Educate

The Pantry Project

The Department for Education has been in lockstep with our senior health officials from the outset of this COVID-19 pandemic. We have, and will continue to follow their advice when making decisions that affect our schools, preschools and early childhood settings. The health and wellbeing of our staff and students is our top priority. Advice from SA Health and Australia’s expert health body, AHPPC, remains unchanged. Schools, preschools and early childhood facilities are low risk environments for COVID-19, and should remain open. With the current low rates of infection in South Australia, we are encouraging students to return to school for term 2. Parents and carers can choose to send their children to school, preschool or childcare, and feel confident that they are not placing their children at increased risk of COVID-19. South Australia’s Chief Public Health Officer, Professor Nicola Spurrier, has taken the time to write to you and to the parents of your students. She asked me to ensure you all receive this letter from her – please see attached. Leaders, please pass the parent letter and accompanying infographic onto parents as soon as possible, also attached. Of course, we will continue to respect the preferences of parents. If they don’t feel comfortable sending their children to school or preschool for whatever reason, they won’t be obliged to. Please continue your remote learning offering for students learning from home during this time. This will be particularly important for children and young people with medical conditions who may be more vulnerable to COVID-19. As we begin the transition from more students learning at home to more students learning in the classroom, I know there will be a period of adjustment. We had planned for the opposite. The start of term 2 won’t be seamless and that’s ok. All of you – our leaders, teachers, early years educators and school support staff will, as always, handle the situation superbly and continue to guide our students through these changes. I have every confidence in you and your teams. You are doing brilliantly through this very difficult time. While schools are low risk environments for COVID-19, there are measures we will continue to take to further reduce the risk of transmission. The department will maintain increased cleaning schedules at all sites, and will centrally source hygiene products such as hand soap, sanitiser and tissues for those sites who can’t source supplies through their usual means. Thank you again for your continued professionalism during such a difficult time, and for your agility as we quickly adjust against the settings of this pandemic to support our students. You’re doing a brilliant job. Best,Rick

Welcome to Windmill at Home. A new online platform that hopes to bring a little bit of Windmill joy into your home. Windmill believe that good stories bring people together and can make even the darkest days brighter. They have worked closely with their wonderful team of artists and creatives to share some of your favourite stories in a whole new way. There is a whole suite of stories with Grug, a collection of hands-on activities and interactive (and award-winning) digital experiences. Windmill will be back onstage as soon as they can. For now, find them here and on your screens! A message from Artistic Director Rose The amazing thing about artists is their boundless creativity. When faced with the prospect not being onstage for a little while, our incredible family of creatives at Windmill took it as a challenge. We asked, ‘how does Windmill tell stories in the digital space?’ The answer is Windmill at Home. A suite of digital experiences, content and activities that bring some of our favourite characters, stories and faces into your home. We’ve worked with artists to revisit some of our best friends, including Grug and Beep, to reinvigorate some of our digital experiences and interactive journeys and have created exciting ways to get people young and old up, moving, building and creating We hope this little bit of Windmill will inspire you, fascinate you and make you smile. With lots of love (from a safe social distance), Rose Here are some of the stories to choose from:  WATCH HERE 

