November 2020 Welcome - Eurobodalla Shire Council
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November 2020
Welcome
Educators and staff in all programs remain com-
It has been a year like no other and as we en-
mitted to supporting the health of children
ter the final months of 2020, like many of us,
whilst continuing to provide quality early and
we are hoping for the continued positive
middle childhood programs and participating in
management of the pandemic throughout
a range of professional learning opportunities.
the festive season.
They have remained focused during challenging
Children have experienced a great deal of
times while balancing their work and own family
change this year – many interruptions to the
responsibilities. Their commitment is highly val-
normality of their lives with restrictions
ued and acknowledged – our people are certain-
across a range of areas – attendances at
ly our best asset. Whilst we may have limited
school and our services, inability to partici-
our excursions and contact with the general
pate in extracurricular activities and limita-
public and our community, we have been en-
tions around outings they would usually en-
gaged in many activities and projects, including
joy.
celebrating 30 years of Eurobodalla Family Day
It is hoped that the combined efforts from all Care, the Australian Backyard Bird Count, Chil-
within our community will continue to sup- dren’s Week treasure hunt, transition to school
port access to activities for children and their packs, and the Convoy of Hope bushfire regen-
families. eration, to name a few.
Council’s Family Day Care, Out of School The Batemans Bay OOSH building is being built
Hours Care, 3Bs playgroups and Embracing off site and is due to arrive at the school before
programs continue to be diligent in respect of the end of November. I visited the BBOOSH kids
the heightened health and hygiene practices many times this year and they have been offer-
through compliance with NSW Health and ing up lots of ideas for the new building. We are
Department Of Education, Early Childhood all starting to get a little excited!
Education and Care Directorate’s guidelines.
Although the year has been tough, there are still
It is interesting to note that the usual coughs many things to be grateful for and being a part
and colds have been much less this year of children’s lives is one of them. We are so priv-
which indicates the increased focus on hy- ileged to work with you and your child and have
giene across everyone in the community is an opportunity to support their lifelong learning.
working.
Wishing you a safe and relaxing holiday and one
Thank you for placing your trust in our ser- that is much more pleasant than last year!
vices to provide education and care for your
children. Louise Hatton
Coordinator, Children and Family Services
C h i l dr e n ’ s S e r v i c e s N e w sl e tt e r N o v e m b e r 2 0 2 0 E U R O B O D A LL A S H I R E C O U N C I L T 0 2 4 4 7 4 7 3 3 3
1
Self-regulation It’s important for adults to show empathy to
the child’s struggle and be patient.
In their early years, children are just beginning to
Changing behaviours and learning new skills
learn about emotions and feelings, and how to
often takes time and practise.
manage them.
Self-regulation skills develop gradually. It’s
From time to time, most young children display
important to know which developmental
behaviours such as aggression, emotional out-
milestones are appropriate for your child.
bursts and inattention. Gradually, children learn
what situations are likely to upset them and how Accounts
they can handle emotions better when these situ-
ations arise. This learning continues into adoles- Thank you to all clients who took advantage
cence. of the “free childcare period” to catch up on
Children vary in the way they perceive, respond outstanding accounts and continue to access
and interact with the world around them. Children’s Services.
They vary in how they switch between moods Please continue to contact the office or your
(with some taking longer and needing more help educator if you have any account queries or
than others to recover from being upset), how concerns.
they respond to new situations (some dive We are more than happy to help.
straight in while others tend to withdraw and ob- Families with preschool-aged children may
serve from a distance), and how long they can find the attached information released by
concentrate for. DESE regarding the “Preschool Exemption to
Children who have experienced a lot of stress or the Child Care Subsidy Activity Test” particu-
grief, or have ADHD, sensory processing issues or larly useful.
executive functioning challenges, may also find
self-regulation more challenging. Ruth & Pennie
Helping your child with self-regulation Finance and Administration Officers
The first step is helping your child recognise
when the information coming in is a problem.
