August 2017 Brain Friendly Habits for Happiness and Wellbeing Sue Langley of the Langley group is a world expert and leading advisor on neuroscience, emotional in- telligence and positive psychology. Sue has released a book detailing healthy brain habits to promote health and wellbeing. Our brains are geared for life long learning with the development of new connections and making adap- tions as experience allows. However, tiredness, stress and being overworked affects our ability to learn new things and to maintain the focussed attention needed to train our brains. Advances in neuroscience allow us to look at the way the brain works, and the best habits to form to promote positive results. Try these habits on yourself and your family and then keep doing those that work for you. 1. At home around the dinner table, share the positives of your day. If something feels good then you will do it again; forming a habit. Your thinking processes are reduced after a long day of decision mak- ing, when the fuel levels supplying our brain are low. Early in the morning our brains have more fuel, so decision making is best done in the morning. Receiving positive feedback and bonding with others, as well as doing good things for others refuels our brain, releasing energy. Dopamine is released in the brain when we experience positive emotions. 2. Be aware of emotions as they arise so you can accept them and then handle them. Our behaviour and thinking is influenced by emotions, helping us to deal quickly with things automatically. But we want our emotions and thinking to work together, we want to harness them so that we control our emotions rather than the other way round. This is an important skill to build in children too. 3. Build activities you enjoy into your daily routine, move frequently, change your environment and get outside. Breathe deep diaphragmatic breaths; it is hard to be angry if you are breathing deeply. Our brains and bodies are an integrated system, and we need to take care of both to increase our health and wellbeing. This comes from diet, sleep and exercise; all important ingredients to perform at your best. Apparently raising your arms above your head releases happy hormones under your arms, which tells your brain that you are happy! 4. Take the time to just ‘be’; being creative, doodling or colouring are all ways to let the mind go free. Do these activities with your children to consolidate skills in you both. Imagination inspires the ability to form new ideas and have eureka moments. Perspective changes happen when our minds wander freely, rather than when we are concentrating; maybe in the shower, or just as we wake up in the morning. To be continued….. Outdoor Classroom Day Thursday September 7th Nature Play Australia is promoting Outdoor Classroom Day, a global campaign to celebrate and inspire outdoor learning and play. Schools and centres around the world will take part in the day. Na- ture Play Australia says outdoor play improves children’s health, engages children in their learning, leads to a greater connection with nature, teaches critical life skills like problem solving, team- work and creativity, and is central to children’s enjoyment of child- hood. As WCCC is already a well known advocate for outdoor play the leadership team thought we could recognise the day through a connecting to nature morning, where the whole Centre starts their day in Pilyabilyangga. So…. On the 7th of September come prepared to be outside; with appropriate clothing, shoes and a hat. We will share fruit outside in the morning and spend as much of the day outside as possible. New Babes Wishing all the best to the fami- lies who have grown by two feet recently and to those who are expecting a new arrival soon. A new addition to the family offers change that is both rewarding and challenging but is a time to be treasured and cherished.
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August 2017
Brain Friendly Habits for Happiness and Wellbeing Sue Langley of the Langley group is a world expert and leading advisor on neuroscience, emotional in-
telligence and positive psychology. Sue has released a book detailing healthy brain habits to promote
health and wellbeing.
Our brains are geared for life long learning with the development of new connections and making adap-
tions as experience allows. However, tiredness, stress and being overworked affects our ability to learn
new things and to maintain the focussed attention needed to train our brains. Advances in neuroscience
allow us to look at the way the brain works, and the best habits to form to promote positive results. Try
these habits on yourself and your family and then keep doing those that work for you.
1. At home around the dinner table, share the positives of your day. If something feels good then you
will do it again; forming a habit. Your thinking processes are reduced after a long day of decision mak-
ing, when the fuel levels supplying our brain are low. Early in the morning our brains have more fuel, so
decision making is best done in the morning. Receiving positive feedback and bonding with others, as
well as doing good things for others refuels our brain, releasing energy. Dopamine is released in the
brain when we experience positive emotions.
