BUSHkids in Toowong | Non-profit organisation

BUSHkids

Locality: Toowong

Phone: +61 7 3870 7288

Address: 16 Morley Street 4066 Toowong, QLD, Australia

Website: http://www.bushkids.org.au/

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• Non-profit organisation
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• Community organisation

25.01.2022 The new normal for face-to-face support. Our service centres have been working hard to create a safe environment for face-to-face support in BUSHkids service centres. Our priority is always the health, safety and wellbeing of children, families, our staff and volunteers. This video gives you an idea of how things have changed and the things we are doing to keep you and your family safe when visiting one of our service centres.... Remember, as our service centres re-open attendance is by application only, you will be asked questions about your health and where you have been, and you will be asked to sanitise your hands when entering and leaving the centre. Thanks for your support and cooperation; by doing these simple things we can help keep everyone safe.

24.01.2022 TROHPIQ president visits our Bundaberg Centre. We were delighted to welcome TROHPIQ President, Brooke Whiting, to our Bundaberg Service Centre today. TROHPIQ - Towards Rural and Outback Health Professionals in Queensland is a Uni student club dedicated to promoting and encouraging the provision of health care in rural communities with medical, nursing and allied health students from across Queensland's universities joining together to promote rural health.... Brooke met with CEO Carlton Meyn and talked with our allied health and NDIS Early Intervention staff at the centre about their work in rural communities. TROHPIQ have been a long-time supporter of BUSHkids, raising funds for the organisation at their annual Bowties & Beauties Charity Gala. Pictured: TROHPIQ President, Brooke Whiting with Bundaberg based Early Intervention Facilitator (EIF) Maddy Fog and Carlton Meyn.

24.01.2022 Loose Parts Play tour a great success. The Loose Parts play tour ended yesterday in Peachester on the Sunshine Coast. The tour was a great success made possible by funding from Nature Play QLD, The Heart Foundation and BUSHkids. A big thank you to Nature Play QLD for co-ordinating the three regional tours which took in more than 25 Queensland locations along the way. ... Another big thank you goes out to the Outsiders: Play Advocates who are truly passionate about the importance of play for children. Thanks for coming along on the tour, sharing your knowledge and providing six inspiring webinar education sessions. Finally, thank you to all the communities who invited us in and provided a play site for the tour. We value the fantastic partnerships we have built up over the course of this tour and we look forward to continuing to empower communities, educators and parents on the benefits of loose parts and nature play for children. For ore information: The Outsiders Play Advocates: https://www.theoutsidersplayadvocates.com/ Nature Play QLD: https://natureplayqld.org.au/

23.01.2022 Building resilience in older kids through Stories for Life. We are now running the Stories For Life life skills reading program over Zoom. Like our Virtual Story Time program, Stories For Life is an interactive story time filled with fun and learning for older kids aged 6 to 11. Stories for Life provides an opportunity to continue regular story time while learning invaluable life skills that will help kids navigate stressful times in life. The eight-week program gradu...ally builds resilience skills with books specially selected to provide an opportunity to teach the cognitive, emotional and social skills that build resilience. This weeks book was The Invisible String by Patrice Karst and as part of the session the kids all drew Invisible Strings to remind them how we are always connected to our loved ones with invisible strings made of love, no matter the distance between us. The current pilot Stories For Life program is fully booked, but if your kids are interested in joining our new group starting in June, contact [email protected].

23.01.2022 Information and support from the NDIS during Covid-19. The NDIS have put together webpages packed with information about the provision of NDIS services including early childhood services - during the Covid-19 period. To find out about NDIS information and support concerning Covid-19 go to https://www.ndis.gov.au/coronavirus

23.01.2022 Face-to-face support to begin from tomorrow. We are pleased to announce that from tomorrow Monday 13 July we will begin restarting face-to-face (F2F) service delivery at our centres across the State. This will be progressively phased-in over the next six weeks. Our priority is always the health, safety and wellbeing of children, families, our staff and volunteers, so covid safe workplace principles and social distancing will be in place for everyones safety.... For now, all F2F appointments will be scheduled by our teams in advance by phone, and you can find out more about your local Service Centres status via the teams contacts here https://www.bushkids.org.au//2020.05.07_BUSHkids_COVID-19_. For more information go to https://www.bushkids.org.au//covid-19-coronavirus-informa/ and keep looking out for updates on Facebook.

22.01.2022 BUSHkids staff begin working remotely. Starting today, to maintain social distancing our teams across Queensland will be working remotely. Please accept our apologies for any temporary disruption as we progressively make this important transition. Our priority is the health and safety of children, families, our staff and volunteers and we will be working hard to minimise any interruptions to phone and teleHealth appointments as we transition to remote working.... BUSHkids remains committed to supporting children and their families in rural, regional and remote Queensland and our aim is to continue providing or services remotely in these challenging times. Thank you for your support and understanding. All key BUSHkids Centres contact numbers can be found here https://bit.ly/2RcR4ZJ

22.01.2022 This special episode of ABCs Play School is excellent if you need to explain coronavirus questions to little ones. https://www.facebook.com/ABCKidsCommunity/videos/203365794285386/?v=203365794285386

21.01.2022 Thanks for the gorgeous cupcakes! Our Bundaberg team had a lovely surprise on Friday afternoon when Elyces Cakes delivered a box of gorgeous chocolate cupcakes! Thanks Elyces Cakes, the cakes were beautiful, and its wonderful to be appreciated. A perfect combination for a Friday afternoon, chocolate and cake!