That could be information coming in through the
senses or through internal thoughts (eg a crowd-
ed place, having completed eating and wanting to
go home, not feeling well, not getting a toy). You
can help your child develop self-awareness by
talking things through ahead of time, teaching
your child to tell you when the input is too much
and explaining how some behaviours affect other
people (eg I get scared when you shout).
You can help your child with impulse control
by understanding they may not know any other
solutions than the ones they generally use (eg,
crying, shouting, or throwing things) and provid-
ing them with better options (eg. when some-
thing happens take a deep breath, count, talk
about it).
It is also good for your child to know that they
have a choice and some choices hurt other peo-
ple.
2
OOSH KIDS ACTIVITIES
3
MORE OOSH KIDS
4
Moruya OOSH kids news Narooma OOSH kids news
Well it’s that time again, it’s hard to believe it’s Plenty of fun experiences were had at NOOSH during
nearly Christmas time. the holidays.
We have all had a very unpredictable year with The ever popular dig for treasures in the sand
bushfires, floods and COVID-19. Let’s hope 2021 will pit and mobile construction had the children us-
be much nicer and more enjoyable for us all. ing their imaginations.
We have planted, and are looking after, the plants Our disco with musical chairs and the limbo ex-
we were given through the bushfire regeneration posed some interesting dance styles.
project ReGrow Eurobodalla, and they are ready to
Chloe was the champion when it came to the
be given out to our families who were affected by
doughnut on a string challenge.
the bushfires. If this is you please don’t hesitate to
come in to the centre and collect plants or contact Zac dressed as a magician and Kye took the role
either Selena or myself on 4474 5050. as his assistant during our dress-up and comedy
day — plenty of laughs.
We had great time in the last holidays, SingStar was
the most popular activity. The children absolutely Face painting transformed most of the children
loved singing and having competitions with their into scary faces.
friends. We iced biscuits for National Smile Day. They
Our Kokodamas were fabulous, they were taken didn’t end up looking very smiley but it was fun
home, which is wonderful. A big thank you to Susan and they tasted great.
Beney for all her help with the Kokodamas. NOOSH kids repotted plants for the Convoy of
We have tried to make the next program a lot more Hope ReGrow project. Our thanks to “hat Gar-
exciting due to still having some restrictions from den Centre Narooma for their kind donation of
COVID-19. We will be having a wheels day, water pots and potting mix! The plants have been dis-
day activities, cooking days and so much more. tributed to people affected by last summer’s
fires. A great community effort!
We hope to see you all at MOOSH over the summer
holidays, remember hats, drink bottles, sunscreen if We also had a crafty day with a visit from the
you need it and label all items you bring. All chil- Save the Children van. The children made these
dren must wear a rashie while playing the water clever dioramas.
games.
Tracie, Selena and the MOOSH Kids
MOOSH Supervisor/Assistant Supervisor
You can contact us on 4476 4744.
Donna, Cathie and the NOOSH Kids
NOOSH Supervisor/Assistant Supervisor
5
Batemans Bay OOSH kids news We had some really fun days last holidays from
cricket to AFL clinics, Red Nose Day to Mad
Hello term 4, where did you come from?? Wow
Hatter Tea Parties, tie dying and much, much
the year is moving so quick the kids are already
more.
counting down for Christmas and asking if our Elf
We also sadly said goodbye to a couple of our
will find us this year (being in the hall and all), so
beautiful OOSHIES Tayah and Vincent Whatman,
Santa if you are reading this, we currently have a
who have now moved towns. We wish them all
new address just across the yarning circle and
the best at their new school. Please come visit us
inside the hall. But I have told the kids that you
whenever you like. We miss your giggly smiling
are a pretty clever man and probably already
faces.
know that detail.
