Care and Learning Alliance (CALA) handed over cheques totalling almost £3000 to two local charities following an incredible, energetic and innovative fundraising effort.
The money was raised during CALA’s first annual ‘#lovefromCALA’ day on February 14th which saw children, staff, parents and other supporters cycle, bake, walk, run, jump and dance as part of the Highland-wide event.
Representatives from the two charities that benefited from the cash – Mikeysline and The ARCHIE Foundation (Raigmore) – were delighted with the £1425 each which will be used to support people in local communities.
Margaret Kinsella, The Chair of CALA’s Board said “We were delighted to fundraise for these excellent local causes which help families and children across the area.”
Debbie Campbell, Office manager for CALA and one of the key organisers of the event said: “We would just like to thank everyone for their amazing efforts on the day and for the generous support from sponsors and those who donated prizes as well. We will definitely be making this an annual event and the bar has been set very high but we will rise to the challenge again next year!”
CALA’s Chief Executive Jaci Douglas added: “As a Highland based 3rd sector organisation which puts children and families at the heart of all we do, we really believe that we should be supporting other charities who have the same ethos and it was a privilege to be part of that. It was just a great day with everyone coming together and not only raising a huge amount for great causes but having a lot of fun and laughter as well!”
Helping hand over the cheques to the charities were children from CALA’s Out of School club at Drakies who also did a sponsor walk and bake sale to raise funding on the day. The children said they had “enjoyed the big walk to the Beechwood campus to see the swans and the pond life.”
CALA plans to run LovefromCALA again on Valentines Day – 14th February 2020. If you would like to get involved please contact 01463 222 569.
ELC National Induction Resource
/0 Comments/in Blog update /by DavidDownload the resource on the SSSC website by clicking here.
Words Up – Early Key Messages Monitoring Tool
/0 Comments/in Blog update /by DavidThe following update comes from the Highland Literacy blog:
Following engagement with the Words Up Early (Level 1) Key Messages Training there has been guidance developed by education practitioners and speech and language therapists to support practitioners to embed the Words Up Early Key messages in their practice. This guidance has been shared recently with practitioners in their second and third year of the Emerging Literacy networks.
The Words Up Early Key Messages Guidance Notes March 2019 provide an overview of how ELC practitioners and teachers can embed the Words Up Early key messages in their practice and the Words Up One Early Monitoring Tool March 2019 can be used to support ongoing self-evaluation and reflection on the progress that is being made.
CLICK HERE: Words Up Early Key Messages Guidance Notes March 2019
CLICK HERE: Words Up One Early Monitoring Tool March 2019
Subscribe to the Highland Literacy Blog by clicking here and entering your email address in the sidebar.
Upcoming Training – Gender Equal Pay
/0 Comments/in Training /by DavidThis upcoming training is an opportunity to support your implementation of key aspects of the
Care Inspectorate guidance, ‘Gender Equal Play, 2018’.
Dates and locations:
Inverness, Kintail House – Tuesday 4th June
Wick, Pultney Centre – Wednesday 5th June
Elgin, Elgin Academy – Monday 10th June
Fort William, West Highland College – Wednesday 12th June
All sessions are 6.30 – 9 pm
This is a FREE Training available to all CALA Members and practitioners working in CALA managed settings. Subject to availability non-members welcome at a cost of £12.50 per person payable at the time of booking. All bookings can be made online at:
https://careandlearning.typeform.com/to/PbXwvw
Enquiries/telephone bookings to Rebecca on 01349 866749 or email: [email protected]
The Child Protection Toolkit
/0 Comments/in Child Protection /by DavidThe Highland Child Protection Committee’s ‘Child Protection Toolkit‘ is an invaluable resource for third sector organisations and community groups in Highland.
Some of the topics covered in the toolkit include:
There are two versions of the toolkit available to download:
Download the CP Toolkit for Third Sector Organisations.
Download the CP Toolkit for Community Groups.
If your workplace is involved in the care of children, it is highly recommended you download the toolkit, and keep it on your computer to act as a reference for child protection matters.
#lovefromCALA Cheque Presentation
/0 Comments/in #lovefromCALA /by DavidCare and Learning Alliance (CALA) handed over cheques totalling almost £3000 to two local charities following an incredible, energetic and innovative fundraising effort.
Representatives from the two charities that benefited from the cash – Mikeysline and The ARCHIE Foundation (Raigmore) – were delighted with the £1425 each which will be used to support people in local communities.
Margaret Kinsella, The Chair of CALA’s Board said “We were delighted to fundraise for these excellent local causes which help families and children across the area.”
Debbie Campbell, Office manager for CALA and one of the key organisers of the event said: “We would just like to thank everyone for their amazing efforts on the day and for the generous support from sponsors and those who donated prizes as well. We will definitely be making this an annual event and the bar has been set very high but we will rise to the challenge again next year!”
CALA’s Chief Executive Jaci Douglas added: “As a Highland based 3rd sector organisation which puts children and families at the heart of all we do, we really believe that we should be supporting other charities who have the same ethos and it was a privilege to be part of that. It was just a great day with everyone coming together and not only raising a huge amount for great causes but having a lot of fun and laughter as well!”
