January 2013 EZine

It’s that time of year again, and you have received your membership and insurance renewal packs. For the first time it is now possible to do this ONLINE.

The new year is traditionally a time when people make resolutions and decide to get fit. Becoming more active is something that is also of great importance for young children and accordingly we have provided some ideas on how to encourage active play in your service.

In the wake of Budget 2013 we have highlighted the top line changes that are of particular relevance to members, including the announcement of funding for a new After-School Childcare Scheme.

In addition to all of this we have included updates on the full range of issues in which Early Childhood Ireland has been involved over the last month, including the results from our training survey and information from the latest GUI conference.

March 2013 EZine

Spring is finally here, although you might not know it by the weather!

To celebrate the changing of the season we have offered some suggestions on how to extend young children’s knowledge about their world, by building on their natural curiosity and helping them to experiment and investigate the changes occurring all around them.

This month we are delighted to announce some exciting upcoming events, including our 2013 Spring Seminar & Inaugural AGM which will be taking place in April - so don't forget to save the date and keep an eye on our website for further details.

National Pyjama Day is now just a week away with 35,120 children already signed up to take part. The remaining pyjama day packs will be sent out to all those who have registered at the beginning of next week...

February 2013 EZine

  February 2013 EZine Early Childhood Ireland This month we are encouraging everybody to get thinking about National Pyjama Day, which will be taking place on Friday 8th March, so get your PJs ready! The start of the year is a time when many new business ventures are begun and this may be of particular [...]

December 2012 EZine

We have highlighted a few ideas on how you can celebrate Christmas in your service. However, while this is generally a happy time of year, we recognise that it can be very stressful for many people, so we have also outlined the ways in which Early Childhood Ireland can support you in times of stress.

This month we also have some amazing deals EXCLUSIVE to members, such as a new O2 tariff and a chance to WIN an iPad for those who renew their membership online, before the end of December.

September 2012 EZine

In the wake of the National Ploughing Championships, we have taken the opportunity to highlight just some of the ways in which early childhood services can celebrate life in the outdoors. This includes an article on mud play, details about our new outdoor play publication and information on a joint initiative with Dublin Zoo.

In addition to this we have provided resources relating to other topics that may be relevant to providers at this time of year, such as the steps involved in filing your pay and file tax returns, training updates and suggestions on how to prioritise healthy eating in your service...

November 2012 EZine

Halloween can be a fantastic opportunity to tune in to children’s interests and for adults to create the best learning opportunities for them.

To assist with this we have highlighted some possible ideas on how you can mark the festival in your service. However it is important to remember that the scarier elements of Halloween may make some children anxious so we have also provided some tips on how to deal with these fears...

August 2012 EZine

It's that time of year again when many children are starting pre-school for the first time. Therefore, in this issue we have outlined the ways in which both parents and practitioners can support children as they make one of their first major transitions.

It is also the time of year when some service owners will be recruiting new staff for the year ahead. To assist members with this process we have provided some relevant resources such as sample contracts, job descriptions and other useful HR information.

July 2012 EZine

In this issue we have provided you with a range of activities to try out with your own children or those attending your service, over the summer months. We have focused particularly on the idea of exploring science through play, in celebration of the "Dublin City of Science" festival.

We have also included updates on many of the projects and events that Early Childhood Ireland and individual members have recently been involved in, as well as a preview to some forthcoming events.

June 2012 EZine

The Early Childhood Ireland June 2012 EZine contains articles on numerous topics relevant to our members, such as the New National Children's Strategy, A Summary of our HSE Inspection Survey, How to Organise a Parents' Meeting and much more....

May 2012 EZine

Our first EZine, contains a range of articles which we hope you will find informative, useful and engaging.

We have included highlights from our recent conference, such as the launch of the “Say No to Poisons” campaign and a listing of all of the Early Childhood Ireland Award winners.

We have also provided updates on the latest developments in the sector, including clarifications on changes to the ECCE ratios.