education Archives - Page 4 of 7 - Early Learning Childhood Education

28/06/201829/06/2018

Special offer for your new financial year resolutions

For centre owners and in fact any business owner, the end of financial year is a time for assessing financial and business goals.

The new Child Care Subsidy has meant further challenges for a number of centres too, with some potentially losing families as a result of their change in subsidy.

With the busy admin of getting tax time sorted and switching to the Child Care Subsidy system nearly over, it’s time to focus on your new financial year resolutions!

We think every business should take the opportunity to create new financial year resolutions – it’s a perfect halfway point in the year to consider how your child care centre can be even better.

To help you take your centre to the next level, we’ve got a special offer for your new financial year resolutions!

Make the next financial year your best year ever!

Parting with a lump sum of money is never fun. We don’t like to do it and we’re guessing you don’t either! So, don’t! We’re offering you the opportunity to start the new financial year right by implementing multi-award-winning music and wellbeing programs in your centre with a simple, affordable monthly fee.

Special Offer: New Financial Year Resolution

This offer enables you to avoid paying an upfront fee and only pay an affordable monthly fee to secure the Bonkers Beat Music and Wellbeing programs in your centre from 1 August 2018 through to December 2019! That’s 18 months of the highest quality, ongoing professional development, training and support for your entire team!

No upfront fees
Easy monthly payments
Award-winning programs
High-quality training and support for your whole team for 18 months!

NOTE: This offer is only available to centres who join the program before 1 August! Submit your interest now.

Embed the most innovative, world-class music program in your centre to boost your occupancy, enhance curriculum, motivate educators, improve NQS rating, engage parents and stand out in this crazy busy marketplace.

The increasing number of child care centres across the country means that standing out from the rest is more important than ever. Bonkers Beat Music and Wellbeing Programs ensure you do just that! Increasing occupancy is just one of the many outcomes of our educational programs.

Families and communities now understand the incredible benefits of music, movement, yoga and meditation, and our programs enable you to expertly embed these powerful benefits into your centre immediately!

Remember; if you want to incorporate a world-class award-winning program in your centre for an affordable monthly fee and enjoy amazing benefits for your centre, your staff and families and children for 18 months, you have to register before 1 August 2018!

Head to http://www.earlychildhoodeducationalprograms.com.au/ to read more about what is included and the benefits and make the next financial year your best year ever!

Or email us at info@bonkersbeat.com

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.

07/06/201807/06/2018

Connecting with the environment and self through yoga

Connectedness is a powerful feeling for adults and children alike. Creating connections with ourselves and others is important for development on many levels. Connecting with the environment is vital too. So how can we make these connections? One enjoyable and a highly beneficial way is through yoga.

The benefits of yoga anywhere, any time are amazing. While we have explored the many benefits of yoga for children before (take a look here!), taking yoga practice outdoors can offer further rewards. Let’s explore a few of them.

Three notable benefits of yoga outdoors

1. Reset an overloaded brain

Yoga is always a useful tool to relax, but taking it outside can actually enable the brain to recalibrate. Our bodies see nature as our natural environment and adding in the mindful activity of yoga or meditation while outdoors takes that calming effect to the next level.

2. Boost immunity

Fresh air is essential for good health, even in the colder months. In fact, many common colds are caused by spending too much time in confined indoor spaces. Take your deep yoga and meditation breathing exercises outside with children to gain the benefits of that fresh oxygen in their systems and yours.

3. Feel at one with nature

Children can use their observations of the outdoor environment to inspire their yoga. Standing tall like trees, stretching to the sky. Stretching to the side like a tree in the breeze. Many yoga poses use animals and nature so it makes sense to combine the two in real life!

International Yoga Day is coming up on Thursday 21 June — if you don’t currently practice yoga with children in your centre, maybe this could be a good day to start. Our Bonkers Beat programs are incredibly valuable tools to help you bring the benefits of yoga for children (and adults) into your service too.

Enjoy your yoga practice and watch for yourself as children experience the physical, mental and emotional benefits of yoga and meditation combined with being outdoors.

30/05/201831/05/2018

You are a part of Bonkers Beat Music Kinder success story

Getting the Bonkers Beat Music Kinder and our award-winning programs to where they are today has not been an easy feat. Over the last nine years, long days (and nights!) of hard work and immeasurable passion have been behind the creation of something truly special that has impacted the early childhood education industry in Australia and beyond.

That’s why, when we found out we were one of only 55 early childhood services across the country to be honoured with an Excellent Rating from ACECQA, we had to celebrate!

Last week we invited families from our centre and local community along with highly regarded guests from within the early childhood sector, to attend Bonkers Beat Music Kinder to join us in marking this achievement.

