Casey Cardinia Kids Autumn 2021 by Star News Group

AUTUMN 2021

Top local

PICNIC SPOTS Five awesome

PLAYGROUNDS TV host’s amazing

FAMILY TRAVEL TIPS

About Us

We’re excited about autumn HELLO everyone. Autumn is here and we are pretty excited! It’s always such a pretty time of year and there is so much fun to be had over the Easter break. Also, the Covid-19 vaccine rollout is underway so it is hoped that life will continue to get back to what it was pre-pandemic. If you are looking for things to do, autumn is the perfect time to have a family picnic in Melbourne. The weather is cooler and the parks are full of beautiful yellow and orange leaves, so why not pack up the picnic basket and hit the road? We’ve got a great feature on picnic spots that’s sure to get you inspired!

The autumn months are also great for trips to playgrounds. In this edition, we feature five relatively new and awesome playgrounds to explore in Casey and Cardinia (pages 3 and 4). As always, we feature some great advice from the experts. Leading parenting expert Dr Justin Coulson tackles the interesting topic of sleepovers. When do you let your kids have a sleepover at a friend’s house? And under what rules? It’s a good read. He raises some pretty interesting points. We also spoke to Insta-famous dad George Georgevski (aka ‘The School Lunchbox Dad’) who’s back with a new book ‘Air Fryer Express’. I recently bought an air fryer and I can’t wait to try some of his mouth-watering recipes.

Speaking of food, we reached out to nutrition consultant at That Sugar Movement, Angela Johnson, who has some great advice for how to slowly wean our little sweet-tooths off the good stuff. We also caught up with the host of The Amazing Race Australia Beau Ryan. Beau, a father of two and a former league player, shared his tips for keeping the kids entertained while on holiday. Don’t forget to reach out to us through Facebook and Instagram. We would love to hear from you! Enjoy

Casey Cardinia Kids magazine is a Star News Group publication. Casey Cardinia Kids will be published quarterly prior to each of the school holidays. Casey Cardinia Kids Cnr Princes Hwy and Army Road, Pakenham, 3810 PO Box 9, Pakenham, Victoria 3810 Phone: 5945 0666 Fax: 5945 0777 Editorial Melissa Grant

CONTENTS IT’S YOUR LIFE Five great playgrounds PAGES 3-4 Giving back with lemonade PAGE 5 Dad shares culture with the world PAGE 5 The biology of being a boy PAGE 6 Victoria’s top baby names PAGE 6 TV host’s amazing family trips PAGE 7 The dilemma of sleepovers PAGE 8 Lunchbox Dad’s secrets to success PAGE 9 Our favourite spots for a picnic PAGES 10-11 Weaning your child off sugar PAGE 12 Give the kids a growth spurt PAGE 14 Breastmilk and Covid PAGE 15 Moving made easy PAGE 15 Capturing birth on camera PAGE 16 Hub for the public PAGE 17 Is your child ready to head out alone PAGE 17 Techniques to help parents ‘stay up’ PAGE 18 A home away from home PAGE 19 A family centre PAGE 19 Button battery rules PAGE 20 Everything IT PAGE 20

SENIORS Life in retirement PAGE 21 A tranquil retirement close to the action PAGE 21

HEALTH What is induction of labour? PAGE 22

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melissa.grant@starnewsgroup.com.au Phone: 5945 0666

A destination for good food PAGE 23 A bakery with big variety PAGE 23 Preparing kids for the flu season PAGE 23

DENTAL The lasting dental impacts of the pandemic PAGE 24 A specialist orthodontist PAGE 24 Affordable care PAGE 25 A dentist for everyone PAGE 25

EDUCATION The benefits of drawing PAGE 26 A distinct approach PAGE 27 Healthy growth PAGE 27 Being Catholic PAGE 28 Screen time impacts PAGE 28 Learning with a family focus PAGE 29 It’s time to splash into swimming PAGE 29 School ready? PAGE 30 Function over fashion PAGE 30 Learning literature PAGE 31 St Clare’s growing PAGE 31 A nurturing environment for children PAGE 33 Should schools provide lunches PAGE 33 Major building works take off PAGE 34 The benefits of playing chess in class PAGE 34 Should schools take a step back in time PAGE 35 The need for more male teachers PAGE 35

BORN TO PERFORM Performing arts PAGE 36

Photography Rob Carew Stewart Chambers Gary Sissons Advertising advertising@starnewsgroup.com.au Phone: 5945 0666

ACTIVE KIDS Getting your child involved in a club PAGE 37 Paintball fun PAGE 38 Make your own pottery PAGE 38

PARTY TIME

Advertising Manager Mandy Clark Published by Star News Group Pty Ltd ACN 005 848 108. Publisher/Managing Director, Paul Thomas. All material is copyright to Star News Group Pty Ltd. All significant errors will be corrected as soon as possible.

Cover

A cake smashing time PAGE 39 Born to party PAGE 40

Riley from Clyde on the flying fox at Oaks Park playground. Picture: Stewart Chambers

ENTERTAINMENT

AUTUMN 2021

Discover the magic of Miffy PAGE 41 What’s on at Bunjil in autumn PAGE 41 Bluey cracks top of the music charts PAGE 41

PHILLIP ISLAND The place to be this autumn PAGE 42 An island playground PAGE 43 A destination for exhilarating family fun PAGE 43

Top local

PICNIC SPOTS Five awesome

PLAYGROUNDS TV host’s amazing

FAMILY TRAVEL TIPS

FASHION Gorgeous autumn threads PAGES 44-46

GAMES AND GADGETS

REALITY BITES Teacher weaves compelling tales PAGE 47 Creative cubby hacks and more PAGE 48 Mum’s surprise delivery after baby shower PAGE 49 The reality of name sadness PAGE 50 Boy driven to design cars gets wild ride PAGE 50

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Loving play and the outdoors PAGE 51

BOOKS Teaching girls how to love themselves PAGE 52 Children’s books PAGE 52

KIDS CALENDAR What’s on this autumn PAGE 54

instagram.com/caseycardiniakids www www.caseycardiniakids.com.au ww.ca ww ca c casey assey ey e yc ca car ar d ar diin din niak kid ids dss..co d .c co c om. m.a m.a .au au

It’s Your Life

Five great playgrounds WHEN it comes to awesome playgrounds, Casey and Cardinia families are spoilt for choice. And with multiple estates under construction across the municipalities, it seems like new playgrounds are popping up all of the time. In recent years, some fantastic playgrounds have opened - all abilities playgrounds, playgrounds with water play, playgrounds with giant slides and parks featuring flat paths perfect for bike and scooter riding. Here, we explore five relatively new playgrounds in Casey and Cardinia. These playgrounds have opened in the past few years and some are only months old. We can guarantee that young kids will love discovering these!

Livvi’s Place in Clyde features a number of play areas, including the amphibian zone. Picture: Stewart Chambers

Billie in the Birds in Flight section at Livvi’s Place in Clyde Pictures: Stewart Chambers Sarah and her son Zayden at the Livvi’s Place aquatic zone.

LIVVI’S PLACE CLYDE NORTH Water sensory zones, quiet spaces and a flight deck are among the cool features of a new all abilities playground in Clyde. The playground has been specifically built with consideration given to children and families living with autism. It is named ‘Variety Livvi’s Place’ as the children’s charity played a key role in ensuring the park would provide a safe, fun and welcoming experience for all children.

Ella, of Clyde, having fun at Oaks Park Playground.

Play and behavioural child development experts helped design the park, located in Stockland’s Edgebrook estate. It features water sensory zones, quiet spaces and themed zones - to help children on the spectrum to find calmness in a busy play space. You’ll also find slides, swings, toilets and a shaded BBQ area. The new all-abilities playground is located at the corner of Merribrook Boulevard and Caribbean Circuit, Edgebrook Estate, Clyde.

Casey kids Gemma, Beau and Jaxon gives Oaks Park Playground the thumbs up.

OAKS PARK PLAYGROUND, CLYDE NORTH

There are actually two huge tube slides that curl around a giant green and grey enclosed tower, which is the centrepiece of the park.

This playground could very well be home to the longest slide in the City of Casey!

The playground also features a rock climbing wall, flying fox, nets to climb, tunnels, swings, slides and a toddler area

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with a sandpit. Right beside the playground you will find a BMX and skate area plus exercise equipment and a multi-purpose concrete court with a wall that’s perfect for a hit of tennis.

Oaks Park Playground at Clyde North.

There are also shaded barbecue facilities and flat paths that are great for bikes and scooters. You will find this beauty on Waterman Drive in Clyde North’s Eliston Estate. Continued on page 4

AUTUMN 2021 3

Sally, 4, at Encore Boulevard Playground Cranbourne South. Picture: Stewart Chambers

From page 3 ENCORE BOULEVARD PLAYGROUND, CRANBOURNE SOUTH With a variety of equipment including a rocket play structure, kids will love launching into the new Encore Boulevard Playground. There’s so much to do at this park at Cranbourne South’s Brompton Estate. Kids will have a ball inside the hamster wheel and sliding down the bumpy slide. There’s also a variety of swings including a tandem swing - plus a wooden obstacle course, large sandpit and water play area. The large rocket play structure boasts a long tube slide. However, this piece of equipment is best suited for older kids. With shaded picnic benches, BBQ facilities and toilets, the park is the perfect spot to take the kids for lunch. You’ll find this new playground on Encore Boulevard in the Brompton Estate at Cranbourne South.

Maddy with big sister Jen on the net swing at Deep Creek Reserve.

Encore Boulevard playground in Cranbourne South.

The dragonfly play structure at Deep Creek Reserve.

Flanagan Avenue Park at Officer.

One of the play structures at Officer’s Flanagan Avenue Park.

Kids will love exploring the centrepiece of the playground - a giant dragonfly.

Just be sure to pack a spare change of clothes and a towel as the kids can get quite wet in the undercover water play area!

There are a variety of swings (including a Liberty Swing), slides,

This state-of-the-art park boasts and all abilities play space plus sand and water play areas.

Importantly, the park has toilets and is fully-fenced. There are also barbecue facilities and shaded seating areas.

There is plenty of open space that’s perfect to kick a footy or soccer ball.

You’ll find this awesome park at the end of Cameron Way, Pakenham.

There are also plenty of pathways, which are perfect for kids on bikes or scooters and parents with prams.

FLANAGAN AVENUE PARK, OFFICER This expansive park offers plenty of fun for kids of all ages. It features an all-abilities playground, skate ramps, flying fox and table tennis.

And there are covered seating areas where you can sit back and relax. The park is located on Flanagan Avenue in Officer’s Arcadia Estate.

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DEEP CREEK RESERVE, PAKENHAM

There is even a path around much of the playground, which is perfect for kids on scooters and mums with prams.

The playground includes a variety of swings, slide and a large net climbing structure.

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It’s Your Life

Giving back with lemonade By Danielle Kutchel SEVEN-YEAR-OLD Lochie has long been a patient at the Royal Children’s Hospital - and now he’s giving back. The Cranbourne boy was born with symbrachydactyly, which means he is missing a finger. He sees an occupational therapist at the hospital once a quarter, and the surgeon yearly - and his visits prompted him to think about the other children in need. “We see people who are so worse off than what we are and it makes us realise how lucky we are,” Lochie’s mum Clare said. Lochie decided he wanted to help the hospital after watching a YouTube clip of a child holding a lemonade stall fundraiser, and quickly set out to do the same. So on Saturday 27 March, from 10am til 3pm, he will have a lemonade stand outside his house on Evelyne Street. ‘Lochie’s Lemonade Stand’ will be fully stocked with cups of his version of homemade lemonade - his favourite drink - for $1, as well as bags of mixed lollies, also for $1, for a sweet treat. Lochie is also getting a little help from friends and the wider Cranbourne community. Local businesses have jumped on board to help, donating items to put into a raffle, the entire proceeds of which

Lochie with siblings Darcey and Nash, and mum Clare. Picture: Stewart Chambers

will go to the hospital. Raffle tickets will be available prior to the day and will be sold up until 2.45pm on the day of the lemonade stand, with the prizes being drawn at 3pm. La-Dash Handmade Candles is running a bingo-style fundraiser to

support Lochie’s cause too, where visitors to the business’ Facebook page can pick a number and be in with a chance to win special prizes, with half of the proceeds going directly to the Royal Children’s Hospital. There will also be children’s entertainment on the day to add to the

fun Clare and Lochie hope that the proceeds from the fundraiser will help other hospital patients feel better. “I’m doing this to help sick kids,” Lochie said. To find out more, visit Loch’s Lemonade Stand on Facebook.

Dad shares culture with the world PERCY Shozi could never find what he was looking for. He went to book shop after book shop in search of a book whose characters adequately reflected the culture and experiences of his daughters Nala and Zara. So, with a noticeable gap in the market - he set out to write his own. Who Am I? is the first book in the Zola series, a series that covers topics such as missing family overseas and learning about culture. “I want my girls to grow up seeing kids that look like them in books,’ Percy said. “I want them to see brown superheroes and strong brown girls. Growing up in Africa I never saw kids that looked like me, or houses that looked like mine in books. “Sadly, little has changed so I decided to do something about it, for my kids.” Percy’s own love of books started when he was a young boy growing up In South Africa. But it was the stories he loved the most. “Our stories of our culture are so beautiful - I just love them,” he said. So what better place to start when writing a book. “I said to my wife, even if It’s just for

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them (my daughters) to read it and be part of the character, to me that’s enough,” he said. “So that’s the thing, my mind was blown - they loved it and wanted to read it all of the time.” Who Am I? follows it’s character Zola (a nice play on his daughters names), a young guru of mixed African/Australia descent growing up in Melbourne, speaks Zulu and dreams about Africa. It covers culture, music, food and everything about South Africa. Things you wouldn’t normally know unless you knew someone of that background.

Author Percy.

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But it’s not just for those with African heritage. Percy says he’s had wonderful feedback from people of all backgrounds.

“And when the book was released, just before Christmas, I had much interest from Australian’s wanting more stories like this.

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“Now that we are in a sense cut off from the rest of the world, thanks to Covid-19, sharing our culture and experiences is more important than ever before,” he said.

Who Am I? is now on sale at www. percyspoems.com and some localbook stores.

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It’s Your Life

The biology of being a boy Boy or girl does it matter? You have to discover the unique child you have got, writes Steve Biddulph CONGRATULATIONS they say to you. It’s a girl! Or, it’s a boy! And straight away your ideas and images about their future start to take shape. You can’t help it, and nor should you, as it’s by dreaming that we mobilise ourselves for the great journey of raising a child. But we have to keep an open mind. Gender does not tell you everything about a child. There are boys, for example, who are sensitive, quiet and gentle, and girls who are thick-skinned, boisterous and noisy. You have to wait and find out ‘what you have got’. But taken as a whole, gender still has some risk factors that will apply and are really worth knowing. After all, the whole secret of raising children is finding out their nature and working with that. I often say that the world doesn’t need men who can wrestle buffaloes any more, so we need to raise our sons to be good communicators with open hearts. But, the world is still harsh and terribly sexist, so we have to raise our daughters with backbone and fire. By knowing what you start with, it makes working towards equality more likely to succeed. The biggest biological difference between boys and girls is in rate of brain maturity. Even as a newborn, a baby girl has a more finished brain and that difference continues all through. Most girls are ready at five for sit-down schooling, they are settled and patient, and their fingers work well, their words and language are coming along. Meanwhile, most boys are simply not. So we have to be wary of starting boys

in school too young. Boys also go through very different stages, at very different times. In updating the Raising Boys book last year, we found that new hormone research explained the phenomena of the ‘full-on fours’ when many parents noticed their four-year-old sons becoming incredibly active and physical. In fact, it’s been one of my key themes over forty years that we must let all children feel okay about their need for movement, activity, and exercise. Mothers in many countries have told me that they felt enormous relief that their boys weren’t ‘bad’ for being lively. That just as with a big dog in your home or apartment, you need to run off all that energy. It’s actually helping them to grow their brain.

We need to raise our sons to be good communicators with open hearts.

We also found new research about the ‘emotional eights’ when early hormone changes, about four years before actual puberty, cause them to have more intense feelings. Explaining to our little boys that “it’s okay, sometimes feelings get big” and helping them know the warning signs, when to walk away and chill for a while, and to be able to talk to you when they are sad or afraid, or feel like punching out their best friend. I always remember a little boy who heard his best friend was moving to another school - he hit him! We males have to be able to stay with our grief sometimes. I once heard a dad saying to his son, who was struggling on the edge of tears “you are a great kid, you have such an open heart”, and then nestling against him with a sideways hug. The boy turned towards him in a full embrace and let the tears come. It was so healing. When I began in the 1970s, the theory of the time was - raise kids the same, without any gender messages, and they will turn out the same. And that is very worthwhile to pursue. We have to make absolutely sure that we don’t box children in by saying girls must, and boys must. At the same time, if we can learn all we can about the

biology of being a boy, and being a girl, then we can do equality better. Next time I’ll write about the strengths, and vulnerabilities of being a girl, and how to make sure she is strong, equal, and comfortable in her own skin. So she can wrestle her own buffaloes!

www.stevebiddulph.com Steve Biddulph AM Author - 10 Things Girls Need Most, Raising Girls, Raising Boys. Complete Secrets of Happy Children, and The New Manhood

Victoria’s most popular baby names revealed OLIVER and Charlotte are the most popular baby names in Victoria. There were 75,000 babies born in the state during 2020, according to the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

BOYS

GIRLS

1. Oliver

1. Charlotte

Of those, 546 babies were named Oliver. Noah, William, Jack and Charlie rounded out the top 5 names for boys.

2. Noah

2. Amelia

3. William

3. Olivia

Victoria also welcomed 413 Charlottes in 2020 - just 11 more than Amelia, which was the second most popular baby name for girls and followed closely by Olivia, Mia and Isla.

4. Jack

4. Mia

5. Charlie

5. Isla

6. Thomas

6. Ava

7. Leo

7. Matilda

8. Henry

8. Chloe

9. Levi

9. Grace

10. Archie

10. Ella

There has been little movement in Victoria’s most popular names for both boys and girls in recent years, with Oliver, Jack, William, Olivia and Charlotte claiming a top five spot each year for the past decade. Archie and Theodore appeared in the top 20 boys’ names for the first time. 6 AUTUMN 2021

The state’s most popular baby names for 2020 have been revealed.

Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes congratulated all of the parents who welcomed babies in 2020. “Naming a child is often the first of many important decisions we make as parents - and it’s always fascinating to see which names are the most popular each year.”

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It’s Your Life

TV host’s amazing family trips AS the host of The Amazing Race Australia and a former rugby league player, Beau Ryan has travelled to some pretty awesome places around the world. However, his favourite holidays have been in a motorhome with his wife and children. He spoke to Kids Today editor Melissa Grant about hosting the latest series of the reality game show, travelling with kids and his favourite family-friendly placesto holiday in Australia. The second series of The Amazing Race Australia has just gone to air. Due to Covid, the team raced around Australia. What were the highlights for you? Meeting the cast was great. We’ve got such a diverse cast, not only from all over the country but from backgrounds all over the world and belief systems, which was fantastic. And then exploring Australia properly. I mean, we’ve all travelled in Australia but obviously not to the extent we did and just some of the places, you know in the outback and down in Tasmania just really blew me away. Tassie was fantastic and the middle of the country, Alice Springs, all around there, was just breathtaking. It’s hard to sell it in terms of what you see, you’ve just got to see there to believe it - the animals, the night sky, the landscapes, the weather - you have to be there.

Beau Ryan, pictured in Coober Peedy SA, says the Australian outback is spectacular.

What was it like filming? It must have been a lot of fun but hard being away from your family for that time? Yeah, it was hard. It was tough, it was physically tough and mentally draining. But seeing it all come to life now and the reaction from Australia makes it worth it. I’m really happy with how the show turned out. I put everything I had into it physically and mentally, and it’s a wonderful show. I understand you recently returned from a caravanning trip with your kids. How was that? It was beautiful. It was probably my favourite holiday as a family, and we do go on a lot of holidays. We just went up the north coast of NSW, stayed in caravan parks - no phones, no iPads, went fishing, jumped off rocks, swam in the ocean, swam in rivers, stayed at caravan parks and we just loved it! It was our favourite trip. We liked Yamba. We went all the way up the coast and we got to Yamba and we liked it.

kids to experience that. Port Douglas I hold close to my heart - that’s where I had my honeymoon but I’m a massive fan of Coolangatta. I’m a huge Coolangatta fan. The bottom end of the Goldy - I love it.

