Ensure your kids can enjoy the fun and games without the dangers.

Resources for Parents includes:This simple agreement for Parents and Kids can help keep all of you safe.

   

The Internet can be a wonderful resource for your child. 

Unfortunately the Internet can also be a dangerous place...

Check out the 10 Commandments for Kids so you can help them stay safe and enjoy the benefits of the internet. 

What a difference a school library makes!

I recommend you take the time to visit The Australian Library and Information Association and Australian School Library Association wiki: What a difference a school library makes? ALIA and ASLA created this wiki to enable parents, students, teachers, and everyone else who is concerned about the state of school libraries, to find out more information about this highly topical issue and to join in the discussion.

"The role of the school library and teacher librarians is more about creating a culture that values the written word as a meaningful, fulfilling and inclusive social tool and means for human development, than it is simply about providing a conduit to books per se. They are a necessary ingredient for developing healthy, well-rounded minds and should be embraced by communities of forward thinking people everywhere." Archie Fusillo.

On the wiki ASLA and ALIA present: Checklist for Parents 

How good is your child's school?

Kids' who read, succeed!!! 

Cheers :-)

Face your facebook fears and find a balance.

This edition of the Parents magazine has much to offer concerned parents of young children. It is well worth browsing through and considering some of the recommendations for your family.


 Every family is different, so you need to develop an awareness and an action plan that your family are happy with. There is no one glove fits all for this wide ranging area.


It includes a section on: DIGITAL PARENTING CHECKLIST                                                                                            HOW TO SET UP FACEBOOK® PRIVACY CONTROLS


Further support and advice:
Facebook Pages Manual

Safety on Facebook

Connect Safely |Facebook Privacy Chart for Teens | Safety Advice Articles

Connect Safely |A Parents' Guide to Facebook | Safety Advice Articles

It comes down to trust

Let them play......let them spread their wings.

They say a picture speaks a thousand words...


I think that this little animation speaks volumes...
Give them the opportunity!!


What do you think? Are we heading in the right direction?

Born to Learn from Born to Learn on Vimeo.

Born to Learn (Teaser): Adolescence is an Opportunity from Born to Learn on Vimeo.

Born to Learn is a fascinating series of animations narrated by Damian Lewis providing easy-access to the exciting new discoveries being made about how humans learn.

Sessions for little ones and their parents & carers.

 Come along and join the fun

EARLY LITERACY EXTRAVOGANZA

WITH “MR JIM”

Coffs Harbour14 – 19 June 2001

Presented by Coffs Harbour City Library.

Dr James Thomas has over 20 years’ experience teaching and working to promote early literacy awareness with adults and their little ones.  He specializes in developing activities that encourage language and early literacy skills in under two’s. Coffs Harbour City Library is pleased to facilitate the following workshops & information sessions being conducted by “Mr Jim”. Parents, Carers, Community Workers, Child\care workers and Educators are most welcome to attend.

·         SESSIONS FOR LITTLE ONES & THEIR PARENTS / CARERS

Young & the RestlessFor Children 12 -24months and parent / carer.

Tuesday 14 June 2011 – 10.00 – 10.30 Coffs Harbour City Library

Language based program for Adult  caregivers and 12 – 24mnth old child. Adults will learn how to engage with their child in early literacy activities that foster development and understanding of concepts, language, movement, exercise, signing and interactive social play. (30 minutes parent/carer& child session)  Refreshments to follow

Itsy-Bitsy Babies (for mothers and others)For babies 0 – 12mth and their parent / carer.

Tuesday 14 June 2011 – 11.00 – 11.30 Coffs Harbour City Library

Unique language play program for adult caregivers and their newborns to 12 months The 30 minute activities demonstrate age-appropriate finger plays, songs, signing, body movements, and books for babies. (30 minutes parent/carer& child session) Refreshments to follow

Man in the Moon  (for male carers) For babies 0 – 12mth and their parent / carer.

Saturday 18 June 2011 10.00 – 10.30 Coffs Harbour City Library

Unique language play program for adult caregivers and their newborns to 12 months The 30 minute activities demonstrate age-appropriate finger plays, songs, signing, body movements, and books for babies. (30 minutes parent/carer& child session) Refreshments to follow

·         HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS FOR ADULTS – Suitable for parents, caregivers and child care workers

Language Play for Infants – WORKSHOP FOR ADULTS Suitable for parents, caregivers and child care workers

Tuesday 14 June 2011 – 12.30pm – 2.30pm – Cavanbah Centre, Room A & B

Activities and ideas for captivating and communicating with one year olds. This is a fast paced program of body movement, songs, yoga, and signing, demonstrated can be adapted to any home, library or childcare environment.  Participants will learn ways of organizing a setting that will be interesting & engaging for little ones.  Refreshments included.