Families and early childhood professionals came together for the celebration

What a lovely evening we had! Presentations and beautiful words were a delight to hear from a number of our wonderful guests. You can see the images from the night here on Facebook.

We kicked off the celebrations with some delightful singing from the Bonkers Beat Music Kinder children. The enthusiasm was undeniable! The children are the reason behind everything that Bonkers Beat stands for and so it was important to have them front and centre in our receipt of the Excellent Rating.

Rhonda Livingstone, ACECQA’s National Education Leader, was in attendance to officially present the award. She spoke highly of Bonkers Beat Music Kinder and our programs, particularly how they are having a far-reaching impact on children’s education all over the country. We were so touched by your recognition and kind words Rhonda, thank you!

Alina Dan, from Alina Dan Consultancy and Holistic Approach, has been a valued colleague to Galina and to the Bonkers Beat family over many years. Thank you, Alina, for taking the time to fly down to celebrate with us too! Alina made a speech applauding Galina’s commitment, the contributions of the parents of all Bonkers Beat children and their commitment to laying the best possible foundations for their children’s bright futures.

One of our current parents was brave enough to present to the crowd as well. Josie Katakouzinos talked about her experience as a parent with a child at Bonkers Beat Music Kinder and how the music and wellbeing-based programs have had an obvious and powerful impact on her son throughout his early childhood development. Josie noted the benefits of being able to carry through the educational and behavioural strategies her son receives through the programs at kinder while at home too. Thank you, Josie! And thank you to all Bonkers Beat parents and children, past and present. Your continuous support is amazing and invaluable.

Here are a few images for your from Bonkers Beat Excellent Rating celebration.

24/05/201824/05/2018

Recognise, Reflect and Heal: National Sorry Day

National Sorry Day takes place this Saturday 26 May and this week we would like to take the time to acknowledge this day. Since 1998 Sorry Day has been an annual event for Australians to recognise and reflect on the mistreatment of the Aboriginal people.

Reconciliation and healing are vital to a bright future for all Australians and we must strive for it as united people. One very important part of this process is by educating one and all on the history of Australia, good, bad and in between.

For many of us recognising, reflecting and healing as part of National Sorry Day involves the acknowledgement of the trauma that took place during the white settlement in Australia. Reflecting on the experience of the Aboriginal people and considering how we can contribute towards the healing.

Let’s also look at how we can introduce children in early childhood education to the meaning behind National Sorry Day.

Recognising and reflecting on Aboriginal culture

For very young children the most straightforward way of recognising the Aboriginal people and their experience is by recognising them and their culture. We believe that children should be able to identify an Aboriginal flag as a first step in the right direction and to identify it as a core representation of Australia.

Achieving this is simple and fun. Draw the flag, paint the flag or even simply colour in printouts of the flag. Here’s one.

Talk about how Aboriginal people were here long before anyone else and take note of which people occupied the land where your centre or home is. For example, Aspendale in Victoria was occupied by the Bunarong people from the Kulin Nation. Perhaps you can take a walk around the block and identify some Aboriginal street names.

Aboriginal culture also has a distinct style of art, music and performance that children love. Share this with children by playing music, showing them a digeridoo, or doing their own dot paintings for example.

The journey of healing

Once we have shown children how to identify and enjoy Aboriginal culture, we are well on our way to enabling them to appreciate the meaning behind National Sorry Day as they get older and the importance of inclusion, acknowledgement, commemoration and the journey of healing.

Take the time to reflect this National Sorry Day or even take part in local community events and activities and let’s be a part of the healing journey together.

Image source: https://www.humanrights.gov.au/news/stories/national-sorry-day-2016

17/05/201817/05/2018

Understanding and Enhancing Emotional Intelligence in Children

Emotional intelligence is an invaluable life skill and one that we can help children develop from a young age. We can do this at childcare centres and at home, ensuring children have the skills to understand their emotions and express them effectively. First, we need to have a solid understanding of what emotional intelligence is.

What is emotional intelligence?

Emotional intelligence is a complex concept involving several different capabilities. It can be broken down into the 5 following categories:

Self-awareness: The ability to recognise your own emotions and their effects.
Self-regulation: The ability to control your emotions.
Motivation: The ability to motivate yourself to reach goals.
Empathy: The ability to recognise how other people are feeling.
Social Skills: The ability to communicate and interact with others, also known as having people skills.

Sometimes known as EQ, it is often argued that emotional intelligence is more important than IQ when it comes to achieving success in all facets of life, be it education, career or relationships. In fact, in any situation in life, we can all benefit from being aware of how we are feeling, why we are feeling that way and how this affects us and those around us.

