social outcomes in regional, rural and remote communities. ff A world-class Children’s Discovery Centre, and Australia’s only example of a USA-styled ‘children’s museum’ promoting learning through play and the importance of life-long learning.

KEY FEATURES OF THE PROJECT: ff A core Facility within the University of Wollongong connecting 38 initial Early Start Engagement Centres (ESECs) from all across New South Wales. ff Delivers innovative teaching programs, conducts multidisciplinary research and capacity builds communities (including Indigenous) through targeted parental and family engagement. Ground breaking programs will address children’s critical early years. ff The associated Children’s Discovery Centre invites families with young children on campus to visit and uses technology to engage with those in remote locations.

Soccerman SoccerMan is a fun soccer program designed for boys and girls aged 2-5 years old. Their sessions are focused on children having fun while improving their coordination, balance and movement. They believe that a child’s gross motor development is important from a young age as well as their cognitive and social development.Their training methods not only introduce children to early learning principals of soccer but they endeavour to provide the basic foundations for a child’s future education through soccer specific lessons.They incorporate simple learning concepts such as numbers, colours, letters, shapes, animals and music.

Soccerman’s programs help and encourage children to socialise with other peers in a relaxed and pressure free environment. their aim is to give children confidence and to familiarise themselves within a group and team setting prior to starting school or sport.

Coaches will encourage and promote listening, sharing and taking turns as these are the fundamentals of being part of a team and invaluable social skills.

To organise the fabulous Soccerman to visit your centre or preschool phone 0434 292 089 or go to soccerman.net.au

Words: Marie Smith

Fairytale Food Safari Are you looking for a great present for someone who cares about nutrition and what they feed their family? Then look no further!

My friend Angela has been working on this beautiful cook book for a long time. By working on it I mean studying, photographing and completing all of the illustrations herself.

This is aside from creating all of the delicious recipes included. There is nothing more fantastic than a friend reaching their goals and dreams. This child friendly book is truly a work of art and surpassed all of my expectations even though I am aware of how talented Angela is and always has been.

Angela Stafford has had a passion for cooking, painting and drawing ever since she can remember. After the release of her first book, Wild Vegan (AKA Wild Morsels), she studied Kinesiology. A large part of that study involved gaining an deeper knowledge of nutrition and wholistic health. With this and a passion for children’s health she embarked on the creation of her book.

Angela wants people to know that

healthy eating is a choice that doesn’t have to be seen as ‘hippy’ like or boring and bland. Raw food has limitless potential and will leave you feeling full of vitality and energy.

The magic this book brings makes you want to cook more healthy foods. Children can follow the recipes, which have clear explanations about everything, and the pictures are so appealing that my children have wanted to recreate the colourful and tasty recipes.

To order the book and join the mailing list go to Angela’s Wild Kitchen at angelastafford.com/home-2/ Here you can also get free recipes and a sample of the book.

We also have three books to give away. Send a healthy good food recipe to marie@earlyearscare.com.au and we will have Angela choose the best three which we will print in our next issue.

While you are waiting for your newly ordered copy of the book try this favorite

recipe of mine from Angelas Wild Kitchen.

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Lasagne by Angela Stafford This Lasagne is rich in flavour owing to the roasting of the vegetables – especially the garlic. Yum! You could also add mushrooms and/or squash. I don’t add a bechamel sauce because I like to keep it simple but if you prefer you can add this on top of each layer of pasta. This can be made with gluten-free lasagna sheets too.

Ingredients: 1 head garlic - leave skins on 2 medium-sized red onions - peeled and quartered 2 large capsicums - halved and de-seeded 2 medium-sized eggplants - pricked with a fork; leave the skins on 800g peeled, chopped pumpkin 450g peeled, chopped sweet potato 2 medium-sized zucchinis, sliced thickly oil to coat sea salt to season 900g bottle of passata or 2 tins chopped tomatoes 1 1/2 cups water – I pour the water into the passatta bottle and shake it to get the remaining sauce out.

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes - optional 1 bunch of basil leaves – roughly chopped Lasagne sheets – (approx 400g) grated cheese – for topping (about 1 cup) Instructions: ff Preheat the oven to 160 degrees fanforced or 180 convection. ff On a large, lined oven tray, lay out your vegetables and spray or brush with a little oil.

ff Sprinkle with sea salt (don’t worry about salting the garlic and eggplant as you will peel those). ff Roast in the oven until vegetables are charred and soft. They will be ready at different times. First, the garlic, capsicum zucchini and onion will be ready. Take them out and leave the others in until they are done. Make sure your eggplant is nice and squishy. Rubbery eggplant will ruin your dish. ff Place your pumpkin and sweet potato into a large mixing bowl. Smash the pieces with a fork. Don’t completely mash them, just break them down a little. ff In a food processor, pulse the onion, capsicum, and flesh from the eggplant.

Add to the mixing bowl with the zucchini. ff Now to make your sauce, place the passata, garlic, basil, sun-dried tomatoes (if using) water and a little salt.

Blend until smooth and then add to the mixing bowl. ff Stir your lasagna filling until the consistency is even. ff Take a large baking dish (approx. 33cm x 25cm) and spoon a thin layer of filling onto the bottom. Doing this will ensure that your bottom layer of pasta is

cooked. ff Now lay the lasagna sheets and filling in layers until it is all used up. Make sure you finish with the filling or you will have hard pasta at the top. ff Sprinkle with cheese. ff Cover the top of the lasagna with a layer of grease-proof paper and then cover the whole thing in foil. This will stop the cheese from burning before the pasta is cooked. During the last 10 minutes of cooking time, remove this top. Make sure you use baking paper and not just foil. The foil will not only stick to the cheese but it is not good to have next to your food because of the aluminium breaking down and getting into the meal. ff Bake the Lasagna for 1 hour. Stick a knife into the pasta to make sure it is soft before you take it out.

Serve with a salad and enjoy!

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y l i m a f

e t i m a n y d

or Dynamic Family?

How bullying can potentially impact a sibling of the victim.

Words: Dr Patty Rose

We know that bullies intend to hurt their victim either socially, physically or psychologically and that they consciously choose their victims. What isn’t so clear is if bullies are aware that there can be indirect victims of their actions – the siblings.

For a family, the effects of bullying on the victim and their siblings can feel like the aftermath of a stick of dynamite that has exploded where there is much destruction. The targeted building, like the victim, that once stood tall and proud can become a shadow of its former glory and the buildings next to the target, like the sibling, can also be damaged - just a little less obviously.

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Noticing and responding to this secondary building damage of a sibling can be influenced by the social structure of the family, be it family dynamite or dynamic family and the child’s position within the family.

Family dynamite The social structure in some families between parents and children can be authoritative with excessive competition and rivalry between siblings. In these families a bullying incident at school may be used by a sibling as dynamite to explode already tense and strained relationships between the victim and parents at home, usually for their own gain. In such cases neither the victim’s nor the

sibling’s needs are recognised or dealt with.

