Emma

There’s something bittersweet about transitioning from having your little one with you every waking moment to when it’s time for them to start early learning. Bitter, because you know you’ll miss them an incy-wincy bit and sweet, because you can now breathe, live, eat and exist as an adult without a dependent for at least a small portion of the day. The transition into early learning is a big step for little people so it’s very important to get the right fit. The market is saturated with options and sometimes it’s hard to know what you’re getting. Goodstart prides themselves on forming close partnerships with families and providing as much information and communication as possible to ensure that parents are informed every step of the way. Goodstart recognise that having a successful start in their centres can often come from understanding and following the routines that families follow at home. Their Storypark app also helps them to stay connected with families through daily updates and photos of each child’s learning journey. Goodstart Early Learning has nearly 50 centres across Adelaide, with six new centres scheduled to open in the coming 12 months. Their new centres aren’t ‘traditional’ childcare centres: they o er purpose built environments, such as outdoor nature playgrounds, alfresco eating and socialising hubs, kitchen gardens and a variety of environments to support the children’s learning and wellbeing. The facility has been designed with careful consideration to provide children with the opportunity to interact with their peers in shared areas and have the opportunity to learn in a variety of settings with children of different ages. A typical day for a child at Goodstart: • access to dramatic and imaginary play• sensory play• technological exploration• gross motor activities• activities to assist literacy and numeracy development• social and emotional learning• art, dance and music• excursions to visit community partner and special events in centre• rest and relaxation time• a primary educator who respects their rights and cares for their wellbeing What can parents expect from Goodstart • Flexible, long daycare hours with the convenience of our 9, 10 and 12 hour sessions• Government-approved Kindergarten program• Play-based early learning program• Qualified experienced educators and teachers• Nurturing, stimulating, indoor and outdoor learning environments• Healthy, nutritious and diverse meals created by a qualified cook including breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and a late snack.• Nappies, bedding and sunscreen• The Storypark app delivers updates and photos of your child’s learning journey direct to you throughout the day The Goodstart Difference Goodstart Port Road, Cheltenham, Centre Director, Romana Deangelis joined the early learning sector 15 years ago: What is it that sets Goodstart Early Learning apart? I’m really proud to be part of a not-for-profit social enterprise. We exist solely for the benefit of the children in our care, and the wellbeing of their families. We invest heavily in our infrastructure and sta training, but also in research to ensure we stay at the forefront of what works best to help children reach their developmental and educational potential.What’s your favourite aspect of Goodstart Port Road Cheltenham and why? The Art Studios in the Pre-Kindy and Kindergarten rooms. I have a passion for the Arts and also a background in Graphic Communication. It o ers children an amazing format to express themselves. The other area would be the outdoor alfresco Hub where children can gather together for meals,which is such a beautiful time to sit together and reflect on the day. New Centres Opening Soon! Goodstart Port Road Cheltenham, 963 Port Road, Cheltenham. Now Open Goodstart Clearview, 242-244 Hampstead Road, Clearview. Now Open Goodstar tMagill, relocating to15 Penfold Road, Magill. Now Open Goodstart Plympton, relocating to 247-251 Anzac Highway, Plympton. Open February 2019 Goodstart Blair Athol, 452-454 Main North Road, Blair Athol. Open late March 2019 GoodstartUnderdale,185 Holbrooks Road, Underdale. Coming in mid 2019 Head to their website goodstart.org.au or call 1800 222 543 to find your nearest centre and learn more about how you can join one of their happy little communities. Images by Meaghan Coles Photography 

When my son Alexander was born in July of 2017, like any new mum, I was both desperately sleep deprived and equally desperate to make sure that my precious new bubba was healthy, happy and developing well. I Googled incessantly, read all the books (cheers, Kaz Cooke, for helping me learn to laugh at my own craziness) and drove friends and family up the wall with constant questions. “Lynds, aren’t you supposed to, you know, know about this developmental stuff?” my long-suffering best friend finally asked me. You see, in addition to being the mum to the world’s most adorable little boy (my completely unbiased opinion, of course), I also happen to be a neuroscientist. And in my post-baby haze, I had completely lost sight of how much neuroscience can teach us about child development and parenting. One of the most amazing aspects of the developing brain of a child is how plastic they are- meaning that