2. Be aware of emotions as they arise so you can accept them and then handle them. Our behaviour and
thinking is influenced by emotions, helping us to deal quickly with things automatically. But we want
our emotions and thinking to work together, we want to harness them so that we control our emotions
rather than the other way round. This is an important skill to build in children too.
3. Build activities you enjoy into your daily routine, move frequently, change your environment and get
outside. Breathe deep diaphragmatic breaths; it is hard to be angry if you are breathing deeply. Our
brains and bodies are an integrated system, and we need to take care of both to increase our health and
wellbeing. This comes from diet, sleep and exercise; all important ingredients to perform at your best.
Apparently raising your arms above your head releases happy hormones under your arms, which tells
your brain that you are happy!
4. Take the time to just ‘be’; being creative, doodling or colouring are all ways to let the mind go free.
Do these activities with your children to consolidate skills in you both. Imagination inspires the ability to
form new ideas and have eureka moments. Perspective changes happen when our minds wander freely,
rather than when we are concentrating; maybe in the shower, or just as we wake up in the morning.
To be continued…..
Outdoor Classroom Day Thursday September 7th
Nature Play Australia is promoting Outdoor Classroom Day, a
global campaign to celebrate and inspire outdoor learning and play.
Schools and centres around the world will take part in the day. Na-
ture Play Australia says outdoor play improves children’s health,
engages children in their learning, leads to a greater connection
with nature, teaches critical life skills like problem solving, team-
work and creativity, and is central to children’s enjoyment of child-
hood. As WCCC is already a well known advocate for outdoor
play the leadership team thought we could recognise the day
through a connecting to nature morning, where the whole Centre
starts their day in Pilyabilyangga.
So…. On the 7th of September come prepared to be outside; with
appropriate clothing, shoes and a hat. We will share fruit outside in
the morning and spend as much of the day outside as possible.
Introducing….. Emily. I hold Diploma qualification of Children’s services and have been working in the long day care for 9.5
years, which was 6.5 years in Melbourne and 3 years in Adelaide. Five months ago I joined in WCCC
and I have been enjoying working with excellent diverse background team and wonderful children.
I have Chinese background and came to Australia 12 years ago. I am married and have a 6 year old
daughter who goes to Linden Park primary school and my husband is a lecturer in Uni, SA. On the
weekend we’d like to go to local Library, park and take our daughter to Chinese class.
Staffing 2017 Kaarin is enjoying her Long Service Leave overseas. She has sent some short notes and photos to share her holidays with us. Staffing across all three rooms is remaining consistent providing continuity for children. Yvett and Nancy have returned from their holidays overseas refreshed and revived. Eleanor will be tak-ing some time off during the October school holidays. Other educators and staff are having short leave during the next few months. Educators are making the most of training opportunities with Cassie and Dani building on their knowledge of Critical Reflection, the leadership team completing an online and face to face Mental Health First Aid course, Cassie and Cherry developing skills in Educator Playfulness, and Eleanor will be completing a series of leadership masterclasses. Kate’s contract with WCCC will be ending in September, though we will still be seeing her around the Centre. Emilie will be permanently joining the Room 3 team in September.
Diary Dates: Please remember the following important dates: Yoga with Jess is back this term on Wednes-days Aug 9th to Sept 13th Room 3 Pilyabilyangga Mondays for Term 3, with some wood whittling sessions Centre early closure day—Tuesday 24th Octo-ber End of year celebration Monday 18th Decem-ber
Board and PAG Matters 2017 Adelaide University Childcare Services Inc (AUCS) meets on the last Monday of the month. Annelise Wiebkin the WCCC parent member of AUCS. The Parent Advisory Group (PAG) meetings in 2017 will be the third Friday of the month. We are contin-uing the Health policy reviews and looking at com-munication apps. Please speak to Kaarin if you are interested in joining this group. End of year closure this year is Friday 22nd December at 1.00pm.
Introducing……..Emilie I have been part of the casual relief team here at Waite since April 2016, mainly working in Room 3.