Dynamic Family A dynamic family is one where the family members regularly spend quality time together. In these families the relationships between parents and siblings and amongst siblings is based on mutual respect that supports honest, constructive communication. In this family dynamic any incidences of bullying, when discovered, becomes a family experiment to solve where the victim feels supported. As attention is directed towards empowering the victim, members of this dynamic family may not be aware that siblings can also suffer – sometimes silently. A

sibling who has witnessed another family member being bullied at school may not feel that what they are going through is important enough to share and so may hide his/her suffering.

Siblings of children who are being bullied can ask “To help or not to help”? How the sibling answers this question can be influenced by the sibling’s personality and motivation that has been filtered by their family structure and the sibling’s positioning within the family (see Table 1).

This guide may help you understand what could be happening for the victim of bullying at school and the sibling who may have witnessed it. Still, there is no

substitute for parents making time to have family conversations where both the victim and the sibling feel listened to, respected and empowered to collaborate to stop bullying happening. The hope for dynamic families and family dynamite is that out of rubble and ash, caused by bullying a phoenix can arise – a new foundation of self-esteem for both the victim and the sibling based on truth rather than the bully’s projected pain.

Patty Rose is a primary school teacher with twenty-five years teaching experience in local and international schools, at university and at a community centre. She has recently achieved her PhD in

education and combines her passion for children with her academic research and accreditation in NLP in her business called edYOUtopia. As the principal facilitator of edYOUtopia Patty runs exciting empowerment fun-shop seminars for children aged 8-12 years designed to help victims of bullying find their inner power and stop bullying happening. The 5 STAR PROGRAM is a series of five, threehour fun-shops that help children create a successful edge in life by improving their self esteem and developing friendship, communication, resilience and leadership skills.

Table 1: To help or not to help my sibling being bullied at school?

FAMILY DYNAMITE

DYNAMIC FAMILY

The jealous eldest sibling

The protective eldest sibling

This sibling could see the bullying as an opportunity to get even with the victim. Fuelled by jealousy and resentment this sibling could sabotage some/all attempts to help the victim by denying or minimising the bullying events to the parents. In extreme cases this sibling could overtly or covertly collude with the bully to further exasperate the victim’s pain and humiliation. This sibling may not be motivated to stop the bullying.

Parents could look out for increased tension between this sibling and victim and inappropriate use of sarcasm that belittles the victim further.

This sibling could feel guilty for not protecting the younger victim and may try to quietly fix the bullying so as not to draw attention to his/her perceived lack of responsibility. This sibling could feel pressure to be a good role model of how to handle difficult situations and may or may not ask for parental guidance. He/she could be motivated to stop the bullying to help the victim.

Parents could look out for unusually quiet behaviour from the sibling when the bullying incidences are discussed.

The competitive middle sibling

The innovative middle sibling

This sibling could see the bullying as an opportunity to show their parents how much better they are than the victim. This sibling could blame the victim for causing the bullying and retaliate on behalf of the victim to model his/her own strength. This sibling could be motivated to succeed and stop bullying to gain parent attention and approval. Parents could look out for inconsistencies between the victim and the sibling’s recount of events – that heavily sway against the victim.

This sibling could see the bullying as a problem to be solved uniquely by them. To such end this sibling could creatively intervene at school, or work to empower the victim to test different hypothesis. This sibling could be motivated to stop the bullying unaided to help establish an important role for him/herself within the family. Parents could look out for discussions about bullying between the victim and the sibling that stop when other people are around.

The spoilt youngest sibling

The social youngest sibling

This sibling could see the bullying as an inconvenience. This sibling could intervene on behalf of the victim by demanding that the bullying stop or the victim changes and avoids the bully. This sibling could be motivated to stop the bullying because he/she is used to getting what he/she wants and the bullying is temporarily stalling her parents spoiling him/her. Parents could look out for exaggerated pressure by the sibling for the victim to change and thereby stop the bullying.

This sibling could see the bullying as another incident to be mediated. This sibling could intervene by setting up meetings between the bully and the victim with or without parent/school assistance. This sibling could be motivated to stop the bullying and restore the peace. Parents could look out for discussions surroundings meetings and assertive coaching by this sibling with the victim.

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Words: Marie Smith

Hi Dirtgirl! We love you!

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Sure! I’m Dirtgirl and my favourite place to be is outdoors- getting grubby, growing veggies and having fun outside. Oh, and I’m also a singer and a dancer and have an awesome band. We rock the planet! Hehe!

Where does Dirtgirl live?

I live on a farm, in dirtgirlworld! We have a water tank, loads of veggies, fruit trees and trees! I share it with my pals, and with all the other creatures who call it home- including my cheeky chickens, and other wild animals. It’s beautiful; it’s my place.

What activities do you like doing?

Lots! Hehe! My pals (Scrapboy, Ken, Grubby & Hayman) and I have loads of adventures every day. We grow our own food, make all sorts of awesome toys from re-used things, make compost for the garden, mud pies when it rains and go on nature walkabouts-whatever the weather.

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What are some simple ways that we could be eco smart like you?

I play outside and try to play games that don’t need power or batteries.

There’s loads of fun you can have without needing power. Switching off a light whenever you leave a room is also a huge help to our planet. Oh and we never put food scraps in the bin- we use them to make compost, which is food for our garden. Fun for us, yum for the veggies!

Above all, the three Rs rock!

Reduce, re-use, recycle! Simple, but as my pals and I say: little things do make a big difference.

Tell us about your great website

ld website!

the dirtgirl wor

My club? Ohh! It’s SO much fun!

It’s a safe, kids-only zone! All kids can make their own funky avatar, record their voice and send it to me in the forest and hear from other kids from all around the world about how they like to get outside and get grubby! All the

while, you can earn badges by doing little things at home that make a big difference to our planet! Kids can also download kits full of activities to do away from the computer. It’s awesome... You can check it out here www.clubdirtgirlworld.com/

Where can we see your show?

You can see our show on ABC2 on ABC4kids. The show returned on Sept 29th and it’s at 7.35 am each day. When we are not your TV, the fun keeps happening at www. dirtgirlworld.com or at www. facebook.com/dirtgirlworldtv and look out for my new free App lunching on Sept 10. Just search ‘dirtgirlworld’ in the iTunes App store.

Do you have a final message for Early Years readers?

Your backyard is full of adventure waiting just for you! Yep, get outside and get grubby. It’s fun.

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Soccer + Education = FUN Fun program for children aged 2-5 yrs www.soccerman.net.au www.facebook.com/ soccerman4kids 0434 292 089

TODDLERS HIGH TEA

for parents, carers and their little ones On a Monday Twice Monthly, 9.30am – 11:30am

$25pp for High Tea, $7 per child over 12 months Stuart Park North Wollongong www.lagoonrestaurant.com.au

02 4226 1677

Bookings are essential.

Loads of kids activities to keep them busy.

Monster School: Enrol if You Dare!

Write Now columnist DC Green says he is ‘super stoked’ at the publication of his new children’s book, Monster School – and at all the glowing five-star reviews his novel for ages ten and up has received on Goodreads and Amazon.

