Tag: early childhood australia

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EOFY Special Offer: Your Time to Shine

When trying to run a successful childcare centre, it can sometimes feel as though you are surrounded by risk. The risk of not appealing to enough families and experiencing low occupancy. The risk of new competition within the local area. The risk of not gaining a high NQS Rating and the risk of staff challenges such as avoiding burnout and team motivation.

With the end of the financial year approaching, we wanted to provide you options that reduce risk from your life and your business. We think it’s time to go risk-free with a free ticket to this widely-celebrated early childhood education event for owners and directors…

Join us next week at 7 Stones, Melbourne for a hands on, high value three hour event for centre owners and directors. To claim your free ticket – Click Here.

Take on the New Financial Year – Risk-Free!

End of financial year is a great time to reflect and review the practices in your centre, where they currently stand and your future direction.

Our free 7 Stones event offers owners and directors a practical three-hour workshop that covers our tried and tested 7 pillar approach.

These insights will dramatically boost your occupancy, enhance curriculum, motivate educators, improve your NQS rating, engage parents and stand out in this crazy, busy marketplace.

We limit seats at our 7 Stones events to ensure you receive a more personalised session to get the most out of the event. With only 4 spots remaining you had better claim yours now!

PLUS…

By attending the 7 Stones workshop, you’ll gain access to our EOFY Special Offer: 6 Months FREE!

If you want to make next year, your best year ever, you will definitely want to take advantage of this Special Offer!

Remember, only four seats left at 7 Stones next week: get yours now!

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Focusing on music through the lens of the revised NQS

In striving to improve the position and quality of their childcare offering, many services are looking for ways to go ‘above and beyond’ expectations for meeting National Quality Standards. New guidelines clarify the difference between Meeting and Exceeding NQS rating levels for each standard. This allows services to have an in-depth understanding of the expectations of the revised NQF and improve their curriculum accordingly.

Many elements of the NQS, such as Element 1.1.1, focus on developing the best possible outcomes for children and enhancing their wellbeing. The exploration of creative arts, including music, now plays an even bigger role in meeting these expectations.

We have found that a focus on music in early childhood educational settings is more powerful than ever when considered through the lens of the revised NQS. This is a topic we intend to cover during our upcoming ‘7 Stones’ Management Event on Tuesday 28 May.

It is hard to believe that music and wellbeing practices are so transformational for centres looking to increase their NQS Rating and market position.

We have seen firsthand the incredible impact on services who implement music and wellbeing practices. That’s why this upcoming ‘7 Stones’ Management Event is all set to demonstrate how to enhance every Quality Area of the revised NQS and improve your rating through music and wellbeing practices.

During this inspiring presentation, you will discover how to:

  • Empower educators and transform improve centre’s culture
  • Increase occupancy and attract new families
  • Maximise opportunities for each child’s learning and brain development
  • Gain a marketing advantage and stand out
  • Engage parents and support them at home

You won’t want to miss this one. We’ve consulted with the best of the best to dig deep into the revised NQS so we can empower you with the right tools and strategies to flourish!

Spots won’t last, so register now and get ready to see things in a new light: http://www.bonkersbeat.com/7Stones/

This event is designed specifically for management and so we urge centre owners and directors to attend.

Secure your spot now.

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Exploring Easter beyond the chocolate

Who doesn’t love chocolate? We can’t think of a single person who doesn’t love some variety of the sugary treat, especially children! And while a chocolate Easter bunny is nice, there’s plenty more to explore about Easter that children will love too!

Four facts about Easter to help you celebrate

As we prepare to celebrate Easter, it can help to have a little more insight into this much-loved time of year. Perhaps it will inspire you to approach it a little differently.

1. Easter is all about new life
The eggs, flowers and baby chickens – they’re not a random bunch of items, but actually symbolise one of the meanings behind Easter which is new life and rebirth. Furthering this theme is that for most countries, Easter takes place in the season of new life – the spring equinox!