Things are starting to get a bit exciting— Louise
has given me the catalogues and the go ahead to
COVID has made this year very challenging for us
order furniture, craft and toys for our new OOSH
all and some employments have been put on
building!! Yay shopping time.
hold for now, I know it has not been easy but we
Have a great term 4 everyone.
have been very lucky to gain some amazing new
Cheers, Mouse
casuals to help us out while they wait for the all
Melinda and the BOOSH Kids
clear to start their jobs again. For as little or as
long as you are with us we really appreciate all BOOSH Supervisor
your help! And to the rest of our fantastic regu-
lar casuals we love you and thank you so much
for everything you do, holidays just wouldn’t
work without you!
Book now for our OOSH school holiday program
The school holidays are fast approaching! Booking forms for our OOSH school holiday program are
now available to download from Council’s website www.esc.nsw.gov.au (search Children’s Services).
Our bookings week
Monday 7 December—Friday 11 December 3-6pm at BBOOSH,MOOSH and NOOSH
Bookings must be made at the centres as you will need to complete excursion forms and view risk
assessments.
To secure your booking you must have your child care account paid up to date.
If you are having trouble paying your account please contact the office on 4474 1280 or 4474 1213
as soon as possible so we can assist you with a payment plan option.
6
Family Day Care news about town Embracing Babies
Embracing Babies has been very popular, allow-
During October we celebrated 30 years of Family
ing families to come together to socially connect.
Day Care with big prize giveaways from a local This has been especially important as many of
restaurant, Mogo Wildlife Park and also Na- the babies attending our sessions were born dur-
rooma Kinema. We had guessing comps, selfies ing bushfire and COVID times. Our sessions have
with flyers within the community and lots more. a focus on meeting other parents, creating
friendships as well as offering support during the
Curently educators are having their annual as- exciting time of welcoming a new baby into the
sessment of FDC business, which this year we are family. We share information about language
doing slightly differently. development, infant cues, sleep and feeding, as
well as introducing parents to the benefits of in-
Educators are starting to complete yearly assess- fant massage. Spread the word… if you are about
ments on individual children and transition to to welcome a new addition or know someone
school statements. If you would like more infor- who is please mention our Embracing Babies
program.
mation just ask your educator.
We are sad to see one of our educators, Anita
Mitchell retire. Anita has been working with us
since 2002. Anita has provided care to many
families and built such special bonds with chil-
dren, families and staff. Anita was a role model
to others, charismatic and kind. Anita always was
flexible and accommodating for all families.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all
your hard work, commitment and passion.
Children’s Week was celebrated this year with a
Jessica and Natalie Wombat Stew hunt. We headed into the bush,
Child Development Officers searching for animals and objects from the book
Wombat Stew, marking them off on a bingo card
Embracing Babies as we found them. It was lovely to see many hap-
py children, families, Family Day Care educators
and early childhood services enjoying some time
in nature, engaging in literacy and carefully
choosing a prize on completion. There were also
three Wombat Stew prize packs to be won. I
wonder who were the lucky three recipients of
these?
Jenny
Embracing Babies Facilitator
7
3Bs Playgroup News Photos
Playgroups are back and we are continuing our
nature-based program for this term and even
the rain has created all sorts of opportunities
to learn about the weather. We will be gather-
ing sticks, rocks and flowers, exploring in the
soil and playing out in the rain. Studies show
that growing up in microbe-rich environments,
such as traditional farms, can have protective
health effects on children.
Our modern lifestyle means we don’t get
down and dirty or just touch things in nature in
general enough in our daily life. Early-life expo-
sure to environmental microbes increases good
gut bacteria which means stronger immune
systems and less allergies. Being outdoors also
has other benefits if you want to find out more
come along and join in on our adventures.
Bookings essential lisa.heinze@esc.nsw.gov.au Alira weaving with magical treasures found in na-
ture.
Locations:
Moruya Primary School
Monday 9-10am (fortnightly only)
Batemans Bay Primary School
Tuesday 9-10am
Sunshine Bay Primary School
Wednesday 9-10am
Wallaga Lake is at the Umbarra
Thursdays 10.30-11.30am
PlayStrong Cultural playgroup
Thursday 9.30 –11am
Playstrong Muddy Puddles
Friday 9.30-11am Delilah measuring how big a tree trunk is — never
too young to learn about the environment at Sun-
shine Bay playgroup.
