OOSH at SGCS acknowledges the traditional custodians of the NSW, the Eora people. We

also acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to

the life of this city and region. We pay respect to elders past and present.

Hello and welcome back to OOSH at SGCS to our existing families and a big welcome to all of the new families joining us this year!! I hope you're all ready for a fun and exciting 2017. I'm sure your children are all going to love it here at OOSH. At OOSH, we work hard to help children grow and develop. We do this through a range of supervised activities, both planned and spontaneous. With each program, we have a different focus topic which we have planned activities based around. This allows the children to involve themselves in activities and games, whilst still learning about topics the children have chosen. Term One focus Throughout term one, we will be focusing on getting to know the children and their families. Our term program focus is called 'Me, myself and I'. Each week will have a different sub-topic that will tell us more about each other. This will then help us plan our future programs. Vacation Care During December, we were open for vacation care. It was a great program that saw children come together learn and have a lot of fun. The children travelled on trains and buses as well as walked to a number of cool excursions. On the first day of vacation care, we swam and had lunch at Gunnamatta Park. The children had a ball on this excursion and the weather was perfect! We ventured to Hurstville movies to watch, ‘Trolls’ which was a very popular day. Went to Putt Planet to practise our golf skills and watched a magic Christmas show by ‘Benny-O’. The two favourite excursions for the children, was our visit to Flip Out at Taren Point and Pancakes on the Rocks in Beverly Hills where the children indulged in pancakes and ice cream. As fun as the excursions were for the children, one thing I think we noticed was just how much enjoyment the children showed in the days spent at the centre. They participated in a number of craft activities, most popular being wood work. Brought their bikes, and scooters for a fun wheels day, threw water balloons at targets and ran around the school finding their favourite Pokémon characters in a crazy scavenger hunt. I believe the December vacation care program was a huge success and we are so excited for the next holiday program here at the service. Please check out the photos from our December program throughout this newsletter.

OSSH at SGCS

Term 1 Newsletter 2017

Term 1 goals: - introduce all new families to our educators and familiarise them with our service - maintain a high-quality standard of care - implement a fun and exciting program for the children that is both indoors and outdoors - re-arrange the setting of our OOSH room to best benefit the children Staffing Arrangements We have an excellent team for OOSH at SGCS this term. When allocating educators, we aim to have a strong team that is able to meet and care for all of the children’s needs. Please make yourself known to all of our lovely educators.

OOSH additional needs and behaviour Booklets Here at OOSH we strive to provide children with a supportive environment that allows them to realise their full potential regardless of their gender, age or ability. By developing an OOSH additional needs and behaviour booklet, we aim to provide the care and support that all children and families need. Our goal is to use this booklet as a tool for families and the OOSH service to support working together, to provide the best outcome for all children. If you would like to view this booklet, please feel free to ask your Nominated Supervisor. If you have any questions about the service or would just like to have a chat about anything OOSH related, please don't hesitate to call.

Thank you

Brad

Useful OOSH Hints

You are required to sign your child in at Before School Care and out at After School Care.

At the sign in and out area, you will also find; the Program, Educator Roster, Weekly Menu and

much more informative information.

During drop off and pick up, please speak to an educator. This will give you the opportunity to

develop trusting relationships with our educators, and build carer/ child friendships.

If your child is missing their hat, drink bottle and or a personal item please look in the Lost

Property Box.

Fees are paid fortnightly, two (2) weeks in advance. Receipts and invoices will be issued by email

fort-nightly.

Bookings Permanent bookings: A permanent booking is a booking that is continuously the same days and

sessions every week of the school term. Once your permanent booking has been confirmed, you are

guaranteed to continuously hold your desired pattern of attendance during the year.

Casual bookings: Children who do not attend the program on set days can be booked into the program

on a casual basis, if there are vacancies available. Casual bookings/ inquiries need to be made 24

hours prior to care being required. Casual bookings can be made via email or phone direct to the centre

or by email or phone call to head office. Please note, it is desirable to book casual bookings one week in

advance if you know your upcoming care needs.