2. Easter has songs too
While Christmas is renowned for its carols, Easter singing isn’t anywhere near as popular. We think this should change! Our special gift to you for Easter comes in song form — enjoy our Bonkers Beat song, ‘Easter Bunny’! Print the lyrics here and learn the moves and tune via the video:

3. There’s not just one day for Easter
The commonly celebrated Easter days in Australia incorporate Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Good Friday recognises the death of Jesus Christ, and Easter Sunday is significant as the day Christians believe Jesus was resurrected. In addition, there is Orthodox Easter which, this year, takes place on 28 April.

4. It’s a fun, family-friendly time of year that everyone can enjoy!
There are many things you can do to celebrate Easter, whatever your religion or preferences may be.

Decorating eggs is a favourite Easter tradition (real or fake are equally fun – get some inspiration here). You can also organise an Easter hunt (with or without chocolate ) which always gets children smiling and excited. Also meeting an Easter bunny can be enjoyable, though a little scary for some children!

However you choose to celebrate, we wish you all a very Happy Easter spent with your loved ones!

image from www.freepik.com

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Optimising children’s development through educators’ wellbeing

As early childhood education professionals, we’re all committed to children’s development. It’s fair to say that we all put that at the top of our priority list. In doing this, we can sometimes forget to focus on educators, or on ourselves.

When we talk about wellbeing in early childhood, we’re often talking about children’s wellbeing. And so we should, because enhancing the wellbeing of children is the key to optimising their development on so many levels. In fact, approaching early childhood education with a wellbeing focus enables us to enhance children’s development across many crucial areas.

DDevelopmental impact of a wellbeing focus:

SOCIAL WELLBEING: Can facilitate teamwork; increase self-esteem; build confidence; embed social skills
PHYSICAL WELLBEING: Can encourage physical activity; reduce muscle tension; stimulates feel-good hormone; boost immunity
EMOTIONAL WELLBEING: Can have a calming effect; improve ability to understand and regulate emotions, reduce negative feelings; uplift the spirit

A wellbeing focus can even go beyond this for children’s services. It can also provide a pathway to improve the wellbeing of educators, and this can have a remarkable impact for individuals, centres and children.

At our recent Wellness Summits as part of the Bonkers Beat programs, early childhood expert Heather Barnes (OAM) presented and shared some valuable insight into the importance of educators’ wellbeing.

Heather notes the profound positive impact of wellbeing practices that encourage self-reflection, empowerment and team-building. It sounds like a lot to work on, but in reality, these can be achieved through a combination of professional development and a strategy committed to everyone’s wellbeing within child care services. And why wouldn’t you, when a wellbeing focus will transform every aspect of your centre for the better!

Wellbeing (along with music!) is the focus of our practice and the Bonkers Beat curriculum . The results we see in the wellbeing and empowerment of our educators and in turn the development and wellbeing of our children are powerful. If you’re free this Saturday and are able to be in Aspendale, Victoria, please feel free to join us at our Open Day at the Bonkers Beat Music Kinder. You will see firsthand as we demonstrate our music and wellbeing practices.

P.S.It’s also our 10 Year Anniversary celebration! We will be celebrating this milestone and raising money to help Aussie farmers through some tough times with donation opportunities on the day.

EVENT: Bonkers Beat 10 Year Anniversary Open Day
WHERE: 49 Laura Street, Aspendale, Victoria
WHEN: Saturday 30 March, 10am – 12pm
REGISTER FOR THIS FREE EVENT HERE!

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Celebrate 10 Years with Us and Help Aussie Farmers

It’s true what they say — time flies when you’re having fun! It’s Bonkers Beat’s 10-year anniversary!

As we celebrate 10 years of music, laughter and learning, we wanted to mark the occasion in a meaningful and special way…

The first thing we felt compelled to do, was open our doors at Bonkers Beat Music Kinder in Aspendale and have a wonderful celebration with you! That’s why we’re having a fun-filled Bonkers Beat Open Day on Saturday 30 March.