21.01.2022 Please note that Playgroup Queensland has suspended all of its events until further notice.

21.01.2022 TIP Sheet Tuesday How BUSHkids' OTs can help. In this regular feature 'Tip Sheet Tuesday', we are going to share some of the information from the tip sheets we've developed. As this is OT Week, we are celebrating the work of our occupational therapists and promoting the many ways OTs help kids reach their full potential in life. ... Our OTs help children with everyday activities they may have difficulties with such as: selfcare - toileting, dressing, eating, bathing and sleep. school skills - handwriting, attention and concentration, organisation of belongings play skills play interests and ideas, emotional-social skills, sensory preferences, self-esteem and confidence play skills fine and gross motor strength and co-ordination. All this information and more is in our OT tip sheet 1 'How Occupational Therapy Can Help Everyone' which you can download from our website https://www.bushkids.org.au//OT_TipSheet1_How-OT-help-ever #THISISOT

21.01.2022 Free A Steady Start to School Zoom Session. On Saturday September 5 between 9.00 and 11.30am were running a free online Zoom session of A Steady Start to School, BUSHkids popular school readiness program. A Steady Start to School provides techniques and strategies you can use at home to help your child get ready for starting school and support them through their all-important formative year in Prep.... Research shows a successful transition into Prep helps children enjoy their school experience and contributes to their future educational success. As a parent or carer you are your childs first teacher and play a very important role in supporting their education and helping their development. A Steady Start to School is designed to help you help them. During the A Steady Start to School zoom session you will learn: Why a good transition to school is so important for your childs education. Practical things you can do to help your child prepare for starting school. Practical things you can do to help your child through their formative year in Prep. How to make your home a fun and effective place to learn. See our website for more information https://bit.ly/3g69A0j call our Bundaberg service centre on 4111 1655 or send an email to [email protected]

21.01.2022 Keeping kids calm through COVID. With restrictions in place across Greater Brisbane - which as we reported on Wednesday has impacted our service centres - COVID-19 is back at the forefront of everyone's minds. When your kids are out and about, they will see adults wearing masks and in some situations older kids may have to wear masks themselves. This may make them feel more anxious and they may have new questions about the pandemic such as why are people are wearing face mask...s and do they need to wear one too? Check out our tip sheets such as Supporting children’s understanding of COVID-19 for tips on talking with your children about the pandemic. Download our tip sheet here: https://bit.ly/2N9WHZz Children's Health Queensland have developed a wonderful e-book, Birdie and the Virus, specifically to help explain COVID-19 to young kids. Read along with your children, as Birdie learns more about illness, wearing masks, and how health care professionals are helping. Download Birdie and the Virus here: https://bit.ly/35GHRjv

21.01.2022 Remember to take care of yourself! Lockdown restrictions may be easing, but the impacts of ongoing stress, change and uncertainty will continue to be felt by many. Remember to #BeKind to each other, but also to yourself. See BUSHkids Tip Sheets, Taking care of yourself (so you can care for your family) https://bit.ly/2Tqx6vx and Self-care for Parents and Carers https://bit.ly/2Tn1w1S to check-in with yourself. Your family may thank you for it! #InThisTogether

20.01.2022 Thanks Dominos Dalby, a lovely gesture of kindness much appreciated by the staff in our Dalby service centre.

19.01.2022 Heres a great little video for kids from the Queensland Department of Education explaining coronavirus and how to stay healthy and safe.

18.01.2022 Tip Sheet Tuesday Helping communicate with kids with ADHD. Continuing on from last weeks speech pathology tip sheet, this week we're highlighting our tip sheet designed to help parents and carers communicate with kids with ADHD. ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) can impact many different areas of children's lives, including communication. ... Children with ADHD have difficulty with working memoryholding things in their brains while doing something elseso they can find communication difficult. They may have difficulty communicating their message and may also struggle with listening and understanding words. Our Communication Strategies for Children with ADHD tip sheet contains strategies that parents and carers can use to help communicate with kids with ADHD. You can download our tip sheet here: https://www.bushkids.org.au/.../SP_Tipsheet-1...

18.01.2022 Thanks to Sirron Holdings Group for their support. Its only through the continued generosity and support of businesses like Sirron Holdings that we can continue providing our much-needed services to kids and families living in regional, rural and remote areas of Queensland.

17.01.2022 Watch this great tip courtesy of Rosita from Sesame Street for how kids can calm down and feel better when they feel anxious.

17.01.2022 The BUSHkids team meet the big fella! Our management team are out in Cunnamulla this week looking into ways to provide better support to kids and families out in south west Queensland. While they were there, they caught up with the big fella himself!

