Tag: educators

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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

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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:

  1. Self-awareness: The ability to recognise your own emotions and their effects.
  2. Self-regulation: The ability to control your emotions.
  3. Motivation: The ability to motivate yourself to reach goals.
  4. Empathy: The ability to recognise how other people are feeling.
  5. 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

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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.

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Celebrate stories this World Book Day

A favourite childhood book can stay with you for a lifetime. Most of us have memories of a story that we couldn’t get enough of from when we were children, and World Book Day is all about celebrating stories and the love of reading.

World Book Day takes place each year on 23 April. Dedicated to promoting reading, it is the perfect chance for centres to create a theme around books and literacy in centres.

Literacy is an important part of early childhood education and World Book Day is another avenue for us to support children’s early literacy skills. Encouraging children to get reading, writing, listening and speaking while taking a play-based approach can help children in countless other ways.

Developmental benefits of early literacy

When early childhood education supports children in developing their early literacy skills, there are many other benefits for their development, such as:

  • Brain development
  • Emotional awareness
  • Self-expression
  • Empathy
  • Multi-sensory development
  • Reasoning ability
  • Vocabulary building
  • Improved speech
  • Enhances concentration
  • Improved memory
  • A foundation for future academic success

Providing a book-positive environment

There are many ways we can incorporate books, reading and story-telling into early childhood education more. Here are a few to inspire you:

Your own library or reading space

Depending on the space available, we believe all centres should at least have a reading space or corner. This should be set up for the optimal enjoyment of books! Comfortable seats or cushions and plenty of book options to choose from.  A mini library could be wonderful if space allows.

Library excursions

A visit to the local library is a must for children. Not only are there thousands of books to browse and select from for free, there are also many fun activities run through community libraries that could work for small groups. Definitely worth investigating and planning a local library trip.

Book bags

Send a book bag home with a different child each day or week and ask children to bring in one of their favourite books to share. Children love the novelty and get to consider which story they want to have read to their peers in a different setting than usual. A simple cotton tote bag or environmental shopping bag will do the trick!

Let this World Book Day inspire you to consider the many benefits of reading in early childhood education!

Share your ideas with us on Facebook too!

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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:

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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:

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The Best Start in the New Year with the Starter Program

Do you want to start the year off right? If you’re looking for a cost-effective and practical way to get your centre on track to shine in 2018, this is it.

The Bonkers Beat Starter Program is the way forward, enabling you to complete 5 modules of training for a leading holistic early childhood education program. All from the comfort of your centre or home.

Whether you’re a centre owner or director, you’re running a family day care, or you work in occasional care, the Bonkers Beat Starter Program will empower you to run an exciting, comprehensive quality music program that will enhance your curriculum.

5 weeks to transform your approach

Throughout the 5 modules across 5 weeks, educators will learn:

  • Musical Experiences to enhance your curriculum
  • Transitional songs during daily routines
  • Art Experiences to Make Learning Visible
  • Rhymes & Musical Games to Support Children’s Social and Emotional Skills
  • Effective Documentation to Reflect on Children’s Progress

The Bonkers Beat Starter Program is based on the award-winning Bonkers Beat Music and Wellbeing programs. The approaches used in this early childhood education program have been proven over the course of a decade and are used ongoing by many centres across Australia and the world.

This training will help you to motivate educators, boost your business, strengthen your team, but most importantly, enhance children’s brain development and their multiple intelligences.

What other educators say

Here’s an example of the way you could be feeling in your centre in 2018!

Bonkers Beat Makes Children More Focused and Happy

“Since we started the Bonkers Beat program, our children are happier, more settled, and started to love music. The program helps us to develop our room routines. Our children are now more focused, active and happy. We have a new program that we are proud of and excited to share it with our parents.”

– Marwa Zeyada, Billy Bear Preschool and Long Day Care Centre

Children Enjoyed Singing, Dancing and Playing!

“Throughout the whole year children have been captivated by the Bonkers Beat Music Program. They greatly enjoyed singing the songs, dancing and playing all sorts of instruments. I would highly recommend this music program for any family day care, kindergarten or school.”

