Office Team Reflections
Acts of Kindness
Tania Peroni, Facilities & Compliance Manager
While times are unusual and unfamiliar and our TV screens are filled with negativity, an antidote is needed in order to march forward with hope - there is positivity in each day, we just need to know where to look!
Practising random acts of kindness emits those feel good endorphins and goes a long way in brightening up someone else’s day also.
Random acts of kindness can include
leaving a thank-you note for the delivery driver dropping of your recent online purchase – if like me, you have taken to ordering items online, leaving a short thank-you note for the delivery driver is a lovely gesture. The note I left for my driver was short “Please leave parcel at the door, I know how busy you must be, so thank you for delivering my parcel safely – Have a great day!” My delivery driver now acknowledges me by my first name and when delivering parcels, he no longer drops them at the front door, he rings the doorbell first to say hello!
Sending a letter of appreciation in the mail to support a loved one, is another way you can add positivity and happiness to someone's day. You could include an art piece your child has produced. My niece is studying VCE and is finding it challenging, working from home. I spent some time thinking of a way I could bring let her know I was thinking of her and help bring a smile back to her face. I sent a homemade card filled with encouragement and reminding her of her ability and strength – she was so thrilled and her reaction left me thinking, how a small inexpensive gesture, meant so much to her and went such a long way in brightening her day.
Checking in on your neighbours - You may be at low risk of severe consequences from the virus, but it may not be the same for your neighbours whose immune systems are compromised. The act of checking in on them (social distancing and wearing your face mask) will not only make them feel good, it will make you feel good and remind you that there are others for whom this predicament is even more stressful.
Our minds are powerful and looking after our thoughts is an important part of self-care Practising Gratitude is a useful tool in managing hardship and stressful situations.
Taking time out to each day to reflect on all the things you are thankful for plays a part in refocusing your thoughts and feelings. Refocusing your attention to the positives and finding the beauty in what we have and enjoying the small things that still exist for us day to day is a good way to redirect your head-space. I speak from experience, reflecting and being thankful is something I practice each and every day, there is SO MUCH to be thankful for health, family and LIFE itself.
Connection is important and staying connected to friends and family is challenging during stage 4 lock-down. While technology has its downfalls, it’s a tool that keeps us linked with friends, work colleagues and loved ones. We can communicate via phone, email, zoom etc. Make that call, send that email and stay in touch!
Service Support
Dana Bitan, Service Support Coordinator
The last few months have been challenging and each and every one of us are experiencing and feeling something quite different.
This week, one of our GEKA Kindergartens were experiencing some issues with their laptop - an important communication tool at this time of remote learning and connection! I worked with the children as we problem solved how to regain function of the laptop.
I got chatting with the children. I asked one of our children what shows they enjoyed watching, to which they responded, “Bluey the Dog”. As an extension to sharing this, I brought up 'Bluey the dog' on the lap top and even connected it to the TV. One by one I noticed each child had started laughing and the engagement in what they love to watch grew. While the laptop and TV are not usually used for watching programs such as these, I was fortunate the educators allowed me to engage with these children through interest and enjoy a moment of pure happiness with them.
The laughter and smiles lit up the room and it reminded me that the smallest actions we do can provide the greatest joys. I am privileged to be around our GEKA Educators and children, as they never fail to always put a smile on my face.
GEKA Language Register
Rebecca Ellin, Human Resources Administration Coordinator
In times of uncertainty, it’s important to commemorate any victories we are able to achieve to help our community. This term, GEKA has strengthened our language support service to support our families who may not speak English as their first language. We accomplished this by reaching out to none other than our existing employees, who have a combined knowledge of nearly twenty languages, and the list is still growing!
With the assistance of our educators and office staff, we are able to provide support to non-English speaking families across all of our locations, adopting a one community approach and providing our diverse community with varied experiences to utilise their wealth of knowledge.
Our employees’ enthusiasm, to share these skills, is a testament to their commitment to our mission to foster a robust relationship between educators and families that maximises outcomes for children’s learning.