17.01.2022 Regional Disability Expo's. Today's event is at Hervey Bay PCYC. BUSHkids will be attending the regional disability expo's on the Sunshine Coast and in Hervey Bay during late October and Early November. ... The Disability Expo's make is easy for families, carers and people with a disability to find supports, services and products in their area to help them improve their quality of life, The regional disability expo's bring local commercial companies, not for profit organisations and service providers together under one roof. 2020 Expo regions are: Sunshine Coast 29 October 2020 Hervey Bay 5 November 2020 For more information about the regional disability expos go to https://www.disabilityexposc.com.au/ or to register go to https://lte.eventsair.com/rde2020/2020attend/Site/Register

16.01.2022 How to access BUSHkids services via telehealth. With our services to children and families now being provided via phone and telehealth (online video-conferencing) rather than face-to-face appointments, weve put this useful tip sheet together to help families access the service. Telehealth can offer the same benefits for families and kids as a face-to-face BUSHkids session, plus its fun, engaging and interactive.... You can download the tip sheet here: https://www.bushkids.org.au//3161RBK_BUSHkids-teleHealth_C

16.01.2022 Tip sheet Tuesday developing pencil grip. Following on from last week's introduction tip sheet about how our OTs can help, this week we're promoting the second of our OT tip sheets which is all about pencil grip with fun activities to help kids develop their pencil grip. Here's a taster tip from the sheet:... If your child finds holding a pencil and sitting at the table too hard, try some fun games like using the pointer finger to draw: on the foggy shower screen (big movements) in shaving cream on the shower screen or an easel in wet sand or in flour even in uncooked rice on a flat tray! All this information and more is in our OT tip sheet 2 'Stages and fun activities to develop pencil grip' which you can download from our website here: https://www.bushkids.org.au//OT_TipSheet2_Develop-pencil-g

16.01.2022 Talking loud and clear across the Western Downs. Last month our Speech Pathologist out in Dalby, Reegan Phillott, visited Miles, Chinchilla and Tara Libraries to present the Speechie Library Talks. This program aims to connect speech pathologists with the broader community through their local public and school libraries. Speechie Library Talks are great way to raise awareness about:... 1. the role speech pathologists play in developing children's language and literacy 2. present the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year 3. how library resources can play a part in building language and literacy. Thanks to all the libraries for hosting us and special thanks to Chinchilla Library for taking these great pics of Reegan in Speechie Library Talk action!

15.01.2022 Join BUSHkids tomorrow for National Simultaneous Storytime. BUSHkids is taking part in National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) tomorrow. NSS is an annual event organised by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country. This year Aus...tralia will be reading Lucinda Giffords fun kids book Whitney and Britney Chicken Divas at 11:00 am on Wednesday 27 May 2020. NSS is a colourful, vibrant, fun event that aims to promote the value of reading and literacy, using an Australian childrens book that explores age-appropriate themes, and addresses key learning areas of the National Curriculum for Foundation to Year 6. To take part in National Simultaneous Storytime with BUSHkids contact your local participating centre. BUSHkids centres taking part include: Agnes Waters Lisa [email protected] 0427 848 239 Kingaroy Elizabeth and Nicole [email protected] 0428 202 609 Stanthorpe Marianne [email protected] 0428 505 392 Hervey Bay and Maryborough Veronika (Ronnie) 4183 8920 Gladstone - Amanda - [email protected] 4904 5335 Bundaberg - Hayley - [email protected] (07) 4152 3799 Emerald - Averal - [email protected] (07) 4982 0905 For more information about National Simultaneous Storytime and to view the Auslan reading of the book, go to https://www.alia.org.au/nss

15.01.2022 CQUniversity Australia Vice Chancellor and President visits BUSHkids. Central Queensland University (CQU) Vice Chancellor and President, Professor Nick Klomp, visited BUSHkids on Monday morning. We were able to discuss with Professor Klomp ways BUSHkids and CQU can work collaboratively to improve outcomes for Queensland children and families, as well as potential joint projects and research partnerships.... CQU have been very supportive of BUSHkids work with a number of CQU students joining us as casual Early Intervention Facilitators (EIFs) during their degree courses. The student casual program is an innovative approach to service delivery and a highly productive partnership we are very keen to develop further in the future. Pictured, Clinical Services Manager, Susan Harrison, Professor Nick Klomp, and BUSHkids' CEO Carlton Meyn.

13.01.2022 Meeting with Cunnamulla Aboriginal Corporation for Health (CACH). The BUSHkids team has been busy out in Cunnamulla this week and had a productive meeting with the Cunnamulla Aboriginal Corporation for Health (CACH) facilitated by the Western Queensland Primary Health Network. It was a great opportunity to see and hear about the fantastic work the CACH team is doing with young children and their families in the area. During the meeting we discussed ways we may be able to work... together to extend the support they already provide. Our team were also able to accompany CACH on site visits to local schools and early years services which was a great way to see where BUSHkids can complement the existing work of the CACH team. Thank you to CACH and Western Queensland PHN for your hospitality and giving us an insight into the great work you are doing in your community. We are looking forward to working together to further improve outcomes and opportunities for kids and families in Cunnamulla.

12.01.2022 Meeting with Stephen Bennett MP in Bundy. Yesterday the team met with Stephen Bennett MP, state member for Burnett, a constituency which takes in our service centres in Bundaberg and Agnes Water, and which includes teams providing allied health services, NDIS National Disability Insurance Scheme Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) Services and Department of Social Services family supports. Stephen is another local MP who is a great supporter of our work. The team prese...nted him with a copy of our latest annual report and briefed him about how we have continued providing services to clients remotely during the COVID-19 period and how we are now returning to partial face-to-face service provision in the area. Pictured: CEO Carlton Meyn, Clinical Services Manager Susan Harrison and Bundaberg team leader Emma Cullum with Stephen Bennet MP.