our brain function can change depending on the experiences that we have. In other words, there are a number of key windows of time when development happens in the brain regions responsible for particular functions. These periods of time are called critical periods and they represent when experience is likely to have the maximal effect for a child acquiring a particular skill or behaviour. In infancy, there is a critical period for the development of sensory functions, such as vision. As our children age into toddlerhood and early childhood, they enter the height of the critical period for motor and language development. Finally, as they continue to grow into later childhood and adolescence, they reach the height of the critical period for the development of higher cognitive functions, such as reasoning and planning. During these periods, brain cells, called neurons, in the brain regions responsible for particular behaviours form connections with one another called synapses. Mirroring the critical periods, this process first occurs in parts of the brain responsible for sensory functions, such as seeing and hearing, followed by areas important for language comprehension and production, and, finally, regions of the brain critical for higher cognitive functions, such as the prefrontal cortex. The formation of these synapses, as well as the later pruning away of unused connections in order to make the brain function more efficiently, is dependent upon the specific experiences that we have during these critical periods of time. Intriguingly, once these critical periods end, the core parts of a behaviour or skill are, for the most part, unaffected by subsequent experiences. Meaning that if our children are not exposed to appropriate stimuli during these critical periods, the behaviour may not develop normally and it may be difficult, or even impossible, to later remedy this, since the brain circuits that underlie these behaviours become less plastic. Let’s take the example of language. In order for normal language production and comprehension to develop, we need to have exposure to language from birth. So when you coo at your precious bubbas and encourage them to babble back, you’re doing more than interacting with them – you’re actually modelling language for them and helping them to develop the brain circuits that are important for this function. The brain circuits responsible for language appear to change rapidly during early life, with some researchers suggesting that the critical period for language development is the first 8-12 years of a child’s life. This was disturbingly shown by the case of a little girl named Genie, an American child born in 1957. Genie was a victim of severe neglect and social isolation until she was 13 years old. During the first 13 years of her life, she was locked alone in a dark room, was not spoken to and was discouraged from making noise. As a consequence, she never acquired language. When she was finally removed from the home, despite intensive training, she was unable to fully acquire a language. While she became quite good at nonverbal communication, acquired a significant vocabulary and learned to string two or three words together, she was unable to advance beyond this or use language in a meaningful way. While Genie’s case is extreme (and terrible), it still has given us great insights into the development of language and there are a number of lessons that parents can take from this. First, it is important to engage in conversation with your children from their very first days. Tell them about your day. Go for a walk and describe what you see along the way, pointing out the objects as you name them. Have a “conversation” and leave a pause where you are expecting your child’s response. All of these are powerful ways to encourage the development of the language circuits of the brain. Perhaps as importantly, put down the tablet and turn off the television. The Australian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years stress that there should be no time in front of a screen for young children. What’s wrong with a bit of screen time? Well, firstly, there are no proven benefits of media exposure for infants and toddlers. In fact, research looking at TV exposure has shown that early screen exposure can lead to language delays. Even high levels of exposure to background TV can negatively affect language use and acquisition, as well as attention and other aspects of cognitive function. When children are in front of a screen, they are not engaging either in face-to-face interaction, which minimises critical exposure to language and social skills, or in play, a key way that children learn. And more concerningly, we still don’t fully understand what effects the bright, flashing lights or noise of a screen can have on developing visual and hearing circuits. Just like with language, parents can also learn lessons from the other critical periods. For example, during infancy, it is important to surround children with bold, bright colours and other visual stimuli, in order to encourage maximal development of vision. Similar lessons apply to the other

