Educate

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

It’s been 8 rounds of IVF, and in just a few weeks, I’ll be approaching my 9th. Am I exhausted – yes. Do I feel like a chicken forever popping out eggs – definitely yes. But, am I used to being disappointed again and again after recurrent losses and failing implants – sadly yes. Every miscarriage or implant failure gets me down – whether you are going through IVF or you are having issues falling pregnant, it just sucks. Infertility just fucking sucks. Regular doctor’s appointments, changes in hormone medications, crying for no reason and trying to explain why you’re crying without sounding like a complete nut, these things happen, and they take their toll. About 2 years ago when I first started our IVF journey I read an article online about another woman’s IVF experience. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but later down the track, those words were invaluable. I’m no IVF expert, but the main ones that stuck with me were to surround yourself with supportive people, don’t play the blame game, trust your gut and practice self care. I always knew I had an awesome tribe of both women and men around me, but really realised how lucky I was when I started embarking on this new path. We talk about my growing ‘follies’, my uterus lining, ultrasounds and countless needles in my podgy belly and there is never a grimace or sigh. Even from the lads. I’ve found that being honest and open about what I’m going through has brought up a lot of questions, and that people have been really interested and intrigued about the whole process. I totally get that talking openly about it is not for everyone, and that it’s a very private matter, but I must admit it’s really helped me this time around. I’ve found myself a ‘folly cheer squad’. Blaming your partner, or yourself, is a very easy thing to do. My man is a bit older than me, so it would be easier to say that it may have been his swimmers that were letting us down. When we kicked off our IVF journey I was 26, and as the doctor said ‘it was the perfect time to have a baby’. But age doesn’t mean a thing. Fast forward almost 2 years, countless blood tests, biopsies and genetic testing and we’ve realised that my lady bits, or ‘oven’ as I like to call it, is very much the problem. Now, at 29, you’d never think you’d have a problem falling pregnant, but here we are. With a higher amount of natural killer cells, surgery for endometriosis and adenonyosis and some immune issues, I refer to my bits as the ‘killer vagina’ at times, as we think it may like to kill off the embryo we put in. Thanks vagina. After 5 rounds of IVF at a clinic I won’t speak of, as well as 2 loads of eggs being taken, I now understand how important it is to TRUST YOUR GUT. It’s hard to compare an experience when you’ve never been through the process before, but if you feel like you know something’s not right, question it. I can’t stress enough that if you have questions, ask them. Don’t let people make you feel stupid – no question is a stupid question. I’ve now found a wonderful clinic and a doctor who is the perfect fit for us. Each visit I bring a list of questions, and whether they are stupid ‘googling European IVF methods at 2am questions’ or suggestions from my acupuncturist, she answers them with honesty and compassion – and most importantly, without making me feel like a complete idiot. And lastly, self care. 5 years ago I would have rolled my eyes at someone preaching self care. But, here I am. The eye roller is preaching; how ironic. I always like to do fun, feel good stuff on the reg but it never used to be built into my routine. But when you’re taking over 14 tablets a day and feel like you’re menopausal at 28, sometimes you just need to love yourself. Everyone has different things that make them tick, and sometimes it’s the simple things that are the best. I find great pleasure sipping the perfect decaf coffee (yes, decaf!), going for long walks, blogging or just talking non-IVF-stuff with my friends. At home I diffuse essential oils, again a new thing for me but I’m now obsessed and it shakes the bad vibes. I’ve also been known to spend a small fortune on underwear, because let’s face it, sticking pessaries up your vag 3 times a day is the best way to take all sexiness away from your life. Bonds lace undies are the best solution, they’re comfortable, a higher cut to hide my estrogen patches and do good things for your ass. Double win. Find what you love and do it. Or, if it’s expensive, find a cheaper option; I’d love to fly to Bali every cycle but let’s be honest, this IVF biz is costly as hell. Most of all, love yourself. Because going through all this shit is going to make you one hell of a stronger woman. Beginners Tips on IVF • Find a doctor that you feel comfortable around.• Ask your doctors and nurses questions- lots of them!• Try and pre plan the financial side of things. It’s expensive and looking at the price of a cycle can be stressful enough, so speak to your clinic about payment and gap options.• Get your head around medicare- speak with the nance department of your clinic, they are generally Medicare gurus.• Surround yourself with supportive people- this is a full on time and you’ll need all the love you can get.• Shop around- there are so many clinics around, so be sure to look at success rates, their doctors, prices and payment options.• Reward yourself daily when going through treatment- I hate needles so after daily

