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Today's Guest Speaker, Cathy Willis was introduced by her husband Bob who read us her extensive and impressive CV. This is what he told us:
"Catherine’s career in early childhood education started after her graduation in 1979 at the Riverina College of Advanced Education. Cathy was accredited as a proficient teacher by the Board of Studies (previously the NSW Institute of Teachers) in July last year!!!! She has worked in local preschools, occasional care and then as lecturer at TAFE in the Child and Family Studies Section in Wagga Wagga. She upgraded her qualifications at CSU Wagga during that time. She moved to Sydney in 2001 as Head Teacher of Child and Family Studies. In 2008 she moved on to work as a Senior Project Officer for NSW Community Child Care Cooperative and Children’s Services Central where she provided support to long day care children’s services and preschools across NSW. In 2009 she was given the opportunity to be Project Manager with the CSU Consortium who developed the National Early Childhood Curriculum Framework. In 2010 she became Senior Project Officer with Early Childhood Australia NSW Branch and liaised with government departments, the Institute of Teachers, the Professional Skills Council, ACECQA, the Independent Teachers Union to advocate for high quality care in Early Childhood. Upon returning to Wagga Cathy was appointed as a lecturer in Early Childhood at CSU for 2 and a half years. Currently Cathy works with colleague Chris Fitzgerald in a consultancy called Hands On Early Learning Consultancy to deliver quality professional development in early childhood settings across the Riverina. Early Childhood Education is her passion."
Cathy asked the audience for any grandparents to put up their hands. She then asked to put up your hand if you think any or all of your grandchildren are gifted and talented. All hands remained raised!
With the assistance of a Power Point Presentation Cathy went on to say that all children deserved and needed nurture and early education. She explained this was a fundamental right for all children and and was arguable from a Social Justice point of view.
The economic benefits stemming from giving children the best start in life through early education and nurture are immense. Children who are so supported are more likely to succeed at school and throughout life. Early education and intervention should not be seen as a cost to the community but rather an investment. Successful children are less involved in crime, unemployment, etc and they establish better work patterns and better long term relationships.
Interestingly, neurological research shows that children nurtured in loving families and who are read to and interacted with, have bigger brains and more neurological connections.
Cathy said children need time to just mess about which allows them to develop curiosity. They also need to develop resilience which comes about by testing themselves and sometimes failing. Testing themselves and overcoming fear.
Interacting and learning in a supportive and loving environment develops in children a love of learning, they are able to be flexible and they develop an understanding of the processes of learning.
Families and educators provide security and a sense of belonging. Much learning comes about through listening and doing especially getting out there amongst nature. The sense of smell is such a powerful sense that can place you in time and space through powerful memories. Children develop this by play in nature.
Cathy answered a number of questions from members and finished by reading the following list of "Things I learned in Kindergarten"
- “Share everything.
- Play fair.
- Don’t hit people.
- Put things back where you found them.
- Clean up your own mess.
- Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
- Say sorry when you hurt somebody.
- Wash your hands before you eat.
- Flush.
- Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
- Live a balanced life – learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
- Take a nap every afternoon.
- When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, old hands and stick together.
- Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup. The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
- Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup – they all die. So do we.
- And then remember the Dick an`d Jane books and the first word you learned – the biggest word of all – LOOK!” Robert Fulghum (1989)– All I really Need to Know I learned in Kindergarten pp6-7
Tim McGillicuddy gave a vote of thanks to Cathy saying it was great to see the passion she brought to her work. He said the do's and don'ts that we learn as children apply for life. Cathy had demonstrated once again how precious are our children and how important is our role as grandparents and parents . Members showed their appreciation with warm applause.
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