12.01.2022 Important changes to BUSHkids services during the coronavirus outbreak. From Tuesday 24 March 2020, we will be providing our services to children and families via telephone and telehealth (online video-conferencing) rather than by face-to-face appointments. Our priority is the health and safety of children, families, our staff and volunteers. By providing our services by phone and video conferencing we will be able to continue supporting rural and regional communities while ...keeping everyone safe. We hope this will only be a temporary measure and we will be able to reinstate face to face appointments for children and families as soon as possible. For more information about BUSHkids and the provision of our services during the current coronavirus outbreak go to https://www.bushkids.org.au//covid-19-coronavirus-informat

12.01.2022 BUSHkids discuss involvement with the Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership. Yesterday the management team met with Michael Hogan, former Director-General of Queensland's Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women, and of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services who is now facilitating the Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership, part of the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY). The team met with Michael to discuss how BUSHkids can get involved ...with the Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership and ARACY. ARACY brings together researches, policy makers, service delivery organisations like BUSHkids, and children and youth advocates to develop ways to improve Australian children & young people’s wellbeing; turning evidence-based programs and strategies into practical, preventative action. You can find out more about the Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership and ARACY here https://www.aracy.org.au//establishing-the-thriving-queens

12.01.2022 Tips for helping your kids through the covid-19 coronavirus outbreak. Watch our video by BUSHkids Psychologist, Kaitlin Hinchliffe, for useful hints and tips to explain the covid-19 coronavirus outbreak to your kids. You can also read and download our tip sheet here:... https://www.bushkids.org.au//covid-19-coronavirus-informa/ See more

11.01.2022 Meeting the Assistant Minister for Education at Parliament House. CEO Carlton Meyn and Clinical Services Manager Susan Harrison met with Assistant Minister for Education, Brittany Lauga MP, at Parliament House today. Brittany is the member for Keppel which is supported by our Rockhampton service centre. Carlton and Susan updated Brittany about our work with children and families across Queensland as well as in her own electorate. Brittany was particularly interested in our i...nitiatives to help support the emotional resilience for Queensland children after drought, natural disasters and through the current pandemic. Thanks for taking the time to meet with us today Brittany. Pictured: CEO Carlton Meyn and Clinical Services Manager Susan Harrison with Brittany Lauga MP at Parliament House on the balcony overlooking Speakers Green.

11.01.2022 Tip Sheet Tuesday Helping kids with reading and spelling. Continuing with our speech pathology tip sheets, this week we're highlighting our tip sheet about literacy and how with the support of our Speech Pathologists you can help kids develop reading and spelling skills. Learning to read and write are essential skills, but some children may have difficulties with these tasks for a variety of reasons.... Research shows that some of the skills children rely on when learning to read are: a solid foundation of spoken language skills an awareness of how sounds can be put together to form words (phonological awareness) an understanding of the fact that sounds can be represented by letters (phonics) . Our Speech Pathologists can help and treat difficulties in spoken and written language speech, language, and literacy (reading/spelling) skills and then teach you how best to support your child. You can find out more about helping kids with reading and spelling by downloading our tip sheet here: https://www.bushkids.org.au//2020/10/SP_Tipsheet-5_Literac

10.01.2022 Help prepare you and your kids for school. With most Kindy, Prep and Year 1 kids starting back at school next week, weve put together a useful tip sheet to help prepare you and your kids for the big move back into full time schooling. The sheet contains tips on how to:... prepare you and your kids for school continue with good personal hygiene measures to keep your family safe manage childrens worries about getting sick at school help with separation anxiety. For more information and to download the tip sheet go to: https://www.bushkids.org.au//covid-19-coronavirus-informa/

10.01.2022 Transitioning to the new normal. From everyone at BUSHkids, thank you to all the parents and children who have adapted and attended our services via telehealth and by phone during the COVID-19 period. Currently BUSHkids is mapping out our return to face-to-face service provision in all our regional service centres.... Our priority is always the health, safety and wellbeing of children, families, our staff and volunteers. This will be at the forefront of our plans as we move to a new normal for BUSHkids service provision. Keep an eye out for updates on Facebook and our website https://www.bushkids.org.au/ as we return to the new normal.

10.01.2022 Starting to look a lot like Christmas in Stanthorpe! The Stanthorpe BUSHkids team were on hand at the Granite Belt Christmas Farm on Saturday which opened for its first day of tree cutting. It's a BUSHkids Christmas tradition to provide free children's activities on the first day of tree cutting and yesterday the team were out helping the kids make pool noodle reindeers! ... Santa and the farm's staff watched on as the kids rode their reindeer through the stands of Christmas trees while the team got to chat with the parents about how BUSHkids can help with children's development. It was a great opportunity to let the community know about our services while helping the kids have some early Christmas fun. It's sure starting to look a lot like Christmas in Stanthorpe, but not much snow on the forecast!

09.01.2022 Well done to Grace Simpson from Emerald who on Friday night was crowned the 2020 Central Highlands Sunflower Queen. Grace raised money for BUSHkids as part of her entry in the competition, and despite fundraising being cut short due to Covid-19, Grace still raised over $5,000 for BUSHkids in Emerald. Well done and thanks again for your support Grace, we really appreciate it.