Ready to Read early literacy workshop.WORKSHOP FOR ADULTS Suitable for parents, caregivers and child care workers.

Tuesday 14 June 2011 – 5.30 – 7.30pm– Cavanbah Centre, Room A & B (Also on Saturday)

Saturday 18 June 2011 – 11.00 – 1.00 – Coffs Harbour City Library

Early Literacy, what children need to know about reading and writing before they actually learn to read and write is crucial to success.  Participants will learn about the six early reading skills, how they relate to brain development, and how to integrate them into daily routines.

·         INFORMATION SESSION FOR ADULTS – Suitable for parents and educators.

Boys, Books and Reading:The REAL ChallengeSuitable for parents and educators.

Thursday 16 June –5.30 – 6.30 Cavanbah Centre, Rooms A & B

An informative one-hour presentation about ways to engage boys with reading including lots of recommended titles. Discussion will include the various genres that hold the greatest appeal, and identify appropriate programming ideas for boys.Refreshments to follow.

BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL for all sessions.

Reserve your place early to avoid disappointment.

All sessions are FREE.

Please contact Judy Atkinson for additional information.

Phn: 66484900

Email coffs.library@chcc.nsw.gov.au

Mr Jim’s Web info 

itsybitsybabies.pbworks.com; 

rtor.pbworks.com

2s3s4s.pbworks.com

boysbooksreading.pbworks.com 

toddlericon.pbworks.com

School Libraries now on facebook....

 Very exciting news!! 

The report on the Inquiry into School Libraries and Teacher Librarians in Australia has been tabled in Parliament. 

You can take a look at the Federal Government’s new report on school libraries and teacher librarians in Australian schools on the House of Representatives’ website http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/ee/schoollibraries/report/fullreport.pdf.

Launching the report in May this year, Amanda Rishworth MP said: “The committee was struck by the passion and enthusiasm that teacher librarians have for their profession. We hope that this report goes some way toward highlighting the issues faced by school libraries and teacher librarians, and showcases the valuable contributions that they make to educational outcomes in schools across Australia.”

The Australian Library and Information Association and Australian School Library Association have created a Facebook page  where we’d love you to express your support for school libraries and share any stories about how a teacher librarian has helped you, your family or your class. 

What a difference a school library makes

This is the basis for a campaign by library associations and teacher librarians to bring parents into the discussion about the future of school libraries.

The 10-point checklist for parents

* There is a qualified teacher librarian managing the library
* The library is open whenever the school is open
* Students learn information processing skills in the school library
* Students can borrow the resources they need, when they need them
* There aren’t long waiting lists for popular fiction
* There’s more than enough space for a whole class to fit into the library
* There is high speed access to the internet
* Students are encouraged to use online electronic resources, not just Google
* There are special activities eg for Book Week, the Premier’s Reading Challenge
* Your child thinks the library is ‘awesome’

Although the report spoke very positively about the benefits of employing qualified teacher librarians in school libraries, the sad fact is that not all schools are prepared to make the investment and even if they were, there are aren’t enough of us to go round.  We need more people coming into the profession and more principals and school boards of management as enlightened as our own.

Media Release: 

School libraries A+ for passion but funding must 

improve

If you’d like to find out more, please visit http://www.schoollibraries2011.wikispaces.com. 

NAPLAN testing is almost here....Help your kids

The 2011 NAPLAN tests will be held on Tuesday 10, Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 May

NAPLAN is a valuable tool for governments, schools and parents to understand and improve the literacy and numeracy outcomes of Australian students.

NAPLAN provides parents with a report on how well their child is performing in literacy and numeracy against the national average, and schools and teachers use NAPLAN data to improve teaching and learning in the classroom.

NAPLAN is not a pass/fail test. It is one of a number of important tools used by teachers to measure student progress.

As a parent or carer of a student participating in NAPLAN, you can best help your child before the tests by ensuring they have a good nights sleep.

