Christmas Competition

Check out the website for details of our new Christmas Competition.
Go into the draw to win one of three $100 Christmas packs!!
See the website for further details

Community Development Officer

Hi to all,
It is with great sadness that I say good bye to all our playgroups. I will be continuing my study in the new year at UTAS and enjoying some quality time with my young children.

Don't despair though! I have passed on the reins to Debbie Smith, our Program Coordinator who is more than qualified and will help all members with their queries.

Best of luck to all and a safe and happy holiday season to all

cheers
Kelli Schultz

2009 Annual Raffle Winners

Congratulations to all our raffle winners.

Thank you to all who bought a ticket




1st L’ton Health & Fitness Centre 12 mth pass $884 Bron Hanstein

2nd Club Salamanca Gym 3mth pass. $600 Phil Shelveton

3rd Big4 Holiday Parks $500 voucher Michelle Austen

4th Hobart Aquatic Centre 6mth pass $375 Lucy Gibson

5th Carton of wine- Diamond Island Wines $350 Kaitlyn Cock

6th Toy World toy pack $130 Karen Perry

7th Mark Seaton Photographics voucher $125 Tameka Clark

8th Hollybank treetop adventure voucher $99 Emily Bennett

9th Launceston Aquatic Centre family passes $80 Sonia Routley

10th ABC shop gift pack $70 Louis Evorall

11th Children’s pop up adventures Scholastic books $60 Gabrielle Emery

12th Wings Wildlife pass $58 Kathryn Lumsden-Steel

13th Tarkine Forest Pass $45 Cooper Fuller

14th Petrachs Bookstore voucher $30 Helen Wood

15th Skwish baby toy $30 Anne ferencz

16th Don River Railway pass $30 Carrie Loring

17th Hobart Theatre Royal voucher $25 Jacinta Gleeson

18th Baby bookpack Scholastic Books $15 Peter Brasher

Spring Newsletter

Hi to all,
Isn't the weather just glorious this time of year! I have uploaded our Spring Newsletter to the website. It is the first of the seasonal newsletters we will be producing. If you would like to promote your playgroup or have an article you would like to contribute please email me on admin@playgrouptas.org.au.

you can download the newsletter here or call 1800 171 882 if you would like a hard copy posted :)

What do you want next year?

We currently have a poll on our website. Please help us plan our internal events by letting us know what you would like us to organise for you the members!

Teddy Bear Portraits Competition Winners!

We received an overwhelming amount of entries for our Teddy Bear Competition. I only wish we could give a prize to all the entrants as the teddies sent in were all gorgeous and it was very hard for our CEO, Steve Yates to choose a winner.
So hard in fact that he ended up choosing two winners.

First prize went to Callie Griffin, aged 4 with her drawing of her Purple Beanie Kid. Callie won a book pack valued at $30, donated by Scholastic Books.

Second prize went to Jasmine Jones, age 4 with her drawing of her teddy bear. Jasmine won a book valued at $15, donated by Scholastic Books.

To see the winning entries visit our website at www.playgrouptas.org.au

Community Playgroup Visits

Playspots are coming to Community Playgroups.

The team at Playgroup Tasmania want to visit your group for a chat and a play.

In 2010 we are going back to basics and want to meet all our members

So we want to come to you with our vans and get messy!

If you would like us to run a playspot and come visit you then call us on
1800 171 882
for a booking form.

or download a form from the members area on the website.

All playspots are subject to availability so book early to avoid disappointment.


First visit is free for all Affiliated Community Playgroups

Website Update

Our website has been updated. I have added in some new pages under membership and also uploaded an Expression of Interest form. This form is a great way to let us know what you want.
We run various Supported Playgroups, PlayConnect and MyTime programs, if you have specific needs and think we may be able to help then please send us in the form and we can add your name to a list so next time we are looking at setting up a new group we can let you know!


Also, don't forget to visit us on facebook and say hello!

Teddy Bear Competition

It is almost that time again, when we grab our bears and head to the parks!!!

In preparation for our Teddy bear's Picnic we want to see your bears!!!!

Send us a photo or drawing of your favourite teddy and go into the draw to win a fantastic book package donated by Scholastica Books to the value of $30.00. We will choose a bear from the Southern, Northern and North Western regions during Children's Week (25th-31st October 2009).

You can email your entries to info@playgrouptas.org.au

or post them to:

Teddy Bear Competition

Playgroup Tasmania

PO Box 799

Launceston 7250

Sheffield H.I.P.P.Y

Playgroup Tasmania manages the Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters in beautiful Sheffield, Northern Tasmania.

The Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY) is a home-based parenting and early childhood enrichment program targeting families with young children. HIPPY develops foundations for learning in the home and empowers parents to be their children's first teacher. The program is suitable for children from 3 1/2 to 4 ½ years in the first year and 5 + in the second year.

HIPPY began as a research project in 1969, 40 years ago at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and was spread on a country-wide scale in 1975, 34 years ago.

Since then, it has been operating in many other countries, including Australia, where it first began in Melbourne in 1998, 11 years ago. Currently, HIPPY is helping over 400 Australian families per year.


HIPPY Sheffield is funded by the Australian Government of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, owned by the Brotherhood of St Laurence and administered by Playgroup Tasmania.

How did Sheffield attract the program and why did Playgroup Tasmania get involved?

The Sheffield community through Corralanne Walker, municipal councillor and community advocate made an initial request to have Sheffield considered as a site for the program. Following a success outcome, two years later, Playgroup Tasmania tendered for and achieved the management of HIIPY in Sheffield. With play and learning through play as our core business we are delighted to be assisting families in the beautiful regional rural Kentish district to benefit from this fantastic, fun and free early childhood program.

