Last post for Vital Years blog 2009!! Jen, Sally, Lana, Angie and Sandra

This is one of my best friends, Jen. Jen is a marvellous woman, filled with abundant energy and zest for life. Jen runs heaps of different workshops on felting, parenting, needlefelting and runs two playgroups and a family day care from home.
Jen's group made Mother Madonna's using the needlefelting technique. By all accounts, people were inspired by her teaching and want to make more! This is Sally Martin, our painting teacher. Sally inspired deep thinking and objective viewpoints through her workshop. She continues to help grow and develop individuals with clarity of thinking and being in this world.
Lana, our exuberant, joyful Lana taught a class on needlefelting australian animals. How cute!
There was a gorgeous echidna- we all fell in love!
Angie taught techniques of drawing and inspired people to have a go. Her simple techniques are perfect for kindergarten teachers to create simple shapes that suggest forms of animals, people, houses, trees etc.
The group made a moving picture board. This is one on Billy Goats Gruff.
Lastly, this is Sandra Frain, our biodynamics wizard. From all accounts, this was THE workshop to be in!! Go here for more info, by visiting her website.... link to Astro Calendar
Thank you to all our workshop hosts, (some of whom may not have featured here over the week due to lack of photo!) helpers, and everyone who helped make Vital Years 2009 such a success. We look forward to seeing you all in 2011!! I know I am looking forward, very much, to once again being a participant and will enjoy the rest!!

Renate and Michael

This is Renate Long-Briepohl, one of our keynote speakers. I always love what Renate has to bring to us. It is always timely, and relevant to our ongoing issues in the kindergarten realm.

It was wonderful to listen to words on colour, beauty, play and music. I also love the connections she makes to current scientific research. In our world, it is no longer good enough just to 'feel' that a particular school is right for your child as many parents want 'proof' and security in knowing that their child will still succeed academically. There is a need to engage their 'thinking' in their choices, particularly to justify their choice to their wider social network and families. These connections to the world of current research and science make our work even more relevant in today's society. Michael Howard came to present to our group of Kindergarteners and by all accounts, was slightly nervous about the prospect. We, however, knew that he would bring something to Vital Years, and that was 'balance'. Helping us to engage our thinking, to ponder deeply the connections between artistic and scientific thinking and working.

I really enjoyed listening to his words and participating in the modelling workshop.

This is one of our rice drawings. I found this work fascinating.

Carving and modelling with clay, wood and beeswax also made me engage in another newer process, with a different viewpoint. I actually found myself 'becoming' a sculptor this week and that is something I would and could never have done before. My top is becoming more top-like as the week goes on, but there is still more work to do. I will pop it on my personal blog MamaMoontime Blog when it is done in a week or so...

Isn't it nice to know who is who!

This is Heather. Heather taught two groups at Vital Years. A beginner class and an advanced class of Hand gesture games. Heather is so gracious in sharing this work with everyone and I know from experience that there is something 'extra special' about these songs, judged by the way the children react to them and want to do them OVER AND OVER AND OVER again!!

Jan is our 'Moving with Young children' presenter. Jan is a well known eurythmist, who we all love up here in Qld. She inspires me to move graciously and consciously both when I am with the children and not. Feedback from Jan's workshops was so amazing and everyone left inspired to bring clarity to how we move with children in kindergartens. Jan also did a lifelike impression of Gollum from the Hobbit in our Eurythmy performance night!

This is Carla, our singing teacher extraordinaire. Carla taught her people how to write songs in the Mood of the Fifth. Evidently, we have some new songwriters in our midst.

This is Kate, art and craft teacher from Samford and all-round fun chick! Kate ran two workshops. One of the development of drawings in young children, and a second on Sandstone sculptures where the participants made mandala sculptures from a sandstone mix.

Great work, Kate.

Dolls, Fish and Painting with wool

Today, I will begin with the doll making workshop. This is Birgit. She is delightful!! For more on Birgit, check out my personal blog Mama Moontime Blog here Aren't her dolls sweet!! Not only that, but I have never worked so hard to make something so beautiful and made to last.

This is Nikki, part of two who run the Silkwood craft group and my friend. Nikki, with Mia and Avril, was one of the great minds and organisers behind the Co-op shop at VY. Yeah!! Thanks to them, over $23,000 worth of goodies were sold (WOW!!) and 10 % of that goes straight to Silkwood and Samford schools. WELL DONE!!!!

Here is Nikki in action, with her group busy making felt sea creatures for their fishing bag games.

Finally today, this is Sigrid. Wonderful Sigrid with a wild sense of humour! We love you, Sigrid. You brought such joy to the conference and no doubt keep your NZ friends happy and laughing...

Here are some of the ladies making their 'fleece pictures' in wool.

