Happy New Year!

To help you start the year successfully this email lists things you or someone you know may be keen to explore, look into or do.  

This isn't the first newsletter for 2018 - it will be out later next week and it will be a big one! (To give you the heads-up that as well the latest news and research etc, the newsletter will also let you know about a major new issue arising in ECE service funding). 

  

1. Getting back to work and helping children to make the transition back

• 7 tips to ease back into the swing of things after the holiday break 

 

2. Community celebrations to get ready for in the curriculum

• Waitangi Day (6 Feb) - Activities and ideas for bringing the event into your planning and programme
• Chinese New Year (16 Feb) - Year of the Dog

 

3. Researchers - Call for papers 

Papers reporting original research studies as well as shorter research notes on post-graduate research studies are invited for consideration for publication in the next issue by NZ International Research in ECE journal by editor Dr Wendy Boyd.

• Find out more and check deadlines

 

4. Tips for parents leaving their child for the first time in a new ECE setting to help to make this easier

• Helping a child to make the transition to ECE

 

5. Annual pay review 

Check collective contract rates in this article and check that pay is at least at the minimum level rates as set out by the Ministry of Education.  Check what pay and working conditions will support staff to stay and not leave. Something to consider is the last time a pay increase was given/ received and whether a larger pay increase is needed to catch-up and/ or reward your staff member and reflect any higher responsibilities given over the past year. Taking into account wage inflation, you may find the following information useful:  MPs have been given a pay rise of nearly 2.5% backdated to 1 July last year and across NZ wage rates grew by 1.9% (Sept quarter 2017 figure) 

• Early childhood staff pay 

 

6. ECE Scholarships

Applications for ECE training scholarships with TeachNZ close on 23rd Feb

Applications for Men in ECE scholarships are open - applications can be made to ChildForum or find out more from EC-Menz

• ECE scholarship information

 

7. ECE Dictionary of jargon, academic terms, professional speak

• The ECE dictionary of jargon and professional terms

 

8. Setting goals and doing action research for professional leaders 

Support team members to reflect, make changes and engage in action research

• A guide to easily doing action research to bring about a change or improvement

 

9. Self-review and taking the stress out of self-review

• How to help a team worker smarter, not harder

 

10. How long should records at an ECE service be kept? 

Information to help you know what to keep and when and what to throw out/ safely destroy 

• Record retention checklist and dates 

 

11. Parent survey

Get a proper and well-tested parent survey underway, learn parent views, and be focused on ongoing improvement in quality. 

• Parent survey registration form and information 

 

12. Safety management daily checklist template

Ensure members of your team are doing a thorough check for hazards and safety issues each day.

• Copy of latest checklist for ECE centres and home-based  

 

13.  Financial administration

Check if the systems and checks your service has in place will reduce the risk of theft by trusted staff, parent volunteers and others.

• Guidance on reducing the risk of fraud and creating good financial internal controls

 

14. Mandatory complaints procedure

Parents should be informed of the service's complaints procedure - this is a legal requirement.  Make sure all parents know what the service's complaints procedure is and complaint forms are made available.

• Information to share with parents and a link to a copy of a complaints form

 

Everyone

Check you have access to the member area on our website at www.childforum.com that is applicable to your type of membership (individual or ECE service). Here is the membership page to go to for taking out a new membership or renewing 

• Individual (one person)
• ECE service and ECE groups of services

If your member login is no longer working, check for any renewal notices in your email in-box or contact us for assistance This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

 

Facebook Users

Our Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/childforum 

 

Keep in touch with us at the ChildForum Early Childhood National Network if we can be of assistance.

Questions and comments can also be posted in the Discussion Area for members at www.childforum.com