Lisa Heinze
Supported Playgroup Coordinator
02 4474 7382
8
Family Day Care educator spotlight Belinda Morris — Malua Bay
Bush Explorers Family Day Care has been busy ex-
Tracey Murchie — Long Beach
ploring the natural environment on excursions. We
2020 has really encouraged me to reflect on have been to the boat ramp and surrounding areas
my philosophy. to talk about marine safety — wearing life jackets in
My focus is to teach children to be kind — to boats. We have been enjoying the rain with our
themselves, each other and the planet. muddy puddles stomping and also tasting the rain.
This is a life skill we work on forever... We have explored beaches and learnt about crabs,
fish and other living things at the beach. We are cur-
rently growing tomatoes and also learning about
the life cycle of tadpoles into frogs.
9
Dot Kinnane — Surfside Raine Callaghan — Moruya
The children at Dot’s have been enjoying the At Little Dreamers we have loved being outdoors
new elements being added to the outdoor play and exploring the property lately. One of our fa-
space — elements that encourage and foster vourite things to do is go for a walk down to the
the imagination and creativity, allowing chil- mail box where we check the mail and say hello to
dren to share their ideas and through play our animal friends along the way. We've got some
demonstrate an understanding of the world dogs and horses that we like to say hello to.
around them.
Kerry Bergan — Batehaven Alison Burns — Dalmeny
With the weather warming and the sun shining We have been having a wonderful time experienc-
the children at Kerry’s have been bathing their ing and enjoying the outdoors and have loved bush
babies. walking and exploring the bush.
The children have been displaying their nurtur-
ing skills in caring for their babies as they ex-
plore different identities in dramatic play.
10Sam King — Catalina
I have so many photos I would love to share ( I take too many) here are some of my favourites from this
month.
We have been researching Japanese culture. Azami shared her knowledge and helped our group make
sushi.
Lucas Bronte and Rolly shared some stories while out on our picnic morning tea.
11Katherine Wagner — Tuross Head
Down the Path FDC enjoyed some holiday cooking. With plans for woodfired pizza washed out, we
measured, mixed, rolled and sprinkled some pizza magic.
The children explored some pre-writing skills in the dusty flour on the table.
All made for a fun day in care.
12In other news
A big congratulations and well done to Bev Davis who was recently added to the Hidden Treasures
Honour Roll. The Hidden Treasures Honour Roll is an initiative of the Department of Primary Indus-
tries Rural Women’s Network.
Bev has worked as an OOSH educator for many years and we at Children’s Services are pleased
that Bev has received this acknowledgement.
Bev is a community treasure who has been working tirelessly as a volunteer working throughout
the community and assisting with bushfire relief, providing comfort and hands on assistance. She
has been involved with fundraising, visiting and distributing food to the many people affected by
the summer fires.
Bev is also a volunteer for several organisations, including the Bodalla Rural Fire Brigade, Presby-
terian Church and the Bodalla CWA.
Children’s Services has greatly valued Bev’s contribution working in a variety of centres throughout
Eurobodalla.
It is no news to Children’s Services that Bev is a treasure, they have known this for a very long time.
Some reminders………..
Council’s Christmas shutdown
Friday 25 December 2020 to Monday 4 January 2021.
Facebook
With the launch of the new Eurobodalla Children’s Services Facebook page we are
now able to provide a range of videos to support families with play-based
learning activities at home.
COVID safety
If you or your child are experiencing a fever, sore throat, shortness of breath or loss of
smell of taste please get tested and stay home until you receive a negative result.
• For the latest COVID safety recommendations visit NSW Health.
13Preschool exemption to the
Child Care Subsidy activity test
What is the ‘preschool exemption’ to the activity test?
Parents who do not meet and are not otherwise exempt from the Child Care Subsidy activity test will be entitled to 36
hours of subsidised care per fortnight to support their preschool-aged child to attend a preschool program at a Centre
Based Day Care service.
