The Weekly Times - TWT - 15th August 2018

Riverside Girls High School will introduce a seven day free challenge
which allows students and staff to take a step back and look
at our media usage.
Cara Murray and Portia Amy-Wilson from Riverside Girls High spoke with The
Weekly Times about the week long charitable fundraising intitiative.
“As we know social media and technology is taking over our lives,” they said.
“The seven day free challenge is a week challenging ourselves to cut back on
social media use and reconnect with the people around you.
“Once you enter, you can choose a charity of your choice to fundraise for.
“To raise money you can get people to sponsor you for the challenge, for example,
a sponsor might give you $1 for every hour you spend social media and
technology free.
“Just by entering the challenge you will be put in the running to win a prize.
“However, there will also be prizes to be won for the people who raise the most
money.
“Some of the prizes include; beautician vouchers, hairdresser vouchers, book
vouchers, yoga vouchers and so much more.”
Cara and Portia stressed that students and staff do not need to live like hermits
for a week.
“This doesn’t mean completely blocking out social media, like instagram and
snapchat, but just trying to allow yourself to focus on things that aren’t online
and to look up from the screen,” they said.
“You set the rules for this challenge, so whether you think cutting out 15 minutes
a day or a whole seven days will make you take a look at your social media
usage is up to you.
“We encourage you all to give the seven day free challenge a go.
“Try to step out of your comfort zone and see life outside the screen.”
A poster for the event (pictured) were created by the students.
Wednesday 15 August, 2018 THE WEEKLY TIMES 17
John Alexander explores why early Learning
Matters At Explore and Develop North Ryde
Bennelong MP John Alexander and
the team at Explore and Develop.
Explore and Develop North Ryde welcomes John Alexander, MP to visit on 8th August,
2018 as part of Australia’s first ever Early Learning Matters Week, a national initiative of
the Early Learning Everyone Benefits campaign.
For the first time early
childhood services from
every state and territory
have coordinated to invite
their local federal politicians
to visit in the same
week - to experience
quality early learning and
to hear from educators
and parents why Early
Learning matters.
“Early learning matters
because it's in these early
years before children turn
five, that children's brains
are growing the fastest
and are wired to learn.
It's when the foundations
for learning, health and
behaviour throughout
life are laid down,” said
Libby Klingberg, Director
and Approved Provider,
Explore & Develop North
Ryde
“Here at Explore and
Develop North Ryde we
have qualified early childhood
educators taking
children from six weeks
- five years old through
play-based and intentional
indoor and outdoor
activities that support
children's development of
social, emotional, cognitive
and language skills.”
During his visit, the service
will showcase not
only their engaging indoor
and outdoor learning environments,
but also demonstrate
the benefits of its
primary carer model that it
employs for the 0 to three
year old's, its extensive
excursion program - beyond
the classroom, the
MindUp! program, which
is a mindfulness program
that is offered to children
aged three and above
and our parent education
seminars.
Australian and international
research shows
that children who participate
in one or more years
of quality early learning
have improved school
education performance,
are better able to manage
their behaviour and have
lower levels of hyperactivity.
They are more likely
to finish high school and
go on to academic studies
and more likely to find
steady employment.
“Whilst Australia has
improved in attendance
of four-year old's in preschool
programs in recent
years, we are still in the
bottom third of developed
countries for attendance
in early learning for three
year olds and younger,”
said Early Learning Everyone
Benefits campaign
spokesperson, Samantha
Page, CEO of Early Childhood
Australia.
“Families face too many
barriers to accessing early
learning and too many
children are still missing
out on the benefits
of attending at least two
days of early learning for
their children regardless
of where they live in Australia
or what their work or
study activities are,” said
Libby Klingberg
“Whilst the new Child
Care Subsidy system is
making access to early
learning more affordable
for most families where
BOTH parents are working,
there are concerns
that some vulnerable
children (who benefit the
most) will have their access
to early learning reduced
or miss out,” said
Ms Page
The Early Learning Everyone
Benefits campaign
calls on federal politicians
in both houses of parliament
to:
Ensure all Australian
children have access to
at least two days per
week of early childhood
education, irrespective of
their parents' activities
Develop a whole of
government Early Years
Strategy to ensure no
children fall though the
gaps
Provide a long-term
commitment to maintain
current total levels of
funding for Universal Access
to kindergarten or
preschool programs in
the year before school
Extend kindergarten/
preschool funding for
play-based programs to
support 3 year olds
Improve quality of early
education and care
through ongoing support
for the National Quality
Agenda and workforce
development initiatives
Improve support for
disadvantaged children,
especially those living in
regional and remote areas
and from Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander
communities.
Students dump social media for a good cause