The Wise Owl Afterschool Club

Innovation in School Aged Childcare 2014-2015

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Page

1: About Us 3

2: Our Projects

- How it began 7

- The Family Unit (Corky The Dog) 8

- Local Community (Random Acts of Kindness) 10

- International Community (Penpals) 15

3: Aistear Aims & Learning Goals 17

4: Our Innovation 21

5: Síolta Standards 23

6: The ability to be a role model. 33

7: Conclusion 34

Contents... 1: About Us...

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- Who we are: The Wise Owl Afterschool Club is a busy, activity packed service which caters for over forty children

attending Junior Infants all the way up to third class. During the school term we organise daily school

runs from ten schools in Cork. We run themed camps during the school holidays to keep us on our toes

and there is never a dull moment!

During the school week we divide up into two groups to have our dinner upon arrival from school,

complete our homework and engage in an array of activities. The Junior and Senior Infant classes join

together in one group and there is a second group for the children in First Class or higher. We join

together again in the evenings, usually for lots of fun outdoors!

- Activities: Once all the “hard work” (homework!) is done, we have ample time to complete an array of activities

each day.Each day we carry out planned activities based on our themed weeks. These themes stem from

the children’s own interests and ideas. We keep up to date with news and current affairs and engage the

children in conversations about the world they live in. We run weekly penpal letter workshops, music and

drama, arts and crafts sessions, book clubs, and sports and exercise regimes.

On the grounds of Garryduff Sports Centre, we are lucky enough to have full access to the large, secure

outdoor sports facilities. This encourages the children to interact with each other whilst always under the

supervision of our staff. Soccer, hockey, tag rugb, basketball, running, obstacle courses, swingball and

tennis are only some of the activities The Wise Owl Children engage in when outdoors!

- Our New Premises: On the 1st of October 2014 we were extremely excited to move into our brand new, purpose built

Afterschool Club based in Garryduff Sports Complex in Rochestown, Cork. During the planning stages

we were able to use all areas of expertise – including the children’s wealth of knowledge and wishes

when designing the layout of our new Afterschool Club.

We planned our Afterschool Club design to cater for the busy afterschool club day, allowing homework,

dinner and art and crafts to be undertaken at the same time in different groups through the division and

layout of the rooms. This routine ensures the children have access to age appropriate materials and

equipment in a comfortable, stimulating environment where each child feels safe, secure and can develop

at his or her own pace whilst interacting with their peers.

Please see Pages 4 and 5 for some “Before and After” pictures our of new Afterschool Club.

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The Entrance:

The Reception:

The Activity/Playroom:

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The Homework/Arts & Crafts Room:

The Kitchen:

Our Back Garden:

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- Our Team:

We are extremely lucky to have a team of dedicated, caring Early Years Educators who work tirelessly to

ensure that each individual child enjoys their day in The Wise Owls and are given every chance to reach

their full potential. Our staff are qualified, experienced and fully committed to ensuring the child’s needs

are centre stage at all times. All our staff are Garda Vetted, fully referenced checked and trained in First

Aid, Food Handling, HACCP and Fire Safety within the first month of employment with us.

Karen Deasy: The Wise Owl Afterschool Club Manager: Karen is the Manager of The Wise Owl Afterschool Club and has been working with the company since

2011. Karen holds a First Class Honours Degree in Early Childhood Studies from The University College

Cork and a Distinction in FETAC Level 6 in Child Psychology. Karen has a gold medal in acting from

The London Academy of Dramatic Arts and thoroughly enjoys music and drama. We try to incorporate

music and drama as much as possible through our “Musical Theatre” classes and have organised

productions such as “The Sound Of Music”, “Annie” and “Oliver” over the past few years.

Claire Healy: Afterschool Educator: Claire holds a BA Degree in Early Childhood Studies from Cork Institute of Technology and has been

working with the company since 2012. Claire loves working and interacting with school aged children

and is currently receiving training in Marte Meo to further enhance this.

Donna Magee: Afterschool Educator: Donna holds a BA Degree in Early Childhood Studies from Cork Institute of Technology and has been

working with the company since 2012. Donna has a passion for art in particular and is forever coming up

with creative and exciting new ideas and activities for The Wise Owl children.

