Volume issue info goes here Red Nose Day 25

th June

Vacation Care 28th

June-9

th July

Out of the Box festival 8

th-14

th June more info

www.outoftheboxfestival.com.au

Introducing Jacob

State of Origin Fun

Kitchen to Garden

Australia‟s Biggest Morning Tea

Sustainability

Monte Within

Parent Education

Curriculum Update

Habitat new members

Welcome to the June edition of the Habitat Hub.

May was an extremely busy month here at Habitat.

We were very pleased to announce two new arrivals to the Habitat community: Marcus and Ashton, both born at the end of May. Please read further on for further details and to catch a first glimpse of these two delightful new arrivals.

Last week we hosted Australia‟s Biggest Morning Tea at Habitat. Thank you to all the families and staff who extended their support to raise much needed funds for the Cancer Council. Please read on for more details and to view some great pictures from this special morning at Habitat.

Of course, the first State of Origin game also occurred during May. Children and staff enjoyed the opportunity to support their state by wearing team colours.

In the upcoming month of June we will be participating in Red Nose Day. Red Nose day is the major fundraiser for SIDS and KIDS. SIDS and KIDS is dedicated to saving the lives of babies and children during pregnancy, birth, infancy and childhood and to supporting bereaved families. Red Nose Day takes place on the 25th of June, please support this important cause by purchasing a fundraising product.

The Pregnancy, Babies and Children‟s Expo is on the 18th-20

th of June at the

Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Bank. The Expo aims to provide expert advice and essential early childhood parenting tips and the latest product innovations related to pregnancy, babies, and children. We have complimentary tickets available - please enquire at reception.

Here at Habitat Early Learning we are dedicated to building partnerships with families. We welcome and value your input at all times. If you have anything you would like to contribute to our Hub please feel free to email me with the details.

CONTACT ME If I can be of assistance, please don‟t hesitate to call me on 3851 5151 or email me at liz@habitatlearning.com.au to schedule an appointment. Please feel free to read on for more important information on the Habitat „experience‟.

Volume 2 Issue 6 June 2010

Liz Andrews

Introducing Jacob Habitat’s new Apprentice Chef...

Hi my name is Jacob Rupene.

I am the Apprentice in the Kitchen. I am currently studying Certificate III in hospitality. This is my first time working professionally in a kitchen, so I am very glad that Habitat took me aboard and is assisting me in my learning. I guess when you think about it that is what Habitat does particularly well „assist children and staff in learning‟.

My plan for the future is to take what I learn from my experiences at Habitat and travel the world. After I return I plan to work as a Chef while studying to become a Primary School Teacher, and then later study Psychology.

My hobbies are sport (Rugby and Cricket). I also love to cook and spend time with family and friends.

I enjoy getting to know people so please feel free to come and say Hi!

State of Origin Fun...

From Kylie in the Kitchen...

We are currently planting new plants in our wonderful vegie patch and I would like to pass my knowledge on to you. One of the best things about taking children out into the garden is the opportunities it gives you to teach them about looking after their bodies. Some ways you can do it at home are:

Model safe ways to use and lift tools – especially sharp, heavy ones. Help children to recognise when

something is too heavy for them, and they need a helping hand from you.

Remind them to think about whether they need something to eat or drink while outdoors.

Teach children to speak to an adult about insects they discover in the garden before picking them up!

Show them which parts of the vegie and fruit plants should be eaten and not eaten.

Encourage children to wear gloves, especially when handling potting mix and mulch.

There will be times when they’ll enjoy feeling soil directly with their hands and fingers, but in this case

hands and nails must be scrubbed thoroughly afterwards. Keep some soap and a nail brush outdoors

to make cleaning up easier and more fun.

The outdoors provides a perfect backdrop for children to do what comes naturally – to get active, to be inquisitive, to get hands on, and most importantly to feel good about themselves. Gardening allows kids to learn about the world around them in an exhilarating and fun way. Biology, science, engineering, design, maths, conservation and communication all come together as children begin to explore, work and play in their own garden. Co-operative skills also come to the fore, as children practice taking turns and learn to accommodate each other‟s interests, strengths and weaknesses. As parents and carers we can make the most of living, breathing classroom that is right at our doorstep by going outside regularly with our children and slowing down enough to notice what they notice – and then helping them to notice even more.

Modelling a respectful approach towards nature, in the garden and outdoors, can be as simple as encouraging children to stop and observe an insect – instead of stomping along and squashing it, as they are sometimes inclined to do. Gardens abound with opportunities to learn, and the more children learn, the better they can appreciate the environment they live in.

Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea...

