Welcome to Integreat Queensland’s April Newsletter.
Wow, has only a month gone since we last spoke? It’s only April but it feels like February despite the numerous of events and programs Integreat Queensland has delivered over the past 30 days.
Harmony week was fabulous. Not only that, but the week also highlighted just how diverse our central Queensland community is. From our special Cultural Cafe to art workshops with renowned local artist Irene Sparks, and our international Pop-up restaurant by Moving Feast, it’s been a busy month and the next month is no exception.
In May, and to assist employers in how to recognise and help employees experiencing Domestic and Family Violence as well as understanding the new employer legislation coming on August 1, Integrate Queensland are hosting a free Employer Breakfast both in Rockhampton and Gladstone. With speakers from the Community Services Industry Association, the Services Union, and local Domestic and Family Violence support organisations, the breakfasts will give employers real solutions and tools to help them navigate this important topic. We hope to see you there.
The team at Integreat Queensland.
In this month’s newsletter:
- International cuisine delights central Queenslanders.
- “Old School” takes playgroup back to the basics.
- Excited students begin our micro-food business training course.
- Nervous artists create their own little masterpieces.
- Family and Domestic Violence Leave (FDV) entitlement and what it means for your business and employees.
- “I’m living in a Domestic and Family Violence relationship”.
- Integreat Queensland’s Programs and Events.
International cuisine delights central Queenslanders.
Fun, laughter, and international stories, tastes and smiles were on display at our Popup Restaurant in March.
A kaleidoscope of Vietnamese, Japanese and French flavours were up for tasting to the delight of more than 50 diners who not only learnt the stories of our chefs but the journeys of three guest speakers who now call central Queensland home.
“Our Pop-up Restaurant by the Moving Feast celebrated Harmony Week with international cuisines cooked by our chefs from Vietnam, Japan, and France,” Integreat Queensland program coordinator Samantha Codrington said.
“It was a great night, and the food was beautiful. Most importantly, the setting at Artmatters was fabulous creating an ambience of fine dining which is what we were trying to achieve.”
To add to the night of international flavours, three speakers who now call central Queensland home were invited to talk about their journey and how they integrated into the central Queensland community.
“We had Doaa Ibrahim from Egypt, Wendy Hannan from England, and Alejandra Nunn from Columbia. It was so interesting to hear about their journeys with all of them having a different story to tell about how they arrived in central Queensland.
“Most of all however, it was enlightening to hear how they were all accepted for who they are because at Integreat Queensland we believe making people feel welcome is the key when they arrive here as it allows them to grow and contribute which makes our community stronger.”
Samantha said the aim of the Pop-up Restaurant is not just about tasting international food but to create opportunities for multicultural people.
“Right now, Integreat Queensland are hosting a micro-food business training course to allow people to not only cook their own cultural foods, but to teach them how to run a business,” she said.
“Our Moving Feast cooking van is used at the Pop-up Restaurant however; it is also available for the students to assist them in starting a business and cooking and selling their food to the community.”
The next Pop-up Restaurant will be held on the 20th of May at Artmatters in Gladstone. Registrations opening soon. To find out more and to reserve you seat, please call 07 4900 1617 or email contactus@integreatqld.org.au
This event, as well as our other celebrations during Harmony Week, were made possible by the Shell QGC Community Events Fund.
“Old School” takes playgroup back to the basics.
Have you met Rhonda Finley, our new Little Steps Multicultural Playgroup facilitator in Rockhampton?
Being a mum of three and a grandmother of four with a background working as a teachers aid and tutoring disabled non-verbal adults including working in childcare, Rhonda said she’s “old-school” where she loves going back to the basics.
“I love playing with my grandchildren by setting up activities the old school way like homemade play dough and face painting,” she said.
“The simple things are often the best and I find it’s a great way to inspire creativity and imagination. I get real enjoyment out of seeing children learn and achieve the goals set for them.”
Rhonda said she has worked in the childcare sector for several years however the difference this time around at Integreat Queensland’s Little Steps Multicultural Playgroup is the diversity of nationalities.
“I enjoy my role as playgroup facilitator as I’m always meeting new people,” she said.
“It’s really rewarding as I’m not only meeting new people but people of different nationalities. A few of the mothers and carers don’t speak English and I don’t speak their language which makes it challenging however, I find it really rewarding when I can use other means to communicate, and we develop an understanding.”
Integreat Queensland’s Rockhampton Little Steps Multicultural Playgroup is held every Tuesday from 9:30am to 11:30am during school term (Term 2 starts on 18th April) at the Berserker Street Community Hub 28 – 140 Berserker Street, North Rockhampton. Everyone with children from 0 to 5 years old are welcome and it’s free to attend.
This program is an initiative delivered by Integreat Queensland Inc. in partnership with Capricorn Communities for Children Facilitating Partner. Capricorn Communities for Children Facilitating Partner is funded by the Australian Government and facilitated by The Smith Family.
Little steps: Rhonda with two of the children at our Little Steps Multicultural Playgroup in Rockhampton.
Excited students begin our micro-food business training course.