Emer Daly: Afterschool Educator: Emer is the newest member of our team who joined us in 2014. Emer recently graduated from Cork

Institute of Technology with an Honours Level 8 Degree in Early Years Education. Emer is extremely

enthusiastic, highly organised, full of fun and enjoys everything from arts and crafts, singing songs and

being outdoors.

Mary Punch: Afterschool Chef: Mary is The Wise Owl Chef who has been working with the company since 2010. Mary serves the

children their homemade, hot dinner each day when they arrive to Wise Owls after school. Mary adores

the children and is forever being complimented on all her tasty meals and delicious treats she cooks each

day for us.

We also have a team of staff who assist us each day on our School Collections: Laura, Joan, Laura

and Imelda.

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Throughout various projects, activities and themes we have run throughout the years in The Wise Owl

Afterschool Club, it became very apparent to the staff that the children held a huge interest in their

surrounding community. It is something in which they can all relate to, something that has indirectly

created a bond between the children from junior infants right up to third class, regardless of age, gender

or any other differences in their lives.

In order to further enhance this interest and further the children’s learning, we planned a variety of

projects that focussed on the community. We looked at the different ways you could include communities

through 1: The Family Unit, 2: Local Level and 3: Internationally.

The Family Unit

Local Community

The Child

International Community

2: Our Projects...How it began...

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Meet Corky The Dog!

Corky was introduced to The Children in The Wise Owl Afterschool Club on the 8th of October 2013 and

is still very much part of life in The Wise Owl Afterschool Club’s Family Community.

Corky was introduced to The Wise Owl Afterschool Club to create a link between our Afterschool Club

and our Families. Each child gets the oppurtunity to take Corky home for a week to “get to know the

children and their families”. The adventures of Corky and the child are documented in a diary which

includes photographs, diary entries and drawings by the children.

Corky has done everything from going to dentist, spending his Saturday morning at a ballet class, baking

Christmas cakes, voting in the local elections, taking trips to New Zealand and Austria and doing the

weekly shop sitting in the Tesco trolley! Corky was even lucky enough to get a brand new collar from

Santa Claus on Christmas Day.

After spending a week with a new family we then sit down as a group and catch up on Corky’s fun and

adventures.

“I like Corky because he’s cuddly!” – Kate.

Please see our “Supporting Documentation” folder and page 9 of our Innovation Submission for

some pictures of Corky and his adventures!

Our Projects... 1: The Family Unit:

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“Random Acts of Kindness is about helping people out and it made me feel really good” – Julie

We have realised that the children hold a genuine interest about their local community in particular.

As the children in our facility grow older, it is vitally important to us that we constantly meet their

expectations and wishes regarding their day to day activities in their Afterschool Club.

Local Community Involvement through “Random Acts of Kindness”:

How it developed:

• Through previous activities and projects we undertook together, such as our “Afterschool Local

Elections”, we got the opportunity to see exactly what the children wanted to gain from their Afterschool.

For example: Our “Minister for Pets”: Tim, campaigned for animals, their rights and how we should look

after them in a kind and loving way. Our “Minister for Kindness”: Laura, campaigned for an Afterschool

Club that ensured everyone had a friend and someone who would help them out whenever they needed it.

• With this in mind, we decided that by establishing a “Random Act of Kindness” project, we could tie

in the children’s awareness of the importance of kindness and their desire to work within their local

community.

• It became clear that our project required a lot of planning before we could embark on this fun

adventure!

• First step was deciding on WHO we wanted to complete a “Random Act of Kindness” for. We began

brain storming and tried to decide on which areas of the community the Wise Owl children were most

interested in.

• It was decided that we would visit the following four places in our community:

1: C.S.P.C.A Dogs Home.

2: Darraglynn Nursing Home.

3: ABC Childcare.

4: Fota Wildlife Park.

• Once we had decided upon where we would be visiting, the planning and preparations began for our

trips: Making t-shirts, contacting the various Managers to organise dates and times of our visits, receiving

permission from all our parents, organising transport to and from the locations, organising adequate

staffing, gathering any supplies required for each visit, ensuring each place received a follow up “Thank

You” card and ensuring to involve the Wise Owl parents with videos and pictures on our website and

social media accounts.

