SUNSHINE CIRCLES®

Nurture your classroom with play!

Kindy Uplift Priority Areas: 1. Social and emotional capability & 2. Physicality 

Learn how to introduce this amazing, evidence based, social-emotional development group to your school.  Sunshine Circles® are adult-directed and structured, but rather than talking, the teacher leads playful, cooperative and nurturing activities. Sunshine Circles® can very quickly and dramatically improve the quality of the classroom and provide teachers with resources to maintain an emotionally positive and cognitively enriched environment.

Sunshine Circles® is a group based on Theraplay® principles that focuses on the social and emotional development of children. Sunshine Circles® gives children an opportunity to practice their self-regulation skills, co-regulation skills and to feel encouraged to have a go at achievable challenges. Educators lead playful, cooperative and nurturing activities to create an atmosphere of fun, caring, acceptance and encouragement. The goal is to enhance children’s social, emotional and cognitive development. 

Children generally embrace the three rules of Sunshine Circles… No Hurts, Stick Together and Have Fun!... and carry them with them throughout the day. Sunshine Circles provides educators with the resources to maintain an emotionally positive and cognitively enriched environment.

Sunshine Circles® strives to:

• Create an atmosphere that is warm, nurturing, engaging and challenging
• Meet the basic needs of children so they can be freed emotionally to explore their world
• Promote warm relationships between children and adults and friendships among peers
• Engage hard-to-reach children
• Bring fun and exuberance into the lives of children
• Place emphasis on cooperation between children
• Encourage children to learn and practice self- control 
• Enhance trust of others through concrete, personal and positive experiences
• Help children with regulatory disorders and tactile issues
• Simultaneously address cognitive, social and emotional development

Attendees must attend both days of training to receive their certification. 

Kindy Uplift: This workshop is designed for Kindy Uplift. It supports two Priority Areas:

• Social and emotional capability: Children feel safe, secure and confident in themselves and the learning environment, enabling them to take risks and make decisions. Children have the skills to sustain engagement in learning, manage emotions and connect positively with peers and significant adults.
• Physicality: Children demonstrate coordination, strength, gross and fine motor skills in a range of learning situations. Children are confident to make use of the learning environment to support their physical wellbeing.

Presented by Melita Bond Bachelor of Social Work). Melita is a Certified Group Theraplay ® Specialist and Trainer with 20 years of Social Work experience within the community sector in Perth and regional Victoria.  She has provided support to individuals and families, as well as over 15 years of leadership and supervision experience, within a range of roles across the sector including Family Services and the last 10 years within Early Years programs. Melita delivers Sunshine Circles ® groups in kindergarten settings, working closely with and coaching educators.  She enjoys working collaboratively with other services and educational settings to provide holistic support to children and families to enhance positive and sustainable outcomes. She is passionate about building meaningful, connected relationships with children and families, and feels privileged to do this work every day. 

Audience: for Education and Mental Health Professionals at All Levels & Any Professional that Applies Behavioural & Developmental Science to their Practice.

Education Professionals: All education professionals who work with children including, but not limited to K–1 Classroom Teachers, School Counsellors, Learning Assistance/Resource Teachers, School Administrators, School Paraprofessionals including Special Education Assistants, Classroom Assistants and Early Childhood Workers and all other professionals who support social and emotional development.

Mental Health Professionals: All mental health professionals including, but not limited to Social Workers, Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Youth Workers, Mental Health Workers, Family Therapists, and all other mental health professionals looking to enhance their therapeutic skill with early childhood.