Preparing For Birth Hypno-what? When I first heard of hypnobirthing I assumed it was some weird hippy thing I wouldn’t be able to take seriously. Of course I turned to the source of all knowledge, YouTube, to research, I stumbled across a mum I could relate to telling her positive story about hypnobirthing. I was intrigued. After falling into a long YouTube hole, including the weird and the hippy, I came out the other end determined to try hypnobirthing myself. This led me to My Private Midwife. I am a university educated wanna-be health professional, so I wanted the course I did to be evidenced based and not too much of the fluffy stuff. Kate Bergamasco of My Private Midwife is a University of South Australia tutor and facilitator, a midwife and has a Masters of Nursing, so I knew I was in the right hands. But, don’t worry, you don’t need a degree in health to understand her course, she just knows her stuff and is easily and willingly able to back it up with evidence. What is hypnobirthing, you’re probably wondering. Well Kate describes it as “a type of childbirth education class which promotes birth as a normal function for women. Classes empower parents with knowledge and confidence in the woman’s ability to birth.” Hypnobirthing uses education about the birth process, along with breathing techniques, scripts and hypnosis, affirmations and massage to help women calmly through labour. For me, I found the education, breathing techniques, affirmations and massage to be the most helpful. Knowing my breath and keeping calm was the healthiest thing for my baby was instrumental in me staying focused on breathing through each ‘surge’. I love hypnobirthing and will tell anyone who will listen to me. I love it because it empowered me. It informed my choices and helped me and my husband stand up for them during labour. But to be honest, it was my husband who stood up for me in labour, I was more like “yeah whatever, get out of my face”, and so it empowered my husband too. Kate says, “[partners] help care providers understand what the birthing mother needs to achieve her calm positive birth.” My husband knew all the jargon and he was on the ball the whole time. He could, and did, liaise with doctors and midwifes throughout the whole process. This was the biggest benefit for us, it helped him know what to do during labour. My labour plan before taking the hypnobirthing course was ‘no intervention unless medically necessary’ in bold and underlined. After my hypnobirthing course it was more like ‘no intervention unless medically necessary and I’ll be ok if interventions are necessary.’ And in my case they were. My baby did not want to come out and I was induced 10 days over her due date. Hypnobirthing helped me to understand what was happening during the induction and it helped me to stay calm and positive through the whole process. I didn’t end up having to have the oxytocin drip and started labour after one lot of gels and my waters being broken. This may or may not have been because of hypnobirthing, but I would say it definitely helped. Especially when “hypnobirthing parents are calm and confident, they are conditioned to release endorphins and other natural hormones to help them cope with this very normal function,” says Kate. In the end, I managed to birth my beautiful, big (3.8 kg!!) baby daughter pain medication free. It was a fast and intense labour. I stayed calm for almost the whole time, with one minor freak out, which was quickly calmed by my prepared husband. Hypnobirthing enabled me to trust my body and my baby. I was able to work with my surges and breathe my baby out. I have never felt as strong and capable as I did delivering my daughter. If you’re a soon-to-be mama, research hypnobirthing and better yet, book in with Kate at My Private Midwife. She “work[s] with parents to achieve the calm positive and supported experience that every parent should have.” Hypnobirthing empowered me through the most unknown and vulnerable time of my life, and I will always be thankful to Kate for that. myprivatemidwife.com.au Nick Lawrence Photo 