We have been unable to travel overseas due to Covid. Where are the best places to holiday in Australia with kids in tow? Up in the Whitsundays and North Queensland - anywhere where it’s warm does make it easier for kids. We started in Cairns, so Cairns, Port Douglas, The Great Barrier Reef are amazing. Wildlife everywhere. The scenery is beautiful, as good as anywhere in the world and I’ve travelled a lot. The Great Barrier Reef is just breathtaking. So the safe option is always up there - where there is good weather, good food, the climate is warm enough. I really like Tasmania. I would like to get in a van and go around Tasmania. There is a lot of history there, which is boring for my kids (daughter Remi, 8, and son Jesse, 3), but good people, the food is great, the rainforests, Cradle Mountain and the dam - I really want to take my kids up there but maybe when they are a bit older. It’s quite breathtaking. I had a lot of wow moments in Tasmania and I want my

Not really. I went to Bali once when I was really young but I don’t really remember it. I went to Foster, I went once. Port Macquarie. We didn’t have a lot of money, we just went where we could drive up (from home in Wollongong) and our friends had a holiday house, we used to stay with them. My kids have been everywhere. We took them to Asia, Thailand, Bali, America - we’ve been everywhere. But my favourite holidays have been in Australia with my kids and I honestly stand by that. I think because when you are at home, we go somewhere and we go back to basics. So we will go fishing, swimming, in the bush, go off-road. We do stuff where we get away. We don’t camp. My wife won’t camp and I won’t camp either. But we get in like a Winnebago or one of the motorhomes and go up the coast. I’ve got one of those Let’ s Go Motorhomes, one of the big campervans and that’s our base. Then we just explore. Because I went to

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Beau Ryan in Tasmania, a place he plans to explore when his children are a bit older.

Did you go on many holidays as a child?

Host of The Amazing Race Australia, Beau Ryan.

Port Macquarie and Foster (when I was a child) I want my kids to have the same experience. And the water is cleaner over here, it’s safer living standards, I don’t have to worry about problems overseas, the food’s great, the coffee’s great and it’s just good to get to small country towns and give back. And we just love it!

care less. My son said the other day that he wants to play footy which is out of nowhere. I’m not really concerned about what he does, actually I wouldn’t mind getting him into surfing. I can’t surf, I wish I could. Because we are up in Cronulla, everyone is a surfer. I’d like him to do something in the water. He’s a good swimmer.

Travelling with young children can be a challenge. Do you have any tips to help entertain the kids?

But yeah, he went down to my mum and dad’s house at the weekend and found one of my old jerseys... my little Bulldogs jersey and put it on and now he wants to play footy.

I like to stay near the coast where there is plenty to do. We went out to see the saltwater yabbies with my son, went fishing, kayaking, swimming, we found waterholes. We just kept moving all day, so when we did get back to the van they were tired. We just had them outside and active. They forgot about phones, they got off their iPads. We stayed at a caravan park at Yamba, it was called The Blue Dolphin, and they had two water slides so we were out all day and when you come back you can just have them in the base and not worry about them. It was just good. We ate takeaway. We didn’t have to worry about anything. You played NRL professionally. Has your daughter or son shown any interest in the sport? My son (has), my daughter couldn’t

Also growing up in Cronulla there’s a big footy culture there, so I think inevitably he will go and play but I’m easy if he doesn’t want to. Do you have any other trips planned this year with the family? Not with the family. We will be going away again soon with The Amazing Race. Hopefully we get to Croatia and Lebanon. I want to go to Far North Queensland (with the family). I think they (the kids) are too young for Tasmania, but I do want to take my kids up to Cairns because you can get out to the reef and have a base in Cairns, and I really like Cairns. It’s warm. My kids are happier when it’s warm. AUTUMN 2021 7

It’s Your Life

The dilemma of sleepovers By Danielle Galvin

something catastrophic happening to our children at a sleepover.

IN a post in a Facebook group with hundreds of thousands of everyday Australian mums, one mum posed a question to the group about sleepovers, and it elicited a very strong reaction.

It’s a natural phenomenon that as parents, we grapple with the worst possible scenarios, and the idea of your child being abused is a horrific one.

She asked what age you should let your child have a sleepover, and how she could gently let down a parent at her child’s kindergarten who had suggested one. It’s fair to say the reactions startled me. The majority of mums were adamant - “late high school - if even then”. So I put it to renowned parenting expert and author Dr Justin Coulson also a father of six - to hear his thoughts on sleepovers with friends. Are people too scared to send their child to have sleepovers with friends these days? If you take social media as gospel, the answer would be yes. He explained when we hear of something alarming, our brains hold onto and fixate on it, so it’s hard to shake the feeling there’s a possibility of

“This is a classic example of what we can all availability bias, impacting our decision making,” he said. “If there’s a kidnapping in the news, people think there are kidnappers everywhere. “What can happen - is that we hang on to that - and we think that that applies to everyone, everywhere and therefore we start to make those decisions (based on that information). “The probability of it happening is very, very, very low, but if it happens to your child, who cares about probability?” Dr Coulson said people are naturally impacted and affected by their own experiences, and similarly by people around them. “When you look at the risks - there’s obviously your child’s physical safety and sexual safety, the primary risks people are concerned about. The other risk, depending on the age of the child, might be what movies the

It’s a tough call as a parent: when to let your child have sleepovers.

family decide are okay to watch, or how much sugary junky food they are going to put into your kid’s body. “A lot of parents will say it’s not worth it because my kids are a deadest write-off the next day then I’ve got to deal with the ramifications. “Another more serious one ... if there’s an older brother or sister, there may not be physical or sexual harm done but I can’t tell you how many stories I have heard of the big brother (coming in to the room) and telling them to look up a rude word on the iPad and next thing kids are looking up hard-core pornography.” The other issues parents need to consider is who else may be in the home at the time, whether the parents will be drinking, who might be visiting that night, and many others. Is there an age he deems appropriate to have a friend sleepover? “There is no correct answer - it depends on the child, their characteristics their anxiety ... how well you know them, activities they have planned, what you’ve got planned the next day. “It’s an impossible question to answer.”

Dr Coulson’s tips and hints before sending your child on a sleepover: ■ Make sure whenever there is a sleepover to give them a phone. I like the idea of setting up a secret code. A code to say to mum and dad go come and get you - maybe a word at the end of a text to let you know. ■ Teach them not to go into anyone else’s bedrooms - adult bedrooms/ siblings as well ■ Depending on the age, you might disclose why you are having this conversation. Older children definitely. As a dad, Dr Coulson said he does allow his girls to go on sleepovers. “We think it’s a delightful, fun way to spend a childhood. We think that it’s a sign of growing up its an indication we trust them.” But, there are quite a few buts. They want to know all of the details - who is there, what children will be there, and they want to get to know the family first. In terms of the mum who was nervous to address the issue in the Facebook post, Dr Coulson said honesty is the best policy.

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It’s Your Life

George Georgievski is a best-selling author with his recipe books.

Lunchbox Dad’s secrets to success By Danielle Galvin SCHOOL Lunchbox Dad, George Georgievski, was a little freaked out to hear he has something in the order of a quarter of a million followers across his social media accounts. For your everyday Geelong dad (in his words) he sure does know how to make waves with his creative school lunchboxes, down to earth style, and seriously inspiring recipes. It’s impossible not to see the appeal: he is a dad with a vision to make lunchboxes healthy and easy to put together. It’s that simple. His new recipe book is all about his new obsession, the Air Fryer, which follows his first book, Lunchbox Express. In Air Fryer Express, he’s got tips and tricks to get the most out of your Air Fryer, as well as 60 recipes for parents on the go, keen for quick, easy, healthy and delicious meals. If you don’t have an Air Fryer, prepare to be converted. There are pizza scrolls, heavenly bread rolls, cheesy balls - and the dinner ideas and bar snacks are truly nothing short of inspiring for those of us who bemoan dinner time and making lunchboxes every day. As for Air Fryers - he loves them. “They are not expensive, I just think the world of them,” he said. “They are so versatile, multifunctional, time saving, economical, I reckon they are the way to go. “If you want to reheat something - it’s like a third of the time - you don’t have to preheat the oven. It is so quick and the fact you don’t need oil - or you use very little oil.” It’s fair to say the success of Air Fryer

This is his second book, after Lunchbox Express.

Express has taken him by surprise. It became the number one cookbook on Amazon based on pre-orders alone, and his first book was number two at the same time - with people buying his second book at the same time. Georgievski’s not a chef, he says, and has a full-time day job. His laidback approach helps him too, he is a straight talker, self-deprecating, engaging. It all started on his Instagram account, when he got sick of seeing difficult recipes that many parents wouldn’t even bother with. And he wanted to make it as easy as possible to well, to follow the rules “eat a few veggies, and three fruit”. He wants others to see what he does and think that they can do it too.

There are 30 pages of lunchbox inspiration to inspire even the fussiest of kids. “In the past, when we were kids, we didn’t have technology to occupy us, so we’d burn off the rubbish we ate ... now kids are so technology minded so we have to look after their intake of foods.” On his Instagram account, you’ll find bento style lunchboxes, the ones he creates for his two girls each week, as well as cooking videos, instructions and more. But his formula is simple: create wholesome, colourful, easy, delicious lunchboxes, and quickly. It’s not about how they look or spending hours baking. He uses readily available ingredients, but he’ll put a spin on it. There’s not a bland sandwich in

sight, there are mini croissants, baguettes, scrolls. “My daughter made those scrolls (that you see in the recipe book) and we made them together, she’s eight. That’s how easy it is.” The success of his books and the fact he’s got followers from all over the world still blows him away. “My daughter’s calculated (them), she’s like ‘dad you’ve got nearly a quarter of a million (followers)’ and I’m like ‘don’t, that freaks me out’, so I don’t look at the numbers anymore! I look at the messages I get and try to respond to everybody, just food related questions.” Air Fryer Express by George Georgievski, Published by Plum, RRP $26.99, Photography by Nikole Ramsay

The day-after toastie recipe HERE we get a sneak peek into one of the recipes in the book! We’ve all had that ‘day-after’ moment; the times when we’ve celebrated a little too hard and realised that we’re not that young anymore. This little recipe has helped me in the past, so it’s time to share with you my saving grace. Inspired by the Cubano sandwich, it is pure bliss and a fabulous pick-me-up. I don’t care what anyone else says about the perfect toastie; for me, it’s all about the following ingredients. So take a photo of this list and get to the supermarket (but don’t drive if you’re recovering from the night before). YOU WILL NEED ■ 1 tablespoon butter ■ 2 x 2 cm thick slices of crusty Vienna bread www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

■ 1 tablespoon American mustard ■ 2 slices of Swiss cheese ■ 4 cm piece of chorizo sausage, finely sliced ■ 2 slices of cheddar ■ 2 slices of ham off the bone ■ ½ teaspoon smoked paprika ■ 2 dill pickles, finely sliced lengthways, plus extra to serve (optional) ■ Thin plain chips, to serve WHAT TO DO Butter both sides of the bread slices and let’s start stacking. Here’s how it works: Smear the mustard on one side of the bread slices, then top with one slice of Swiss cheese, half the chorizo, one slice of cheddar, one slice of ham and a dusting of smoked paprika. Take a breath and get ready to keep

layering. Add one slice of Swiss cheese, the remaining chorizo, one slice of cheddar, one slice of ham and the pickle. Top with the other slice of bread and finish with a dusting of paprika. You should now have a tower of deliciousness, so what we need to do is give it a little squash (I use a frying pan to push it down, but I guess your hands will work, too). Line the base of your air fryer with baking paper and pop the toastie in. Cook on 180°C for 5 minutes. The cheese and oil from the chorizo should be oozing out the sides, while the top of the toastie will be lovely and golden from the butter and paprika. Cut the toastie on an angle because that’s how everyone does it these days, top with some extra dill pickle, if you like, and serve with a handful of chips. AUTUMN 2021 9

It’s Your Life

Water views... the fountain at Lakeside Pakenham.

A picnic table overlooking the lake at Lysterfield Park.

Picture: Gary Sissons

T k a stroll t ll around d th 5k lloop off th k att Take the 11.5km the llake Lakeside Pakenham. Pictures: Stewart Chambers

Our favourite spots for a picnic AUTUMN is a great time to have a family picnic in Melbourne.

around the lake - perfect for a late afternoon stroll!

It’s also home to the largest model railway in the Southern Hemisphere.

With cooler weather and the parks full of yellow and orange leaves, you can get comfortable on a picnic rug and enjoy a bite while taking in the scenery.

There are plenty of picnic sites to choose from. There are also BBQs, toilet facilities and play equipment.

The park boasts two playgrounds. The newest playground has activities suitable for young teenagers, including climbing structures and a pyramid net.

Set on 39 hectares, the park has more than 1000 different plants species, with both natives and exotics. There are more than 80 different species of birds as well as turtles, frogs and lizards. Just watch out for the resident snakes!

The best picnics are those had at a location that’s more than just a green patch of grass. They are had at places where there is plenty of flora and fauna to discover.

You’ll find Wilson Botanic Park at 668 Princes Highway, Berwick.

You don’t have to travel far either. So get the picnic basket ready and prepare to discover these fantastic picnic spots close by. WILSON BOTANIC PARK It’s easy to see why Berwick’s Wilson Botanic Park is regarded as a top spot to have a picnic.

A view of the lake at Wilson Botanic Park.

EMERALD LAKE PARK Roll out the picnic blanket and enjoy a bite while overlooking the stunning lake at Emerald Lake Park. The park has paddle boats (see http:// lakesidepaddleboats.com/ for times and bookings).

Some of the flora at Wilson Botanic Park.

The kids will love looking for the ducks and turtles in the picturesque lake. There are also walking trails

The lake at Wilson Botanic Park. Picture: Stewart Chambers

The paddleboats at Emerald Lake Park.

Perfect Gift for your little one

There is a wading pool which is open in December, January, February and March when the temperature is 26 degrees or more. It opens at 12pm and close at 6.30pm on weekdays and weekends. Fishing is also permitted at the lake, which is restocked with rainbow trout throughout the year. There are a number of BBQs and toilet facilities. While you are there, you may even see Puffing Billy - the steam train stops in Emerald Lake Park at Lakeside Station.

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One of the tracks through the gum trees around Lysterfield Lake. Pictures: Gary Sissons

Some off th the wildlife S ildlif att Lysterfield L t fi ld Park. P k

A stunning view of the lake at Lysterfield Park.

LYSTERFIELD PARK Renowned as having one of the best lakes to swim at in Victoria, Lysterfield Park is a family favourite for picnics.

patrolled by lifeguards and children should be supervised at all times.

It’s a wonderful place to take the kids before the weather gets too cool. The waters are gentle with a gradual increase in depth and there’s so much to explore. You can go canoeing or kayaking or even try stand-up paddle boarding. Just remember that the lake is not

Lysterfield Park is also a fantastic spot to see wildlife. The kangaroos and wallabies are most active during the mornings and evenings. The park has two picnic areas which both have toilets, picnic tables and free BBQs. You’ll find Lysterfield Park on Horswood Road (off Belgrave-Hallam Road).

LAKESIDE PAKENHAM With two playgrounds, a stunning lake and plenty of bird life, Lakeside Pakenham is wonderful spot for a picnic. There are plenty of grassed areas and picnic benches where you can sit down for a bite. Afterwards, you can take a stroll along the 1.5km loop around the lake - a 15-20 minute flat walk. There are also two playgrounds for the kids, BBQs and toilets.The lake is located on Lakeside Boulevard, Pakenham.

Some of the birdlife at Lakeside Pakenham.

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AUTUMN 2021 11

It’s Your Life

Weaning your child off sugar By Danielle Galvin LET’S talk about the sweet stuff: sugar. Many of us eat way too much of it, including children. In recent years, studies have shown how addictive it is. Over the summer months, many of us have watched as our children’s sugar intake increased, with way too many ice-creams, treats and sweets. We asked for some advice from nutrition consultant at That Sugar Movement, Angela Johnson, about how to slowly wean your child off sugar or even start to reduce it slowly. What advice do you have for parents who might be concerned about managing their child’s sugar intake around holidays? After Christmas/the summer period I spoke to a few parents who were concerned that their child was consuming way too much sugar. First, try to keep things in perspective. The holiday season can involve multiple social events, extended periods away from home, and disruption of the usual weekly routine. Therefore, the consumption of homemade whole foods can decrease, while exposure to (and intake of) sweetened and industriallymade, ultra-processed stuff can increase. If your child or children consumed more sugary foods than usual over the summer holidays and Christmas period, know that this shift doesn’t need to be the new normal. Starting today, you can take gradual steps to reduce the intake of added sugars and ultra-processed, packaged foods. Each day, throughout and after the holiday period, aim to have at least one wholesome, homemade meal, and keep any snacks as fresh or minimally processed as possible. Lunches and snacks, whether at home or to have when out and about, are great opportunities to serve healthful whole foods, including vegetables, legumes, and sources of healthy fats and quality protein. It is helpful to prepare foods in advance for you or the kids grab and go as needed - think vegetable and egg muffins, portions of raw nuts and seeds, whole pieces of fresh fruit, plain yoghurt with berries, or pre-cut vegetables sticks with a favourite dip. You may wish to explain to your children that the increase in sweet and ultra-processed foods over the holidays is temporary and now, as a family, we are having more of the foods that help us feel better, grow stronger, and have more energy. Importantly, be sure to set a healthy, caring and kind example. You cannot expect your kids to eat healthier foods when you are consuming mountains of cake and cookies! At the same time, I recommend using neutral language with kids around food. Avoiding language around ‘diet’ or weight, or labelling sugar as a ‘poison’ or ‘bad’. Similarly, try not to use words such as ‘treat’, especially if referring to ultraprocessed foods; instead such foods should be considered ‘once in a while’. Keep in mind that our kids’ bodies are resilient. So long as you attempt to make real, whole foods the foundation of what your child eats, the once in a while cookie or cake or brief period of increased added sugar intake will not have long-lasting effects. 12 AUTUMN 2021

Angela Johnson, nutrition consultant at That Sugar Movement.

What are some signs your child might be sugar addicted? Sweet-tasting foods are highly desirable. Too much added sugar and sweeteners, and the ultra-processed foods they often come in, create a strong preference, habituation and desire for sweeter tastes, making subtler or bitter tastes less tolerable. While there is continued research into the area of food addiction, it is believed excessive consumption can impact the brain’s reward centre in a way that results in symptoms similar to addiction to other well-known addictive substances, such as intense cravings, shifts in mood, and energy highs and lows.

Angela Johnson has some tips for parents to wean kids off the sweet stuff.

I’ve read rewarding your child for good behaviour with a sweet treat is a bad idea - do you agree?

Here are other tips for helping your family reduce added sugar (and ultra-processed food) intake:

Using food as a reward (or punishment) is not ideal. It can set up a disordered relationship with food. Of course, you will feel there are times when tempting your child away from the playground with something tasty is the only way to get moving! Don’t be hard on yourself if you do. Try not to make a habit of it so your child won’t make the association between certain foods and behaviours, and if you offer something, choose a healthy whole food, such as a piece of their favourite fruit. How do you wean your child off sugar, or work to lower their intake on a weekly/daily basis?

• Focus on real whole food: Make the foundation of the food you offer real, whole food. Think vegetables, fruit, unsweetened dairy, nuts, seeds, and eggs. For drinks, offer water. Infuse with slices of orange or lemon if you need to make it more enticing. Swap out sugary cereals, sweet spreads and snack bars for something more wholesome. Slowly reduce the amount of sugar or syrup in recipes by experimenting with swapping some of the added sugar for mashed or blended fruit and vegetables, such as banana, stewed apple or steamed pumpkin.

When reducing intake of added sugar and ultra-processed food, be gradual, patient and consistent. Adapt one meal or snack at a time, swapping something sugary or ultra-processed for a whole food option. Importantly, do not give up too soon! Research shows repeated exposure is helpful to acquire a taste for something new - up to 8-10 times.

• Have options available: Have prepared several options of tasty whole foods that include a source of fibre, healthy fat and/or quality protein. Kids can have the autonomy to choose from what is on offer, and enjoy a food that provides a source of sustained energy (and therefore, a reduced desire for sugar).

A really helpful guide for parents is this: The adult chooses what goes on a plate or into the lunchbox. The child chooses what and how much to eat. Try not to pressure the child into eating something they do not want, they will eat if they are hungry. Just be patient and consistent with the healthier foods you offer.

• Limit access: Keep sugary drinks, such as soft drinks and juices, and ultra-processed foods either out of the house or to a minimum.

It is recommended that children over two years limit intake to six teaspoons per day, and those under two shouldn’t have any added sugar at all. Remind yourself that every bite of healthier food makes a difference, so do not be hard on yourself - you are doing great!

• Crowd it out: Limit added sugar and ultra-processed food intake by crowding out meals with real, fresh food like fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and plain dairy. By enjoying mostly

Finally, if you have serious concerns that your child is not eating well or refusing to eat at all, please seek out advice from a qualified health professional.

homemade meals and snacks, over time eating habits and taste preferences will adjust also. • Get them on board: Help your child understand why they will see a shift in the food they are served. For example, whole foods help bodies and brains grow strong and smart. Get them involved in food preparation. Pair well known favourites with a new whole food or flavour. Trust that your child has an innate sense of what makes them feel better. Above all, be gentle when weaning off a high sugar diet. The transition period toward a less-sweetened way of eating may feel tricky at first. Know that it needn’t be all or nothing. Your child does not have to abstain from sweet or packaged food altogether. A little is okay for most, just limit how much and how often. In fact, banning certain foods can make a child want them more!

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Friday 9 – Sunday 18 April See website for ticket prices and session times. Plaza

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Splash Test Dummies are coming to Bunjil Place and they’re ready to roll out their beach towels and spring into a brand new hour of circus-ﬁlled hilarity for the whole family. Saturday 17 April, 2.00 pm

Tuesday 6 April, 10.00 am & 12.00 pm (Audio Described) Tickets All tickets $16.00

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The Midnight Gang

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

David Walliams’ bestseller comes to life on stage in a celebration of friendship, love and the power of the imagination. A CDP Kids Production. A play by Maryam Master. Based on the bestselling novel by David Walliams.