Check back tomorrow!

Ooops, a few more bits...

Anyone who did not receive their certificate (eg forgot to pick it up or who were late registrations and where we ran out of certificates), I hope to have these out to you next week in the post. Please email me if you are one of these people with your current postal address.

amber.greene (at) hotmail (dot) com. (this is to prevent spammers!!)

Lastly, thank you for all your glorious feedback. I will be passing this info on to the next vy hosts.

Felted mandalas and angels

Next on the list of photos to show you all, are ones from Mia Faulk's 'felted surprises' workshop. This organically became a workshop on making a four-season mandala felt.

This is the first step of laying out the fleece, and this (below) is Mia!
The finished product!
ps. Thank you Mia for your work in the craft shop!! and at Silkwood for your inspiration there.

Here is Robyn Stickland. (below). Robyn is from Melbourne, and is a friend of Nikki's from Silkwood which is how we found her and enticed her to come host a workshop. Her workshop was how to make 'wet felted angels'. This type of felting is an all-in-one piece, which is quite tricky.
Here is an example.
And this is the team of ladies who enjoyed making their own angel for their kindy and homes.

Thank You to all.

Firstly, a great big thank you to everyone who attended Vital Years 2009. From all accounts, it has been a nurturing, enlivening event and I have been inundated with positive comments and thank you's. I want to say a big return thank you for making the week flow so smoothly. It was a pleasure.


I would like to say another big thank you to all our task group leaders, our craft shop volunteers and coordinators, our setting up and pack up helpers and to Silkwood/Samford and Fingerprints staff for the wonderful hospitality you provided us on our excursion.


Here, I will begin to post some photos of the week.
First up, we have Mariyen, our felting teacher extraordinare. Mariyen facilitated her workshop on felting and supported the many women in her group whilst allowing them free rein to create. I know my friend, Megan, has found her new pathway of art and has been inspired by Mariyen's teaching.... Thank you.












More photos and things tomorrow...

Attention all singing workshop people!

Hello Singers of the world!
If you are in Session B "singing in the mood of the fifth", please bring your recorder if you have one.
See you Monday.
Amber

ps dont forget your paper, pens and a warm jacket- Cool nights ahead!

updates- material fee for Biodynamics; 3rd workshop availability, bus pickups

Hello again.
What a wonderful platform for updating you all with new and improved information!!

Number 1:
Sandra, who is presenting the Biodynamics workshop, has informed me of the need to charge a small fee to cover photocopying costs. This will be under $10 and this will be posted on the noticeboard on the Monday morning, once she has estimated the outgoings.

Number 2:
3rd workshop availability has been updated, due to some spots being taken by new attendees. At present (subject to change), there are spaces available in:
SESSION A
hand gestures-new 1
speech- 15
doll making- 4
needlefelt madonna- 4
SESSION B
singing-1
hand gestures- upskill 8
pictorial drawing - 5
sandstone carving-5
needlefelting animals- 6
SESSION C
wet felt angel- 7
fishing game- 9 (see pics below)
felted surprises - 11 (see pics below)
picture felting- 4

Number 3-Bus Pickups
A number of people who are booked onto the 9am bus have flights arriving in Brisbane that may make catching this bus a close call. If this is you, and you miss the bus, please call John on 0402 244 755 or 0488 55 7281. We may be able to do another pickup to catch any late arrivals if needed.

Looking forward to seeing you all on Monday!!
Amber

Fishing Game and Felted surprises!

There are a number of spaces left in both the 'Fishing game ' workshop and the felted surprises workshop, where you will make a felt seasonal picture.

Here are some pictures to inspire you if you wish to join one of these as a third workshop!!

More advice on what to bring, and what not to bring..

All linen is provided for you- including towels and blankets. The rooms are all on reverse cycle air conditioning, with heating, with the exception of 6 rooms which have heaters instead.

There will be an opportunity to purchase entry into a 3rd workshop. We will have these posted on the main noticeboard in foyer and it will be first in, to select their choices.
Please bring a small amount of cash with you as these payments will be cash only.

Materials fees will be needed to be paid on the Monday to your host of the workshop (if applicable).

A materials fee has been added to the "Morning circles' workshop to cover cost of photocopying. This will be a fee of $4.

See you Monday!!

Update to price for 'Painting with wool"; C workshop times

Hello again,
An amendment to the brochure- The 'Painting with Wool' class with Sigrid has a material fee of $10 however this is a typo error. The correct price for materials for this class is $20. Sorry about the inconvenience.

C workshops will run from 4.30-6pm, the full hour and a half.
Dinner begins at 5.30 so C workshop participants will arrive for dinner slightly later than the rest of the group. This was the only way we could fit another workshop into our tightly packed schedule and also allows Dinner time to flow more smoothly as we dont have 140 people arriving all at once!!