09.01.2022 School’s back next week! Have you thought about your kids' before and after school routine? Did you know that a routine is especially important during difficult or busy times of the day, such as getting ready for school in the morning. When there is a routine, children know what is expected of them and what they need to do, which helps make these times less stressful. Routines can take work to set up, but once they are part of everyday life, routines are good for everyone i...n the family. Routines is just one of our Steady Start to School tip sheets with other topics including Social Emotional Learning, Friendships, Managing Conflict, and Anxiety. You can download our A Steady Start to School Routines tip sheet here https://bit.ly/3sJIRNM and you can view and download all our A Steady Start to School resources from our online library here https://www.bushkids.org.au/resources/ You can also watch our A Steady Start to School video with key tips to help kids starting school here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY4-bDdx3UY

08.01.2022 A wonderful piece of Indigenous inspired art to celebrate NAIDOC week from the kids out at Texas & District Kindy who are supported by our Early Intervention Facilitator, Julianne Williamson. They even included Indigenous symbols to show Miss Julie travelling out to the Kindy. Well done kids!

08.01.2022 Research into the impact of Covid-19 on young children and families. If you have the time, we would love you to complete this survey which is contributing to research into the impact Covid-19 is having on young children (aged 1-5) and their families. This will be a valuable piece of research we can all benefit from.... https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156788881651086&id=692316085

08.01.2022 We love our volunteers! This week is National Volunteer Week, a special week to acknowledge and celebrate the enormous contribution of our volunteers. Volunteers support BUSHkids though their involvement on Council, Friends of BUSHkids and by supporting staff in our service centres. Its thanks to the commitment and hard work of our volunteers that we can continue providing our services free of charge to children and families across Queensland.... This years National Volunteer Week will be like no other, and while we may not be able to celebrate in person, now more than ever it is time for us all to recognise and say a very special thank you to all the BUSHkids volunteers who generously donate so much of their time to help us help you. We appreciate the invaluable support all our volunteers provide to BUSHkids. Thank you. #NVW2020

07.01.2022 Scary Monsters and Super Creeps in Warwick! It's Halloween, so to get you in the scary mood we thought we'd share some shockingly good pics from the Warwick centre's Multi-Birth Playgroup Halloween Party. As you can see there were some dread inducing dress-ups, frightening face painting and creepy craft as well as a spooky book reading of "When I'm Feeling Scared"... Happy Halloween everyone, and remember to stay safe tonight.

07.01.2022 Wallabies bound into Bundy to help BUSHkids. Two Wallabies bounded into Bundy to help BUSHkids yesterday, but there was no need to call wildlife rescue! Wallabies and Queensland Reds Rugby Union stars Tate McDermott and Filipo Daugunu were visiting Bundy as part of the 2021 'Reds to Regions' tour which sees Reds players connect with the wider Queensland community during their pre-season training. Already stars of the Queensland Reds both and Filipo and Bundy born Tate were c...apped by the Wallabies last season. To get the most out of the visit, BUSHkids took over Bundaberg PCYC for the morning so as many of our families as possible could take part in the day. Events included the players facilitating a game of Simon Say’s under the direction of our Bundaberg Occupational Therapist, an obstacle course, tug of war, wheelbarrow races and ball games run by the players. It wasn't just fun and games however, these physical activities enabled our occupational therapist to monitor the kids' motor skills. Emma Cullum, BUSHkids team leader in Bundy, said the session with the Reds players had been a great opportunity for the kids and a real help to the BUSHkids' therapy team. It’s given us a group opportunity to look at the kids’ development and see where they’re at and where they need support from our allied health team here in Bundaberg, Emma said. Also, with two sporting people that they can aspire to be like, to play with and be involved with, it’s great to have that happen locally. "Our thanks to our OT Ingrid Fourie and her husband for the work they did to make the event possible," said BUSHkids CEO, Carlton Meyn. "I'd also like to thank Judy Peters for her support and all the media that attended. Maddie Fog and Emma Cullum our Team Leaders in Bundaberg did a great job on the day and of course our special thanks go to the Queensland Reds for supporting BUSHkids; especially Tate and Filipo for taking time out from their pre-season training to help us out. The kids really loved the day!"

07.01.2022 Have a safe and Happy Easter. We would like to wish all our families, staff, volunteers and followers a safe and Happy Easter. BUSHkids is closed during the holiday period; however, we will re-open to support kids and families on Tuesday April 14.... All our centres are now operating over the phone and via telehealth and you can find the contact details for all our service centres here https://bit.ly/2RcR4ZJ Remember, stay home and stay safe.

07.01.2022 BUSHkids Zooms in for National Simultaneous Storytime. At 11am on Wednesday 27 May BUSHkids took part in National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) with each of our teams reading Lucinda Giffords fun kids book Whitney and Britney Chicken Divas at the same time. This year, because of Covid-19 restrictions, the teams couldnt read the book face-to-face but read to groups of kids over Zoom; in total 139 kids took part.... This short video, combining excerpts from the Stanthorpe and Warwick teams, gives you an idea of what NSS looked like under Covid-19 restrictions. The kids really enjoyed the book, and by the look of it so did the BUSHkids team members who took part; you have got to love those tiaras! Next year, we hope to take part in NSS again and are looking forward to reading the book face-to-face in a park near you! Remember, although face-to-face story time sessions havent yet resumed, we are continuing to run weekly story time session over Zoom from many of our service centres. Check with your local BUSHkids service centre to join a session near you. Note, in the video weve blurred the kids faces to protect their identity.