As every teacher will assert, self-regulation is the key to optimal learning; it helps kids tune in, stay focussed and be ready to learn. But what if your child isn’t wired this way? For many children, self-regulation is hard to master, but for kids on the autism spectrum, it can seem insurmountable, singling them out and creating barriers to their learning. Now, occupational therapy and paediatric experts at the University of South Australia are working to ensure all children have the best opportunities to succeed at school, through a new research project that will deliver best practices to support school-aged children to self-regulate in class. Autism is a lifelong developmental disorder which affects how a person communicates, behaves and relates to other people. Globally, one in 160 children has an autism spectrum disorder, with current ABS statistics recording more than 205,200 Australians with the condition. Experienced occupational therapist and UniSA Masters of Research candidate, Judith Merritt says the new research hopes to generate inclusive knowledge that can be applied in all mainstream classrooms. “Many programs that aim to help kids with self-regulation difficulties tend to do this outside of the classroom in order to provide support separately from their peers,” Merritt says. “While this approach is provided with the best interests of the child, we believe that an integrated approach to self-regulation is far more beneficial, helping to strengthen self-regulation behaviours in the child’s familiar learning spaces. “When kids miss out on what their class is doing, whether that be from not paying attention or through therapies and programs that are designed to help, the child still feels like they don’t fully belong. They’re still separated from their friends and may struggle to re-join a class post a therapy session, and this is particularly common for kids with autism or ADHD.” UniSA’s new research project will explore the self-regulation of all children in mainstream classrooms, including those with ASD and other learning difficulties. It will assess the impact of self-regulation issues, teacher preparedness to support children’s self-regulation, and any barriers to implementation. The end result will be documented strategies for teachers and facilitators to use in their classrooms. But with face-to-face classroom education on hold for the unforeseeable future, Paediatric expert and supervising researcher, UniSA’s Dr Kobie Boshoff says parents of children with autism will face additional challenges as their child adjusts to life and school at home. “Kids with autism tend to struggle with change, so the uncertainty presented by Covid-19 may make them feel even more anxious as they worry about the impact of the virus on themselves, their family and their friends,” Dr Boshoff says. “This disruption to normal routines, such as not going to school and lack of normal face-to-face support from therapy providers will add to their apprehension and this in turn makes them less likely to focus or learn well.” Merritt says there are a range of recommendations for parents as they navigate home schooling: Explain the situation but stay positive: use clear language and perhaps a social story to explain the virus and social isolation. Talk about feelings – yours and your child’s – but be hopeful and positive to reassure your child and allay any concerns. Manage your expectations: you’re (probably) not a teacher so don’t expect to keep your child engaged with learning for seven lessons a day, five days a week. Keeping connected with school and doing some learning activities is a clear win in this unique situation. Set up a routine: a balanced routine that includes learning, self-care activities (eating, drinking, exercise, rest) and leisure (playing, doing fun things) will help your child understand their new daily schedule. Create a ‘Goldilocks’ learning space: not too distracting, not too boring, a just-right learning space for your child is a must-have. This may be away from the living room where the main screen is, or in a quiet corner of the house. Expect the fidgets: some children need to fiddle, wriggle or make sounds to help them focus – don’t expect them to sit perfectly still and quiet for their home activities. A break to do some ‘heavy work’ (jumping, pushing, pulling) before refocusing on tabletop activities can help. Problem solve with empathy and logic: when your child becomes frustrated validate their feelings and try to logically solve the problem together (“I see you’re cross because the pencil broke, and you were nearly finished your sheet. I wonder if you were pressing too hard? What can we do now?”). Connect with teachers: working with teachers and online service providers will help you and your child to stay in touch with classmates and families and gain valuable support. Give specific and positive reinforcement: specific acknowledgement of a job well done can help boost your child’s self-esteem and see returns from their hard efforts (“You did that whole page, great work!”). Also use first-then strategies (“First do a page of your workbook by yourself, then we can go on the trampoline outside together”) this will help with your child’s motivation.“Finding a way to best support all children’s abilities to self-regulate – especially those that struggle – is essential if we are to maximise the potential of the next generation.” Information provided by UniSA 