If you’re able to make it to Aspendale, then make sure you come along! Parents, children, families, educators – everyone is welcome to join in the fun! (It’s a free event but register here to let us know you’re coming!)

The Bonkers Beat Open Day features:

    • Farm animals
    • A music show with Bonkers the Monkey
    • Yoga session
    • Jungle treasure hunt
    • Jungle goodie bags
    • + much more!

As part of the Bonkers Beat curriculum, children attending Open Day will be engaged in a variety of Reggio Emilia art experiences, music sessions and our sustainability program, learning about caring for our planet and environment. Through Montessori experiences, we will be learning about Australia, landforms, weather conditions, events and much more!

Helping communities in need

The second thing we wanted to do was give back to our beautiful country and its people. We want to thank the many communities across Australia who we have connected with through Bonkers Beat over the years.

We have decided to support Aussie farmers who are currently in need as a result of climate issues and extreme weather events — and they need our help!

Come along to the Bonkers Beat Open Day and donate a gold coin for the Buy a Bale donation barrel or purchase a raffle ticket for the Open Day hamper on the day!

Let’s work together to help Australia’s farmers through these tough times.

EVENT: Bonkers Beat 10 Year Anniversary Open Day
WHERE: 49 Laura Street, Aspendale, Victoria
WHEN: Saturday 30 March, 10am – 12pm
REGISTER FOR THIS FREE EVENT HERE!

We truly appreciate your support over the last 10 years and look forward to celebrating with you and making a difference to our Aussie farmers!

Don’t forget, this is a free event but do register to let us know you’re coming along to join in the fun: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/open-day-at-bonkers-beat-music-kinder-tickets-57481577947

See you there!

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Focus in a world full of stimuli – 10 daily yoga & meditation benefits

Whether it’s television, tablets, toys, jobs to do or activities to attend, there’s no denying that today’s world is packed with stimuli. It’s a busy place for brains, whether you’re a young child or an adult. Taking a moment to clear your mind and reconnect with your body can help with gaining focus and moving forward positively. It’s time to squeeze in some yoga and meditation!

Experiencing the benefits of yoga and meditation in early childhood or as an adult doesn’t take much time or effort. You can reap the rewards and then proceed with your busy day in no time feeling more productive and focused than before.

You can fit in yoga and meditation in for five minutes here or there as needed, or incorporate it as a regular feature in your day. For example, at Bonkers Beat Music Kinder, we start each day with a ‘Welcome a New Day’ session. This involves educators, children and even families participating in a 20 to 25-minute session of either yoga, meditation or mindfulness exercises.

Yoga and meditation are great for children as a transitional tool, to reset after rest time, or outdoor play when moving inside, to focus the mind on to a new activity or just to unwind.

The many benefits of yoga and meditation in early childhood

As well as broadly assisting with focus and relaxation, yoga and meditation in early childhood has a range of benefits. Here are some reasons why we love yoga:

    1. Better breathing
    You would think that we are all quite skilled at breathing, seeing as we do it all day, but mindful deep breaths have a special effect on our bodies such as increased oxygen absorption and even a longer life!

    2. Improve memory and concentration
    Said to be attributed to a combination of deep breathing and the learned ability to focus, yoga and meditation has benefits like improved concentration and memory.

    3. Awareness of our bodies
    When we practice the physical postures of yoga or feel the rise and fall of our tummies during meditation, we become more aware of the connection between our physical and emotional states.

    4. More flexibility and strength
    Regular yoga and meditation can enable us and children to move more freely and become strong and flexible.

    5. Learn to appreciate quiet and stillness
    Yoga and meditation in early childhood can be a path to feeling comfortable in silent moments, and mindful when we are still. This helps us to listen with attention and make informed decisions in our lives.

    6. A self-esteem boost
    Accomplishing a new move in yoga or seeing balance improve can go a long way to show children what they are capable of and boost their self-esteem.