• To make us really stand out and let everyone know we really meant business – we had special “Wise

Owl Random Act of Kindness” T-shirts designed and printed for our visits!

• Each t-shirt had our Wise Owl logo on the front and a unique “Kindness Quote” on the back.

Please see an example of one of our T-shirts that was sent with our “Supporting Documentation” folder.

Our Projects... 2: The Local Community:

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i) An Art Worskshop in Darraglynn Nursing Home:

For everyone, family members are the first relationships you build, your primary educators and

are a source of comfort and support.

In our local community, there are many Nursing Homes. We contacted Ann in Darraglynn

Nursing Home to see if they would like a visit from some eager artists who would love to

undertake an art workshop with some of the residents in the Nursing Home.

On the day we arrived, we introduced ourselves to everybody and the children handed out all the

paintbrushes, canvases and paint. The children independently paired themselves up with a resident

and began painting!

Together, as a team, the children and the residents decided amongst themselves what they would

paint.

When everyone had finished painting, the children decided they wanted the “Grannies and

Granddads” to keep the artwork for their bedrooms.

Finally, before we left, the children wanted to have a “Sound of Music” sing song, an Irish

Dancing Ceili and even decided to gave a “Loom Band” bracelet making demonstration.

“It was my birthday so will we paint a cake?” – Eimear.

In addition to this, as a follow up to further develop our relationship with everyone Darraglynn Nursing

Home, we visited the staff and residents again four days before Christmas Day to perform some very

special Christmas Carols. We sang everyones favourite songs, added in some Irish ones too and Julie also

performed some songs in Sign Language for a lady who was hard of hearing. Before we finished, we sang

some songs from our Christmas Shows “Annie” and “Oliver!”. It was great to meet all the same people

again and there were some new faces too! All of us had a very enjoyable morning and it really got us all

into the festive Christmas spirit!

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ii) Donating a hamper of goodies to The C.S.P.C.A Dogs Home:

• The Wise Owl children love animals. Therefore, it was an easy decision to contact our local Dog’s

Home in Mahon; The C.S.P.C.A. The Manager here, Vincent was delighted to hear we would like to

perform a Random Act of Kindness for them and our trip was planned.

• Our Random Act of Kindness would be to donate a Dog Hamper packed with dog treats, teddies,

bones and toys.

• Before we went to The C.S.P.C.A, we contacted local businesses explaining our plan to them and we

were lucky enough to receive numerous donations of dog treats and toys to include in our hamper.

• We kindly received donations from a variety of local companies.

• Once we arrived, we presented Vincent with the Hamper we had put together to keep all the dogs

busy while they are waiting to go to their forever homes.

• Then, Vincent kindly announced that he was going to give us all a behind-the-scenes tour of The

C.S.P.C.A.

• We had a fantastic time visiting all the dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens, birds, snakes and lizards!

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iv) Planting Flowers in FOTA Wildlife Park:

• We got in contact with Head of Education Lynda McSweeney to organise a special Random Act of

Kindness for one of Cork’s most loved family attractions – Fota Wildlife Park.

• We arrived at Fota ready to plant some flowers! We chose bright, vibrant flowers that specifically

attract butterflies. We also brought a special Owl ornament to place alongside the flowers.

• After spreading some kindness and all our hard work we then had a lovely day visiting all the

animals in the park, including the cheetahs, monkeys, giraffes and the new brand tigers.

Corky came too!

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4) Selling Homemade Lemonade in ABC Childcare for Charity:

• Last summer, some of The Wise Owl children learned how to make homemade lemonade for their

moms and dads.

• This summer, we put our skills to the test once again and made some more lemonade for our friends

and staff of ABC Childcare!

• The children were activiely involved in every aspect, from the “production line”, “transport of goods”

to “selling” and counting the proceeds!

• This time however, we had the idea to collect the money received for each glass we served to donate

to Down syndrome Ireland. The children raised an impressive grand total of €70 for the charity.

“We made and sold our own lemonade for people with Down Syndrome. It’s nice to be nice and to make

them feel happy too.” – Kate.