Child mental health experts urge parents to talk to children about coronavirus Children are not immune to the community fear and anxiety caused by COVID-19 and require nurturing and reassurance to support their emotional wellbeing over the coming months, says infant and child mental health advocate, Emerging Minds. Emerging Minds is urging Australian parents to consider the impact that coronavirus reactions and prevention measures may be having on their children, and acknowledge their concerns. “Children’s daily lives are quickly changing, they’re being asked to wash their hands more than ever before, keep a safe distance from others, stay away from grandparents in aged care, and are seeing school camps, outings and sport cancelled,” said Emerging Minds Director Brad Morgan. “As adults we have the potential to make sense of these necessary measures and distil facts from speculation, but our children don’t have that capacity.” Mr Morgan said it was important for parents to have regular, open and honest conversations starting with open questions about what children are feeling and what they’re seeing and hearing. “Children are naturally inquisitive so it’s important that parents create opportunities for them to ask questions,” he said. “Parents should answer honestly but also in hopeful and positive ways to avoid worsening their child’s concerns. The level of detail they provide will vary depending on their child’s age and psychological and emotional maturity. “Parents should ensure that they are using reliable sources of information about COVID-19, any misinformation their children have should be corrected, and they should discuss the measures being taken by the government, the community and what they can do as a family to help prevent the virus spreading. Adults also need to be conscious of their own emotions, Mr Morgan says, as children are very sensitive to changes in their parent, teacher or caregiver’s mood and behaviours. “Children are often reluctant to share their own concerns if they think they will upset the adults they rely on,” he said. “This leaves them to manage their fears and feelings on their own. “But with positive, open interaction with trusted adults, children can work through their feelings and avoid becoming distressed, which can lead to them becoming anxious and experiencing emotional and behavioural issues.” Emerging Minds has these tips on how parents can help their children understand the virus:• Create time and space on a regular basis for children to ask questions, but don’t force them to talk if they don’t want to• Maintain routines as you find a ‘new’ family rhythm – with sport and other activities being cancelled, maintain as many other routines and rituals as possible• Celebrate newfound free time created by cancelled events to make new family experiences, such as daily walks, eating dinner together, or extra stories at bedtime – things you may not normally have fitted into busier daily routines• Be conscious of how you talk about COVID-19 – don’t be flippant or catastrophise• Communicate hope by talking about the actions that are being taken to prepare, to stay safeand to recover. Talk to children about what is happening in the community, what you’redoing at home and ways that they can help• Limit your child’s exposure to media coverage about COVID-19 – sit with them to explainwhat’s happening and how it affects you• Make sure you are using reliable sources of information such as the Department of Health(https://www.health.gov.au), Health Direct (https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/coronavirus) and UNICEF (https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/covid-19). Correct any misinformation your child may receive• Provide comfort, reassurance and support if they’re upset or feeling scared• Give young children time to play – it’s time they use to work through their feelings• Set up some of your own rituals around how to avoid being distracted by your phone orother devices when you are talking, playing or spending time with your children (some parents find it helps to turn their devices on silent or off, and put them in another room when they are playing with their children so that they aren’t tempted to regularly check in or distracted when alerts pop up)• Find ways to keep children connected with loved ones that might be unable to be close to them due to self-isolation, work or illness, such as video calls• Before you start a conversation with your child, check in with yourself. Are you ready to talk about this? Are you prepared for questions that might come? Do you have enough accurate information? And importantly, do you have your own worries, concerns or anxiety about these events? Information provided by Emerging Minds Emerging Minds is dedicated to advancing the mental health and emotional wellbeing of Australian infants, children, adolescents and their families. The organisation leads the National Workforce Centre for Child Mental Health. Emerging Minds develops mental health policy, services, interventions, training, programs and resources in response to the needs of professionals, children and their families. We partner with family members, national and international organisations to implement evidence-based practice into the Australian context. Our resources are freely available at www.emergingminds.com.au. The National Workforce Centre for Child Mental Health is funded by the Australian Government’s Department of Health under the National Support for Child and Youth Mental Health Program.

The best thing about running late for my column deadline this edition is that I’ve been able to put a hold on all things body image (for now) and instead focus on a real pressing issue – the Coronavirus. It feels so surreal, doesn’t it? Just a month ago everything was relatively normal, 2020 started with a bang, we had the Tour Down Under, then Superloops, the Fringe and now…. social distancing. Social distancing is a phrase I’ve never even used in my life and before I could blink at my son’s soccer match the kids were tapping shoes instead of the standard handshake at the end of the game, weddings were cancelled, flights were grounded and the toilet paper saga began. When it all got a bit crazy in those first few days I rang a friend of mine and called an emergency coffee meeting at Trouble and Strife. I confided in her I was feeling something that most people weren’t – I was feeling optimistic. Now, big disclaimer before I go on, I’m not an asshole. Of course I feel devastated for people losing their jobs and all of the small businesses closing down. I feel deep sadness for the lives lost and all of the sick people. But, for the planet I feel nothing but joy. Planet earth is getting a break from us, fish are swimming in crystal clear water in Venice, the swans have returned to the canals and if this sounds too feel-good Disney Movie like, data from the European Space Agency’s satellite, which measures concentrations of greenhouse gases and pollutants in the atmosphere, shows that since the beginning of the outbreak, concentrations of nitrogen dioxide over Italy fell drastically. So basically the Coronavirus seems to be working for Mother Nature, not so much for us – or is it? It’s hard to not get caught up in the hysteria of it all but I think we all need to make a choice about the lens we’ll view this situation with. The virus is here to stay for the foreseeable future, so perhaps we could use this time to reflect, learn, grow and reset. Did we take too much? Did we put up our fences too high? Did we put more importance on our phones, likes and influencers than the marginalised, vulnerable or even our family? We can’t high five, but we can high vibe and these times call for an expansion of heart and mind. Choose to see the beauty amongst the chaos. Love Taryn x In this perceived moment of bleakness we want to be the beacon of love, light and hope. The Body Image Movement team in collaboration with leaders from around the world have created an online resource called TheResetSummit.com, designed specifically to support you through the Coronavirus pandemic. We cover subjects including “The power of Optimism” , ‘Connecting in isolation’, ‘Mum life in lock down’ and we’ll teach you how to meditate and breathe (you’re going to need that over the coming months) how to declutter your home (there’s no excuse now!) and how to move your body, nourish your soul and RESET your life to so when this is all over, you’ll come out firing and READY! Head to theresetsummit.com