06.01.2022 Tips to help you and your family through home isolation. As community services close and events are cancelled to contain the spread of Coronavirus, we are facing long periods at home. Our latest tip sheet has ideas, tips and links to online resources to help you and your family through home isolation.... You can read and download the tip sheet here https://www.bushkids.org.au//covid-19-coronavirus-informa/

06.01.2022 Join our team and help rural kids and families. We have a number of positions available in our teams across the state and are urgently looking for a qualified accountant to work in our Brisbane office. Working alongside a Finance Officer, our accountant plays an important role in the team, being responsible for the day-today finances of the organisation including budgets, paying bills and payroll. ... We are also looking for an Early Intervention Facilitator in Kingaroy, an OT in Dalby, and Psychologists in multiple locations across the state. If you or any anyone you know is interested in helping kids and families in rural, regional and remote communities across Queensland we would love to hear from you. For more information on any of these positions go to our website https://www.bushkids.org.au/professionals/join-our-team/

06.01.2022 Fantastic book-week fun out in Texas!

05.01.2022 Tip Sheet Tuesday Understanding Sensory Processing. This week we go back to occupational therapy for tip sheet Tuesday and look at kids' sensory processing. Our sensory system involves seven senses: touch, taste, sight, hearing, smell, balance and movement.... Senses help us ‘feel’ or process the world around us, telling our brain if we are safe or in danger. Understanding a child’s sensory preferences and being attuned to their needs is important in supporting your child at home, school and kindy. A child's sensory preferences can change throughout the day and can be influenced by stress, tiredness and illness. Tips to keep in mind include: sensory processing is unique to each individual some people are more sensitive to the sensory input their body provides, for example they might get frightened when they hear an unexpected noise our sensory experience can affect how we feel (happy, sad, angry, frightened) and how we behave our brain uses our senses to tell us if the environment is safe or dangerous those who are more sensitive tend to think the world is more dangerous, bothersome or distracting those who are less sensitive tend to find the world less dangerous, bothersome or distracting and often seek out experiences sometimes unaware of the risk. You can find out more about sensory processing by downloading our Understanding Sensory Processing tip sheet here: https://www.bushkids.org.au//OT_TipSheet4_Sensory-processi

05.01.2022 Tip Sheet Tuesday - Mindfulness This week is not only NAIDOC week, it's also Psychology Week. Psychology Week promotes the role of psychology in helping people, so for this week's Tip Sheet Tuesday we are sharing our Wellbeing tip sheet on Mindfulness. This has some easy, fun activities for parents, carers and children to ‘dip their toe’ and discover the benefits of practicing mindfulness for wellbeing.... You can download our Mindfulness tip sheet here: https://www.bushkids.org.au//WB2_3176RBK_BUSHkids_A4_CV19-

05.01.2022 Tip Sheet Tuesday - How our Speechies can help. For this week’s Tip Sheet Tuesday, we're promoting the work of our Speech Pathologists and how they can help kids with our Introduction to Speech Therapy tip sheet. A Speech Pathologist (popularly known as a ‘Speechie’ here in Australia!) is a health professional who helps people communicate. This could be by helping kids who have difficulties with: ... speech and sound e.g. difficulty making and using sounds in words language e.g. challenges in understanding what other people say, or in using words and sentences to express ideas reading and spelling social skills (interacting with others) stuttering BUSHkids’ Speech Pathologists help kids who have difficulties in all these areas. You can download our Introduction to Speech Therapy tip sheet here: https://www.bushkids.org.au//SP_Tipsheet-1_Introduction-to

05.01.2022 Were big fans of the Birdie books, theyre a great way to explain difficult events to young children, and Childrens Health Queensland have developed this wonderful e-book specifically to help explain COVID-19 to young kids.

05.01.2022 See how reading can help your kids understand the coronavirus crisis. Reading Birdie and the Big Sickness from the Queensland Governments Childrens Health Service is a great way to help your kids understand the current coronavirus outbreak and work through their worries and anxiety. Watch BUSHkids Social Worker Marianne Taylor read Birdie and the Big Sickness to little Esther.... We are adding to the coronavirus resources on our website all the time, and you can read and download our tip sheet to help talk to your kids about coronavirus here: https://bit.ly/340e96Z

05.01.2022 Emeralds greens sparkle in support of BUSHkids. Our Emerald Golf Day was held on Saturday, despite strong winds and swirling dust which made for some tricky playing conditions. This fun annual event has grown into a major fundraiser for our Emerald service centre, and we were delighted that this year we again received fantastic support from the Central Highland Community, with 37 teams comprising 103 golfers teeing off. In total the event raised over $30,000 which will be u...sed to employ an Allied Health Assistant in our Emerald centre to support kids and families in the local community. Thanks to everyone for their support, but special thanks go to Charlie Wilson, Clinton Adams and all the team at FoBK Emerald, Emerald Golf Club for hosting the event, long-time supporters Emerald Mitre 10 and Lachlan Millar MP who took time out to from his busy schedule to support the event and hand out prizes. Pictured: Charlie Wilson, grandson of our founder Sir Leslie Orme-Wilson, opens the event. FoBK Peggy Pearl and BUSHkids DSS Service Manager Marianne Taylor on the register desk. Lachlan Miller MP handing out one of the prizes to one of the Super Mario brothers team!