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As the children in The Wise Owl Afterschool Club grow older, it is evident to us that their curiosity and

interest not only about local events but international events is rapidly evolving. The children ask more

questions, engage in in-depth discussions and have their own opinions and ideas about the world they

live.

In January 2014 we got in contact with a group from Ohio, USA, through the means of social media. We

agreed to begin a penpal program with this group of children in order to learn some more about each other

and the communities we live in.

Since begininning this penpal program we are now in correspondance with seven groups from all over the

world.

1. Joyland, Ohio, USA.

2. Care For Kindies Kindergarten, New South Wales, Australia.

3. Christian Life Academy, Ghana, West Africa.

4. Kids Kingdom, Oblong, Illinois, USA.

5. Keen Kiddies Early Learning Centre, New South Wales, Australia.

6. Deaconess Children’s Enrichment Center, Evansville, Indiana, USA.

7. The Martin House, Austin, Texas, USA.

When writing a penpal letter, we sit down as a group to listen to the letter we have recieved. Our penpals

answer the questions we have asked them in our previous letter – such as “what are your favourite types

of foods?, “do you have any pets?”, “what are your favourite books?”. Sometimes we receive information

leaflets from the location we have received our letters from and in addition, our penpals draw us pictures

and write personal letters to us individually.

The younger Wise Owl children (junior and senior infants) draw pictures to include in all the letters we

send and the older Wise Owl children (first class upwards) write individual letters to their penpals. We

keep our penpals informed about everything we have been up to since we last spoke and some of our

penpals are able to keep up to date with us through facebook also. We sent our penpals Christmas cards

for Christmas and our international friends are always very curious about how we celebrate St. Patricks

Day in particular!

In order to further develop this activity, we are currently planning Skype calls with two of our penpal

groups. The Wise Owl children have lots of plans to sing songs, show off some of their favourite games

and give their international friends “a real life tour” of our Afterschool.

This is a truly beneficial aspect to The Wise Owl children’s lives and has definitely given them a sense of

how there is “life beyond” Cork, Ireland and Europe!

Our Projects...3: International Community...

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Our penpals from Ghana sent us this picture before posting our letters.

We are kept very busy keeping us with our correspondance from all over the globe!

“I like having penpals ‘cause we get to see how they live and how different they are to us, but sometimes

we can be similiar too.” - Amy

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Here are the Aims and Goals of Aistear that our Innovation met during the duration of our

Projects:

Identity and Belonging: Aims Learning Goals:

Aim 1: Children will have strong

self-identities and will feel

respected and affirmed as unique

individuals with their own life

stories.

1: Build respectful relationships with others.

2: Appreciate the features that make a person speical and unique.

3:Have a sense of ‘who they are’ and be able to describe their

backgrounds, strengths and abilities.

4: Feel valued and see themselves and their interests reflected in the

environment.

5: Express their own ideas, prefereces and needs, and have these

responded to with respect and consistency.

Aim 2: Children will have a sense

of group identity where links with

their family and community are

acknowledged and extended.

1: Feel that they have a place and a right to belong to the group.

2: Know that members of their family and community are positively

acknowledged and welcomed.

3: Be able to share personal experience about their own families and

cultures, and come to know that there is a diversity of family

structures, cultures and backgrounds.

4: See themselves as a part of a wider community and know about

their local area, including some of its places, features and goals.

5: Understand the different roles of people in the community.

Aim 3: Children will be able to

express their rights and show an

understanding and regard for the

identity, rights and views of

others.

1: Express their views and help make decisions in matters that affect

them.

2: Interact, work co-operatively and help others.

3: Be aware of and respect others’ needs, rights, feelings, culture,

language, background and religuous beliefs.

Aim 4: Children will see

themselves as capacle learners.

1: Develop a broad range of abilities and interests.

2: Show increasing confidence and self-assurance in directing their

own learning.

3: Demonstrate dispositions like curiosity, persistence and

responsibility.

4: Experience learning oppurtunities that are based on personal

interests, and linked to their home, community and culture

5: Be motivated, and begin to think about and recognise their own

progress and achievements.

