In this episode, I interview Marnie Omeragic from Concord West Rhodes Preschool.

Marnie has worked in community-based services for 28 years, developing strong relationships and connections with the local community, advocating high-quality play-based learning, inclusive practices, embedded environmental and sustainable approaches, and connecting children to place; particularly the riverside parkland alongside the preschool.

Concord West Rhodes Preschool has been the finalise in the City of Canad Bay sustainability awards for 2017 and 2017. They were winners of the New South Wales Early Childhood Environmental Education Network Sprout Awards in 2015 and 2016. Their embedded anti-bias practises were awarded Highly Commended by the 2017 Social Justice and Early Childhood Anti-Bias Award. Marnie is a contributor to the 2018 Aboriginal Early Childhood Practise Guide, edited by Jessica Staines and Red Ruby Scarlet, sharing insights into her journey of embedding Aboriginal perspectives within the service.

In this episode we will discuss:

• The history of Concord West Rhodes Preschool and it’s notable location
• The pre-schools positive impact within the community
• How Marnie embeds an Aboriginal Perspective into her curriculum.
• Marnie’s journey over the past 30 years
• Learning to embed an Aboriginal Perspective
• The difference between tokenistic and stereotypical
• How Marnie and her team of educators connected with the community
• Yabon Festival
• Yarning Circles
• Working with Mathew Doyle
• Embedding practice of noticing’s
• How to engage the whole team
• Acknowledgement of country
• And more!

Links mentioned in this episode:

Western Sydney Reconciliation Group - https://reconciliation4westernsydney.org/

Concord West Rhodes Pre-School - https://www.concordwestrhodespreschool.org.au/

EYLF - https://www.education.gov.au/early-years-learning-framework-0

Yabun Festival - http://yabun.org.au/

Yarning Circles - https://kooricurriculum.com/pages/yarning-circle

Blak Markets Bear Island - https://blakmarkets.com/

Koori Curriculum - https://kooricurriculum.com/

In this episode, I sit down with Heather Brady and Jodie Stewart from Yarrawong Children’s Centre.

Yarrawong is one of Orange City Council's three long daycare centres. They also have a family day care, occasional care and OSH and vacation care.  Yarrawong is the youngest of the long daycare centres. Opened in 1993 they cater to about 59 children each day, aged from nought to five years. Yarrawong is located in the central west of New South Wales in Wiradjuri country, just past Bathurst over the Blue Mountains.

In our episode we will discuss:

• The importance of Aboriginal Perspective training for centres.
• What inspired Heather and Jodie’s journey
• How the centre embraces individual strengths when it comes to embedding the Aboriginal Perspective
• Where they source their readings
• How they include the team in the readings
• The importance of un-learning and re-learning when it comes to embedding the Aboriginal Perspective
• Building relationships with the local Aboriginal Community
• Important protocols when using Aboriginal names in centres
• When and when not to call on the Aboriginal elders
• How to utilise the AECG Website
• How Yarrawong supports NAIDOC week
• Different forms of advocacy and why it's important
• How to respectfully include the Aboriginal perspective
• The value in persistence

Links mentioned in this episode:

AECG Website: https://www.aecg.nsw.edu.au/

Koori Curriculum: https://kooricurriculum.com/