2024 Newsletter

Family Reminders

CHRISTMAS CLOSURE

Just a reminder that all Lady Gowrie Tasmania services/offices and programs will close for Christmas break at the usual time on Tuesday 24th December, 2024 and will re-open on Thursday 2nd January, 2025. Wishing everyone in our community a safe, happy and restful Christmas.

STARTING SCHOOL TIPS

The transition to school is a significant milestone in a child’s life and having the right support can make all the difference. Great Start Tasmania has developed this fantastic handbook (translated in 7 languages) and other resources to help make this a smooth transition for children and their families:

https://www.greatstart.tas.gov.au/primary-school-…

STORYPARK

Storypark allows educators to communicate your child’s learning as it happens by sharing photos, videos, audio, observations and routines within a secure online environment. For more information about Storypark and staying connected with your child’s learning please visit: https://au.storypark.com/families

Sun and Water Safety Reminders

SUNSMART REMINDERS

SLIP on some sun-protective clothing that covers as much skin as possible.
SLOP on broad spectrum, water resistant SPF30+ (or higher) sunscreen. Put it on 20 minutes before you go outdoors and every two hours afterwards. Sunscreen should never be used to extend the time you spend in the sun.
SLAP on a hat – broad brim or legionnaire style to protect your face, head, neck and ears.
SEEK shade.
SLIDE on some sunglasses – make sure they meet Australian Standards.

To learn more about sun safety for your family please visit: https://www.cancer.org.au/…/caus…/sun-safety/be-sunsmart

WATER SAFETY REMINDERS

As summer approaches, it’s important to remember that drowning is a leading cause of accidental death among Australian children. To keep young children safe around backyard swimming pools, follow these four key actions from the Royal Life Saving Australia’s Keep Watch campaign: Supervise, Restrict, Teach, and Respond.

Supervise

Always keep a close watch on
children around water.

Restrict

Ensure pool areas are securely
fenced and access is restricted.

Teach

Educate children about water
safety and swimming skills.

Respond

Be prepared to act quickly in
case of an emergency.

Installing a Pool Safety Barrier

If your swimming pool or spa can hold a depth of water of 300mm (30cm) or more, there is a requirement for it to be surrounded by a compliant barrier. The owner may only install the pool, which includes an inflatable or relocatable pool, after a safety barrier is installed.

This requirement applies to pools and spas installed from 1994 onwards. Owners of pools built before 1994 are encouraged to install and maintain a pool safety barrier to protect their own safety and that of the community.

The requirement applies to:

In-ground pools
Indoor pools (excluding bathroom spa-baths)
Above ground pools
Inflatable and relocatable pools
Wading pools holding 300mm (30cm) of water
Hot tubs/spas

In Tasmania, the installation of pool safety barriers must be performed by a licensed builder and overseen by a licensed building surveyor. For more information visit:

cbos.tas.gov.au/…/pool-safety-barriers for further information of pool safety barrier requirements
royallifesaving.com.au for further information on the keep watch campaign

Stay safe and enjoy a fun-filled summer!

The Festive Season and Wellbeing

Summer time, the festive season, the end of the year and the beginning of a new year can be a joyous happy time. A time for celebration and connecting with family and friends. It’s when we indulge in traditions along with long held and newly formed rituals that come with the time of year. We tend to be more social, eat more, drink more, and we treat our loved ones and ourselves. We tend to want to make it a special memory making time for those that we love. Sometimes we can place pressure on ourselves which can be stressful, and we can find ourselves ‘burning the candle at both ends’ more than any other time of the year. However, for many of us we look forward to this time of the year and we wouldn’t have it any other way!

As we are reading this newsletter it’s likely homes will be decorated, menus will be planned, for some hams will be in the fridge and puddings will be hanging. We start to wear our festive earrings, pyjamas or put tinsel in our hair and we are likely to know who our Secret Santa is. We might be dusting off our party clothes or working out what gift to buy for that person who seems to have it all. We could be listening to Christmas carols whilst wrapping gifts and adding to our to do lists. We could be looking forward to watching the start of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race or the Boxing Day Test whilst eating leftovers or simply hanging out for some down time.

For some, it will mean keeping the traditions and rituals of the season alive and for others, it may be the beginning of brand new traditions and rituals. For most we will be connecting with others, we will think of those who can’t be with us, and we will remember those who are no longer with us. Whether you decide to deep dive and embrace the cheer of the season, take it easy and chill or whether you sit somewhere in the middle, it truly can be a magical wonderful time of the year.