One of the most-read children’s books of all time comes to life in a masterful theatrical experience for children and their adults. A CDP Kids Production. Created by Jonathan Rockefeller. Based on Eric Carle’s Books.

Friday 7 & Saturday 8 May, 6.30 pm (Fri) & 10.30 am (Sat)

Saturday 15 May, 10.30 am (Relaxed Performance) & 12.30 pm

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It’s Your Life

Give the kids a growth spurt By Carole Levy ONE of the bonuses of home time during Covid-19 was being able to spend more time with the kids; conversely, one of the downsides was having to spend more time with the kids. Right? It wasn’t their constant presence so much, it was more how to entertain them without resorting to full-on screen time. One thing many parents turned to was gardening, taking the time to teach kids about how to grow things, and to show how getting into soil is not only uplifting, but productive and joyful. Autumn is a fab time for gardening, with kinder weather but still plenty of sun to see things grow. At this time of year, thoughts turn to planting winter crops for abundant picking come spring and summer, but with the exception of lettuces, or radishes (able to be harvested within three weeks), kid-friendly quick results are slim pickings. However, there are plenty of ideas for kids to be into quick-turnaround gardening indoors. Here are a few: MUSHIES IN A JAR Place used coffee grounds (from one bag) into the bottom of a jar, break up a mushroom and sprinkle on top of

Kids can sprout their Kid h i own carrots ready d to plant. l

grounds. Seal jar with baking paper beneath a screw-top lid. Mushies will grow within 30 days. CARROTS ON A TRAY Cut tops (with crown intact) off carrots, lay in a tray of shallow water (2mm

deep), cut side down. Leave for four-five days and they’ll sprout fronds to about 10cm. Ready to be planted in the garden. SWEET CORN IN A PLASTIC CONTAINER Save water from rice cooking, add to a

container. Place an old corn cob into the water (late June/early July), leave for 30-50 days in a sunny spot and it will sprout about 10cm. Ready then to plant out in August/September for a summer crop. BEAN SPROUTS IN A JAR Place a handful of mung beans into a jar of water. Cover with cheesecloth, fix with a rubber band. Mung bean sprouts will be ready to harvest in two-three days.

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It’s Your Life

The powers of breastmilk IT’S hoped a new university study will be able to fill in the gaps of knowledge when it comes to Covid-19 and breastfeeding. The research team from the University of Western Australia will investigate how antibodies protect children from Covid-19 in the world’s largest, long-term human milk study. It’s also hoped the findings will also help inform infant care and advice when it comes to breastfeeding during the pandemic. Lead researcher, Professor Valerie Verhasselt, Larssen-Rosenquist Chair in Human Lactology at UWA, said it was critical to understand whether breastmilk could protect infants from Covid-19 and how. “While we are currently 99.99 per cent sure we can say that a child cannot get Covid-19 through breast milk, there is still much research to be done to reveal the capability of human milk to prevent Covid-19 infections,” Professor Verhasselt said. The team will analyse 500 milk samples from 25 Covid-19 infected and 25 non-infected mothers collected at 10 time points from delivery. It’s hoped the research team will be able to establish the protective properties of human milk against a Covid-19 infection. They will also work to address current gaps in knowledge, including how maternal Covid-19

The incredible protective power of breastmilk will be investigated in a new study.

infection influences the protective effect of breastmilk and how important maternal antibodies are to protect the child from infection. Professor Verhasselt said it would help fill in the gaps of knowledge. “We expect this knowledge will be critical to inform vaccination strategies, including the need to vaccinate lactating mothers for the best approach to prevent Covid-19 in children,” she said. “It may also lead to the development of new therapeutics, such as milkderived antibodies, to prevent severe disease in at-risk populations.”

Moving made easy BUYING and selling a property is a major life event, whether you are buying your first house or looking to upsize the family home. Claire Miles Conveyancing makes the process as stress-free as possible. The team have been operating in Pakenham for 13 years and can provide their services throughout Victoria. “We are local, approachable, friendly and are professional at what we do,” owner Claire Miles said. “It’s a big deal buying property and there are a lot of costs associated, but we are competitive and affordable with our pricing.” The team prides themselves on providing a worry free, professional and friendly service to ensure a smooth transaction. Whether you are buying, selling, transferring or subdividing property, they can assist you with the legal process. They help first home buyers move into the property market, guiding clients through what government grants are available. They help families looking to upsize. They also help grandparents sell their homes and move into retirement villages. Claire Miles Conveyancing is insured and even offers complimentary reviews for purchases. “If someone finds their perfect

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AUTUMN 2021 15

It’s Your Life

Veronika Sanderson loves her job and sees it as a huge privilege. Picture: Rob Carew

Capturing birth on camera

By Danielle Galvin IT’S hard for birth photographer Veronika Sanderson to not shed a few tears, when she documents a new life. A mother of three herself, Veronika is often moved by what she witnesses in a birth suite or at home, and she always leaves “on a high”, buzzing from the birthing experience. “It is a momentous experience, not only for the parents, but for everyone involved in the room,” she explained. “And you are there with the person, you see the journey, you see the labour, you see the power, and the pain the mother is going through. And then at the end, it’s a new life. “There’s always tears. The high lasts for me for at least a day.” She’s also a newborn and family photographer. Pictures: Veronika Sanderson

In recent years, birth photography has grown significantly in popularity. There are more photographers on the scene than ever before, and more expectant parents inviting in a photographer to capture the intimate, incredible moment of welcoming their child earthside. Veronika also works as a newborn and family photographer. “When I started tapping into the birth photography, when I saw it I thought ‘oh my gosh this is something I want to be doing’.” Veronika sees her role as capturing the “bird’s eye view” of the environment as the silent observer. “Choosing a birth photographer is not an easy task. I meet the client and they need to be OK with me, and I need to be OK with them. “You’re in that space with them, it’s a pretty intimate environment. “I don’t want to disturb the energy and the environment of the room, my job is making sure I document as much in the room as possible.” Each photographer has a different style. Veronika explained that she thinks of herself as a documentarist.

16 AUTUMN 2021

“You are in a haze once you’ve given birth, so imagine there is someone there who can document it for you,” she said. “I don’t interfere with the mother or anyone. “You are there to be the documentarist, you are there through the early stages to the labour, up until the end, and I usually stay up to 2 hours after the baby is earthside, so I can capture the skin on skin, clamping the cord.” One of her favourite things to do is capture the details that the birthing mother may not remember: what they were drinking, the song playing in that moment, how the room is set up. While some women might be hesitant at the thought of someone taking photos during labour, the nitty gritty or the intensity of the pain, Veronika aims to capture the different stages. In some ways, she says, having a snapshot of the different phases can help the birthing mother later in her recovery, if something doesn’t go to plan. “With the birth, I feel if you have trauma you can carry it on, sometimes

for weeks months with you. “If I was with you for 10 hours, and say the trauma happens at the end, you don’t remember the 9 hours before that. “So if I give you the gallery and you can look at you, look at what you’ve done to get here, that healing process is much quicker, because you see yourself as the goddess. “You powered through, and in your brain it shifts from the trauma.” She also tries to capture that first cry with a short video, and the conversations happening in the room in the minutes after the baby has been born. One of her favourite things to do is watch the reaction of the new parents, when they see her photos for the first time. It’s the dads who often have the biggest reaction. “It’s the fathers who go ‘oh my gosh, thank you so much, I am so glad you were there’. “It’s un-posed, it’s raw, and they see themselves holding the baby, because

no one is there to do this for them and they don’t have the time to take a picture of the mum.” Within 24 hours Veronika aims to send the parents a picture of just the baby, and within a week or two the full gallery. “And they say it brings back memories, and even I get emotional editing it.” For Veronika, she sees it as a real honour and a privilege to be there to witness a child being born, and to play a role in capturing that moment. She says it’s hard to describe how it feels. “Every birth is beautiful, different and I wish for all mothers to have a good experience. “I think to have it documented is something you can carry for the generations and you can show it to your daughters, to your children.” To find out more about her work, visit https://www.veronikasandersonphoto. com/ or find Veronika on Instagram or Facebook

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It’s Your Life

A public hub

NEIGHBOURHOOD Watch Victoria believes that everybody has the right to feel safe at all times and the start of a school year is a great time to check if your child is ready to be out and about without you.

ENDEAVOUR Hills Shopping Centre is creating spaces where people want to be. Recently, the shopping centre launched the Endeavour Kids Corner and relaunched their Community Corner, two spaces designed specifically for the community. Retail has been heavily affected by Covid-19, and has experienced many challenges in recent times. Shopping centres are having to think outside of the box and become more than just a place to shop. They need to be a community hub where the public can come together to socialise, network, shop, dine and work. Endeavour Hills Shopping Centre has done just that by creating engaging environments within the malls that appeal and welcome the local community. The Endeavour Kids Corner is for the children, parents and carers in the community to use and enjoy. The space includes a playground, giant chalkboard and parents’ retreat. It also boasts a Kids Book Swap, where families can borrow, donate or simply sit and read a book. Marketing Manager Lauren Pascale said the objective was to create a sense of community. “The space has received great feedback,” she said. “We hope our customers continue to get as much

Is your child ready to head out alone?

The Community Corner at Endeavour Hills Shopping Centre.

enjoyment out of it, as we have in bringing this space to life.” After having closed the Community Corner during most of 2020 due to Covid-19, an all-new Community Corner has been relaunched and relocated. At the Community Corner, you will find out information on events and services from local sports clubs and local organisations. It also features a book exchange, community noticeboard, and relaxing seating areas. New to the Community Corner is co-working spaces available to shoppers who work from home but need extra space. The dedicated co-working spaces have access to power for laptops, and to the shopping centre’s free Wi-Fi. For more information or updates, visit www.endeavourhillsshopping.com.au.

Neighbourhood Watch 4 Kids is an e-learning portal that will take you and your children on an interactive learning journey to improve safety knowledge, increase confidence and empower your child to trust their instincts and react appropriately to unsafe situations. The site teaches how to recognise if you are feeling unsafe, how to react to that feeling, and when and how to report. Bambi Gordon, chief executive of Neighbourhood Watch Victoria, says the resource has been designed so that parents and children can plan together the route to and from school, or to and from a friend’s house. “They can discuss the pros and cons of each route and work together to decide upon the best one,” she says. “For example, Route A may take five minutes longer, but Route B involves crossing several busy roads. “Educating parents and children about what to do if feeling unsafe is not just worthwhile when they first go out into the community

Neighbourhood Watch 4 Kids is an e-learning portal that will help to improve safety knowledge.

unaccompanied. It’s information that they can share with their mates as they learn to watch out for each other.” The resource is an initiative of Neighbourhood Watch NT and is now being shared by Neighbourhood Watch Victoria across the state. It is available now at www. nhw4kidsvic.com.au

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AUTUMN 2021 17

It’s Your Life

Techniques to help parents stay ‘up’ By Julie Cliff professional organiser ABOUT 20 years ago, my manager gifted me Believe and Achieve by Australian motivational author Paul Hanna. A senior manager walked past whilst I read it on my lunch break and said “I didn’t think you’d need a book like that”. I never really asked her what she meant, but I presume that since I was energetic and enthusiastic person she didn’t think I would need to need a pick-me-up from the self-help book. She was a long way off the mark. I use many techniques to keep me up each and every day. This book was my first venture into self improvement and it has been a lifelong enjoyment over the past 25 years since receiving it. Overall I’m a naturally happy person, but I still use daily strategies to keep me ‘up’. Here’s a list of nine techniques I use. I hope it helps you grapple with the ups and downs of your modern life. Exercise The most important thing I do to stay up is exercise. I wake at 5.40am each weekday morning to walk twice a week and run three times. I head to our local bakery to buy bread or rolls for everyone’s lunches and get back with plenty of time to stretch and warm down and eat breakfast before any one starts saying “mum, mum, mum”. Exercise in the morning is my “me time”. Podcasts and audiobooks Another technique to keep me up is to

listen to podcasts and audiobooks. Rather than have my own thoughts going around and around my head of ‘I could do this’ or ‘I should do that’, I prefer to listen to other people’s stories and their journey in life. It gives me great comfort to hear the stories of others and realise the up and down emotions I feel about my business and life are what it means to be human. Routine My strict daily routine is another thing that keeps me up. There is no secondguessing when things get done in my day. There is very little indecision because I’ve made deliberate and conscious choices about what to do from my long list of to-dos and when to do them. Deliberate choices in this way help reduce the overwhelm of choosing what to do each day. Everything in my daily routine is there to make be a better mum, wife, business owner and the best version of me possible. Positive outlook Another technique to keep me up is it to look on the bright side of every situation. In an article in the Sydney Morning Herald A Day at a Time with Pollyanna at His Side, actor Michael J Fox says “That’s the way I look at things - if you focus on the worst-case scenario and it happens, you’ve lived it twice. It sounds like Pollyanna-ish tripe but I’m telling you, it works for me.” It absolutely works for me too. I don’t blindly go about thinking everything is perfect. I calculate the pros and cons of scenarios, put some measures in place and I understand there is no point worrying about “what ifs” until they eventuate. If they eventuate, I will deal with it then. Do nothing More recently, I have been learning to sit and do nothing. All of my life I’ve found doing nothing absolutely

excruciating. I had thoughts of all the things I ‘should’ get up and do. However during the ‘lockdowns’ in Melbourne during 2020 there has literally been nowhere to go and nowhere to rush to. This is given me the opportunity to practice being present. Rally your team I share my business adventures with two professional organising colleagues on a call each week. I find it helpful to ‘talk shop’. Although they are competitors there is so much to be learned from their experiences with clients and how they run their businesses. I find this camaraderie an invaluable technique to keep me up. Reduce alcohol Another more recent thing that I have done to keep me up is quit drinking. This is a whole other blog topic, but in a nutshell it came about quite easily after understanding the habit loop explained by Charles Duhigg in his book ‘The Power of Habit’. I realised the reward I craved was feeling relaxed on the weekend after the ups and downs of working on the business all week. It became my routine to reach for alcohol to relax. However, once I read about the habit loop I made some changes: ■ Keep the cue (Friday night) ■ Insert new routine (gave myself permission to stop and sit on the couch) ■ Got the same reward (feeling relaxed) ■ Simple! Be realistic Another technique to keep me up is to have realistic goals. As women we want to achieve it all, do it all, be it all and we want it all NOW! We CAN do it all but it’s difficult to pursue all of it at

the one time. Being specific about what I’m focusing on each week has been invaluable to me. I’m clear about my goals at home and my family’s involvement in reaching these goals. I am clear on the household chores and we all do them together. A clear list and an allocated time in the diary reduces the overwhelm. In relation to being realistic about my business goals, I no longer drive around the city looking at the business and think “that company might need a professional organiser.” I now solely focus on working women and helping them declutter and organise their homes. Defining my niche and being realistic about what I can achieve each day is a key technique to staying up. I’m no longer a people pleaser. Ahhhhh ... . a big one here! Are you a people pleaser? I didn’t realise until fairly recently that I’m a big people pleaser . Being a people pleaser can be exhausting when you’re trying to run a home and business. Over the years I’ve thought about why I think my home should look a certain way or I should raise my kids in a certain way. I’ve asked myself: are these actually external pressures or are they coming from myself internally? Overall, I’ve found that there’s a mix of internal and external pressures. I try to keep them both in check. Julie Cliff is a Professional Organiser at Space and Time which helps busy working mothers live easier, far less stressful lives through simple, easy to implement organising systems to clear the clutter - both mentally and physically. Sound familiar? Julie would love to hear from you via info@ spaceandtime.com.au

Children’s respite services in Cranbourne A home away from home! Offering planned short-term overnight stays for children with disability aged 6 – 17.

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Tailored children’s respite services available in Cranbourne: respite@melbasupport.com.au | 03 8763 4300 18 AUTUMN 2021

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It’s Your Life

A home away from home CAMMS Road is Melba’s purposebuilt children’s respite facility located in Cranbourne.

While at Camms Road, kids can explore the sensory garden, water feature and outdoor playground. The backyard is designed for hours of fun and will excite the kids’ imaginations.

Most importantly, the staff help kids to have fun! At Camms Road, kids can watch their favourite shows on Foxtel and Netflix and play their favourite Xbox and Wii games. There are also books, arts and crafts, a basketball ring and football and soccer balls. Funding for your child to attend Camms Road can be accessed from

A CHILDREN’S haven and parent’s ‘one-stop-shop’, dubbed a local community favourite. Casey Central was designed with a strong focus on growing families, and continues to operate to reflect the local community. The centre has catered for prams with single level car parking, generous aisles and dedicated pram spaces located at each of the four entrances.

The facility offers planned shortterm overnight and weekend stays for children with diagnosed disabilities aged 6-17. It’s like a home away from home!

The dedicated and passionate staff at Camms Road support kids to socialise and build new friendships. They support kids during outings to parks, zoos, beaches, museums and cinemas, and help them participate in activities within the local community.

A family centre

An award-winning parents’ room and food court ‘parents’ station’ are also among the great facilities for families. The food court is complete with sanitiser, tissues and belted highchairs. In the parents’ room, there are private feeding stalls and a secure play area for toddlers.

A fun outing at the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne.

The family-centric hub has two playgrounds. One is indoors and offers interactive features like digital touchscreens with educational content. The second playground, though outdoors, is fully enclosed and undercover.

the Core Supports budget in their NDIS Plan.

City of Casey mum Nicole Smith has been visiting Casey Central for almost five years.

For more information on accessing respite, please call 8763 4300 or email respite@melbasupport.com.au

“I’ve been coming to the centre since my eldest was born, for coffee dates and just to get out of the house,” she said.

You’ll find their website at www. melbasupport.com.au/ childrensrespite

“It’s not as crazy as other shopping centres, we never struggle with parking

Charlie Bee in the parents’ room at Casey Central.

and Shingle Inn have nice big comfy chairs and plenty of room for the prams.” The mother of two said the centre was her “one-stop-shop”, with everything they need. Post pandemic, the centre will reintroduce the kids’ activity program, with special guest appearances from Charlie Bee - the leader of the Casey Critter Gang.In the meantime, parents can visit www.caseycentral.com.au/ kids-activities-in-casey/ to download games, puzzles, drawing activities and fun recipes. Casey Central is located at 400 Narre Warren - Cranbourne Rd, Narre Warren South. There are 1400 parking spaces and a bus stop at the front of the centre.

Lifestyle

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AUTUMN 2021 19

It’s Your Life

Button battery rules By Melissa Grant BUTTON batteries have to meet new mandatory safety and information standards to protect children. After years of lobbying from consumer and child safety groups, the federal government announced the new standards just before Christmas. In Australia, three children have died from injuries that resulted from swallowing a button battery. Dozens of others have also suffered severe injuries. The new mandatory safety and information standards require: ■ Secure battery compartments for consumer goods that contain button batteries, where the batteries are intended to be replaced, to prevent children from gaining access to the batteries ■ Compliance testing of consumer goods that contain button batteries, whether or not the batteries are intended to be replaced, to demonstrate the battery is secure and cannot be easily released ■ Child resistant packaging for button batteries, based on their risk profile, to prevent children from gaining access to the batteries ■ Warnings and information to alert consumers that a button battery is included with the product Button batteries are often found in

toys and other devices that children like to chew, and often require surgery to remove. The government estimates that since December 2017, there have been at least 44 cases where young children have suffered severe injuries following the ingestion or insertion of button batteries. However, Kidsafe has previously said the tally is much higher, estimating that 20 children each week present to Australian emergency departments with a button battery related injury. In March 2019, Cranbourne girl Shaylah Carmichael had a deadly button battery stuck inside her oesophagus for months. Mum Kirra said her youngest child was extremely lucky to have survived the horror ordeal. Since then she had been on a mission to have mandatory safety standards introduced.Consumer group CHOICE had also been pushing for the introduction of new safety standards to protect children. “It shouldn’t be up to parents and families to test the safety of products in their homes. They should be able to trust that what they buy will not harm their loved ones,” product safety campaigner Amy Pereira said. “In addition to mandatory standards, a general product safety provision in the consumer law will help ensure that products at shops and online are safe for all consumers.”

Synergy IT Director Andrew Devienne can assist with all your IT needs.

Everything IT FOR anything and everything IT related, Synergy IT Services is the place to contact. Owner Andrew Devienne has over 15 years’ experience in the industry backed up by multiple certifications and degrees, and can solve both residential and business IT needs. Residential services include antivirus and malware clean-up, Windows upgrades and hardware upgrades. For businesses, Synergy IT Services offers Microsoft 365 and Google Cloud setup and management, backups, networking, servers, DNS and domain management, and internet and VOIP telephony. Synergy is a local small business that takes care of its customers. Synergy

offers a high attention to detail and management from start to end. Staff take the time to understand each customer’s issue, present suitable options and deliver the right solution. The company has experience with a wide range of vendors and technology solutions and local Australian hardware stock. Importantly, Synergy is easy to contact when you need it, and can extend support out to regional Victoria. Synergy IT Services is located in Pakenham and can be contacted on contact@synergyitservices.com.au, or 9113 4616. Synergy IT Services is open 8am-5pm with hours extended for emergencies.

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SENIORS

Life in retirement Retirement is a happy time but deciding where to live is a big decision.

DECIDING where to live after retirement is a big decision.

as owning their own home.

Many older Victorians decide that a retirement village is a good option for them.

