LINKING, WALKING AND LEARNING - rracssu

The Inclusion and Professional Support
Program is funded by the Australian
Government Department of Social Services
LINKING, WALKING AND LEARNING
RRACSSU SOUTH NEWSLETTER 2015 ISSUE: 2:2015
‘deadly support for a strong future’
Your RRACSSU Team
ISA
CONTENTS
Page 1:
 Farewell to Sonya
Jan Fleming
Sonya Johnstone
RRACSSU South News
Rick Fleming
Bronwyn Truscott
Jacki Raybould
We have some sad news—Sonya is leaving
RRACSSU.
Sonya started with RRACSSU in March, 2009 as the Admin Officer. She had a very young family and was working part
time helping establish the strong professional RRACSSU South team we are today.
Sonya became very involved in learning about early childhood. She feels strongly about educating young children,
especially the importance of growing up strong Aboriginal children. Strong in culture and able to be strong in both
worlds.
By 2011 Sonya was studying her Certificate 3 in Children’s Services and
working part time as a Project Officer. She also married her long time
partner.
As a team we learned from each other. Sonya brought her excellent
administration skills and helped Rick and I develop our skills in office
organisation, dealing with office systems and learning how to use the
computer more effectively. Sonya developed many resources to support
the quality improvement in the services.
She shared many her many experiences of
sometimes the difficulties of living in many
Coast, Canberra, Darwin, to name a few)
Within this team Sonya grew into her role
professional development and support for
life in Central Australia as an Aboriginal woman and
different places around Australia (Adelaide, Gold
with more and more confidence, providing
the many educators she connected with.
Sonya brought her own perspective to the
role and worked collaboratively with other agencies
and networks, particularly the ISA. She was a strong, positive role model for educators and an advocate for children.
We will all miss Sonya—Rick will particularly miss a colleague who appreciated the same music (ACDC and the
Rolling Stones) and many a happy driving hour was passed listening to the music. Jan will miss a close, hard working,
mutually supportive and loyal colleague.
We wish her all the best. Sonya's last
day with us will be May 1st and we
hope you join with us in wishing her
well in her ongoing and incredibly
important role as mother within her
family.
Farewell and Good Luck
Sonya!
Page 2:
 Current Childcare
updates
 What babies Learn
Page 3:
 5 Learning Outcomes –
what do they mean
Page 4:
 Children's developmentbirth—3 months
Page 5
 BBF Quality
Improvement
Workshops
Page 6:
 Events
 RRACSSU Website
 PSC Online Library
RRACSSU Central is the INDIGENOUS
PROFESSIONAL
SUPPORT UNIT (IPSU) for Central
Australia to support Aboriginal
staff in Budget Based Funded
Services.
Your local IPSU
Support Team consists
of: Jan, Sonya and Rick
RRACSSU South
C/- Batchelor Institute
PO Box 9170
Alice Springs NT 0871
Ph.: 08) 8951 8375
Fax: 08) 8951 8311
Mobile: 0412 218 212
Free call: 1800 677 095
RRACSSU South is an Indigenous
Professional Support Unit (IPSU)
and is part of the Inclusion and
Professional Support Program
(IPSP) funded by the Australian
Government Department of Education.
model would be reviewed every 3 years and closed if
What is happening in Child Care?
there are more appropriate alternatives (such as parent
Some information about the Productivity Commission
Productivity Commission Recommendations (PCR)
based playgroups) Other funding would then need to be
found.
According to a Media Release from SNAICC (Secretariat of
National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care) on 24th
BBF Services :

February, 2015 the recommendations “support the
cultural and community approaches, in order to meet
provision of diverse, culturally– appropriate services for
children that are at a higher risk of being developmentally
the NQF.

vulnerable” It is important to make sure Aboriginal families
are able to access services that will meet their children’s
needs.
would be allowed some different rules that recognize
Equipment and buildings would be able to be
interpreted according to community expectations.

