What is International Day of Sign Languages?

International Day of Sign Languages raises awareness of the importance of sign language in the full realization of the human rights of people who are deaf.There are approximately 72 million deaf people worldwide. More than 80% of them live in developing countries. Collectively, they use more than 300 different sign languages.

When is International Day of Sign Languages?

Saturday, 23 September

Activities: 

• Manners Matter - Teach the children some easy signs that can be used throughout the whole year:
  • Please: Use flat hand to make a circular motion on your chest. The motion goes toward your shoulder in a circle
  • Sorry: Use a fist (S sign) and do the same circular motion on your chest as you do for please sign.
  • Thank you: Touch the fingertips of one hand to your chin then move hand away from the body.
  • You’re Welcome: Touch fingertips of one hand to your chin and move hand in an arc motion to your waist.
  • More: Bring all fingertips together in front of your body and tap them together.
  • Help: Fist with thumb up placed on open palm of the other hand.
    
    Then role-play a scene using a tea set, table and chairs and use manner signs.
• Teach the children some easy amimals signs that can be used throughout the whole year:
  • Dog: Pat your leg and snap fingers as if calling a dog.
  • Cat: Use one hand to pretend to pull whiskers from the side of your mouth
  • Bird: Index finger and thumb form a beak next to your chin
  • Cow: Place a Y hand (fist with thumb and index finger up) at your forehead to form a horn
  • Chicken: Begin with the bird sign (see above) then bring fingers down to the palm of the other hand and peck the hand.
  • Horse: Place thumb, index and middle fingers open at your forehead and bend fingers down.
    
    Then Sing Old MacDonald Had a Farm with the animal signs.
• Teach the children easy alphabet signs that can be used while sing the Alphabet song.

Stay safe by having a fire extinguisher handy! ... Fire extinguishers are an essential piece of safety equipment. In the event of a fire, they are your first line of defence and can be used to quickly eliminate the threat of a fire.  Fire Extinguishers minimise property damage, reduce injuries and prevent death. Childcare Centres are busy places where fire protection plays an important role in keeping students, teachers, and visitors safe.

Are you aware there are different types of fire extinguishers depending on the type of fire?

The most common types of fire extinguishers likely to be found in Child Care Centres are Water Fire Extinguishers which work by removing heat from the fire; and Dry Chemical Fire Extinguishers are tanks of foam or dry powder with compressed nitrogen as the propellant. They work by smothering the fire. When you put a layer of powder or foam on the fire, you cut the fuel off from the oxygen around it, and the fire goes out.

Fire extinguishers should not be used by people who have not been trained. Before tackling a fire with a fire extinguisher make sure you or someone else has sounded the fire alarm and that you have a safe evacuation route. You need to also ensure you are using the correct type of extinguisher for the fire.

Using a fire extinguisher incorrectly or without taking the proper precautions can actually put you and everyone around you at serious risk.

Fire extinguisher training has been the law since 2005 and every business needs at least one person who has been adequately trained and appointed as the fire warden.

Full maintenance checks must be conducted on all fire extinguishers within the business on an annual basis, according to WHS Legislation requirements.

Are you and your staff educated on the use of fire extinguishers?  Are your extinguishers easily accessible in the event of an emergency?  Are your extinguishers properly maintained?

For further information and any assistance Contact Matthew at AFS Group on (02) 9531 7839.

Kimberly-Clark and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries.  Every day, nearly a quarter of the world's population trust our brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well-being. With brands such as Kleenex®, Scott®, Huggies®, Kotex® and Depend®, Kimberly-Clark holds No.1 or No. 2 share positions in 80 countries. 