Helping hand over the cheques to the charities were children from CALA’s Out of School club at Drakies who also did a sponsor walk and bake sale to raise funding on the day. The children said they had “enjoyed the big walk to the Beechwood campus to see the swans and the pond life.”
CALA plans to run LovefromCALA again on Valentines Day – 14th February 2020. If you would like to get involved please contact 01463 222 569.
Playtime activities for travelling
/0 Comments/in Blog update /by DavidWith the summer holidays on the horizon, the Real Play Coalition has published a newsletter with some ideas for fun activities parents and children can play during long journeys. From the newsletter:
Keeping kids occupied during long journeys don’t have to be challenging. Why not take a look at some of our activities below? They’re perfect for keeping the little ones busy. What’s more, they can be fun for adults to join in on, too!
Read the full newsletter by clicking here.
Who are the Real Play Coalition?
The aim of the Real Play Coalition is to “create a movement that prioritises the importance of play as not something that only lets children be children, but as something that sparks the fire for a child’s development and learning.”
Take a look at their ‘Activities for Kids‘ page – a great place to find fun, creative ideas for keeping children entertained. The activities can be filtered based on age range, the number of children taking part, and whether the activity needs equipment.
Upcoming training: ‘Developing Literacy and Numeracy Outdoors’ – choose from Elgin or Laurencekirk
/0 Comments/in Training /by DavidThis training is a practical, mostly outdoor learning opportunity where you will try out ways to provide rich learning experiences to support the development of young children’s literacy, numeracy and other skills.
You can choose to attend this training in either Elgin or Laurencekirk.
Elgin:
Date: Saturday 11th May
Location: Winchester House, Elgin
Time: 10am – 3pm
Price: £35 per person (£30 for multiple bookings)
Booking link: https://careandlearning.typeform.com/to/nSVHPn
or telephone 01349 866749
Laurencekirk:
Date: Saturday 25th May
Location: Laurencekirk
Time: 10am – 3pm
Price: £35 per person (£30 for multiple bookings)
Booking link: https://careandlearning.typeform.com/to/dpuiVB
or telephone 01349 866749
In this training, you will:
The Importance of Rhyme and Rhythm (The Highland Literacy Blog)
/0 Comments/in Blog update /by DavidThe Highland Literacy Blog has published an interesting article about the importance of rhythm and rhyme in ELC settings. Click here to read the post.
Upcoming Training: Technologies for Early Learning and Childcare
/0 Comments/in Training /by DavidCourse details:
7/5/19 – Dingwall Community Centre, Dingwall – 1.30 pm – 4 pm
14/5/19 – Wick Assembly Rooms, Wick, 1.30 pm – 4 pm
16/5/19 – Millburn Acadamy, Inverness, 1.30 pm – 4 pm
Book now via the Highland Council CPD Calendar: https://highland.cpdservice.net/
“It’s so much more than digital!”
In this course, you will:
Links to: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and ES Benchmarks.
Book now: https://highland.cpdservice.net/
‘Caring for Children Moving Alone’ – a free online course offered by FutureLearn
/0 Comments/in Blog update /by David“Caring for Children Moving Alone: Protecting Unaccompanied and Separated Children” is a free online course developed by the University of Strathclyde and accessible on the FutureLearn website.
Course information, as per the FutureLearn website:
This course is about the care and protection of unaccompanied and separated refugee and migrant children who are moving across and between countries. This course will provide an understanding of the risks and vulnerabilities these children face. It will inform the improvement of policy, practice and delivery of support services that uphold children’s rights and meet their best interests.
The course will be of interest to you if you are a front line professional or a volunteer anywhere in the world working to offer care, protection and other support to unaccompanied and separated children on the move.
The course starts on the 27th of May. You can register by visiting the FutureLearn website: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/caring-for-children-moving-alone
Upcoming training in Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire – Developing Literacy and Numeracy Outdoors
/0 Comments/in Training /by DavidCourse name: Developing Literacy and Numeracy Outdoors
Location: Mearns Academy Community Campus, Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire
Date and Time: Saturday 25th May, 2019. 10 am – 3 pm.
Cost: £35 per person
How to book: Click here to book online, or telephone 01349 866749.
HM Prison Inverness – Peep Progression Pathway qualifications for fathers (and their partners)
/0 Comments/in Blog update, PEEP /by DavidCALA Family Support Project Coordinator Mairianne Nairn has been helping deliver 13 weekly hour-long sessions peep sessions with fathers inside HMP Prison Inverness.
At the request of the Prison Governor, this is now the third time the programme has run.
The following quotes come from the father’s who took part in the programme:
“Peep’s had a massive impact on me and my family – without it, I wouldn’t have had that opportunity to bond with my baby.”
“I’ve really enjoyed the course, it’s made me feel more confident in being a first-time dad and I have discovered lots of activities me and my son can do together.”
“It’s helped me exist, I feel more like a father. Even getting to stand up with my daughter makes a huge difference, in a normal visit session we can’t get off our seats.”
Read the full case study by clicking here [PDF].