Workshops Timetable

Workshop Descriptions

Friday Afternoon Sessions - 2.30pm to 4.30pm

Fun & Games
Presented by Joan McGilvray

Kick start your Network Conference experience with an interactive encounter with fun and games!

Playing games is part of our essential human nature, even if we are sensible and mature adults. The world is a serious place and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with responsibilities and deadlines. It’s the same for children, who are also rushed and stressed by family pressures and worries of their own.

We all need the antidote to stress – it’s called playtime!

We’ve designed this opening session as an approach to the weekend which will start us all thinking about re-constructing positive childhoods in which play is an integral part. As you play, you will be encouraged to think about the role of games in release of stress, providing a chance to engage and maybe to win, to lose gracefully and above all to be part of a group simply enjoying some time together, simply playing! We dare you to join the fun and games!

Forum on Article 31
What are we doing for children’s play and how can Australia do it better?
Facilitated by Ric McConaghy (International Vice President IPA), Barbara Champion (PRAV) and Robyn Monro Miller (Network of Community Activities)

With active members in more than 40 nations worldwide the International Play Association (IPA) is well positioned to read the status of children’s play globally.

IPA is concerned with promoting children’s play rights in both developing countries and the industrialised world. If play is indeed “nature’s training for life”, a statement that is well supported by researchers in numerous disciplines, it follows that governments, institutions, professionals working with children and parents alike should be working together to protect and promote this most fundamental of children’s developmental rights.
This workshop provides a forum for open discussion about Article 31 to encourage a better understanding of the child’s right to play and to assist in the development of practical guidelines toward its implementation. The feedback from this forum will help contribute to Network’s submission to the submission to the Australian Human Rights inquiry.

Playhouse - Play Space Magic
Presented by Di Turner

In this workshop, we will explore the concept of creating temporary but innovative play areas for children within their centres.
Using paper rolls, cardboard tubes, fabric and other recycled products, participants will build structures such as geodesic domes, tepees, tents and paper castles for indoor and outdoor areas. Although we will be undertaking these activities in a fun filled way, your intuitive teamwork, innovation, and creative thinking is given some exercise. The process and end product will amaze you.

SESSION A- Saturday 11.15am to 12.45pm

A:1 The Importance of Silence and Stillness in Children’s Lives… (PP)
Presented by Maggie Dent, author of “Saving Our Children from Our Chaotic World”, “Nurturing Kids’ Hearts and Souls” and the latest release “Real Kids in an Unreal World”.

During this workshop Maggie will look at how we can teach children this important and inspirational life resilience skill, how to calm hyperactive children, how to change emotional states and learn the best ways to maximise the brain’s capacity to learn in a safe environment. Calmness can be learned! This workshop explores cognitive and emotional benefits and is full of practical tips to get the magic into your centres, in the children’s homes and also in the school classrooms.

A:2 Introduction to Aboriginal Culture (PP)
Presented by Dhinawan Dreaming

Learn the beauty of Aboriginal culture through Didgeridoo games, songs and dances. A practical and fun workshop that will help participants develop an appreciation and understanding of the Aboriginal heritage through a child’s eyes.

A:3 Play House - From the Wild Side (PP)
Facilitated by Di Turner and Bernadette Daczko

So often these days, craft activities come straight out of a neatly wrapped package from the department store or craft catalogue. In this workshop participants will be going back to nature. We will explore the elements of earth, air, water and fire, day and night, the four seasons.
Using the vast array of natural sands, twigs, seeds, pods, grass, and shells from our bountiful natural environment, participants have the opportunity to create ‘wild things’ from nature, to learn by ‘doing’ and to share ideas to take back to their centres.

A:4 Child-safe, Child-friendly (PP)
Presented by Myriam Bahair, Senior Project Officer Child-safe Child-friendly strategies, Commission for Children and Young People

The Child-safe and Child-friendly strategy is a universal prevention response which builds on organisational structures and processes to create safe and friendly environments for children and to minimize the risk of harm occurring. The Commission for Children and Young People’s (CCYP) Child-safe Child-friendly strategy has developed a number of resources and templates that assist services to implement Child-safe Child-friendly policies and practice. These tools are to help make organisations safer and more welcoming places for children, in providing the foundation for more targeted strategies, and make the organisation more inclusive of children and young people.