Alternative localized approaches may be utilized to
achieve quality outcomes for children:
Some changes have been suggested through the PCR :
NAIDOC WEEK 2015
These changes are only suggestions –they have not yet
been accepted by the Department of Social Services.
We All Stand on Sacred

Funding for both BBF and Aboriginal Child and Family
Learn, Respect and
services should be funded through the Community Early
Celebrate
Ground:
Learning Program (CELP) a new system.


These services should develop and implement a 5 year
Aboriginal peoples unique and
Business Plan to move the service to mainstream
timeless connection to the land,
funding and become part of the National Quality
the strong spiritual and cultural
Framework (NQF).
connection to the land and sea
Services that are unable to change to a mainstream
can be told and celebrated
Looking: hold and place them so
they can see faces, movement,
lights, colours, take them outside to
see leaves blowing, people walking.
Look at books and pictures, have
different objects to look at.
Hearing: sing, talk to the baby and
each other, let them hear many
noises-dogs, cars, kids, wind
blowing, music, water running/
splashing, toys that make sounds.
BODY & WELLBEING: good
nutrition, breast milk, lots of
sleep, cuddles, love, healthy
places all help babies and their
brains grow. They grab things,
try to move their head, swallow,
look, kick their legs, wriggle.
Smelling: let the baby smell
everything (keep their noses
clean): cooking, flowers, food,
air inside and outside, animals.
Babies smell their mothers
milk and know them.
How do babies learn?
Taste: breast milk
is best but also
get them to taste
different things:
sweet, sour, salty
–explore the
sense of taste
Touch: let babies feel, touch with their fingers, their
hands, feet, skin. Give them different things to feel:
rough materials, skin, beards, sand, water, fur,
warm and cold things, wet and dry, different shapes.
Talk to babies about everything you do with them.
What are babies learning?
IDENTITY: they are safe and loved in their family,
smiling at family. Adults help them hold up their
head, reach and grab for things, they respond to
faces, voices, smells, they start to try to do things
themselves (sit up, look around) and begin to learn
about themselves and family.
CULTURE & the WORLD
around them: babies
are developing a sense
of belonging to family
and community, to
recognize different
people close to them.
THINKING/MIND: watching,
listening, smelling, touching/
feeling, tasting—feel the wind
blow, watch the leaves, grab
things, move them, explore,
make connections.
COMMUNICATION:
Listening to noises and
voices, making sounds,
crying, looking at faces,
smiling.
QA: 1.1.1: Curriculum decision making contributes to each child’s learning and development outcomes in relation to
the 5 Learning Outcomes in EYLF
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RRACSSU Central Newsletter Final for 2014
QA: 1.1.1: Curriculum decision making contributes to each child’s learning and development outcomes in relation to the 5
Learning Outcomes But what do these 5 learning outcomes mean ? –the Early Years Learning Framework have given us
some ideas (below in flower)
Children learn different things at different ages. This is because their brain and body has to grow and develop strong muscles,
pathways and memories. A new born baby cannot speak because they have to listen to the language around them and learn
what it means and how to say it. A new born baby can’t walk because their body has to grow strong bones and muscles to be
able to move and their brain has to grow to know how and why to move. Children also learn based on their experiences.
Children need lots of experiences from family child care and community for them to grow and learn.
5 Learning outcomes: these are very important because children develop holistically—this means we look at all of the child,
their health, their mental health, their speech and so on. People have said children learn in 5 areas or domains or outcomes.
In the National Quality Framework they talk about the 5 Learning Outcomes and this is how educators need to look at children
and help them learn, using the 5 learning outcomes
Mind:  Children enjoy learning and are
learning all the time : they are curious, confident
creative, committed, enthusiastic,
Mind, playing & learning,
persistent, imaginative, flexible and
confident and involved
cooperative.  Children learn to
learners—thinkers
inquire and question, to problem
Culture:  Children learn about the responsibilities
of belonging to a group (family, team, child care,
community), about their rights and others rights and
how to get along (behave).
 Children learn about
respect and differences
for themselves and
solve, experiment , research,
 Children can use what they have
explore, discover, come up with ideas learned in different ways and
Culture, living in their world, Others.
 Children learn
 Children learn themselves through
different places & contexts.
connected with and
about fairness –
many different connections with
contribute to their world
what is fair for
people, places and things.
them and others.
Language, children
 Children learn to
communicate effectively
play in a group, to get
Language:
on with others and to
 Children interact , communicate with
The Strong Child:
respect the place as
others verbally (speaking) and non verbally
Growing and Learning
well as the people.
(using signs, drawings, body language, faces)
The 5 Learning Outcomes
for many purposes and reasons.
