Since 1975, ‘My Place’ Family Day Care has provided an award-winning Family Day Care service in Queensland. We have proudly served thousands of families with highly affordable and excellent quality child care, winning an overall assessment rating of ‘Exceeding National Quality Standards’.
In Australia, NAIDOC (National Aboriginal and Islanders Day Observance Committee) Week is celebrated during the first full week of July every year. NAIDOC focuses on the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It is celebrated not only in Indigenous communities, but by Australians from all walks of life. NAIDOC week is also a great opportunity to participate in a range of activities and to support your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
The 2017 theme – Our Languages Matter – aims to emphasise and celebrate the unique and essential role that Indigenous languages play in cultural identity, linking people to their land and water and in the transmission of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, spirituality and rites, through story and song.
At ‘My Place’ Family Day Care, we encourage our Educators, Children and Families to join us in celebrating NAIDOC Week, which also coincides with Queensland June/July school holidays.
“It is important to celebrate NAIDOC Week with young children in order to foster greater understanding, tolerance and respect for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, history and achievements in Australia,” said ‘My Place’ Family Day Care Team Leader Barbara Stonehouse.
Cooper Ian (aged 3 and a half, of half Australian and half Samoan heritage) and Kiyara Kumar (aged 3 of Indian heritage)
EDUCATOR IN SPOTLIGHT: Sunitha Michael D’cruz | Bellbird Park | 0402 132 311 | http://myplacefdc.org.au/care-centre/sunitha-michael-dcruz
“Hello, my name is Sunitha Michael D’cruz. I have been a professional child care Educator for over 8 years. My biggest passion is supporting parents to look after their children with individual unique needs. I adopt a mix of educational and stimulating activities to help your child in developing his/her full potential, while learning to be socially competent and confident.”
Q: Hi Sunitha, when did you start celebrating NAIDOC Week? What does NAIDOC mean to you and the children?
A: For the last five years, NAIDOC Week has been a yearly tradition that I celebrate with the children in my family day care. I endeavour to teach the children about the significance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, art and culture. It is important to pay respects to the traditional custodians of the land where we now live in.
Q: How do you teach the children about NAIDOC Week? How much of it do they understand?
A: *laughs* The children in my care are aged around 3. Through increased and repeated education about NAIDOC, I hope that the children will eventually develop a budding interest and respect for others’ cultures.
Q: What did you guys do for NAIDOC Week?
A: To start off, I would read them stories about the Aboriginal flag, history and culture. We did face-painting. The children enjoyed doing dot paintings which are internationally recognised as unique and integral to Australian Aboriginal art.
Q: Did the children enjoy NAIDOC Week?
A: Absolutely! We also tried to keep everything as natural as possible like Aboriginal artists by experimenting with raw materials like bark, clay, logs, trees, rocks and so on. The children especially enjoyed the sensory play experience with mud due to its soft and interesting texture.
EDUCATOR IN SPOTLIGHT: Mary Breed | Bundamba | 0402 283 832 | 07 3816 1984 | http://myplacefdc.org.au/care-centre/mary-breed
“Hi, I am Mary Breed and I’ve been a Family Day Care Educator for 14 years and counting! My lifelong passion is to provide high quality childcare and education in my safe, warm and caring home-based environment that specifically caters for your child’s growth. Every child is unique as I endeavor to support individual interests, needs and life journeys.”
Q: Hi Mary, how long have you been celebrating NAIDOC Week?
A: I have been celebrating NAIDOC Week for years with the children in my care. I try to keep things interesting by doing something different each year.
Q: What kind of activities do you organise?
A: NAIDOC Week is a good opportunity for children to get curious and explore beyond their everyday comfort zone. I do various activities with the children in my care such as reading and sharing stories about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. Children can decorate their own boomerang, paint an Aboriginal flag or attend a NAIDOC-themed playgroup.
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Need more ideas and resources? NAIDOC 2017 Activity Pack for children is available here: https://www.datsip.qld.gov.au/resources/datsima/involved/naidoc/naidoc-activity-pack.pdf
To become an Educator or enrol your child at ‘My Place’ Family Day Care, please visit our website (www.MyPlaceFDC.org.au/find-child-care), call (07) 3372 1711 or e-mail FDCadmin@ich.org.au today!