Helping Children Become School Ready
To support our commitment to providing high quality early childhood education and care to all children across Western Australia (WA), we are set to launch a School Readiness Program to help children at our centres develop oral language, numeracy and the capacity to self regulate emotions.
To be ‘school ready’ we believe a child needs to be given the opportunity to participate in developmentally appropriate learning experiences so they can transition more smoothly into formal schooling, fully engage with learning opportunities and successfully reach their academic potential.
Our School Readiness Program involves three key developmental domains;
- Literacy and language,
- Numeracy (STEM), and
- Social and emotional wellbeing
To support the programs implementation, since January 2023, five ELCs participated in a pilot of the education program and its materials. Assessments of emergent literacy and communication skills suggested positive development in these domains for children who participated in the trial.
The lesson materials have been co-created by academic researchers and Y WA educators, and are designed to be easy to implement, aligned to the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), and highly engaging for children in an early learning setting.
During book week, Executive Manager of Education, Youth and Leisure Anjie Brook visited an ELC to read a storybook to children and was corrected by her audience when she pronounced sounds incorrectly! Children who previously have been disruptive sit well and engage in mat sessions, and educators appreciate how straightforward it is to deliver lessons.
Parents have commented that children have been transferring their learnings into their home environment, and parents are enjoying hearing the children’s learnt phonemic awareness through isolating initial sounds of objects in the home environment such as, “ T T T Table, F F F Fridge, A A A Apple.”
“Preparing them for school is critical. The school curriculum is incredibly intense early on and those children without prior exposure would struggle to adjust. In our opinion, the learning provided by the Y in early childhood should be much more highly valued by society and government, equal to the value we place on compulsory school education.” – a parent of a child at Timber Tots Early Learning Centre
New leaders lead the way on the Y’s Vision 2030 Strategy
This year we made two new appointments in roles that are integral on our journey towards achieving Vision 2030: the global shared strategy and goals for Y’s across the world.
Joining us this year is Liz Parker, as the Executive Principal of The Y School (YVS), and Sandra Murphy as General Manager of Children’s Services at the Y WA. Both roles are integral to the education and nurturing of young minds and will play a key role in ensuring that our education and children’s services align with our 2030 vision of nurturing young people in body, mind and spirit.
Liz brings over 20 years’ experience in the education sector and within CARE schools, and a passion for supporting students to explore who they are and develop innovative and targeted educational teaching and learning plans for success in a safe and supportive environment.
Similarly, Sandra, with more than 13 years’ experience as an operations manager across a variety of childcare providers, shares Liz’s passion for ensuring the highest quality education and care for all children.
However, Liz and Sandra’s leadership transcends mere experience; it represents a unified dedication to shape the future of the Y WA and drive Vision 2030 in the right direction. To ensure we deliver on our mission to empower children, young people, and communities to build a just, sustainable, equitable, and inclusive world.
Engaging with the local community at the Vic Park Street Festival
We joined the local community at the Victoria Park Street Party to celebrate the start of summer, forge connections and share our unique services with families and young people.
With an impressive turnout of over 50,000 people, this event provided a wonderful opportunity for us to interact with familiar faces and newcomers in an upbeat and fun atmosphere.
The bustling Albany Highway strip was transformed into a pedestrian paradise with something for everyone to enjoy. Such as our facilitated art mural project, guided by the talented Nelson Mondlane to foster cooperation, communication and creativity. We also had a dedicated area for little ones to engage in hands-on creative play.
Beyond the artistic endeavours, attendees could chill out in our deck chairs, engage in a friendly competition of giant Jenga or interact with us to win some awesome Y merch packs.
Y WA staff embody the power of the Y at the 20th World Council
A dedicated contingent of Y WA staff travelled to Denmark to attend the 20th YMCA World Council from the 4th to 8th of July under the theme ‘Ignite’ to re-ignite our sense of togetherness, shared purpose and direction.
A first ever hybrid event, it gathered some 1200 people in person and online to set a decade long direction for the YMCA Movement in the form of YMCA Vision 2030.
The meeting marked a significant milestone as the first in-person gathering since the Covid-19 pandemic, which continued to cast its shadow over Europe.
Staff members returned to WA with a sense of accomplishment, empowerment, and renewed motivation to continue their impactful work to create a future where children and young people can flourish.
HQ musicians take home gold at the Song of the Year Awards
HQ’s young musical talents claimed top spots at the renowned Song of the Year Awards, and we couldn’t be prouder.
Sofia Gale took home the schools 14 under category with her captivating track ‘In Your Eyes’ and HQ’s very own band Centre won the school’s 15-18 categories with their dynamic song ‘Illusion’.
A massive congratulations to our other remarkable HQ acts who also claimed victory in their respective categories, including, Sunny Day, Joan and the Giants, and Sash Seabourne.
Let’s celebrate these wins and show our support and appreciation for these inspiring artists by immersing ourselves in their incredible music.
Safeguarding Excellence Rating
In an audit conducted by the Australian Childhood Foundation (ACF), our Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy achieved the highest rating of ‘Excellent’. This underscores our unwavering dedication to ensure the safety and well-being of children and young individuals.
Safeguarding is our top priority and guides every decision we make, both strategically and operationally. Our commitment extends to our services and programs statewide, where we’ve cultivated a protective environment that empowers young voices.
Our East Cannington Early Learning Centre were a safeguarding shining light, during Child Protection Week, our educators talked with children about recognising and addressing feelings of insecurity, and who they can turn to for assistance.
Building on the success of this audit, all other Y’s across the nation have also undergone similar comprehensive assessments.