New SA Gov Central Website To Support Home Learning Students in South Australian schools now have access to modern online learning resources to support their education at home, as part of the Government’s strong response to the significant challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. Education Minister John Gardner said the centralised Our Learning SA website will support students, teachers and families by complementing their classroom education – through access to curated curriculum resources across all learning areas that are taught in Australian schools and preschools. The new easy-to-use website supports:• continued learning between school and home;• students with opportunities to work independently;• parents and caregivers – with resources and guidance to support learning at home; and• teachers – with resources to support them in teaching the Australian curriculum. “During this unprecedented and challenging time, we will do whatever we can to ensure young South Australians continue to thrive in their education with a learning programme that is engaging, meaningful and accessible,” said Minister Gardner “Our Learning SA is an important tool that will offer greater flexibility for students, schools and families and complements the learning resources teachers already have in place to ensure continuity of learning between home and school. “With a strong focus on literacy and numeracy across every curriculum area, the resource guides parents and families on the ways to support children with their home learning. “It provides students with meaningful classwork, developed by expert teachers, and any South Australian teacher or family is able to use this resource. “Some schools already have their own systems in place to support learning at home. This new platform complements the offering at those schools, while also being available to support all schools who may not be so advanced.” Our Learning SA has been launched after testing with leaders, teachers and parents and resources will continue to be added over time. For more information visit education.sa.gov.au/ourlearningsa.

Lifeblood is asking breastfeeding mums in Sydney and Adelaide to consider becoming milk donors to help some of the country’s most vulnerable babies. “We are looking for mums who have an excess supply of breast milk, and whose babies are less than a year old, to consider registering as milk donors,” says Lifeblood Milk’s Chris Sulfaro. Lifeblood Milk provides on demand, donated breast milk to 11 neonatal intensive care units in New South Wales, South Australia and Townsville. The milk is fed to premature babies born at less than 32 weeks gestation, and/or weighing less than 1500 grams. “Premature babies face significant health challenges, and the World Health Organisation recommends feeding these tiny babies breast milk, as it may help reduce some of these risks,” Mrs Sulfaro says. “A mother’s own milk may not always be available or limited. Having donated breast milk available gives parents more options. “While we have a number of fabulous and dedicated donors on our register, unlike blood, milk donors can only give milk for a relatively short period of time – until their own baby is 12 months old. “We are currently looking for 50 new milk donors from the Sydney or Adelaide metropolitan areas to add to our current roster.” Donors undergo extensive screening before milk is collected, tested and pasteurised by Lifeblood at its Sydney Processing Centre. To make it easier for these mums, our donors express, freeze and store their breast milk in their own home. “If you’re interested in becoming a donor, you can register at lifeblood.com.au. Follow the links to Lifeblood Milk and we will give you a call,” says Mrs Sulfaro. Australian Red Cross Lifeblood launched Lifeblood Milk in late 2018 as part of its plan to make a greater contribution to healthcare, by helping some of the country’s most vulnerable babies. Since its launch, Lifeblood Milk has distributed more than 2,130 litres of donated breast milk to 11 NICUs, helping to feed more than 700 babies. Mother of three Belinda Mullins turned to Lifeblood Milk five weeks ago when her daughter Emilia arrived at 32 weeks. She says: “As a mother of two other children I knew my supply would take some work to get to an adequate amount as it had in the past without the added difficulties of a premature birth. Knowing our baby was receiving all the goodies in donor breast milk allowed my body to recover and begin producing breast milk without all the added stress and worry, as we already had enough of that being in NICU. We will be forever grateful.” For more information go to milkbank.com.au.

