GATTON CHILD CARE CENTRE Monthly Newsletter - July 2020

Lake Apex Drive Gatton Qld 4343 Telephone 07 54 622 946

Email: childcare@lvrc.qld.gov.au Mobile: 0408553082

Dear Parents, A big thank you for making my transition to the centre welcoming. I still am trying to get to get to know all the children’s and families; hopefully this won’t take too long. As you would have noticed we have made a few changes within the centre. We now have some new parent pockets in the foyer and will allocate one to each family, which hopefully will make it easier to collect notices, accounts, and children’s art. COVID -19 How to protect yourself and others — coronavirus (COVID-19)

Everybody is at risk of getting COVID-19. For most people, they will only develop mild illness and recover easily, but others may develop severe sickness.

To protect yourself, your family and the community from getting COVID-19 you must maintain good hygiene and practice social distancing (also called physical distancing).

Do • Stay home if you are sick • If you have any COVID-19 symptoms, no matter how mild, get tested • Stay 1.5 metres away from other people—think two big steps • Wash your hands lots with soap and water or hand sanitizer • Sneeze or cough into your arm or a tissue. Then put the tissue in the bin.

Do not • Go near people if you are coughing or sneezing • Touch your mouth, nose or eyes • Shake hands • Hug or kiss people.

If you or your child is unwell and tested for COVID-19 you must notify us immediately and remain at home until you get a negative test result. We will require you to provide us with a clearance letter from your doctor before your child can return back to care. Early Childhood Education and Care Relief Package From 13 July 2020, the Child Care Subsidy (CCS) and the Additional Child Care Subsidy (ACCS) recommence, along with a range of new measures to support the sector and its families through the transition, including a relaxed activity test for families. Accounts/Statements Payments will recommence from 13 July 2020 with CCS being applied in accordance with your allowable rebate. Statements will be issued fortnightly and will reflect the current fortnightly processing period.

GATTON CHILD CARE CENTRE Monthly Newsletter - July 2020

Lake Apex Drive Gatton Qld 4343 Telephone 07 54 622 946

Email: childcare@lvrc.qld.gov.au Mobile: 0408553082

You can continue to make payments as you did prior to COVID-19 and the introduction to the free childcare package offered by the government. It is a requirement that your fees are kept up to date. If you have any difficulty with your account, please speak with the Director and a payment plan will be created for you. Fee Increase

Previously, we had reported that the child care fees will increase as at 29 June 2020. Due to the impacts of COVID-19 this has been reviewed by the Federal Government and we will be delaying any increase to fees until Monday, 28 September 2020. Bedding The linen we currently supply for the children has just about had its day. We have decided that we will not continue to provide sheets for rest time and will phase this out over the next month. We ask that you send your child with his/her own bedding in a bag clearly named. These will be sent home at the end of the week for washing.

Quality Improvement Plan

The National Regulations require approved services to have a Quality Improvement Plan (QIP). The aim of the QIP is to help providers self-assess their performance in delivering quality education and

care and to plan future improvements. This month we are focusing on:

Quality Area 2

Element 2.1.3 Healthy Lifestyle

Healthy eating and physical activity are promoted and appropriate for each child. The Australian Dietary Guidelines 2013

Guideline 1: To achieve and maintain a healthy weight, be physically active and choose amounts of nutritious food and drinks to meet your energy needs

Guideline 2: Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods from these five food groups every day

Guideline 3: Limit intake of foods containing saturated fat, added salt, added sugars and alcohol

Guideline 4: Encourage and support breastfeeding

Guideline 5: Care for your food and store it safely

GATTON CHILD CARE CENTRE Monthly Newsletter - July 2020

Lake Apex Drive Gatton Qld 4343 Telephone 07 54 622 946

Email: childcare@lvrc.qld.gov.au Mobile: 0408553082

We have identified that our current menu needs some improvement to ensure we are meeting the Australian Dietary Guidelines 2013.

We would value your feedback on the food that you would like us to be providing by completing our online survey.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YP6JHG3

Hear and Say – Hear to Learn Screening Day

Ready Set Shine is conducted by Hear and Say Child Development Specialists at the centre on Friday, 28 August 2020. This is an excellent opportunity for you to find out what your child needs to reach their potential at school. Ready Set Shine will include the following checks: • Hearing and Listening

• Speech and Language The checks will take less than 20 minutes depending on your child’s responses. You will get a copy of the results. Subject to the results, your child may need further tests or to see a doctor. Costs of testing is $80 per child.