As SA’s Commissioner for Children and Young People I think I have hands down, the best job. I get to listen to kids across our beautiful state from the city to small country towns and hear their amazing insights into what is happening in their lives and the wisdom of the solutions they have to things that perhaps aren’t working so well. Every day is different but a typical week involves having conversations with children, writing speeches, presenting at conferences, letter writing, meetings and speaking with my staff and administration. Since taking up the position in 2017 I have focused on getting out and meeting as many of our children and young people as I can. Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) recognises that all children and young people have rights and should respect the rights of others. It is one of my favourites as it highlights children have the right to have a say in their own lives. I take this seriously and make every effort to listen to as many young people as possible. I meet them in settings they are most comfortable in, where they feel they can share their views and thoughts honestly and openly. I also try to reach those who may not always get a say or who are not used to having their voices heard due to their personal situations or geographical locations. Whilst I’m obviously not the only person who regularly consults directly with children, it’s fair to say that I’m the only person with a law that says I should. When young children ask me why I go out and talk to them, I tell them it’s not only because I like doing it but because they are my boss so I need to ask them what they need. This usually leads to requests for later bed time or no chores, but it does make them think about my role. Meeting face-to-face and listening is an important part of what I do, it’s what SA children said they wanted their Commissioner to do; take them seriously, stand up for them and educate adults about their rights and needs. The general consensus is that they’re happy, active and feel respected by adults, they value learning, their family, pets, friends and participating in their communities. However, the main struggles facing young people in this state, centre around mental health concerns, not feeling included, financially secure or prepared for the future. Parents and caregivers have a huge part to play in raising strong, resilient children and this starts by being present and listening. A consistent takeaway from my interactions is that family relationships have enormous impact on their lives; they want parents to listen, be role models, talk to them, show interest in their lives and realise that life is different for kids today. My vision is for SA to be a place where the wellbeing and development of our children is a community priority with their best interests front and centre in our thoughts and actions. SA children have informed my strategic agenda for the next four years, they are the reason I have completed a report into bullying which came about because children told me (on my Listening Tour) they wanted me to do something about it. Next year I will embark on a major study and report into what children think about poverty – again, the direction my work takes has been informed and influenced by children. I will be reporting back to the children of SA in my annual report. I’m sending a poster report to all schools in SA, so they know what I’ve been doing in their name. Helen Connolly became South Australia’s first Commissioner for Children and Young People in April 2017. Throughout her career, Helen has taken an active advocacy role on the main policy issues that impact the wellbeing of Australian families and children, with a strong focus on early intervention and prevention strategies. Helen lives in Adelaide and has five adult children. If you’re a child, young person or parent and there’s something you think I should be doing to make things better for the lives of kids in SA, please get in touch! commissionerCYP@sa.gov.au

The new Paisley Park Early Learning Centre Hallett Cove is throwing open its doors on this Saturday 12th January to host a Community Fun Day for local families looking for quality childcare. Built on 30 years’ experience, Paisley Park provides leading education and childcare with pioneering state-of-the-art facilities. Paisley Park food consultant and leading international chef from Network Ten’s The Living Room, Miguel Maestre, will be making a special guest appearance to cook and educate families around how to introduce fresh, healthy ingredients into children’s meal times. As Paisley Park’s Food Advisor, Miguel Maestre creates seasonal menus for the organisation’s centres nationally. Through this partnership, Miguel will work with Hallett Cove’s onsite chef to create menus that are both nutritious and appealing to children, using fresh produce from local suppliers, as well as the centres vegetable garden. With one quarter of Australian children being overweight or obese, Miguel and Paisley Park are hoping to lead the fight against childhood obesity in Australia, instilling healthy eating habits in children and inspiring a love of cooking. Close to half of Australian parents believe poor food choices are caused by a lack of education and 9 in 10 support schools doing more to promote a healthy lifestyle[1], Paisley Park is