workshop Archives - Early Learning Childhood Education

21/08/201922/08/2019

Involving Dad this Father’s Day

Research has confirmed that involved dads are happier dads and the benefits for children are countless too. Improved wellbeing, cognitive, social, behavioural outcomes and more. With Father’s Day coming up on Sunday 1 September, it’s time to schedule a time at your childcare centre for dads!

While dads are welcome to get involved in aspects of their children’s early childhood education year-round, there’s something extra special about an invite just for them!

Dads and special male role models

To make sure your Father’s Day event at childcare is inclusive of all families, Dads and Special Friends Day or similar could be a more fitting name.

This can ensure that any special male role model feels welcome to attend. Extend the invitation out to uncles, step-dads, grandfathers or close family friends.

Finding the best time

Breakfast or afternoon tea are usually the best times. This allows for those who are working to only take an hour or two out of their working day to attend. Make sure you’ve got coffee on hand and a snack, like pastries, fruit or biscuits.

For those who can’t bring someone along for whatever reason, centre the day around creating a special gift for Father’s Day. Children who are flying solo through the event can focus on getting their gift looking fantastic ready to take home. Meanwhile, those who have dad in attendance on the day can work on something special together.

Craft Father’s Day ideas

Set up a few different craft stations so children can choose to rotate or stick to one they like.

Ideas you could try include:

Portrait painting: Set up some easels and smocks and get children to paint dad! Guaranteed to be adorable and/or hilarious!

Handprint art: Paint the palm of dad’s hand and have him make a print on paper. Then get the children to do a handprint on top, creating a memorable piece of art to cherish — their hands don’t stay that small for long!

Jar plants: A big bucket of soil, some succulent cuttings and recycled jars are all you need for children and their dads to get planting together. Add in some glue and bits and pieces to decorate the jar for extra fun.

Musical fun on Father’s Day

Every day is a good day for music, and Father’s Day is no exception! Bonkers Beat children love singing songs and reciting poems. Not only does this create a sense of celebration and fun, but it also boosts children’s confidence and ability to perform in
front of a crowd. A very useful skill for life!

To help children gain a love of poetry, Bonkers hopes you enjoy this special Father’s Day gift – a special poem called ‘My Daddy’. Click here to access.

One last thing – Don’t forget to take pictures on the day!
Take a look at our Father’s Day childcare celebration in 2018 at Bonkers Beat Music Kinder here.

24/07/201924/07/2019

7 Reasons You Must Attend 7 Stones

early childhood professional development

The practical ‘7 Stones’ workshops are back by popular demand! ‘7 Stones’ is renowned for being one of the most practical workshops, delivering early childhood professional development designed for childcare centre owners and/or directors who want to tackle the big issues in their centre and thrive.

If you have come up against issues with occupancy, market competition, staffing challenges, improving your NQS Rating and more, ‘7 Stones’ is exactly what you’ve been looking for. Need convincing?

Here are 7 reasons why ‘7 Stones’ is a must!

1. Early Childhood Professional Development is a must

Regular early childhood professional development opportunities are vital to your centre’s success. Stay on the pulse of the latest changes in the industry, including the NQF and ELYF, best practice and innovative approaches.

2. A truly practical, hands-on experience

Many workshops are simply sit, watch and listen scenarios. Not 7 Stones! This is a workshop that gets you involved and demonstrates rather than tells. A fully immersive workshop that gives you the confidence to take what you learn and apply it right away!

3. Directly address your biggest challenges

Occupancy, staff issues, competition, NQS, documentation, wellbeing, relationships — we address all the biggest challenges in early childhood education.

4. PD designed for childcare centre Owners and Directors

This early childhood professional development has been designed specifically with childcare centre Owners and Directors in mind. This means you’ll find the entire session relevant and you’ll be surrounded by likeminded individuals, many of whom will be facing the same challenges you are. Many attendees find it to be a great networking experience as well as a practical workshop.

5. Leave with an actionable plan for improvement

The hands-on nature of the 7 Stones workshops means you have the opportunity to really take away practical knowledge and skills. We take a real-life approach so you can implement what you learn in your centre without hesitation.

6. Feel inspired

If there’s one item of feedback that is consistent every single time we run 7 Stones sessions, it’s that the attendees leave feeling completely inspired. Inspired to make a positive change in their centres and reach their full potential!

7. It’s FREE

A free 3-hour professional development session with an award-winning early childhood expert? What are you waiting for?! Book your seat here: www.bonkersbeat.com/7stones

Can’t wait to see you there!

31/01/201931/01/2019

7 ways you’ll benefit from 7 Stones in February

Have you heard? The widely celebrated, free professional development event ‘7 Stones’ is back in 2019! But if you want to head along, you’ll need to be quick!

Sydney (7 February) is now fully booked, but there are limited spots remaining in Melbourne on Tuesday 5 February and in Brisbane on Monday 11 February. Click here to learn more and secure your spot!

‘7 Stones’ is renowned for being one of the most practical workshops, designed for childcare centre owners and/or directors who want to tackle the big issues in their centre and thrive.