You are not alone if you are a parent that has watched your child playing at kindy and thought: • Is my child learning anything, aren’t they just playing?• How is playing going to help my child with ‘school readiness’?• Why is my child not being taught anything? There is huge pressure on us as parents to provide the best foundation for our child’s learning. It is not uncommon to look into our young child’s eyes and feel petrified that the choices we make on their behalf regarding their education will either set them on the path for success (whatever we deem that to be, and unfortunately in Western culture that has a direct correlation to status, wealth and power) or to condemn them to a life of destitution and misery – of course that may just be me! Nonetheless, supporting our children’s learning is an important part of our role as parents. Yet again, my take home message is for us to take the pressure off ourselves as parents and the flow on effect will be taking the pressure off our young children to be able to recite their ABC’s and know their numbers, colours and the periodic table as early as possible. Taking the pressure off does not mean that learning, growth and development is not important but I am suggesting that we shying away from teaching academic concepts via rote learning and testing (via questions and performing to others), and to holistic growth and developmentvia engagement and fun – PLAY. In an article called “School readiness (for Early Years) – how to know if your little one is ready for big school” (from the Australian Government Learning Potential website (learningpotential.gov.au) school readiness is defined as the “measure of knowledge, skills and behaviours that enable children to participate and succeed in school”. School readiness is not about your child’s ability to read, write and do basic maths but it is about the development of the whole child. The following areas for continuing development were described: • SOCIAL SKILLS• EMOTIONAL REGULATION• LANGUAGE SKILLS• COGNITIVE SKILLS• PHYSICAL HEALTH AND CO-ORDINATION• SELF HELP SKILLS As parents we sometimes think that play is unimportant or an adjunct to formal teaching. However, guided play is the work of childhood and has been shown to be the most effective method of learning for young children in both educational settings and home. Play provides active engagement with themselves, others and the world and assists in building and strengthening brain pathways. It is impossible to separate children’s play from their learning and development. Learning through play is most effective when a child’s experience is scaffolded when needed, by an interactive adult. For example, a young child cannot be expected to learn via play on their own for an extended period of time, and equally a child cannot fully benefit from play if an adult is continually intervening unnecessarily. Learning Potential highlights that it is important to remember that “every child develops at their own pace and has their own individual strengths, interests, temperament, approach to learning and parenting experience”. PLAY CAN: • Increase feelings of success and optimism• Reduce stress• Increase wellbeing• Allow freedom to make choices and creativity• Encourage mastery, interest and engagement• Enable opportunity to take risks and overcome frustrations, challenges and fears• Promote curiosity, openness, resilience, enthusiasm and persistence• Support exploration, experimentation, discovery and problem-solving• Encourage memory skills and language development• Build relationships and connections with others, develop friendships• Provide learning opportunity to resolve con icts• Develop an awareness and opportunity to regulate emotions @hannabeavenpsychology  hannabeavenpsychology.com.au

Is there anything Justine Clarke can’t do? We just love her and so do the kids! We threw 5 fast questions at the performer, actor and songwriter. BEST ADVICE YOU WERE GIVEN BEFORE YOU HAD CHILDREN? Best advice I was given was never give advice! WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE DANCE MOVE? I’ve always been partial to some popping and locking. IF YOU COULD HAVE ONLY 5 THINGS ON A DESERTED ISLAND, WHAT WOULD THEY BE? They’d all be food related. A sharp knife, an endless bowl of salad, olive oil, bread and a never ending supply of tea bags. (With a splash of milk!) IF YOUR JOB GAVE YOU A SURPRISE THREE DAY PAID BREAK TO REST AND RECUPERATE, WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH THOSE THREE DAYS? I’d go somewhere quiet and still. I’d eat good food, listen to the trees and sleep. Maybe that desert island…. FAVOURITE THING ABOUT A LIVE AUDIENCE? The sound of a room full of people of all ages singing together is one of the loveliest sounds in the world. justineclarke.com.au