The first book of the City of Monsters series, Monster School features dozens of monstrous illustrations by the talented Danny Willis. And a map!

About Monster School A teenage prince named Thomas is constantly watched by his ogre bodyguard, Erica. Why? Thomas lives in a city of four million monsters – a dangerous metropolis where humans are the endangered species.

Every monster in the history of the world lives in Monstro City, ranging from vampires and zombies to trolls and dragons to exotic monsters such as wokolos and azemans (vampire mosquitos that drill through the ear into human brains!).

All the monster children attend the one overcrowded and crazy school: Monstro Central.

A terrified Thomas must also enrol – or see his family wiped out.

Five Star Reviews ‘A rollicking read, filled with snappy dialogue and wonderfully witty characters that illustrator, Danny Willis, has captured to a ‘T’.’

– Jenny Mounfield, Amazon. com.

‘I fell in love with the wonderful cast of monster characters. This is one book I wish I’d written … a classic.’ – Robyn Parnell, Goodreads.

‘Fast moving, exciting and drops information at just the right rate...

Altogether, great fun, with the usual DCG mix of big-hearted weirdness.’

– Sally Odgers.

‘A mind blowing adventure with twists and turns of all kinds. Kids of all ages will enjoy this fantastic book.’ – Liam, aged 11.

‘Jam-packed with action and adventure… From the first to the last page you’ll be hooked in and barracking for PT and the Dead Gang.’

– Matt Porter, Goodreads.

‘A wild, wise-cracking ride. I loved it.’ – Ian Irvine.

‘Fast, funny and FREAKY.’ – DC Green.

Monster Blog Tour To celebrate Monster School’s release, DC Green has embarked on a two-week Monster Blog Tour. Every day he be touring wonderful author and writing blogs, including famous children’s authors such as Di Bates, Ian Irvine, George Ivanoff and Dee White.

There will be great insights into the writing process with topics ranging from world building to creating monstrous characters.

DC will happily answer any posted questions (such as, ‘What’s it

like sitting at the desk next to a giant spider called Bruce?’). he also promises there will be laughter – and giveaways.

Handy Links DC’s blog, for Monster Blog Tour dates and destinations: dcgreenyarns. blogspot.com.au DC @ Goodreads: goodreads.com/ author/show/4527538.D_C_Green DC’s facebook page: facebook.com/ DCGreenAuthor DC’s publisher’s site (for book orders): fordstreetpublishing.com DC’s other publisher: barrelbooks. com Amazon.com (for a kindle Monsters): amazon.com/dp/B00FDKBTVQ

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Paint the Gong REaD! Early literacy. We hear this term around the place a LOT! But what does it mean? We know that early literacy is vital in the development of children from birth and most specifically in the first 5 years of life. Exposure to literacy skills sets children up for positive start to school, sound skills in language, communication and social interaction, and encourages a love of learning and curiousity about the world.

As soon as babies arrive into the world, they seek information about this strange new environment. Eye contact, changes in voice tones and visual cues all play a part in helping babies form an understanding about the world around them.

Early literacy skills include: attention, listening, language, awareness of sounds, symbols and alphabet, book handling skills, drawing and shape copying. Reading stories,

and children to make sense of their world, and develop important skills for their future.

Television and screens are everywhere these days. It’s important to remember that while there are some fantastic programs for children that encourage great development, long periods of watching television is a passive activity that doesn’t assist with this process. Interactively responding to what’s happening on TV is a great way to use this tool with kids.

Paint the Town REaD Illawarra is an early literacy community program that encourages the whole community to read, talk, sing, yarn, and rhyme with children from birth, so that they will be ready for reading and writing at school.

We are a dedicated group of community organisations, services and early childhood agencies working together to promote the important role of early literacy in the lives of our children.

From August 2013 through to March 2014 Paint the GONG REaD is giving childrens’ services, schools, libraries, organisations and businesses the opportunity to host 1 of 6 reading eggs that they can help nurture and grow. As children

read, sing, talk and rhyme to the egg, the egg will grow and get stronger and eventually HATCH in March 2014, revealing the new Paint the GONG REaD Mascot! Children are also invited to submit a design for the mascot and the winning entry will win some fantastic prizes! Group entries are also encouraged, and playgroups, centres, preschools and schools are encouraged to make this a group project.

We encourage you to host the egg for a week and with the help of the children read, talk, and sing to the egg to help it grow. The mascot when launched will become the “face” of Paint the GONG REaD – our own regional logo and mascot.

If your service/school would like the opportunity to host one of the Paint the GONG REaD reading eggs for a week please email info@iacc.com.au. You can receive a kit with competition entry forms, the reading egg, stickers, signs, a journal and more.

Follow Paint the GONG REaD on Facebook! www.facebook.com/ paintthegongread For more information about Paint the Town REaD Illawarra email paintthegongread@gmail.com Words: Caitlin Marshall On behalf of Paint the Town Read Illawarra

The Reading Egg - read, talk and sing to it and it will GROW! looking at picture books, pictures on food packaging, signs, and pointing at interesting things in the landscape are all part of literacy.

Singing songs, repeating words and playing music are important literacy tools too. Everyone can help children develop early literacy skills. Counting flowers on a walk to the shops, noticing signs at the beach, pointing out words in the supermarket, looking at books – you don’t even need to read the words! These are all activities that all do wonders for enabling babies

EY12

Members of the Illawarra Dragons reading with children at Wollongong Library

EY13

I always feel quite calm around bee’s . There is something serene and magical about the way they move around and communicate to each other while getting their work done. I know many people will run screaming from a buzzing bee and they will feel anything but calm , yet bee keeping as a hobby , is on the rise , even in suburbia. So why are people suddenly starting to find out more about bees and how to keep them in their back yard? Its not just about the honey, although that is a very big draw card for keeping bees. Bee’s are an integral part of our society and without them our world is in trouble and people are starting to realise.

In a bid to know more about the honey bee , I dragged my friend along to a mini bee keepers workshop run by Wild Rumpus and the lovely Luke, a bee keeper from Bulli. Neither of us knew what to expect but in two short hours we were full of knowledge and ideas for planning! There were quite a number of other bee enthusiasts from all walks of life wanting to know the basics of keeping bees. Amanda and I left the workshop with a new respect for nature, honey and of course bees.

Eating freshly harvested honey just topped off the wonderful morning.

Keeping a bee hive is not hard and there are people to help. The Illawarra is full of people who know a lot about

Bee a Keeper So how do you explain it all to children?

Honey bees make our honey and have done for thousands and thousands of years all around the world. People who keep bees are called apiarists.

Bees live in big groups called

In a nut shell ,we need bees.. Bees help pollinate around 70% of all the crops on the planet. If there were no bees, many plants will simply die-off due to lack of pollination.

Without bees, there would be no honey but also many plants would not be able to reproduce and would become extinct. In turn, this would lead to the disappearance of various animal species.