Why emotional intelligence is so important

Learning how to deal with emotions is an essential skill that enables young people to communicate effectively and foster more productive and meaningful relationships. It also means that they will be well equipped to deal with stressors in life, which can assist in overcoming life’s challenges.

Emotional intelligence teaches childcare aged children how to discern their own and others emotions and can even help them to recognise the difference between right and wrong. For example, if Sarah pushes Tom on the ground and Tom begins to cry, Sarah will recognise that her actions have made Tom feel sad. With guidance from her parents and educators, Sarah will learn that it is wrong to push.

How to enhance children’s emotional intelligence

Helping children to develop their emotional intelligence in early childhood can start with simple activities, such as identifying different emotions on faces like anger, happiness and sadness. Once children understand what these emotions are, they will begin to align how they feel with the names of the emotions that they have learnt. For example, when a child falls over, they may realise that the emotion they are feeling is sadness or even embarrassment. Similarly, when a child gets to play in the sandpit or have their favourite snack, they may realise that they are feeling happy.

Using music and wellbeing to nurture children’s emotional development

It is never too early to start nurturing a child’s emotional development. That’s why the Bonkers Beat programs have a strong focus on feelings and self-expression.

We use music and movement to help children develop their understanding of the world around them and to express themselves. Yoga and meditation are other powerful tools we believe in to enable children to connect with themselves and come to better understand how their brains and bodies work.

Guiding children through developing emotional intelligence should be an essential part of early childhood education and there is no doubt that it will help to shape a brighter future for children.

If you have been thinking of introducing the award-winning Bonkers Beat programs into your centre, there is no time like the present. Get in touch about what Bonkers Beat Music and Wellbeing programs can do for your centre, your staff and the children in your care by emailing info@bonkers.com.

Find out more about Bonkers Beat programs, follow this link: earlychildhoodeducationalprograms.com.au

11/04/201812/04/2018

The secret to becoming a thriving child care centre

As many of you know, ACECQA recently announced our ‘Excellent’ Rating under the National Quality Standard which was a proud achievement for Bonkers Beat’s flagship centre in Victoria. Now we think it’s time that you and your centre discovered how excellent you really are too!

We’ll let you in on a little secret…

The secret behind our ‘Excellent’ Rating is actually no secret at all.

The Bonkers Beat Music & Wellbeing Programs are the key to the success of Bonkers Beat Music Kinder in Victoria — and the success of many other centres across the country.

The benefits of the Bonkers Beat Programs are effective and proven.

Centres incorporating these tried and tested programs experience:

More enrolments
Increased engagement from children and families
A distinct and effective point of difference in the market
More motivated educators
Reduced staff turnover

These are only a handful of the benefits that Bonkers Beat programs provide for centres!

The Bonkers Beat Programs directly impact how your centre addressed the NQF, giving you the tools and support to improve your NQS Rating.

This is what the centres that utilise the Bonkers Beat Programs are already enjoying:

Daily Music Program
Daily Wellbeing Program
Exclusive conferences for the whole team
Online training for all educators
Educational resources
Weekly support for Educational Leaders
Management support
Educational resources for parents
Music & Wellbeing newsletters for parents
Live webinars for parents

A special offer for a special centre — YOURS!

To celebrate our ‘Excellent’ Rating and encourage you to take action towards your own centre’s success, we are offering you a special limited time offer!

You won’t believe what we are giving you FOR FREE!

Click here to take a look at this incredible offer and for the opportunity to grab it for yourself.

If becoming a sought-after, in-demand child care centre is on your to-do list, then securing this limited time special offer for yourself should be too.

Of course, if you do have any questions, simply give us a call on 1300 022 328 or email info@bonkersbeat.com.

19/03/201820/03/2018

Bonkers Beat Music Kinder is Rated Excellent by ACECQA

We are thrilled to share with you the great news – Bonkers Beat Music Kinder & Childcare Aspendale has been awarded the ‘Excellent’ rating by Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA)!

The Excellent rating is the highest rating an education and care service can achieve under the National Quality Framework.

This acknowledges the exceptional standard of education and care that Bonkers Beat Music Kinder is providing and its commitment to improving outcomes for children and families.

As at 31 December 2017, 14,687 children’s education and care services in Australia have received a quality rating from ACECQA and only 50 services are rated as Excellent. Out of these 50 services, there are 25 long day care centres, and the others are Preschools, OSHC and Family Day Care providers.

Currently, Bonkers Beat Music Kinder is one of only two privately run long day care services in Victoria, which are rated Excellent by ACECQA.

We congratulate all our educators, current and past families and our beautiful children with this significant achievement and thank our followers who’ve been supporting us over the years.