„Australia‟s Biggest Morning Tea‟ @ Habitat

As you can see from the photos, we had a great morning! A big thank you to all of our wonderful families for joining us to raise awareness and funds for the Cancer Council. Our beautiful staff also kept in theme with „Think Pink‟, raising awareness for Breast Cancer by dressing in pink – it was a colourful morning for all! We raised approximately $200 for the Cancer Council – we greatly appreciate every donation made. We believe that participation in such event, as a means of raising awareness, is of equal importance.

The Cancer Council explains the development of this event: “The concept is simple, host a morning tea for your friends or workmates and raise funds to help the fight against cancer.”

To raise funds for this event we conducted a raffle, with the prize being a pink gift basket. This was won by our own Danni Clarke, Assistant Director in Centre B – congratulations Danni!

Also, a big thank you goes to Kylie and Jacob in our kitchen for preparing our morning tea for this event.

At Habitat Early Learning, we recognise that our choices today influence the outcomes on our world and more importantly influence our children‟s world. As teachers we have the opportunity to support our children to make active environmentally responsible choices and to recognise the power behind those choices. In order to achieve this we recognise that we need to work together in parental partnerships. With this in mind what better way to support our children to make healthy choices than to gain a parent‟s perspective! Karen Warbrooke one of our many valued parents at Montessori has been generous to share her passion in the field of sustainability by writing an article for our Monthly Hub to share with you all. On behalf of the Habitat community thank you Karen for taking the time to share your knowledge and insights on simple ways we can take responsibility today to create a healthy world for our children (and in turn their children) ....

As our local population continues to grow and our city becomes more crowded so increases our impact on the surrounding environment and other living things. Negative impacts include increasing levels of pollution and production of waste matter as well as increasing consumption of precious resources and loss of natural habitat.

The natural world supports „life‟ by providing clean air and water, fertile soils, and natural resources for food, energy, medicines, shelter etc. It also enriches our lives by providing us with beautiful places for recreation. As individuals we have the power to make positive differences on the natural world. With the right attitudes and behaviours we can improve the quality of the world our children will inherit.

Ways you can help include:

Making changes in your daily life: Conserve water and electricity; make use public transport; select renewable energy alternatives; recycle and purchase eco-friendly products.

Join local community groups and volunteer your time: Participate in projects in your local or wider area including tree-planting; litter clean-ups and restoration of waterways and wildlife habitats.

Encourage our children to become a ‘greener’ generation: Help your children to marvel at all creatures‟ great and small and to appreciate the role and beauty of nature. Teach them about conserving water and electricity and explain how the food and weather cycles work. Discuss the importance of not littering and spend time gardening and exploring our beautiful parks and nature reserves.

More information can be found in the Brisbane City Council Green Heart Program and in the online Eco News magazine:

http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/BCC:BASE::pc=PC_2718

http://econews.org.au/

Sustainability- Karen Warbrooke

Volume issue info goes here

Montessori Within...

Healthy Attachment and Separation in the Early Years

In our last MWEI workshop the „Initial Environment‟ for 0-18months we were quite privileged to look at the topic „Attachment, Separation and Trust‟ as we considered how these processes forms a continuous part of life. Through this workshop we were able to determine how important the environment is in stimulating the mind of a child in order for them to self construct what they need for their development. Naomi from MWEI talked about how attachment is considered essential to both spiritual and physical existence and reminds us that neither separation nor attachment are negative in themselves, it is the way the process is undertaken that influences the outcome. The child and Youth Health Australian Parenting website demonstrates a similar point of view when using the beautiful analogy below to describe attachment:

„Attachment is like building a line between two planets, a big planet and a small one that is near it. If you can

develop a strong line, the small planet can revolve and do its own thing with no fear of flying out into space. At times in our lives we are all afraid of being lost and of darkness, especially in infancy, but those who have had strong attachments as babies develop a sense of being secure and safely moving through life.’

The adult is a vital link between that of the child and their environment. The psychological elements within the environment that need to be considered are trust, attachment, order and movement which will facilitate a child to attain independence. For example children can be greatly influenced directly or indirectly by what they perceive an adult thinks and feels of them. If for example they believe an adult thinks they are ugly, then they will construct an image of themselves as being ugly. Or if indirectly an adult is feeling stressed for example at separation time then the child may feel that they are the cause and may display signs of anxiety and distress. If they feel that an adult really cares for them and the many facets of their personality, then children will naturally move towards healthy separation as their psychological needs of love, acceptance and attention are fulfilled. If order is maintained within the environment then children can easily make sense of their world and interact and learn from it as he or she needs. Physical care and movement are also pivotal for children to scaffold to independence with clothing being influencing factor. When buying clothes consider how the clothing may impede development. Consider clothing that the children can also manage themselves. Try not to have clothing that is too complex for example: consider arm holes, leg holes and neck holes that children can manage independently. Velcro is a great starting point for clothing. Below are some further tips to encourage children‟s independence.