A:5 Putting Children First (PA)
Presented by Tina Green, The OSCAR Foundation (Peak New Zealand OOSH Association)

Tina Green is the Operations Manager for The OSCAR Foundation in New Zealand and has been involved in the New Zealand OSCAR sector for 17 years. Tina was awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship in 2008 to travel to Denmark and the United Kingdom to study their quality assurance systems. Tina met with out of school networks, educators, local government personnel and visited a number of out of school hours services. She will be speaking about her experience, what she learnt and what lessons there might be for our sector especially when it comes to truly ‘putting children first’.

A:6 Whose Choice, Theirs or Yours? (PP)
Presented by Pauline O’Kane, OOSH Development Coordinator, Network of Community Activities
Participants will explore: what are the real needs of children? How can we use our imagination to give back the control, choice and freedom to children? Do we need to re-think the environment and what it has to offer? What are some of the challenges facing children in the 21st century? Come along to be inspired, challenged and transformed!

A:7 ‘Wow! You Look Great!!!’ (PP)
Presented by Judith Feldman
It is impossible to overstate the media’s impact on body image. Research shows that how we look determines, to a greater or lesser degree, how we feel about ourselves and what others feel about us. The rise in eating disorders among males and females is one strong indicator of a challenge that goes well beyond the media.
And, as we know, children and young people are not immune to this often unfair and sometimes dangerous paradigm. Along with her holistic approach to preventing risk of harm to children and young people, Judith has been studying body image, “looks” and self-esteem since 1983.

A:8 ‘Mentoring’ – Making the Self Study a Real Learning Experience (ML)
Presented by Kerry Smith & Beverley Egan, Directors of The Learning Centre Trust

This workshop will discuss the development of a self –study that was based on an action learning approach at an OOSH Centre on the North Coast of NSW. The workshop will explain how being a mentor with the staff produced a process of collaboration, growth and development within the service. This resulted in greater professional practice and high quality outcomes for children and families. The participants will receive strategies to assist them in becoming a mentor and further develop their own professional practice in relation to the self-study process. The presenters will provide ‘real-life’ examples of strategies used with staff in developing Continuous Improvement Plans and will involve participants in an interactive session where they will ‘take a journey’ of discovery in becoming a Mentor

A:9 Our Space (PP)
Presented by Katherine Newton, Adult Education Coordinator, Network of Community Activities

The indoor space of an OOSH service has a profound effect on children’s interactions, play and sense of belonging. This session will identify positive ways of designing an indoor space that inspires children as well as meeting the needs of the service. It will discuss how to find inspiration and address limitations. Participants are invited to share their successes and bring examples or photos to show.

HOT ISSUES: Saturday 1.45pm

A: Sexualisation of Children
Presented by Sharna Olfman

During this session, Sharna will look at how her book “The Sexualisation of Chidhood” explains that children begin formal education now in preschool, dress like adults, listen to the same music, play the same video games, explore the same internet sites, and watch explicit depictions of sex and violence on tv and in movies. Sharna will explore the impact of immersing children in the sexualised world.

B: Paradigm Storm: Global Change and the Wellbeing of Children
Presented by Adam Blakester, Paradigm Play

Adam is a social change strategist, working to improve social wellbeing in ways that are environmentally and economically sustainable. With qualifications originally in commerce and law Adam’s study and work has grown to encompass social leadership, community psychology, consciousness, human development and wellbeing.

Children, families, communities and societies are experiencing unprecedented shifts and change, grappling with the emergence of global culture and systems along with environmental shifts, carbon light economics, population growth, social inclusion, and issues of emotional and mental health and wellbeing.