committed to the fight by teaching children healthy eating choices from a young age, before primary school. Bringing a meticulous approach to childcare with state-of-the-art facilities for children, Paisley Park will open five centres in Adelaide within the next six months including, Hallett Cove, Mt Barker, Port Adelaide, Royal Parkand Oatlands Park. The childcare brand is offering a standard of centres that other states in Australia already enjoy, delivering unique design, flow, learning curriculum and food philosophy. Opening in a beautifully converted heritage listed house, Hallett Cove is conveniently located between Hallett Cove East Primary School and Lonsdale Rd, its location provides easy pick-ups and drop-offs. At the Community Fun Day, families and local community members will have the opportunity to meet Centre Director, Karen, and the experienced team of caring and passionate Educators. The team of Educators will be on hand to conduct tours of the centre’s new facilities including the discovery nature trail, friendly family pets, vegetable gardens and exciting outdoor playground space, whilst children and parents enjoy sampling the centre’s new summer menu, developed by Miguel. Prospective families attending the Community Fun Day can also take part in several activities including face painting, jumping castle and many more! Paisley Park Hallett Cove will open its doors in early January 2019 catering for children from 6 weeks to 6 years and offering extended hours from 6.30am – 6.30pm. Talking about the Centre, Co-Founder Kat Wieczorek-Ghisso says, “We are excited to be part of the Hallett Cove community providing quality childcare in Adelaide’s southern suburbs. We welcome the community to experience Paisley Park, a place inspired by children’s curiosity and their natural love for learning. An environment where children believe in themselves and know they can achieve anything imaginable. As a founder led business based on extensive knowledge of early learning, we choose to do things differently. We invite you to come and see these differences for yourself.” Community Fun Day Details for Paisley Park Hallett Cove Date: Saturday 12th JanuaryTime: 10.00am – 2.00pmAddress: 49-51 Vennachar Drive, Hallett CoveActivities: 11.00am: Info session “Tips on developing healthy eating habits at an early age’’ with Paisley Park Co-Founder Kat and Miguel Maestre12.00noon: Opportunity to cook lunch with Miguel Maestre1.30pm: Opportunity to cook and enjoy afternoon tea with Miguel10.00am – 2.00pm: Enjoy refreshments and children’s activities10.00am – 2.00pm: Tours hosted by Paisley Park Founders and the team Paisley Park Hallett Cove Centre Facts: – Quality care for children aged 6 weeks to 6 years– Extended opening hours: 6.30am to 6.30pm– Paisley Park is conveniently located between Hallett Cove East Primary School and Lonsdale Rd, making for easy pick-ups and drop-offs.– Exciting playgrounds and discovery areas, family pets and vegetable gardens– Natural, homelike environments where children explore conformably in familiar surroundings.– Healthy and delicious meals prepared daily by our on-site chef using only fresh, local produce. For more information call 1800 PAISLEY (1800 724 753) paisleypark.com.au

Ladies, we must remember how important it is to get checked, finding cancer early improves your chances of successful treatment and long-term survival. Regular mammograms can reduce your risk of breast cancer death by 25%. BreastScreen SA’s mobile screening unit is visiting the Adelaide Showgrounds at Wayville to provide free breast cancer screening (breast X-rays) for around 200 local women. Invite your girlfriends to brunch and follow it with a trip along to your free screening. Screening appointments will commence on Tuesday 8 January 2019 and conclude on Friday 11 January 2019, with the mobile screening unit located in the Wayville Showgrounds under the Stratco shelter at the western end of the Stirling Angas Hall, opposite the CWA building. BreastScreen SA Promotions and Education Manager, Hannah Spackman, said the two biggest risk factors for breast cancer are being a woman and being over 50. “Further, nine out of ten women who get breast cancer have no family history of this disease,” Ms Spackman said. “While breast cancer cannot be prevented, the best way to detect it early is by having a screening mammogram every two years. Screening mammograms can detect most breast cancers, including some too small to be felt.” The earlier a breast cancer is found, the more chance a woman has of successful treatment. “At BreastScreen SA, each woman’s X-rays are read by two, independent radiologists and the results are posted within 14 days,” Ms Spackman said. “Most women are then reassured that their mammogram shows no evidence of breast cancer.” “One breast screen is not enough to last a lifetime. It takes just 10 minutes, and it could save your life,” said Ms Spackman. “If you’re a woman aged 50 to 74, have a breast screen every two years on the mobile screening unit while it’s visiting the Wayville area.” Appointments can be made by calling BreastScreen SA on 13 20 50, or women can visit the website at breastscreensa.sa.gov.au to find out more about breast cancer screening. BreastScreen SA