04.01.2022 BUSHkids is here for you during the coronovirus crisis. Our regional teams have recorded videos to let their communities know that BUSHkids is here for them during the coronovirus crisis. While our service centres are currently operating via phone and telehealth, be assured we are still here to support kids and families in rural, regional and remote areas of Queensland.... The videos will be promoted through our service centre networks so people know about the services we are providing and how they can receive support. Weve put this compilation together complete with a couple of outtakes to give you a taste of our remote services and so you can see some of our wonderful staff who are continuing to work hard to support their communities during this difficult time. If you need our support, you can contact your local BUSHkids centre or call our main number (07) 3870 7288 email us at [email protected].

04.01.2022 Helping kids cope with anxiety. We have uploaded the latest of our coronavirus wellbeing tip sheets. This sheet is designed to help kids cope with anxiety, something we have all been feeling during the current coronavirus crisis. The tip sheet is packed with strategies for you to try with your kids to help them through those anxious moments in life, whether its getting through Covid-19 or difficulties at school.... You can read and download our coping with anxiety tip sheet from our website here: https://www.bushkids.org.au//covid-19-coronavirus-informa/

04.01.2022 Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from BUSHkids! We wish all our families, staff, council members and supporters, a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Safe New Year. Our service centres will close for the holidays from 24 December 2020 and will re-open on 4 January 2021. During the holiday closure you can still call us on (07) 3870 7288 or message us through social media.... Have a wonderful and safe Christmas everyone.

04.01.2022 This week BUSHkids' is celebrating OT Week. OT Week is about celebrating the work of our occupational therapists and promoting the many ways OTs help people reach their full potential in life. In 2020, OT Week is focusing on the ways OTs support our communities to rebuild, recover and re-engage. By supporting people to take part in activities they find meaningful, OTs are vital in helping communities recover from natural disaster. With all that this year has thrown at us, t...his theme is more relevant than ever. To celebrate the work of BUSkids' OTs, during the week we will be sharing with you some helpful tips and stories from our OT's #THISISOT

04.01.2022 BUSHkids supports Every Child Alliance. Yesterday BUSHkids CEO and CSM hosted a Zoom meeting with Karen Struthers (Campaign Coordinator) and Freya Whitehead from Benevolent Society to discuss the Every Child Alliance which is advocating for long-term social and systems change to deliver better outcomes for children and families. This is something we have long been championing in rural, regional and remote communities across Queensland. It was a very encouraging meeting and BU...SHkids has committed to work with the Every Child Alliance. "We at BUSHkids think its important to work with the Every Child Alliance to help deliver better outcomes for children and families, particularly in regional, rural and remote Australia", said BUSHkids CEO Carlton Meyn. "Its more important than ever that every child has access to early learning as its crucial to their future development and educational success." You can find out more about the Every Child Alliance here: https://www.everychild.co/alliance

04.01.2022 We're Talking Christmas! This week's tip sheet has been specially designed to help develop your child's speech at Christmas time. Christmas is a busy time for adults and an exciting one for kids, so our speech pathologists have come up with some great ideas to help develop your child's speech while you get ready for the big day. We all learn best when we are enjoying what we are doing, and Christmas time is full of enjoyable activities for everyone. Our Talking at Christmas T...ime tip sheet has great ideas to help develop your child's speech while you're decorating the house, cooking and watching Christmas TV's and movies. You can download our Talking at Christmas Time tip sheet here: https://www.bushkids.org.au//3215RBK_BUSHkids_SP_TIPSheets

03.01.2022 Keeping you COVID safe. Although most of our services are in regional and remote locations, unfortunately many of our front-line staff have been in the Greater Brisbane area during the period the city was declared a COVID-19 hot spot. Our priority is always the health and safety of children, families, our staff and volunteers. As a result, in line with Queensland Health guidelines until 21 January 2021 we will be providing the majority of our services to children and families... via telephone and telehealth (online video-conferencing) rather than by face-to-face appointments. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and hope that we will be able to reinstate face-to-face appointments for children and families from 22 January. By providing our services by phone and video conferencing for this short period we will be able to continue supporting rural and regional communities while keeping everyone safe. Thank you all for your patience and understanding.

03.01.2022 Grab yourself a burger in Grill’d Toowong Village this January and help BUSHkids. If you’re shopping in Toowong Village during January, pop into Grill‘d for a great burger and put our charity token in the collection jar. BUSHkids is one of three community organistaions who will benefit from the Grill’d Toowong Village Local Matters donation in January, and the organisation with the most tokens gets $300. Make sure it’s us!

03.01.2022 Miss Julie with the kindy kids out in Texas. Thanks Texas and District Kindy for posting this great pic of Julianne Williamson, our Early Intervention Facilitator with some of their Kindy kids. Julianne runs the PALS program in Kindies in Texas and Inglewood. PALS is a fun way of providing younger children the social and emotional skills they need to build friendships, get along with other kids and master challenging social situations.

