"Keira’s highlight was dressing up nightly in her costumes - Minnie Mouse, Princess, Pirate Tinkerbell and Elsa from Frozen whilst meeting the Disney characters on board to which she experienced all 23 on the Disney Cruise Line – Fantasy." Danielle - image supplied Flegg Family

"Our Disney adventure was magical and the whole family enjoyed it," says Danielle. Flying from Sydney, via Dallas to Orlando, the family spent a night at Disney’s Art of Animation hotel. "Our room was themed as The Little Mermaid which our daughter Keira was so excited to be staying in the room."

"Our 7 night Western Caribbean cruise with stops at Cozumel-Mexico, Grand Cayman-Cayman Islands, Falmouth-Jamaica and Disney’s private island Castaway Cay -Bahamas was a grand adventure. Once on board Disney’s Fantasy Cruise Ship we were treated like friends of Disney," explains Danielle.

Image: Supplied Flegg Family

The amazing experience was the major prize for our 2015 Fundraising initiative. Registration for the 2016 Fundraising initiative has opened! 

The Salvation Hall was being prepared for demolishing when they found it. Soon after the hall was saved by Suzanne and Murray. Soon the transformation begun. The run down building, complete with ancient out house, would need to be reborn as a safe, secure yet warm and welcoming place for children to grow together.

That was 1996.

When the paint had dried, the floor boards repaired and the yard magically adapted to be a place of exploration, Suzanne needed resources for the young families moving into the growing Hills District. She contacted Educational Experience.

One of our sales reps, Karen, arrived with a huge range of resources. Suzanne still remembers the dedication and rich knowledge of early childhood. To this day, the kids at Sophie’s Cottage play with the blocks that arrived with Karen back in 1996. The Mobilo that is played with every day is the original set from 1996.

Sophie’s Cottage currently has 28 children enrolled with passionate 4 educators. The same community based dream of Suzanne remains. While the dream of Suzanne’s has been realised, the warm welcoming feel of Sophie’s Cottage will continue to uphold the family and community based philosophy as when it was born. 

Suzanne and her team at Sophie's Cottage are long term supporters of Educational Experience and our Fundraising intiative. Our team was lucky enough to visit Sophie's Cottage with our very very lucky Disney Cruise winners, Dave, Danielle and Keira Flegg.

Framing the discussion that shows your child that you are apprehensive can show your child that adults have emotional reactions to change, but manage them by talking about them.

‘Make choices, accept challenges, take considered risks, manage change and cope with frustrations and the unexpected…’

Children become strong in their social and emotional wellbeing

Belonging, Being and Becoming; The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia page 31

While our natural reaction is to protect children in moments of change, being open and honest with children can build a profound connection and help children understand change.

There may come a time due to employment or other changes that your child may have to change schools. This can be a highly stressful time for children. We recommend that parents and teachers allow children to embrace the change. Celebrating if a child is leaving can allow for the children to say goodbye and share their memories they have made. By making the change a gradual, happy farewell we can enhance how a child feels about the change. By celebrating their achievements teachers are acknowledging their development and reinforcing that their experiences will help them at the new school.

How can you help children understand change?

Calendars: place large calendars around the room with visual cues about the changing seasons, events (such as birthdays) visible to the group.

Communication with parents is vital. Go where the parents are- social media is your friend to communicate with parents events or changes to routine. Giving parents the heads up about changes to staff or new resources or programs with guidance about how parents can spark conversations with children to help them prepare for the change will help create strong partnerships and help children embrace change. Routines are very important to children and parents. If there are changes in daily, weekly or monthly plans, communicating these early will help parents.

Embracing change is about resilience; it is often said that helping develop resilient children is paramount to learning. But what is resilience and what does it look like?

                Trying new things; whether that is food, games, activities, learning groups, children will build close connections with their routines, but resilience comes when they are confident enough to change.

Resilience is also connected with failure. Communicating with parents that children will and do fail, that every child learns at a different pace and in different ways is one step towards understanding resilience. The confidence to try and fail, yet learn from the failure is imperative to building resilience. Some questions educators and teachers can suggest to parents (and use themselves):

                What did you learn?

                What would you do again?

                What wouldn’t you do again?

