Gowrie staff recently gathered at Moonee Valley Racecourse for a day of professional development and networking at our annual Staff Conference.
The Staff Conference is an opportunity for all staff across Gowrie to come together to learn, reflect and collaborate with one another in a series of presentations and workshops which are designed to be fun and interactive.
For our conference this year, we were lucky to host a range of speakers who all spoke on our theme of play. We started with a warm and engaging Welcome to Country by Wurundjeri Elder Uncle Tony and a beautiful Yidaki performance by Kiernan Thompson.
We welcomed two sector experts as guest speakers; Professor Tricia Eadie and Karen Glancy. As our first speaker, Tricia reinforced the critical role of play-based learning. Tricia emphasised that language is what enables children to belong, be, and become, and provided us with six practical ways we can intentionally embed language and literacy in our work. Karen reflected on the power of sustainable practices being done “with, not for, children”, something which strongly resonated with our Gowrie educators. Following this, she showed us how to finger-knit and how easy it is to turn an old sock into doll clothes.
Gowrie is well known for our focus on building teacher and educator capability and approaching professional development through the sharing of practice. During the conference, interactive breakout sessions were led by our own teachers and educators sharing their experience and learning with their peers. These break out sessions, designed and delivered by Gowrie educators, highlighted high quality practice across our services. By sharing our own knowledge, successes, and practices, we cultivate critical reflection, spark joy for ongoing learning and establish a culture of continuous improvement.
For Ebony, Engagement Leader at Broadmeadow Valley, it was exciting to hold a workshop on her chosen topic of trauma-informed practice. “I believe we all have skills that we bring to the sector,” she says, offering that “by sharing our knowledge in workshops, we all have an opportunity to learn off each other, and discover a different way of doing.” For Early Childhood Teacher (ECT) Anneke, from our Carlton Learning Precinct service, the conference provides a rich opportunity for her to encourage other services to innovate. “I wanted to share at the conference because, even though some of our work around literacy and language may sound daunting, when you share the practical ideas, it’s really easy for other educators to adopt the practices.”
When asked on the benefits of a conference which highlights internal knowledge, rather than relying heavily on academic and other experts, Evie, ECT from Carlton North, says “it allows educators to recognise the strengths and expertise they already have, fostering confidence and a culture of collaboration for everyone.” Anneke reflects this sentiment, saying that “highlighting the skills, knowledge and practice we have inside the organisation gives us all a sense of pride. It makes things seem more accessible and achievable. Ebony agrees, reflecting, “it’s always a day I look forward to; I have a great time and learn through all the shared knowledge.”
Towards the end of the day, we held an awards ceremony which recognised the contribution by educators to children, communities, the organisation and early childhood sector. Early Childhood Teacher Margaret He from our Clare Court service was our Marcela Award winner. This award is named in honour of late Gowrie staff member, Marcela Manriquez. Early Childhood Educator Ashley Nunan (Broadmeadows Valley) and our Leadership Support Toni Robb (Clare Court) also received awards for their outstanding contributions. Recipients of the three awards each receive funding towards a professional development opportunity of their choosing.
To conclude the conference, our CEO Karen Weston addressed the room. She spoke on Gowrie Victoria’s strong culture of innovation, where we aim to serve the community, and have a “generosity for sharing knowledge, both inside and out of the organisation”. Karen painted an exciting picture of how we will continue to grow, as we build and add to the long ongoing story of Gowrie Victoria.