 Most children need 10-11 hours sleep a night. They’re usually tired after school and might look forward to bedtime A good night’s sleep is important for school children’s growth and development.
Sleep deprivation has serious consequences. This is because a lot of activity takes place in the body and the brain during sleep. For example, when it’s dark, our bodies produce extra melatonin to grow and repair cells and muscle tissues. Our bodies start to feel sleepy in response to the melatonin. It is really helpful to have a bedtime routine.For advice on how to achieve this visit School-age sleep: in a nutshell.

WI - Free Gifs and Animations

Wherever possible, schools will organise for individual students who are absent at the time of testing to complete missed NAPLAN tests at another time during testing week. Individual students are not permitted to sit tests after Friday 13 May.

A 2011 NAPLAN information brochure for parents is available. Visit the glossary to check out any terms you are not familiar with or the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Kids' who read, succeed!!! 
Cheers :-)

Keep up with the latest news!! Read the May P&C e-bulletin.

Federation of Parents and Citizens' Associations 

of New South Wales

e-Bulletin

Wednesday, 4th May 2011 – Term 2, Edition 1

Kids' who read, succeed!!! Cheers :-)

Like Father, Like Son.....

Are you influencing your child well? What you do matters.A lot. 



Kids' who read, succeed!!! Cheers :-)

24 Free Kindergarten.com Apps

If your family has an iPod or and iPad there are many terrific learning apps available to enable your children to learn.

Just for April...Don't miss out There are many free early learning apps for your iPod or iPad from:

24 Free Kindergarten.com Apps

You can also visit MOMSwithapps Moms With Apps is a collaborative group of family-friendly developers seeking

to promote quality apps for kids and families. Their app catalog is now available on iTunes.

If you have trouble getting your iPhone or iPad back off your kids you could try this handy app:

Screen Time is a simple app that allows you to set limits on the amount of time you children use an iPhone or iPad. Set a time length, press start and pass it to you children. After the time expires, a series of notifications will prevent your children from using the  device until you enter the correct passcode.

Protect yourself and your family

Be informed! Don't get tricked.

The ACMA's media release - The ACMA targets computer virus telemarketers - 24 March 2011
‘Scams beware’ on Microsoft Australia’s Government Affairs blog - GovTech or contact Microsoft Customer Service on 13 20 58.
The ACMA’s consumer alert: Computer virus scam calls 
SCAMwatch radar July 2010: Telemarketing scam: your computer has a virus!


You can list your number on the Do Not Call Register, or make a complaint about a telemarketing call or marketing fax you received, by calling 1300 792 958 or visiting www.donotcall.gov.au.


Kids' who read, succeed!!! 
Cheers :-)

Start early...finish strong

Why Your Child Should Read at least 20 Minutes Every Night 


Let's figure it out--mathematically!
At the start of school:
Student A reads 20 minutes five nights of every week;
Student B reads only 4 minutes a night...or not at all!


1st: Multiply minutes a night x 5 times each week.


Student A reads 20 minutes x 5 times a week = 100 mins./week
Student B reads 4 minutes x 5 times a week = 20 minutes


2nd: Multiply minutes a week x 4 weeks each month.


Student A reads 400 minutes a month.
Student B reads 80 minutes a month.


3rd: Multiply minutes a month x 9 months/school year.


Student A reads 3600 minutes in a school year.
Student B reads 720 minutes in a school year.


Student A practices reading the equivalent of ten whole school days a year.
Student B gets the equivalent of only two school days of reading practice.


By the end of 6th grade, if Student A and Student B maintain these same reading habits,


Student A will have read the equivalent of 60 whole school days.
Student B will have read the equivalent of only 12 school days.


One would expect the gap of information retained will have widened considerably and so, undoubtedly, will school performance. How do you think Student B will feel about him/herself as a student?


Think about it:


Which student would you expect to...


read better?
know more?
write better?
have a better vocabulary?
be more successful in school....and in life?


Source: U.S. Dept. of Education , America Reads Challenge. (1999) "Start Early, Finish Strong: How to Help Every Child Become a Reader." Washington , D.C.

Kids' who read, succeed.

More PowerPoint presentations from AudreyNay

Kids' who read, succeed!!! Cheers :-)

4th Annual World Autism Awareness Day

Message for 2011

WelcometoAutismSpectrumAustralia(Aspect)

Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) is the country's largest not-for-profit autism specific service provider.  Our vision is 'to overcome the isolation of autism' and our mission is to 'build confidence and capacity with people who have an autism spectrum disorder, their families and communities by providing information, education and other services.'