 Children use many different ways to share
Body:
ideas with others and learn : books, drawings, art,
 Children
Body, Wellbeing,
writing, TV, DVD, music.  Children learn about
learn to trust
being happy
how pictures words, numbers and symbols
others, to
work to make meaning.
play with
 Children use their skills to find new
others and be
information and share their ideas
supported by
Spirit or Identity
and thinking.
others.
Knowing who you are
Spirit:  Children are and feel safe,
secure and supported, they are
respected, valued and have a sense of belonging.
 Children have the confidence to grow more and more
independent, to be resilient and able to do things for
themselves.  Children learn about themselves
and are proud of who they are and what they can do.
 Children learn how to get on and behave respectfully
with others, caring for others and their feelings.
 Children help others to trust them.
 Children feel good and happy about
playing and being with others.
 Children learn about what keeps their body
healthy and how to look after themselves : good
food and drink, rest, being active in many ways,
helping the muscles and the brain to grow and
develop, hygiene and cleanliness, safety,
protection from weather, when to ask for help.
RRACSSU CLIENT Feedback PROCEDURE RRACSSU welcomes your information and feedback. This helps us to give you the support, in-service
training and advice that best suits your needs. Your complaints will be dealt with in a professional, fair and timely manner. If you are
writing, faxing or emailing your complaint, please provide your postal address and telephone number. For more information regarding this
please contact the coordinator Jan Fleming (Central Region) on 8951 8376 Remember! Call us if there is anything more or something we can
do to support differently.
Free Call: 1800 677 095 Ph.: 08) 8951 8375 Fax: 08)8951 8311
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RRACSSU Central Newsletter Final for 2014
Why Do we need to know about children's development?
Because children grow and develop in similar ways, educators can watch each child and notice if they are NOT doing
something they should be dong, to notice if something might be wrong in their development.
Example a child is not holding their head up strongly in the first 3 months then there is something wrong with the child's
development and we need to get them to the clinic or doctor if a child doesn't smile after about 6 weeks old etc.
This information might help you recognize what children should be dong, looking out for things children are not doing and
some ways to involve yourself with kids to help them learn and grow.
Language :
Mind:
Eyes follow moving
objects.
Responds when hears
main carer.
Reaches for things.
Cries, laughs to
communicate. Babbles.
Responds to sounds.
Responds to loud voices.
Responds to change of
tone.
Tries to copy sounds.
Body:
Flexes and moves
fingers.
Kicks legs happily.
Turns head, eyes
follow object.
Babies 0-3 months
What we expect
babies to be able
to do : Milestones
Culture
Smiles, responds
cries to be fed, sleep.
Identity
Starts to know people.
Smiles.
Begins to engage with
Flexes fingers, kicks legs
others.
responds happily,
Cries when upset.
Looks at, explores own
body.
twinkle).
Explore different textures
with hands & feet.
Move things so they can
follow them.
Show baby different
things
Body:
Give baby things to
hold.
Lay them on tummy.
Give good food, rest,
keep them clean.
Let them kick.
Body:
Can’t hold head up
properly.
Doesn't lift head when
on tummy.
Doesn't grab things
Babies 0-3
months
When children are
NOT doing
these:
Identity:
Doesn't smile much.
Not aware of hands or
feet.
Doesn't look around
much.
Culture
Is not responding or
smiling at people, not
recognizing people.
Babies 0-3 months
Intentional
Teaching
Identity
Tickle baby, give
hugs and cuddles.
Have a good routine.
Play and laugh.
Bath, wash, change
nappy.
Page 4
Mind
Baby shows no interest
in people.
Doesn't put hand in
mouth. Doesn’t smile.
Doesn't reach for
Things.
Language :
Does not respond to
loud sounds.
Does not respond to
peoples voices.
Is passive.
Mind
Sing action songs (twinkle
Language
Talk and sing to baby.
Play music, make
sounds—shakers and
rattles.
Read books, tell stories,
show pictures.
Child Development:
Birth to 3 months
Culture:
Talk about
people /family.
Show faces, say names
Walk around house &
community. Point out
people, places things.
When you know about children’s
development you can start to
plan for them to learn and grow
QA: 1.1.1: Curriculum decision making contributes to each child’s
learning and development outcomes in relation to the 5 Learning
Outcomes.
RRACSSU Central Newsletter Final for 2014
BBF Quality Improvement Workshops
QA 7.2 states that “there is a commitment to continuous improvement”
7.2.3 “states that an effective self-assessment and quality improvement process is in place”
RRACSSU South has presented 3 two day
workshops throughout February and
March. During the workshops we provided
an opportunity for all BBF services,
managers and educators to come together
to share and increase knowledge about the
quality improvement process.
RRACSSU delivered 2 workshops in Alice Springs and one in Mutitjulu to; Central
Desert Regional Council BBF services, Barkly
Regional Council BBF services, Mutitjulu,
WYDAC, Congress, GAP OSHC and Tangentyere
BBF services.
Participants engaged in a range of
practical, fun, hands on activities as well as
some in depth reflection of the service QIP
(Quality Improvement Plan).
The main outcomes of the workshops were:

Construct an understanding the National Quality Framework and the implementation of the
continuous improvement process.

7 Quality areas, self-assessment and collection of evidence.

Reflect and explore the QIP’s.

Deconstruct the Frameworks : Principles, Practices and 5 Learning Outcomes.

Interpreting Holistic and Intentional teaching, exploring and identifying the learning and the
teaching.
BBF QI Workshops Series 2 (2 day workshops) will be held in September—look out for the invitation.
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RRACSSU Central Newsletter Final for 2014
Current Vacancy
Community Voices: Sharing Knowledge & Practice
Project Officer - Alice Springs
Check out the Batchelor Institute
Website www.batchelor.edu.au
Celebrating
Community
Voices in PERTH
W.A.
15th—17th
September
BBF Quality Improvement Workshops : Series 2
RRACSSU will be conducting 2 day cluster workshops across the NT supporting BBF Child
Care and OSCH educators and staff in all matters relating to the Quality Improvement
Process
Series 2 will begin in September and invitations should be forwarded shortly.
Please respond to us quickly with numbers of possible participants as will need to organise accommodation as a
matter of urgency
As with Series 1, For these cluster workshops RRACSSU will be covering the cost of:
 accommodation for three nights, M/T/W (Monday and Thursday being travel days)
 all workshop catering (morning + afternoon teas T/W, lunch T/W) & workshop facilitation and materials, venue
hire.
It is the service provider/ managements responsibility to provide: return travel arrangements to and from the venue
(T & Th), travel allowance s), and/or meals for Monday travel day, breakfasts T/W/Th
If you would like to discuss this further please contact Jan on 8951 8376 or Sarah on 8946 7182
http://rracssu.batchelor.edu.au/
Check out the RRACSSU Website. We are still developing
the site but we do have some great images, a calendar and
the Newsletters available.
PSC Professional Development opportunities and
workshops are on our Website Calendar
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RRACSSU Central Newsletter Final for 2014