The 2018 OzAsia Festival program is busting with family friendly activities, visit the Lucky Dumpling Market, Moon Lantern Parade or see one of the many performances! With over 190,000 people expected this years festival is celebrating its largest program yet. Held over 18 days, the festival program presents the very best in contemporary dance, theatre, music, visual art, film, literature, food, family events, workshops, talks and more from across Asia today. Cerita Anak (Child’s Story) is a must-see on your OzAsia family hit list. Cerita Anak takes children and their adults on a sea journey never to be forgotten. Climb aboard the specially made boat and be rocked and rolled across a strange ocean. Dive to the bottom of the sea, hear stories on the wind and in the currents of the water and face great danger before coming to safe harbour. This immersive theatre experience draws its inspiration from the seafaring history in Java and the true tale of arrival in Australia told by a small boy. Combining puppetry, song, shadow imagery and sound, the show bustles with all the life of the ocean. Audience members, both young and old are passengers and storytellers on this exquisite adventure. ‘An emotional overflow thanks to the sheer beauty and interactive fun of this simple yet superbly executed production.’The West Australian Recommended seating in the boat is for children 2-7 years of age. Children must also be accompanied by an adult when in the boat. It is best for children 8-12 years of age to be in seating, not in the boat. Children under 2 years of age are FREE on knee. Tickets available here  OzAsia 

Simple Steps to Boost your Pre-School Child’s Reading Readiness Raising pre-school aged kiddos can be equal parts challenging and rewarding. As parents we’re bombarded with information and expectations of what our children should be doing and how we should be aiding their development. Should we be reading more bedtime stories? Should we minimise the iPad time? What is the magical recipe for success? Importantly, where are we getting our information? Does that mummy blog really have credibility? There’s good news: the best ways to support your child’s reading readiness are quite simple. Evidence based research tells us that one of the best things you can do to prepare your child for school is to help develop their phonological awareness. Strong literacy skills will set students on a successful path. Why wouldn’t you want your child to have a head start to making sense of how sounds and letters operate in print? It can be hard to find the time in our fast paced world to read stories, sing songs and nursery rhymes and engage in the art of conversation. But, these are critical activities that our children need to be exposed to and engaged in. Learning support teacher Jo Hirst from St Peters Woodlands tells us more about Phonological Awareness and supporting children to be ready to read: What is Phonological awareness and why is it important? Phonological awareness is the conscious awareness of the sound structure in our language. Children need to become attuned to speech sounds in order to lay the foundations for phonics instruction when they start school. How do I know if my child has phonological awareness? The skills involved in phonological awareness include children’s ability to rhyme, segment or break sentences into words, words into syllables, and recognise onset and rimes. Children develop these skills sequentially throughout their pre-school years. Your child may or may not be able to do these things. What should I expect when my child is just getting started? In the early years children will begin with general sound discrimination in the areas of environmental sounds, instrumental sounds and body percussion. Environmental AwarenessWith environmental sounds, children’s awareness of the sounds around them is focused on developing their listening skills. There are simple ways to focus on developing environment sound discrimination like going on a listening walk, drumming on di erent items outside and comparing the sounds, and making shakers.Instrumental AwarenessInstrumental sounds develop children’s awareness of sounds made by various instruments and noise makers. You could compare and match sound makers, play instruments alongside a story and make loud and quiet sounds.Body PercussionBody percussion enables children to develop an awareness of sounds and rhythms. Make time to include singing songs and action rhymes and listen to your favourite music together. These activities develop both skills and opportunities to create precious memories with your child. Are there other areas we can help to develop? Rhythm and rhyme in speech are other areas to be explored and developed. Reading rhyming stories, singing nursery rhymes, playing rhyming bingo, clapping out the syllables in words and playing odd one out are great ways to reinforce this awareness. Reading nursery rhymes seems too easy? Is this really going to help? There’s strong evidence to support the link between nursery rhyme knowledge in pre- school children and their future success