At long last another edition of Knee High News!
As many families will be aware there have been quite a few staff changes at Bright Sparks since July this year. We have also welcomed many new families so we have been busy getting to know everyone and settling in to new routines. Inside this newsletter is some information about all the new staff and where the old ones have gone. Please don’t hesitate to introduce yourself to the staff if you have not yet met them. We hope to keep in contact with Kelli and Kevin using Skype so that they can still see the children they loved working with!!!
Fee Increase:
As of Monday 7th July the full daily fee has increased by $3 per day. This will be partially offset by an increase to Child Care Benefit (CCB). This is an annual increase and coincides with the annual increase to wages. Those with set weekly or fortnightly payments should revise their situation. We endeavour to print fee statements each month and put them in your child’s pigeon hole. These statements are always for fees owing four weeks in advance. We are happy to print a statement at any time. If you have any questions regarding fees and accounts please speak with John or Lee.
Studying:
A number of our staff members are studying as well as working – no easy task!!
· Lynn is completing the 4th year of her Bachelor of Education.
· Barney is studying Bachelor of Education.
· Simone and Jacqui are completing their Diploma in Child Care.
· Amber, Lyndal and John are studying Certificate III in Early Education and Care.
· A number of our staff members have recently updated their First Aid Qualifications.
Journals and Observations:
We are currently trialling a number of online documentation programs to come up with one that meets all the requirements of the NQS and EYLF. It should be simple and easy to use for our educators and should be accessible to our families. It will take a few months to look at all these comprehensive systems so we will be implementing it in the new year.
Workshops and staff training:
Maurza has been to an aboriginal workshop called Past, Present and Future which focused on respecting aboriginal culture and understanding their way of life.
Simone attended a workshop on Educational apps for the iPad.
Excursions:
Children have participated in a number of excursions recently including visits to the local Library and to Grafton TAFE playsessions. These excursions allow the children to experience different aspects of our local community.
A Few More Friendly Reminders for Parents …….
· Signing in and out: It is important that your child is signed in on arrival and out on departure every day. It is vital for us to be aware of who is in attendance especially if there happens to be an emergency evacuation!
· Pigeon Holes: parents are asked to check their child’s pigeon hole each day they attend. This is where you find notes, fee statements, art & craft items, and anything your child may have left behind. They are located near the front door. Please ask a staff member if you are unsure of where your child’s is.
· Labelling: It is really helpful for staff if you write your child’s name on everything – bag/backpack, clothing (including undies), shoes, lunch box and drink bottle.
· Lost Property: The trolley near the front door is where any items that don’t have names on them are placed if they are left at the Centre. Please check this regularly. Unclaimed items will be donated to charity after a period of time.
· Parent Library: This is located near the front entrance and contains information about EYLF and Belonging, Being & Becoming, local community programs such as CRANES, local schools, health and dietary information including Sue Dengate’s Failsafe Book and GP helpline. We are happy to copy any of this information for you if required.
· Contact with staff: All staff members are happy to speak with parents about their children for any reason. If you wish to have more than a quick chat when dropping off and picking up we would prefer that an appointment be arranged so that our supervision requirements are covered and the conversation is kept private.
· Fees: We ask that fee payments are kept up to date. Regular fee payments ensure that your fees don’t fall behind and result in it becoming difficult to catch up. Please speak to John or Lee if you are concerned about your fee payments. A payment plan can be put in place. Make up days can only be used if your fees are up to date. A variety of payment options are available for your convenience - Netbank, Centrepay, Eftpos and cash payments.
· Centre Policies: All Centre policies are located on top of the lockers in the Starlight Room. Parents are welcome to read these at any time and make comments and suggestions for changes. There is usually one policy on display that we are currently updating and looking for parent input on. They can also be found on our website.