What is International Coffee Day?

International Coffee Day helps raise awareness about sustainable coffee cultivation and fair trade practices within the coffee industry. Before 2015 the day used to be celebrated on different dates in different countries.

Coffee is a drink made from the seeds or berries of the coffee plant. As a beverage, it has been enjoyed by people around the world for many centuries. Historians believe that coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia but was cultivated on a large scale and traded for the first time by the Arabs.

When is International Coffee Day?

Sunday, 1 October

Activities:

• Organise or pre-pay for coffee for your staff to get a coffee from the local cafe before or after work. 
• Intentional Teaching Lesson - learn about the art and science of growing and brewing coffee. 
• Set up the role play area as a cafe for all ages to share their experience and role play going to a cafe with their families and meeting up with their family friends. 
• Learning about which beverages have caffeine in them and which beverages are good and bad for us.

What is Rosh Hashanah?

Rosh Hashanah is a Jewish religious holiday. It celebrates the Jewish New Year as well as the creation of the world.

Rosh Hashanah generally falls in the month of September, but can actually be between September 5th and October 5th. It always occurs 163 days after Passover. It also never falls on a Wednesday, Friday, or Sunday.

Fun Facts About Rosh Hashanah

• The blowing of the shofar horn has specific requirements. Exactly 100 notes is blown each day.
• Jewish people are not supposed to work on this holiday.
• People often greet each other on this day by saying "L'shanah tovah" which means "for a good year".
• The holiday officially begins at nightfall.
• It occurs during the Jewish month of Tishri.
• It is considered one of the High Holy days or Days of Awe.

When is Rosh Hashanah?

Friday 15 and Sunday 17 September

Activities: 

• Apple Prints - Since apples are an important symbol of Rosh Hashanah, this craft uses them to make beautiful card stock prints that can be used for greeting cards, place holders or just to hang up and admire.
• Reading stories to learn and celebrate Rosh Hashamah - https://www.chabad.org/kids/article_cdo/aid/4756/jewish/Stories.htm
• How to celebrate Rosh Hashanah with imporant meaningful symbols: 
  • Arts and Crafts - Children engaging in making colourful cellophane fish - Fish symbolises the translation of Rosh Hashanah, which means “Head of the Year” in Hebrew.
  • Symbolic bread called challah is baked, sweetened with raisins and braided into a round shape. 
    Click the following link for more Rosh Hashanah reciepes: https://www.chabad.org/kids/article_cdo/aid/354776/jewish/Recipes.htm
  • Dipping apples into honey - Apples are dipped in honey, again symbolizing sweetness.
    All of these traditions are important, because they help to connect us to the deeper meaning of the Rosh Hashanah holiday.

What is International Eat and Apple Day?

International Eat An Apple Day is celebrated on the Third Saturday of September. International Eat An Apple Day has its roots in thousands of cultural celebrations around the globe where the apple is honored.

When is International Eat and Apple Day?

Saturday, 16 September

Activities: 

• Eat an apple! - Bring in an apple from home for morning tea.
• Learning about how apples grow and how good they're for our bodies.
  • They’re full of fibre, which means they can help you have a healthy digestive system.
• Learning fun facts about apples - Apples come from the same family as strawberries, roses, raspberries, pears, plums and apricots.
• Cooking experience - Making an apple pie or apple crumble with the children for afternoon tea.
• Planting an apple tree for the service to grow your own produce.
• Implementing sliced apples to encourse the children to have after meals to clean their teeth.

What is Australian Citizenship Day?

Australian Citizenship Day is celebrated each year. Managed by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, Australian Citizenship Day is an opportunity for all Australian citizens, whether by birth or by choice, to reflect on the meaning and importance of their citizenship.

When is Australian Citizenship Day?

Sunday, 17 September 

Activities: 

• Display a multicultural flag display outside your service
• Inviting your parents or grandparents who have migrated from countries around the world to share their stories why they moved from their homeland to make Australia their home.
• Group discussion of why 'Australian Citizenship Day' is a special day in our community.
• Children bringing in an item from their home that they can share with their peers about their culture
• Learning the Australian Anthem.
• Having a multcultural feast for lunch for the children to experience different foods from around the world that our citizens would have learnt from back home.

What is National Asthma Awareness Week?

National Asthma week which aims to promote awareness of asthma to the general population and highlight ways to help people manage asthma.

When is National Asthma Awareness Week?

From Monday, 1st to the 7th September

Activities:

• Group time: Learning about what is asthma, how it affects the lungs when certain triggers cause swelling and a narrowing of the airways and ways to prevent it.
• Have a display puffer for the children to be familiar with and their peers who have to carry one with them. 
• Setting up drama play area as a hospital for children to role play medical scenarios
• Centre's can focus during the week to ensure families have provided an up-to-date copy their child’s Asthma Action Plan
• Grouptime: Picture stories for children regarding Asthma
  
  • The Lion Who Had Asthma by Jonathan London, illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott
  • I Have Asthma, What Does That Mean? By Wendy Chen
  • I Have Asthma (What Do You Know About? Books) by Jennifer Moore-Mallinos
  • Taking Asthma to School (Special Kids in School Series) (Special Kids in Schools Series) by Barbara Mitchell
  • Zooallergy : A Fun Story About Allergy and Asthma Triggers by Terry Ravanelli