    7. Better emotional awareness and control
    Deep breathing is an excellent tool to help calm children down when they aren’t able to control their behaviour in an outburst or “tantrum” scenario. Teaching children to use this technique when required can lead to more awareness and control over their emotions.

    8. Improved overall health
    Cardiovascular health, digestive health, the nervous system, regulated hormone levels, improved immunity, better sleep — the list of health benefits of yoga go on and on!

    9. Better sleep
    Most exercise has this impact and yoga is certainly no exception – regular practice can lead to better sleep, and deep breathing or meditation can be useful tools to help children fall asleep more easily too.

    10. Connect with themselves and one another
    Yoga and meditation in early childhood settings can be a fun way to get more comfortable with one another and connect over something they enjoy!

If you’re finding that children need a means of escaping the overload of stimuli that we are all faced with daily, yoga and meditation could be perfect to incorporate into your centre.

To make it simple for children to get involved at home or in centres, we even created our very own Bonkers Beat Yoga Cards! Click here to take a look at them in our shop.

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Inspired pedagogy – educational theories to inform your centre philosophy

When you’re shaping your approach and the philosophy of your service, there are many areas to gain inspirations. From the practical, real-life experiences of Maria Montessori, to the hierarchy of needs theory of Abraham Maslow, you can research and explore so many early childhood theorists which might influence your centres philosophy.

Of course you want your service to provide the very best start in life for children, and there are many approaches you can use to foster incredible outcomes for children. At the same time, you can utilise the concepts from inspiring historical theorists to help you meet the requirements of the Early Years Learning Framework and achieve the highest possible National Quality Standard Rating.

The meaning of pedagogy for your centre

Your centre’s pedagogy is central to your service. ACECQA sums it up perfectly:

“The term pedagogy refers to the holistic nature of early childhood educators’ professional practice (especially those aspects that involve building and nurturing relationships), curriculum decision-making, teaching and learning. When educators establish respectful and caring relationships with children and families, they are able to work together to construct curriculum and learning experiences relevant to children in their local context. These experiences gradually expand children’s knowledge and understanding of the world.”
-ACECQA, Early Years Learning Framework for Australia

The Bonkers Beat philosophy is inspired by Maria Montessori, Reggio Emilia and Howard Gardner theory. Let’s look a little closer at each of these.

Maria Montessori Philosophy

Dr Maria Montessori was an inspirational educator who developed a unique and progressive method of educating children.

Broadly, the Montessori approach considers education as an ‘aid to life’, and has a lengthy track record of success – more so than any other educational approach. The Montessori goal is to inspire children to have a lifelong love of learning that follows their natural learning direction. It enables children to become confident, independent and responsible learners.

The focus is on self-realisation through independent activity, making use of their scientific powers of observation and reflection and the focus on the educator as the keeper of the environment.

Reggio Emilia Approach

The Reggio Emilia Approach was first developed in Italy in a very small city called Reggio Emilia.

This is an approach that values the child and views them as capable and curious – able to discover the world on their own as driven by their own interests. Playing, asking questions, investigating and exploring the world – these are at the heart of the Reggio Emilia approach. The adults are viewed as mentors and learning experiences which arise from a child’s natural curiosity are described as child-led.

Howard Gardner Theory

Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory is based on the belief that there are eight ways people perceive the world.

The predominant message to take from the Multiple Intelligences Theory is that we must deliver a range of different types of learning experiences to ensure that all children are learning no matter which learning style is taking place.

Linking early childhood educational theory to the EYLF

One of the most important things to note about the Bonkers Beat inspirations outlined above is that you don’t have to subscribe to a theorists’ entire way of thinking. You can take inspiration from elements of an approach without adapting to the theorists’ pedagogy as a whole.