It is true that for some it isn’t always a time of the year that brings joy and celebration, rather it can be the hardest time of the year. There are many reasons why this could be the case and should you, a loved one or someone you know find this a difficult time of the year, please see the below contacts/links that can provide support throughout the festive season. Remember the festive season can mean something different to other people and may bring up different feelings. For you it may be a time of joy and celebration but not everyone will feel the same. It is a time to be kind and gentle with ourselves and with each other and to remember that compassion and kindness is a powerful way to make a real difference.

However you spend this time of the year, we hope you find time to relax and re-charge, we hope you experience the love of family and friends, and we wish you all a truly fabulous time and every happiness.

Cindy Woolley
ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE AND CULTURE TEAM

IN EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY CALL 000

Lifeline – 131 114 (24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention)

Kids Helpline – 1800 55 1800 (24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention for children and young people aged 2 to 25)

Beyond Blue – 1300 224 636 (24/7 support line)

13 YARN – 139 276 (24/7 crisis support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People)

Qlife –1800 184 527 (LGBTIQ+ peer support and referral line)

Access Mental Health Helpline – 1800 332 388 (24/7 support, information and referral line)

MensLine Australia – 1300 78 99 78 (24/7 counselling service for men)

Family Violence – Call 000 if anyone is in imminent danger or 1800 633 937 (24/7 Referral and Response Line)

1800 RESPECT – 1800 737 732 (24/7 support for people impacted by sexual assault and family violence)

Sexual Assault – 1800 697 877 (24/7 sexual assault support)

Find Help Tas Website – www.findhelptas.org.au

Developing Children’s Understanding of Celebrations

Celebrations come in many different forms and can enhance a child’s sense of belonging to family, friends and their community. Celebrations also encourage children to question, reflect upon and learn about other cultures and beliefs. The Play School series below ‘Our Celebrations’ is a wonderful way to help younger children to understand what different celebrations mean within their community:

Play School: Our Celebrations

Sharing books together also opens up new worlds for children of all ages and can be a powerful tool for starting conversations about different celebrations around the world. Suggested titles to share with your children can be found below:

This is just a small sample of the books available on this topic so why not take a trip to your local library or bookshop with your children and see what else you can find?

Staff Q&A

Name: Tamika Hannah

Service/Program: Norwood Education and Care Service

What is your role at LGT? Room Leader of the Hilton Room (18 months to two and half years old)

What do you love the most about your job?

I love being able to support children’s development, providing fun learning opportunities, and watching children grow and support verbal and non-verbal language development.

What does the perfect weekend look like and why?

My perfect weekend is going to watch the JackJumpers and going to the beach with my dog, Tuco.

What song would you choose to turn up the volume and sing out loud to?

Any Amy Shark song.

Do you have any pets and what are their name/s?

I have a 2.5 year old Groodle named Tuco.

Name: Kelly McDermott

Service/Program: Educational Leader

What is your role? I am currently one of five Educational Leaders at LGT who work with Service Managers in a mentoring, role modelling and consulting capacity within our education and care services.

What do you love the most about your job?

Being able to work with Service Managers to support and mentor educators within services. Sharing skills, knowledge and experience that contributes to the overall quality of practices and programs being offered to children and families.

What does your perfect weekend look like?

Spending quality time with my son, Noah. He is an avid sportsperson, so we are often out and about. Either exploring parks or watching him participate in a team sport. At the moment we have just commenced cricket season.

What is the best trip you’ve ever been on and why?

My ultimate holiday away was spending nearly six weeks travelling through South East Asia, spending time in Cambodia, Malaysia, Laos, Vietnam Thailand and Singapore. Experiencing the day-to-day culture of the locals, the food, traditions as well as embracing all the methods of transport. These were certainly eye opening.

Name: Simone Carr

Service/Program: Penna Road Education and Care Service

What is your role? I am a Certificate III educator at Penna Road Service

What do you love the most about your job?

I love walking into work everyday with a smile on my face, a plan in my head, full of coffee beans ready for what the day might bring – everyday is a new day.

What would your perfect weekend look like?

Waking up to a wholesome breakfast, followed by a walk along Park Beach.

What is the best trip you’ve ever been on and why?

For my 40th birthday we did a caravan trip starting at Bridport, moving along the North East coast to Little Blue Lake, then on to the Bay of Fires and Freycinet. The trip was filled with beautiful Tassie scenery, fresh air and family time.

Play and Learning Stories

‘HOW THINGS WORK’ AT INTEGRATED CENTRE EDUCATION & CARE SERVICE

Lady Gowrie Integrated Service in the Macquarie Room has been focusing on an inquiry on ‘how things work’. Children have explored this in many ways, including harvesting spinach and carrots grown in the garden, and planting tomatoes to grow and enjoy the fresh tomatoes as they mature.