3: Aistear Aims and Learning Goals...

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Communicating: Aims Learning Goals

Aim 1: Children will use non-

verbal communication skills.

1: Understand and use non-verbal communication rules, such as turn-

taking and making eye contact.

2: Understand that some people will rely on non-verbal

communication as their main way of interacting with others.

3: Express themselves creatively and imaginatively using non-verbal

communication

Aim 2: Children will use

language.

1: Interact with others by listening, discussing and taking turns in

conversation.

2: Use an expanding vocabulary of words, phrases, and show a

growing understanding of syntax and meaning.

3: Use language with confidence and competence for giving and

receiving information, asking questions, requesting, negotiating,

problem solving, imagining and recreating roles and situations, and

clarifying thinking, ideas and feelings.

4: Become proficient users of at least one language and have an

awareness and appreciation of other languages.

Aim 3: Children will broaden

their understanding of the world

by making sense of expereiences

through language.

1: Use language to interpret experiences, to solve problems, and to

clarify thinking, ideas and feelings.

2: Build awareness of the variety of symbols used to communicate,

and understand that these can be read by others.

3: Become familiar with and use a variety of print in an enjoyable

and meaningful way.

4: Have oppurtunities to use a variety of mark-making materials and

implements in an enjoyable and meaningful way.

Aim 4: Children will express

themselves creatively and

imaginatively.

1: Share their feelings, thoughts and ideas by story-telling, making

art, moving to music, role-playing, problem solving, and responding

to these experiences.

2: Use language to imagine and recreat roles and experiences.

3: Respond to and create literary experiences through story, poetry,

song and drama.

4: Show confidence in trying out new things, taking risks, and

thinking creatively.

Here we are during ‘Seachtain

Na Gaeilge’ expressing

ourselves “creatively and

imaginatively” through our

Irish Dancing Ceilí.

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Exploring and Thinking: Aims: Learning Goals:

Aim 1: Children will learn about

and make sense of the world

around them.

1:Engage, explore and experiment in their environment and use new

physical skills including skills to manipulate objects and materials.

2: Demonstrate a growing understanding of themselves and others in

their community.

3: Learn about the natural environment and its features, materials,

animals, and plants, and their own responsibility as carers.

Aim 2: Children will develop and

use skills and strategies for

observing, questioning,

investigating, understanding,

negotiating, and problem solving,

and come to see themselves as

explorers and thinkers.

1: Gather and use information from different sources using their

increasing cognitive, physical and social skills.

2: Use their experience and information to explore and develop

working theories about how the world works, and think about how

and why they learn things.

3: Collaborate with others to share interests and to solve problems

confidently.

4: Use their creativity and imagination to think of new ways to solve

problems .

Aim 3: Children will explore

ways to represent ideas, feeljngs,

thoughts, objects, and actions

through symbols.

1: Become familiar with and associate symbols with the things they

represent.

2: Build awareness of the variety of symbols used to communicate,

and use these in an enjoyable and meaningful way leading to early

reading and writing.

3: Express feelings, thoughts and ideas through imporvising, moving,

playing, talking, writing, story-telling, music and art.

4: Use letters, words, sentences, numbers, signs, pictures, colour, and

shapes to give and record information, to describe and to make sense

of their own and others’ experiences.

5: Use books and ICT for enjoyment and as a source of information

Aim 4: Children will have

positive attitudes towards

learning and develop dispositions

like curiosity, playfulness,

perseverance, confidence,

resourcefulness, and risk taking.

1: Make decisions and take increasing responsibility for their own

learning.

2: Feel confident that their ideas, thoughts and questions will be

listened to and taken seriously.

3: Act on their curiosity, take risks and be open to new ideas and

uncertainty.

Here we are celebrating

‘Martin Luther King Day’. We

watched a powerpoint

presentation on our brand new

projector and then undertook a

variety of activities based on

what we had learnt.

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Well-being: Aims: Learning Goals:

Aim 1: Children will be strong

psychologically and socially.

1: Make strong attachments and devlop warm and supportive

relationships with family, peers and adults in out-of-home settings

and in their community.

2: Be confident and self-reliant.