Consumer Affairs Victoria has shared a list of five steps that can help make the right choices when it comes to selecting a retirement village.

If someone in your family has decided to move into a retirement village, you can help guide them through the process.

1. Make a list of what you absolutely must have in a retirement village and another of features you want but do not need.

Before moving into a retirement village, it’s important for the person making the move to understand they will not have the same level of control

2. Seek expert advice; for example, take the retirement village contract to a lawyer and/or a financial advisor before you sign.

3. Talk to Seniors Information Victoria for free information about housing options, from independent living to residential care. Telephone 1300 135 090. 4. Shop around to make sure you are informed about your options.

Before signing, take all documents about the retirement village to a legal practitioner and/or financial adviser who understands the legal and financial implications of retirement village contracts.

5. Refuse to be hassled or hurried into a decision.

By law, you must be given a retirement village contract, and disclosure statement, at least 21 days before you sign.

It’s also important to know retirement village contracts are not the same as ordinary residential property contracts.

For more information see: www. consumer.vic.gov.au/housing/ retirement-villages

A tranquil retirement close to the action BLUE Gum Lifestyle Village is a lifestyle village for the over 55s and the active and young at heart.

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Your active and d affordable lifestyle lifestylle Blue Gum Lifestyle Village is located in Melbourne’s ﬂourishing South East and offers the ease and convenience of city living, but is hidden from the outside world within a quiet and tranquil community. Pet friendly | Off-leash park | Community garden | Secure entry gates | Public transport at our front door | Onsite management 03 9769 8201 | 20 Brunt Road, Beaconsﬁeld VIC 3807 | bluegumlv.com.au www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

Situated in the Beaconsfield area, Blue Gum Lifestyle Village offers independent living in a relaxed, safe and secure community environment that allows you to enjoy the comfort of your low maintenance lifestyle. Blue Gum Lifestyle Village offers a community focussed, pet friendly and affordable lifestyle solution, allowing retirees to downsize their home and upsize their lifestyle with brand new one and two bedroom homes available from $149,000. ‘Off the plan’ options are also available to allow you to customise your forever home. The village is conveniently located within 10 minutes’ drive to major shopping centres, doctors, dentists, restaurants and cafes. There is a bus stop right at the front entry that will take you to the train station, Beaconsfield, Berwick or Pakenham. We are less than one hour from the city for your shopping needs or for all the sporting and musical events that Melbourne CBD has to offer. Blue Gum Lifestyle Village allows you to enjoy a quiet and tranquil retirement, whilst still staying close to

Blue Gum Lifestyle Village allows you to enjoy a quiet and tranquil retirement.

your family and all of the conveniences. There are lovely gardens lining sealed roads and there is a community garden, off-leash dog area and a wonderful, friendly atmosphere. For your security, Blue Gum Lifestyle Village has onsite managers and a security entrance gate. All visitors are welcome to come and have a look around the village Monday - Fridays, weekends by appointment. Come see what Blue Gum Lifestyle Village has to offer. AUTUMN 2021 21

Health

What is an induction of labour? BUMPS AND

BABIES WITH DR BRONWYN HAMILTON

AN induction of labour is a process whereby we can bring labour on, even if your body is not thinking about it itself. There are many indications for induction of labour and it is becoming more common due to increasing indications for having a baby earlier than the due date. There is also research supporting routine induction of labour in all women at 39 weeks if they prefer this as it may improve pregnancy outcomes and reduce caesarean section rates (from a study called the ‘ARRIVE’ study). Reasons for being induced include but are not limited to: diabetes, high blood pressure/preeclampsia, big babies, growth restricted babies (small babies), certain ethnicities such as South East Asian ethnicity, low fluid level around the baby, other placental issues, being overdue, etc. Methods to induce labour used in Australia include: 1. Breaking the waters (amniotomy) and

starting a syntocinon infusion/drip (via a cannula placed in your hand/ arm). This will encourage you to get into labour by making your uterus have contractions. 2. Having prostaglandin gel/pessary called Prostin or Cevidil. This mimics the natural hormones which set labour off and help the cervix to change and uterus start to contract. 3. Having a balloon catheter placed in the cervix. This is a long thin catheter with a small balloon filled with water that sits next to the baby’s head. The pressure of the balloon over time

opens the cervix. Usually if you are having your first baby, you will need to have method 2 or 3 first followed by method 1 if not in labour from the balloon/prostaglandins. If you are having your second or subsequent baby, the majority of the time we can just use method 1 as your cervix (the gateway to your uterus) is often a little open after having your first baby so we can usually just break your waters and start the drip. Pros and cons of being induced include: ■ Pros: convenient, able to plan

especially if having first baby. May improve mum and baby outcomes due to delivering before babies get too big, and before placentas start not to work properly. ■ Cons: It is ‘intervention’ and some women prefer to go into labour naturally. Also, you will need to be continuously monitored (heart rate monitor on your belly) to check your baby is happy throughout the labour if induced. For more details on the ARRIVE study, visit: https://www.nejm.org/doi/ full/10.1056/NEJMoa1800566

Made with love, Served with passion.

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X Cakes & Bakery X Biscuits X Eggless Cookies X Vegan Cookies X Vegetarian X Cakes for all events X Glutton Free

36 High St, Berwick VIC 3806 | 1300 447 437 | www.sher.com.au

22 AUTUMN 2021

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

Health

A bakery with big variety

A destination for good food WHEN you walk into Good Food Emporium, located in the Casey Lifestyle Centre, you immediately get the feeling that it’s more than just a wholefood grocery store. It’s a veritable destination store with an expansive array of products. The store concept was borne from the knowledge that we need to do more to care for our planet and our own health, and that we can inspire change as individuals with what we consume. The pantry area has specialty food options for intolerances and dietary requirements, smoothie and green drink blends, protein powders and a great selection of herbal teas. The bulk scoop area is well stocked with loose grains,

ISHER Bakery is known for its high quality egg-free, vegan and gluten-free bakery products. The bakery has a huge variety of cookies with over 40 different flavours, and an array of cakes with more than 15 different flavours.

nuts, seeds and confectionary. If you’re interested in cleaning up your inner health and outer beauty regime, you can chat to one of the naturopaths or beauty therapists about crafting your personal wellness plan with vitamins, supplements and low tox cosmetics. Mums and bubs are foremost. Find everything from pre-conception to post-pregnancy. The kindest and purest body care products to lactation support, eco-disposable nappies, natural remedies and healthy snacks. There’s something for everyone, and you may want to grab a unique gift and a greeting card from the gardening or homewares area or a compelling

The Good Food Emporium has an expansive array of products.

book to read before heading to the cafe. The menu features a variety of plant-based wholefood options, healthful juices, superfood smoothies, soul-warming drinks and an inviting raw or baked treats cabinet. Follow Good Food Emporium on Instagram or visit www. goodfoodemporium.com.au

Preparing kids for the flu season By Andrew Leslie, pharmacist Blooms The Chemist Casey Central SILVER linings are present in the strangest of places, and seeing the deadly influenza season all but eliminated in 2020 brings a wry smile to my somewhat 2020 fatigued face. Laboratory-confirmed influenza infections dropped to just over 20,000 nationwide last year, down from 300,000 in 2019. Although restrictions Victorians weathered were painful, it certainly put a significant dent in this communicable disease. We now have the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out underway. This has the potential to ease up restrictions and allow life to evolve into a new normal. This new normal will have us socialising with our friends and families, going on adventures, attending events and generally interacting with more individuals. So, what does this mean for this flu season and what can we do to prepare? Whilst the flu is not considered as fatal as Covid-19, presently (with more data still needed) it is considered more

levels and, if you have fussy eaters, support their diets with a good quality multi-vitamin, or if you have really fussy-eaters consider a meal replacement supplement. Talk to your health professional about whether taking vitamins and minerals such as zinc, vitamin C, echinacea and probiotics in preparation may be appropriate.

The friendly and caring team at Blooms The Chemist Casey Central.

contagious. This means if we are moving about in our beautiful community more, the virus has a greater chance to spread. It will make a comeback. Whilst 2021 flu season (April to October) is not expected to be a nasty one, we can prepare. A healthy immune system starts with healthy habits. As we march into winter, ensure you and your family are looking after your heath. Many elements effect our immune system, but the healthy basics will point you down the right path. Make sure you get enough sleep, reduce your stress

Get your family vaccinated. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about whether vaccination is appropriate for you. Timing is also important here, and for some populations the number of vaccinations also changes. Children, pregnant women and the elderly are most at risk of the flu.

They manufacture and sell a large range of gluten-free, vegan, egg-free and nut-free cupcakes, bar cakes and muffins. Isher Bakery makes products for childcare centres, kindergartens and schools. Its retail shops are an attraction in themselves due to the expansive variety of products that customers can choose from over the counter. There’s no need to pre-order - just walk in! Friendly and professional staff will help you with any special dietary requirements. Isher Bakery is the brainchild of the undying spirit of a mother to get her daughter a perfect eggless cake in a land where egg-free cakes were rare. From baking for family and friends to operating from a real bakery, Isher Bakery is a journey in itself. What started as a passion went on to becoming a customised cake place, and then Isher Bakery. You will now find Isher Bakery at 36 High Street, Berwick and 137 Carinish Road, Clayton. For more information, visit https://isher.com.au/

Lastly, influenza and Covid-19 spread in very similar ways, so keep doing what you have been doing. Wear a face-mask when out in public and in crowded places, cough or sneeze into your elbow, social distance and isolate if feeling unwell and keep washing your hands. If this has evoked any questions, pop into Blooms Casey Central where anyone of our friendly pharmacists will be more than happy to assist.

Some of the yummy products at Ishers Bakery.

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The widest range of products for many dietary and free-from requirements: Vegan & Vegetarian Paleo & Keto & Low Carb FODMAP Gluten free Low Salt Diabetes & sugar free Allergies & intolerances Superfood & protein powders

15/430-440 Princes Hwy. Narre Warren goodfoodemporium.com.au • 9704 9779

Wholefood Grocer & Cafe www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

Your Favourites, delivered to your door. Shop at www.goodfoodemporium.com.au

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Where your health comes first Expert friendly professional advice | Dedicated team that speaks over 7 languages | Locally owned and operated. Blooms the Chemist Casey Central are here for you and here for the community. BLOOMS THE CHEMIST CASEY CENTRAL P 9704 8166 | E casey@blooms.net.au

bloomsthechemist.com.au

CASEY CENTRAL AUTUMN 2021 23

DENTAL

The lasting impacts of the pandemic on dental care

THERE were nearly 900,000 fewer dental services provided during Victoria’s lockdown months compared to last year, research has revealed. The University of Melbourne and eviDent Foundation research found the Covid-19 pandemic had an impact on dental care for vulnerable children who already experience higher levels of dental disease and disadvantage.

CEO of the Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch Associate Professor Matt Hopcraft, also the lead author of the report, said the research found that from March to September there were 881,454 fewer dental services provided in 2020 than 2019. “April saw an 86.9 per cent decrease in treatment provided through the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) to

A specialist orthodontist

vulnerable children across Australia, and this was replicated in Victoria later in the year,” he said.

“There is also real concern about the impact of delayed diagnosis of oral cancers.”

“Delayed or deferred access to dental care meant that many routine dental problems deteriorated, and dentists now are reporting more emergencies and poorer health outcomes for their patients.

Given the chronic and progressive nature of dental disease, the deferral of necessary dental care could contribute to poorer oral health and long-term problems for many Australians, and place greater pressure on public dental waiting lists, particularly in Victoria.

A great smile is a great investment Ask about Invisalign and lingual braces.

MEET South East Orthodontics specialist orthodontist, Dr Kip Homewood. Kip completed his Bachelor of Dental Science degree from the University of Melbourne. He then completed a Doctor of Dental Surgery in Canada. Following this, he practiced general dentistry for 20 years before returning to complete a Masters in Dental Science degree specialising in orthodontics. He has been a specialist orthodontist since 2000.

Kip’s hobbies include swimming, cycling, skiing, golf and triathlon. Kip has been married to his wife, Leah, since 1987. They have three children together; Matt, Laura and Renee. Kip is a grandpa (KipPa) to Noah and Orlando and enjoys spending time with the entire family; old and new. The household is filled with a dog 24 AUTUMN 2021

Dr Kip Homewood, a specialist orthodontist at South East Orthodontics.

Nala, and two cats, Gucci and Dior. Kip has an intense passion for his work. He loves orthodontics and the results achieved from treatment. He is always happy to see how pleased his patients and their families are with the results. You’ll be comfortable with his easy-going nature and sense of humour. He’ll treat you like a member of his family and your children as if they were his own. South East Orthodontics is located at Suite 5, Level 1/18-24 Clyde Rd, Berwick.Phone 9330 0702 or visit their website at www.seortho.com.au

Orthodontic Treatment for children through to adults utilising the latest technologies including SureSmile. We offer ﬂexible, interest free payment plans to make orthodontics accessible to everyone. 12486117-SN13-21

Kip’s a widely respected lecturer at local, national and international level and an honorary fellow at the University of Melbourne where he teaches the postgraduate orthodontic students. Kip has examined for the University of Melbourne at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons and the Australian Dental Course. He is a Member of the Royal Australian College of Dental Surgeons and the Pierre Fauchard Academy.

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 8.30 am to 5.30 pm Suite 5, Level 1/18-24 Clyde Rd, Berwick VIC 3806 (03) 9330 0702 | info@seortho.com.au | www.seortho.com.au www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

DENTAL

Affordable care COST can be a major deterrent from visiting the dentist. But at Casey Dental Group, orthodontic treatments have never been more affordable. The friendly clinic offers bulk billing, weekly payment plans, family discounts and free check-ups for insurance patients. “Being the largest and longest established practice in southeast Melbourne, we can pass our operating savings onto our patients, while maintaining the highest standard of dental care,” Dr Jayson McNaughton explains. Casey Dental Group is the preferred provider for major health funds. The clinic offers orthodontics for only $5900, with weekly plans for $59 and family discounts available.

check-ups and consultations are free. In addition, Casey Dental Group offers up to 24 months interest free payment plans on all services, including specialised treatments like implants, Invisalign and half price deals on crowns. The practice has a special focus on orthodontics for both children and adults, and Invisalign which is available for teens. The friendly team aims to provide the best ongoing dental care with services including digital X-rays, laser whitening, implants, ceramic crowns/veneers and all other aspects of dentistry. The practice has extended its opening hours to include evening sessions that run until 9pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings.

It also bulk bills for the Medicare $1000 Child Dental Benefits Scheme.

Casey Dental Group is located at 236 Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road, Narre Warren South.

For insurance patients, there is no out of pocket charge for a check-up, clean or x-rays. And if you don’t have insurance,

For bookings or more information, phone 9705 1755 or visit www. caseydentalgroup.com.au

The caring team at Beaconsfield Dental.

A dentist for everyone AT Beaconsfield Dental, the team has grown so there is a dentist to accommodate your specific dental needs and care for you in a friendly and relaxing environment. Beaconsfield Dental offers all dental treatments, including orthodontics and implants, with the latest technology for your comfort, as well as being preferred providers for Medibank, BUPA, HCF and CBHS. They cater for children with the Medicare Dental Benefits Schedule, which provides dental benefits of up to $1000 to eligible children every two years. Reception staff can help determine whether your child is eligible, as well as recommending a dentist your child will feel comfortable with. There are nine dentists to choose from! You can read each dentist’s blog at www.beaconsfielddental.com.au or ring the friendly reception staff to

discuss your needs, so you can book with confidence. Beaconsfield Dental also make mouth guards. Personalised mouth guards are essential to ensure your child’s teeth are protected when playing contact sports. Beaconsfield Dental has introduced Covid safe measures, including social distancing in the large patient lounge (or waiting in your car if you prefer), hand sanitiser available on arrival and departure. There are also Perspex screens and health screening prior to your appointment. Additional cleaning processes have been added before and after your treatment to keep you safe. Beaconsfield Dental is an accredited dental clinic. The practice’s infection control has always been of the highest standard. To book an appointment, visit www.beaconsfielddental.com.au or ring their friendly team on 9707 3508.

Multiple Award Winning

Dental Clinic

Orthodontics and Invisalign from $59 per week. Implants from $39 per week • We BULK BILL for the $1000 Medicare Child Dental Beneﬁts Scheme • HALF PRICE CROWNS* *after ﬁrst full priced crown.

• INSURANCE PATIENTS: We Do Not Charge the Gap on Your Health Insurance Claim for Check Ups, Cleans, X-Rays and Sealants* • 24 months interest free on all treatment services • NON INSURANCE PATIENTS: FREE Check Ups! • Government Emergency/General Dental Vouchers accepted • Whitening take home kit only $295

Open during the holiday season

Participating Providers

(Except for the Public Holidays)

and Dr Jayson McNaughton

Dr Guy Turton

Dr Alina Bratu

Dr Shannon Gune

Dr Harjot Gill

Mr Joseph Hanna

Dr Robert Otken

Dr Deon Nguyen

Dr David Abdel-Malek Dr Melanie Cole Dr Rachel Fong Dr Quinn Tao Ms Chrysi Kroone Dr Ragy Labib Dr John Tia

Po un

Beaconsfield Dental

Phone: 9705 1755

Narre W a Cranbo rren urne Rd

236 Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road, Narre Warren South

Maintain your dental health in 2021

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

Casey Dental Group is Here! Greaves Rd 12472308-JW51-20

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

1-3 Cardinia St Berwick 9707 3508 www.beaconsﬁelddental.com.au 12466269-DL51-20

AUTUMN 2021 25

Education

Colouring is good, but drawing is better! Research points to the importance of drawing for school readiness, developing fine motor skills, as well as being a precursor to writing. And it’s a lovely, quiet one-on-one activity to do with your child, a chance to bond, chat and engage with them. Paediatric occupational therapist Debbie Isaac and Lauren Gardiner, a local children’s author, have joined forces to come up with Squiggle Kids. They run workshops and have activity books to encourage shared drawing between parents and kids. Below, they share some insights into why drawing is actually better than colouring in, and why sitting down together to draw can be a wonderful, beneficial activity to do with your child! It’s hard to walk out of a major retailer without a colouring book for your pre-school aged child. Fronted by your child’s favourite TV or movie character, you know it will be a hit (and with mum and dad too if it buys a few minutes without the noise of electronic devices)! Colouring is good for pre-school aged children. For example, it helps children develop fine motor skills, hand and finger grip strength, colour awareness and provides a creative outlet. Colouring activities can also have a calming effect and can be fun. But, drawing for pre-school aged children is better. Drawing for pre-school aged children has all of the above benefits of colouring and more. In particular, drawing: ■ is a way for children to express themselves, in addition to and as a support for talking, to use their

imagination and to tell a story ■ provides an opportunity for kids explore making meaning using marks on a page using a variety of mediums ■ builds the foundations for writing, with children exercising a combination of visual, fine motor and working memory skills in drawing, all of which are required to write ■ can happen anywhere with anything! Napkins, notepaper, recycled materials, newspaper! Drawing is actually better shared! While we all need activities for our kids that can be completed independent of us and with little supervision from time to time (in fact, our kids need independent play too), drawing is one activity that is even better shared with a responsive adult. Drawing activities shared between parent and child can provide an opportunity to bond and to have fun together. Shared drawing activities also provide an opportunity for the parent to teach the child about colours, shapes and the world around them and for the child to express their emotions and their views. Sitting down together to draw can also be a way to get your otherwise disinterested child to start drawing. If you’re interested, they might be too! Show your interest by commenting on what they are doing and asking questions. Does your child have trouble starting a drawing off? Start it for them! Breaking down the barrier of a blank page may be all that is required - we all know that feeling of writer’s block, your child might have what we like to call “blank page fright”! Or - even contribute to the creation

Timbarra P-9 College | Primary Tours Tuesdays at 10am Secondary Tours Wednesdays 10am Primary Tours Tuesdays at 10am Secondary Tours Wednesdays at 10am. Please contact our college ofﬁce on 9704 2744 or visit www.timbarrap9.vic.edu.au/school-tours to book online Please contact the ofﬁce at Timbarra P-9 College on 9704 2744 to book www.timbarrap9.vic.edu.au 26 AUTUMN 2021

12484026-JW13-21

HOW often do you draw with your children?

There’s many benefits to shared drawing.

from go to whoa! And why not take a “leaf out of a [colouring] book” and use the same approach that colouring book publishers use to get us and our little ones in -draw his or her favourite TV or movie character! This integrated approach, that responds to children’s own interests, is one used in kindergarten programs and schools to increase interest and engagement.

But, there’s no need to bin your colouring books! Colouring books have their place and colouring is good. But drawing (and shared drawing in particular) is better! For more on Squiggle Kids workshops and their range of drawing books, go to www.memobooks.com.au/ squigglekids/

Every le a is a valu Every rner aer ble learn is as an indiv vaid uaas lued l aan nd as a mein mdievid ua ber l,of o and as ur a c o m mr u membe itry ofnou community

65 King Road, ad, Harkaway Harkaw way ph: 03 9707 1475

e: harkaway.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au harkawayps.vic.edu.au 12485400-AV13-21

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

Education

A distinct approach FROM Cranbourne and Koo Wee Rup to Garfield and Gembrook, many families are making the choice each year to send their children to Chairo Christian School’s campus on Bald Hill Road between Pakenham and Nar Nar Goon. Families are embracing the distinct approach to education, partnership and community offered at Chairo Pakenham, and at other Chairo campuses located at Drouin, Leongatha and Traralgon. Chairo Pakenham provides education within a caring and supportive Christian environment for students from Kindergarten (K3 & K4) to Year 12 (VCE & VCAL). Principal Pete Wells explained, “Our desire is that each student feels welcome and safe as they participate in a friendly, vibrant and uplifting community that values the unique capabilities of every child. “It’s our desire to see boys and girls experience care, challenge, teaching and example that helps forge them into young men and women of great character and integrity.” A diverse range of key learning areas are covered, encompassing English, mathematics, science, humanities, health, physical education, the arts, technology, languages, Bible and more.