This presentation will explore this social-environmental – economic ecosystem and how it influences childhood. This will include emerging global culture and systems (including technology) and pressing global needs (climate change, sustainability, information/communication technology, social
inclusion, migration, emotional and mental health and wellbeing).

C: Play House - Everything you ever wanted to know about Arts and Craft but were afraid to ask!
Presented by Di Turner

This interactive workshop will introduce participants to the range of resources available that will equip their centre with everything from a basic 2 minute craft to advanced projects. Participants will have access to a range of craft ideas and ‘how to’ instruction handouts. There will be time to come and try one of the crafts in this workshop.

D: Real Kids in an Unreal World: Building Resilience and Self Esteem in Today’s Children
Presented by Maggie Dent

Maggie is an author, parenting and resilience educator and inspirational presenter. She has a wide background of experience including ABC radio, palliative care, education and counseling that she brings to her work and is currently running seminars nationally and internationally that increase awareness in the importance of building personal and professional resilience.

Maggie currently runs her own independent business called “Esteem Plus” that aims to inspire, encourage and assist people of all ages to take a positive step forward in their lives in order to maximise human potential.

Children need many essential experiences to build the competencies that will help them manage life – the good, the bad and the ugly. This common sense, practical model will reassure those who work with children that what they have always known to be important in the early years of a child’s life – are still important even in our chaotic modern world! The 10 building blocks model that Maggie has created will resonate with anyone who works with families.

SESSION B: Saturday 3:15pm

B:1 Getting Them to See It Your Way – Lobbying and Advocacy (PA)
Presented by Jo Comans, Child Care Consultant, Commentator and Advocate

During this workshop Jo, with 30 years experience in representation and lobbying, explores the concept of lobbying – what it means, and how to go about it successfully, and looks at some useful and simple techniques that can assist you in getting them – whoever they may be – to see it your way. Areas which Jo will cover will include: What is lobbying? Why lobby? Types of lobbying, Getting started, Who to lobby and when. Jo will also look at the planning, evaluation and follow up process of a lobby campaign.

B:2 Managing the Behaviour of People in the Workplace (ML)
Presented by Andrew Vidler

Andrew is a professional educator and has 25 years experience as a teacher, assistant principal and behaviour management consultant. Andrew’s particular expertise is in strategies for managing behaviour.
Managing people at work can be difficult. Logic only gets you so far. You can assign responsibilities and organize tasks, but the way people behave in the workplace is sometimes just a mirror of all the things you first saw in the schoolyard and the classroom.
Too often managers find themselves in the position of having to consider saying to an employee, “ I’m going to have to let you go.” And the consequences, will there be retaliation? Will there be an industrial dispute? And the doubts – am I being unfair?
This workshop is based around Andrew’s book “I’m going to have to let you go” which deals with the hard questions about managing employees. Some conflicts may be inevitable, but you can prevent some, and you can take the hostility out of others.

B:3 Play House: “Craft Off” The Creative Craft Game (PP)
Presented by Di Turner and Bernadette Daczko

Using an amazing range of colourful fabrics, papers, tubes, string, glue, tape, as well as available everyday found and recycled objects, participants divide into teams for a game of Craft Off.

The concept is to create a diorama or given scenario devised by the coordinator, within a set timeframe and with specified design elements. There is a score system and points are awarded for design, teamwork, innovation, etc. The judges (who are non- participants) award the points. Underlying the ‘competitive’ element of the game are the subtle skills of teamwork, decision making, cooperation, creativity and lateral thinking are exercised.

B:4 Te Tino Pai o te Korowai (The Cloak of Quality) (PP)
Presented by Sally Lee and Marnie Carter, OSCAR Advisors, The OSCAR Foundation, New Zealand

What does providing a quality service mean to you? Sally and Marnie will outline what quality provision for children means in New Zealand. Join them in looking at whether quality provision is the same no matter where we are in the world and what we can do to ensure quality is happening for our children, no matter where we live.