3:Respect themselves, others and the environment.

4: Make decisions and choices about their own learning and

development.

Aim 2: Children will be as healthy and fit as they can be.

1: Discover, explore and refine gross and fine motor skills.

2: Show good judgement when taking risks.

3: Make healthy choices and demonstrate positive attitudes to

nutrition, hygiene, exercise and routine.

Aim 3: Children will be creative and spiritual.

1: Express themselves creatively and experience the arts.

2: Express themselves through a variety of types of play.

3: Develop and nurture their sense of wonder and awe.

4: Care for the environment.

5: Understand that others may have beliefs and values different to

their own.

Aim 4: Children will have positive outlooks on learning

and on life.

1: Show increasing independence, and be able to make choices and

decisions.

2: Demonstrate a sense of mastery and belief in their own abilities

and display learning dispositions, such as determination and

perseverance.

3: Thinks positively, take learning risks and become resilient and

resourceful when things go wrong.

4: Motivate themselves, and welcome and seek challege.

5: Respect life, their own and others, and know that life has a

meaning and purpose.

6: Be active citizens.

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HOW WE IMPLEMENT INNOVATION:

Each week, we plan our activities around the children’s ideas. We speak with them, listen to them

and to the best of our ability, try to implement what they communicate to us. Therefore, we

implement innovation in partnership with the Wise Owl children and their families through our

day to day activities and projects.

Our Random Acts of Kindness Project stemmed from a senior infant child Lauras’ idea of being

The Wise Owl “Minister for Kindness”. We then planned our “Random Acts of Kindness”

outtings solely based on the children’s own interests: animals (FOTA Wildlife Park and The

C.S.P.C.A Dogs Home), family (Darraglynn Nursing Home) and friends (ABC Childcare).

When Emily and Tess joined our Afterschool Club, they told us stories about Australia, where

they had spent some time growing up, therefore we searched for Australian Penpals and we now

write to two groups from Australia.

The ability to identify an interest the children have, and to then further develop it, ensures

innovation and development is continuously ongoing. This, both keeps us on our toes and ensures

the children are challenged and kept engaged each day in our program.

While our ideas may not necessarily be extravagent or involve a lot of funding, they interest the

children who enjoy undertaking these activities – this, in our opinion, is the most important thing

We are aware that in order to be innovative in daily practice, high quality standards must also be

maintained.

4: Our Innovation...

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THE BENEFITS OF OUR INNOVATION:

Due to the fact that we encompassed a wide range of stakeholders within our project, those that

benefited ranged from the children themselves, their families, the staff and all the people in the

Local and International Communities that the children had contact with over the course of each

project.

We believe that what was achieved is something that we do not even know the extent of ourselves.

Although those we came in contact with both directly and indirectly have thanked us and the

children for our efforts, it is only when you hear stories through email from our penpals in Ghana

that children there are drawing Irish flags in chalk on the pavement and bringing their letters home

to hang up in their homes, that you really get an idea of just how much a truly simple gesture can

mean to somebody else. It is stories such as these that help The Wise Owl children get a real sense

of what it means to really “make a difference”. The children, although so young, are experiencing

things that make them stop, think and imagine a life beyond their own, which in turn gives them

an appreciation for the things they have in their lives.

At times, it is easy to get caught up in the busy lives we lead, allowing the world pass you by each

day. It is beneficial for everyone to stop and think about those around us, acknowledging how we

all lead very different lives yet we have some similaritites such as livining within a community.

Each of us in a community has their own part to play and are important in our own ways. For a

child, it may be difficult for them to see how they can make a difference. We wanted to challenge

this view and show the children (and those in our community) just how important the Wise Owl

children really are.

Parents and families are welcomed as partners to our programme of care. Building these

partnerships is a daily process which is built upon communication and activities such as Corky

The Dog. We aim to create an afterschool whereby parents and families are encouraged to actively

participate in decision making and feel comfotable questioning or making suggestions with regard

to our routines within The Wise Owl Afterschool Club.

Feedback from Parents and Families regarding the benefits our innovation has had on their

children include increased self confidence and self esteem within their children. Many have

highlighted that their child has experienced a real sense of achievement through the projects they

have been involved in, experiencing “life in someone elses shoes”. These life experiences, in turn,

will give the children inspiration for their future choices and decisions.