If you have come up against issues with occupancy, market competition, staffing challenges, improving your NQS Rating and more, ‘7 Stones’ is exactly what you’ve been looking for.

What benefits can you gain from attending 7 Stones?

These are just 7 of the many takeaways you’ll leave with that can have a REAL and NOTICEABLE positive impact on your childcare business.

If you’re ready to create some change for the better in your childcare centre and see the benefits for staff, children, families and your bottom line, this is the free professional development event for you! Learn more about 7 Stones here: http://www.bonkersbeat.com/7stones/

Seats are filling fast, so start 2019 off the right way and head along to this hands-on free event! Click here to book.

09/08/201809/08/2018

Reaching for Excellence with the ACAV Conference

It’s not the first time we’ve said it and it certainly won’t be the last: providing early childhood educators with continuous, high-quality training and development opportunities is vital for many reasons. For educators’ wellbeing and motivation levels; for children’s development and quality of care; for the overall success of any childcare business.

For a while there with LDCPDP funding, we were free to test a range of professional development options and explore different styles of training to upskill and motivate early childhood educators. Now we need to be more selective, choosing training options and programs that work for us and give us real, tangible results for our centres and educators.

This year on 17 and 18 of August, ACAV is hosting the 2018 Excellence in Early Childhood Education and Care Conference and we’ll be there. As many of you are probably aware, excellence has been a theme for Bonkers Beat this year, with our Music Kinder in Aspendale centre receiving the honour of an NQS Excellent Rating!

We’re excited to have a stand at this fantastic industry event, featuring engaging keynote speakers such as Dr Justin Coulson, Fabian Dattner and Professor Ann Farrell, as well as a debate, exhibition and topics specifically covering NQS outcomes.

ACAV conference will have a wide range of topics covered and the program is organised in three streams:

Leadership & Viability
Educational Program & Practice
Partnerships & Physical Environment

Our innovative programs that we will be showcasing at the event take a practical and evidence-based approach to these areas, with a focus on positive outcomes, always. At our stand you can explore what makes our programs so effective, discovering the ongoing training and support we provide to educators all over the country both online and offline. So, come and chat with us at the Excellence in ECEC conference exhibition to learn why our programs are the key to excellence in childcare!

If you haven’t registered to attend the event yet, there’s still time! Head here to buy tickets. This conference is a must-attend for anyone with a passion for succeeding and achieving excellence in early childhood education.

Please don’t forget to come and say ‘Hi’. We look forward to seeing you at Bonkers Beat stand #38!

17/07/201818/07/2018

United we shape the future (for the better!)

The early childhood education is so crucial. For children, for families, for society — our work with children every day changes lives, shapes the future and supports families in their personal endeavours. We believe that our work in early childhood has the power to change our own lives and we should all support one another in reaching personal goals. United in our shared passion and common goals, we can achieve greatness!

It is this belief and passion that we pour into the ‘7 Stones’ events. (And if you haven’t attended yet, the opportunity is heading your way Sydney, Brisbane and Perth!)

Together we tackle our shared challenges, like occupancy, competition, effective programs, staff turnover… And together we share wins, uniting as a sector to inspire and support one another.

The power of collaboration should not be underestimated. This collaboration through our shared dedication to early childhood education is meaningful and empowering.

If you share our passion and commitment to shaping the future and doing your bit in creating the best early childhood education industry in the world, we need you to stand with us!

We want to connect with you, learn from you and share our wins and success of our Music & Wellbeing programs. We’re even going to delve deep into the reasons why we received an Excellent Rating under the NQS in the upcoming workshops.

Join us at the next ‘7 Stones’ event:

Sydney: Thursday 26 July

Brisbane: Thursday 9 August

Perth: Date TBC

Together we can do anything! Let’s make our industry the best it can be.

14/06/201814/06/2018

Common challenges in childcare centres solved

When you’re running a childcare centre, it can feel like the same issues keep coming up. You wonder what on earth you’re doing wrong and start to doubt yourself and your contribution to the early childhood education industry. What we have found after a decade of working with centres is that other centres are facing those same challenges.

Some of the biggest challenges that centres are facing:

1. Low enrolments

Low enrolments are a very upsetting problem many centres deal with — after all, high enrolments allow you to run your centre more successfully, pay educators what they deserve and maintain a high standard of early childhood education. Never fear, because with the right approach, increasing enrolments can be achieved!

2. Too many new centres opening nearby

A lot of competition contributes to point 1 and can make you want to throw in the towel. But don’t! We can tackle this…

3. Lacklustre outcomes for children

Seeing children blossom and flourish in your care is incredibly rewarding, but to get the best outcomes you need an approach to early childhood education that is proven to get results.

4. Unmotivated staff and high turnaround

If your educators are far from enthusiastic and you find yourself hiring new educators more often than you would like, this can impact your centre on every level.

All the while you are trying to create a successful business, provide an optimal start for young children and work on getting the best NQS rating possible.

In a way, it’s comforting to know that other centre owners and directors are facing these same challenges… but it’s time to take action!