A consent form to have your child assessed is available at the office.

What’s happening in August 2020 Fundraiser – Billy G’s Gourmet Cookie and Biscuit Dough (until 17 August 2020)

This month we are fundraising to purchase resources and plants for the centre.

Order forms are available from the office or you can create your own personal fundraising page. Instructions are on the attached flyer.

Jeans for Genes Day – Friday, 7 August 2020

• Children and staff encouraged to wear jeans or denim – make a cold coin donation. Office to sell Jeans for Genes badges

Brisbane Show Public Holiday, Monday, 10 August 2020 – Gatton Child Care Centre will be closed

GATTON CHILD CARE CENTRE Monthly Newsletter - July 2020

Lake Apex Drive Gatton Qld 4343 Telephone 07 54 622 946

Email: childcare@lvrc.qld.gov.au Mobile: 0408553082

Cupcake Day, Tuesday, 18 August 2020 - Cupcake Day for the RSPCA is the biggest bake-off in the

Southern Hemisphere and involves Cupcake Cooks around Australia baking cupcakes and hosting a Cupcake Party to raise vital funds for the RSPCA.

Dress Up Day – to celebrate Children’s Book Week Wednesday, 19 August 2020

• Children and staff to come in dress up clothes representing a book character – activities to represent book week all week.

Room News

Nursery

We have all had a very busy month exploring through sensory play. We have used play dough, corn

flour paint, finger paint, wet chalk, shredded paper, pieces of wood, bark and material.

Sensory play promotes sensory integration which is the ability of the body to integrate and process

all the information it receives via the sensory modalities of touch, taste, smell, hearing and vision.

All the children have shown a wonderful interest in our story ‘The Ants Go Marching’. This has then led to us singing the song, clapping and tapping the beat as we do so.

If your child has a favourite book they would like to share with us, please bring it along and place on

Bec’s desk so we can share their story with the group.

Bec. Fiona, Jackie and Karen

Toddlers The Toddlers’ garden project continues to expand with the addition of beetroot seedlings to our

collection of veggies. It is always fun being out in the garden and by far the best thing to do is use a

watering can to water the plants. We are watching everything grow and observing the changes -the potato plants recently produced some pretty flowers and there were small yellow flowers on the

tomato bush-and are keen to harvest more things to use in our cooking experiences.

GATTON CHILD CARE CENTRE Monthly Newsletter - July 2020

Lake Apex Drive Gatton Qld 4343 Telephone 07 54 622 946

Email: childcare@lvrc.qld.gov.au Mobile: 0408553082

Toddler Continued

Thank you to those who have collected bottle tops for us. The children are enjoying using these as food (using tongs to move them from one container to another or serve up on a plate), post into bottles and to gather in a container or bag and transport them to other places. These are all valuable learning experiences which provide the children with time to explore and experiment, while

offering us opportunities to extend the children’s thinking or talk about mathematical concepts such as colour, size and shape.

Please remember to name EVERYTHING. There is a nikko pen on the kitchen bench for this purpose

😊 Until next time, Megan, Jenly and Karen

Jnr Kindy Well another month has flown by and as you will have noticed we have made some major changes to the room set up. This stemmed from not having enough space for the construction area and

developed into a whole room change in the process. This appears to be working well and I think it has renewed some of the children’s interests in all areas of the room.

In the process of the changes we also added a musical instrument stand to the space, and this has

proved to be very popular with all the children and we are learning the correct way to use each of the instruments.

It has also been interesting watching the children trying to ‘find’ the lockers to put their belongings

away – they automatically go to the old space walking straight past them, but they are seeing the funny side of this and having a laugh when they realise what they have done.

I have also put a program display on the noticeboard near the entry. This is a new way I am trying now so there may be some changes to come, but we will see how it goes.

Bye for now Pam, Bobbie and Karen

GATTON CHILD CARE CENTRE Monthly Newsletter - July 2020

Lake Apex Drive Gatton Qld 4343 Telephone 07 54 622 946

Email: childcare@lvrc.qld.gov.au Mobile: 0408553082

Kindy Welcome to our July News! Semester two has commenced with busy times. My remarkable

kindergarten children have been presenting significant growth and understanding within the

language and literacy modes of learning. They have been working independently, within small group

settings or within a whole group intentional teaching exercise. The children have been engaging in

inventing words using letters, making their names and sequencing stories. We have been continuing

with our routine letter learning and the children’s literacy skills are continuously improving.