- (Please see our ‘Supporting Documentation’ folder for testimonials and other information

which further highlights how we are innovative).

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The 16 Quality Standards of Síolta present during our

Innovation:

Rights of the Child Environments Parents and Families Consultation

Interactions Play Curriculum Planning and Evaluation

Health and Welfare Organisation Professional Practice Communication

Transitions Identity and Belonging Legislation and Regulation Community Involvement

1: Rights of The Child:

We are very much aware of each individual child’s rights. We view all children as active participants who

are respected and given the right to make their own choices and decisions each day.

5: Síolta Standards...

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2: Environments:

In our Afterschool premises we are extremely lucky to have a developmentally appropriate and

stimulating environment both indoors and outdoors. In our new Afterschool premises we were given the

oppurtunity to plan the layout of the building and chose materials that were engaging and

developmentally appropriate for our Wise Owl Children. We have full use of astro-turf hockey pitches,

basketball courts and football fields. This ensures that whatever the weather we can get out, get fit and

enjoy the outdoors! We also visit a nearby wooded area where we have picnics next to a “castle”.

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3: Parents and Families:

Parents and Families are looked upon for advice, recommendations and guidance throughout our time

together in The Wise Owls. Parents and families are the primary caregivers of the child and are experts

about their needs, wishes and requirements, however big or small. We encourage parents to have an

active role in their child’s Afterschool care with us and they are truly invaluable in many ways.

Parent Testimonial: "When your child wants to go to Wise Owls on weekends and holidays you know you have found something extra special! Our experience with the Wise Owls has been second to none. It has become a home away from home with Karen and her team like an extension of our family. Besides the lovely homely environment, nutritious tasty food and bags of fun, the Wise Owl team are constantly introducing new ideas and activities such as pen pals, shows, themed weeks and of course Corky the dog is a firm favourite with everyone. I could not wish for better care for my daughter".

- Auriol Leonard February 2015

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4: Consultation:

As seen through our Innovation Projects highlighted in this submission, we are acutely aware of the need

to consult with others : The Children, Parents and Families, Staff and the wider Community. Through the

consultation process you learn and develop to a greater extent, sharing and utilising all stakeholders

knowledge and expertise.

5: Interactions:

Positive interactions between child/child, child/adult and adult/adult reinforce friendship, trust and self-

confidence, ensuring a friendly and relaxed atmosphere is maintained. Children mirror what they see and

learn through witnessing the actions of others, it is vital to reinforce and to be aware of the importance of

positive, respectful interactions.

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6: Play:

Play is vital for all childen, regardless of their age. Children thrive during play, allowing their

imaginations and creativity to help them make sense of the world around them. After completing each

“Random Act of Kindness” the children were also given the time to play, explore and investigate. In The

C.S.P.C.A Dogs Home, after the children had presented the hamper full of treats and toys to The Manager

Vincent, the children were given a tour of the Dogs Home. Matthew says that: “I felt good going to give

things to the dogs. Looking at the puppies and trying to find the frogs was my favourite thing after that.”

7: Curriculum:

Our curriculum is varied, broadly-based and tailored to cater for both the indoor and outdoor interests of

the children. We focus on current affairs topics and aim to empower the children with information from

around the globe. We celebrate everything from Martin Luther King Day and Engineers Week to Early

Childhood Ireland’s Annual Pyjama Day.

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8: Planning and Evaluation:

In order to prepare for a busy Afterschool day, planning is essential. Planning occurs amongst children

and staff in collaboration. As Childcare Professionals we are also constantly evaluating our work in

relation to every aspect of our practice. “What worked?”, “What didn’t work?”, “How can we impove?”

ond “What would we do differently?” are questions we ask ourselves when evaluating our practice.

9: Health and Welfare:

The Health and Welfare of both children and staff is our biggest priority at all times, regardless if we are

based in our Afterschool premises or exploring the wider community. The Health and Welfare of all

involved is based on a solid foundation of trust and responsibility. Many meausres are taken daily,

weekly, monthly and annually through Risk Assessments, First Aid training and our Afterschool policies

to ensure the Health and Welfare of everyone is the main priority.

