Marie Jacobson from Leeton helps blow out the birthday candles!

There is the great saying - "You've got to be in it to win it".  Another is "If you don't think you're worth it, why should others?".  Marie Jacobson, Director of Leeton Preschool, hesitated before applying, though thankfully went by the first saying and won by the second!  I've been privileged enough to read her application.  It's humble - and Marie is most certainly a worthy scholarship awardee!  

Community Child Care Co-op celebrated their 35th birthday by hosting a day long 'smart party' with amazing speakers and a cocktail party to boot.  Marie was successful in her application to HESTA and won a scholarship to attend!  Very kindly, Marie shares her experience below.  If you don't manage to read the whole article, at least take this away with you.  It's a reflection of Marie's philosophy enhanced by the key speakers and the experience as a whole:

""Knowledge is Power”. If I do not gain knowledge I will not have the power to teach – I need to have this knowledge and be able to pass it on to those children within my care, and also my team.

When we work together for a united cause (early childhood education and care in NSW) we can certainly achieve an awful lot.  Even if is just to stop, listen and think.  We all need to do that every now and then as we get so caught up in our world of Assessment, paper trails, following regulations and laws and always trying our hardest to ensure that we are offering the children in our care the best possible early childhood education and care that we can.
Don’t lose focus. 
We have a job to do and we do it really well. 
We advocate for children.
We educate children.
We work really hard with peak bodies such as CCCC NSW so as we have all the information at hand that is needed, especially when we do not have the time to research this ourselves."
Marie G Jacobson

Read the full review below



LEETON PRESCHOOL
‘Learning and Growing Together’
COMMUNITY CHILD CARE CO-OP’S 35^TH BIRTHDAY BASH!
I was honored and very excited (actually, I was fizzing!!) to receive a phone call from Tonia at CCCCo-op to tell me that I was successful in winning a $1000 scholarship from HESTA to attend the CCCC (NSW) ‘day long smart party’ with 14 wonderful speakers followed by a celebratory cocktail party at UTS on Friday 1^st November 2013.
So after an early morning start, a flight to Sydney, dropping my bags off at The Mercure, I walked down to UTS.  I had a basic idea of where to go, but having people in purple CCCC shirts placed strategically along the way was really helpful (and even a relief to know I was going to the right place!) Great thinking (yet again) CCCC NSW.
What a wonderful day!
A day of inspirational, confrontational, passionate, professional, motivational and interesting speakers – from all walks of life.  I was glued to my seat, listening like never before, all day. We were all connected – by Early Childhood Education and Care in NSW.
It would probably be one of the only ‘conferences’ that I have been too where I didn’t really take that many notes – I just listened, absorbed, and wondered….. wondered how what these people were saying has already had an impact on me, how it impacts / changes my practices and thinking, how am I going to remember those very funny one liners, how throughout all speeches, even those that may have been seen as controversial or maybe some with unwarranted criticisms, how people take it on the chin, with dignity, agree to disagree and move on – with style and grace and compassion and class. That’s professionalism at its best.
Some of the speakers were confrontational – but that gave us all something to think about from a different point of view.  Some were highly amusing and made us laugh a lot – at ourselves, at society and at some ‘crazy’ ideas and concepts also.  Some made us somber and really think of the why and how behind ideas / concepts. They all made us think.
Michael West was exceptional and he set the tone for the day, doing a wonderful welcome to country and relating it to each and every one of us in the room. I have never experienced anything like it before and was completely immersed in what he had to say.  Wow!  Debroah Kelly’s display of fine arts and the stories behind her work was just profound – I will never look at any sort of art with the same ‘blankness’ or maybe even ‘ignorance’ ever again.  Leanne Gibbs spoke passionately about all we believe in – Education and how that is the key to all success, and how it can take many different forms, thoughts, and opportunities; but it all comes down to education being the key.  Alma Fleet was fabulous, as always, and really got us thinking the whole ‘back to basics’ with what we do – not hiding behind cameras and learning stories. Lisa Bryant let us all know that we all have the same misgivings about ourselves and our strengths and weaknesses, but we are all human and work hard for the benefit of the children in our care, and Early Childhood in general. The many other speakers were all very interesting to hear from, and I enjoyed finding out about their journey, their achievements, their thoughts and what they have done thus far and where they are going to.
The underlying ‘theme’ I guess, even though there actually wasn’t one, was all about ACTIVISM and EDUCATION and I kept thinking about my personal philosophy – “Knowledge is Power”. If I do not gain knowledge I will not have the power to teach – I need to have this knowledge and be able to pass it on to those children within my care, and also my team.
When we work together for a united cause (early childhood education and care in NSW) we can certainly achieve an awful lot.  Even if is just to stop, listen and think.  We all need to do that every now and then as we get so caught up in our world of Assessment, paper trails, following regulations and laws and always trying our hardest to ensure that we are offering the children in our care the best possible early childhood education and care that we can.
Don’t lose focus. 
We have a job to do and we do it really well. 
We advocate for children.
We educate children.
We work really hard with peak bodies such as CCCC NSW so as we have all the information at hand that is needed, especially when we do not have the time to research this ourselves.
Thank you Community Child Care Co-op for all that you have done over the past 35 years, and in my short working life of 18 years, thanks for always being there, always having information and resources for early childhood professionals, thanks for educating us through your training sessions and journals (to name a few) and thanks for always advocating for our sector – ourselves as professionals, our children and families and our services.
You all deserved to celebrate and what a wonderful way to do so – an exceptional day professionally and great networking at the ‘after party’.
Thank you also to Hesta for such an opportunity to attend.
What a wonderful idea to encourage people (particularly from regional . rural . remote areas) to attend and thanks for making this day accessible for so many people.
Congratulations to Community Child Care Co-operative NSW, and the current team of Leanne Gibbs, Carolyn McGuiness and everyone who works there.  You are wonderful and without you our sector and profession would certainly be all the more poorer.
I look forward to working with CCCC NSW team for another 35 years (I hope – I’d love to attend the 70^th birthday party!)
Thank you , and congratulations to you all.
Marie G. Jacobsen.
Director / Nominated Supervisor.

Valencia Street  Leeton  NSW  2705     Ph:0269532396    Fax: 69533717

E:  ltnpre@bigpond.net.au