By Amy Graham  This summer, you might be preparing for your child to start school or move into a new class. This can lead to a mix of feelings: excitement, sadness, trepidation, uncertainty. I could swear it is harder for the mums and dads than the kids! But did you know there is so much you can do as a parent to help your child navigate this transition successfully and chances are, it is simpler than you might think. And no, it doesn’t involve flashcards, Jolly Phonics or tutoring. Nothing in the research says that children benefit from flashy, expensive toys or that the activities have to be academically orientated. In fact, the greatest gains are experienced by children who have a wide range of toys and learning materials to explore, opportunities to play with a warm and engaging parent and talk about what is taking place, and a rich and diverse range of experiences out of the home. As parents, we are a child’s first and forever teacher. I know this, both as a parent of three children but also as an educational researcher. We have so much rich knowledge about our child and have taught them since birth, even in nuanced ways. My research explored the tremendous contributions that parents make to helping a child succeed at school, both through their positive and encouraging beliefs and their enriching and diverse preparation behaviours. It reinforced my belief that parents really do matter and they are a crucial partner in a child’s learning. Fundamentally, on every measure, children experience greater success when they have engaged parents. Parental engagement has emerged as the new benchmark to forecast children’s educational outcomes. Some research concludes that parental engagement is the most effective factor in a student’s educational success, over and above factors within the child or school. But it is not a single behaviour, expectation or aspiration by parents that makes the difference nor is it a perfect formula. Rather, it is about communicating the overall message to your child that education matters and that you have high expectations for them. This can be done through simple conversations, where parents and children are positively discussing school and what they can expect in the new environment. It is also about parents spending time with a child to support their learning. If your child is starting school for the first time, and has not attended childcare or an early learning centre, this transition could be more pronounced. My research showed that stay-at-home parents engaged in more behavioural preparation in the year before starting school, than those children who attended childcare services. This could be because parents assume the necessary skills and attributes that are needed to successfully transition to school are taught in these settings, or it could be that working parents are especially time-poor. So what can you do? Pay close attention to your child’s social skills and self-regulation: traits which are often developed more in the social environments of early learning and care. It may be that you could arrange a play date with a friend of your child’s from kindergarten that they will be attending school with, play board games that encourage turn-taking (and modelling how to be a ‘good’ loser) or teach mindfulness to your child. How can parents support their child’s learning at home? · Read to and with your child. Parents in my study were doing this far more than any other preparation activity, and it is a great way to bond and develop an early love of literacy. A recent study found parents who read one book a day with their child are giving their child a 1.4 million-word advantage over their peers who have never been read to. · Spend time playing with your child and show an interest in what they are doing. · Facilitate a range of experiences, both in and out of the home. What can we do to make the transition easier for children? · Make sure they are familiar with the environment in a fun, non-threatening way. Visit the school playground in the holidays, make sure they know where the toilets are and arrive early to show them where to go and where you will be at the end of the day. · In the months leading up to starting school, try to work on your child’s self-care and independence. Ensure they can ask for help if they need, toilet independently, open containers and lunchboxes, and know how to behave in a group. · Save your tears for the car ride home. Kids need to see that you are excited, proud and confident that they will love all that school has to offer.

Whether it’s driving your little ones to kindy, grocery shopping, or adventuring to the playground, you always want to know your kiddos are safe! New parents can often feel overwhelmed when it comes to important things like car seat selection, installation and proper usage. Key questions regularly posed to the Red Cross Baby Seats team indicate that many parents have similar concerns and a common one is; When can I move my child to the next car seat? Babies travel safest in a rear-facing car seat, and are best to stay travelling in that format, until they outgrow the particular car seat in use. This may be until they are two to three years old. Children should stay rear-facing for as long as possible. As your child grows, it may appear that there is no room for their legs, but this is a minor consideration as rear-facing is still the safest position for them to travel. You should only move your child to a forward-facing safety seat, incorporating an in-built harness, when the maximum height requirement on your rear-facing restraint is reached. The Red Cross Baby Seats team has been offering a professional fitting and checking service to South Australian families, local and international visitors, for over 40 years ensuring their capsules, carriers and car seats are fitted correctly. The team consists of staff and volunteers dedicated to maintaining the safety of children in cars. For more information on how the Red Cross could assist you, please call them at 08 8443 9700. Opening hours: Monday – Friday 9am until 5pm. Closed on weekends and public holidays. redcross.org.au