The Benefits of HIPPY for children

• Encourages a love of learning
  
• Prepares for school by teaching early numeracy and literacy through play
  
• Maximises chances of enjoyment and doing well at school
  
• Promotes language and listening skills and develop concentration
  
• Builds self esteem and confidence in learning
  
• Provides opportunities for parents and children to enjoy time together
  

Benefits of HIPPY for parents

• Helps create a learning environment at home – 1 hour/week
  
• Increases knowledge of child development and the way children learn
  
• Provides opportunities to enjoy positive time with their children
  
• Enables parents to be actively involved in their children’s education
  
• Creates employment and training opportunities – two tutors from the Sheffield community help to deliver the program.
  

Playgroup Tasmania works in association with the following community partners and acknowledges the valuable contribution made by them in supporting HIPPY Sheffield: Kentish Family Support Services, Kentish Municipal Council, CORES, Kentish regional Clinic and Child Health.

The HIPPY Sheffield office is located at :

Town Hall, 66 High St. Sheffield.
Program coordinator and contact person is Valda Jennings
Phone: 03 64911965
Mobile: 0408160084

This is our wonderful team of staff for H.I.P.P.Y. , Valda who coordinates the program and Kelley and Lara who are the tutors.

State Team Meeting held 28th August

Meeting the staff

The state team had their bi-monthly meeting yesterday. Lots of planning for the coming year including the release of our 3 year strategic plan.

My oh my!! The goodies coming up next year for our Community Playgroups are wonderful!!!

I also managed to nail all the staff down to take some happy snaps so you can put some faces to the names and see that there are real folk behind the scenes.

I hope to have those uploaded to the website sometime next week so keep watching the space!!

Bicheno Supported Play Group

In Bicheno we have a great playgroup happening. They meet every Wednesday 10am -12noon and have loads of in the Bicheno Hall.

The added bonus with this group is that they get a visit from the Mobile Toy Library on the 4th Wednesday of every month.

This is when mums and dads can borrow and exchange toys to keep their little one amused for the month!

Community Playgroup Fundraising Ideas

It is the time of the year when all the toy fundraisers are being sent to us. Many playgroups will have receive copies of CHALK and Parent Direct catalogues in the post.

Playgroups have two options they can follow with these fundraising catalogues:

1. Orders forms are filled out and sent back to PGTas for us to process and organise - PGTas get bonus free toy vouchers to use.

2. Orders are processed and organised by the individual playgroup - YOU get the bonus free toy vouchers to use.

You can choose what option you would like to take.

For more Fundraising ideas go to the Members area on the website and follow the links!

Why have a Playgroup Raffle

Why are we having a raffle? What will the community gain by selling tickets?

All proceeds from our raffle go back into supporting community groups! Playgroup Tasmania is a non government, not for profit organisation. This means we rely on fundraising, grants and sponsorship to keep going.
As we all know the economic climate globally is facing a tough challenge and we here at Playgroup Tas are no different to any other organisation.
We hope to use the money raised to better support you our members. How we do this is by continuing our telephone/email support, visits to community groups, workshops, toy express.
The next year will bring with it heaps of changes that will see us supporting community playgroups more than ever! So by supporting our fundraising efforts you are supporting community playgroups too!

Playgroup Tas Bonanza Raffle 2009

What better way to start a new blog than with a fantastic selection of prizes for our 2009 BONANZA raffle :)

Tickets have been posted out to all playgroups and members! If you want to be in the running for some great prizes don't forget to buy your tickets! If anyone needs more tickets simply call 1800 171 882 to request more to be sent out.

Don't forget that there are two prizes for the playgroups who sell the most tickets and a prize for the family who sell the most tickets!!


1st Prize: 12 MONTH MEMBERSHIP (Launceston Health & Fitness World) $884.00
2nd Prize: 3 MONTH MEMBERSHIP (Club Salamanca Gym) $600.00
3rd Prize: GIFT VOUCHER (Big4 Holiday Parks) $500.00
4th Prize: 6 MONTH PASS (Hobart Aquatic Centre) $375.00
5th Prize: CARTON OF WINE (Diamond Island Wines, Bicheno) $350.00
6th Prize: TOY PACK (Toy World, Launceston) $130.00
7th Prize: GIFT VOUCHER (Mark Seaton Photographics) $125.00
8th Prize: FOREST PASS (Hollybank Tree Top Adventure) $90.00
9th Prize: GIFT VOUCHER (Launceston Aquatic Centre) $80.00
10th Prize: GIFT PACK (ABC Shop) $70.00
11th Prize: CHILDREN’S SET OF POP UP BOOKS (Scholastic Books) $60.00
12th Prize: FAMILY PASS (Wings Wildlife Park) $58.00
13th Prize: FAMILY PASS (Tarkine Forest Adventures) $45.00
14th Prize: GIFT VOUCHER (Petrarch’s Bookshop) $30.00
15th Prize: SKWISH CLASSIC BABY TOY (Windmill Toys) $30.00
16th Prize: FAMILY PASS (Don River Railway, Devonport) $30.00
17th Prize: GIFT VOUCHER (Hobart Theatre Royal) $25.00
18th Prize: BABY DAYS BOOKPACK (Little Scholastic Books) $15.00


Prize for family who sell the most tickets:















1st Prize for Playgroup with Most tickets sold




























2nd Prize for the Playgroup with most tickets sold