The excellent relationship between students and staff members is an important feature of the education provided at Chairo Christian School.

Beyond the classroom, Chairo provides a range of enriching experiences, including comprehensive camping and sporting programs that foster participation, skill development, character and resilience. Music is also a significant component of school life at Chairo, with students learning a wide range of instruments and participating in various bands, ensembles and choirs. Interested families are invited to book a tour to discover Chairo’s friendly and nurturing environment, learn more about the rigorous academic expectations and experience the authentic Christian community.

Healthy growth THE team at Cardinia Lakes ELC have extended their focus on promoting healthy growth and development. They’ve done this by introducing a new movement program, as they work towards their goals in the Healthy Achievement Program. The team knows that young children should receive holistic support, from parents and family, educators and caregivers. The team program for children to be actively engaged with a daily balance of physical activities, sedentary behaviours (such as reading, puzzles, construction, art and craft) and sleep/ rest. Each day at Cardinia Lakes ELC, children participate in a range of developmentally appropriate, enjoyable and safe play-based and structured physical activities in a variety of environments. Staff facilitate a program that allows children to do this independently, as well as interacting with the teaching team and other children. Children are regularly taken out of the service on excursions to the local parks and quarry. This encourages community engagement and also allows children to connect more with the local beautiful, natural surroundings. For the youngest learners, supervised activities include tummy time, reaching and grasping, pushing and pulling, and

Movement leader Jace Clarke with three-year-old Elle.

crawling. Older learners engage in activities that work on their core strength, hand eye coordination, cognition, turn taking, fine and gross muscle movements. Jace is the Movement Lead at Cardinia Lakes ELC. He works with the classroom leaders and the children, in developing fun activities that extend on their classroom programs. These activities then get implemented across the week, ensuring all children have access to the program’s benefits. For great movement ideas to do at home with your children, you can follow the Cardinia Lakes ELC Facebook or Instagram pages. If you would like to book a tour to enrol your child, call on 9066 1144 or book via the Cardinia Lakes ELC website at www. cardinialakeselc.com.au or Facebook page.

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Chairo ƉźƄžƇƁźƆ

Learning That Lasts a Lifetime • • • • •

ȱ ȱ ȱūŬȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ¢ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ǰȱ ȱ ȱ ¢ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱŬŪŬūȱ ȱ ¢ ȱ ǯ ǯ ǯ Ȧ ȱ ȱ ȱ¢ ȱ ȱ ¢

“LIMITED VACANCIES, BOOK A TOUR TODAY” We offer education and care for children aged 6 weeks to 5 years. Qualiﬁed Bachelor trained Kindergarten Teachers and Educators. All main meals and snacks are provided and prepared by our qualiﬁed Chef. Open from 6:30am - 7:00pm

ȠȣȠ ŻźƅŽ ƁƂƅƅ ƋƈźŽ ƇźƋ ƇźƋ ƀƈƈƇ enrolments@chairo.vic.edu.au • ȪȮȩȧ ȪȫȨȧ 12484606-AV13-21

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

3 Atlantic Dr, Pakenham 9066 1144 | AUTUMN 2021 27

Education

Being Catholic THIS year’s theme for Catholic Education Week, ‘Faith in the future - I have come that they may have life and have it to the full,’ is a combination of a quote from John’s Gospel and the theme for the bicentennial celebrations of Catholic education in Australia.

The study shows children having too much screen time might be behind when they start school.

Screen time impacts

Catholic Education Week is an opportunity for all members of a school community to consider the call of the Gospel to build the Kingdom of God here and now.

WORRYING new research has shown too much screen time and not enough play time could put children developmentally behind when they start school.

Director of Catholic Education, Ms Maria Kirkwood, encourages everyone involved in Catholic education to contribute to one another’s growth and journey towards the fullness of life. “During Catholic Education Week we are reminded that Jesus is the good shepherd who invites us to be the best people we can be. In all we do in Catholic schools, we strive to help each person experience the love of God, thus enabling them to live life fully,” she said. “This year’s theme serves as an invitation to focus on the unconditional love of God and how this love is demonstrated throughout our lives, in our academic and spiritual pursuits. We have been created to be fully human, fully alive and able to participate in the life and love of God. “The theme also reflects the core purpose of Catholic education, which is to provide an education that enables

F i h iin the Faith h ffuture - I have h come that h they h may have h life and have it to the full.

our students to make a meaningful contribution to the world, and enable them to enter into a life-giving relationship with God. “I hope that staff, students, families and Parishes enjoy this special time and that our schools continue to be harmonious places where children are able to reach their full potential. “Catholic Education Week is a highlight of the year for the Diocese of Sale, as the broader Catholic education community comes together to celebrate our Catholic identity and unique mission.”

The study, undertaken by University of South Australia researchers Dr Kobie Boshoff, Alessia Pivato and Sarah Seekamp, looks at the concerns of 41 South Australian preschool directors. It found that too much screen time, and not enough substantial quality, creative play could be impacting children’s development. It’s estimated in South Australia, 22 per cent of children are considered developmentally vulnerable. According to the Australian Department of Health, evidence shows long period of screen time for children aged 2-5 is connected with a less active, outdoor and creative play times, as well as slower development of language skills, poorer social skills and an increased risk of being overweight.

Paediatric expert and Director of UniSA’s International Centre for Allied Health Evidence, Dr Kobie Boshoff, said more play time would help the issue, as well as reducing the amount of screen time. “School readiness is all about the ability of a child to make a successful transition from preschool into formal school,” he said. “But as research shows, nearly one in four South Australian children are not meeting the mark. “In our research, preschool directors indicate that families are overusing screens as ‘babysitters’ and that this could be contributing to lower levels of social skill development, concentration, problem solving abilities and self-regulation - all key skills that improve school readiness.” The guidelines recommend children aged 2-5 have no more than one hour of screen time a day.

Celebrating Catholic Education

To ﬁnd out how your child could thrive in your local Catholic school, contact the school principal or visit our website. www.doscel.catholic.edu.au | (03) 5622 6600 12486113-CG13-21

28 AUTUMN 2021

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

Education

It’s time to splash into swimming

Learning with a family focus

SPLASH’S - Learn to Swim offers swimming lessons for children from three months of age right through to adults. With convenient locations in Berwick, Dandenong and Pakenham - and offering lessons seven days a week - there are plenty of options for busy families.

FAMILY comes first at Kool Kidz Childcare. The centre in Narre Warren is owned by mother and daughter, Janette Karavatis and Maria Dimoulas, who are passionate about looking after families.

Life Saving Victoria reports that 45 people died from drowning since July 1 2020, the largest number since detailed records began.

Both women love children and realised a long held dream when the doors of Kool Kidz Narre Warren opened in February 2019. Maria has a degree in early childhood education and a post graduate qualification in teaching children with special needs. Janette has also worked in childcare for more than a decade.

Due to Covid restrictions, children missed eight months of weekly swimming lessons last year, prompting an urgent call for parents to keep their kids enrolled in swimming lessons this winter. Janette, Taylor and Maria from Kool Kidz Narre Warren.

Director Laura Sim says each winter, swim teachers notice that some parents withdraw their children as a precautionary measure or because their child has a cold.

Janette and Maria looked at various childcare models before settling on Kool Kidz.

“Maria and I both love children and, as we have a passion for this area, we want to give our best to the community.”

“The standards are so high in terms of the curriculum and the support we receive,” Janette said.

All rooms have access to spacious outdoor areas and there are dedicated sleep areas and a separate kitchen.

Kool Kidz Narre Warren has capacity for 130 children.

The centre caters for children from six weeks to six years.

“We are a family run business, looking after your family,” said Janette, who encourages parents to pop in for a tour of the centre.

Kool Kidz Narre Warren is open weekdays from 6.30am to 6.30pm at 17 Cranbourne Road, Narre Warren. Phone 9705 1532.

“Later in the year, they return to find that not only did their child catch all the colds that went around, but they also missed out on the many benefits of swimming. Often, upon return, their swimmer has regressed through lack of practice,” she said. The pools at Splash’s are always warm, with a comfortable water temperature of 32.5C. Splash’s heated pools are

Splash’s has highly trained staff to teach children life saving water skills.

maintained to the highest hygienic standards with a world class filtration system that uses less chlorine, reduces skin and eye irritation, improves water quality and reduces water consumption. With over 30 years of experience in the aquatic industry, Splash’s progressive approach to teaching and purpose-built centres provide a safe learning environment that is structured and supportive. Small class sizes, regular assessments and highly trained staff give children the best chance to learn skills that will keep them safe around water. Splash’s - Learn to Swim offer free trials. To book, visit website www. splashs.com.au

Taking Enrolments for 2021 and 2022

CARING & FAMILY FRIENDLY Kool Kidz Narre Warren is a purpose-built Early Learning, Childcare and Kindergarten facility that provides a safe, fun and exciting environment to explore, learn and grow in for children aged 6 weeks to 6 years.

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

PAKENHAM 12472510-CG51-20

Phone 9705 1532 to speak with Janette or Maria to ENROL NOW 17 Cranbourne Road, Narre Warren www.koolkidznarrewarren.com.au

FOR YOUR FREE INTRODUCTORY LESSON BERWICK

DANDENONG

(03) 9701 3225 (03) 9707 5922 (03) 9792 5461 www.splashs.com.au 12484291-DL13-21

AUTUMN 2021 29

Education

School ready? IS your child school ready? St Margaret’s Berwick Grammar’s Head of Junior School, Louise Sayar says school readiness is more about whether a child is emotionally and socially attuned to learning.

The research showed girls want function over fashion.

Function over fashion

“For example, do they possess basic communication skills to be able to express ideas through play, drawing or singing? “Can the child convey a message with purpose and make themselves understood? Are they able to sit down and listen to others and follow simple instructions? These foundational communication skills are important tools for ensuring your child thrives rather than survives the transition to prep,” Louise says. For parents, the decision can be overwhelming and difficult to assess, however one of the greatest sources of information regarding your child’s school readiness is their kindergarten teacher. “They have the training and ability to assess your child’s development progress and communication skills,” Louise says. Parents can assist the transition to school by helping their child develop independence and resilience at home. “Parents can set goals with their child

St Margaret’s Berwick Grammar’s Head of Junior School, Louise Sayar.

and work on their persistence to finish tasks alone such as dressing themselves, putting their own shoes on and going to the bathroom independently are great skills for their child to have mastered by prep. Reading to your child daily has also shown to be one of the most effective ways to prepare your child for school,” Louise says. St Margaret’s Berwick Grammar is located at 27-47 Gloucester Ave, Berwick. For more information, phone 03 8703 8111 or visit www.stmargarets. vic.edu.au

A new national study has found Australian girls want function over fashion, they prefer shorts and t-shirts and they want stretchy material that breathes when it comes to sport uniforms. The study, by Victoria University, was led by VU’s Susan Alberti Women in Sport Chair Professor Clare Hanlon (Institute for Health and Sport). “These findings are for the benefit of girls in Australia to enable them to feel comfortable, confident and ready to play sport. Uniforms need to be designed for girls that are the right colour and fit, and are functional,” she said. Girls and young women aged 12 to 18 years across Australia completed the survey. It also found most don’t want to wear skirt, and they wanted choice, especially for girls aged 12 to 14. “I am so sick of having to wear ‘unisex’ sport shorts that we all know were designed for boys, not girls. They

are totally unsuitable for girls who have hips ... “ one participant said. Girls and young women from the Northern Territory are 16 per cent less likely to prefer wearing tracksuit pants or leggings, while in Western Australia, 53 per cent are less likely to prefer wearing singlets for sport outside school, compared with girls from Victoria (63 per cent) and NSW (72 per cent). The study provided valuable insight into adolescent girls’ views on what makes them feel confident and comfortable to play sport. It found that they want: ■ uniforms that make them feel ready for sport ■ clothing that fits them well ■ dark coloured shorts/skirts/pants ■ uniforms made from appropriate materials ■ no unisex clothing ■ options that do not make them feel over-exposed

Family run business offering: Long Daycare Funded Kindergarten Junior Kindergarten (3YO) Before & Afterschool Care Vacation Care

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www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

Education

St Clare’s grows ST CLARE’S Catholic Primary School continues to grow and now has an enrolment of over 520 students.

Learning literature BERWICK Lodge Primary School students enjoy the benefits of a rich literature program provided by literature specialist teacher, Dr Mark Carthew. Mark is an award-winning Australian children’s author, poet, musician and educator well known for his books and series celebrating language, humour and wordplay. The development of a love of reading has many benefits, some of which go beyond the pleasure of reading itself. Principal Henry Grossek says an outstanding literature program delivers purposeful learning and synergy. “Purposeful learning is learning that connects the learning activity with the outside or what we call the ‘real world’,” he said. ‘By instilling a love of reading in children, that connection is made and by extension, children gain empowerment in their learning. “Synergy? Well, synergy occurs

when the interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements contributions. Put simply and in mathematical terms: 1 plus 1 equals 3! That’s what happens when children experience an inspiring literature program. Their quality and breadth of reading capability grows exponentially; all the while enjoying the pleasure of reading.” In the accompanying photograph, the story book Mark Carthew is discussing with students is titled, The Thing That Goes Ping, his latest children’s picture story book, illustrated by renowned Australian illustrator, Shane McGowan. Drawing on the power of rhyme, the book captures the attention of children almost instantly. Berwick Lodge has introduced literature as a specialist program, led by Dr Carthew, as part of its quest to provide all children with a wide diversity of valuable leaning experiences.

One of the major developments for 2021 is substantial landscape works to incorporate further sport fields and playgrounds. As part of the parish of St Patrick’s in Pakenham, the school is on site with the Early Learning Centre and the Officer campus of St Francis Xavier College. This provides a seamless transition from early childhood to secondary education. Each learning space has been designed by award-winning architects to provide a rich environment conducive to relevant, meaningful learning. Before children come to school, parents have taught them so much. They’ve learned to listen, to ask questions, to be filled with wonder, to say thank-you, to wash their hands, to pick up after themselves and to look out for each other. St Clare’s continues these life lessons and nurtures the holistic development of each child. Numeracy and literacy skills are core elements of education; but so is Religious education - developing empathy, social justice and a strong moral compass. St Clare’s encourages active play and healthy bodies, understanding other cultures through learning languages, and developing creativity through the performing and visual arts.

St Clare’s nurtures the holistic development of each child.

Digital technology is an integral part of learning, and St Clare’s emphasises a student’s capacity for safety, courtesy, critical literacy and independent learning online. Student achievement is measured not only by academic growth but by each child’s emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing. Being part of faith-filled community instils students with a sense of identity, a feeling of belonging and a powerful sense of self-worth. St Clare’s Primary School is offering private school tours. To book, phone 5940 6777 or email enrolments@ stclaresofficer.catholic.edu.au

VISIT OUR VIRTUAL SCHOOL TOUR TODAY ’s has developed

Our virtual school tour allows you to experience Berwick Lodge Primary School spaces as though you are physically there. Using emerging technology, we have mapped spaces across the school to create 3D tours and 360-degree walkthroughs. Immerse yourself in the spaces, move around, explore and look out for LODGIE BEAR along the way.

providing a quality schooling experience, developing

Our faith leads to wisdom and courage. St Clare’s and is embedded in the ethos of the school,

Kevin Heinze Best School Garden Award 2018

parent, guardian or family, I invite you to visit us at St Clare’s and discover this dynamic learning environment and start the beginning of, what I hope will be, a life-long learning partnership.

Helen Staindl School Principal

12484028-NG13-21

For more details visit: www.berwicklodgeeps.vic.edu.au

P: 9709 6700 F: 9796 2198 E: berwick.lodge.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au Visit our website to check out the virtual tour www.berwicklodgeps.vic.edu.au 12479598-SN13-21

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

Enrolment Enquiries

email enrolments@stclaresoﬃcer.catholic.edu.au AUTUMN 2021 31

Your child’s future comes FiRST at ...

FUTURE BUILDERS

FUTURE DOCTORS

FUTURE ENVIRONMENTALISTS

FUTURE CHEFS

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Learning through Play at FiRST FUTURE MARINE BIOLOGISTS

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Education

Heritage College early learning students are part of a supportive larger community.

A nurturing environment for children SELECTING an Early Learning Centre for your child is a choice often accompanied by other changes, for example, a return to work by the primary caregiver. Heritage College understands that moving into the early years of learning can be filled with lots of questions, so their caring, nurturing staff are on hand to provide support and assistance throughout the enrolment process and beyond. The Early Learning Centres form part of a larger college community at Heritage College, a co-educational private Christian college, providing

education from Early Years - Year 12. Located in two vibrant campus locations, Narre Warren South campus delivers education from Early Learning - Year 6 and Officer campus delivers Early Learning - Year 12. During school term, early learners utilise the campus grounds and participate in shared sporting and other college events. Being part of a larger college community means your child will enjoy opportunities at a younger age, including music, science, art, sport and language. With the popular Bush Kinder

program and a focus on play-based learning, educators encourage creativity, curiosity and exploration every day. By fostering a love of learning in a positive environment at an early age, your child will be inspired to continue their lifelong journey of learning. Heritage College students form friendships that continue from early learning through to primary years and beyond. Every child is paired with a buddy from Year 5 and takes part in a wide range of fun and inspiring primary school activities. It’s all about feeling supported, secure and confident as part

of a bigger community. A pathway into Prep, delivered in partnership with the primary school, ensures a smooth handover into your child’s first year of Prep when ready. Throughout the year, your child will develop school readiness skills through structured learning activities. Help your child move into early learning with confidence. Contactless enrolments are available during the restriction period. To find out more, visit heritagecollege.vic.edu.au/elc

Should schools be providing lunches? AN idea out of Flinders University could have parents rejoicing: what if schools provided lunches for Australian students? Researchers from the university’s Caring Futures Institute investigated whether it would be more nutritious, and there would be better learning outcomes, if the school provided lunches. The institute’s deputy director Professor Rebecca Golley said it was a common practice in other countries such as the UK and would mean less room for treats high in sugar or salt. “A universal school-provided lunch model could help to ensure all children have access to food at school, reduce stigma of children not having lunch or having different types of foods to their peers, and help to ensure children are provided with healthy lunch options,” she explained. “The meal would be prepared on site

and served to children in their classroom, school hall or school yard, compared with the current school food model in Australia where generally parents provide lunch to their child/children, either as a lunchbox packed from home or purchased from a school canteen. “While there will need to be an initial investment to set-up the necessary infrastructure and getting the right policies and guidelines in place, what is emerging from some work around Australia is that this public health strategy can deliver in terms of learning, student engagement and wellbeing.

per cent of the energy kids consume at school comes from unhealthy food, with most children consuming no or very few serves of vegetables, protein-rich foods, or dairy during school hours. Flinders University nutrition and dietetics researcher Brittany Johnson said good nutrition supports growth, learning and development. “Australian families constantly face the challenge of packing lunchboxes that are nutritious, safe and quick, and that their children will eat.” The Caring Futures Institute’s tips for healthier lunchboxes:

“By children being provided with healthy meals at school, we think it will help children to concentrate in the classroom and support their learning.”

■ Keep lunchboxes and snacks basic: go back to the less packaged foods grainy sandwich, vegie sticks, fruit and yoghurt, researchers say.

In a separate study, the university’s research team examined the dietary intake of children aged 5-12 years during school hours. The study found 40

■ Reduce unhealthy foods by cutting portion sizes in half or limiting the number of days in a week your children eat these foods.

It’s an interesting idea to improve learning outcomes and nutrition.

■ Head to the supermarket with clear plans and stick to them. Avoid the snack aisle. If there are no unhealthy foods brought into the home this can make it easier to eat healthier alternatives from the five food groups.

12481105-CG13-21

3 & 4 Year Old Kinder places for 2021 & 2022

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

AUTUMN 2021 33

Education

Major building works take off An artist impression of plans for a performing arts building and STEM building.

BUILDING works are steaming ahead at Crest Education with both Hillcrest Christian College and Rivercrest Christian College having just completed major projects, with more to come in 2022.

Surrounding the new Multi-Purpose Centre will be a high-quality grass field, which is currently being constructed.

(Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) building already under way.

Works completed at Hillcrest in 2020 include:

■ 3D printing space

This construction builds upon the recent expansion of the Rivercrest Middle Years campus, which recently added four new classrooms and break out spaces for its secondary-aged students. This campus aims to serve Years 6 - 12 students by 2025.

■ IT service desk

Recent works at Rivercrest include:

■ STEAM precinct

Hillcrest Christian College Primary students are enjoying the college’s new, state-of-the-art Multi-Purpose Centre, completed in December 2020. Complete with kitchen, portable stage and integrated sound system, this modern facility will enable primary-aged students to engage in sport and physical activity in all weather conditions ensuring students stay healthy and active. “This space will shelter us from the hot sun and protect us in winter from the rain and the cold,” says Leanne Dube, Hillcrest Primary Sport Coordinator.