In a world-wide first, South Australian owned and operated legal firm Cavalier Legal has today launched an initiative leading up to Christmas to teach kids about the effects and prevention of bullying and cyberbullying using an online Advent Calendar. The initiative, called Kind Minds, is an online platform created to find innovative ways to teach kids to be more aware and vigilant about bullying and cyberbullying. Cavalier Legal Principal Solicitor and Kindminds.com founder Carmine Alvaro, said: “Simply by accessing the website www.kindminds.com.au every day in December and clicking on the corresponding date on the advent calendar, children will uncover a brief fact or suggestion about bullying and cyberbullying and how to deal with it.” Users of the website will then be able to spin a virtual wheel for a chance to win one of over 25 prizes on offer each of the 24 days of the Advent Calendar. Mr Alvaro said: “The purpose of the initiative was to find a new and fun way to get kids to want to learn more about bullying and cyberbullying, why it is happening, and how to prevent it. “There are already some great resources available, both online and at schools, and so this is simply a way to incentivise them to learn more about the issues and why they should use those resources.” The brief facts and suggestions offered in the calendar range from explaining what bullying and cyberbullying may look like, offering “Bullying Hacks” being ideas on how to deal with bullying if it is occurring and providing links to other online resources which offer support to kids dealing with these issues. The website is currently being promoted and offered to students of select schools around the state including Salisbury High School and Christian Brothers College but anyone can access it. Mr Alvaro said: “For this introductory year, all of the prizes have been donated by Cavalier Legal. However, we hope that with the success of this year’s initiative we can grow the idea and that next year we will have more companies willing to donate prizes and be a part of the initiative, so that in-turn more kids will also be incentivised to log on.” Prizes include vouchers to use at Amazon and Dymocks, as well as monthly subscriptions for Spotify and Apple Music. On Christmas eve, if all of the days leading up to that date on the calendar have been completed by the user, they will also have the chance to win a $100 gift voucher to use at the Beachouse in Glenelg. Mr Alvaro said: “There are so many kids and parents who are dealing day-by-day with how devastating bullying can be, as well as its long-term effects. “Lately, we have heard quite a lot about the changing and strengthening of laws surrounding bullying, and cyberbullying in particular, to keep up with modern technologies. Following the tragic suicide death of 14-year-old Amy “Dolly” Everett in January 2018 due to cyberbullying, there was a call for review of South Australian anti-bullying laws last year. However, the Statutes Amendment (Bullying) Bill 2017, introduced into the South Australian Legislative Council in late September 2017, remains unimplemented by South Australia’s parliament. “It is clearly an issue that our government bodies and the legal industry take seriously and hopefully the appropriate action for its prevention continues to be discussed.” “Kind Minds offers a way to take a step back and allow kids to be more engaged and aware about these important issues and how to prevent it from occurring from a young age, while also incorporating the spirit of Christmas and the excitement of winning a prize.” @kindmindskindminds.com.au#kindminds

Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen Connolly has today announced key outcomes of her ‘Learn to Speak Robot’ Commissioner’s Digital Challenge. Participation was robust with an estimated 19,026 South Australian children completing the Challenge in its inaugural year. This figure represents 217 public and independent schools and 31 public libraries around the State, and equates to approximately one third of primary and combined schools. Of these, 27% of the overall number of participants came from regional schools with 23% from South Australia’s remote area schools. The vast majority of schools are expected to register for the Challenge again in 2020 with positive feedback received from students who participated (see a selection of children’s testimonials below). Adelaide’s Thorndon Park Primary School were chosen as recipients of the major digital reward – a new school website donated by project supporters EWS – when one of their students had this to say about their experience: “Although I wasn’t that interested in things like coding at first, experimenting with Grok and Code.org has made me insanely interested in a future of technology and even an education career in it. So, thank you!” The Commissioner’s Digital Challenge is not a competition, but is designed to encourage children of all ages in South Australia to increase their uptake of digital skills. It is made available FREE to schools, community groups, libraries and families via a dedicated website (commissionersdigitalchallenge.net.au) where hundreds of digital activities curated with input from some of Australia’s (and the world’s) leading digital industry players can be accessed with ease. They include activities from Microsoft’s MakeCode, Code.org’s Hour of Code, Grok Learning, Digital Technologies Hub, CS Unplugged and Code Club Australia. Digital rewards donated by Microsoft, JB HI-FI Solutions, Grok Learning, Advanced Technology Project and Thinkfun Games were awarded to schools and libraries submitting the best testimonials. Strong support for the Challenge has also been provided by Girl Guides, Scouts, Children’s University Adelaide, Public Library Services SA, EdTechSA, the Australian Computing Academy and the Computer Science Education Research Group. ‘Learn to Speak Robot’ re-opens on Day 1 of Term 1 in 2020, at which time the second challenge in the series will also be launched; a Mars-themed design thinking challenge called ‘Space to Dream’. ‘Space to Dream’ is designed to encourage children to ‘lean in’ to their innate creativity and limitless potential. In 2021, the Challenge will expand to include systems thinking, digital literacy and digital citizenship components, with these programs being developed hand in glove with industry to ensure relevance to technological changes and advancements occurring in real time. Details of which SA schools received Digital Challenge rewards: commissionersdigitalchallenge.net.au/digital-thinking/schools-winners/

