Fun with friends for Children’s Week in school age care

Although our school age care services couldn’t celebrate National Children’s Week at the usual time this year due to the COVID-19 lockdown, our educators made up for it with a range of fun activities once school returned face-to-face in November.  

Of course, our educators couldn’t help but throw some learning into the fun, and developed their programming to reflect and enable discussion on this year’s Children’s Week theme: “children have the right to choose their own friends and safely connect with others.” This is based on Article 15 on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. 

Here is just a small sample of what the educators and children got up to. 

Colour in music at Charles Conder 

Down in Tuggeranong, the children at our Charles Conder School service made a gorgeous piece of art by decorating a guitar with mosaic pieces. (Don’t worry, no guitars were harmed in the making of this experience: the instrument had been collected from the local Green Shed with a broken neck.) 

The children loved working together to choose tiles and attach them using mod podge. This developed their cooperation skills and ability to communicate ideas, as well as their dexterity as they learned the best ways to apply the mosaics without getting sticky fingers. There was even some geometry involved, as the educators helped the children determine the best orientations to place the mosaic tiles and reduce the amount of blank space. 

The children were thrilled at the results of their combined efforts, making it well worth the resultant gluey mess! This was the perfect activity for a rainy afternoon and kept all the children engaged. 

Party time after school at Gilmore 

The team at our Gilmore Primary school age care service surprised the children in their after-school program with disco lights, balloons and all their favourite songs playing! 

The Gilmore educators started the event with a discussion on the Children’s Week theme. The children picked up on both the friendship element and the safety element and how that related to their upcoming fun, telling educators that, at the disco, they needed to: 

  • “be moving safely when we dance” 
  • “make sure we let our friends join in!”  

Children and educators alike devoured bowls of nachos outside on the deck then, all fuelled up, got into lots of dancing. The children loved dancing games like musical statues and musical bobs, and everyone joined in when they heard the macarena and the chicken dance.  

The balloons inspired some children to suggest a game of balloon volleyball, which ended up in a mini tournament alongside the disco.  

At the end of the energetic fun and boogying, the children all enjoyed a refreshing icy-pole! 

Recycled fun at Hawker 

The educators at our Hawker school age care service decided to tie the National Children’s Week celebrations into their sustainability practices.  

They helped the children work together to create fun dress-ups from recycled materials, which, to continue the theme, were later used for dancing! 

The children at Gilmore also enjoyed making canvas creation together that symbolised that everyone is equal. They focused on the fact that, while we come from all different parts of the world, we all have the same rights. 

Food and fun at O’Connor 

At our service at O’Connor Co-operative School, the educators set up an outside barbecue to enjoy the lovely spring weather together. Everyone loved coming together again and enjoying food and chats. And, of course, there was dancing afterwards. 

Chiara Will 

Director, School Age Care Services

Chiara is Director of School Age Care at YWCA Canberra, bringing a wealth of knowledge and a diverse range of leadership and management experience across the Early Childhood Education sector. Having held roles from Administration Officer to Centre Director, she brings a holistic skill base and a strength in solution-based approaches to learning. 

Prior to joining YWCA Canberra, Chiara led a team of over 25 educators, driving policy development, professional training and development, and contributing to Quality Improvement, Sustainability, Reconciliation, and Strategic Inclusion Action Plans. 

In her current role, Chiara leads the strategic development of processes and systems that ensure high-quality, safe, and inclusive environments for children. She mentors and empowers managers, leaders, and educators to deliver best-practice programs aligned with regulatory standards, fosters strong stakeholder partnerships, and guides the Quality Support Team in managing compliance and quality assurance across services. 

Shane McAlpine 

Director, Children’s Services

Shane is Director of Children’s Services (ECEC) at YWCA Canberra, overseeing eight early learning services with 24 years of experience in the early childhood sector. He brings an extensive understanding of education and care, current practices, and regulatory requirements, with a robust approach to developing high-quality practitioners. 

Shane supports the day-to-day operation of educational practices and curriculum across all our early learning centres, with quality and pedagogical practice at the forefront. He plays a critical role in providing escalation support and mentorship to centre directors and educators alike. 