It would be a natural crisis which would need a huge amount of human intervention to solve it. Isn’t that the situation we are trying to avoid as we all try to live more organically and sustainably?

There is a stigma around bee’s , they don’t have a very good reputation other than as honey producers. Many people have vivid memories of being stung as a child and in turn we have passed on those feelings to children and have made many children fear bee’s. That, along with the amount of allergies that our society suffers from ,make us see the humble honey bee in a negative light. But children need to know, and deserve to know, what they are consuming and where it has come from. Our children are also possibly the key to saving the world from bee extinction.

EY14

Words: Marie Smith

the honey bee, we are really lucky to live in a community where people care so much about the environment.

Keeping bees may not be for everyone but we certainly owe it to our world to learn a lot more about the power of bees and what role they play in keeping our world sustainable. We need to teach children about the super powers of bee’s and create a respect for this creature that will have our children protecting them for the future.

For more information go to beekeeperssutherland.org.au, backyardhoneyaustralia.webs. com, www.aussiebee.com.au For more information about the great workshops Wild Rumpus are running go to www.wildrumpus. com.au Thankfully I now have the knowledge to pass on to children about bee’s and honey.

colonies. The colony lives in their house which is called a bee hive. Inside of the hive is very exciting, its where all of the busy bee work happens. The bees make a honey comb from wax which has lots of holes or spaces in it.

Bees are an insect. They have two antennae which they use for smelling and detecting danger. They have six legs and four wings. They have lots of hair that lifts ,traps and spreads pollen.

They have two large eyes for seeing big shapes but also three small ones on the top of their head that help them see the right way to go. Bees also have a sting in their abdomen. They only use this to sting when they are protecting the hive .

In the colony there can be thousands of busy bees, each with its own job.

There is the Queen who lays eggs and the other bees look after her. She is bigger and has a longer body than the other bees. There are worker bees who

are females but they don’t lay eggs.

They start their life inside of the hive and then later on become field bees who collect and gather food. The drones are the males who have no sting. The sole job of the drone is to mate with the queen. Once they do this they die.

But how is the honey made?

Bees find and gather food from flowers. They collect sweet juice which is called nectar. Bees also collect a dust called pollen from the flowers.

They pack it carefully into their hairs and carry it to the hive. As the bee collects the pollen it also spreads it from flower to flower and this is the process we know as pollination.

Flowers can only thrive ad make

seed after they have been pollinated.

This is how bees help many foods such as fruit, nuts , melons and beans to grow.

Inside of a bee , nectar is changed with special substances that only bees have. He workers then deliver it to the spaces of wax in the hive. They flap their wings around which dries it out and it becomes honey!

The hive is an incredibly busy place of work and should not be disturbed.

There is honey being made but also baby bees are being born which are little grubs that are called larvae until

they grow into bees.

Bees are very clever, they work all day and all night and they can even tell if other bees have found a good place to find nectar. They do a little dance and the other bees know what they mean-this is how they communicate.

Animals and people need the crops that bees pollinate. They wont grow otherwise. We need bees and bees need us. We should stay out of their way and let them do their busy work until they need our help.

Without bees our world would be very different.

EY15

Maths: Ages & Stages.

What’s normal?

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FIRST SKILLS Within a month of starting school 40% of Kindergarten students can recognise and read the numerals 1 to 9 or beyond. To improve numeral recognition, try ‘reading’ letterboxes as you walk, or playing ‘find the number’ when driving. The first person to find the required digit chooses which digit will be hunted next.

70% of 5-year-olds can rote count to 20 or higher, 44% can rote count to 100 or beyond. Rote counting means saying the numbers in order. You can practise whenever you are waiting with your child—in a checkout queue or traffic lights.

ADDITION Children pass through clearly recognisable stages of increasing competency as they learn to add numbers. The time they spend at each stage varies immensely but they all need to go through each stage before they can master the next. A quick way to identify which stage your child is at is to ask them “What’s 6+9”.

Counting all—1,2,3,4,5,6; 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9; 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10, 11,12,13,14,15 Initially children will count out six objects (often fingers), then count out nine objects and then go back to the first objects and recount everything starting from one. 60% of 5-year-olds count all, but by 7 years just 10% are still counting all. Any activities involving counting groups of objects (coloured pegs, forks, dots on dice) will improve competence with this first addition strategy.

Counting on— 7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15 Later children need only nine fingers. They will say “7,8,9 …” as they count to 15. 20% of 5 year olds already use this counting on strategy or a more sophisticated one. By 7 years of age 80% have mastered counting on.

If your child is counting all you can encourage them to count on, with examples where a large first number is added to a very small second number eg 7+1, 14+1, 25+2 etc. Scoring games, where only one or two points are added to the total, are excellent for this. Once they count on spontaneously, gradually reduce the difference between the numbers eg 9+2, 11+4, 6+5 etc.

Counting on from larger—10,11,12,13,14,15 Later children notice they can start at the nine and count on six. If your child is counting on, you can encourage them to count on from larger by giving problems where the difference between the numbers is large, and the smaller number is first. eg 1+8, 2+15. To spontaneously count on from larger a child must understand that 3+4=4+3. Junior Monopoly is an excellent board game for children at any of these early stages.

Part Whole 6 + (10-1)= (6+10) - 1 or (5+1)+9=5+(1+9) The most sophisticated way to find an unknown answer is to use known facts. A child might think “6+10 is 16, but 9 is one less than ten so the answer is 15” or “6 and 9 is the same as 5+10 if I take one from the 6 and add it to the nine first”. The key aspect is that they are able to “see” both the whole number (6 or 9) and the parts (5+1 or 10-1). 20% of six-year-old children can use part-whole strategies.

By 10 years of age 80% of children are part-whole.

To become part-whole a child needs to have memorised a sizable store of basic addition facts. The doubles (2+2, 3+3, etc) are usually learnt first. After these, combinations that add to 10 (1+9, 2+8 etc) are the most useful. Take turns in quick games of “Behind my back I’m holding up two fingers, how many have I got tucked down?”.

TIMES TABLES My simple answer to “When does my child need to know their times tables?” is “Whenever their teacher starts making an issue of speed recall”.

Recall of basic multiplication facts is an objective for Stage 3 (achieved during Years 5 and 6) but schools more commonly expect rote learning of 2x, 5x, 10x, 3x and 4x by the end of Year 3. By Year 6 most schools require speed recall of the full set of times tables. Memorisation of 11x and 12x is no longer mandatory.

However tables can make mathematics a self-esteem issue long before Year 6. If your child is in a class where speed is emphasised, they need to memorise their multiplication facts right now. If they find they are slower than the other children, they may

develop an image of themselves as being poor mathematicians. It is important for their future progress that this doesn’t happen.

If your child tells you they “suck at maths”, or they don’t like maths, take immediate action. Speak to their teacher and do whatever they suggest to help at home. If things don’t improve quickly seek outside help, but do it as early as possible. A child who hates maths will avoid it, therefore getting less practice than their peers. Less practice means poor results, so they hate the subject even more and a downward spiral is inevitable. Don’t let that spiral start!