To keep up with the latest news and to learn more about the Company’s 145-year history of innovation, visit www.kimberly-clark.com.au
or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.  Huggies

Kimberly-Clark Australia and New Zealand

• Kimberly-Clark is a global leader in “Essentials for a better life” in Consumer and B2B markets.
• Kimberly-Clark Australia and New Zealand (KCANZ) is headquartered at Milsons Point, Sydney NSW.
• The company markets leading brands including the Kleenex®, Huggies®, U by Kotex®, Poise^® and Depend^® ranges, and VIVA® paper towel.
• Kimberly-Clark Professional is the company’s B2B business.
• KCA employs around 1200 employees in Australia and New Zealand and operations include: 
  • Millicent Mill: Kleenex® Facial and Bath tissue and Viva® Products
  • Distribution centres and sales offices in major capital centres

For further information visit www.kimberly-clark.com.au or Contact Michelle Burns on 0417 454 015 or via email Michelle.Burns@kcc.com

Congratulations to all the early childhood education and care services across NSW that have been selected as Finalists for the 2019 Excellence in Early Childhood Education Awards! This year's nominations have set a new record in both the number of submissions (+47.6% increase) and the number of services participating (+55.6% increase)! The Excellence in Early Childhood Education Awards was already NSW's largest early childhood education and care-related awards event (with up to 470 attendees), and these records make the Awards even more competitive!

The 269 Finalists vying for 35 Awards in 2019 are from across the following NSW state and federal electorates:

• STATE - Auburn, Balmain, Barwon, Bathurst, Baulkham Hills, Bega, Blacktown, Cabramatta, Campbelltown, Canterbury, Castle Hill, Cessnock, Clarence, Coffs Harbour, Coogee, Cootamundra, Davidson, East Hills, Epping, Gosford, Granville, Hawkesbury, Heathcote, Heffron, Holsworthy, Hornsby, Keira, Kogarah, Ku-ring-gai, Lane Cove, Liverpool, Londonderry, Maitland, Manly, Miranda, Monaro, Newcastle, Newtown, Oatley, Pittwater, Prospect, Riverstone, Ryde, Seven Hills, Shellharbour, Strathfield, Swansea, Terrigal, The Entrance, Upper Hunter, Vaucluse, Wakehurst, Wallsend, Willoughby, Wyong
• FEDERAL - Banks, Bennelong, Berowra, Bradfield, Calare, Chifley, Cook, Cowper, Cunningham, Dobell, Eden-Monaro, Fowler, Grayndler, Greenway, Hughes, Hunter, Kingsford-Smith, Lindsay, Macarthur, Mackellar, Macquarie, Mitchell, New England, Newcastle, North Sydney, Page, Parkes, Parramatta, Patterson, Reid, Riverina, Robertson, Shortland, Waringah, Watson, Wentworth, Whitlam

Click here to download the mailing/contact list by electorates of
2019 Finalists for the Excellence in Early Childhood Education Awards

Night of Nights for Early Childhood Education and Care

The following Ministers, Shadow Ministers and Parliamentarians have already RSVPed to attend on 26 October 2019:

• The Hon Mark Coure MP, NSW Assistant Speaker (representing the NSW Premier)
• The Hon Damien Tudehope MLC, NSW Minister for Finance and Small Business
• The Hon Kevin Connolly MP, NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Education (representing the NSW Minister for Education)
• Ms Jodie Harrison MP, NSW Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education
• The Hon Daniel Mookey MLC, NSW Shadow Minister for Finance and Small Business
• The Hon Mark Latham MLC

If any NSW-based state or federal parliamentarians wishes to attend, please contact the Australian Childcare Alliance NSW on 1300 556 330 or nsw@childcarealliance.org.au as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

What is International Day of Peace?

Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. The General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.

2023 GLOBAL PEACE DAY THEME:

'Actions for Peace: Our Ambition for the #Global Goals'.
It is a push for us to recognise how our individual and collective actions can affect and foster global peace.

When is International Day of Peace?

Thursday, 21 September

Activities:

• Observe a minute of silence at noon on Sept. 21
• Bring in a guest to teach basic mindfulness skills for stress reduction or download a breathing activity. 
• Plant a peace pole, peace rocks or a peace garden on your grounds.
• Bring in different cultural foods for a special lunch or have children talk about the tradition of the food they bought to share.
• Create a collaborative peace collage with images and words that communicate peace.
• Make and display “Pinwheels for Peace” with art images on one side and wishes for peace on the other: www.pinwheeelsforpeace.com.
• Make a painting, collage, mural or drawing of children around the world.