Your Child In Whittlesea October 2022

TO THE OCTOBER EDITION OF

CHILD IN WHITTLESEA,

Ihopeeveryonehassurvivedanotherschoolholidays! I have been starting to get my head around the fact that it is fourth term and another year isfast comingto a close.Octoberisnowon our door stepand Christmas isjust around the corner. Take a moment for yourself, make a nice hot cuppa, find a quiet space, sit down, relaxandhaveareadofthismonthsarticles.

There is some wonderful reading, on page 8 Taming your Toddler and ‘Sharing and Caring’ittakeslotsofpractice!onpage18,bothhaveusefultipsforparentswithtoddlers and kindergarteners. Part Two of Bedtime Stories can be found on page 14 and A Childs’ BestFriendisonpage22,whichdiscussesthebenefitsofapetdog.

In Hanging with Hannah this month we are revisiting Redleap Park & Playground in Mill Park. Hannah spent a lovely morning playing on the equipment and hiding in the trees. Remember the park is always an exciting adventure. It is great for some fresh air, an opportunity to get away from technology and it cost nothing. Hanging with Hannah can befoundonpage28.

Your Child in Whittlesea this month is running amazing competition, where you can win a Family Day Pass to the Whittlesea Show, see page 15 for more information on how to enter. Kids Corner is on page 25 and this month we have a some Spooky Halloween Activities. In Kids Cooking Time, page 27, you will find the recipe for some exciting, spookyandyummyHalloweenBiscuits.TheperfectHalloweenSnack!

UntilNextmonth.....

2022 Annual Whittlesea Show

The Whittlesea Show is back and event host the Whittlesea Agricultural Society are ready to “Celebrate” the return of the Show on the 5th and 6th of November 2022.

Show volunteers strive to put on a great weekend with motivation to educate, inform and entertain the wider public in agriculture, farming and rural knowledge. The Whittlesea Show has something to cater to all interests; great food, animals, craft, amusement rides as well as a great range of free activities for the whole family.

The Animal Nursery is one of their most popular exhibits at the Whittlesea Show and is open both days of the Show weekend. The Animal Nursery displays a range of farm animals often with their young, providing an opportunity for patrons to experience hands on interaction with cute animals. This year you’ll have the chance to meet a range of animals including alpacas, miniature ponies, sheep, lambs, guineapigs, rabbits, miniature mountain goats, ducks & chickens.

If you are interested in entering the Whittlesea Show, exhibit entries are open and close on the 30th of October. There are a huge range of classes to enter including craft, cookery, garden produce, art, and livestock. Entrants can participate from the age of 3 years old!

Refer to the website www.whittleseashow.org.au or QR code for more information on exhibit entry.

Richard Welch

Every time I am at a community market or similar events elsewhere in Yan Yean I always come away reflecting on what it is to be a Community: What unites us in goals, brings happiness, stability and a sense of belonging? It’s Community. I think this is particularly tangible at places like Markets where families and strangers mix happily on common ground.

Any community needs representatives who are focused, and ambitious for it. Someone who is hungry for its success and willing to work hard for it. After all, that's the basic contract between community and your Parliamentary representative.

I've chosen to run for Yan Yean for that reason, and there is so much that can and should be done right here, as soon as possible. I'm here to get things moving. Now ‘getting things moving’ can mean different things in different contexts. As someone from a business background I truly believe that ensuring our local businesses are successful, supported and able to take risks is a most effective way to drive progress, support families and the social goods that flow from it.

I believe that if we want to be an innovative nation we must also be a nation that restores our manufacturing base and improves our national self-sufficiency. We must invest in education to provide our children with the skills that they will need to succeed in both those things. As a Dad of two school age kids, I want my children to have an education that teaches them the importance of compassion and kindness – but also, a healthy kind of ambition and equip them with the hard, hands-on skills needed to make their mark on the world.

But in other circumstances, when we’re dealing with Government or community, the environment or groups with very different interests there is a wholly different approach: where bringing people together by facilitating, partnering, advocating, negotiating, supporting, and simply persisting is the key to getting things done.

State Liberal For Yan Yean

And that takes energy and commitment. It requires a willingness to engage and be accessible and communicate not just at election time, but as an ongoing journey. And, that, very simply is the basis my contract with the community.

I want to bring fresh ideas, energy, innovation and commitment to Yan Yean. It’s a commitment I can make because that’s how I’ve conducted my career, my family life and my community life. Yan Yean is a place of potential – in addressing the environment, family violence and youth mental health issues – in regional economic development, jobs and innovation, in sport and key social infrastructure. This potential, the possibilities, the shared goals are all in place – but what we need is someone act as a champion for these things. And there’s ample items on the list. Let’s improve our Childcare services, lets make our roads safer, let’s get sports facilities built, let’s build jobs for our communities. I’m here to do the work.