We’re thrilled with the outcome and delighted that many services who run Bonkers Beat Music & Wellbeing programs are part of our success story.

To read the special report on ACECQA website about Bonkers Beat Music Kinder rating please follow the link below:
www.acecqa.gov.au/media-releases/excellent-rating-awarded-bonkers-beat-music-kinder-childcare-aspendale

To see our video submission to ACECQA, watch the video below:

08/03/201809/03/2018

Creating an ‘Ethical Curriculum’ in Early Childhood

Have you heard of an ‘ethical curriculum’? It’s an important and worthwhile topic to understand if creating the best early childhood education experience for children is at the top of your to-do list.

Catharine Hydon is an early childhood expert with extensive experience working in a range of early childhood settings. We were lucky enough to have Catharine as a speaker at our recent Wellness Summits in Melbourne and Sydney, and educators couldn’t get enough of her presentations. She shared invaluable insights with us about ethical curriculums and how to create one.

Catharine says creating an ethical curriculum is really about celebrating children’s right to participate within their communities.

“When we choose ethical dimensions to add into our curriculum, we’re really connecting with who children are and how they’re living their lives right now, at the moment”, says Catharine.

Catharine wants children to grow up knowing how to engage in the world and enjoying it, not fearing it. How we do that is by listening to the children and families and delivering back an inclusive early childhood experience for all to enjoy and learn from and within. That is at the core of an ethical curriculum.

Ethical dimensions to incorporate can be chosen by finding out what matters to families and children and creating a learning environment that reflects their cultures, individual circumstances and interests. Catharine is passionate about educators growing more confident and raising our voices about the decisions we make for children in our care. Open up and speak out to communities and families about what you’re doing in your centre and why, because the work we do has a real impact on entire communities.

A big congratulations to our Bonkers Beat educators across the country — Catharine noted the enthusiasm of you all and how willing you were to give things a go. What beautiful role modelling for our young people, so congratulations to you on demonstrating your passion and motivation for our special industry.

To learn more about what we got up to at our Wellness Summits, you can take a look through our event albums in Melbourne and Sydney on Facebook. If you’re interested in joining us with your team of educators at the next Wellness Summits, get in touch to find out how!

Enjoy our chat about creating an ethical curriculum with Catharine here:

15/02/201815/02/2018

Building strong teams and positive culture

Working in early childhood education, collaboration is essential. Not just between centres and families, but also among staff. Building teams and a positive culture in early childhood education paves the way for a centre and its educators to thrive. Of course, a thriving centre means the best experience for families and children too.

Over the years we have asked countless educators what their biggest challenges are, and we frequently hear that one of the challenges is staff motivation, culture and turnover. Sound familiar?

In 2016 the Queensland University of Technology surveyed 1,200 early childhood educators across Australia about their jobs. Of those surveyed, one in five planned to leave their position within the following year. The reasons cited for this included feeling undervalued and not enjoying the working environment.

Creating a positive culture in your workplace can help your team feel bonded, supported and appreciated. A little effort can go a long way to keep your staff turnover low, and your centre’s culture brimming with positivity and happiness!

A team that is motivated and appreciated is one that will help your centre and its children reach their full potential. Take a look at these ways that you can build teams and a positive culture within your organisation and consider giving them a try:

Focus on the positives:

Often when we have staff meetings or changes, the focus is on what we can do better. While improvement is important, try to shift the focus to the positives. Hearing what is being done well will encourage everyone to want to do it more.
Make responsibilities clear:

Clashes in teams can arise when there is uncertainty over who is responsible for what, or if someone feels they have an unfair share of the workload or have drawn the short straw. Keep it clear and make sure everyone feels comfortable in speaking up in the right way if something is displeasing to them.
Involve your team in decisions:

A democracy is always better than a dictatorship, so make sure your team feels they have some say in the workplace. Friendly negotiations, votes, team discussions – it’s important changes happen from within a team, not to them. That way, they’ll feel they’ve accomplished something together.
Spend quality time together:

Don’t let it become all work and no play! After all, in early childhood education, we are experts at playing! Organise some team dinners or even a yearly staff retreat! Don’t forget to mark the end of the year with a celebration too. Some centres have a list of all staff birthdays so that if that member of your team is in on their special day, you can all sing happy birthday to them. A lovely gesture!
Group professional development:

A team that learns together can grow together, in the same direction. This is one of the reasons the Bonkers Beat programs and our Wellness Summits are so effective for centres and their culture – because we work with the entire team together. Take a look at teams having a great time and growing as educators together at our recent Bonkers Beat Wellness Summits here.

We’d love to hear how you help your team to bond and create a positive culture in your early childhood education service? Share with us on Facebook!