See you soon. In 17 days!!

Bus pick up point (revised), list of passengers for bus pick up, spaces available for 3rd workshop, reminder of material costs

BUS PASSENGERS FOR JOHN
6.00AM PICK UP
Rosemary Rowntree, Julie Vivian Williams, Angela Flynn
7.30AM PICK UP
Megan Young, Annabelle Ciufo (pref 9)
Irene Bragg (pref 9), Trish Shervington
Yolanda Vogeli (pref 9), Melissa Baker (pref 9)
Anna Neilsen, Judith Deane
Kathleen Stack, Meredith Gilroy
Annalie Mulhollan, Alexis Lazaroo (pref 9)
Connie Farina (pref 9), Rocio Garcia (pref 9)

9AM PICK UP
Tearza Stark, Patrizia Sharp, HAnnah Gauci, Veronica Hoffman, Susan Laing, Lara Sampson, Anke Van Wely, Yuling Chen, Janina Papas, Denise Bullen, Helen Charge, Frances Ritchie, Mayako Hiramatsu, Christine Pearson, Ebba Bodame,Kerryanne Armstrong, Jenni Mills, Pat Leembruggen, Sigrid Mcturk Baurecker, Marjorie Theyer


NEW PICK UP ZONE.

on the main street level of the Brisbane Transit Centre (roma st station), come out on to the main road side (Roma St). Directly opposite you there is the main Brisbane Police station. As you face the police station, you will see a long bus pick up zone for buses coming and going. John will wait at the front of this area in the Silkwood Bus. Please call if you cant find him.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN A THIRD WORKSHOP IN YOUR SPARE TIME???

We have spots available in the following workshops. Cost is $50 per workshop PLUS the applicable material fee (mat fee paid to host on first day)

Cash payments only.

Please go to registration desk this morning to book in!!

WORKSHOP
Material fee
Spaces available
A- Hand gestures (new people) $0 3 Spaces
A Modelling with Michael $0 5 spaces
A Speech $0 15 spaces
A Doll making with Birgit $25 6 spaces
A Needlefelting a mother Madonna $20 5 spaces
B Singing $2 5 spaces
B Hand gestures- upskilling $0 8 spaces
B Modelling with Michael $0 2 spaces
B Pictorial drawing $15 5 spaces
B Sandstone Carving $10 6 spaces
B needlefelting animals and shapes $10 5 spaces
C Wet felt angel $10 7 spaces
C mushroom house/fishing game (dependent on feedback) $20 9 spaces
C felted surprises! $10 13 spaces
C picture felting $20 5 spaces
C painting with wool $10 1 space

The current economic crisis has hit us too! We are encouraging everyone to take up a place in one of this workshops as this will help us lower our shortfall. Thanks again!!


WORKSHOP MATERIAL FEES.

Don't forget to bring cash for your material fees. This will need to be paid DIRECT TO YOUR WORKSHOP HOST on the first day of your workshop. There are no ATMs at the centre and the closest shop is a drive away so it is wise to bring a small amount with you to pay for incidentals and things.

See you soon
Amber

Food choices, Bus phone numbers, bus pick up venue change

Hello again

Just a note, with regard to meals.
The chefs at Bardon centre make lovely food and are in preparations for our menu as we speak.
One big thing to note is that due to the amount of food they have to prepare, getting ingredients in season etc, the 'some meat meals' option may include red meat, chicken or fish.
If you have noted that you can only eat fish, or chicken and fish, I have given you the 'vegetarian option' to ensure you don't have a dinner that may include red meat.

If you are having a pick up on the Monday morning, please take note of these phone numbers.
John informs me there is a bus ramp (I am not sure where it is but will check it out on wed for you all to give you better directions) where he can pick you all up.

If you are lost, please call John on 0422 244 755 or the silkwood bus phone on 0488 55 7281.

updated pick up Instructions to follow....

ALL REGISTRATIONS ARE NOW LOCKED IN!, EDDIE!

Registrations are now locked in and numbers have been given to Bardon Centre. This means that even if you are no longer able to come for whatever reason, we will have to pay for your place.

Cancellations will only be able to occur if we can fill your place with another registration. A few are still trickling in..

Accomodation registrations are NOW CLOSED.
Day stay registrations and lecture only registrations are still open until 16 June.

Thanks again
Amber

3 lots of new info!!

ASSESSMENT AND REPORTING DOCUMENTS
We have had a request to pass on to you all - Would it be possible for people to bring their Assessment and Reporting Documents that they use in kindy to Vital years please?? Particularly, things that deal with Class One readiness.
This would be much appreciated. There may be a free initiative formed over the Vital Years to discuss this important issue.