Hillcrest continued to develop its resources an expand its student offerings.

■ Art and design gallery ■ STEAM exploration centre

■ Film and media centre ■ Years 5 and 6 block ■ Upgrade of ELC playground

The new purpose-built Year Two building at Rivercrest Christian College.

Students can look forward to utilising this later this year. Even during remote learning in 2020,

This year, Rivercrest Christian College welcomed their Year Two students to their brand new, purpose-built Year Two building. Further build works commence at Rivercrest Christian College’s Middle Years Campus, with plans of a Performing Arts building and STEM

■ New student play courts ■ Upgraded entrances ■ Additional car parking What was once a small regional school, Hillcrest Christian College has now grown to become an entire Crest Educational precinct which includes Rivercrest Christian College, Ayr Hill Equestrian Centre, Crest Institute, and Environmental Reserve. Hillcrest Christian College celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

The benefits of playing chess in classrooms CHILDREN who play chess might be better versed to take risks than their peers, as well as aiding their arithmetic and rational thinking. Researchers from Monash University and Deakin University conducted an experiment to examine the effects of intensive chess lessons with more than 400 Year 5 students who had no previous exposure to the game. Students participated in a 30-hour chess program, endorsed by the World Chess Federation, across a three-week period. They were assessed on their cognitive and non-cognitive behavioural changes, including risk, time management and ability to focus, for nearly a year after the training had ended. What it showed was fascinating.

Playing chess from a young age could decrease risk aversion by exposing kids to win/loss scenarios and competition, as well as teaching children about strategic risk-taking. In a survey conducted with students 10 months after the chess program, 99 per cent said they wanted more chess lessons, 94.5 per cent had played chess with a classmate in the previous week, and 87.5 per cent said they played chess regularly with friends or family. The study was led by Professor Asad Islam (Director, Centre for Development Economics and Sustainability, Monash Business School), and supported by Dr Wang Sheng Lee (Fellow, Centre for Development Economics and Sustainability, Monash Business School) and Dr Aaron Nicholas (Senior Lecturer in the Department of Economics,

Deakin Business School). Professor Asad Islam said it could help model good risk taking behaviour. “Risk and reward is a concept that is articulated well in the game of chess. Players often sacrifice pawns, knights and bishops if it helps checkmate the opponent’s king and win the game. Such sacrifices are inherently risky because if one’s calculations are faulty, the sacrifice could prove to be fatal, eventually leading to a quick loss,” Professor Islam said. “Children need to know how to take calculated risks. If children are too risk averse it might prevent them from swimming at the beach, going to a public park or participating in contact sports for risk of injury. “Later in life, this could also extend to

registrar@hillcrest.vic.edu.au

03 9702 2144

adolescent behaviours such as drugs, smoking, truancy, involvement in crime and in romantic relationships. “In many life situations, it is also the case that with great risk often comes great reward. However, the line between necessary calculated risktaking and reckless behaviour is sometimes difficult to determine. Learning chess can help bridge that gap.” The researchers believe it could show the potential benefits of schools across Australia integrating the teaching of chess in the classroom to help young people deal with risk and reward later in life. Interestingly, Armenia and Poland have already made chess instruction compulsory in their primary-school curriculum.

www.hillcrest.vic.edu.au 12479610-SN13-21

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Education

Should schools take a step back in time? By Danielle Galvin DIGITAL technology is increasingly common in Australian classrooms, with many primary school students having iPads and apps and various online tools and resources. But there’s an academic in regional Queensland who believes there’s a better way forward, although for some it might seem like a step backwards. CQUniversity education academic Dr Ragnar Purje published a piece in Australia’s Education Review that explores the benefits of a return to chalk and slate - a decades old approach he says is second to none. Dr Purje argued that writing on a screen or typewriting, simply cannot replace the complex skill of handwriting with chalk. “Handwriting is so profoundly

important as the brain research shows that it is intricately linked to two areas of the brain,” he said.

requires desire, discipline, dedication, determination, perseverance and resilience.”

the moment they are born .. technology immersement stops brain development at the level that it needs to take place.”

“Handwriting and typewriting are not the same.

He explained that the connection is profound: teaching children to write is not just about the activity itself.

While chalk and slate are not widely or readily used in most Australian primary schools, Dr Purje recommends that parents encourage their children to practise writing with chalk in the preschool years.

“Handwriting needs to take place to advance oral language, that becomes written language, which then always hthe development of complex ideas. “However if a child doesn’t know how to hold a pencil correctly, their writing skills won’t be as efficient.” Dr Purje said using chalk encouraged a “tripod grip” with thumb and pointer finger, which helps shape neurological, neuromuscular, gross and fine motor skill pathways. “The research dealing with handwriting and compositional narrative writing development is unambiguous; handwriting and narrative writing is not only complex, it

It also leads into constructing complex sentences and ideas, as well as reading and writing. He is also concerned about the prevalence of digital technology and how it can discourage an active imagination. “Children don’t need technology at prep or grade 1,” he said. “I am not an advocate for saying we shouldn’t have technology, we need to embrace it for what it is “We have choices in how we use that technology. “Children don’t need technology form

“When I was at school, we practised letter formation with chalk, then progressed to pencil then pen. This process is hard work, but the brain advances in its complexities by and through the process of effort, application and hard work,” he said. Dr Purje, who completed his PhD with CQUni in 2016 under the supervision of Professor Ken Purnell, is the author of Responsibility Theory®, a book and neuro-education program guiding teachers in best-practice education methods for brain-friendly learning.

The great need to attract more male teachers females. I think it’s really important, learning styles and teaching styles are so critical.

By Danielle Galvin BACK in 2017, Macquarie University researchers tracked a worrying trajectory of a declining number of male teachers in Australian classrooms.

“Being exposed to as many different teaching styles you possibly can, as well as positive role models (is important).”

The study lead them to ask the question: Are male teachers headed for extinction?

He said partly there’s still a stigma still around men teaching, particularly in the junior years, but more needs to be done to build back respect for the teaching profession.

The research showed a steady decline in numbers in the past 50 years. Granted the research is now four years old, but the question remains: are there enough male teachers out there?

He hopes doing that will help attract more people to the profession. The divide is even more stark when it comes to early education.

Dr Matthew Zbaracki is Head of School of Education at the Australian Catholic University.

In 2018, according to University of South Australia research, men accounted for between 2-3 per cent of the workforce.

The former primary school teacher said the latest statistics, from 2019, estimated 18 per cent of teachers in primary schools were male. In secondary school, there was a huge jump to 39 per cent. “That’s the big difference, it’s very obvious in primary schools,” he said. “I think there are a couple of reasons. “One; there could be a gender stereotype around who teaches in primary school. “I think there’s a lack of respect around the teaching profession in www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

In Dr Zbaracki’s view, all educators bring different teaching styles to their environments, regardless of gender. Do we need to do more to attract male teachers?

general which has an impact as well.” While there’s no suggestion that any gender performs better in the classroom or gets different results, Dr Zbaracki said there’s a couple of reasons why it’s important.

“The reason why they are important is that children need to be able to have these experiences with teachers of both genders, and they need to have role models as well. “Boys need to have role models that are men in the classroom instead of just

He said male and female teachers engage students in different ways. “It’s important we don’t get complacent and be aware of this type of issue. “Those statistics are pretty shocking, 18 per cent in primary schools, that’s shocking.” AUTUMN 2021 35

BORN TO PERFORM

Performing arts

Many have gone onto careers on the stage in Australia and abroad. Thousands have gained confidence, coordination, fitness, friendships and a love of performing arts from their experience at Cathy-Lea. Renowned for its high standards, disciplined classes, and friendly expert staff, Cathy-Lea encourages students of all abilities to shine, training through recognised syllabi and affiliated with professional associations including Cecchetti International Ballet, The Australian Teachers of Dancing, AMEB and Trinity Guildhall. Pre-schoolers (aged 2-5) are offered the highly awarded ‘Ready Set Dance’ and ‘Ready Set Ballet’ programs as featured on television on Nick Jr. The Elite Training Program at CathyLea features tuition by professional performing artists, highly qualified coaches and master teachers from around the world. Recreational classes are offered in all styles including hip hop, contemporary dance, drama, singing, musical theatre,

acrobatics, commercial jazz and Broadway jazz for those seeking confidence, fun and fitness. Students of all ages and abilities are welcome and special discounted fee packages are available for students taking multiple classes. Please contact Cathy on cathy-lea@ cathy-lea.com or 9704-7324 or visit www.cathy-lea.com Karlie Grace Dancers Karlie Grace Dancers boasts an extremely high calibre of dance teachers, all of whom have extensive experience in professional dance and teaching. They provide a welcoming, nurturing, and encouraging environment for students to thrive in. Karlie Grace Dancers cater to all ages - toddlers to late teens - and they’re leading the way with their popular pre-school KGD KIDZ program, running classes that inspire and engage the natural tendencies that little ones have to dance! With a range of dance styles from classical ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary to hip hop and acrobatics, there is an endless opportunity to find a style your child will love. KGD graduates either pave their way

in full-time dance, with some of this year’s students securing places at Transit Dance, Patrick Studios, and Ministry of Dance. Others continue with the graduate program where they take part in their Cecchetti Ballet Teachers Exams. Karlie Grace Dancers will expand to take over an adjoining complex in 2021, allowing students to access another professional dance studio the size of the Bunjil Theatre stage, along with access to a pilates reformer studio. If you’d like more information regarding the VCE VET Dance courses or are interested in joining the KGD dance family, please contact info@ kgdancers.com or visit www.kgdancers. com

All ACPA dance and performing arts students continue to excel in their exams and competitions and thrive in weekly classes throughout the year. Everyone is very excited for a spectacular end of year concert at Bunjil Place. Located in Berwick, ACPA is close by for any students in the southeast of Victoria, including suburbs such as Narre Warren, Pakenham, Officer, Beaconsfield, Dandenong and Cranbourne. ACPA pride themselves on mentoring generations of dancers and performers so that they become self-confident, passionate members of the community.

ACPA Welcome to 2021 at Andrea Catherine Performing Arts (ACPA).

They are well known for their friendly, caring family environment - so drop in, or give them a call or email to have a chat!

A new, improved and more streamlined timetable will enable ACPA to continue to provide exceptional dance tuition at their studio in Berwick.

ACPA is located at 10 Intrepid St, Berwick. For more information, phone: 9796 1482 or visit https://acpa-dance. com.au/

The ACPA Little Star Program is designed to be the BEST beginning in dance for your Little Star! Watch your child’s imagination soar as they learn to dance, sing and play in a safe and fun environment with tuition from expert dance professionals.

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Cathy-Lea SINCE 1991, Cathy-Lea has been training students in performing arts including ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary dance, hip hop, drama, singing, musical theatre and instrumental music.

Your child will explore dance and creative movement, they will sing and act, in a beautifully crafted program that nurtures your child’s individuality and happiness. Come and dance with us in our Berwick Studio, where we are passionate about building conﬁdence and friendships through dance.

Visit us at www.acpa-dance.com.au or contact 9796 6 1482 148 82

Developing talent. Creating stars. Since 1991.

Elite & Recreational All Abilities Ages 2-adult

9704-7324 www.cathy-lea.com

Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Commercial, Contemporary, Acrobatics, Drama, Singing, Musical Theatre, Singing, Piano, Drums,Guitar, Bass

SCHOOL OF PERFORMING ARTS

Aspire, Accelerate, Achieve BERWICK’S PREMIER BOUTIQUE PERFORMING ARTS STUDIO OFFERING CLASSES IN *Classical Ballet (Cecchetti Method)* Jazz (International Dance Technique syllabus)*Tap (SFD syllabus)* Contemporary * Hip Hop * Acrobatics *Reputable Preschool program; KGD KIDZ * Ballet Exams (Cecchetti Method) *VCE VET Dance *Nationally Accredited Courses in Cert II & III in DANCE *Reformer Pilates *Body Conditioning *Stretch & Strength *Competitions for Troupes & Soloists WWW.KGDANCERS.COM. / INFO@KGDANCERS.COM

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36 AUTUMN 2021

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Active Kids

Getting your child involved in a local club By Melissa Grant THERE has never been a better time to sign-up your child to a local sports or recreation club. Covid-19 lockdowns left Victorian children inside their homes for months last year. They missed out on physical activity, not to mention social connections. We spoke to VicHealth Physical Activity and Sport Manager, Chris Lacey, about the benefits of getting children involved in a sport or local club. PHYSICAL BENEFITS Signing your child up for local sport is a great way to ensure they get enough physical activity. Australian guidelines recommend that children aged 5-17 get at least an hour a day of ‘moderate to vigorous intensity’ physical activity. It’s advised that kids aged 2-4 have at least 180 minutes a day of physical activity, including energetic play. “It’s important for kids to remain physically healthy and sport is a great way to do that,” Mr Lacey said. SOCIAL BENEFITS Sport and recreation gives children the chance to forge friendships and connections outside school. Also, it often provides children with a new positive role model in their life. Mr Lacey said while kids generally make a lot of mates at school, it is important for them to have other places where they can make friends. “The social connection you get from being involved is important for kids’ mental and social development,” he said.

“Being part of a team makes us feel like we’re part of something bigger than ourselves, which is important. “Having social connections can reduce the incidence of anxiety and depression.” SKILLS FOR LIFE Children involved in their local sporting club or recreation group learn various skills that they will use throughout their life. This includes leadership skills. In junior sport, for example, captaincy is often rotated so that each child can learn what it’s like to lead a team. They can also learn how to tackle challenges and that winning isn’t everything. “They learn that you don’t always win and that’s okay,” Mr Lacey said.

Being part of a team makes us feel like we’re part of something bigger than ourselves.

HOW TO FIND A CLUB The best way is to ask a friend for a recommendation or simply get onto a search engine and type ‘sport near me’. There are the obvious local sporting clubs like AFL, basketball, netball, cricket and soccer. But there are also clubs for gymnastics, dancing, swimming, diving, skateboarding, skating, hockey, sailing and even paddle boarding. The list goes on. But what if your child says they hate sport?

“It’s good to encourage kids to get involved in physical activity but not force them. If there’s something they don’t enjoy try to pivot them towards something else,” Mr Lacey said. That could be something like dancing or swimming. If sport is a no-go, then you can try music or arts clubs, or get them involved in the local Scouts or Girl Guides group. “There’s no excuse really these days not to get involved because there’s something out there for everyone to enjoy,” Mr Lacey said.

BENEFITS FOR PARENTS Children’s sport is good for parents too as it provides opportunities for social connection. Mr Lacey said studies have shown that one in three Victorians are worried about their loss of social connection in the wake of Covid lockdowns. More than half said they want to get involved in their community clubs, he said. WHEN TO JOIN A CLUB Your child is never too young to join a local club. These days, as Mr Lacey points out, there are sport-type programs for babies and toddlers. He said it was important for a child’s physical activity to ramp-up once they reached primary school. “Auskick, Cricket blasters, Hot Shots (tennis) all target that kind of age,” he said.

LOW IMPACT PAINTBALL SUITABLE FOR KIDS 8 YEARS AND OVER IS AVAILABLE STARTS AT $30 PER PERSON WITH 200 PAINTBALLS 2 HOUR SESSION OR $40 PER PERSON WITH 300 PAINTBALLS

• equipment hire included • 50cal low impact markers • BBQ area available Call Daniel 9777 0613 or book online at www.paintballgames.com.au

Paintball Games 3 Locations -Ballan, Cockatoo, Coldstream Sport gives children the chance to forge friendships and connections outside school. www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

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AUTUMN 2021 37

Active Kids

Paintball fun PAINTBALL Games is one of the longest running operators in Victoria. With three sites across Melbourne, in Ballan, Coldstream and Cockatoo, Paintball Games sure does deal in fun. Established in 1988, they have been serving up the best paintball experience to Melburnians. Daniel Cumming is one one of the managers at Paintball Games and says they host Buck’s and Hen’s parties, kids parties and plenty more. “For the last four years we have been about to run children from the age of 8 up, which is using spring loaded guns rather than the gas powered ones the parents use,” he said. “We get heaps of kids running around. We do get a lot of basketball teams and soccer teams.”

Paint your own pottery workshops Pottery Workshop, Retail And Nancy Cafe

And it’s not just a game for the boys, there are plenty of women who love a game of paintball, the thrill and the adrenaline. Not to mention the fun and the adventure!

ROBERT Gordon Pottery offers pottery painting workshops for all ages. You don’t need to be an artist - all you need to do is pick a pot and get painting!

“We also have low impact paintball for all groups,” Mr Cumming said.

Anyone can get creative at Robert Gordon. The pottery outlet hosts workshops for all ages.

“We do hens and bucks parties, wedding parties, and birthday parties.” They also host scenario games and events. Anyone can come and join in on the weekends or during the week, or book a party today. To find out more, visit http://www. paintballgames.com.au/ or find them on Facebook https://www.facebook. com/PaintballGamescomau-145266922240167/

If you’ve never painted pottery before, you needn’t worry. Friendly staff are on-hand to show you how. Once fired, you’ll be able to take home a unique piece of pottery that’s microwave, oven and dishwasher safe. All you have to do is: ■ Choose your pot. Mugs, plates, bowls and many other shapes available. There are even piggy banks! ■ Paint. Glazes, brushes and aprons are all provided.

Kids can get creative at Robert Gordon.

■ Finished pieces are ready for collection in 14 days. Postage can be arranged upon request.

Paintball Games offers fun for all types of celebrations.

Robert Gordon is located at 114 Mulcahy Road Pakenham and is open 7 days 9am-5pm. Online bookings for the Paint Your Own Pottery and workshops are essential. Phone 03 5941 3302. www. robertgordonaustralia.com

PAINT YOUR OWN POTTERY

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Come and paint a pot at Australia’s favourite pottery.

114 MULCAHY ROAD PAKENHAM VIC 3181 CONTACT 03 5941 3302 ROBERTGORDONAUSTRALIA.COM 38 AUTUMN 2021

www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

Party Time

A cake smashing time Bright colours and props help make your photo pop.

By Melissa Meehan THERE are fewer things in this world cuter than a baby covered in cake and brightly coloured icing.

Next, bake a cake (or even better, buy a cheap ready made one from your local supermarket) - chocolate works best as the colour really shows up in photos.

Cake smash photos seem to be taking over the world with mums and dads keen to get a snap of their bundle of joy enjoying the delights of their very first super sugar fix. But with some people charging almost $500 for a professional photoshoot, not everyone can afford it. So why not have a go at it yourself. All you need is a baby, cake, balloons and a camera (even a smart phone could do the trick). Firstly pick your colour palette. Bright colours work best, and it’s even

A handy hint is to cut the cake into smaller pieces while keeping it in shape before icing. It helps those little hands get in and get messy.

Try to take the photo from a different angle.

better if you can choose a colour that comes in food dye. It’s also good if you have an old white bed sheet or table cloth you can use as a background to make the colours really pop.

Cover the cake in your choice of coloured icing. Go crazy - the more icing the better. You’ll also need about five balloons - it just adds something to the background and they are an affordable way to take

your photo to the next level. And finally, BABY! There is nothing better than a classic white singlet, but don’t be afraid to add pops of colour to their outfit like a tulle skirt or a matching bow tie for boys. And get snapping. The trick is to have someone there to help get baby smiling, because they can’t really see your face when you are behind the camera. ALSO - take heaps of photos. You are bound to get at least one cracking shot out of 100. Have fun and get messy!

DINING OUT Looking forward to seeing you!

FEED YOUR BODY WITH LOVE

Soul Sisters Cafe has everything to tantalise your tastebuds. Serving delicious Di Bella Coffee and scrumptious brekky all day. Loaded shakes you will come back for!

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• Mon - Fri 6am - 3pm • Sat - Sun 8am - 2pm

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AUTUMN 2021 39

Party Time

Born to party

PAINT A POT ART STUDIO PAINT a Pot Art Studio is a place bringing people together for the shared purpose of being creative. With a great soft play area and hundreds of shapes to choose from, Paint a Pot has the piece of pottery to make your child’s next birthday a memorable one! Paint a Pot caters to kids of all ages big and small, young and old - with a wide selection of pottery options. The on-site cafe allows the grown-ups and spectators to relax, and enjoy a coffee

while the kids are in their creative element! And after they have explored their creativity, they can run off the last of their energy in the soft play area. At the end of the party, guests can choose to take their piece home straight away, or leave it overnight to be fired for collection the next day. There are ready to paint ceramics for all ages from pots, plates, bowls and mugs to animal figurines. The studio can be hired for adult art social events. Teachers conduct a range

A SAFE PLACE FOR KIDS AND TEENS OF ALL ABILITIES TO PLAY AND SOCIALISE All ABILITIES Play Centre • Weekend drop off programs OPEN 7 DAYS 5 EMBREY COURT PAKENHAM 03 5611 0404 www.mypuzzlehouse.com.au

• In home support services • In community support services

Also on offer are kid’s art classes and the keepsake casting of hands, feet and even little paws! REPTILE ENCOUNTERS Why not do something a little bit out of the box for your child’s next birthday party? Kids are usually pretty excited come birthday time, however if they know there’s going to reptiles coming this goes to a whole new level! Reptile Encounters have built an exciting party space perfect for hosting kids birthday parties. So, for parents who are hesitant to have kids running around the house, we have the perfect alternative. Reptile parties are a unique idea for kid’s birthdays. Not only will the children experience something different, but they are guaranteed to be entertained. Imagine getting to hold a crocodile or snake on your birthday and get up close to a range of native fauna. Parents can sit back while a trained wildlife professional keeps their kids engaged and entertained for an entire hour. Josh from Reptile Encounters has been providing these parties for over 12 years. “It’s great to see the kids really engaging with our wonderful animals because they are the wildlife ambassadors of the future,” says Josh.