For every dollar spent with Educational Experience Fundraising, 20 cents in learning resource vouchers is provided to the nominated school, centre or not-for-profit group to spend with Educational Experience.  

At Education Experience we proudly support the great work Life Education, with their mascot Healthy Harold, do in schools across Australia and are our not for profit of choice.  In our Fundraising initiative people are able to select Life Education as their chosen charity, therefore Life Education receive the 20% of the purchase in learning resource vouchers, allowing Life Education to continue their support children across Australia with quality resources.

We have given away scholarships, cars and more, however, this year’s Fundraising saw our largest ever prize, the ultimate family adventure, a family Disney cruise in the Caribbean.

 “The whole team is so excited and a little jealous,” said Angela Gibson, General Manager of Educational Experience, “about this year’s prize. We aimed to take our Fundraising initiative to a new level this year. We had a new wide range, brilliant prizes for centres, groups and schools, plus this amazing prize.”

From any capital city in Australia, the one lucky family will be flying to the United States, spending a night in Orlando, Florida before boarding the stunning Disney Fantasy for seven magical nights cruising the azure blue waters of the Caribbean. They will then visit Mexico along with the Cayman Islands before a trip to Disney’s very own private island, Castaway Cay where Jack Sparrow and his infamous Black Pearl await.

“This is the ultimate prize,” said National Marketing and Communications Manager, Evan Redman, “we wanted to give away time with the family. We wanted something that reflected our belief that more time with the family is something everyone dreams of.” Worth over $16000, the lucky family will be travelling across the world knowing that they have helped schools, day cares, preschools and play groups raise ever important funds.

“Every parent, friend or family member can nominated their group, centre or school to receive 20% in Learning Resource Vouchers in this year’s Fundraising,” said Angela. Parents and families were also able to nominate Life Education Australia to receive 20% of Learning Resource Vouchers. “As our long term partners, we are so proud to support the brilliant work of Life Education and Healthy Harold in shaping our future with confident, resilient children,” added Angela.

 For more information head to our Fundraising site www.edex.com.au/fundraising

Evan, aged 3, reviews the Tub Fun Traffic from our Fundraising Catalogue (346759)

“Oh cool. There’s a car, bike, ambulance, ute and a bus. Oh, traffic lights too! The red light means stop, the yellow slow down and the green means go!

There’s 7 cars and 1 bike. They can stick to the walls; but can they float? Yes, they can!

Oh, I’m never getting out of the bath!”

Beth, aged 6, reviews the Hape Ukulele Red (415535)

“I can hold the ukulele just like mum holds her guitar! My fingers go here and I have to flick the strings here.

I like the colours, all the shades of red. I can dance with it and one day I’ll start a band!

I have to be very careful though, it is very light and only mum can play with the knobs.”

Blake, aged 4, reviews the classic Mobilo (045633)

“I’m going to make a car! The wheels go here; I’m going to make it a six wheeler.

All the colours are nice; but the car will go faster if it is all red!

Oh cool, this one can spin around. These parts are very tough. I might need some help with getting these a part so I can make a dinosaur with wheels.”

Amelia, Age 7, reviews the Castorland at the Zoo – 20 piece puzzle (432493)

“Oh, wow! Do you think this will be too hard? Can I do it now? Remember to do the corner pieces first. The pieces are so big and easy to fit together. The baby animals are very cute; they are with their mums and dads.

My favourite is the polar bears, they have caught a fish.

I like that there is a family in the puzzle and animals from Africa.”

Like always, when families purchase any of our quality products, we’ll give back 20 percent in learning resource vouchers to nominated schools, groups and centres.

456070 Hape Construction Crane and Truck Set

This is the ultimate gift; hours of inspired play for children aged 3+. The intricate parts are highly realistic moving features. The combination of the crane, dumper truck and great big digger will stir a child’s imagination.

Evan Redman, National Marketing and Communications Manager and father of 3.

434416 Hape Rock and Rhythm Band

Do you have a child with a love for all things music? This three-in-one set is ideal for the beginner or more skilled. Perfectly scaled for young hands, the high quality wood and construction means this will last many hours of play.