Changing attendance: Written notice is to be given to the centre two weeks prior to change of days for

permanent bookings. Fees will still apply for two weeks after receiving your notice. Notice can be in the

form of an email direct to the centre or head office.

Our Quality improvement plan for 2017

The National Regulations require services to have a Quality Improvement Plan (QIP). The aim of a QIP is to help

providers self-assess their performance in delivering quality education and care, and to plan future improvements. The

QIP also helps regulatory authorities with the assessments of the service.

A Quality Improvement Plan must:

Include an assessment of the programs and practices at the service against the National Quality Standard and

National Regulations

Identify areas for improvement

Include a statement about the service’s philosophy

Celebrate the service’s strengths

Our QIP will cover all seven key quality areas:

1. Educational program and practice. 2. Children's health and safety. 3. Physical environment. 4. Staffing arrangements. 5. Relationships with children. 6. Collaborative partnerships with families and communities. 7. Leadership and service management.

We are currently putting the final touches on our QIP. Throughout the year, we will be seeking parent input and

feedback to assist us in continuously improving our program and meeting your childcare needs.

OOSH Philosophy review Throughout the term our educators strive to find new ways to keep our practices and beliefs current and relevant. This is where parent and child input is highly regarded. When input is given the centre is able to make appropriate changes to improve the centre. We would love for your feedback and support as we review the centres philosophy.

Please email and or speak to our educators, providing constructive suggestions and feedback.

OOSH Philosophy

OOSH aims to provide a safe, nurturing, stimulating and welcoming environment for school age children. Our Centre offers experiences which reflect the children’s diversity, strengths, needs and interests. We support positive learning and leisure experiences, in a warm, fun and friendly atmosphere which will foster each child’s sense of self-worth, nurture positive group relationships and encourage cooperative and collaborative behaviour. We understand that parents and families have busy lifestyles. We strive to create a supportive family atmosphere assisting to relieve any family pressure and providing quality care

Our centre implements the My Time Our Place framework to ensure that school age children have the opportunity to engage in leisure and play-based activities that are a reflection of the interests and choices of the children. Our child directed program aims to provide for a variety of developmental levels. It allows for extension of learning through enjoyable, play experiences, encouraging autonomy and interdependence.

Before School Care Educator Roster

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Brad (NS) Brad (NS) Brad (NS) Brad (NS) Brad (NS)

Rebecca R Rebecca L Rebecca L Rebecca R Rebecca R

After School Care Educators Roster

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Brad (NS) Brad (NS) Brad (NS) Brad (NS) Brad (NS)

Kelly Kelly Rhonda Rhonda Georgia G

2017 School terms

Term 1 Tuesday 31st January to Friday 7th April

Term 2 Wednesday 26th April to Friday 30th June

Term 3 Tuesday 25th July to Friday 22nd September

Term 4 Monday 9th October to Friday 8th December

OOSH at SGCS

If you have any questions, suggestions and or concerns please do not hesitate

in contacting us.

Phone: 0429 031 796

Email: sgcsoosh@gmail.com

Website: www.ooshatsgcs.com.au

Head Office Ph: 02 9526 7000

Our closing time is 6.00pm sharp. If you

think you may be late, please call to

notify the centre or organise an

alternative. Regular late pick-ups will be

issued with late fees and possible

cancellation of care.

Please ensure all allergy

information and children

requirements is on the

enrolment forms and if necessary

all action Plans are up to date.

Admin space

Helen manages our accounts and all admin queries. If you need to contact Helen she is

available on:

Monday 9.30am-5.00pm

Tuesday 9.30am-5.00pm

Thursday 9.30am-3.00pm

Phone: 9526 7000

Email: admin@keyorris.com.au

Connections - A new resource about children’s mental health and wellbeing Positive social and emotional development in early childhood is important for the day-to-day wellbeing of babies and young children and can also lead to lasting benefits for their future.