B:5 What Do Children Think? (PA)
Presented by Dr Jennifer Cartmel, Child and Family Studies, Griffith University, Queensland

Some children spend as much time in Outside School Hours Care Services as they do in school classrooms. This session reports on a project that is investigating children’s ideas about time spent in OSHC services. The data is being collected through interviews and focus groups conducted with all ages of children who attend after and vacation care. The session will report on the emerging issues. These findings will raise topics for future policy development and initiatives for care and education for primary school children in Australia.

B:6 Children’s Participation in OOSH Services (PP)
Presented by Zeah Behrend, Participation Project Officer, Commission for Children and Young People

Children’s participation in the planning and implementation of services is important in making services relevant and appropriate for those attending the service. The Commission for Children and Young People has a number of tools and resources that can assist services involve children more in their decision-making processes. The involvement of those using OOSH services can be an empowering and enjoyable process both for the children and the staff. There are simple effective and fun tools that can be done to benefit all involved.

B:7 Understanding Compliance (ML)
Presented by Peter Smith, DEEWR

Peter Smith is a senior DEEWR Manager, this workshop will explore the requirements for service compliance with CCMS and Quality Assurance in Out of School Hours Care.

B:8 Waving not Drowning - Working in Isolated Communities (PP)
Facilitated by Sue Kingwill, Contact Inc with guest presenters

A practical discussion group for OOSH practitioners working in isolated communities.
The workshop will highlight practical case studies of successful strategies which will be shared by experienced practitioners. Feel free to share your own success stories and/or be inspired by others!

B:9 Blow Your Own Trumpet (PP)
Presented by Katherine Newton, Adult Education Coordinator, Network of Community Activities

With the current emphasis on workplace recognition and recognition of prior learning (RPL) there is now a strong push for candidates to provide a variety of evidence to identify their existing skills and knowledge. The purpose of evidence-gathering for RPL is to work towards achieving a nationally accredited certificate or diploma qualification.

This workshop will give participants hints and ideas on what evidence is relevant, how much is enough, presentation and meeting the needs of the training material. Anyone can, and should, be collating evidence on their past and present work experiences, participants do not need to be currently enrolled in a course to attend this workshop.

SESSION C: Sunday 17th 9.15am

C:1 Being and Belonging: Learning about Healthy Relationships (ML)
Presented by Dr Sue Roffey, Adjunct Research Fellow at UWS and on the NSW NAPCAN Council

This interactive workshop explores the importance of connectedness for resilience and wellbeing. Many of our most vulnerable children are the most challenging and find themselves increasingly disconnected in the school system. This contributes to social exclusion and the perpetration of intergenerational negative outcomes. This workshop examines alternative conceptualisations and offers some practical ways forward to foster connection, motivate children to learn positive ways of ‘being and belonging’ and create caring communities. The workshop includes research, examples of good practice and opportunities for participants to share their experiences.

C:2 Managing Frustrated Children in our Community (PP)
Presented by Andrew Vidler

Why are children getting frustrated in our community? Is it schools, parents or the community they live in? Find out what you can do to alleviate their frustration and what strategies work best to calm them down in a structured setting.

C:3 Play House - I Hate Craft… Not! (PP)
Presented by Di Turner and Bernadette Daczko

In this workshop tried and tested craft ideas are imparted to give you innovative ideas for children who often don’t want to participate in a craft activity. We will also discuss ways to motivate and encourage reluctant participants.

The range of hands on options that you can participate in will include “messy” crafts of slime, glue, clay, and plaster; the discovery crafts of space, underwater worlds, robotics, science and volcanoes; woodcraft using nails hammers; carving from soap and plaster; paper planes and moving crafts.

C:4 Spaces for Play- In Search of a Heart (PP)
Presented by Robyn Monro Miller, EO, Network of Community Activities

Where is the heart in your OSHC centre? The effects of Quality Assurance and changes to Government policies for school age care have left many of us tired and lacking focus. In this workshop participants will be sent in search of their service’s heart inspiring them to recreate the spaces for play that children adore and most importantly benefit their wellbeing and development. Based on current research coming out of the UK Play Movement and the Habitat movement in the US the challenge to create meaningful spaces for play.