PLACE VALUE Place Value is sometimes called ‘the 9-year-old hurdle’. A child who has not mastered place value by nine years of age is at risk of failure in later years.

A quick way of testing your child is to ask them 24+10=. For adults the answer is immediate, because we see 24 as “two tens and four”. If a child counts up 25,26,27… 34, they have not yet grasped the most basic of place value concepts.

Researchers check place value understanding by asking what the 1 in 14 means. 20% of 7-year-olds can explain that 1 indicates 10. By 9 years of age, 80% can.

Working with money, particularly finding the total amount when given a pile of coins, is an excellent way of strengthening place value. Rote counting in tens (10, 20, 30, etc) helps too, but don’t stop at 100, keep on practising until they can count past 1000 in tens with ease.

At Stage 3 level, place value is extended to decimal numbers. Try asking a 12-year-old “5.1 x 10” or “what number comes next 5.7, 5.8, 5.9?” 50% will answer 5.10 to one or both of these questions, indicating they have not yet mastered the concept of decimals. Correcting decimal misconceptions is a specialised area of mathematics teaching. For most parents, the best option is to ensure good place value understanding before decimals are introduced in Year 4.

Sally Warren B.A. Dip. Ed. NumberWorks’nWords Wollongong 4225 7721 www.numberworksnwords.com

EY17

Worth the effort A Family Day Carer’s Story I’ve received many different responses when I’ve told people that I do Family Daycare. Some have never heard of it, others tell me they’ve used it and loved it, and others tell me “you must be crazy!”

Often seen as the second option to Long Daycare and Preschool, Family Daycare has been evolving for many years and is now so much more than a ‘babysitting service’. We now share the same regulations as Long Daycare services and Preschools and adhere to rigorous National Quality and Early Years Learning training and procedures. Our programs are carefully planned, our learning environments meticulously organised and our homes systematically arranged under stringent safety standards. All this takes place as we care for our own families and homes!

Being a childcare professional isn’t just a job, it’s a calling. It demands dedication, patience and forethought.

You need the ability to recognise what is in the best interests of children and their families and the skill-sets to see those objectives realised. I have met many committed carers throughout my 15 years in the Early Childhood profession and am proud to have had such inspiring role models. Their influence has helped define who I am as a teacher. It has also helped me to understand that an organisation’s commitment to the development of the children in their care can be measured by the quality of its teachers and the resources available to them.

Family Daycare enables me to put this knowledge into practice. I am constantly seeking ways to enhance and diversify my Family Daycare children’s learning environment and experiences and recognise that each child comes with his/her own set of unique interests and capabilities. The most rewarding aspect of my job is watching my ‘little pippies’ play, learn, create and develop as individuals and as friends. Not only can I participate in their life experiences at home, I also have the freedom and flexibility to explore the Illawarra with them on our numerous outings. We have so much

fun it’s exhausting - and not just for the kids!

By aiming to provide the highest quality Family Daycare service possible, my own family benefit along with the children I care for. Thankfully, I have a wonderful and supportive husband to help me achieve this goal and four beautiful children (aged 7, 5, 3 and 1) to share it with. We are also incredibly fortunate to have our parents, who frequently help out around our house and enable me to focus on my passion for teaching children.

Like any job, some days are more challenging than others, but at the end of each one, I can finally sit down and reflect on how rewarding the effort really is. The smiling faces on all the families I am involved with (my own included) are all the motivation I need to start preparing for the next day!

Charise Orvad Primary Carer Play in Paradise Family Daycare

EY19

Emotional Intelligence Words: Leatrice Todd

EY20

Predicting a child’s success in life has typically hinged on their level of IQ (Intelligence Quotient). We all know the weird and wonderful products on today’s market aimed at developing our children’s intelligence. Whether it be listening to baroque or the latest Baby Einstein products it makes you wonder how any Generation X’s ever graduated from university with only Enid Blyton and Golden Books in their lives.

Current research has recognised that academic performance is not the only predictor of an individual’s future success. In fact, this research shows that Emotional Intelligence (EI) is more closely linked to predicting future success than IQ. EI has been shown to be more important than IQ when it comes to successful personal relationships and careers, and raising happy and satisfied children. High levels of emotional intelligence are also linked to the prevention of substance abuse and violence.

and understand your child’s needs, respond to their emotional hurts and assist them in reconciling their difficulties.

We often use emotional intelligence skills without even realising it. Just think how quickly you learnt to distinguish between the different cries of your new born baby. Being in tune with your baby helped you recognise whether she needed a feed, a sleep or a cuddle.

As parents we all want what is best for our children. Fostering emotional well-being in our families can help us develop children that lead happy, healthy and fulfilling lives. Who wouldn’t want that? It also has the added benefit for us of developing better relationships with our family, friends and work colleagues.

Both children and adults can be taught emotional intelligence. Learning to understand our own feelings, modelling positive behaviour and communicating effectively are the best ways to start.

What is emotional intelligence?

Fostering emotional intelligence

While the concept of emotional intelligence has been circling around the business world for a number of years, it’s fairly new to the field of child and adolescent psychology.

In his 1995 book Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ, renowned psychologist and journalist Daniel Goleman coined the term emotional intelligence to describe a set of traits people use to identify, understand and manage their own and other people’s emotions.

Along with many others, Goleman has demonstrated that factors other than IQ, such as an individual’s selfawareness, capacity to self-manage, social awareness and ability to manage relationships, play an important role in predicting a person’s success in life. EI can also be thought of as a set of “social” or “people” skills incorporating intrapersonal skills (understanding oneself) and interpersonal skills (understanding others).

Strengthen self-awareness Create a vocabulary of emotions.

There are actually thousands of words that we can use to describe our feelings but most of us usually pick a common few such as happy, sad and angry. Try using different words, for example, instead of feeling angry we might actually be feeling irritated.

Have open and healthy discussions about your feelings. By doing this we show that it is acceptable for children to identify, label and talk about their feelings.

You can quite easily draw up a set of faces that show different emotions such as blissful, confused or miserable or find print outs of emotions by searching the internet. My personal favourite is the set of Bear cards available online from St Lukes Innovative Resources that show cute bears with different feelings.

Master mood management You can help your children take charge of their own minds by teaching them that they can change the way they feel. Showing them how to change negative feelings into positive ones is a very helpful approach to learn early in life. Perhaps they are feeling frustrated because it’s raining and they wanted to go outside to play. This could change into feelings of happiness when you watch their favourite movie

EI Building Blocks The first few years of life play an essential role in the development of emotional health, so parents are vital in helping their children learn to become emotionally intelligent. In fact, your own level of emotional intelligence also affects how you parent. EI helps you relate to

with them.

Another valuable strategy for both parents and children is learning to understand what helps them calm down when they become anxious, angry or over-excited. Perhaps some quiet time in their room, a favourite story or some deep breaths will do the trick.