A pasta machine was also used by the children to learn how it worked and how it could be used to make pasta. It was their turn to prepare spaghetti and fettuccine strips by using flour, eggs, olive oil, and salt, and taking turns passing the dough through the pasta machine to prepare it for cutting.

Once the pasta was ready to be cooked it was taken up to the kitchen to cook ready for lunch. We served Spaghetti Bolognese for lunch, and the children enjoyed their freshly made pasta with bolognese sauce.

During lunch time there was discussion on how the pasta tasted and the texture of the pasta.

BRAVEHEARTS VISIT TO PUNCHBOWL OUTSIDE SCHOOL HOURS CARE SERVICE

Recently, our Punchbowl Outside School Hours Care Service had a visit from Ditto and the team from Bravehearts. LGT is supporting the important training Dittos Keep Safe Adventure Program offered by Bravehearts for children aged between 3 to 8 years. This program focusses on essential personal safety skills using age-appropriate language, song and dance.

During our visit from Ditto, the lion cub, the children were taught about personal safety and the importance of their bodies belonging to themselves. We all danced, sang and laughed our way through the performance as Ditto was sometimes cheeky and played funny tricks on Taylor, the Bravehearts presenter! The children also learnt about cyber safety and things they can do to keep safe on their devices and online. Personal safety is an essential part of our curriculum to help keep children safe and it also aligns with our National Quality Framework (Element 2.2.3).

Prior to this visit, the children and educators had been looking at ways that we can stay safe and exploring resources about this. After the show, Ditto left us with some personal safety activity books that helped the children to identify their ‘safety team’ and also included colouring activities, word games, puzzles and games. Many children were also excited to go home and download the Ditto mobile game onto their iPad’s. Ditto will also be visiting our Youngtown and Mowbray Outside School Hours Care Services over the next few weeks.

To learn more about this important program being offered in LGT education and care services please visit:

https://bravehearts.org.au/education/dittos-keep-safe-adventure-program/

https://bravehearts.org.au/education/dittos-keep-safe-adventure-program/dittos-keep-safe-adventure-show/

You may also like to view the trailer of the Ditto Show that is presented to children:

Ditto’s Keep Safe Adventure Show

If you have any queries regarding this program, please speak with your Service Manager.

Tassie Mums - 'Packs of Love' Campaign

A huge THANK YOU to the Lady Gowrie Tasmania community for all your generous donations to our Tassie Mums ‘Packs of Love’ campaign! It was incredible to see our children, families and staff come together to support this worthy campaign.

Our CEO, Suzie Jones, had the great pleasure of handing over the donations to Tassie Mums recently. Madeleine Glover and Clair Harris, Co-Founders of Tassie Mums, were thrilled to receive the donations which included over 35 lovingly curated backpacks and dozens of brand new children’s socks, underwear, tops, pyjamas, nappies and other baby supplies.

The work undertaken by Tassie Mums and their passion for supporting babies and children in need, closely aligns with Lady Gowrie Tasmania’s purpose of putting ‘Children First’ in all that we do. If you would like to learn more about the incredible work undertaken by Tassie Mums and how to donate items then please follow the link below:

https://tassiemums.org/

THANK YOU AGAIN – it is wonderful to know that so many Tasmanian babies and children in need will benefit from the overwhelming kindness and generosity of the Lady Gowrie Tasmania community.

Helen Stephen Memorial Scholarship

Nick Stephen and Hui Yuan, 2024 scholarship recipient.

Nic Stephen, Lady Gowrie Tasmania Board member and son of Helen Stephen, had the great pleasure of announcing Hui Yuan as the recipient of the 2024 Helen Stephen Memorial Scholarship our recent Annual General Meeting.

Helen Stephen was the Kindergarten Teacher at our Battery Point Education and Care Service for 25 years and during this time she played an important role in the lives of many children and their families. She also influenced the pedagogy and practice of many early childhood professionals with whom she came into contact.

Helen’s legacy will live on through many of her qualities that resonated with those who were fortunate to have known, loved and worked with her. To honour this legacy, Lady Gowrie Tasmania provides a scholarship in Helen’s memory which is awarded annually to an educator who has committed to undertake study towards gaining an early childhood degree qualification.

Nic shared a heartfelt reflection about Helen’s commitment to children and their learning, then shared Hui’s announcement:

‘Hui started her journey at Lady Gowrie Tasmania in 2018 and is currently a diploma-qualified Educator at our Kingston Education and Care Service. Throughout her career, she has worked with children across all age groups and supporting children’s play and learning is at the centre of all her work.