BUS PICK UPS.
Is there anyone else requiring a bus pick up on the Monday morning? THe 9am bus is full but there are about 10 spots left in the 7.30 and heaps in the 6am. Let me know via email if this is you. John, the bus driver, will collect you in the SILKWOOD BUS, outside roma st station on the river side. (the courthouse side). We will post a sign where you will need to wait.



SINGING GROUP A
There are 6 people in singing, in group A, that will need to shift to another Session A workshop. Unfortunately, our host Kathyryn May is ill and cannot take her groups. We have been able to find Carla Peverini from Samford, to host the B session (thank you, Carla!!) which leaves us with a group and no teacher for session A.
I will attempt to contact the 6 via email but if this is you, please email me with your second choice- you can either do a different A workshop or join in a crafty C session.

See you soon
Amber

BIG CHANGE TO EXCURSION

Hello excursion adventurers!!
I have some news for you! Unfortunately, we only have about 30 of you who wanted to take advantage of a day out so we have had to make some logistical changes to the day to make it feasible for everyone involved, HOWEVER, I am thinking that you will probably be excited and joyous at the change, so... here goes.
We will leave centre on the friday with a packed lunch and travel to Samford Valley School. Connie and her team will take us all for a grand tour throughout their school. Be sure to bring your cameras! We will then hop back on the bus and journey down to Silkwood School on the Gold Coast. As this is a bit of a journey, we will be famished so will be met at Silkwood by the SCCA team (parents and friends) who will nourish us with afternoon tea. We will then tour around the school.
We will then rejoin bus to travel 15 mins to Fingerprints, our new privately owned but school affiliated Preschool, in it's lovely rural setting. What a treat! It is gorgeous!!
Finally, we will head into Mudgeeraba town (a lovely historical village of the Gold coast- yes, there are a few historical areas but not too many!!) and have dinner in one of the local well known restaurants- A lovely, social and relaxed way to finish off our week in Bris/GC.
John, the bus driver, will then return our weary bodies back to Bardon for our final nights kip.

I am confident that this new route and plan will satisfy the itch many of us have to visit as many schools as we can!!

Looking forward to it now. Wish me luck, I have a big tooth operation on 17th June and hope my face will have recovered in time!!

Wow! Not long to go now!

Hello again.
The Vital Years is creeping upon us and it won't be long until we are together in Brisbane.

We have over 180 people coming this year and a few more are filtering in. If you know of anyone who hasnt registered as yet, please remind them to do it by the end of May, especially if they are requiring accomodation.

We now have quite a few people who have registered with us to sell their crafty bits in the shop!! Avril, Nikki, Mia and I are so excited to see what everyone has made. The shopping part is always a highlight for me (and I hope you too!)

Please remember to bring some cash with you for these purchases as there is no eftpos machine on site.

All people staying at the centre will require a credit card imprint for registration at the centre. This is a Bardon Centre requirement.


Finally, it looks like we will have a few spots to sell in workshops so if you wish to do a third one, (most of the vacancies are in session C) please bring $50 cash with you to the registration desk on the first day (you will need to also pay the host their workshop material fee if there is one) after checking out the noticeboards and making your choice.

These workshops begin on the first day, so there is no time to be wasted. It will be first in, first served to fill these spots.

A couple of changes to note:
The modelling workshop by Michael Howard has been revamped to include seed and grain drawings, clay work and some basic sculpture as well as beeswax modelling. His plans sound GREAT! If you are in this class, please bring with you a whittling knife.

Looking forward to seeing you all soon!

Amber

EXTENSION OF DATE TO REGISTER!

Hello again!
We have extended the date to register until May 15 however there are some conditions to this.
Firstly, as we have now given numbers to Bardon centre for those requiring accomodation, they have opened their rooms to other bookings. This means that for any person registering for Vital years, who will require a room, first I must confirm that an accomodation room is still available. This is likely, however I must communicate with the Centre before confirming your place.
Anyone wishing to be a day attendee or lectures only can book in as usual as numbers for food etc does not have to be confirmed until closer to the conference.

Please send the brochure now to any and everyone you think may be interested in taking up the opportunity to attend. We would like to reach 200 participants (essential for our budgeting) and have about 30 places left to fill.

At this stage, there will be some spaces available in workshops for those who might like to join a third one. We are currently working out a fee for this. Availability will be posted on the notice board at registration and we encourage you to book in to these at registration as no doubt this opportunity will be popular!!

Finally, our dear friend Carol Olde has notified me that she is no longer able to present her workshop at Vital Years on cold dyeing. I will be in contact with the 5 people who had booked in to help them change their workshop choice.

Dont forget to keep reminding your crafty friends to contact Avril re: co-op shop. We cant wait to see all the lovely creations Australian and New Zealand women are making!!

Amber