Information Sheets & Brochures  

Information for Parents and family

Welcome to HandLand-a safe virtual world for your children to explore.

Handipoints (HandiLand) is a virtual space for families where kids' everyday ‘real world’ chores earn them big prizes and new adventures in a safe online environment that is controlled and monitored by parents.  

Virtual worlds are online spaces where kids create avatars (kind of like cartoon characters) through which they communicate, socialize, learn, shop, play games, and generally express themselves. There are hundreds of virtual worlds on the Web aimed at users of all ages. Some aimed at young children have controlled text chat, "profanity filters" to block offensive or sexually related chat, and staff or contractors moderating user behaviour – you'll want to check for these safety features. Parents also need to know that there are worlds kids can find and access which are not designed for them.



Unlike other children’s Web sites, Handipoints joins offline tasks, such as cleaning their room and brushing their teeth, with online entertainment and games to teach children the value of their work and foster good behaviour. While they’re having fun, children learn about saving money and building responsible habits - and parents get a helping hand with positive reinforcement that is educational at the same time.”


Kids can walk around the virtual world and talk to each other using canned chat- they choose statements from a list instead of typing them. This stops inappropriate or bullying behaviour. The graphics are impressive and the functionality is rather sophisticated. In addition to buying items and socialising, kids can play in-world games and watch movies -being rewards these require points to be earned, too. http://techcrunch.com/2008/03/27/handipoints-thinks-a-virtual-world-could-make-kids-better-in-the-real-one/

HandiLand combines a fun virtual world for children with tools to teach responsibility, which should make it a favorite with the parents who actually decide which sites to introduce their young ones to. Parents maintain lots of control over what behaviors to encourage in their children, and how to reward them. The site is free to use and parents who don’t want to spend money can choose to only use only virtual rewards.
Adapted from Killerstartups.

Read more about Handipoints at CrunchBase

School Banking starts this week-Have some fun with Coinland.

With Coinland, children can have fun learning money management skills including how to earn money, saving and the consequences of spending in a safe, virtual world, and then start applying their new found skills as they start to use money in the real world.



Read this Media Release for more information on Coinland.
For further videos that outline Coinland.
For more tools to help your children develop financial literacy: Teaching kids about money

School Banking - starts this Tuesday

Our School Banking program offers a Rewards Program that’s designed to teach kids about money, help them develop good saving habits and give them the confidence and independence to make sound financial decisions. With hands-on learning experience, we can help children grow into financially savvy adults.

There's a new My School Site

The NSW Department of Education and Training Director-General, Michael Coutts-Trotter, explains what's new in version two of the My School website.

The new site provides more information about Australia's almost 10,000 schools, including financial details such as income and capital expenditure.

It will also provide information about student progress based on the results of the 2008 and 2010 National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests.

My School, which is administered by the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), was first released in 2010.

 (ACARA) is the independent authority responsible for the development of a national curriculum, a national assessment program and a national data collection and reporting program that supports 21st century learning for all Australian students.

ACARA’s work is carried out in collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, including teachers, principals, governments, State and Territory education authorities, professional education associations, community groups and the general public.

Image via Wikipedia

 To find your school  visit the MySchool find a school

To understand some of the vocabulary on the MySchool site visit the glossary.

Parents resources to help keep you in the picture.

These parent materials include a range of brochures, audio files, videos and resources that provide information about helping your child with literacy. Some of the materials provide information for parents about specific things such as, how to help your child with spelling, whilst others provide more general information about literacy.

 A range of vidcasts and audiofiles are available for parents support and teacher professional learning @ Celebrating Literacy and Numeracy 

  What is NAPLAN?

Everyday numeracy K-4 (for parents) A series of numeracy-related activities to enjoy around the home is presented to develop deeper understanding and awareness of: shape, pattern, counting and number, measurement and calculating. (4 mins)

Why use maths?

Supporting young children's literacy development

Dr Paris shares rich insights into how literacy teachers and parents can support young learners, particularly in the important aspect of comprehension. Accompanying this video is a short interview wherein Dr Paris discusses such things as comprehension, reading assessment and ways to encourage children to read. (7 mins)

Critical numeracy in context

Teaching writing.

School Parents -Helping Mums and Dads with school life. e-zine (online magazine)

Check out the most recent and past issues.




Kids' who read, succeed!!! Cheers :-)