Welcome to this month's newsletter and a  big welcome to all of our new children and their families who commenced with us the past month.

Many of you would be aware that Suzie is currently on a journey with breast cancer. She has had surgery and is currently awaiting treatment. During this time Suzie will be working reduced hours each day, however Chandell is available to assist parents in Suzie's absence.

Dates to remember

3rd May – Labour Day Public Holiday. The Centre will be closed for this public holiday.

9th MayMothers Day.

14th May – Ipswich Show Holiday. The Centre will be closed for this public holiday.

18-20th May Centre photos. Booking envelopes and information on prices are in the sign in area for your convenience. Remember to collect and return your consent form if you haven't already done so.

25th May– Dental2U visit 8.00am to 11.00am. Remember to collect and return your consent form if you haven't already done so.

26th May – National Sorry Day

27th May – National Reconciliation Day

Extracurricular activities:

Billy's Buddies are here on Tuesdays at 2.00pm. If you are wanting to book your child in for this please see the flyer in the entry for more details.

Discounted Holiday Rate: We would like to remind parents that each child is eligible to discounted holiday rates, subject to certain conditions. These include having an up-to-date account, providing two weeks' notice (there is a specific form for this in the sign in area) and having enough eligible absences to cover the dates requested. The discount is limited to two weeks per calendar year.

Assessment and Ratings visitour Assessment and Ratings visits will take place on Tuesday 4th May, Thursday 6th May, and conclude on Friday 7th May. If you have any questions regarding this please do not hesitate to speak to Suzie.

Exclusion of ill children – with the cooler weather and the flu season about to hit, we would like to re-affirm our illness and exclusion policy.

The aim of exclusion is to reduce the spread of infectious disease. The less contact there is between people who have an infectious disease and people who are at risk of catching the disease, the less chance the disease has of spreading. Excluding ill children and staff is an effective way to limit the spread of infection in education and care services.

By excluding one ill person, you can protect many other people from becoming ill.

The need for exclusion and the length of time a person is excluded depends on:

•how easily the infection can spread

•how long the person is likely to be infectious

•how severe the disease can be

The exclusion procedure

To determine when a person should be excluded:

•identify whether the symptoms or a diagnosed illness have an exclusion period

•advise the parents, or the staff member, when they may return to the education and care service.

Children who are unwell should stay home from education and care services. Even if they do not have a condition that requires exclusion, the best place for an ill child to rest and recover is with a carer. (parent, grandparent etc).

We display any recent illness by the sign in area so that parents are aware of any symptoms to look out for.

Connecting with the communityThank you to those who have donated nonperishable foods or toiletry items for our community pantry collection. This will be an ongoing project to support and connect with the community. Please feel welcome to donate at any time. If we all donated one item, imagine what a difference that could make to a struggling family .

Separation Anxiety

Separation anxiety in its various intensities is the uncertainty children feel when separated from their parents. It is a normal part of development and has its origins in the profound, enduring attachment between children and parents formed in the early years of life. It is the child's efforts to hold onto what is safe in what they feel is a scary situation.

"When a child cries because her parent or primary person is leaving her, she is showing that she is not happy, and would like to change the situation and remain with her safe person. "

Kostelnik, Marjorie et al, 2009, Guiding Children's Social Development and Learning, Wadsworth, USA

One of children's first experiences is when someone other than a parent cares for them, whether it is a grandparent, an aunt or uncle or a childcare educator. Some babies and children accept and are happy with another carer, others become very stressed with being separated from their primary carer. Children exhibit separation anxiety by displaying a range of behaviours:

• Crying
• Grabbing at the parent
• Showing other signs of distress
• Reverting to the behaviours of a younger child
• Withdrawing
• Refusing to interact

Separation anxiety is usually not an issue with very young babies, but it may begin to occur around the age of 8-9 months and often peaks between 13-15 months. Sometimes it can last longer if children experience difficult separations in the early years.

Why do babies and children experience separation anxiety?

The level of separation anxiety is different for every child, and there could be a range of contributing factors:

• Child's Age - Babies begin to show signs around 8-9 months and this often peaks between 13-15 months,
• The Child's Temperament – Shy children tend to experience separation anxiety in more intensity.
• Lack of Emotional Vocabulary - Toddlers and preschoolers seek independence but there are times when they may suffer from separation anxiety. They may lack the emotional vocabulary necessary to express their feelings about separation anxiety.
• Major Life Changes - Older children who may not normally experience separation anxiety may do so when there are major changes in their lives such as the birth of a new baby, moving house, family illness, death or divorce.
• Active Imaginations - Some children have very active imaginations which can lead to what adults may consider are unreasonable fears, however, to the child the fears are very real. They imagine being left in unknown places, not being picked up etc.

Separation anxiety is a normal part of development. When children leave a familiar, safe environment and enter the unknown, it is a legitimate difficult transition. It takes time, support and encouragement to navigate. It is also an opportunity for emotional growth, learning to regulate emotions and becoming slowly more independent.

Sourced from http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au