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Term 4, 2008
From Julie
Welcome to Term 4 Kia-ora koutou
Well all the signs of an awesome spring are all around us. Are you feeling energised to get into your OSCAR work hours and the last term school term? Do you love your work? If not, it might be time to ignite a fire and reignite your passion for your work and fun with children and families.
Every day, every moment we have a choice; a choice to be passionate or ambivalent in our lives; a choice to reach for the stars and opportunities in your work pathway or keep holding on to the safety railing, by passing your time in the comfy seat.
You are responsible for making sure you are able to have a myriad of opportunities and enriching experiences in your work place. No one else can go and get if for you. You can’t get what you want if you let anyone or anything else select the main course of your life. Only you can figure out what you are passionate about and only you can decide what will reignite it.
The recipe for achieving dreams and ambitions is passionate living and working. You can measure this and know you are living and working with passion when you are fully engaged, alert, alive, and enthusiastic at work. Think about your work life, where are you passionate and where do you need a jolt of passion? These are the areas you could put forward in your next performance review or appraisal conversations.
Some quick ideas for energetic and enthusiastic working you might like to try:
- Know your strengths and make a list of all the things you are good at. When you run out of ideas, leave the list and come back to it every day for a week.
- Ask three people at work to write a list of what they see or think you are great at. I think this would be a great opener to every staff meeting.
- Identify other passionate people, make a list of about five people you know that you believe have a life filled with passion. They may not necessarily be adults or in your workplace. Two of the most passionate people I love to chat with are a 101 year old woman who lives down the road at a resthome I visit, and another is a 12 year old boy with Downs Syndrome who spends weekend care with my family. Visit them or call them up, or get together with them and ask them what brings magic to their lives and how they went about identifying their passions.
When you feel clear about what you want, what you are passionate about the only thing left to do is get moving, get working on it, get going. During these steps and actions if there comes a fleeting moment, when, only for an instant you doubt yourself, when you doubt whether or not it is really worth all the eff ort and all the change, remember the words of the great 20th Century philosopher, Mae West “too much of a good thing can be wonderful.”
Enjoy your term and I look forward to catching up with you all, at your programmes, at meetings and workshops, out and about in our communities. Ka kite ano
Julie
From Tania
Welcome to Term 4, the last term of the year!
There is lots to look forward to this term and day light saving is here. Yahoo BBQ weather! Christmas is fast approaching, and summer is well and truly on its way!
I wish to congratulate 5 Phat days and Kathryn Dransfi eld from Vardon on winning the Regional awards. Kathryn won the Individual Award and 5 Phat days won the Outstanding Programme Award. I wish to thank Joelle and John from Sport Taranaki for coming along to last term’s training/ network meeting in New Plymouth to share information about promoting active play in our programmes so they refl ect what the schools are also doing.
Another person I would like to thank is Evelyn from Work and Income who has truly gone beyond her role in helping those who have issues around subsidies, and staffi ng issues and helping with the networking of our programmes. She truly is an asset to the Taranaki region and her help is hugely appreciated.
I hope everyone had a great OSCAR week with lots of parties to be had to help OSCAR celebrate our 10th OSCAR Week Birthday. Thank you to those who allowed me to come and visit their programmes during the holidays. We have seen an increase in people who are interested in starting programmes in all region’s and I would like to welcome those who have recently been CYF approved. Well done on all your hard work to get your programme ready for Approval. Let the fun begin with running your great programmes.
Staffing is an area of need at the moment; whether it be sourcing staff for your programmes or maintaining them during the year. Some programmes source their staff from Polytechnic’s, University and high school students’ pools. Another area you may seek staff is by placing an ad on our website or perhaps checking our website regularly for those who may be looking for work. Work and Income is another place you may be able to access people who are seeking part time work. You can ask your Childcare Coordinator if they can pass on your details to their work brokers or programme coordinators who may be able to assist you in fi nding staff for your programmes.
Police vetting seems to have been another area of concern in the past term with delays taking up to two months. If you are having problems with delays in getting your police checks returned to you then please let us know so we have an idea of how many are aff ected by this. I realise that there has been an increase of police vetting being done across the board increasing the work load on the police department which may be contributing to the delays but rest assured you are working with children and have every right to expect a quicker turn over of information sharing.
I would like to take this time to thank those who have been patient with me while I settle into this role as your OSCAR Advisor and for making me feel welcome in your world of OSCAR programming. I look forward to continuing to maintain strong relationships with you and your workers and I will endeavour to meet your needs as your point of contact with The OSCAR Foundation.
Go forward into Term 4 with renewed vigour and enthusiasm in doing what you all do best; running quality, and fun focused programmes.
Tania
 Term Four Training & Network Meetings
Palmerston North/Manawatu/Wanganui
Christmassy Capers
This term the workshop will focus on a whole lot of hands on creativity and fun around the traditional (and not so traditional) celebrations of the season.
Workshop cost – Please bring a gift, all wrapped, labelled and ready to go (between $10.00 - $20.00) per workshop participant to donate to a local charity, either for an older child or a Mum/ Dad.
Each workshop is be limited to 35 so RSVPing is essential. This is to ensure I have a good supply of resources for you to take home a handshaped and heart made example for your programmes and good supply of yummy food treats to fuel your FUN and CREATIVITY.
If soaps and bath scrubs, decorations, choccy and eatables, cards and papercrafts, gems and sparkles, book marks and boxes, candles and scents, beach things and summer delights are your style, book early to avoid missing out.
| Date |
Monday 15 December |
| Time |
9.00am - 1.00pm |
| Venue |
Nippers Ltd, Milson School, Rutland Place, Palmerston North |
| RSVP |
Monday 1 December to Julie King (workshop numbers limited to 35) |
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