FROM THE Editor Ko au te taiao, ko te taiao ko au. I am nature, and nature is me. Kia ora koutou, The above quote refers to the interconnection of people and nature. It’s an eternal relationship of respect, reciprocity and interdependence. This is a simple and beautiful whakataukī that tamariki can easily learn and recite. It also connects to several articles in this Spring issue of Swings & Roundabouts. This issue the CEO Message on page 8 has a focus on comparing Labour’s extension of 20 Hours ECE to two year olds and National’s Family Boost tax rebate. As we head toward this year’s election it’s important to understand the myriad of issues facing our profession right now and how what happens on election night may affect the early childhood sector from our kaiako, our centres to our whānau. With only National’s Spokesperson on Early Childhood Education, Penny Simmonds and ACT’s leader David Seymour turning up for the ECC Conference Political Debate, attendees received a good insight into what a National / ACT coalition could look like should the government change on 14th October. Read more on page 14. Recently, the ECC held their popular conference in Wellington, with a focus on ‘Striving for Excellence’. The feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, with many highlighting how well they felt connected to others and the wealth of knowledge they gathered during this time. Read the conference highlights from page 10. Next year’s ECC conference will be in Christchurch, 9th - 10th August – make sure you book your early bird registrations and save! From page 20, Swings & Roundabouts profiles Ruru House, an early learning centre in the rural village of Lepperton, a 15 minutes’ drive from New Plymouth. Ruru House is nestled in nature on family land and offers a strong sense of kaitiakitanga and wairuatanga to its community. Read and be inspired. Page 24 offers some strategies kaiako can use to combat and avoid decision fatigue in children. Readers may find some of this advice works for them also! On page 30 is another example of an early learning centre connecting to our whenua. Toybox on Rawhiti has a garden to table and back to garden philosophy, where tamariki help make their dinner with some of the kai coming from their garden. If you are wondering how engaged and happy your staff are, try asking the questions suggested in The twelve questions you can't afford to ignore! on page 28. You may be surprised! With a shortage of kaiako in the early learning sector, some centres are using interns to counter some of their staffing issues. To find out more go to page 34. If you are an ECC member or considering becoming a member, head to page 36 for the ECC Preferred Supplier programme. These preferred suppliers provide ECC members with the opportunity to save dollars through discounted rates and high quality consultation. Thank you to all our spring contributors. Ngā mihi Trudi Sutcliffe Editor August 2023 { 7 }
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