Ballroom A
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Nancy Jeffrey & Rosie Schellen – Emerging Minds
Nancy and Rosie introduce an Emerging Minds’ session on ‘Supporting social and emotional wellbeing and mental health of infant’s children and their families; the role we all play’. The workshop will focus on exploring topics such as intergenerational trauma, cultural birthing and parenting, and social and emotional wellbeing. The primary focus will be on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families.
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Dr Katey De Gioia & Sally Cooper – AERO
In the workshop ‘Focus on Cultural Responsiveness’, Katey and Sally will introduce reflexive practice as a tool for educators to develop their responsiveness. The Early Years Learning Framework (V2.0) emphasizes the importance of building authentic relationships with children, families, and communities to create safe and supportive learning environments. Educators and teachers understanding themselves is crucial for children’s learning centred on belonging, being, and becoming.
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Dr Katey De Gioia & Sally Cooper – AERO
AERO’s Early Childhood learning trajectories cover children’s development in five key domains from birth to the year before formal schooling. This resource aligns with national frameworks, complements existing practices, and informs pedagogical decision-making. In the workshop ‘The early childhood learning trajectories in action’, participants will explore its use alongside the Early Years Learning Framework V2.0 planning cycle, and learn how to plan for implementation. The workshop will also discuss how the resource can support ongoing professional conversations with individuals and teams.
Ballroom B
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Deb Brennan – University of New South Wales
Topic: A path to universal Early Childhood Education and Care. Deb is an expert on comparative social policy, family policy, and gender and politics. She is currently serving as an Associate Commissioner on the Productivity Commission inquiry into Early Childhood Education and Care. In this role, she is contributing to the task of charting a course towards universal, affordable Early Childhood Education and Care. She has a wealth of experience and is set to share some draft findings and recommendations during her presentation.
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Sasha Beirne and Connie Borg – Child Australia
Creating trauma-informed environments in OSHC and ELC is crucial for supporting children dealing with trauma. The session introduces ‘Healing Spaces: Creating Trauma-Informed Environments in OSHC and ELC. It will cover principles such as creating safe physical environments, establishing consistent routines, and promoting empathy among staff. You will gain insights into recognising and responding to trauma-related behaviours and learn about the importance of staff training and self-care. The session will also showcase the successful implementation of these approaches and their positive impacts on children’s well-being.
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Nicole Talarico – Talarico Consulting
This session is on ‘Fusing the empathy gap in early childhood to combat family violence’. Nicole will discuss the global crisis of gender-based violence and violence against women and children demands action. Early Childhood is crucial for instilling respect and self-awareness. Education settings can reshape harmful social norms and promote resilience through emotionally rich curriculums. By prioritising connection over compliance, we can create spaces for children to explore their emotions and build community support.
Reflections Room
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Deb Wilson & Ronnelle Sanders – St John’s Anglican College
This session will provide insight into an innovative resource ‘TalkTime Keys’ for Early Years and Primary educators to engage parents and assist them to recognise their value in their child’s learning. By engaging in meaningful discussion, teachers and caregivers can enhance a child’s ability to develop vocabulary, sentence structure, fluency, and questioning ability; all the while increasing their capacity for speaking and listening. The keys resource will provide questions and translations in different languages, enabling all caregivers to support their child’s communication skills.
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Sarah Forgan – Berry Street Education Model
This workshop is on ‘Teaching social and emotional well-being starting with self-regulatory strategies’. You will learn how to support children’s social and emotional development. The workshop will provide you with tools to help children develop self-regulation, interoceptive skills, and emotional intelligence skills. Part of the workshop will focus on using body ‘bottom-up’ strategies for regulation and thinking strategies to support children’s social and emotional wellbeing.
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Karin Humphrey – Be You, Early Childhood Australia
This session aims to empower educators and service leaders to create environments where both educators’ and children’s social and emotional wellbeing can thrive. Explore the Educator Wellbeing Guide: “Beyond Self-Care: A whole service commitment to social and emotional wellbeing. Practical strategies and collaborative approaches will be provided to build a thriving learning community. The session will cover factors contributing to educator wellbeing, roles of educators and service leaders, and steps for building a thriving workplace. You will leave with your own copy of the guide and the next steps to plan for a commitment to educator wellbeing.
- Reflections Room Sponsor
Litchfield Room
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Jacinta McInnerney – Early Childhood Australia
This session on ‘Exploring Play Schemas’ will explore play schemas, the EYLF V2.0 principle of play-based learning and intentionality, and the holistic approach to children’s learning, development, and well-being. It will also cover how understanding play schemas can support play pedagogy and deepen connections with children. The session will include a hands-on activity for creating mini play activities to explore different play schemas.
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Nicole Halton & Tania Timu – Inspired EC
This session is on ‘Learning and UnLearning, on Nicole nad Tania’s experience in co-creating a framework with Aboriginal communities’. They will share their experience and stories on partnership and collaboration. They blend traditional ways with contemporary practices, with the hope of inspiring Early Childhood professionals to build authentic partnerships with families and communities.
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Lucy Murrell & Daisy Ramsden – Abundant Education
To delve into the concept of wellbeing in the context of education, Lucy and Daisy will lead you on an experiential journey to explore what wellbeing truly looks and feels like for you during their session on ‘What the heck is wellbeing anyway?’. Daisy will guide you through a process of nervous system balancing that shifts them from stress to organic calm and joy. The session will explore the five pillars of abundance in education, designed to support educators in teaching with joy and connection.
- Litchfield Room Sponsor