Julie Rowan, Senior Category Manager 

432493 Castorland At the Zoo

The Castorland At The Zoo puzzle ticks all the boxes for a children under the age of 4 and is one of my favourite from our puzzles range.

Not only will the bright and colourful image of the animals captivate and engage your child, the large puzzle pieces will make it easy for their little hands to manage.

Educational and fun, the Castorland At The Zoo puzzle is a fantastic gift idea or stocking filler.

Julie

Puzzles Category Specialist

451499 Hot Dots All About Me Book Set

Hot Dots is a lovely way to read together with little ones.

The interactive book allows children to become involved in storytelling, it encourages listening skills and fosters problem solving.

Watching children become engaged and interested in reading is a rewarding experience for parents, the interactive pen with lights and sounds is so much fun for kids.

This is also a great product to travel with, take learning anywhere!  

Jessica

Education Category Specialist

436555 Tegu Pocket Pouch Prism Jungle, 436540 Tegu Pocket Pouch Prism Mahogany, 436564 Tegu Magnetic Wooden Block Tints 24 Piece, 448232 Tegu Future Circuit Racer, 448221 Tegu Future Magbot

I get such a buzz out of watching my grandson as he plays, especially when he is playing with blocks.  Seeing the intense look on his face as he stacks the blocks together and the excitement he has when he has finished his creation is great. 

The Tegu range of magnetic wooden blocks is a great way to encourage imagination in constructing unique shapes and figures.

These wooden blocks come in a range of pack sizes starting from the 6 piece Tegu Pocket Pouch set, which is designed to take anywhere, to the larger classic sets and new Future series – all sets are compatible.

For me the Tegu Magnetic Wooden Blocks tick all the boxes as they are made of environmentally friendly sustainable hardwoods, are completely safe for all ages and the high quality will endure the toughest of treatment.

Carol

Construction Category Specialist

357400 Easel Banner

If your child is a budding little artist the Easel Banner is the perfect addition to your art and craft resources.

One of the great thing about the Easel Banner is that can be used indoors or outdoors. 

Made of sturdy nylon, not only is it versatile but it is also a cost effective way to ensure your child has a creative space available.

Don’t forget to also stock up on paint, paint brushes or even crayons for your little artist!

Tracy

Art & Craft Category Specialist

Start the conversation with your families by downloading our newsletter templates; simply right click (and save!) the advertisement template you would like to include in your newsletter. Remember to keep an eye on our Facebook page for when we update the templates!

If you have any specific requests for images to use in your parent newsletter, please contact Troy via email communications@edex.com.au

2. Please use to promote to your parents and community the prizes for raising over $1500!

3. Here is a very special early Christmas advertisement that will remind your parents and community members that Christmas shopping will count towards their Fundraising!

4. Use this advert template in your parents/community newsletter to remind your community of the benefits of our Fundraising! 

5. This is an ideal summary of how your centre, group and school can get involved!

6. Did you know your parents could score the most amazing family adventure?! Use this template to promote the benefits of Fundraising to your parents and community!

Equip children with the knowledge, understanding and skills to build strong, healthy bones for life during Healthy Bones Action Week.

Healthy Bones Action Week, formerly National Healthy Bones Week, is an initiative of Dairy Australia. It is held annually and in 2014 it will run from August 3 to August 10.

Jo Vaughan, National Training Manager of Life Education, a non-profit organisation supported by Dairy Australia, said that Healthy Bones Action Week is an important initiative to foster an awareness of bone health and get us talking about the important steps we can take to help protect our bones now and in the future.

“Children need to be equipped with the knowledge, understanding and skills to make healthy food and lifestyle choices that will help them to build strong healthy bones and decrease the risk of bone fractures and avoid problems, such as osteoporosis, later in life,” she said.

Ms Vaughan said bones grow and develop during childhood and puberty. New bone cannot form once individuals reach their mid-late 20s. Bone can only be maintained.

Adequate calcium, weight-bearing exercise and vitamin D are the three key ingredients to ensure children grow and develop healthy bones, she said.

Calcium is one of the main building blocks for bones. Foods from the dairy food group are an excellent source of calcium; very few other foods in the Australian diet contain as much of this important nutrient. The foods in this group include milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or alternatives such as calcium enriched soy, rice, almond or oat milk or products (containing at least 100mg calcium/100ml).