A life-cycle story aimed at the very young and also those much older. Renowned author Mem Fox and illustrator Freya Blackwood have created this touching and charming story about the journey of life to help our little ones grasp the notion of loss. We asked Mem Fox a few questions to get an insight into the thought process behind her newest book: What inspired you to write this book? I bonded with my grandson the day after he was born. He was premature and was in hospital for the first three months of his life, so he was in a fixed place and couldn’t escape my loving attention, my songs, my reading aloud, and my endless chatter.But it was when he was about three that I came to realise the strength of our bond and I was alarmed about the future. No one in my acquaintance died until I was 38 when a friend died of a heart attack. None of my close friends has died even now, and I’m 73. My parents lived till their very late 80s, and although I was distraught each time, it was time for them both to die, given their dementia. Grief struck me hard when my younger sister died two years ago, but given her circumstances also, there was a sense of relief, for her sake.I didn’t know my own grandparents because I’d grown up in a different country, so their deaths left me unmoved, except for the death of my paternal grandfather, whom I re-met when I came back to Australia. I grew to love him when he was in his 90s and I was in my early 20s, but I didn’t have a bond with him when I was a child.My grandson will experience the death of my husband and me perhaps within the next ten years. The grief doesn’t bear thinking about. It took me six years to write The Tiny Star, so it’s not for him anymore. He’s nine. It’s more for me, I guess, to comfort myself. And of course, I hope it comforts parents and those very young children whose grandparents eventually disappear, and who need a more cheerful ending to the sad ending of that relationship. Do we, as a society, talk about death enough? No, I don’t think we do talk about death enough. If we did, it would be less ghastly for everyone concerned. It’s pointless pretending that everyone lives forever or hoping that the people we love won’t die. I don’t think it’s necessary to talk about death if it doesn’t come up in the conversation naturally, but when it does, or when a death occurs, it seems to me to be almost wicked not to deal with it with the greatest sensitivity, head-on. To avoid it is surely psychologically dreadful. What can shared reading do for a child’s development? Shared reading, from 0-5 and after, provides a bountiful basket of goodies that will nourish a child educationally, socially, linguistically, and scholastically for the rest of their lives. The attachments they form with us when we read to them, through the laughter and the sighing, the excitement and the silence, the love and the comfort, will make them feel psychologically safe, and thrilled to be alive. They will learn to talk early, with sensational vocabulary. They will fly into reading at school. Their success and happiness will be our success and happiness. Far from being a tedious duty, reading to our children is scrumptious fun and helps us, let alone the kids, unwind and totally relax at the end of our very busy days. The Tiny Star is available from all good bookstores.$24.99dymocks.com.au