in reading and spelling. It’s nice to know that the simple things are also helpful. What can I expect as my child gets older? As students continue to develop the focus turns to phonemic awareness, which is an important sub-skill of phonological awareness. Before children learn how to read and write they need to understand how the sounds in words work. It is critical that they understand that words are made up of speech sounds. Parts of phonemic awareness include sound isolation, identification, categorisation, blending, segmentation, deletion, addition and substitution. Working on your child’s phonemic awareness is all sounds based and can be done anywhere…..in a car, on a train or on a plane! Children find the art of rhyming, playing around and manipulating the sounds in words fun. Playing a simple game of I-Spy is a great way of helping your child identify initial sounds in words. You can also practise oral blending by saying sounds, such as ‘c – a – p’ and then see whether your child can pick out a ‘cap’ from a group of objects. For segmenting practise, you can hold up an object, such as a cup, and ask your child which sounds they can hear in the word ‘cup’ (c – u – p). Doing these things together adds to the relationship you are building with your child, which is what is it all about! Reading at SPW St Peter’s Woodlands has a sequential and systematic approach to reading from ELC to Year 7. Phonological awareness is one part of a comprehensive reading program that also includes phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. SPW follows Phase One of the Letters and Sounds Program when teaching phonological awareness. To enquire about St Peter’s Woodlands Early Learning to Year 7 contact: Joanna Gray08 8295 4317spw.sa.edu.auSt Peter’s Woodlands Grammar School 39 Partridge Street, Glenelg Meaghan Coles Photography 

SPOT Paediatrics is a Speech Pathology and Occupational Therapy Clinic that works with children and their families on developmental areas such as language, speech, fine motor, literacy, sensory processing and social skills. They use a fresh and fun approach to child therapy and are continuously looking to collaborate with schools and other professionals in the allied health community. We asked SPOT for some advice on ‘School Readiness’: ‘School Readiness’ is a term that is o en used to describe the set of skills necessary for transitioning to school, but it may be hard to determine if your child is “school ready” if you are not sure what to look for! As well as reading there are a range of skills crucial to giving your child a comfortable start at school. While knowing numbers, colours and shapes are helpful, school readiness is also about whether a child is ready from a fine motor, communication, social/emotional and behavioural perspective. If you are wondering “is my child ready?” there are a number of skills and behaviours that need to develop in the pre-school years to ensure a child is “school ready”. For School Readiness we Consider the Following Skills LISTENING AND UNDERSTANDING • Follow instructions of up to 3 parts to allow children to independently complete tasks• Understand many types of questions to help at story time and group discussion times SPEAKING • Speak with appropriate use of speech sounds so that almost 100% of listeners can interpret what a child is saying• Express thoughts and ideas clearly to help children form friendships and successfully engage in conversation with their peers• Understand and use a wide vocabulary to support early literacy skills and accessing the curriculum SOCIAL INTERACTION • Understand and participate in turn-taking and waiting• Use social greetings and engage in back and forth conversations FINE MOTOR SKILLS • Hold a pencil with appropriate grasp to allow a child to participate in drawing and colouring activities without fatigue• Write their name. Children put their names on everything! Being able to mark which work is yours is important• Using scissors for simple cutting to support participation in learning activities ATTENTION AND CONCENTRATION • Attention and concentration are important so that children can attend to spoken and visual information, concentrate, follow instructions, listen to a speaker, learn and access the curriculum• Regulation supports attention and concentration and children need to be well regulated in order to learn, and sit in a group The SPOT Paediatrics team of Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) and Occupational Therapists (OTs) are able to help and support children and families with the transition to school by developing school readiness skills. SLPs may typically focus on: Following instructions Building vocabulary Teaching age appropriate grammar Correcting speech sound errors Developing social skills OTs may typically focus on:  Writing name Scissor skills and pencil grip Making sure self-care skills are age appropriate (toileting, dressing, feeding) Regulation These are just some of the many skills that SLPs and OTs work on to support children’s development, participation, and ability to access their community. If you have any concerns about your child’s development or school readiness don’t hesitate to contact SPOT! They are more than happy to answer any questions or chat about concerns. info@spotpaediatrics.com.auspotpaediatrics.com.au@spotpaediatrics