Other sources of calcium include nuts, seeds, soy foods such as tofu and green leafy vegetables. . However to get the same amount of calcium from these foods as a 250ml glass of milk, you would need to eat the equivalent of 32 Brussels sprouts, 21 cups of raw spinach, 5 cups of broccoli or 1 cup of dry roasted almonds!

The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend toddlers eat at least 1½ serves of foods from the dairy food group per day and this increases to 3 ½ serves for teens. Examples of a serve include one cup (250ml) of milk, two slices (40g) of cheese, or ¾ cup (200g) of yoghurt.

Exercise, particularly weight bearing exercise, such as walking, running, dancing, basketball, tennis and gymnastics is also essential to help build strong bones, Ms Vaughan said.  The national recommendations for physical activity state that toddlers and pre-schoolers should be physically active every day for at least three hours throughout the day. Children aged 5 to 17 years should be physically active every day for at least an hour, with three of those days a week to include weight bearing activities to strengthen bone and muscle.

Vitamin D is vital to help develop healthy, strong bones, Ms Vaughan said. Vitamin D is necessary for the body to absorb calcium. The best way to obtain Vitamin D is from the sun. To ensure adequate vitamin D levels, it is recommended that 15 per cent of the body (hand and arms or lower legs) are exposed to sunlight for about 10 minutes a day in summer and about 30 minutes a day during winter.

Whilst it is important to obtain enough sunshine to ensure good health, it is important not to increase the risk of skin damage, Ms Vaughan warned. She recommends checking UV levels in the local area, avoiding peak UV periods from 11am until 3pm during summer and applying sun protection, particularly if the UV level exceeded three, to minimise skin damage.

Life Education provides learning programs that explore nutrition for pre-school to junior primary aged students. Through interactive activities and animated videos, children learn how the human body works, how a healthy and balanced diet and physical activity contribute to a healthy body.

For more information on the Life Education program and how Life Education supports teachers, children and parents visit: 

http://www.lifeeducation.org.au/

To find out more on Healthy Bones Action Week and the dairy food group visit:

http://www.healthybones.com.au/Bone-Facts/Kids.aspx

www.eatforhealth.gov.au

http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/health-pubhlth-strateg-phys-act-guidelines#npa05

http://www.cancercouncil.com.au/reduce-risks/sun-protection/besunsmart/vitamindbreak/#healthybones

This year Educational Experience has taken the fuss out of Fundraising.

Educational Experience has made Fundraising easier for parents, schools, centres and not-for-profit associations.

Now families and educators have the option to browse both print and electronic versions of our Fundraising catalogue and have the ability to place orders directly through our easy to use website.

The fully interactive website not only enables fundraisers to view the full catalogue, search for gifts and place orders but also assists centres and schools to keep track of the fundraising tally online.

Educational Experience is committed to saving families time and to take the stress out of gift giving.

No more collecting or distributing catalogues, filling out or sending in order forms, handling money or picking up or issuing parcels– Educational Experience can take care of this.

Our electronic catalogue is an environmentally sustainable initiative that responds to a change in our customer’s purchasing habits and caters to an online shopping trend. It enables parents to view and order gifts from the comfort of their own home, in a time that suits them, in one simple “click and drop” step. Simply drop the products into the shopping cart, finalise the purchase, then sit back and relax knowing Christmas shopping is done.

Additionally, this year, gifts will be delivered direct to doors from mid-September. This means parents do not need to worry about prying eyes discovering the stash of goodies before Christmas. Schools, centres and playgroups will not need to worry about receiving, storing or distributing orders.

This year, new online tools have been added for schools and centres to view orders, set a Fundraising target and keep track of the tally. Simply log into the secure account and watch the gauge rise as orders from parents flood in. For every $100 spent a centre will receive $20 in vouchers, reach $500 and receive $100 in vouchers, get to $2000 and receive $400 in vouchers; the tally keeps rising.

Our Fundraising catalogue is still provided in centres and schools along with a handy information flyer for staff, parents and children to browse and place orders using the enclosed order form, which can be mailed or faxed. Orders can also be placed by telephone or email.

Start raising funds now at www.edex.com.au/fundraising