– Tatiana Petrove, Family Day Care Provider (Bayside City Council)

Starter Program for the best start!

To make your Christmas super special, we’d love to give you a 50% discount so you can access the program online at half of its price. A New Year’s resolution to make 2018 your best year ever begins with the Bonkers Beat Starter Program.

Let’s make a mark in 2018!

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Creating collaborative partnerships with parents and communities

creating collaborative partnerships

They say it takes a village, and we tend to agree. When it comes to raising children and providing a well-rounded childhood, parents, families, friends, early childhood educators and communities all play a role. To get the very best out of your village, working together and creating collaborative partnerships is a must.

The National Quality Standard emphasises the power of collaborative partnerships too: “The aim of Quality Area 6 under the National Quality Standard is to recognise that collaborative relationships with families are fundamental to achieving quality outcomes for children and those community partnerships that are based on active communication, consultation and collaboration are also essential.” (ACECQA)

There are three simple ways you can start to foster these partnerships.

1. Focus on communication

Communication is the key to beginning a solid, rewarding relationship, no matter who it involves. Encourage an open line of communication between parents and educators.

This can include posters, emails, Facebook groups, notes sent home, a welcoming space at centres and an invitation to call the centre as needed. Share ideas, feedback, concerns, reminders, invitations – you’re a team! The shared goal of educators and families is to provide children with a fantastic start in life.

2. Host fun events

Life can certainly be busy, but when something special comes up most people are willing to do their best to make it work. Don’t forget to create opportunities for families and centres to have a little fun outside of the normal day-to-day routines.

Picnic dinners are cost effective and simple. Everyone can bring a plate and share food at the local park – a great example of a family-friendly event that gets everyone together in a community-minded way.

3. Collaborate on something

At Bonkers Beat Music Kinder in Aspendale, we love getting together for a good, old-fashioned, Working Bee. We work with families on improving the centres’ environments, share a nice lunch and have a great time.

Most recently our working bee was a huge success. Educators together with families and children created a Community Garden! This was in addition to a new working bench, a teepee, landscaping, gardening and lots of tidying up of our centre’s spaces. Educators, parents and of course our clever children all worked together to create something wonderful – and that’s a collaborative partnership! Take a look at the photos of the day unfolding here.

How does your centre work on creating collaborative partnerships with parents and communities? Let us know on Facebook – we love to share ideas!

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Wellbeing and Engagement – A Valuable Relationship

engaged educators

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!

 

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Early Childhood Educators Day

Early Childhood Educators Day

We place the future of tomorrow’s leaders in the hands of early childhood educators each and every day – that’s a big responsibility! And thankfully it’s one that is viewed as a true privilege by early childhood educators. It is a job that, while rewarding, is challenging and requires a lot of patience. And it is a job that deserves more recognition and celebration than it perhaps receives.

The first Wednesday in September each year is Early Childhood Educators Day – a chance to show early childhood educators that their work is recognised, appreciated and valued. So next week on Wednesday 6 September, let’s do something special for early childhood educators.

Ways to Celebrate Early Childhood Educators Day

The Australian Childcare Alliance has many fantastic ideas to celebrate Early Childhood Educators Day.

Here are just a few:

  • Create an ECE Wall of Appreciation. Templates here. Encourage parents to help children to write down what they love about their educators. Parents might like to say what they value most about them too.
  • Colour-coordinate clothes for the day. Everyone comes to work in costume!
  • Create a giant “thank you” card for display in the reception area of the centre/kindergarten
  • Design a certificate of appreciation for each educator, or use one here.

Early childhood educators care for children during one of the most critical developmental stages in a human being’s life – the first five years. This care and focus on their early learning enable families to work as needed with the peace of mind that their children are safe and sound and receiving the best start.

To all early childhood educators, we commend you on your hard work, your kindness and your patience. And we thank you for all that you do each day.

Get involved in Early Childhood Educators Day on social media by using the hashtags:

#EarlyChildhoodEducatorsDay   #LoveMyECE

 

 

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