Research shows that the relationships and experiences we have as a baby or young child, and the environments in which we live and grow, can affect how the brain develops. This in turn can influence our childhood, adolescent and adult lives including our physical health, mental health, relationships, and success at school and work. It is essential for babies and young children to be supported in their mental health, through promoting their best possible social and emotional development. For the thousands of young children who attend out of school hours care (OSHC) throughout Australia, the role of OSHC educators is critical. To support educators in this important task, a new resource called Connections has been developed. “OSHC educators play a critical and often underestimated role in supporting the mental health of children,” says Robyn Munro Miller, Chair and Executive Officer of Network of Community Activities NSW and NOSHSA. “The Connections resource is an important contribution to supporting OSHC educators in their role.” Connections is a practical resource designed for early childhood educators in a range of settings, including OSHC, to guide them in supporting young children’s mental health and wellbeing. It has been developed by the Hunter Institute of Mental Health with funding from the Australian Government through the Department of Education. The resource has been developed in consultation with early childhood educators across Australia, as well as early childhood peak bodies and mental health experts. Robyn Munro Miller, a member of the Connections national advisory group comments, “I have been delighted to be involved in this project which has the capacity to achieve long-term benefits for our children and their families. This project assists to de-stigmatise the term 'mental health' and develops our understanding about the role of educators in assisting and supporting the mental health of children.” Connections outlines the skills and practices of educators that are associated with positive mental health and wellbeing for children. There are also practical examples and tips to help educators adapt these ideas to fit their service, and meet the unique needs of their children and families. Reflective questions and case studies are included in Connections, as well as links to the National Quality Standard (NQS), Belonging, Being and Becoming – The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (EYLF) and My Time, Our Place – Framework for School Age Care in Australia. Fact sheets are provided on topics such as family conflict and separation; trauma, loss and grief; supporting additional mental health needs; discussing mental health difficulties with families; and helping a person in distress. A free copy of Connections has recently been distributed to OSHC services across Australia. Electronic copies are also available online. For more information about Connections and the research behind it, visit: www.himh.org.au/connections

Aloha Rice Ingredients 1/2 carrot, peeled 1/2 celery stick 1/2 small red or green capsicum 2 spring onions 440g can pineapple rings in natural or unsweetened juice, drained 2 slices lean ham 4 cups cooked rice 4 tablespoons cooked sweet corn kernels Cracked black pepper, to season 2 tablespoons salad dressing (made from a healthier oil such as canola, sunflower or olive oil) Method 1. Wash the carrot, celery, capsicum and spring onion and pat dry with paper towels. 2. Grate the carrot and put into a mixing bowl. 3. Slice the celery finely and add to the bowl. 4. Remove the seeds from the capsicum. Cut into small squares and add to the bowl. 5. Cut the root end of the spring onion. Slice finely, then add to the bowl. 6. Cut the pineapple into small squares and add to the bowl. 7. Slice the ham into small squares and add to the bowl with the cooked rice, sweet corn, pepper and dressing. 8. Using a spoon, mix thoroughly. 9. If not using at once, cover with cling wrap (or transfer to a storage container) and refrigerate until needed.

After School Care Routine

3:15pm to 3:50pm Sans Souci campus travels to the Hurstville campus.

Homework to be done during this time or quiet activities.

3:50pm to 4:00pm Roll is marked followed by children’s news and then hand

washing.

4:00pm to 4:20pm Afternoon tea is served outside (weather permitting)

4:20pm to 5:15pm Outdoor and indoor play

5.15pm to 5:50pm Transition indoors for planned experiences

5:50pm to 6:00pm Pack away and tidy room.

6:00pm Centre closes

Community tree planting days - Karne Street Reserve. Saturday 11th March 9:00am until 12:00pm

This is a free event.

Local residents are also doing their bit to help our environment, by volunteering on our monthly tree planting days and implementing sustainable gardening practices.

Schools Clean Up Day Friday 3rd March 2017

Organisation: Clean Up Australia Since 1992, school communities across Australia have demonstrated their support for caring for the environment through participating in Schools Clean Up Day. National/State: National Email: cleanup@cleanup.com.au Website: www.cleanupaustraliaday.org.au/about/about-the-event/clean-up-for-schools

Sea Week Saturday 25th February – Sunday 5th March Organisation: Marine Education Society of Australia Sea week is the Marine Education Society of Australasia's (MESA) major national public awareness campaign.