Toddlers:

Velcro on shoes Zippers- up and down

Shoes off (with a little help) Socks (with a little help)

Kindy:

Velcro Buttons (large and small)

Press studs Zippers

Shoes on and off

Prep:

Zippers Buttons

Shoes /socks (off/on) Hook/eye

Engaging children into the task by asking directive questions and encouraging self help: putting our own belongings away.

Asking: “Where does your hat go?”. “Where does your ___ belong?”

As Practical Life plays one of the many important roles with in the Montessori environment each room is equipped with Dressing Frames to support children‟s self help development.

(Australian Parenting website: http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/attachment_-_cyh.html#attachsep; Naomi Stuckey, 2004, Initial

environment Birth to coordinated Mobility)

Parent Education from Liz McFarland...

The Habitat Way – A Contemporary Approach to Behaviour

As educators, we trust in this theory as the most effective way of understanding why and how children behave the way they do. Choice Theory is based on believing that everything we do is to satisfy powerful forces within ourselves and that nothing we do is caused by what happens outside. According to William Glasser, we choose behaviours to satisfy five basic life needs – survival and safety, love and belonging, freedom and choice, enjoyment and fun, recognition and competence. Some basic principles to Choice Theory

It is choice not chance that determines our behaviour.

This approach is based on understanding that all of our behaviour is our best attempt at the time to meet our needs, and we always choose to do what is most satisfying at that time.

We experience pleasure when we meet our needs and frustration when our needs are unsatisfied.

The only individual we can control is ourselves.

We may persuade and influence others, but we cannot control them. We will never be influential with others unless we have a strong relationship with them, a relationship based on trust, trustworthiness, respect and empowerment.

A Need Satisfying Relationship – authentically caring for the best interests of, likes, dislikes, fears, dreams, previous experiences etc of the individual.

Behaviour is learnt and can be taught and this is the basis for behaviour teaching. Behaviour Teaching skills the individual for making positive behaviour choices.

Behaviour expectations needs to be taught to children rather then told to children.

Mistakes in behaviour are viewed from a non-blame, non-coercive position. Social mistakes are regarded as necessary parts of learning.

Behaviour teaching and learning takes the mystery out of behaviour by explicitly teaching children what behaviour is okay and what behaviour is not okay for the group setting.

SOURCE: M A Carter Consultancy

Theory

• Choice Theory (William Glasser M.D. )

• All behaviour is internally motivated by the individual to meet their needs.

• Behaviour is "taught not caught"

Goals

• Understand each individual's basic life needs within the categories of survival and safety, love and belonging, freedom and choice, enjoyment and fun, recognition and competence.

• Nurture children and adults in reaching individual potential sacross all areas (including multiple intelligences )

Practice

• Establishing Need Satisfying Relationships

• Creating Safe and Peaceful Environments

• Caring for the Carer

Introducing Habitat’s newest members...

Car Safety...

Children Unattended in Cars

Kidsafe, in partnership with NRMA, promote car safety through the "Never Leave Children Alone In A Car" campaign, which reminds parents and carers that children should not be left alone in a locked car. While heat stress is an obvious danger during the warmer months, there are other dangers associated with leaving children unattended in cars. For example, if a child becomes emotionally distressed and tries to get out of his/her restraint, there is a possible risk of strangulation on the harness.

As advocates for child safety, Habitat Early Learning requests your cooperation in protecting young children - please do not leave children unattended in the car.

Passenger Safety

Motor Vehicles accidents are the cause of the highest numbers of deaths in children aged between 0 and 14 years and are the second highest cause of hospital admissions. Whenever children are passengers in a vehicle they should be seated in the most appropriate child restraint for their age and size.

To provide the best protection for your child in a motor vehicle, there are a number if simple principles you should follow:

Always choose, correctly fit and use the restraint most appropriate to your child‟s age and size.

Use a restraint which has been approved to the Australian Standards.

Place your child in an appropriate child restraint for every single journey.

Second hand restraints should be used with caution. You should be aware of the history of the restraint and be sure that

the restraint has all the appropriate fittings. Any restraint that is more than 10 years old should not be used.

Children are safest when travelling in the rear of the vehicle.

Do not move your child to the next restraint before they are ready.

For further information please visit www.kidsafe.org.au or http://www.mynrma.com.au/cps/rde/xchg/mynrma/hs.xsl/kids_in_hot_cars.htm

Introducing Habitat’s newest members...

Introducing our Chef Emma‟s newest bundle of joy... Marcus... Born on the 20

th of May weighing

in at 3.7kg. Congratulations to Emma, Cameron and of course Luca on the safe arrival of Marcus.

Another big welcome to the world to Ashton... Rebecca‟s brand new member to her family... Ashton was born on the 23

rd of May weighing in at 3.9kg...

Congratulations to Rebecca, Leathern and Jamison on the newest member to their family.