Hui has always shown an interest in challenging herself to learn new knowledge and skills, seeking out professional development opportunities whenever she can. She is a highly valued member of our team, and her colleagues appreciate her willingness to share her valuable thoughts and ideas.

Congratulations Hui and we look forward to following your professional learning journey at Lady Gowrie Tasmania over the coming years.’

Past Scholarship Recipients

Hui Yuan, 2024 scholarship recipient

Kate Beckett, 2023 recipient

Rebecca Weicks, 2022 recipient

Paula Innes-Brown, 2021 recipient

Sophie Barwick and Stacy Dare, 2020 recipients

Jodie Hayes, 2019 recipient

Campbell Street Children's Art Exhibition

Our Campbell Street Education and Care Service Manager, Bridget Shea, shares her reflection below:

‘There was great excitement at our service recently as children, families, valued members of our community and educators attended our annual Children’s Creative Arts Exhibition.

The exhibition featured amazing artworks by children utilising every possible medium from woodwork to painting, fabric, clay, and collage from all programs that were respectfully displayed throughout the service for all to see. Alongside each of their displays, artist statements and children’s voices were included to capture each child’s genuine creative process, and also highlight the importance of recognising each child’s voice.

It was such a delight to see the children proudly share their masterpieces with their families and explore the other children’s artworks on display. Each year, we are overwhelmed by the support from our local community and families, not only in their attendance, but additionally from their dedication to support the exhibition by coming together to gather resources such as natural and recycled materials that we are able to share throughout the service.

In addition to art based creative experiences, we also collated a short slideshow to highlight the creativity that has been expressed through music, dance, and play experiences from throughout the year, which was also enjoyed by those who attended on the evening.

Heartfelt thanks must go to our wonderful educators who worked so hard to support the creation of each art piece and collaborated together on the art exhibition concept to display all the creative pieces so respectfully.

Thank you also to all our families and members of our community who came along to share the children’s excitement and to show your appreciation of the play and learning opportunities offered to your children within our programs. Our close-knit community of children, families, educators and support staff is a very special one and that was very evident on the night.

Please enjoy these photos which showcase just a small sample of the incredible children’s artworks on display at the exhibition’.

From Shanna

Dear Families,

With the end of the year here and as we all prepare to slow down over the holiday break, our lives inevitably speed up in the lead up to slowing down!

The same is true in our services where our service managers, assistant managers, service support staff and educators turn their attention to 2025 enrolments and supporting children to transition into their new spaces for 2025.

As the end of the year approaches, children can become tired and experience end of year fatigue. As a family you have made your way through over 300 days of drop offs, pick-ups, bag packing, juggling the busyness of work and home. As the year winds up, there are often extra activities, social events and errands on top of changes happening in the service, and this can quickly take a toll on mood and energy levels.

As the festive season approaches, here are some tips to help your children make it through this time of the year in good health and good spirits:

Simplify your Schedule: Where possible, reduce activities to avoid overwhelm. Lots of activities back to back can quickly drain the battery of our little people.
Prioritise Sleep: This time of the year often means more time out at late and less routine. It is a great idea to try and keep sleep time consistent for children to ensure they have a chance to recharge before the next big day.
Relaxation Time: Schedule quiet moments for reading, drawing, or outdoor play. A chance to be unscheduled and to be in nature always helps children to feel more centred and ready to tackle new challenges.
Energising Breaks: Incorporating physical activity into the day is a good way for children and adults to tackle stress and fatigue and leave your body and mind feeling refreshed.
Acknowledge Feelings: Talking about children’s emotions and displaying empathy is vital to ensuring children get through to the end of the festive season. It’s important to recognise any stress or worries they may have and let them know it’s okay to feel tired or overwhelmed. Show empathy and remind them they’re not alone in feeling fatigued.
Lead by Example: Model self-care by taking care of yourself and showing your children how to manage stress and fatigue with healthy self-care practices. Kids pick up on your energy, so when you are balanced, they are more likely to feel grounded too.

This newsletter will be my last with Lady Gowrie Tasmania. I have had an amazing time supporting the Education and Care team and have loved seeing happy, engaged children in services across the state. I am incredibly proud to have been a part of an organisation with such an amazing footprint whose history has contributed to shaping education and care in Tasmania over the last 85 years. Thank you for allowing me to be a small part in your child’s education and care journey.

I wish you and your family all the best for a happy holiday season and a safe and peaceful New Year.

Shanna Hughes
GENERAL MANAGER EDUCATION AND CARE