Uniting Care Pancake Day Tuesday the 28th February 2017

Organisation: Uniting Care Uniting Care Pancake Day is about having a great day of fun with friends while supporting local people in need. Throughout February hundreds of groups across Victoria and Tasmania host events to raise money to support people in need. National/State: National Website: victas.pancakeday.com.au/

Helpful links

Child and Youth Health www.cyh.com.au

Sydney Chinese New Year www.sydneychinesenewyear.com

Infant Development Resources http://kidshealth.schn.health.nsw.gov.au/

Bridges, Connecting Families, communities and organisations www.bridges.org.au

Georges River Council http://hurstville.nsw.gov.au/home.html

Centre Link www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/dhs/centrelink

SMS4dads www.sms4dads.com

Kid safe (NSW) www.kidsafensw.org

Slot Cars

Let’s get racing!! As we explore the

world of slot car racing, and see all

of cool cars.

Monday 10th to 24th April 2017

.

Cars Park

With the large grassed areas, shade trees

and newly built playground, Cars Park will

be a great day out.

We will have beach sports activities and a

sand castle competition.

.

Symbio Zoo

Have a fun day out experiencing all

different types of animals from big

to the tinniest of insects.

Emoji Day

Come and enjoy a day of

emoji fun. We will be

making emoji Harma

beads, playing pin the

sunglasses on the emoji

and much more!

Ice Zoo

ICE ZOO is an ice rink, but

as the name suggests it is

different. Come along and

experience a new and fun

ice skating concept.

Wearable Art

Ever wanted to design your own cap. Using fabric paints the

children will get the chance to paint art works or a slogan on

their cap. These caps will be washable and the children can

take them home and show off their creations.

Glow Crazy

This venue has been designed to suit all

age groups with a glowing high tech

atmosphere that includes large TV screen

monitors with Xbox, PlayStation and Wii

u, with all the latest games there is. Also

air hockey, table tennis, soccer and glow

golf for everybody to have fun with.

There is also a dance floor with disco

lights and Karaoke.

Everything Easter

With the Easter long weekend

coming we will spend the day

making lots of craft and

participating in an Easter Egg Hunt.

Yum!

Game Day

Spend the day in this super cool

bus that has been fitted out with

all of the latest arcade style

games.

Movie Day

Sit with your friends, munch on

popcorn as you watch a fun

movie. Enjoy pizza for lunch

before spending the afternoon

riding your bike.

Your child’s school-age friendships

Friends and friendships are more and more important to your school-age child. By getting to know the children your child spends time with, you can help your child make friends and support those budding friendships.

Your child’s world gets bigger when she starts school. Relationships with other people – like the children in her class at school – become more important.

Friendships are good for your school-age child’s self-esteem. When your child has good friends, he feels like he belongs. He has people he can have fun and share interests with. His friends care about him, and this helps him feel good about himself.

When children make friends, they develop important life skills. These include getting along with other people, being independent and learning how to sort out conflicts and problems. These skills are important for your child to learn because children who get along with others are less likely to have social and emotional difficulties later in life.

Play is a big part of how children connect with others and make friends at school. Being involved in games can help your child get to know her schoolmates and settle into school more easily. She’ll learn about taking turns, sharing, and cooperating with her new friends as she plays.

School friends and parents: why your child needs both

Young children enjoy playing with their friends, but they still need their parents. In fact, during the early school years, home life and family relationships are still the biggest influence on your child’s development. Good family relationships are just what your child needs to learn and grow.

Also, you give your child a stable, safe home base through the ups and downs of making and losing friends. In fact, the care and love you give your child at home helps your child manage other relationships.

If your child is upset at being left out, or has had a fight with a friend, he knows that you’re still there for him. And you can help him work it out by talking with him about what happened and how he felt. For example, ‘How did you feel when Ali wouldn’t let you play?’ This helps your child learn about his feelings and how to handle them. Sometimes just listening or giving your child a hug can be enough.