MY PUZZLE HOUSE My Puzzle House is not only a play centre for kids and teens of all abilities, it is now offering some amazing new programs specifically designed for children and teens with disabilities. Programs are now available on Saturdays and Sundays where children and teens can be left in the capable hands of My Puzzle House’s qualified disability support workers to enjoy new and exciting activities every week. ‘Teen Night Fridays’ gives teens the chance to play at My Puzzle House, make new friends, or just enjoy being in a safe space around peers. To create an enjoyable space, My Puzzle House play games, create wall art, play music, encourage dancing, and introduce new activities all the time. My Puzzle House is also offering a school holiday program with different activities running every day over the school holidays. Feedback from kids and parents from the last school holiday program was overwhelmingly positive. Some parents stated that they have never felt so comfortable leaving there children in the hands of others until now. My Puzzle House is a family owned business, and is constantly evolving to suit the needs of their growing clientele. Suggestions are always welcome, and the staff is always willing to work with families to ensure a positive experience.

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O child friendly venue offers Our a range of activities for kids: - a large range of CERAMICS animals/characters to cater for all children to paint as they wish! - a SOFT PLAY area for kids of all ages - a full CAFE with lots of variety for kids and adults to get through a busy art ﬁlled day! - art classes for kids from ages 5-12. - choose from one of our amazing PARTY PACKAGES and let us do all the work so you and your guests can enjoy yourselves!

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Paint a Pot KIDS

• School holiday programs

of classes such as resin art, resin jewellery, acrylic pouring and chalk masterpieces.

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40 AUTUMN 2021

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Entertainment

Discover the magic of Miffy ENJOY the magic of Miffy at the Opening Weekend Celebration at Bunjil Place. Held on Saturday 27 March and Sunday 28 March between 10am - 2pm, this is an event not to be missed, From a live outdoor stage show to themed craft, games and on screen interactives there’s so much to do and see. Take part in an augmented reality trail through the plaza, walk with the curator through the gallery exhibition or simply grab a picture with Miffy herself. Miffy’s homeland of the Netherlands will also feature prominently with Dutch themed food trucks in attendance on both days. Lekker! Miffy Learns to Count Stage Show - 11.30am and 1.30pm on both days Miffy has been to the market on an errand for her mother. She had to go to

the vegetable stall and buy some carrots. Numbers aren’t Miffy’s strong point and because she has lost her shopping list, she could not remember how many carrots to buy. With the help of her friend Susie, can Miffy figure out how many carrots her Mother wanted her to buy for dinner? Miffy Meet & Greet - 12.30pm on both days The Miffy Meet & Greet allows children and adults alike to get up close and personal with this lovable character for a caring wave and memorable photo opportunity. Curator Walk-and-Talk in the Gallery: Miffy & friends - 3pm on both days Join Miffy & friends curator Vanessa Van Ooyen for a curator’s walk and talk through the gallery where the ideas, themes, and artworks of Miffy & friends will be explored and discussed.

All Dick Bruna and Miffy illustrations

What’s on at Bunjil in autumn Wednesday 17 March The 91-Storey Treehouse The team behind The 13-, 26-, 52- and 78-Storey Treehouses Live on Stage return with a fantastical trip through this wild, weird and wonderful world for kids and their adults. Just beware of the fortune teller ... Bunjil Place Theatre, 12.30pm and 6.30pm. All tickets $16.00* Tuesday 6 April The Gruffalo’s Child See this classic children’s tale come to life on stage in a magical performance - will the Gruffalo’s daughter find the ‘Big Bad Mouse’ on her winter journey?

Splashtest Dummies.

the Rollerfit classes, watch a deluxe roller routine, see some classic roller films or take part in the 80s roller discos. It’s roller-skating fun for everyone this school holidays - get down and give it a go! Bunjil Place Plaza. See website for ticket prices and session times Thursday 15 & Friday 16 April Grease It’s got groove, it’s got meaning and it’s coming to the Bunjil Place Theatre. Re-live hits like ‘You’re the one that I Want’, ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You’ and ‘Greased Lightning’ as Casey’s best local youth talent re-imagine a classic!

Bunjil Place Theatre, 10am and 12pm. All tickets $16.00*

Bunjil Place Theatre. 2pm and 7pm (both days). See website for ticket details.

Friday 9 - Sunday 18 April

Saturday 17 April

Bunjil Place Rollerama

Splash Test Dummies

Roll up to the rink in the Bunjil Place Plaza! You can learn how to skate at

Splash Test Dummies are coming to Bunjil Place and they’re ready to roll

out their beach towels and spring into a brand new hour of circus-filled hilarity for the whole family. Bunjil Place Theatre, 2pm. All tickets $16.00* Friday 7 & Saturday 8 May The Midnight Gang David Walliams’ bestseller comes to life on stage in a celebration of friendship, love and the power of the imagination. Bunjil Place Theatre. 6.30pm (Fri) and 10.30am (Sat). All tickets $16.00* Saturday 15 May The Very Hungry Caterpillar One of the most-read children’s books of all time comes to life in a masterful theatrical experience for children and their adults. Bunjil Place Theatre 10.30am and 12.30pm. All tickets $16.00* ■ A service fee of $3 applies to all bookings, plus $1 for standard mail if selected.

Bluey cracks top of the music charts CHEESE AND CRACKERS! BLUEY: The Album has made history by reaching number 1 on the ARIA Album Chart, becoming the first children’s album to take out the top spot.

Bluey’s composer, Joff Bush, composed the album with his music team and the cover artwork is designed by Joe Brumm, the creator of Bluey at Ludo Studio.

The weekly ARIA Charts are released each Saturday at 5pm (AEDT) and are the official record of the hottest singles and albums in Australia.

The perfect soundtrack fun and play at home or an outdoor adventure, the album features 17 tracks, all original compositions from Series 1 of the animated series.

The album, which was released in Australia and the U.S. on 22 January 2021, reached number 1 on the Australian iTunes album chart and reached number 5 on the U.S. iTunes album chart within days it’s of release.

“I’m a bit blown away. This is really thanks to the Bluey fans, Ludo and the awesome Bluey music team who I get to make magic with every day here in Brisbane,” ’ Bluey composer, Joff Bush said.

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The album is available to stream or download from digital platforms, including Amazon, Apple Music, iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube Music. In a special treat for Australian fans, they can also get their paws on the CD from participating retailers, including Amazon Australia, Big W, JB Hi-Fi and Sanity. Bluey is a multi-award winning Australian children’s series that has taken Australia by storm and is charming audiences across the globe. In Australia Bluey is the most watched series ever on ABC iview, with over 480 million plays across series 1 and 2.

The series has enjoyed critical success, winning an International Emmy Award in the ‘Pre-school’ category in March 2020 and recently winning its second AACTA Award for ‘Best Children’s Program’. Created by Joe Brumm and made entirely in Brisbane, Australia, Bluey is produced by the multi Emmy award-winning Ludo Studio for ABC Kids (Australia) and is co-commissioned by ABC Children’s and BBC Studios, with production support from the Australian Government through Screen Australia, and Queensland Government through Screen Queensland.

AUTUMN 2021 41

Phillip Island

The place to be this autumn SPEND a day at Phillip Island Nature Parks immersed in activities that will excite and educate the whole family. Bonus - with every visit, you’re supporting Phillip Island Nature Parks to continue protecting nature for wildlife. Churchill Island is a little hidden gem, with daily demonstrations of whip cracking and working dogs, plus ranger tours and talks on weekends, all set against the backdrop of beautiful Westernport Bay. There’s plenty of room for the kids to run around and burn off some of that energy. They can even help Billy the Border Collie round up his sheep with another fun digital quest. Who doesn’t love a koala? See them up close from the treetop boardwalks at the Koala Conservation Reserve. Join Ranger Jess on a digital quest around the reserve, following the QR code trail, and looking for the next clue. Embark on a virtual journey through the Southern Ocean to Antarctica with the augmented reality and hands-on activities at the Nobbies Centre Antarctic Journey. In the Sound Lab, identify the calls of large underwater species, and at the Research Station, examine tiny specimens under the microscope. Venture into the next room to find a unique photo opportunity,

Watch the world’s largest Little Penguin colony emerge from the waves at Phillip Island.

where you can place yourself inside the screen among seals, penguins and orcas.

Rangers count the Little Penguins each night and, as you’ll discover, it’s no easy task.

As the sun begins to set, take your place to watch the world’s largest Little Penguin colony emerge from the waves. As they waddle onto the beach, count how many waddle past you.

Phillip Island Nature Parks is the place to be this autumn with its huge array of fun family activities, not to mention the beautiful beaches, walking and cycling trails, incredible coastal

scenery, and great fish and chips. The 4 Parks Pass is the island’s best value ticket, and includes the Penguin Parade, Antarctic Journey, Koalas and Churchill Island at a discounted rate, and a Family Pass for 2 adults and 2 children (4-15) saves you even more. To book, visit penguins.org.au

Explore your own backyard KOALA CONSERVATION RESERVE

Time Unwinds

NOBBIES OCEAN DISCOVERY

Antarctic Journey

PENGUIN PARADE

Little Wonders

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Bushland Escape

CHURCHILL ISLAND

Your visit protects nature for wildlife

#PhillipIslandNP

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Phillip Island

The spectacular view from the boardwalk outside the Nobbies Centre on Phillip Island.

An island playground INDULGE your senses at Phillip Island. Watch the sunrise from sandy beaches, see penguins and koalas up close, delight in the taste of locally made wine and produce at one of their many eateries and listen to the roar of an internationally acclaimed motorsport venue.

Endless family fun is ensured when you visit the area with something for everyone. Walk along the pristine beaches, ride a wave on one of the many famous surf beaches, or take the binoculars out for some bird spotting and see if you can cast your eyes on any other curious creatures.

Just 90 minutes from Melbourne, and a stone throw’s away from the Casey and Cardinia region - it’s the perfect place for a day trip, weekend getaway or a longer stay. Phillip Island boasts an endless array of things to see and do - whether you are after something quiet or high-energy octane fun.

A woman gets a close up shot of a koala climbing up a tree on Phillip Island.

You can teach the kids to swim in a quiet bay beach, or soak up all the action at the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix - this island playground has so much to offer. With so much to see and do, you’ll realise your first visit to Phillip Island won’t be your last.

A destination for exhilarating family fun PHILLIP Island Grand Prix Circuit is the destination for the whole family with many hours of entertainment on offer this autumn. Go Karts and Tandems Strap yourself into the new Sodi Go Karts for an exhilarating session on the 750m track - a replica of the world-renowned Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. With 9 horsepower Honda GX 270cc engines and a top speed of 65kmh, the French-made karts provide the ultimate karting sensation and are tested to meet stringent Australian standards. The 2Drive tandem karts have twin seats. The dual steering allows kids to be

involved under the supervision of an adult driver. Go Kart bookings are recommended. Grand Prix motorcycle collection at the circuit The star exhibit in the History of Motorsport Display is the collection of 25 Grand Prix winning motorcycles from the two famous Italian marques, Aprilia and Cagiva, with the two-wheel treasures permanently installed in the display at the Visitor Centre. Slot Cars - The best fun for all ages Race your family or your mates on Australia’s largest four-lane GP Slot Car Track - an exact replica of the circuit.

Racing Simulators Test your skills or challenge your mates to a simulated race on the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. Champions Cafe The licenced Champions Cafe delivers with its fresh menu. Fantastic coffee and delicious scones, cakes, slices, muffins, pastries, sausage rolls and pies hit the spot. The Visitor Centre gift shop has a wide selection of stylish apparel, merchandise and souvenirs. Due to restrictions Guided Circuit Tours, Push Bike Ride Days and Hot Laps are unavailable.

Experience the thrill of go karting at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.

For further information, including opening hours and operating conditions, visit phillipislandgokarts. com.au or call 03 5952 9400.

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AUTUMN 2021 43

Fashion

Gorgeous autumn threads

THE trendiest autumn fashion for kids is at Billy Lidz. The boutique stocks leading Australian designer children’s and baby clothing brands and overseas favourites, including Munster, Two Darlings, Wilson + Frenchy, and Ada and Yve. A host of new lines have arrived in store in time to beat the autumn chill.

Among them is the Crywolf Rainwear Collection, which features gorgeous rain boots, overalls and jackets. The boutique also sells gorgeous shoes, toys and accessories. Visit Billy Lidz at Blackburne Square, Berwick, or check out the range in their online store at www.lovemybillylidz. com.au

AUTUMN SEASON IN STORE NOW PLUS GREAT GIFT IDEAS OPEN Mon - Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 9am-3pm Shop 6, Blackburne Square, Berwick Phone: 9707 5593 1248399-AV13-21

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Reality Bites

Spider Lee writes and illustrates.

Teacher weaves compelling tales By Melissa Grant SPIDER Lee can spin a good yarn. As a teacher with great creative energy, she has a knack for writing stories that engage young readers. The Nyora writer and illustrator, whose real name is Kelly Hunter, has spent years in rural schools as both a teacher and welfare coordinator. It’s these experiences that have helped inspire and shape stories that, like her pen name, capture children’s attention. “I know what gets a laugh, and more importantly, I know how powerful books can be in helping children relate to and understand the world around them,” the Koonwarra Village School teacher said. Spider Lee’s first picture book was ‘Wobbly Boots’ in 2011, a resource for teachers and social workers to gently address the issues of substance abuse and family violence with young children. “It was an important book to write, as at the time, there were no ageappropriate resources to support these vulnerable children,” she explained. “It’s really a book to be shared with a teacher or social worker.” Two years later, Spider Lee published ‘The Hair Ball’, a book that started out as a simple poem and evolved into a joyous rhyming picture book about the power of resourcefulness and community. In 2018, Spider Lee authored a middle grade fiction novel, ‘Living Next to Dr Death’. She made the leap from picture books to children’s fiction novels after witnessing many boys aged 8-12 becoming disengaged from stories. It was her mission to write a pageturner. “I was motivated because I could see the kids, particularly the older boy students, could be disengaged from the books that we have,” she said.

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Spider Lee enjoys illustrating.

“A lot of things being published at the time - there was not a lot of guts, not a lot of storyline. Those interested could read it in an hour. I wanted to produce something that was a bit meatier.” The powerful story was inspired by the complexities of friendships she had witnessed in the school yard, particularly how boys without a strong male role model navigated the path of trust and peer pressure. Spider Lee’s latest book ‘Black Dog, Brown Dog’ isn’t inspired by her experiences in the school, but rather her childhood on a farm in northern Victoria with 11 siblings. It’s a rhyming tale of muddy paws and the chaos they cause. “As if that was not enough chaos, we also had three dogs, several goats, stray cats and free ranging chickens sharing the old farmhouse with us,” she said. “There was never a dull moment, and the speed with which an exuberant dog can unravel the most organised family is a universal theme.” Spider Lee had long dreamed of becoming a children’s author and initially struggled with confidence. “Putting your creativity out to show

Kelly Hunter, the author known as Spider Lee, at her Nyora home. Pictures: Gary Sissons

friends and, more scarily, publishers, takes courage and resilience,” she said. “My publishing journey has been punctuated with highs and lows, but the key is to be persistent, believe in your dream and allow your skill set to grow by writing through the bad stuff to get to the good stuff.” Her adult daughters, Sandra and Alex, and husband Mark have been her biggest supporters, while her four grandchildren are huge fans of her work, particularly Jet and Chad who are of primary school age. “They are super proud when their schoolmates go ‘do you know Spider Lee?’,” she said. So how did she come up with the name Spider Lee? Well, she had to come up with something after she googled her real name and found there was already a ‘Kelly Hunter’, an Australian romance writer. So she thought she would use her childhood nickname Spider. “My nan dubbed me her spider, as I spent many hours beneath her sewing table collecting pins, which I am inclined to think she threw there to

keep me busy!” The only problem was Spider Hunter didn’t quite work. “I am a dedicated lover of all creatures great and small, so I used my middle name, Lee,” she said. “Spider Lee is easy to spell, easy to remember and is gender neutral, making it easy for all young readers to connect with.” Spider Lee is currently writing and illustrating a series of junior fiction novels and hopes to release the first, ‘Raeni and the Newborn Stars,’ this year, and the second, ‘Poppy and the Worry Doll,’ in 2022. She’s also endeavouring to expand as an artist too, releasing a calendar, card and giftware range this year, and has two more picture books at various stages of completion. You will find Spider Lee’s books at outlets like Loch Village Emporium, Makers & Collectors Korumburra and Aunty’s Place Lang Lang. You can also check out her books on her website https://spiderlee.net.au/ books-by-spider-lee/

AUTUMN 2021 47

Reality Bites

Creative cubby hacks and more! By Danielle Galvin

Tanja is hopeful her ideas and hacks may inspire other parents.

EVERY family adapted and managed Melbourne’s two lockdowns differently.

“The best way to encourage other parents to get creative is to just think how can I make life magical for the kids? And just watch those ideas pour in. “There are so many tutorials on YouTube and inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram to give you ideas, then you just make it your own by using what you have laying around and getting the kids involved, whether it’s collecting any little treasures to create a fairy garden, to cutting up scrap fabrics to make a bunting!”

“What kept me motivated during isolation was finding fun ways to get the kids outside and away from those screens,” Tanja Mitrov said. “We kept ourselves busy by finishing off those home projects like painting, or started new ones that were on the to-do list, like building a veggie garden with them.” Tanja, who runs a business called Art Deco Collective, got seriously creative to keep her girls engaged.

■ Follow Tanja on Instagram, the. artdeco.collective

She wanted to share some of what they got up to, and she’s even grateful for the “crazy and unpredictable” year that 2020 was.

Tanja’s tips for transforming your cubby! Little hacks to really create that charming look for your cubby is so easy! Oh the power of paint is a huge one. You can instantly give your cubby some personality just by painting the door a different colour.

From transforming their cubby multiple times to making a not so scary scarecrow, she set the bar high. “Since we couldn’t visit cafes anymore, I thought why not bring the cafe to us?”Lemons were in season which could only mean one thing ... a lemonade stand! So that was the first transformation the cubby had. “I found a little online shop Olive Eve and Co that had cute lemonade printouts. “Then we just put the rest together by setting up their table and chairs outside, they had a go at squeezing lemons, and collected whatever we could find in the home from straws, to the drink dispenser, to making a menu using one of our Moodyboards.” Similarly when October rolled around and trick or treating was off the table, Tanja transformed their cubby into a pink haunted house. They painted pumpkins pink, had a pink balloon garland leftover from a birthday and she ordered some spider and bat balloons online. “We made whimsical witches 48 AUTUMN 2021

1. Changing the window and door is a cheap and effective thing to do. We went from timber knobs to brass ones and even a little brass knocker and added a bell to really tie it all in. 2. If your cubby has windows, turn one side into the cafe window. My daughters love serving me coffees and burgers through it. broomsticks from dried up twigs in our backyard, painted a sign and turned the veggie garden into a Cinderella pumpkin patch. “It was so much fun!” The other big project was the veggie patch which needed a not-so-scary scarecrow. “The scarecrow was a great one to make because we were able to use left over dowel or garden stakes, baby clothes (size 1 or 2 is perfect) and a hat that didn’t fit anymore,” she said. “The only supplies we needed to get

was the foam ball, burlap to cover the ball, wool for her hair, and raffia for stuffing. All from Spotlight!” They also built a fairy garden with little trinkets, built a macrame swing to hang from a tree in the backyard, and made a treehouse platform using some old doors that were laying around in the shed. “We will eventually make it a bit more aesthetically pleasing, but the most fun of it was salvaging what we had laying around and getting creative. The girls loved it. And so did we.”

3. Add festoon lighting! It really creates the most magical feeling at dusk and they are not expensive to buy at all. We ordered ours from Temple and Webster. 4. And make use of every corner of your garden, including the back of your cubby! We got a huge piece of marine ply from Bunnings, primed and covered it with blackboard paint, and attached it to the back of the cubby. It covers the whole back of the cubby, and would you believe that we still run out of room to draw on it? www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

Reality Bites

Mum’s surprise delivery after baby shower By Melissa Grant AT just 31 weeks pregnant, Ashleigh Laing was about to welcome guests to her baby shower when she started showing signs of pre-term labour. It was a hot day, and Ashleigh and her husband Rohan had just been to the Angliss Hospital for their first antenatal class. During their visit, the couple was given a tour of the maternity ward, including the special care nursery for premature and sick babies. Little did they know that in less than 48 hours Ashleigh would be birthing their son Sebastian, who would end up spending weeks in that very nursery. “When I got back into the car, I remember feeling a bit off. But it was really hot, so I thought it was the heat,” Ashleigh recalled. “When I got home my friends had been setting up the house for the baby shower. It looked great.” Dozens of people gathered at the Laing’s beautifully decorated Ferntree Gully home for the celebration on 23 March, 2019. They ate cupcakes, homemade sausage rolls and sipped champagne. They sat in a circle and watched Ashleigh open gifts for her unborn baby. Nobody - including Ashleigh - had any idea there had been signs of pre-term labour. During the baby shower, the mum-tobe noticed she had lost some fluid but thought nothing of it. After her guests had left, the situation escalated. However, Ashleigh’s mum Susie hung around as she thought something may be amiss. “Luckily my mum had a feeling. She said ‘I could tell you were off’ and wanted to stick around.

