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Check out the latest news:
Childrens Day 2009 Update
November 2008
‘Listening and Talking’ represents the key theme for Children’s Day
2009. Plans are underway for the first Sunday in March celebrations for
children with a revamped website and for 2009 a focus on Ben. In March
this year new Children’s Day characters were introduced – Ben (11), Kate
(8), Jess and Rua (4) and Patch the dog.
Each year a character will be highlighted and some further
information about their culture, family and hobbies will be
explored. Ben has a Samoan dad and Chinese mum. He reflects many
children in our changing society as statistics in 2006 show that one
in five children born in New Zealand has more than one ethnicity.
Ben loves the water and wants to be a life-guard when he grows up so
some of the activity booklet themes for 2009 will feature water
games with an emphasis on water safety. You will notice that Ben’s
granddad is shown interacting with the children and it is hoped that
many communities will think of events with our elders/kuia/kaumatua
and grandparents for the day. One preschool is already organising a
day when grandparents are invited to their school for special
activities.
Now is a good time to start thinking about what
you or your organisation or community will be doing on or around
Children’s Day. This year the children’s day website
www.childrensday.org.nz has a page describing some of the events
held on Children’s Day 2008 and a tips page for prospective
organisers. Check it out and see what you and your family can do to
listen to and talk to children in 2009. If you are able to place a
pdf ad in your local newsletter or distribute it to your e-networks
you can also get a copy of this from the website events planning
page.
To all Children’s Day event organisers
April 2008
This note is to update you on the information we are gathering from
Children’s Day 2008 and to hope that you enjoy the certificate provided
which is a warm gesture of appreciation from the National Children’s Day
Steering Group and our Patron Her Excellency Susan Satyanand.
We know how much effort you put in to ensure that families and
children really had a great day of ‘new experiences’ last March. Great
things happened on Children’s Day 2008 and below are some of the results
from the Survey forms and other measures of the success of the day, we
thank you for your role in this.
- More than 500 events held throughout the country – from small
events of several hundred to huge events catering to over 10,000
visitors! Our Survey shows that nearly two thirds of reported events
were held in provincial towns and cities.
- The Children’s Day website
www.childrensday.org.nz
has shown an increase in visits this year. The highest access was on
March 1st with 6164 pages accessed that day.
- The survey results show that the poster and A5 handout are
welcomed; you found our website and freephone helpful; you strongly
suggested we think of a resource that will appeal to the under 5’s
(but you liked the activity booklet and our new characters);
although you could manage without these resources and would still
organise an event, you acknowledge how important the resources are
to create a national feeling of identity for the day each year;
importantly, your events were highly successful and comments
focussed on how great it was that parents and children interacted
together to enjoy the day; and many of you acknowledged the help of
our National Manager Esther Wallace.
- Sadly Esther has decided to move on to fresh fields, but her
legacy of great organisation and attention to detail will be
continued by the Public Education Team of Child, Youth and Family.
Sue Lytollis, Team Leader, will take on some of the management of
the day so please direct any enquiries to
sue.lytollis002@cyf.govt.nz and we are also keeping the
givingtime@childrensday.org.nz .
- The theme for Children’s Day 2009 will be ‘Listening and
Talking’. I am sure you will all think of fabulous ways of
encouraging listening and talking between children and adults in
your event planning for 2009.
- The Winner of the Evaluation Survey was an organiser of an event
in Helensville, thank you to all of you who took the time to fill in
our survey, we do appreciate and use the information you provide.
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