Children’s Services Professional Learning Program

Are you an educator working with children aged 0-12 years old?

Each year Maroondah City Council develops a Professional Learning Program to support educators to access high quality, relevant and affordable training opportunities locally.

The program includes an extensive range of topics, presented by respected and inspiring speakers. Council is committed to achieving positive outcomes for children, families and educators in Maroondah.

Sessions are suitable for educators who work in a range of services (primarily early childhood and out of school hours). Please check the session details for suitability.

Download the June to September 2023 Professional Learning Program flyer(PDF, 924KB)

How to book

  • Bookings are essential as there are limited places available for each session.
  • Please refer to individual sessions for ticket prices, which are GST inclusive.  
  • Certificates of attendance will be issued for each session.
  • Arrive 10 minutes before the start of the session to allow time to park and sign in.
  • If ticket holder is unable to attend, they may give their ticket to another person.
  • Refunds are only available if the ticket holder is unwell.

Upcoming sessions

Where are sessions held

Sessions are usually held at Karralyka and occasionally online.

Karralyka

Mines Road, Ringwood East 3135.

 

Past sessions

2022 sessions

Working effectively with parents and carers

This was a two part workshop run by Anthony Semann and Colin Slattery.

  • Part 1 - Building sustained relationships with families: sink or float presented by Anthony Semann
  • Part 2 - Having hard conversations with families presented by Colin Slattery

Event details

  • $86 per person (GST inclusive) for this two-part course.
  • These sessions will take place online
  • Wednesday, 26 October 2022 - 7.00pm to 9.00pm 
  • Wednesday, 12 October 2022 - 7.00pm to 9.00pm

This session is now complete. 

Setting up play experiences to support children’s play schema and motor skill development

Paediatric Exercise Physiologist and Masters qualified Developmental Educator Robyn Papworth will share her knowledge and experience with: 

  • How to set up developmentally appropriate play spaces to support children’s play and motor skill development.
  • How to identify children’s current motor skill levels.
  • How to support children through the motor development milestones through play based activities.

Event details

  • $43 per person (GST inclusive)
  • Thursday, 08 September 2022 - 7.00pm to 9.00pm
  • Venue: Karralyka, Mines Rd, Ringwood East

This session is now complete. 

Working with the Rainbow Families Community

This workshop will give you an insight into the lived experience of rainbow families – families with parents who identify as part of the LGBTIQ/rainbow community. You will discover that some things are exactly the same for rainbow families and some things are very different.

Learn what makes a great, warm and welcoming, inclusive service and to identify what your service does well and where it might do better.

You will develop a ‘to do’ list of  actions/activities/initiatives that will kick-start your work towards creating a fully inclusive children’s service.

This is a safe learning environment for everyone with lots of opportunity for curious and respectful questions.

Event details

  • Presented by Jac Tomlins
  • $43 per person (GST inclusive)

This session is now complete. 

The QIP, A&R and the exceeding themes. How to stop going weak at the knees

This session will outline the Assessment and Rating (A&R) process, increase your skills in making the Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) simple and authentic to your service and how to embed the exceeding themes in your everyday practice as well as helping you to:

  • Understand what the Authorised Officer will observe, sight and discuss.
  • Gain confidence in articulating what you do and why. Sell your pedagogy.
  • Learn more about what is required for the QIP and the exceeding themes.

Event details

  • Suitable for educators from early childhood and out of school hours services.
  • Wednesday 18 May, 2022
  • 7pm to 9pm
  • Presented by Louise Dorrat
  • $43 per person (GST inclusive)
  • Karralyka, Mines Rd, Ringwood East*

This session is now complete. 

Body safety education and training for Early Childhood educators

In this necessary training, learn how to create safer environments for children.  ChildSafe have partnered with Jayneen Sanders and Educate 2 Empower Publishing, to deliver some excellent resources and training in the area of body safety and consent.  ChildSafe are committed to training educators how to teach and empower children to understand the '5 body safety rules' to protect children from harm and abuse. 

This 2 hour workshop will cover:

  • child sexual abuse: characteristics and statistics
  • grooming
  • what is body safety and why we teach it
  • body safety skills, lesson plans and resources
  • disclosure.

Presented by: Neil Milton - ChildSafe
Suitable for: educators from early childhood services
Cost: $40 per person
Venue: Karralyka, Mines Rd, Ringwood East

Date:  Tuesday 22 February 2022 (rescheduled from 17 August 2021)
Time: 7pm to 9pm

OR

Date: Thursday 24 February 2022 (rescheduled from 19 August 2021)
Time: 7pm to 9pm

This session is now complete. 

More information

For information contact Cathie Wills on 9294 5740 or email childrens.services.events@maroondah.vic.gov.au

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If you would like to receive information on upcoming sessions for educators in and around Maroondah, you can join our  Children & Families newsletter.

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 You may also be interested in Council’s Parenting Information Sessions