This link is a great resource to show how you can link theorists to different EYLF outcomes: https://www.butler-creative-childcare-resources.com.au/blogs/blog/linking-theorist-to-the-eylf-outcomes

Early Childhood Australia also has a document that covers how the great ECE theorists’ approaches work in practice. You can find it here:
http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/shop/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/SUND606_sample.pdf

Essentially, begin by considering the areas you need to enhance in your centre, and what is vital to your children’s outcomes and develop your pedagogy to fit this, along with working within the framework.

If you’d like to learn more about the Bonkers Beat approach as you explore pedagogies, visit www.earlychildhoodeducationalprograms.com.au/. You can even access a free trial to get a taste of the Bonkers Beat Music program HERE.

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How to meet the new standards of a revised NQS (and how to excel)

They say change is as good as a holiday, but it can also be a little overwhelming for most of us at first! For many centres who had a comprehensive understanding of the National Quality Standard, the introduction of the revised NQS in 2018 has meant they’ve needed to change up their approach to meet the standards.

Last week Bonkers Beat members have attended the first of their biannual professional development full-day workshops – the Wellness Summit. At the current Summer Summits we’ve been lucky enough to have Order of Australia Medal recipient and early childhood consultant – Heather Barnes. Not only is Heather an industry expert, but she was contracted Australian Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations to facilitate the training of Authorised Officers – needless to say, her knowledge of the requirements of the NQS is comprehensive!

Heather shared that a number of services have found meeting the standards and achieving an overall Exceeding Rating has been more challenging since the revision of the National Quality Framework (NQF).

So, what were the revisions? And how can your centre meet the standards?

At the Summits, Heather unpacked each of the Exceeding themes and provided us all with ideas and strategies for preparing for the next Assessment and Rating visit, while of course improving outcomes for children.

It’s clear that the number one priority should be to have an in depth understanding of what the framework wants from your centre. You should take great care in going over the official comparison document (find it here) to ensure you haven’t missed anything in the way of changes. And take a look here to understand the new guidelines on how Exceeding Rating is determined.

Is there a simple way to improve your NQS Rating?

Thinking it’s time to find a way to deliver an educational program that enhances every child’s development and empowers your educators to reach Exceeding through a practical and strategic approach that benefits everyone. You’ve come to the right place!

The Bonkers Beat programs were designed in line with revised NQS in mind as well as fosters optimal development and wellbeing for children. Not to mention the benefits for your centre and your educators (including the incredible Wellness Summits!)

To make the decision easier, and allow your centre, educators and children to reach their full potential, we want to offer you this FREE TRIAL of the Bonkers Beat Music Program!

Take an action! Start your free trial today and see for yourself how this award-winning music program can help you to go ‘above and beyond’ what is expected at the Meeting NQS level.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS YOUR FREE TRIAL

Hopefully, we’ll see you and your whole team at the Winter Wellness Summits! Take a look at what we did at the Summer Wellness Summits here and read the feedback from our wellness speaker at the events:

“Thank you Galina, for organising such a brilliant event. I had a wonderful time presenting at the Wellness Summit in Sydney. It was a joy meeting so many Educators committed to doing their best & achieving positive outcomes for children in their care. Educators who go the extra mile to make a difference in the lives of others. I’m looking forward to the Melbourne & Brisbane events” – Suzanne

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A breakthrough in ongoing professional development for early childhood educators

We all know that professional development opportunities are essential in early childhood, especially if you want to achieve the following:

    1. Retain educators and ensure that they feel valued and fulfilled;
    2. Keep staff in the know with the latest industry strategies and knowledge to deliver the highest standard in education and care.

But timing professional development and fitting it in to the year for your whole team can seem impossible, particularly when you want to avoid interrupting the smooth running of your child care centre or kindergarten.

It’s also important to see real, tangible value in the professional development opportunities you choose to invest in – you want to see inspired and motivated educators, fresh ideas and strategies and positive changes to make a difference.

Professional development with REAL benefits

As a childcare owner myself, I know the importance of practical and effective professional development. That’s why I developed the Wellness Summits as part of the Bonkers Beat programs. The entire team from each and every centre running the Bonkers Beat program gets the opportunity to attend TWO exclusive Wellness Summits EVERY year. The Wellness Summits take place in summer and winter, plus we run them in each state so no one misses out or has to travel interstate.

