Season's greetings
Welcome to the final ECA WebWatch for the year! We hope our fortnightly newsletters have provided you with support, inspiration and entertainment throughout 2007. Please keep sending in your feedback – we love hearing your ideas, suggestions and comments.
In this huge end-of-year edition of ECA WebWatch you'll find:
- advice on having a safe and sustainable Christmas
- how to give twice – ECA gift memberships
- choosing toys that entertain and educate
- SNAICC's response to the Aurukun child abuse case
- ECA's new resource theme – School readiness and transitions.
Plus our guide to what's happening in 2008, and more quality-assured resources from Early Childhood Australia.
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Early Childhood Australia wishes you a safe and enjoyable end to the year and a great 2008!
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Have a safe and sustainable Christmas
A low consumption Christmas
The Australian Conservation Foundation has come up with this inspiring list of 10 easy ideas to make your Christmas greener.
Protect children from stress (PDF)
This guide from Family Relationship Services Australia provides very sensible advice for families to reduce the stress children may feel around festive times.
How to give twice – ECA gift memberships
Early Childhood Australia's capacity to do its work is dependent on its members and their advocacy contributions.
By giving memberships to your friends and colleagues, you help us to make real change in the early childhood sector.
Early Childhood Australia members receive the following great benefits:
Gold members also receive:
You can order ECA Gift Memberships through the Early Childhood Australia website.
Choosing toys for children
Good toys for young children
This article is written by the US National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) but is very relevant to an Australian context, particularly its suggestions for gifts – based on a child's age and level of development.
ECA's Best Picture Books of 2007
Take a look at Early Childhood Australia's picks of the best books of 2007 for babies and toddlers, preschoolers, school-starters, families and services.
Good toys allow children to improvise, increase creativity
Another helpful article on selecting gifts, which emphasises the importance of selecting open-ended toys which encourage creativity and improvisation.
Respecting and upholding the rights of children
SNAICC responds to Queensland Government's treatment of Aurukun child abuse case
The Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC) has called for the creation of a new national framework setting out the standards for child protection, children's rights and a common approach to preventing child abuse.
Children's rights (Supporting Best Practice)
The 'Children's rights' category of Early Childhood Australia's popular Supporting Best Practice web directory contains dozens of quality-assured links to fact sheets, news reports and downloadable resources on all aspects of upholding the rights of children.
Social justice and human rights for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
A life of opportunity and dignity, free from discrimination and disadvantage, should not be an ideal. It is, in fact, a basic human right – one that we all share.
Us Taken-Away Kids magazine
In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the Bringing them home report, the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) have launched a magazine containing artwork and stories from members of the stolen generations.
New school readiness online resource
School readiness and children's transitions (ECA resource theme)
Early Childhood Australia's new resource theme is filled with quality-assured links and free resources to assist children, parents and carers dealing with transitions and getting ready to start school.
What's on in 2008
Early Childhood Australia National Conference
Children: A nation's capital – Investing in our children
3–6 October 2008
National Convention Centre, Canberra
Don't miss Early Childhood Australia's 70th birthday conference – the call for papers is open until 31 January 2008.
Joint Australian & NZ Research in Early Childhood Conference
22–23 January 2008
Monash University, Peninsula Campus, Melbourne
This conference aims to provide a supportive and stimulating forum for all kinds of researchers to present and learn about the latest work in early childhood learning.
School's Clean Up Day
29 February 2008
The Schools' Clean Up Day is designed to help institutions make Clean Up Australia Day a school activity – register your school today.
Early Childhood Australia's online calendar is the quick and easy way to keep track of what's happening.
Quality-assured resources from Early Childhood Australia
Greening services: Practical sustainability is all about empowering children and investing in their futures; creating positive change with everyday actions and by demonstrating to children what we value and care about.
Our part in peace looks at how children, teachers and parents can learn together to respect each other and create peaceful environments. It is filled with creative tips to promote peace and tranquillity in childcare centres and at home.
Let us know what you think ...
We welcome any suggestions or comments you have: webwatch@earlychildhood.org.au.
Past issues of ECA WebWatch are available on the Early Childhood Australia website.
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ECA WebWatch - Issue 43, December#2 2007. © Early Childhood Australia.
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