His professional passions include children’s rights, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander inclusion and teaching perspectives, and advocacy for the early childhood profession. He is an active representative on the ACT committee of Early Childhood Australia. 

As a father of two children who have experienced the early years system firsthand, Shane brings a deeply personal understanding of the challenges families face in balancing work and parenting. This perspective shapes his inclusive, stakeholder-centred approach to service delivery across every centre he works with. 

Katherine Hellwig 

Executive Director of Children’s Services  

Katherine is the Executive Director of Children’s Services at YWCA Canberra, bringing over 23 years of extensive experience in delivering education and care in ACT and the surrounding areas of the city. Her career spans both not-for-profit and commercial providers, highlighting her versatile and adaptable nature. 

For over 11 years, Katherine has held an executive role within a not-for-profit organisation that experienced significant growth in its early education and care portfolio. Her responsibilities included managing programs and initiatives that fostered engagement within the local community. 

Katherine began her career as an educator, and this hands-on experience has given her a profound understanding of the critical role educators play in the lives of children and families. Her qualifications include an Advanced Diploma of Children’s Services, an Undergraduate Certificate in Service Management, and a Diploma of Leadership and Management. In 2018, Katherine was honoured with the Community for Children’s Award by the ACT Children’s Week Committee, recognising her dedication and impact on the community.  

Katherine is driven by a strong pedagogical belief that all children have the right to access quality early learning in their first five years of life. She focuses on delivering high-quality education and care in both early education and after school care programs, ensuring children receive the best start in life.  

Cara Jacobs 

Chief Operations Officer  

Cara is Chief Operating Officer at YWCA Canberra, bringing nearly three decades of diverse community services experience. Previously serving as Executive Director Community Services at YWCA Canberra, her expertise spans an extensive range of program areas including Community Development, Domestic Violence Specialist Services, Family Law, Emergency Relief, Specialist Homelessness Services, Community Housing and many more. 

Passionate about social justice, equity, and inclusion, Cara has a strong track record in designing and delivering quality services, managing multidisciplinary teams, achieving accreditation, and securing significant tenders and grants. She currently chairs the Joint Pathways Network, providing strategic advice to the Minister for Homelessness. 

Her previous leadership roles include Director of Client Services at Marymead, Senior Manager at the Australian National University, CEO of Anglicare Western NSW, Manager Community Programs at Centacare Bathurst, and Regional Manager at Interact Injury Management. 

Cara holds a Master of Management Studies with First Class Honours, postgraduate qualifications in International Business Management, Strategic Management and Marketing, an Advanced Diploma in Community Sector Management, and a recently completed Master of Social Work. She is also a Quality Assurance Internal Auditor (ISO 9001) and has completed AICD Company Directors and Governing for Vulnerable People courses

Frances Crimmins 

Chief Executive Officer  

 Frances Crimmins is the Chief Executive Officer of YWCA Canberra and has led the organisation since 2013, driving significant growth, high-quality integrated service delivery, and stronger corporate efficiency. Under her leadership, the non-profit organisation has become a courageous community advocate, ensuring the needs of vulnerable communities are seen, heard, and addressed locally and nationally. 

Frances brings a diverse background spanning the private and not-for-profit sectors across business, hospitality, healthcare, and community services. She remains a passionate advocate for policy initiatives addressing the root causes of women’s housing insecurity, homelessness, gender inequality, and gender-based violence. 

Frances also currently serves as Chair of Homelessness Australia and sits on the ACT Work Health Safety Advisory Council. Her former board roles include ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS), WESNET, the ACT Ministerial Advisory Committee for Women, and Co-Chair of Anti-Poverty Week in the ACT. 

Her leadership has been recognised with an Edna Ryan Award (2015), ACT Leader of the Year at the Australian Leadership Excellence Awards (2016), and selection into the inaugural Social Impact Leadership Australia (SILA) program (2021). Frances regularly represents YWCA Canberra at the United Nations Commission for the Status of Women in New York. 

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