Everyone’s ability to form letters and connect beginning sounds has increased extensively.

We have also been working with shops and money. I must say some things are a little on the

expensive side.

We would love to welcome Matthew, Kurtis and Khalid to our kindergarten team. They have settled

in well to our routine, teachings and experiences.

Outdoor Program

The children’s outdoor play has been very physical and active, with the children instigating

their own activities and games. One of the first resources which is taken out of the shed are

the bikes. The children love riding/pushing the bikes around the playground. When riding

the bikes, they are in their own world; they are focussed and ‘in the moment’. The benefits

GATTON CHILD CARE CENTRE Monthly Newsletter - July 2020

Lake Apex Drive Gatton Qld 4343 Telephone 07 54 622 946

Email: childcare@lvrc.qld.gov.au Mobile: 0408553082

of bike riding are many, including developing their leg muscles and strengthening their

body. The continued exercise will help build their stamina and improve their cardiovascular

development. They will also increase their coordination, balance and spatial awareness –

teaching them to stop quickly when necessary.

The swings are also very popular. As there are only two swings, the children are not only

developing their balance and core strength muscles, they are learning to share and patiently

wait for their turn (social/emotional development). The children love the back, forth and

spinning motion from the swings. These movements help the children’s minds settle into a

more restful state balancing the neurological activity in their brain.

As an extension of block building, I have collected and prepared (taped and contacted) a

variety of boxes to use as building blocks. These boxes are light enough for the children to

pick up to stack on top of each other and when the boxes come tumbling down, the children

won’t be hurt.

If there are any queries about your child’s physical abilities, please do not hesitate to talk to

me.

Marquita

GATTON CHILD CARE CENTRE Monthly Newsletter - July 2020

Lake Apex Drive Gatton Qld 4343 Telephone 07 54 622 946

Email: childcare@lvrc.qld.gov.au Mobile: 0408553082

We are holding a Billy G’s Gourmet Cookie Dough drive as a major fundraiser this term and we ask for your support.

All the funds raised will go to the purchase of resources for the children and some plants for our outdoor areas.

Billy G’s is an Australian family owned and operated business. There are ten (10) delicious flavours including their

NEW Mint Choc and NESTLE® SMARTIES® cookie dough. There is even a cheese flavoured Doggie Dough for your special

fury family members! The delicious cookie dough is only available through fundraising and is not sold in stores, so

stock up!

Final Online and Cash Orders Due (17 August 2020)

Online Prize Ordering Closes on (21 August 2020)

Delivery Date (7 September 2020)

How Do We Fundraise?

The Billy G’s Fundraiser order form includes instructions on how to collect orders from family, friends and neighbours.

You can obtain orders in cash using the order form, together with online fundraising.

If you sell at least 1 tub, you are entitled to an incentive prize for your efforts. But why not aim higher? You have the

option to choose up to five (5) prizes and this will set your fundraising goal. Family and friends are your greatest

supporters, so ask them first for support. You will reach your fundraising goal in no time!

How do we create an Online Fundraising Page?

Creating a fundraising page is easy as 1,2,3.

1. Head to www.cookiedough.com.ay to create your Online Fundraising Page by clicking the “Register Now” button

and fill in your information as a parent/guardian.

2. Choose your child’s prize goals and create their avatar!

3. Share your child’s online fundraising page with your family and friends via the “Share” section so they can start

buying some Cookie Dough as well. How Easy!

There are great features in the online portal like creating your own avatar, selecting your prize goal and entering your

cash sales!

Win a Dream Holiday worth $10,000! Create an Online Fundraising Page at www.cookiedough.com.au, sell or purchase

one or more tubs of Billy G’s Gourmet Cookie Dough and you will automatically go into the draw to win a $10,000

Dream Holiday.

The Leaderboard Challenge – If you become the highest fundraiser on our leaderboard you will automatically go in

the draw for the chance to win a Cruise worth $5,000. How exciting! Let’s get fundraising!

How to Order Prizes?

To reward your child for their efforts, they can choose incentive prizes based on the total amount of tubs sold.

1. Login to your Online Fundraising Page at www.cookiedough.com.au. Once the fundraiser has finished, click the

‘ORDER MY PRIZE’ button via the dashboard. Select up to five (5) prizes to the amount of tubs you have sold.

2. Complete the back-page of your order form and return to the to the Childcare Centre.

Thank you in advance for your participation. Happy fundraising!

Susan Corke

Director Gatton Child Care Centre