When does the preschool exemption apply?
A family is entitled to the preschool exemption if:
they are eligible for Child Care Subsidy
the parent/s do not meet and are not otherwise exempt from the activity test, meaning their usual entitlement is less
than 36 hours of subsidised care per fortnight (0 or 24 hours based on the family’s income)
they have a preschool aged child and
that child attends an early educational program at a Centre Based Day Care service.
The preschool exemption does not apply to other children in the family who are not preschool aged. For those chil-
dren, the family’s usual entitlement will apply.
What is a preschool aged child?
For the purpose of the Child Care Subsidy preschool exemption, a preschool aged child is a child in the year before
their first year of primary school. States and territories refer to the first year of primary school differently (see the
Services Australia website for details).
To establish when children are preschool aged for Child Care Subsidy purposes, parents indicate their child’s expected
school (i.e. primary school) start date in their Child Care Subsidy claim or when they later update their details with
Centrelink. For example, if a parent indicates their child will start school in February 2020, the child is considered to be
a preschool aged child for 2019.
How do families tell Centrelink when their child will start school?
It is important that families provide their child’s expected school start date when making a Child Care
Subsidy claim, or later updating their details with Centrelink (either in Centrelink Online via myGov or the Express
Plus mobile app). Centrelink uses this date to work out when their child is a preschool aged child for the preschool
exemption.
14Steps, for families:
Log into the myGov site
Select the menu on the top left
Select the Child Care Subsidy heading
Select the View/Update Child Education Details
In the Select a child screen, click on the Action icon for the child
In the Schooling details screen, ensure the child’s education level is set to ‘Has not
started studies’.
In the question box When is [your child’s name] expected to start primary school?,
enter the date the child is expected to attend primary school. You only need to
estimate a date (e.g. 1 February 2021).
What is an early educational program?
For the Child Care Subsidy preschool exemption, the definition of early educational program is based on
requirements set out in the Education and Care Services National Law and Regulations. This means an
approved Centre Based Day Care service delivers an early educational program if it is delivered by (or
where applicable, the service has access to) a qualified early childhood teacher, and the program is
based on and delivered in a manner that accords with an approved learning framework.
How is the preschool exemption applied?
1. The parent lodges a Child Care Subsidy claim. Centrelink will use information in the claim to work out
whether:
• the family’s entitlement is usually 0 or 24 hours of subsidised care per fortnight
and
• the parent has a preschool aged child(ren), as defined above.
2. If the claim establishes ‘Yes’ to the two above criteria, Centrelink will send the parent a claim out-
come letter indicating: their ‘Subsidised hours per fortnight’ is either 0 or 24 however, they may be
entitled to 36 hours of subsidised care per fortnight for their preschool aged child(ren) if they attend
a preschool program at their child care service (Centre Based Day Care service).
153. The Centre Based Day Care service will need to indicate in session reports when a session of care
for a child was, or included, an early educational program, based on the definition above. Please
note that the ‘preschool indicator’ in session reports:
is a ‘Yes/No’ field
may be worded slightly differently depending on the software provider used or Provider Entry Point
(PEP) interface
will only be available for approved Centre Based Day Care services
will only be available for children aged three to five when the session report is created.
Where the preschool indicator response is ‘Yes’, the Child Care Subsidy System (Centrelink) will de-
termine whether the child is preschool-aged and calculate the parent’s entitlement.
If the response to the preschool indicator is ‘No’:
if the family’s usual entitlement is 24 hours per fortnight, Child Care Subsidy can be paid up to the
balance of this entitlement
if the family’s usual entitlement is 0 hours per fortnight, no Child Care Subsidy can be paid.
What happens if a child will start school at a later date?
If a family decides to defer commencement of their child at primary school for another year, it will
affect their Child Care Subsidy entitlement.
As soon as a parent or carer decides their child will not start school the following year, they are re-
quired to update their child’s expected school start date with Centrelink. This will mean the pre-
school exemption will no longer apply until their child is again in the year before primary school.
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