This job is the start of a new career for me. I originally studied Theatre Production in Glasgow, spe-
cialising in Scenic Painting, Prop Making, Costume and Carpentry. As a freelancer back home in
Scotland I kept finding myself working for Theatre in Education companies and working with or for
children of all ages. When I came to Australia in 2012 to spend some time travelling, I knew my love
of the theatre and film industry was quickly leaving me (self-employment is not for me!) and I began
thinking about teaching. I had always known I would go into Education in some way but was still un-
sure of how. After arriving in New Zealand in 2014, I had the chance to work in Early Childhood Edu-
cation as a relief teacher, even with no qualifications. A year later I found myself back in beautiful
Adelaide, enrolled at TAFE to study my diploma, and I finally became qualified just last month.
I’m really looking forward to moving into the permanent position in Room 3. I’m excited to settle into
my role and begin exploring my passion of the arts and creativity with children. I’m a strong believer
in nurturing creativity in different ways, and believe in the many benefits it can bring to children.
PARENT NEWSLETTER
Affiliate program As a Centre we made the commitment at the beginning of the year to use cloth nappies instead of the
less environmentally friendly disposable nappies. We also sourced a more eco-friendly disposable nappy
for putting on children to go home. These nappies are 80% plant based and therefore have less impact on
our earth. They are also free from GMO materials, chlorines, dioxins, phthalates, fragrances, latex and
heavy metal. We have also been using the eco originals wipes which are 100% compostable and free of chlorine, al-
cohol, phthalates, parabens and fragrances. They contain cucumber, chamomile, and green tea extracts
for healing.
Eco originals offer an affiliate program for families of the centre. As a Centre we will receive 5% of
sales whenever customers purchase through the link below. Please use this link to purchase; if you go
through the website then the 5% bonus will not apply.
Mushrooms Mushrooms are loaded with some of the most potent nutrients on the planet, and are beginning to gain super-food status. A 100g serve of mushrooms will give you 103kJ, 3.3g of protein, no saturated fats, 0.3g carbohydrates, 1.5g die-tary fibre, 8mg sodium and 10mcg Vitamin D. Mushrooms naturally produce Vitamin D, which is produced by the mushroom through the actions of sunlight or UV light. Store-bought cultivated mushrooms contain a smaller amount of Vitamin D. There are many mushroom varieties to choose from, starting with the more common white and brown mush-rooms, including swiss brown, buttons, portabello, and flats, each with their own characteristics. The more ex-otic mushrooms available include enoki, king brown, shitake, oyster and shimeji, all presenting differences in flavor and texture. If foraging for mushrooms is something that interests you have a look at the Facebook page Mushroom Foragers of South Australia.
Lamb Kofta 2 small onions 1 small bunch of parsley 1 small bunch of mint, leaves only 750g lamb minced 1½ tsp ground cinnamon 1½ tsp ground allspice 1 cup of cooked quinoa 1 tsp garlic mince 1½ tsp black pepper 1½ tsp salt Oil, to grease Grate the onions, and squeeze out most of the liquid through a sieve. Put in a large bowl. Finely chop the parsley and mint, and add. Mix in the meat, spices, quinoa and salt until thor-oughly combined. Shape into fingers, patties, meat-balls or around flat skewers, cover and chill for at least an hour, or up to 6. Heat a frying pan, griddle or barbecue greased with a little oil. Cook the kebabs until golden brown on all sides, and cooked through to your liking. Eat immedi-ately with flatbreads and yoghurt. You can add pine nuts, chilli flakes. Serves 4 to 6.
Vegan Bolognese 1tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil. 2 celery sticks. 2 carrots, diced. 1 onion, diced. 1 can diced organic tomatoes 1 punnet of chopped cherry tomatoes. 400 g tin of lentils or soaked 400 g tin of mix beans 1 cup of soaked porcini mushrooms. Retain liquid 1/2 cup vegetable stock. 2 cloves garlic. 1 teaspoon of cornflour Sauté the carrot, onion, celery and garlic in the oil for 3 minutes over medium heat or until onion is translucent. Add the lentils, mix beans, porcini mushrooms and liq-uid with the tomatoes, stock, spices, salt and pepper and stir through. Allow to simmer for approximately 15 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally. Add the cornflour and chopped parsley and remove from flame. Serve with spiralised zucchini pasta or your choice of vegan pasta or rice.