After school one day my son told me that his mates wouldn’t let him join in their game at lunch time. He felt sad and left out. We talked about what happened and things that could help. I encouraged him to take a ball to school the next day so that if it happened again, he could start his own game. – Jacinta, mother of a six-year-old

Week 1 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Afternoon

tea

Corn thins with fresh

fruit

Yoghurt with muesli and

fruit

Sandwiches with fresh

fruit

Popcorn cups and dried fruit

Savoury Platter

Drink Water/Milk Water/Milk Water/Milk Water/Milk Water/Milk

Week 2 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Afternoon

tea

Lamingtons with dried

fruit

Fresh fruit, cheese and

crackers

Rice cups with

mixed vegetables

Fruit cups

with custard

Fruit skewers with Biscuits

Drink Water/Milk Water/Milk Water/Milk Water/Milk Water/Milk

Week 3 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Afternoon

tea

Vegetable sticks with

assorted dips

Nachos

Flat bread,

assorted dips and vegetable

sticks

Fresh fruit, cheese and

crackers

Pikeletes

with oranges

Drink Water/Milk Water/Milk Water/Milk Water/Milk Water/Milk

St George Christian School and OOSH at SGCS work collaboratively, in following and implementing

consistent values for our children. Throughout the services daily program, experiences and activities, our

educator’s role model and reinforce, positive behaviour and self-respect that we encourage and expect all

children to follow.

As we practice these values in our OOSH service, we positively see consistent and smooth behaviour values

between our children’s school, OOSH and home life.

We encourage our students, teachers and parents to live by:

Our vision is that each person in the school community will:

- know Christ, growing in relationship with God and with one another

- gain wisdom, learning how to live in the world

- develop their spiritual, academic, social and physical gifts

- establish a lifestyle that honours God and serves others

Our values as a Christian School are we:

- acknowledge the absolute authority of God as our Creator Father

- trust Jesus Christ as our Saviour and serve Him as our Lord

- depend on God’s indwelling Spirit as our enabler

- hold on to God’s Word as our standard

- value all people as created in God’s image

Our mission is to develop each person's character and gifts, for serving God and His people by promoting:

- joy in learning

- excellence in teaching

- Personal Christian faith and growth towards maturity.

As we introduce OOSH values we encourage Families to have their input

Quality Area 6: Collaborative partnerships with families and communities

6.1.2 Families have opportunities to be involved in the service and contribute to service decisions.

Have your Say:

Policy Review

Inclusion Policy

Aim

To provide children with a supportive environment that allows them to realise their full potential regardless of their

gender, age or ability.

Implementation

Our centre wants children to develop to the best of their personal ability. Every child in our centre is an individual

and we aim to promote and encourage this by:

• Helping children to develop ease with and have a respect for physical, racial, religious and cultural

differences.

• Enabling children to develop autonomy, independence, competency, confidence and pride.

• To provide all children with accurate and appropriate material that provides information about their own and

other’s disabilities and cultures.

• Providing educators of a high calibre who encourage children to experience active and energetic play in order to

develop their physical potential.

• Presenting children with a wide range of male and female work roles, both within the home and the workplace,

including nurturing roles.

• Encouraging children to develop friendships with each other based on mutual trust and respect.

• Including in our program and the centres physical environment awareness of cross-cultural and non-

discriminatory practices.

• Using a program that is based on a child’s development and that is also relevant to the children’s life

experiences, interests and social skills.

• Encouraging parents from non-English speaking backgrounds to contribute their knowledge and culture to the

centre to enhance the program.

• Making it clear to children that it is not acceptable for a child to say or do unfair things to another person and

that if this does occur an educator will firmly step in.

Legislative Requirements

• Education and Care services National Law Act 2011

• Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority

• Occupational Health & Safety Act 1989,

• Anti-Discrimination Act 1977

Who is affected by this policy?

• Children and Families

• Educators and Management

Sources and further reading:

• Education and Care services National Law Act 2011

• Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority website. www.acecqa.gov.au

• Handle with Care: A Guide to Early Childhood Administration

Review: This policy will be reviewed annually. The review will be conducted by: • Management and Employees • Interested Parties (including Families, NSW Early Childhood Education and Care Directorate Department of Education and Communities, ACECQA

etc.) Last Reviewed: November 2016