Consolidate community consciousness You can actively promote compassionate and considerate children by: Valuing charity: You can make a family day of clearing out cupboards of clothes, toys or other items you don’t use or need anymore. Donate them to a local charity and explain to your child that you are giving them to people who are in need. Other ideas include raising money for a special cause or letting your child donate a proportion of their pocket money to a charity that is important to them.

Role-modelling caring behaviours: Children learn by watching and listening to others. So if you are kind to others, and your children, they are probably going to be kind also. It is easy to be nice - wave hello to your neighbours or help an elderly person carry their shopping.

Considering all living things: Simple ways of showing your children about caring for the environment and animals include; planting a tree, recycling items in your home or buying your family pet from an animal welfare shelter.

Guiding recreation: Expose your child to books, TV and games that promote caring behaviour and limit the amount of exposure your child has to violent TV, movies and games. Books such as the “Elf-help” books for kids are ideal.

Cultivate communication Developing your own and your children’s communication skills helps foster their emotional wellbeing. This includes letting your children know what behaviours you like and those you don’t. Using “I statements” can be an effective way to communicate your feelings and thoughts. For example, “I feel annoyed when you yell at your sister because it upsets her and I want you to be nice to each other.”

It’s also vital to actively listen when your child is talking to you. Be there in full, looking into your child’s eyes and show that you are interested in what your child has to say.

EY21

Benny Coles

– Parties and Personal Training If you’re after something different for a children’s party Benny Coles might have the answers for you! Benny is putting a twist on wrestling parties and has all the right moves to make your child’s party a memorable one.

What could children expect from a wrestling party?

The unexpected! The best thing about a Super Hero Wrestling Party is that there are no limits to the adventure and fun that we can have! Children get to interact with our “Real-life Superheros” in a number of different Superhero Games and challenges all aimed at creating the most enjoyable atmosphere possible. What makes it a unique experience is that it’s not about just watching from the sidelines – the kids themselves get to be the focus – they’re right in the middle of all the action and a part of it all. They get to be the stars of the action as well. It’s all total interactive action and adventure.

to remember all of the games and activities I enjoyed when I was a kid and put my own “Superhero” spin onto each of them. Friends and family gave me their own input, and of course, being an accredited fitness coach with AASC (Active After School Care) I work with children every week and so I get great feedback and ideas right from the kids themselves. I’ve had plenty of experience with kids and they’ll let you know straight up what is fun and what’s not. The great thing with the parties is that they’re dynamic; you plan what’s going to happen, but you also get to react and play off what the kids want on the day. And at the end of it, everyone has tonnes of fun.

What inspired you to start Super Hero Wrestling Parties?

Besides Super Hero Wrestling Parties what else do you do with your time?

I’ve been wrestling professionally for five years now and it’s my number one passion. At the wrestling matches it’s all excitement, anticipation, the build-up of drama, lots of action, good guys versus bad guys - and the kids in the crowd, they just LOVE it. You see their eyes light up and they get drawn into the excitement. It’s so rewarding to be a part of that excitement for them.

What I started to think was how I could take this to the next level; bring the wrestling experience to the people.

Remove that barrier between the wrestlers and the spectators and bring them right into the action.

I’m the Current AWF Heavyweight wrestling Champion (which is where the kids’ party ideas began) and I compete and need to keep at my professional peak for that title. I’m also the face of the I&J “Iron Jay” national advertising campaign – which is lots of fun and I get to play the wrestling superhero character on TV and for all the advertisements.

Day to day I also run my own Personal Training business “Ben Coles Personal Training” (www.bennycoles. com) which has been running for three years now. Becoming a fully qualified trainer was really a natural step forward from my own passion for physical fitness and training. I love working with clients on a one to one basis and helping them achieve great results.

Further to that, I’m also a “Frontline Master Trainer” with the Food Patrol

Where do you get your ideas from?

Being the big kid that I am, coming up with what kids would love wasn’t really a big stretch at all. Initially I tried

EY22

(www.foodpatrol.com.au) - a nutritional body transformation program which has phenomenal ongoing success in weight loss. So creating tailored training programs for my clients, along with the Food Patrol nutritional program is a killer combination. I’ve seen people achieve sensational results – and it’s not just a physical change, but so often their whole lives are transformed, and it’s just an amazing thing to be a part of.

What was your most memorable party moment?

It’s all memorable! But I have to say, the “CAKE SMASH” is a total, handsdown crowd favourite. Let me just say it involves the villain wrestler (who is usually trying to get away with his badguy antics) and the Superhero wrestler (me) finally giving him a “taste” of his own medicine. The kids LOVE it!

Who was your favourite wrestler growing up?

“The Rock” was by far my absolute hero growing up. It was him who got me completely hooked on the sport as a kid. He is a totally a larger than life wrestling superhero. The way he just completely owned the ring – he could just lift an eyebrow and the crowd would go wild for him – an absolute legend.

What does the future hold for Benny Coles?

I certainly hope it’s lots more of what I’m doing now and loving. My great passion is wrestling, and I definitely want that to keep being a big part of my life. I’d love to bring the excitement of pro-wrestling to a larger

Australian audience (and the kids’ parties are one way I get to do this).

Wrestling is a huge entertainment industry in the USA and I’d love to bring more of that excitement to audiences here.

I really want to further pursue my passion for health, fitness and nutrition.

There is a desperate need out there these days for a return to healthy living and lifestyles and for people to learn how to gain control over their health.

Educating and inspiring people is so important – and there is a real need to do this for kids as well.

I feel really lucky and privileged to be involved in being a positive role model and helping people transform their lives. It›s truly wonderful and hopefully I can continue to make a difference one way or another for many years to come. And if I can bring about fun, enjoyment and entertainment in the process, then all the better! Who knows what adventures lie ahead for Benny Coles, but chances are they›ll be exciting and action packed! Stay tuned – and find out at www. bennycoles.com Or even send me a hello and suggestions!

EY23

Keeping your kids Cyber-Safe Words: Leatrice Todd

Our children are growing up in a world filled with technology that most of us couldn’t have imagined when we were young. We probably never had access to a home computer before our teenage years, to call a friend we used the phone in the kitchen (where our mothers always listened in!) and to do a school assignment we dragged out the smelly old family encyclopaedias or went to the library.

How different things are today.

Almost every home has a computer and many of us have a mobile phone.

Children and young people these days use the internet for many reasons such as finding information for school, sending emails, chatting online and surfing the internet. The internet has also become a major part of our children’s psychological development where they explore social skills and build on their personal identity.

While there are countless benefits of cyberspace such as the ease of communication and access to information, there are also some pitfalls that we need to be mindful of because of the possible problems that can arise for our children.

Being online opens up a number of potential risks, like; viewing inappropriate content such as violence or extremist websites (e.g. anti-gay or racial hatred); having their identity stolen; creating digital footprints that they might later regret (e.g. sharing personal photos or writing blog posts); being bullied, stalked or harassed online; or being exposed to online

EY24

grooming and unwelcome sexual solicitations. Following, we take a closer look at cyber bullying.

increase their awareness about internet safety and reduce the possibility of them getting into trouble.

