Foundations for Success

1. Foundations for Success Vera Christian, Pre-Prep Teacher, Northern Peninsula College (Bamaga Campus) and Di Hoy, Pre-Prep Support Teacher, FNQ ISSU

2. You have permission to play! • Brainstorm what have you learnt by playing these games • Why do you think it is important?

3. Bound for Success Pre-Prep Sites

4. Bound for Success • Began as a draft discussion paper in 2005 • Qld government acknowledged that the educational outcomes for Indigenous students on the Cape and Torres Strait were poor and a strategy was needed help improve outcomes and create direct lines of responsibility and accountability

5. From the Bound for Success, Cape York and Torres Strait Discussion Paper (May 2005) came the words.... `The steps to success are a package of coordinated strategies that: • encourage early engagement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children` From these words and many long months later Foundations for Success was born It must be noted that Kindy and Preschool programs were already provided in state schools in Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities for a number of years

6. What is Foundations for Success? • It is a document used in Cape, Gulf, Yarrabah, Woorabinda, Palm Island, Cherbourg and Torres Strait communities. • This document is used in Pre prep settings (3.5 years old to 4.5 years old) • It is for educators to plan, implement, document and reflect on a holistic early learning program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the year before Prep in Queensland.

7. Foundation for Success has 8 guiding principles 1. `Knowing who you are’ and having a positive sense of cultural identity is central to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children’s social, emotional, intellectual, physical and spiritual wellbeing. 2. Strong family and community partnerships enable improved health, learning and wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children

8. 3. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are competent and capable and have been learning since birth. 4. Home language/s define every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child – their knowledge, identity and relationships. 5. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are entitled to a voice of their own and to having their rights valued as citizens of a democratic society

9. 6. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children’s positive attitudes to learning are essential for success in education 7. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children learn best through shared and sustained interactions with others 8. Monitoring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children’s learning is an integral part of the learning – teaching process.

10. Why is Foundations for Success so successful? Play based learning Strong relationships between school, families and community Program is child and family centred We believe it is so successful because Our indigenous staff are highly valued It recognises children learn best in their home language and SAE for the children at this age is an awareness only

11. We don’t stop playing because we grow old: We grow oldbecause we stop playing! George Bernard Shaw

12. What is play?

13. Play has been described as` Children’s Work’. Children have a natural urge to play. It is enjoyable for them and they have control.

14. How is learning communicated to Parents?

15. Are schools ready for us!

16. The philosophy of the Pre-Prep program is that children are not empty vessels they come with a wide variety of experiences, knowledge's and understandings

17. Why is this knowledge important? What can communities, schools, principals, educators, families and children achieve with this shared knowledge?

18. Celebrating together Laura Festival

19. Elders telling stories Sports Carnivals

20. Sports Heroes Families as first teachers Brave hearts

21. Health teams

22. Stop and think! What do you see? We see......

23. Bank Managers

24. But what we truly see is...