Fighter... Fi h Sebastian S b i weighed i h d 1.7kg 1 7k when h he h was born. b

“I was 31 weeks and 5 days at this point. I could tell because of the amount of fluid - I knew it was definitely happening.”

Contractions started but then stopped. Ashleigh’s parents went home, but her sister Melissa - who initially declined an invitation to be at the birth - refused to leave. She went to the shops and got some clothes for Ashleigh, who didn’t have the chance to pack a hospital bag, before returning to the birthing suite. For the entire day, the contractions were erratic. They were close and then far apart. By midnight, the contractions had died off so the Laings were moved out of the birthing suite and into the ward. As it was after visiting hours, Rohan and Melissa had to go home. But by 2am, the contractions returned. Within 15 minutes, Ashleigh was on her hands and knees.

Rohan, who hadn’t left Ashleigh’s side throughout the pregnancy, was at his high school reunion in the city.

She was taken back to the birthing suite, while Rohan and Melissa were phoned and told to rush back.

“I said ‘mum, don’t call him, it will be nothing. She had a feeling that something might not be that straightforward and called Ro.”

Sebastian Michael Laing was born at 4.07am on 25 March, 2019. He arrived at exactly 32 weeks, weighing 1.7kg.

Shortly afterwards, Rohan and his best friend Robbie turned up. “They were quite watered. Ro was joking, saying ‘hey everyone my wife is having a baby’.” However, the mood quickly changed when the nurse returned with the results of an AmniSure test, which diagnoses rupture of the fetal membranes. “When the nurse came back, she had a different look on her face - she turned very serious. “She said, ‘look guys things are happening, the baby is coming!’ www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

Picture: Belinda Denney Photography

Ashleigh was given a shot to hold off the birth and then another. The following day, Ashleigh was put in an ambulance and sent to the Monash Medical Centre at Clayton as they had the facilities for such premature babies.

“When I told mum what was going on she told me to go to the hospital.”

When Ashleigh arrived at the hospital, a nurse told her there was likely no reason to be concerned.

Baby Sebastian with dad Rohan and mum Ashleigh.

The weeks that followed were an emotional rollercoaster. Nobody had prepared the Laings for what it would be like to have a premature baby, including seeing Sebastian for the first time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), where he stayed for eight days in isolette with wires and tubes. “It was scary as he dropped down to 1.6kg. He kept vomiting. Then he put on weight and we would be happy. It was just a rollercoaster,” Ashleigh said. Each day, the Laings were at the hospital from 6am until close to midnight. The scariest moment came when they phoned the hospital after they returned home in the wee hours. They could hear an alarm going off in

Ashleigh (right) with cousin Gabrielle Moody at the baby shower.

Sebastian opening his presents last Christmas.

the background. Sebastian had stopped breathing.

for his age and has great pronunciation. He loves story time and will often bring books into his parent’s room and say “mama read it please”.

“They had to go in and do some CPR and get him on the breathing machine. We went straight back in and could see he was on the machine, which was breathing for him,” Ashleigh said. When Sebastian was well enough, he was transported to the Angliss Hospital where he spent another 4-5 weeks in the special care unit. At around six weeks of age, Sebastian reached the magic 2kg mark and was able to go home. It was a tough few months, but the Laings had great support from family and friends who dropped off meals and stopped by to clean the house. Sebastian had some weight gain issues initially, but now - at nearly age 2 - he is of average weight for his age and in the 90th percentile for height. “The other day at the park he was mistaken for a ,three-year-old!” Ashleigh said. Sebastian is also thriving developmentally. He is quite articulate

Before Covid hit, Ashleigh and Rohan raised money for premature and sick babies by taking part in the Walk for Prems. They also visited the Angliss Hospital on World Prematurity Day, where they heard other couple’s premmie stories. Covid resulted in the cancellation of Sebastian’s 1st birthday party, so this year the Laings are hoping to have a grand 2nd birthday celebration. Sebastian would love nothing more than a big birthday bash - he enjoys being the centre of attention. “He loves the limelight like his parents, he is very funny and cheeky,” Ashleigh, who grew up in Pakenham, said. “He loves to dance and does anything he can to make us laugh. “His latest thing is asking the waitress at cafes for a ‘coffee please’, very casually. As if we’d let him order a real one!” AUTUMN 2021 49

Reality Bites

The reality of name sadness By Nicole Williams

girls name would never be a part of our family.

LIKE many young children, I spent time daydreaming about what my life would be like as an adult - my career, the person I would marry and the names of our future children. As I got older, settled into a career and found someone to spend my life with, the idea of children became more than a daydream.

I have never thought ‘what if’ we’d had a girl and I am in love with our complete family of four (although I am outnumbered, even including the dog), so it is a unique feeling to mourn the combination of a few letters. I had spent years, and two long pregnancies, imagining the reactions of our families when we called to tell them the name of our newborn, murmuring it to calm an unsettled baby in the middle of the night or calling out the name at the playground.

When my husband and I decided that children would hopefully be in our future (the distant future at that time), we discussed names and settled on a girl’s name very quickly. The names, both first and middle, had special meaning to our families and we fell in love with the combination. We didn’t find out the gender for either of our two successful pregnancies and it was a long search before we settled on a boy’s name. Again, the names we selected had significance to our families but, personally, didn’t capture my heart in the same way.

Since our youngest son was born in mid-2020, we have had many people ask us what we would have called a little girl. We’ve been happy to share the name when asked but I have also been open with my disappointment. Some people even suggested using the name for any future pets we might have. Not out of the question, but not quite how we imagined honouring our family members!

Turns out we were destined to have two beautiful little boys whose names ended up being perfect for them. While I never experienced gender disappointment, I will admit to a little heartbreak at the realisation that our carefully selected, and much loved,

I am not sure if it is an uncommon feeling or if it just goes unspoken. We feel many things as new parents and much of what we truly experience was considered unmentionable for years before I became a mum. The taboos of parenthood are slowly being broken

Nicole with her two boys.

down and the real feelings - the adoration alongside the terror, the relentlessness alongside the joy - are finally being normalised. Therefore I know, that while it may not be a common experience for many

Picture: Rob Carew

parents, my feelings of sadness and disappointment are valid. We will never have a little girl to bestow with a special name, but that combination of letters will always hold a special place in my heart.

Boy driven to design cars gets a wild ride By Melissa Grant WHEN 10-year-old Jake Field sent a letter and a Mustang design he created to Ford, he was hopeful of getting a response. Not in his wildest dreams did he anticipate a Ford Mustang would end up in his family’s driveway. “I’d almost given up hearing back from anyone then I got a parcel in the mailbox,” he said. “I was so excited just to get a letter ... then I read the letter asking if I wanted to have a loan of a Mustang and reading that blew my mind! I couldn’t stop talking about it - I was so excited.” The parcel also contained a Ford Mustang cap and licence plate. Mustang-mad Jake had written the letter to Max Wolff, Design Director for Ford International Markets Group and China. Jake shared a design he created for a new Mustang. His Mustang was a convertible with a supercharged V8 engine, titanium alloy frame, custom 20 inch chrome rims and a built-in iPad. “I love cars especially the mustang (my ultimate dream car) and would love to get into car designs when I’m older. I would like to share with you my mustang design I created,” Jake wrote. Max replied, offering Jake the 50 AUTUMN 2021

Jake Field with the Mustang that his family was loaned from Ford.

opportunity to meet with Ford’s Product Development team in Australia once he was old enough to apply for the Ford Australia Graduate Program. “You’re a little too young to join our 2021 Graduate Program, but we’d love for you to apply for perhaps the 2035 intake of our Ford Australia Product Development stream,” Mr Wolff wrote.

“Please get back in touch once you’re old enough and we will set up a meeting with our Product Development team.” Jake said the loan of the Mustang was “awesome”. Jake’s mum Kristine, dad Chris and little brother Harry were also thrilled.

“We had the Mustang for a week, which was so much longer than we thought and we were sad to give it back,” he said. Jake says his dream job is to design cars - for Ford. “I’d love to work in the car design industry and would like to apply for the Ford graduate program,” he said. www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

Games And Gadgets

Roslyn and Mia in the toy room at the family’s Narre Warren home.

Loving play and the outdoors By Melissa Grant THE Mounayar family loves the outdoors. On the weekends, Roslyn, Tony and Mia, 7, like to explore new playgrounds, ride their bikes and visit Lysterfield Park. There is also plenty of outdoor fun to be had at their Narre Warren home, with a trampoline and newly built cubby house in the backyard. Here, the family of three shares their favourite games, gadgets and things to do together. Cubby house: The Mounayars have recently built and furnished a cubby house. It’s a place where Mia loves to have fun with friends, play games and read her favourite books. Trampoline: Roslyn says the trampoline is “hands down” the most popular activity in the household. Not only is it fun - it is also a good exercise for a healthy mind and body, and keeps Mia off the iPad and away from the TV for a while.

Mia reads a book in her new fully furnished cubby house.

Ro Roslyn Mounayar and daughter Mia outside their new cubby house.

Beanie Boos and stuffed toys: Kids go crazy for these and Mia is no different - she loves to play with them and show them to her friends at school. By last count, there’s about 100 in Mia’s collection! Dollhouse and play kitchen: Mia loves to create her own imaginative recipes and explore different pretend ingredients in her kitchen. She also loves to play with her dolls and do dress-ups. Vtech Smartwatch: This gadget offers hours of entertainment. With two cameras, games and video recording, Mia is never bored when playing with it. The Beach: The Mounayars love going

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Mia on the trampoline.

Roslyn and Mia in the toy kitchen.

Mia with her collection of Beanie Boos and stuffed toys.

to the beach during the summer to relax as a family. Mia loves to build sand castles, throw a frisbee on the

sand and eat ice cream.

there for a picnic and bike ride. The trio also enjoys spotting the wildlife like kangaroos, wallabies and echidnas.

Lysterfield Park: This is the family’s favourite place to visit. They often go

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Books

Teaching girls how to love themselves By Melissa Meehan Now that the glass ceiling is smashed, girls are told they can do anything they want - but the fear of embarrassment or judgement can often create a hurdle to success. But if we can teach them to like themselves and have the confidence to achieve anything then the sky is the limit, according to a new book by Kasey Edwards and Dr Christopher Scanlon. In a world full of parenting books that can often leave you feeling overwhelmed and guilty, Raising Girls Who Like Themselves tells girls their flawed is refreshingly different. Not only does it work from seven basic ideas, but it clearly shows ways to introduce them into an already busy family life. And, authors Kasey and Chris, who share two daughters themselves, have proven it’s possible because they’ve done it all themselves. “We were very aware of the issues ahead, some of the statistics for girls are really scary,” Kasey said.

“We were talking to a friend about it at a party and she said, we don’t have time to research and find all those things out, can’t you put it in a book?

Good advice ... authors Kasey Edwards and Dr Christopher Scanlon have girls of their own.

there, but by following their seven qualities and getting them right between toddlers to tweens your daughter’s life will be easier.

“And that’s how it started.” Thanks to their ‘day jobs’ as researchers and journalists, the pair had the privilege of being able to call on leading parenting experts as well as those with a great knowledge of social and cultural issues. “Mainstream advice at the moment doesn’t seem to be working. We all want to raise girls who thrive, but we still have horrific rates of anxiety, depression, eating disorders and self-harm,” Kasey said. “Girls are drowning in anxiety and doubt. The prescription at the moment just isn’t working,” Chris added. So what makes their book so different to the rest? “Girls need to like themselves,” Kasey said. “We believe that if she knows who she is and genuinely likes who she is they will achieve every dream and want.”

Because she loves herself. And you won’t feel guilty once you finish the book, because the steps are practical and easy to slot into already busy family life and all that comes with trying to be a good parent.

Raising Girls Who Like Themselves.

Chris said: “They’ll have the confidence to achieve and won’t be defined by failure. And from there they will have good physical and mental health because it’s natural to care for what you love.” And by extension, she will expect the same from those around her. Both Kasey and Chris agree there is so much parenting information out

Alarming statistics ■ More than 55 per cent of Australian girls aged eight and nine are dissatisfied with their body ■ A quarter of 14-15 year-old girls have had thoughts about self-harming in the previous 12 months ■ Fifty-one per cent of girls say that girls often feel pressured to take ‘sexy’ photos of themselves and share them ■ The third most common chronic illness for young females is eating disorders.

Children’s books...

Round and Round the Garden

How to Make a Friend in 6 Easy Steps

Illustrated by Matt Shanks

Dhana Fox & James Hart

Little ones will love this very cute Australian take on the classic nursery rhyme Round and Round the Garden. In this book, the kids are playing in the garden with magical Aussie creatures around them.

All Rosie the shark wants is a friend. So she reads a book about how to make one.

“Round and round the billabong like a kangaroo. One hop. Two Hops. Wiggle your nose too!” There are so many cool animals featured in this beautifully illustrated book, including a lorikeet, crocodile, wild brumby and a big wombat.

Ready to forge a new friendship, she swims down to a shipwreck where there are a heap of sea creatures. Then, she starts going through the six steps outlined in her book. Easy, right? Wrong! Although each step is pretty straightforward, making friends is not as easy as Rosie thinks … because she’s a shark!

Lola Online #1: #TheSecretUpstairsFanClubParty Shannan & Tayla Steadman A fresh and funny fiction series for the YouTube generation. Characters leap off the page in this book that explores friendship, managing online presence, sibling rivalry and country music loving felines! Leading little lady Lola has her own YouTube channel, a little brother, and a lot to say as well as a cat that loves country music. When Lola’s crazy top fan hijacks her birthday party plans, drama ensues.

A fun, rhyming read in a special hardback edition for kids aged 2+.

A playful read that introduces the concept of making friends. For kids aged 3+

Perfect for reluctant readers aged 7+

Scholastic Australia, RRP $15.99

Scholastic Australia, RRP $17.99

Scholastic Australia, RRP $15.99

52 AUTUMN 2021

Friday Barnes 9: No Escape

The Lake

R.A Spratt

A scary and suspenseful read from best-selling young adult author Natasha Preston.

Girl detective extraordinaire Friday Barnes returns with a new mystery that needs to be solved. In this instalment, Friday has been released from prison but is a shell of her former self. She has sworn she won’t be solving mysteries again. But you guessed it ... you can’t keep her away from some muchneeded detective work. Friday’s uncle wants her to fly to Italy to help him protect the Uffizi Galleries from thieves. So she goes, even though her ex-boyfriend/nemesis is living there.

Natasha Preston

The Lake is about a summer camp filled with dark secrets. Esme and Kayla are excited to be returning to Camp Pine Lake as counsellors in training. That’s despite the fact they once did something bad there when they were campers. However, they have moved on and are both looking forward to a summer camp filled with sun and flirting. Until... they get a note.Their secret is about to resurface.

For kids aged 9-12 years

A thrilling read for kids aged 12+

Penguin, RRP $15.99

Penguin, RRP $18.99 www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

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AUTUMN 2021 53

Kids Calendar

What's on

this autumn

27-28 MARCH MIFFY OPENING WEEKEND CELEBRATION Enjoy the magic of Miffy at the Opening Weekend Celebration at Bunjil Place.

variety of locally produced artworks, foods and crafts to name a few, as well as giant pumpkin which invited viewers to ‘guess the weight’ through a QR code system, as the spirit of the show lives on despite the Covid limitations.

on Friday 2nd April 2021, brings together the community to raise money for the Royal Children’s Hospital. More info at https://www.rch.org.au/

life on stage in a magical performance - will the Gruffalo’s daughter find the ‘Big Bad Mouse’ on her winter journey? Bunjil Place Theatre, 10am and 12pm. More information at https://www. bunjilplace.com.au/

9-18 APRIL

From a live outdoor stage show to themed craft, games and on screen interactives there’s so much to do and see. Take part in an augmented reality trail through the plaza, walk with the curator through the gallery exhibition or simply grab a picture with Miffy herself.

BUNJIL PLACE ROLLERAMA

Miffy’s homeland of the Netherlands will also feature prominently with Dutch themed food trucks in attendance on both days. 10am-2pm. More info at https://www.bunjilplace.com.au/

3 APRIL EASTER AT ARENA

UNTIL 28 MARCH

Roll up to the rink in the Bunjil Place Plaza! You can learn how to skate at the Rollerfit classes, watch a deluxe roller routine, see some classic roller films or take part in the 80s roller discos. It’s roller-skating fun for everyone this school holidays - get down and give it a go!

Join in the Easter festivities at Arena Shopping Centre at Officer. There will be a treasure hunt, a chance to meet the Easter Bunny and prizes. From 10am2pm.

Bunjil Place Plaza. See https://www. bunjilplace.com.au/ for ticket prices and session times.

MOVIES AT FED SQUARE

2 MARCH-27 MAY

The big screen at Fed Square is lighting up this summer with a stack of free classic films.

TEEN WRITING BOOTCAMPS (VIRTUAL)

5-16 APRIL

SPLASH TEST DUMMIES

Teenaged budding writers are invited to attend the State Library of Victoria’s writing boot camps online, designed for budding writers of all backgrounds and skill levels!

SCHOOL HOLIDAY CRAFT CAVE

Splash Test Dummies are coming to Bunjil Place and they’re ready to roll out their beach towels and spring into a brand new hour of circus-filled hilarity for the whole family.

These creative crash courses will be hosted by accomplished and diverse authors throughout March, April and May. Choose from a range of topics to hone your skills, including fiction, personal voice, non-fiction, slam poetry, screen writing, and science writing.

Workshops over the first week of the school holidays include colour a circus mask, make your own star hero bat and colour a magic carpet. The second week is Plaster Art Week. For more information, turn to page 15.

■ 14 March - The Goonies 4pm-6pm ■ 20 March - Little Shop of Horrors 8pm-10pm ■ 21 March - The Karate Kid 4pm-6pm ■ 27 March - Stand By Me 8pm-10pm ■ 28 March - Labyrinth 4pm-6pm There’ll be comfy seating, shaded areas, environmentally-friendly recycled astroturf and in-square food and drink delivery.

UNTIL 31 MARCH PAKENHAM SHOW The Pakenham and District Agriculture and Horticulture Show is back on the road - and looking a little different this year. Until Wednesday 31 March, a range of local entries will be on display for the whole community to enjoy, in the shop windows at the Pakenham Place Shopping Centre just opposite Target. With a different theme each week, visitors will be able to view a wide 54 AUTUMN 2021

There’s plenty of school holiday fun at Marriott Waters Shopping Centre. Just head to the Craft Cave between 11am and 2pm.

17 APRIL

Bunjil Place Theatre, 2pm. More information at https://www.bunjilplace.com.au/

25 APRIL LIGHT UP THE DAWN Victorians are again being urged to pay their respects this Anzac Day by lighting a candle and gathering in driveways.

There are six boot camps to choose from, each with four sessions. All boot camps are open to teens aged 13 to 18 years old from all around Australia. They are free to attend, but require consent from a parent or guardian.

15 MAY THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR

Contact 8664 7099 or inquiries@slv.vic. gov.au for more info.

2 APRIL

6 APRIL

GOOD FRIDAY APPEAL

THE GRUFFALO’S CHILD

The 90th annual Good Friday Appeal

See this classic children’s tale come to

One of the most-read children’s books of all time comes to life in a masterful theatrical experience for children and their adults. Bunjil Place Theatre 10.30am and 12.30pm. More information at https://www.bunjilplace.com.au/ www.caseycardiniakids.com.au

Local Trades & Services Pensioner discounts available Contactless Quotes and Services Available!

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AUTUMN 2021 55

MELBOURNE’S FAMOUS DESTINATION FOR CLEARANCE FLOORING Every day is a clearance day At Timber Flooring Clearance Centre every day is a clearance day we don’t have sales! All prices are slashed as low as they can go so you know you’re getting a good deal no matter when you buy! • RANGE - We offer a huge range of hybrid, laminate, timber, bamboo, vinyl and engineered ﬂooring. All ﬂooring not in our special categories of Last Chance Lots or oddments have AT LEAST 150m² in stock ready to pick up, deliver or install. • SERVICE - We pride ourselves on customer service. From the moment you step into our showroom to installation and post-sales support, making sure you have a wonderful experience is a top priority for the team. Read our genuine 5 star Google reviews to see how we are continually exceeding expectations. • TRANSPARENCY- All our prices are clearly displayed on our website and showroom samples. We have nothing to hide! Our systems and procedures mean we will never take your deposit unless we know the stock is available and once you’ve paid that deposit, that stock is yours, we never sell it from under you. • PRICE - Low prices are often associated with inferior quality. At TFCC we focus on great quality products at great prices. Whether you’re looking to spend $14m² on a laminate for your rental or $86m² on an engineered timber for your dream home, you’ll get bang for your buck at TFCC. We have recently introduced a special $80 delivery option Victoria wide, allowing you to save even more money when you shop with us.

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56 AUTUMN 2021