02.01.2022 Virtual Story Time a big hit with kids at home. As part of our commitment to supporting literacy and language development, BUSHkids is now running Virtual Story Time across all our service centres. This provides children and families the opportunity continue regular story time at home, similar to if children were at kindy, prep or school.... Virtual Story Time focuses on conversational reading, encouraging chatting about the story, discussing words and their meaning and developing a childs love of books, reading and learning. Thanks to Kayla in Mount Isa for sending these pics of her reading Piranhas dont eat Bananas and a special thank you to Allana and Klancy who enjoyed the session so much they sent us the great Piranha picture! Reach out to your local BUSHkids centre for more information on how to take part. See below for when our different Virtual Story Time sessions are taking place. Mondays Agnes Water, Dalby Tuesdays Agnes Water Wednesdays Kingaroy, Mt Isa Thursdays Stanthorpe, Bundaberg, Emerald, Rockhampton, Hervey Bay Fridays Warwick Also, starting the 12th May we are launching Story For Life for older children, keep an eye out for more information.

02.01.2022 Loose Parts Play Regional Workshops. Last week's Loose Parts Play Regional Workshops with Outsiders: Play Advocates and our friends at Nature Play QLD. There was some amazing imagination on show with boxes becoming a bus, bamboo becoming a ball run and castles made of milk crates. ... Thanks to everyone who took the time out to join the workshops, particularly the very enthusiastic group of teachers from St Joseph's Stanthorpe who are keen to collect items to get their loose parts play area underway.

02.01.2022 Free Loose Parts Play Workshops for Early Educators. Teachers, educators and play workers are invited to attend a free (observation only) loose parts play workshop session with Outsiders: Play Advocates in association with BUSHkids and Nature Play QLD. The Loose Parts Play workshops are designed to inspire and provide professional development for early educators while helping create more loose parts play opportunities for children in regional Queensland.... All sessions will be COVID-19 safe compliant and each centre will require attendees to adhere to their COVID-19 safety instructions. There are eight sessions available in the regional tour which takes place from 6-8 October, with sessions in Stanthorpe, Warwick, Dalby, Kingaroy, Murgon and Toowoomba. Stanthorpe - Tue 6 Oct - Milestones Early Learning, 40 Lock Street, 9 - 10am. Stanthorpe - Tue 6 Oct - St Joseph's School, 110 High Street, 11am - 12 noon. Warwick - Tue 6 Oct - Whispering Gully Childcare Centre, 5 Homestead Road, 2 - 3pm. Dalby - Wed 7 Oct - TBA 9 - 10am. Dalby - Wed 7 Oct - Kath Dickson Family Centre, 129 Bunya Street, 2 - 3pm. Kingaroy - Thu 8 Oct - Goodstart Early Learning, 79 - 83 Ivy Street, 10 - 11:30am. Murgon - Thu 8 Oct - Bee Me Early Learners, 38 Palmer Street, 4:30 - 5:30pm. Toowoomba - Fri 9 Oct - Darling Heights State School, Wuth Street 11am - 12noon. To find out more about the Loose Parts Play Workshops and to register for a free session follow the link below: https://www.cognitoforms.com//LoosePartsPlayRegionalTourWo

02.01.2022 Barry ORourke - Member for Rockhampton visits our Rocky service centre. We were delighted to welcome local MP Barry ORourke to our Rockhampton service centre earlier today. Barry has been a great supporter of our work with kids and families in Rocky and Central Queensland and it was an opportunity to brief him about how we have been working remotely by telehealth and phone during the COVID-19 period and the safety measures we ... have in place as we return to providing face-to-face support. Pictured, Barry ORourke MP (far left) is briefed by Amy Collins, BUSHkids team leader in Rockhampton, and BUSHkids CEO Carlton Meyn, (far right). Notice the social distancing we have in place in all our centres as we re-open.

01.01.2022 Its back to school on Monday for years 2-10. Children in years 2 to 10 will be returning to school from Monday 25th May and they may be feeling excited, anxious, reluctant a whole range of emotions are normal and to be expected as we cope with yet another change. Check out our tip sheet about transitioning back to school in the new COVID-19 world https://bit.ly/2LHy9D1. ... Children this age can also really benefit from mindfulness practices to help them recharge, focus, and find a sense of calm through this transition and beyond. See out our new Wellbeing and Mindfulness tip sheet for fun activities to include in your familys daily routine to help them https://bit.ly/36f2fXR.

01.01.2022 See what's being achieved out in Cunnamulla. At the end of October, the management team went out to Cunnamulla at the invitation of the Western Queensland Primary Health Network to look at ways we can complement the work of existing community organisations in the area. This included visits to local schools and early childhood centres alongside Cunnamulla Aboriginal Corporation for Health (CACH) who are doing some great work with kids and families. It was a really productive visit and while we were there Western Queensland Primary Health Network put together this video of the trip https://vimeo.com/474559528?ref=em-share

01.01.2022 Celebrating National Reconciliation Week 27 May3 June. This week we celebrate National Reconciliation Week, a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. This years theme for #NRW2020In this togetheris more appropriate than ever during the current coronavirus crisis. It is a timely reminder, that whether in crisis or reconciliation, we are ...all #InThisTogether2020. The dates for National Reconciliation Week commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journeythe successful 1967 referendum and the High Court Mabo decision, respectively. BUSHkids is committed to reconciliation through relationships, respect and opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and urge all our families and friends to support reconciliation this week and every week.