CEO appointment to The Australian Education Research Organisation
This year, Y WA CEO Dr. Tim McDonald has taken on a significant role as the subject matter expert for The Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO).
AERO is collaborating closely with educators to create a valuable set of resources aimed at enhancing classroom engagement and providing professional development opportunities for teachers and school leaders, all with the aim of reducing classroom disruptions.
With a wealth of experience in partnering with schools to enhance student engagement and manage behaviour, Dr. McDonald brings his expertise to this vital initiative.
“In Australia, we face challenges with classroom disruptions. Creating safe, structured, and positive learning environments is crucial for effective education. Just like any subject, behaviour should be part of the curriculum,” remarks Y WA, CEO Dr. Tim McDonald.
The Y shines with triple nominations at the Pilbara Community Services Excellence Awards
Our remarkable work in the Newman community was recognised with three nominations for the 2022 Pilbara Community Service Excellence Awards!
The Newman Early Learning Centre (ELC) and our Remote School Attendance Strategy (RSAS) service were nominated in the Organisation category. While RSAS Coordinator Lee-Anne Ugle was nominated in the Individuals Category.
These nominations are a testament to the dedication and commitment of our services and staff to uplift and improve the lives of those in the Pilbara community. They serve as a reminder of the remarkable individuals who bring passion and dedication to their roles.
Newman ELC Centre Director Leanne Coombes expressed her gratitude for the nominations and highlighted the significance of such recognition. “We are very honoured to receive this nomination along with so many wonderful businesses across the Pilbara, so we thank everyone who has nominated our teams. We are all proud of the work we do and the impacts we can make in both Y WA programs” she said.
Celebrating excellence and honouring exceptional contributions
The Y WA Staff Awards are held annually to acknowledge and celebrate the remarkable work of our people (staff and volunteers) as well as our collective contributions across the state. This year three winners were selected by a diverse panel of judges from Youth, Executive, Children’s Services and more.
Youth Services Coordinator Caroline Smith was crowned Y WA Staff Member of the Year:
For almost a decade, Caroline has extended her warm and welcoming presence to all who cross her path. Her exuberant personality fills every room she enters, and her genuine kindness and empathy make her impossible to miss.
The Y HQ Youth Squad took out the Power of Inspired Young People award:
The Y HQ Youth Squad have gone above and beyond in all aspects of the arts and live music community. This motivated and passionate group of young people have harnessed the skills they learnt from our programs to secure grants, engage with the wider music scene, and help promote themselves and their peers more professionally to seek out performance opportunities and airplay on local radios.
Narrogin Creche Supervisor Elisabeth Hart was awarded the Y WA Safeguarding Award:
Elisabeth is a cherished member of the community, known for going the extra mile to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children at the Y Narrogin. The smiles on the children’s faces when they greet her in the creche are unforgettable and speak for themselves. Her commitment to creating a secure and safe environment for children to thrive and learn in a safeguarding manner is truly commendable.
Each of these winners went on to represent the Y WA as nominees at the Y National Awards in October, and the results were nothing short of exceptional. Elisabeth Hart and HQ’s Youth Squad both returned as National Winners! Further highlighting the dedication and commitment of our people to fulfill our mission and ensure children and young people in our community’s flourish.
A historic first for the Y WA
We celebrated a historic first this year, with the opening of our new Broome Early Learning Centre in August.
The childcare centre is our first service in the Kimberley region and comes as part of our strategy to provide quality early childhood education and care for all children across the state.
Nestled amidst Broome’s iconic boab trees and licensed to accommodate up to 62 children the centre offers an inviting space for young learners.
The centre opening was made possible through the acquisition of former Broome Daycare Centre site and staff, who transitioned with the service now operating under the Y WA banner.
The Y WA is developing new local partnerships with locally based organisations, including TAFE and health care providers to strengthen the support and services to the children attending our Broome ELC.
Spreading kindness and changing perspective
Play in the Park collaborated with Wanslea to host a series of summer events dedicated to strengthening the connection between dads and their children. The events were generously funded by the Great Southern Parenting Capacity Fund and provided an excellent opportunity for dads and other important male figures to engage in meaningful quality time with their children in a positive and nurturing environment.
Through the events we discovered that many of the dads in our community work in FIFO (Fly-In, Fly-Out) jobs or from home. These dads have bonded over shared experiences and developed valuable support networks with one another as a result. This camaraderie has become an unexpected but essential component of the experience, fostering connections and friendships among dads facing similar challenges and opportunities in parenting.
Dads have also shared their positive experiences, expressing that the welcoming and warm atmosphere of our program has supported them to feel confident and comfortable engaging with their children.
Play in the Park’s series of summer events has successfully strengthened relationships and highlighted the importance of creating inclusive spaces for diverse parenting experiences. By offering a supportive environment and building a sense of community among dads, Play in the Park continues to make a positive impact on families across the communities that we support.
Development of our People Strategy to enable impact
We’ve invested this year in developing our People Strategy to enable the delivery of the Y WA’s Growth for Impact Strategy. The strategy brings together a year of work, looking at leading practice externally and understanding our needs internally, and was endorsed by the Board earlier this year.
In the same way our Impact Strategy will measure how we are delivering flourishing outcomes for children and young people, our People Strategy outlines our approach to creating a workplace that sets us apart from our competitors, delivers our strategic imperatives and enables our people to flourish – and will be measured in terms of its impact.
We strongly believe that when our people flourish, they are better equipped to deliver flourishing outcomes to our children and young people, enabling them to grow in body, mind and spirit.