Congratulations to Walford Mathematics teacher, Ms Deb Woodard-Knight!! Ms Deb Woodard-Knight, has been crowned Australia’s Most Outstanding Mathematics Teacher by the Australian Mathematical Science Institute. At a ceremony in Melbourne last Friday Deb was presented the Award which “recognises an exemplary and innovative teacher who has been instrumental in encouraging students to continue with their study of Mathematics.” Deb has taught at Walford for the past two years predominantly teaching girls in Year 11 and 12, in both SACE and IB courses.  Deb is absolutely passionate about encouraging girls to continue to pursue Specialist Mathematics at school and beyond to university.  She engages and inspires her students and shows them how Mathematics is related to the real world.  She mentioned today in conversation with me, that Mathematics encourages the ability for critical thinking and it is the basis of so many careers that our girls will want to follow.  Deb provides sound advice with respect to appropriate future courses of study and pathways and this has opened up more options for our students in taking STEM related university courses. In addition to teaching at senior mathematics level Deb has been instrumental in introducing MathsCraft to Years 5 and 6 at Walford. Deb’s philosophy is that the development of problem-solving strategies at an early age sets up students for success in Mathematics and in life generally, building students’ resilience and risk taking. Deb lives and breathes Mathematics 24-7, such is her genuine love of her subject. In her own special way she adds humour in her explanations and every day she wears Maths inspired t-shirts, shoes, socks and brooches much to the fascination of her students. Deb scooped the pool with Awards as she was also distinguished with another honour, the Excellence in Teaching Award, for a teacher who is “an engaging and passionate communicator of Mathematics who inspires students to see the beauty and importance of Mathematics.” Rebecca Clarke, Principal The students, staff and colleagues are very proud of the well-deserved recognition that Deb has received on the national stage. Her enthusiasm for teaching and her much-loved subject of Mathematics is contagious!  I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our staff at Walford for their dedication, said Rebecca Clarke Principal For more information head to WALFORD Located at 316 Unley Road Hyde Park

South Australia’s Commissioner for Children and Young People Helen Connolly, today launched her C3 Poster Design Competition with a total of $500 in prize money up for grabs. The competition is open to all South Australians aged 14 to 22 and is inspired by her Youthful Adelaide Report in which young people defined what they believe are the essential elements of a youthful city. Their answer – a youthful city is one that is ‘Connected, Creative and Confident’ – and therefore the theme of the Commissioner’s inaugural 3C’s poster competition. The winning entry will need to reflect all three elements in one single poster design. The winner will receive $350 and have their poster design featured on the front of the Commissioner’s Get Around It Zine, full of young ‘thinkers, makers and doers’ who have been selected to be part of this year’s Get Around It Showcase – an initiative of the CCYP published on Instagram and on the Get Around It Travelling Clothesline. The Commissioner will judge the poster competition alongside renowned Adelaide artist Dave Court, up-and-coming designer Lucinda Penn, and art curator Laura Gentgall. Best entries will be featured on CCYP’s Facebook page to determine second and third place winners, who will be selected via a People’s Choice Award with $100 in prize money for second place and $50 in prize money for third place. Entries close Sunday 3 November, 2019 at 11:59pm (ASCT). Visit ccyp.com.au/postercomp for full details. Competition Details The Design challenge:Come up with a poster design that represents what it means to you to be “Connected, Creative and Confident“ in South Australia. Artwork Specifications:Finished artwork completed to A2 Poster size (420 x 594mm).Minimum 150 DPI (6300 x 8910px) and Maximum 300DPI (12600 x 17820px).Acceptable file types: JPG, AI, PDF or packaged INDD file.Hard copy entries will also be accepted via post. Key Competition Dates:The Commissioner’s C3 Poster Comp is open from Wednesday 9 October through to Sunday 3 November, 2019, inclusive. Entries will accepted via email up until 11:59pm (ACST) or if sent by post, date stampedFriday 1 November, 2019. Late entries cannot be accepted. Eligibility:Entrants must be aged between 14 and 22 years and be a resident of South Australia.(Please note: proof of age and residency will be required for prizes to be awarded).Closing Date:Sunday 3 November, 2019 at 11:59pm (ASCT). Judging Panel:Commissioner for Children and Young People, Helen ConnollyRenowned Adelaide artist, Dave CourtUp-and-coming designer, Lucinda Penn; andArt curator, Laura Gentgall. Prizes:1st place: $350 with the winning design published in the CCYP Get Around It Zine;2nd place: $100 in prize money (People’s Choice via Facebook)3rd place: $50 in prize money (People’s Choice via Facebook) Submitting Your EntryYou must complete the online entry form via the link below before submitting your poster design. Alternatively your physical poster entry can be mailed to 251 Morphett St, Adelaide SA 5000 by the closing date, enclosing a printout of the completed online submission form with your entry. ccypsa.wufoo.com/forms/commissioneras-c3-poster-comp/