Minister for Education, Training and Employment John-Paul Langbroek opened the 15th annual Showcase Awards for Excellence in Schools gala dinner on Friday 17 October 2014, congratulating all state winners and finalists. The awards aim to recognise and reward excellent practice in Queensland state schools that create positive outcomes and improved performances for students.
This year, the Royal Childrens Hospital School won the Showcase Award for Excellence in Inclusive Education for the schools empowering kids to fly program, an initiative of Act for Kids Early Education Program kindy.
Watch the video:
Young kids who have experienced severe trauma from abuse and neglect can have significant emotional, social, cognitive and physical developmental delays that mean they cant cope with normal school environments.
Our Early Education Program kindy is only available at our North Brisbane centre and is our most intensive program. We have two teachers working with five to eight kids from our Intensive Therapy Program. There are two classes, tadpoles (toddlers) and frogs (pre-prep). Children receive wrap-around therapy support and early learning so they dont miss out on any early education.
Our classes run in line with school terms and our private bus picks kids up and drops them off so they get used to the whole school routine. By the time they graduate from our kindy they are ready to transition to prep, our teachers take them to visit their school and work with the prep teachers to ensure it will be a smooth, stress free transition.
Act for Kids Executive Director of Programs, Research and Education, Dr Katrina Lines, said she is very proud of the partnership with the Royal Childrens Hospital School and the outcomes of the Early Education Program.
I would like to congratulate Michelle Bond, Royal Childrens Hospital School Principal, Marina McLaren our Early Education Teacher, Melanie McLaren our Teachers Aide and the entire Act for Kids Brisbane team for their continued hard work and commitment to providing excellent educational services to the children enrolled in our Early Education Program.
Many of these children suffer significant social, emotional, physical and behavioral effects of trauma from their early experiences. The time they spend in the kindy really ensures theyre set up for success when they start big school and allows them to stay connected to education, Dr Katrina Lines said.
For more information visit: http://education.qld.gov.au/community/events/showcase/2014/index.html