A free half-day workshop is the beginning of a fresh approach for you and your centre! Head along to tackle those four big challenges plus plenty more and walk away with practical tools and knowledge that can change everything for you, your centre, your educators and the families.

Do not miss out this rare opportunity to discover more about Bonkers Beat programs and see the centre rated Excellent by ACECQA in action.

01/02/201802/02/2018

1 Day Workshop to give you the best start this year

With the first month of the year done and dusted already, many centre owners and directors are wondering: have we got 2018 off to the best start so far?

A good way to make sure you get 2018 off to the best start is with a free workshop covering all the biggest challenges faced by childcare centres today.

Music Kinder in Action and 7 Stones are free early childhood workshops in Melbourne and Perth and you’re invited!

Specifically designed for owners and directors of childcare centres and educational leaders, Music Kinder in Action and 7 Stones allow you to have a firsthand experience of what the right approach to early childhood education can do for your centre.

Chances are many of you are feeling the pressure from the influx of new centres popping up on every corner. But you’re not alone.

Centres that once thrived caring for children over decades are wondering how much longer they can keep their doors open. A childcare in Rosebery, Sydney has gone from full occupancy to on some days only having one baby to care for. Within 1km radius of their centre are eight new centres, all with vacancies too.

Standing out from the crowd and demonstrating that your centre delivers outcomes that benefit children in every aspect of their development is now crucial. Music Kinder in Action and 7 Stones will give you tools and strategies to do just that.

Our concepts are based on the approach of the award-winning Bonkers Beat Music and Wellbeing programs. It’s worth noting that centres running Bonkers Beat’s programs are showcasing a strong point of difference, incredible outcomes for children and impressive occupancy rates to show for it.

These workshops won’t cost you a thing, just an investment of your time into this inspiring and practical session.

Let’s achieve something great together.

Hope to see you there.
Galina and the Bonkers Beat Team

28/09/201702/10/2017

Wellbeing and Engagement – A Valuable Relationship

Engaged educators are inspired, motivated, productive and happy in the workplace. These are qualities that are vital to creating a learning and care environment for children to flourish.

These qualities of an engaged educator enable them to do the best job possible at enhancing children’s wellbeing too. So how do you engage educators? Start with educators wellbeing.

The Essential Links Between Engagement and Wellbeing

Working on wellbeing requires a holistic approach. To really reap the rewards over time, your approach to enhancing wellbeing needs to be sustainable, not a quick fix.

It’s incredible what can be achieved for centres, educators, families and most importantly children when we shift our focus to wellbeing. Engagement is a crucial area that benefits from wellbeing practices, but it doesn’t end there!

Engaged educators lead to better outcomes for children, engaged children and educators lead to better mental health and wellness. In turn, wellbeing practices for children can help them to become better learners and all round happier children.

See engaged educators and children in action

It’s one thing to read about what you can achieve with a focus on wellbeing and subsequently high levels of educator and child engagement – it’s another thing to see it!

That’s why we are inviting owners and directors of centres to visit our flagship Bonkers Beat centre in Aspendale, Victoria. Join us at Music Kinder in Action!

We are ready to give away strategies and knowledge to centre owners and directors – with absolutely no expectations on getting anything back in return.

Our goal is simply to show owners and directors across Australia what is possible for your educators, children and centres. See how you can engage educators and the benefits of doing so.

There are only 6 spots remaining PLUS everyone who attends will receive a complimentary gift and a guide ‘How to Implement a World Class Music Program in Your Centre’.

Hope to see you there! Click here to secure your free ticket!

23/06/201624/06/2016

Don’t Wait For Change – CREATE Change

Too often we spend time waiting and hoping for change. This applies to life in general, but today we are specifically referring to early childhood education providers.

You might have recently read our blog about leadership and how important it is to have leaders who are inspiring. With this in mind, many managers, owners, directors and educational leaders have asked – how do we use our leadership positions to make positive change?

You can be a leader, you can inspire those around you, but how do you create real change that will benefit your team, your families, your centre and most importantly the quality of care and education you provide to children?

When it comes to professional development, we are huge advocates of ongoing training and training that involves your whole team. However, for true change to take place, the leaders in your centre need to take charge and lead the way. This is why it is crucial to have professional development that focuses solely on management and educational leaders.

This is why Galina Zenin and Alina Dan have joined forces to deliver just that. Introducing, the upcoming event ‘Wellness Works: The Complete Early Childhood Leaders Conference’.

Galina recently attended a conference in Chicago in the USA that was dedicated to leadership and was tailored to specifically address the issues and challenges that are unique to management and to educational leaders. Inspired, she has teamed up with early childhood business development expert Alina Dan to deliver an event that is tailored to the leaders – to inspire them to inspire their teams.

The simple fact is, change won’t happen unless the leaders – the management – make it happen. And to make it happen, you need the right tools. Wellness Works provides practical tools that WILL equip management and educational leaders to bring about positive change in early childhood education and real results.

If an Early Childhood Education Revolution sounds like a breath of fresh air, take a look at the flier for Galina and Alina’s July conference below. You can even reserve your spot right now by emailing info@bonkersbeat.com.