Join Goodstart to celebrate the opening of their Port Road Cheltenham branch! Sunday 21 October 10am – 1pm963 Port Road, Cheltenham Meet the Goodstart team and explore their inspiring learning environments and natural playgrounds. There will be Family fun for all ages including face painting, clowns, balloon art, activities and children’s yoga. Bop til you Drop will host a session from 10am – 11.30am and parents will also be able to enjoy complimentary barista made coffee. For event updates: facebook.com/ goodstartportroadcheltenham/ Goodstart Early Learning 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 offer 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. Goodstart Early Learning 

100% locally written, produced, and cast, SeaStar Rock is now a live show, a music CD, and a TV show on Adelaide’s own Channel 44! If you’ve not yet experienced the toe-tapping, wing-flapping fun of SeaStar Rock, the 2019 Fringe Festival, Garden of Unearthly Delights, will be the best time to do it. Described by Teresa Palmer as an “Amazing kids show about marine sustainability. Super fun, energetic & vibrant! loved!”. They’ll help their newest friend Paddy Polar Bear beat the war on waste, while Pirate Wally Walrus and Snappy Starfish take on the plastic bag monsters. SeaStar Rock’s early success was built on original catchy songs, dynamic dances and gripping games to address contemporary marine sustainability issues including themes such as the War on Waste and warming ocean temperatures. The next phase for SeaStar Rock has commenced with the development of 26 x 11 minute episodes that will take viewers on an imaginative underwater narrative adventure with a cast of established colourful costume characters including Big Blue Bopping Whale, Cha Cha Crab Claw and Mr Fishy Whippy. SeaStar Rock is the ultimate kids musical marine education experience for all the family and aimed at children from ages 0-7 years SeaStar have shows coming up in Woodside, Adelaide Hills, Goodwood Markets and are headlining the Kidtober month at Port Pirie. They will also be back in the Garden with their new show on the 16th, 17th, 23rd and 24th of February. SeaStar Rock TV

Education is an open door that can lead you somewhere you long to be. Whether you’re looking to develop on your existing skillset, up-skill in your chosen industry, refresh expertise to re-enter the workforce, or just explore a new hobby: TAFE SA short courses are a great place to start. TAFE SA offers more than 400 short courses in a diverse range of areas, and are a great way of finessing your craft; maybe you want to enter a new industry or perhaps start a small business. Courses in cookery, art, design, hair & beauty, property and marketing are just the tip of the iceberg on what’s available. Meet Mafalda and Carla Portuguese natives, Mafalda and Carla, and their husbands João and Miguel, were feeling nostalgic for their favourite homegrown dessert; “pastel de nata”, otherwise known as the Portuguese custard tart. This longing for the flavour of home, and their enthusiasm to bring the taste of Portugal to their new country, Australia, was the start of a dream realised for the two Lisbon-born couples. In order to hone their skills in creating “pastel de nata” Mafalda and Carla completed several TAFE SA short courses to develop their proficiency for baking and patisserie. The pair have since gone on to open Adelaide’s first bakery dedicated to real Portuguese custard tarts, Saudade, located in Mitcham. We chatted to Mafalda and Carla to find out how TAFE SA helped to inspire them to pursue a love of baking and subsequently realise the dream of opening Saudade, their own specialty bakery. Tell us about where your passion for baking originated and what lead you towards a niche of Portuguese tarts? We have witnessed the Australian public really discovering Portugal as a travel destination in the last few years. The Portuguese custard tart is probably one of the most recognisable and most appreciated sweets within the Portuguese gastronomy. When thinking of opening up a small business we decided we would love to replicate the lovely treats from our homeland here in Australia, so everyone around us could have a taste of something we had yearned for, for such a long time. What made you choose to study baking at TAFE SA? We chose TAFE SA as a recognised learning institute because we believed