Big Bad Bullies

Get knowledgeable and join in If you want to be effective in protecting your children on the internet then it is vital you understand the subject. It is hard to discuss a topic when you know nothing about it. Read up on the topic, explore cyberspace and join your children in some of their online activities.

Find interesting and safe websites that your child can look at and encourage your child to visit them.

Just like the school yard there are bullies in cyberspace. Cyber bullying refers to bullying that happens via internet services such as email, chat rooms, discussion groups, instant messaging or social networking sites (e.g. Facebook, Twitter or Bebo.)

Bullying behaviours include; teasing and making fun of someone, spreading rumours, sending unwanted messages and making damaging false statements about a person.

The signals that your child might be being bullied on-line are very similar to how they would react to being bullied in ‘real life’. They may: ff have trouble sleeping ff have nightmares ff appear to be feeling down, sad or blue ff have bouts of crying for no apparent reason ff have mood swings ff feel unwell ff lose interest in their friends ff fall behind at school ff spend a lot of time on the computer

What can you do to protect your children on-line?

It might seem like a difficult task to monitor your child on the internet given that it is hard to control or track their activities on-line. However, there are a number of things you can do to

Communicate Talk to your children about what they do on-line in a curious and friendly way and do your best to avoid a critical tone. Ask them; what websites, chat rooms, blogs or social networking sites they visit on-line; who they are talking to on-line; and who their cyber friends are. Take the time to sit with them at the computer and let them show you their favourite places to hang out on the internet.

Children can often feel socially isolated if they are not ‘befriended’ or included in cyber social interactions. It is important to take their feelings seriously and help them manage these emotions.

Acknowledge all the good things about the internet but also talk to them about the possible dangers such as cyber bullying, hackers, viruses, identity theft, and sex offenders, including what these things mean and whether they

have had or are having any problems.

Observe Wherever possible make the computer visible. Put it in a living area as it makes it easier to monitor what your children are doing on the computer and promotes using the computer as a family activity. That way you can easily keep an eye on them while you are cooking dinner or watching TV. If having a computer in a separate room such as a study or their bedroom is your only option then ensure they keep the door to the room open and the screen is easily visible from the door way. Pop in every now and again to positively enquire how they are going. If your child quickly closes a window every time you walk in they may just want their privacy or something might be wrong. Talk about it with them to be sure.

The more available you are the more likely your child will ask you questions about something they don’t understand or feel unsure about.

Set some rules Just like you wouldn’t let your child stay out all night or do anything they want, you need to set some boundaries around their internet use.

Have limits on when they can use it, for example after homework, and how much time they can spend online.

You should also create clear rules about exactly what they can and can’t do online. One area in particular where you should set clear rules is around disclosing personal information.

Children need to understand that the more information they post about themselves online, the easier they make it for someone to find them in real life, and this can be dangerous.

Help your child understand: ff they should never post personal information that makes them identifiable, such as addresses, phone numbers or their date of birth. ff they should use Privacy Settings on their social networking sites. ff they should always keep their passwords secret. ff they should never meet up with someone they have met on the internet without your explicit agreement and close supervision.

Monitor and control If you need to, you can purchase a variety of software that can be used to monitor and control what your child does on the internet. There are programs available that keep a record of websites they visit, block access to particular websites, prevent files from being downloaded and even set limits on how much time they spend on the internet.

These programs can be very helpful but always try communicating with your child and helping them to learn what is sensible behaviour on the internet.

Get help If you are concerned about your child’s on-line behaviour or you think that your child is being bullied or harassed online there are a number of ways you can get help. Your local

community is an excellent place to start. Take the time to talk to your family, friends, or teachers at your child’s school. If you need more help you could consider talking to community counsellors, psychologists or even the local police. Or check out the websites below.

If you need more information There are a number of websites that provide excellent advice and agencies that offer phone support.

Check out: ff Cybersmart – Provides Internet and mobile phone safety advice and activities. You can also find Hector’s World on Cybersmart. It is a great resource for parents with cyber safety messages designed for primary school aged children. ff You can also download Hector’s World Safety Button. If your child sees something online that makes them feel upset or worried this program diverts them from it. They simply click a button and the computer screen is covered with a cool picture. www.cybersmart.gov.au ff NetAlert – The Australian Government’s online safety program. It has practical advice and strategies around internet safety for children, students and families. www.netalert.gov.au NetAlert Helpline: 1800 880 176

EY25

Animal Instinct

with Dr Liz

Maintaining an active lifestyle is as important for our pets as it is for us, and so, let us have some fun.

Cats love to play and jump around, and our kids have energy to burn – why not combine the two. Making cat toys at home, is easy, and fun for the kids too.

How to make a Hanging Spider : You will need – 4 large pipe cleaners, 3 pom poms , Bell, Elastic, Craft Dowel, Eyes, Glue gun ff Hold 4 large pipe cleaners together at the centre and twist one of them around the other three a couple of times. (your spider now has legs. ff Glue the 3 pom-poms together which will form your spider’s body. ff Glue the body to the pipe cleaner legs, and add some eyes in the front. ff Attach a bell to the elastic, and then attach it to the spider. ff Attach it to the dowel. ff Don’t forget to spray it with catnip. ff Away you go – all you need to do is name your spider, and watch your cat pounce on it for fun!

Now you can do variations of this to make a bird, a mouse – actually, it doesn’t really matter, as you, your kids, and your cats will have hours of fun. Perfect, for those winter evenings at home.

Dr Liz Chmurycz BVSc CMAVA N5071 Veterinary Surgeon Ph (02 4284 5988, www.animalclinic.com.au 17 Bellambi Lane, Russell Vale, 2518 NSW

www.dmtoysandgifts.com.au marg@dmtoysandgifts.com.au 0435 931 492 We specialise in high quality and durable educational toys and unique gifts that will delight children, parents, grandparents and teachers alike.

PureArt Creative Projects Creative~Learning~Experiences Children discover, learn and grow through play. Honora uses a variety of creative and performing arts methods and equipment as tools to engage children in fun learning experiences called, Creative Play Sessions.

Honora comes out to you pre-school, family day care, playgroup or other group with all the equipment and materials required.

To find out more or make a booking, phone: 0410 029 466, email: honora@openminddev.net or facebook: www.facebook.com/pureartcreative?fref=ts

Book

Reviews Words: Jemma Towse

Dandelion

BY Calvin Scott Davis Illustrated by Anthony Ishinjerro Published by Random House Australia Dandelion is a captivating story about the power of imagination and bullying.

The story encourages parents and children to not only discuss bullying, but also to discover whether a little imagination can solve the problem. A staggering one in six children are faced with bullying each week (report 2009 Edith Cowan University).

Character Benjamin Brewster is a character who is illustrated without a face – this assists children to insert themselves into the story and make themselves the character. Benjamin hates going to school because he is picked on. Blowing on a Dandelion Benjamin wishes for things to be better... if only his school would disappear or even the bullies. Neither does and while Benjamin never confronts his bullies he does come to the realisation that his imagination makes him stronger than them.

