We all love to celebrate Children’s Week, after all supporting children’s happiness and wellbeing and helping them to thrive is the foundation of quality early childhood education. This year’s theme looks straightforward, but it actually contains many layers which we unpack with the help of the National Children’s Commissioner. The Theme for Children’s Week 2019 […]
This year, National Children’s Week runs from 19 to 27 October. With a permanent theme of ‘A caring world shares’, Children’s Week celebrates the right of children to enjoy childhood. It is also a time for children to demonstrate their talents, skills and abilities (find out more about the history of Children’s Week). The Office […]
17-23 March 2019 Almost 50% of all Australians were either born overseas or have a parent who was born overseas, a fact that the organisers of Harmony Week 2019 are keen to share this year. That’s right: Harmony Week. This year is the first time organisers (currently the Australian Department of Home Affairs) have extended […]
It’s December and in the Australian ECEC sector we know what that means! Somewhere out there, a tabloid editor has added “Outrage as childcare bans Christmas” to their story list, and a parent has expressed outrage they must keep paying fees even though their family is heading up the coast for a fortnight. Online forums […]
We love a good library story here at Amplify, and we were happy to publish this story from Sue Motley and Leigh Best, CELA members from Armidale Community Preschool, sharing the experience of installing a street library at their community preschool in northern NSW. Outback boxes The idea for a Street Library was sparked during a […]
Reflection I have been seeing all these beautiful stories of Santas going above and beyond the call of duty for children. Signing for a deaf child, getting on the floor with autistic children, praying with hurting children and more. These Santas are only in these children’s lives for 5 to 10mins but can have a […]
Whether your service closes down for the Christmas break or not, most workplaces will have a function of some kind to mark the end of the year. For some people this is their annual highlight. Others view with dread the mandatory ‘fun’ at a frantic time of year. We consulted our CELA team and some other wise heads […]
Australia chooses inclusion: Yes Follow the coverage on ABC Online to see how the ‘vote’ came out in the survey on marriage quality and look at what may happen next.
This Saturday is Armistice Day, also known as Remembrance Day. While few children’s services will be open, many children will have seen poppy badges being sold on street corners, or be aware of older siblings participating in commemoration ceremonies at school on Friday. They may wonder, on the weekend, why adults around them suddenly go […]
In an article a few years ago, the Sydney Morning Herald described the opposition of the Catholic Church to the rise of Halloween as a family activity, reporting: The Vatican issued a warning to parents, saying they should not allow children to dress up as witches or ghosts for an ”anti-Christian” celebration of ”terror, fear […]