It’s not just the management or team leaders that are invited to head along – the Wellness Summits deliver a day of exclusive professional development to your entire team!
Other significant benefits include:

    – Bonding with your entire team
    – Networking with educators from other services
    – Engaging in practical, hands-on experiences
    – Learning from the best early childhood and wellness experts
    – Takeaways you can implement in your centre immediately
    – And so much more!

The Summits feature guest speakers who are ready to share with you and your team, enlightening you on a range of different topics and unique approaches to grow your knowledge on various aspects of early childhood education.

A whole day of the highest quality professional development with your entire team twice a year – this must be among the most cost-effective approaches to professional development available!

The Wellness Summits are 1-day events for your entire team to attend together with NO additional costs, fees, tickets – it’s all included in the Bonkers Beat membership! And because your whole team is welcome to come along, you don’t need to worry about passing on what you learn – everyone will be there to take it in!

I believe that nurturing the wellbeing of educators, owners and directors is vital to enhance the wellbeing of children. For this reason, the Wellness Summits aren’t just professional development – they offer valuable personal development to your team too.

To all the Bonkers Beat members, we cannot WAIT to see you there!

If you’re not yet a member but you want to access our innovative, practical and cost-effective professional development day for your entire staff, feel free to send us an email to info@bonkersbeat.com to find out the many benefits of being part of the Bonkers Beat family.

To view some images from our latest Wellness Summit and get the feel of these incredible events, click HERE.

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Starting school (and being ready for it!)

It has been an exciting time over the last week as we have seen so many of last year’s kinder children slip into school uniforms and head into primary school for the first time. First day photos have taken over social media, and smiles and tears have been shared from children and parents alike! In the meantime, a new cohort of pre-schoolers have started, set to gain the skills they need for school readiness when their time comes!

Starting primary school is a special moment in a child’s life (and a parent’s), but the most important factor before commencing is ensuring a child is truly ready for school. That’s one of the most important aspects of early childhood educators’ roles – giving children the experiences and skills that will prepare them for school, and life.

Building and establishing school readiness in children

When considering school readiness and how to build it and establish it in children, educators and parents should focus on teaching children life skills that will prepare them for handling all that the world has in store. These skills will be physical, intellectual and emotional. Think practical abilities that boost children’s independence in various areas of their lives, and give them a sense of responsibility.

Let’s look at some areas to consider when establishing and assessing children’s school readiness:

    1. Collaboration and teamwork
    2. Creativity and imagination
    3. Critical thinking and problem solving
    4. Social and emotional skills
    5. Empathy, positive thinking, resilience and self-regulation
    6. Oral and written communication skills
    7. Leadership

If you’re looking for additional resources to guide you in assessing a child’s school readiness, this fact sheet from Kathy Walker of Early Life Foundations
is really valuable.

Government funding to help educators enhance school readiness

The government has recognised the importance of early childhood education and our role in shaping the future generations – the School Readiness Funding offers registered kindergarten programs funding to access some of the best, proven programs available in the industry. And Bonkers Beat Music Program is included in the School Readiness Funding Menu!

It’s an excellent time to join Bonkers Beat too, with our whole-team professional development days – Wellness Summits – coming up soon! Take advantage of your School Readiness funding and join the Bonkers Beat programs.

See what parents have to say about our programs and school readiness:

Thank you for developing Olive’s confidence. You’ve made a difference from the way you start the day with positive affirmations to your amazing end of year concerts, we’re grateful for the above and beyond effort that gave Olive the opportunity to perform so confidently on stage.

Please know that we value the work you do. You’re making a positive impact in the lives of our little people and that’s making the world a better place! Thank you for all the amazing memories and it won’t feel like Christmas without hearing your ‘Ring the Bells’ song. — Kirsty, Mike and Olive Back., Seaford

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