Richard Welch

I was born in Seymour and grew up in regional Victoria. I’ve been married to Mandy for 21 amazing years, and we have two children, aged 12 and 14. My early career was in financial services, which led me to the UK in 2000

In 2004 I founded my own business after patenting a new form of motion-tracking technology, and spent 15 years growing the company throughout the UK, India, the UAE and South Africa. It was rewarding but Mandy and I really wanted to be home in Australia so that our kids could grow up closer to family. Like most Aussies, family comes first for us.

In terms of education I have an MBA from Imperial College London and I passionately believe in the power of education to help people achieve their goals.

I have first hand experience in manufacturing, innovation and supply chain. I understand the pressures of running your own business and what businesses and communities need to flourish. I have a vision for our region where we can get things done together with shared goals and values.

More than anything, I understand the importance of building relationships within communities to get things done for communities.

If you didn’t know already, it is with a heavy heart I announce that I will not be recontesting my seat at the 2022 November State election. After 20 years, it is time to hang up the boots and make way for the next generation. It has been an incredible privilege to serve the voters of Yan Yean over the past two decades, and I consider myself incredibly lucky to have had such an opportunity. During my time in Parliament, successive Labor governments have been committed to improving services and programs that help Mum and Bubs.

Early Childhood Education and Care

The Andrews Labor Government has recently introduced Early Childhood Education and Care reforms. These include Free Kinder, a pre-prep year and 50 government-funded childcare centres.

Only Labor governments deliver these types of reforms. These reforms help mums re-enter the workforce and help ease cost-of-living pressures.

As of next year, Victorian families will have access to 3 & 4 yo Kinder, saving up to $2,500 per child annually.

Mental Health care in schools for our kids

Our government has also delivered the biggest single investment in student mental health in Australian history. This will deliver the support young Victorians need to grow up happy and healthy and catch mental health concerns earlier.

A $200 million investment will expand the successful Mental Health in Primary Schools program to every single government and lowfee non-government primary school in Victoria.

By 2026 every school will employ a Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader. This will support individual students, help teachers better identify and support at-risk students, and build relationships and referral pathways to local mental health services.

Bridge Inn Road Upgrade Community Outreach

Locally, The Bridge Inn Road Upgrade project team visited three local kindergartens; Kiddy Palace Learning Centre in Mernda, Doreen’s MCM Early Years Hub and Storey House Early Learning, to talk to the kids about how this important project will improve safety and access as they go to and from school!

A telehandler demonstration got the kids very excited, especially when they could sit inside and toot the horn!

The Bridge Inn Road Upgrade will help local residents get home sooner and safer and is expected to be complete in 2025.

I have worked hard every day to deliver for the Whittlesea area. I’d like to share some of the accomplishments of successive Labor governments with you.

Don’t forget! If you haven’t already, be sure to apply for your $250 Power Saving Bonus to help with power bills and look out for Smile Squad in your area, delivering free dental care to public and low-fee independent schools. You can also check out free TAFE courses for Mum’s looking to re-enter the workforce. Over the 20 years since becoming the member for Yan Yean, the change has been immense. I have seen whole communities grow and been able to help advance and improve services, infrastructure, and community facilities in our area. Making Yan Yean a great place to live and raise kids. Whilst I will always be an advocate for our great electorate, I depart knowing I leave Yan Yean in a much stronger and more prosperous place. I wish you and your child all the best.

Thank you, Yan Yean.

A SPOOKY HALLOWEEN MAZE

Bats 1. Stick 2 Tic-Tacs on to an Oreo biscuit with icing to create eyes 2. Separate an Oreo and carefully cut through each side to make 2 wings

Spiders

Cut 8 small pieces of licorice and push between the sides of the biscuit to create the legs

Redleap Park and Playground Redleap

Avenue, Mill Park

20

This months throw back park has Hannah vising Redleap Park & Playground in Mill Park on a lovely spring day. Redleap Park is huge and has lots to offer, Hannah loved all the play equipment especially the dinosaur and bumble bee see-saws. There are 6 different swings, 3 monkey bars and 4 slides. There is also lots of climbing equipment for different ages and abilies.

The park offers tables and chairs for picnicking, BBQs (all undercover),bins,andadrinkingfountainandhasatoilet. The park is situated not far from the Stables Shopping Centre, the Mill Park Basketball Stadium and the local Football and Cricket Grounds. The playground is beaufully surrounded by a grassed area suitable for playing ball games or ggy, and lots of big trees, that are fantasc for playing hideandseekandclimbabout.

Hannah’sTip-It’sokaytobegrumpyiftheysityouinatree!