completing a series of short courses would be a great way to dive into the venture and ascertain if this was a possible path for us to pursue. How were you inspired at TAFE SA to continue and further your studies? If we were going to replicate and sell a very special and unique product, we needed the best possible preparation. The courses at TAFE SA gave us a great foundation and knowledge tobuild on going forward, and enabled us to get a start on how to produce the best Portuguese tart in Adelaide. What skills did you acquire in your studies that have been invaluable going forward in your business, Saudade? Neither of us had any qualification in baking so learning all the basic techniques provided invaluable foundations for us to take our passion for the Portuguese tart and bring the unique flavour to Australia. Without the opportunity provided to us by TAFE SA to build a solid basis of learning and a desire to continue honing our craft, we wouldn’t be where we are today. How did completing your TAFE SA courses prepare you for the realities of baking in a commercial environment? It really provided us the tools to start the learning process on what to expect entering the world of baking in a commercial environment. Starting from the very basics and progressively becoming more confident opened our eyes to the potential of what we could create and how far we could go. Do you have any recommendations for others considering a TAFE course as a way of progressing them towards a dream or goal? If you are thinking of entering a specific professional path, TAFE SA will definitely help you acquire the skills and develop crucial tools in your chosen area! Short courses are a great way to start the learning process and build foundations for further study, or maybe, like us, even starting your own small business. Love the idea of learning more about cookery, wine or hospitality? Why not give these short courses starting soon a try!• Christmas Baking• Made in Italy• Cheese Making 101• Cured and Smoked Products• Cocktails for Fun• Espresso Coffee Making*• Introduction to Wine Tasting … and there’s something for kids too!• Christmas GingerbreadDecorating Course for kids• The Kids Kitchen For more information on courses head totafesa.edu.au/shortcourses or call 1800 882 661 *These courses contain accredited units. Visit the TAFE SA website for details. You can try some delicious Tarts and a coffee atMitcham Square,13a/119 Belair Rd, Torrens Park Images by Meaghan Coles Now and Then Photography 

Painted tasty treats, collaged fresh fruit, with vegetables galore at Adelaide Central Market At 5.00pm, on Friday 21 September, Little Picassos Art Studios will launch a new art exhibition, ‘The Market through Our Eyes’, at Adelaide Central Market, filling the walls throughout the Market with artworks by 400 children. Large brightly coloured pieces inspired by the Market will feature throughout the Heritage location including lots of yummy treats fruit big and small, portraits of shoppers, Stall holders, hungry participants and all capturing the colour, pattern and joy of the Adelaide Central Market through children’s eyes in this vivid exhibition from South Australian children, aged between 2 to 16 years. The exhibition, proudly supported by Adelaide Central Market, will run for four weeks and will be viewed by thousands of shoppers, visitors and traders as they visit this iconic location in the heart of the city. “We are absolutely thrilled that Adelaide kids get to show off their skills to thousands of Adelaideans and more, especially during the busy Spring season in Adelaide. It’s a great way to build each child’s self- esteem, whilst nurturing their love of art,” said Janine Boyd, Managing Director, Little Picassos. Children exhibiting will be attending the launch event with parents, grandparents and carers at the Grote Street North East Entrance this Friday night, 5 pm, as it launches with a special opening for the artists to share their work. Little Picassos Little Picassos provide quality art classes for children. As the biggest art school for children in Adelaide they offer innovative and educational sessions that promote creativity and build self-esteem, whilst nurturing each individual child’s love for art and art making. One of the features at Little Picassos is the high standard and quality of the work the children produce. The company, established in 2003, has two shop-front locations in Glenelg and Hyde Park and will be expanding this year as demand continues to grow. Their teachers are all qualified visual arts, art & education and/or early childhood specialists and are specifically selected for their passion for art education. Children from 2.5 years of age can join in a range of activities from weekly classes, birthday parties, school holiday sessions and canvas creations. littlepicassos.com.au Adelaide Central Market