Tuesday 30th of May was a very exciting day for the children at Galston Early Learning Centre, as we had a special visit from the Braveheart foundation. The Braveheart foundation’s sole purpose is to prevent child sexual assault in our society, focussing on educating, empowerment and protection.
Our new friend Leanne introduced herself and announced that she had also brought along a special friend! We then met ‘Ditto’ the baby lion cub as listened to a story called “Dittos safe adventures”. Leanne began to discuss the concept of “yes feelings” and “no feelings”; yes feelings can involve feeling excited, having fun and feeling safe, while no feelings might involve feeling sad, angry or unsafe.
Ditto and Leanne gave us some strategies of how we can determine if our bodies are telling us that we don’t feel safe; our heart might beat fast, we might have butterflies in our tummies and also have wobbly legs. We then discussed what we could do when we have those “no feelings”. We say no, run and tell someone you trust! Ditto wanted us to know that we own our bodies and should only allow people we feel very safe with to see or touch them, such as our parents and doctors. We were lucky enough to sing and dance along with Leanne and Ditto to some special songs before we thanked Ditto and said our goodbyes.
Over the upcoming weeks the educators will continue to use the resources from The Braveheart foundation, to further develop the children’s awareness to keep safe.
If you would like to come and have a look at the centre or ask any questions regarding our Educational Program please feel free to contact the Centre Director Daniela Balmer on 9653 1475.