Dandelion proves that after embracing creativity, children and adults can be transported to a world where imagination is encompassed in solving problems.

‘With all my might, you’ll take a flight if i could wish for better things...’

This story is written by Calvin Scott Davis who is an award winning writer and creative director of a digital media company. He is also father of three and wrote this story in response to his own son being bullied.

SEADOG Written by Claire Saxby Illustrated by Tom Jellett Published by Random House Australia ‘Our Dog is not a clean dog, A shiny or a fluffy dog Our dog is a seadog’ For all dog lovers a like; this beautifully illustrated book instantly captures a loveable character with a big personality.

This book is a great read aloud book for young people age 2-5 years and a fun book for the beginner reader. This story brings boundless energy and a love for all things salty and sandy (with even the occasional pile of rotton fish!)

Claire Saxby has been writing for children for almost 15 years. She has nearly 40 books in print and more set for publication (Already published books include; ‘There was an old sailor’, ‘A new world record’, ‘A nest for Kora’ and ‘Hop, Skip Jump’). Claire lives in Melbourne with her husband and her three sons and a dog (not a Seadog) that often pretends to be a cat!!!!

Tom Jellett is an Australian illustrator who has illustrated a number of bestselling children’s books. Tom has also been editorial editor for News Limited, working on The Australian, The Weekender Australian and The Daily Telegraph. members.optusnet.com.au/merck/index.html for more information on Claire and her work.

WRITE NOW with DC Green DCGreenAuthor @facebook DC’s Top Eight Writing Tips Live an interesting life! Take risks. Be bold. Explore Australia, the world and the depths of your own emotions. You’ll have lots of interesting experiences to write about – and have fun in the process!

Stay healthy! It’s a lot easier to write in your spare time if you are full of energy. So eat well, exercise regularly and take care of your brain, body, emotions and soul!

Study people! Good writers need to be able to understand a wide range of characters and their motivations. Watch the way people walk and use their hands. Study their facial expressions. Listen to their stories. If you have an argument with someone, try to understand their point of view. This will help you develop empathy – and resolve those pesky arguments!

Carry a notebook! Or a recording device will do – your mobile phone, MP3 player, or a mini tape recorder (like I do on long road trips). Then you can jot down or record all your story ideas, character or setting descriptions, or even just memorable phrases. Far better to do this than to forget your inspirations. Type these up afterwards and sort them into different categories. After a while, you will have your own minilibrary of fantastic lines, jokes and story ideas to help boost your writing!

Join or form a writing group. This will encourage you to write regularly and provide a great forum for feedback and support. It’s also satisfying helping other authors improve and reach their dreams.

Write! No excuses. Are you a writer or a procrastinator? Is that TV show really more important than expressing yourself and living your dream? Write every day, even if only for ten minutes.

Read! Read a mix of Aussie authors, the classics and the best of the most recent books in your genre. If you have a broad knowledge of what has already been published, you are far less likely to start writing a story that has already been told. Plus, when you read the best, you will be inspired! Be daring and read outside your genre sometimes. Read non-fiction for research and ideas that you can use in your fiction. You should also take mental notes of how the best authors construct their sentences, paragraphs, chapters and entire stories.

Keep learning! Even the greatest writers can still learn more. Do writing courses – or at least read books about writing written by expert writers. You’re already off to a top start – reading this Write Now column!

Even if you don’t become a famous writer, if you follow these tips, your life will be more interesting – and last longer!

EY27

Cooking with Sweetcorn and Chicken Nuggets Makes: 40 Preparation: 30 Minutes Cooking: 20-25 minutes 600g chicken thigh fillets, roughly chopped 300g skinless chicken breast fillet, roughly chopped 2x 125g can corn kernels, drained ½ cup plain flour 2 eggs, lightly beaten 150g panko bread crumbs Olive oil spray Chicken salt Mayonnaise, sweet & sour sauce, plum or tomato sauce, to serve 1. Preheat oven to 180˚C (160˚C fan forced). Line two large baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Place chicken in a large food processor and process until chopped. Add corn and process until finely chopped. (You should still see pieces of corn). With slightly wet hands, roll tablespoonfuls of mixture into nugget shapes.

2. Place flour in a shallow dish.

Combine egg with 1 tablespoon water into another shallow dish.

Sprinkle the breadcrumbs onto a sheet of greaseproof paper. One at a time, lightly coat a nugget in flour, then coat in the breadcrumbs.

Place on the prepared tray and repeat with the remaining nuggets.

3. Spray nuggets liberally with oil spray. Bake for 20-15 minutes or until crisp and pale golden.

Sprinkle with a sauce of your choice

EY28

Charlie Small Frittatas

Makes: 18 Preparation: 10 Minutes Cooking: 15 minutes Preheat oven to 190˚. Lightly whisk 4 eggs with 1 tbsp self-raising flour.

Drain a 95g can Woolworths select salmon in springwater. Add to egg mixture with ¼ cup milk. 1/3 cup grated cheese, 1/3 cup corn kernels and ¼ cup frozen peas. Stir to combine. Spoon mixture into 12-hole non-stick patty pans and bake for 15 minutes until puffed and golden.

Repeat with remaining mixture. Cool.

Add to lunchbox with some cherry tomatoes and butter lettuce leaves.

Stuffed Jacket Potatoes 4 Large Potatoes, scrubbed Suggested fillings Frozen Peas, steamed Sweet corn or canned sweet corn, drained, steamed Mixture of diced tomatoes, white onion and lean ham Bolognaise pasta sauce, warmed Spiced salsa, warmed Baked beans warmed Toppings Reduced fat cheese Light sour cream Reduced fat plain yoghurt 1. Pierce the potatoes several times 2. To cook the potatoes in a microwave oven, place them on a microwave oven proof dish. Cook on high until tender (15-20 minutes). Or to cook potatoes in a conventional oven, place on an oven tray and bake at 180˚C until tender (about 1 hour)

3. Cut the potatoes in half. Scoop out the centre leaving a 1cm shell 4. Place the potato flesh in a bowl and mash with a potato masher or fork.

5. Add the filling ingredients and mix to combine 6. Spoon the filling into the potato shells 7. To finish cooking the potatoes in a microwave oven, put them back in the microwave oven-proof dish.

Cook on high for 5-10 minutes. Or to finish cooking the potatoes in a conventional oven, put them back on the baking tray and bake at 180˚ until heated through and golden brown (about 15 minutes).

No Bake Muesli Bar 350g rolled oats 1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped 1/3 cup dried cranberries 1/3 cup sultanas ¼ cup shredded coconut ¾ cup golden syrup 3 ¾ sweetened condensed milk 1. Line the base and sides of a greased 16cmx26cm slice pan with baking paper leaving a 5cm overhang 2. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Spoon the mixture into the pan, smooth the top, then refrigerate for 4 hours, or until mixture has set enough to cut into pieces.

3. Lift the slice from the pan and cut into 16 bar-sized portions.

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