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10: Organisation:

As our projects can span over a series of days or even weeks, organisation can be critical at the initial

planning stages and during the completion of the project itself. Regular documentation and discussions

ensure all ideas are valued and included in the planning stages and can be organised efficiently to ensure a

smooth running of an activity or project.

11: Professional Practice:

As educated Childcare Professionals we are aware of our duty of care to each child. We are priveleged to

be entrusted each day with the children in our care and value each and every child for their individuality

and unique personalities. Our staff are extremely dedicated and aware of the importance of their role and

try to build positive relationships with the children, their families and the wider community.

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12: Communication:

Successul communication is essential in order to involve all stakeholders, showcase your achievements

and to ensure everyone is included and involved. Aswel as communication with parents and families each

evening and via text and phone calls, we produce quarter monthly newsletters, update or website regularly

and are active through social media accounts on facebook and twitter. These lines of communication are

also invaluable when it comes to keeping up to date with the latest developments in the sector.

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13: Transitions:

Ensuring smooth transitions from one activity to another, ensuring it all makes sense to the children is

extremely important. For example, we visited the residents and staff of Darraglynn Nursing Home to

paint with them. We explained to the children we would come back again to visit our friends there for

Christmas. We followed through on this promise, establishing our friendship further. Please see the

pictures below of our two visits to Darraglynn Nursing Home so far.

14: Identity and Belonging:

We try to instill a real sense of positive self and group identitites within our service. In doing so, you

empower children, both as an individual and in a group situation. It is important to provide an

environment that is warm, welcoming and encouraging. We want each child to feel like they belong and

are an important part of in The Wise Owl Afterschool Club.

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15: Legislation and Regulation:

Health and Safety, Staff Ratios and Parental Consent were the biggest factors we had to address

accordingly when planning our projects outlined in this Submission. Although the Afterschool Sector,

unfortuantely, is not regulated at the moment, we abide by all the current Child Care (Pre-school

Services) Regulations 2006. It is our hope that Afterschool Services will be regulated in the same manner

in the not too distant future. This will ensure there will be set minimum quality assurance requirements,

something in which we currently aim to achieve each day.

16: Community Involvement:

Throughout this entire submission, we hope you have gained an insight into just how important

Community Involvement means to us as a service. It is something in which we aim to involve ourselves

in even more in the months ahead as we have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the people in our Local

and International Communities.

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THE ABILITY TO BE A ROLE MODEL AND INFLUENCE OTHERS:

Each day we encourage the Wise Owl Children to try new things, challenge themselves and make

a difference, instilling self belief and promoting inner confidence. Engaging in these activities

creates both intrinsic and extrinsic feelings. Intrisically, giving the child the motivation to engage

in a behaviour because it is personally rewarding to them alone, giving them a sense of pride,

happiness and a sense of achievement. Extrinsically, giving the child the motivation to engage in

a behaviour to make somebody around them happy, receiving gratitude as a result of this.

Working in the sector of school aged childcare you have the opportunity to challenge both

yourself as a practitioner and the children themselves. The children thrive on new challenges,

experiences and overcoming obstacles. They want to know that you trust them and value their

individual stengths and skill sets. These oppurtunities equip each child with life experiences and

life skills that they will carry with them well beyond their school years.

An afterschool setting needs to be more than a place where the children simply complete their

homework. The children have already spent so many hours in school, we aim for them to want to

come to The Wise Owls. As the children grow, their needs and wishes change, we are aware of

this and want to evolve and grow in collaboration with the children. Our Innovation has impacted

the children, their families, the staff and the wider community. The children and their actions has

created a domino effect of happiness in all those involved.

6: The Ability to be a Role Model...

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We hope you have enjoyed

reading our Early Childhood Ireland Innovation Submission.

The Wise Owl Afterschool Club: Innovation in School Aged

Childcare. 2014-2015.

Completed by Karen Deasy, Manager of The Wise Owl Afterschool Club, in collaboration

with Children, Parents, Families, Staff, Management and the people in our Community.

7: Conclusion...