Starting in March, Integreat Queensland began running a micro-food business training course supporting eight members of the culturally and linguistically diverse community to get their Food Safety Supervisor certificate and to gain the knowledge and the skills they need to start their own food business.
Integreat Queensland Programs Manager Jaclyn Iwasaka said last year Integreat Queensland purchased a food van and started ‘the Moving Feast’.
“It’s a social enterprise that creates training opportunities and pop-up restaurant experiences for the community,” Jaclyn said.
“Integreat Queensland had several conversations with community members who wanted to start their own business but didn’t have the know-how or confidence to take those first steps.”
In March, the micro-food business training course participants completing the first step in their journey to get their Food Safety Supervisor qualifications at CQ University.
“They learnt how to use hygienic practices for food safety and participate in safe food handling practices,” Jaclyn said.
“The benefits don’t just include starting your own business as it also applies to anyone who wants to work in the hospitality industry who handles food including cooks, chefs, caterers, kitchen stewards, kitchen hands, and bar, food and beverage attendants.”
We can’t wait to see what exciting food businesses come out of this program. Our mouths are watering already!
Learning for the future: Students, teachers, and Integreat Queensland staff at CQ University.
Nervous artists create their own little masterpieces.
In late March, Integreat Queensland held a collaborative workshop led by renowned local artist Irene Sparks.
Irene has been an integral part of the Gladstone community for nearly 20 years. After coming to Australia as a refugee from Zimbabwe in the early 2000s, Irene established herself as a dedicated art teacher in the region, running classes open to anyone with any skill level or background.
Integreat Queensland Events Coordinator Kristal Kelly said Irene used a textile technique she learned in Zimbabwe and adapted the technique in the 70s from its original process using a particular grade of mud sourced locally to this starch-based approach.
“Using flour and water as a ‘resist’ to the dye on fabric is now used all over Africa,” Kristal said.
“Irene’s technique enables the participation of people of all skill levels. By using stencils and this ‘serassa’ method onto fabric, participants created an artwork capturing the essence of their country of origin.”
Anuksha, a participant of the workshop, said she thought she knew a lot about art but over the two days, her mind was “blown”.
“I can’t believe it’s just flour and water,” she said. “The process is really different and I was extremely nervous however I just trusted the process and was really impressed with the final result.”
The collaborative artwork created from these workshops will be displayed as part of Gladstone’s 2023 Flourish Festival and was funded by Shell QGC’s Community Fund.
“As a festival dedicated to showcasing multiculturalism through the arts, Flourish will allow people who have come to our region from all over the world to express themselves using a language that transcends all others,” Kristal said.
“These workshops are the beginning of an annual program of workshops and activities Integreat will be facilitating to allow people to be creative all year round while also learning about other cultures through the lens of the arts.”
Creative artworks: Irene Sparks technique enables the participation of people of all skill levels.
Family and Domestic Violence Leave (FDV) entitlement and what it means for your business and employees.
Commencing at the start of August this year, the Fair Work Act has provided for a new, paid Family and Domestic Violence Leave (FDV) entitlement. All small business employers with less than 15 employees will need to comply with the entitlement being introduced on the 1st of August.
The entitlement, which applies to all employees including part-time and casual, entitles employees to 10 days of paid FDV leave each year. The new entitlement replaces the current five days of unpaid leave available under the National Employment Standards however, employees of small businesses can continue to take this entitlement until the 1st of August.
FDV is available to employees upfront, it doesn’t accrue and neither does it accumulate year on year if it is unused. The leave entitlement resets to 10 days on the employee’s work anniversary. For those employees starting work after the introduction of FDV leave, their paid leave entitlement starts on the first day of their employment.
Paying FDV leave.
Employers need to pay FDV leave at the employees’ full rate of pay. For casual workers this will be for the hours they were rostered to work during the period of leave. Payment must be at the employee’s full rate and include any overtime or penalty rates, incentive-based payments and bonuses.
Taking FDV leave.
Any employee experiencing family or domestic violence may access this leave if they need to do something to deal with the impact of family or domestic violence. This might include making safety arrangements, attending court hearings, accessing police services, or attending appointments with counsellors, financial or legal professionals. Leave can be taken as single or multiple days and the employer and employee can agree to take less than one day.
Notice and evidence.
When an employee takes FDV leave they must inform the employer as soon as possible. It is possible for FDV leave to commence whilst an employee is on another type of leave, for example annual leave, in which case the FDV leave replaces the annual leave. As an employer, you can request evidence to support the FDV leave request, such a statutory declaration, police, or court documents. If the employee does not provide supporting evidence, they may deem them ineligible for FDV leave. It goes without saying that employers must take reasonable steps to ensure that information about an employee is kept confidential.
Next steps.
As an employer, you need to be compliant with the changes and should prepare by updating systems, such as payroll, revise your policy and procedures manuals and communicate the changes with your employees.
FREE Employer breakfast about Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) paid leave.
To assist employers in how to recognise and help employees that maybe experiencing Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) as well as understanding the new employer legislation for DFV paid leave coming into effect on the 1st of August, Integreat Queensland are holding a FREE Employer breakfast about DFV paid leave and the new legislation in Rockhampton and Gladstone.
Funded through the Safer Pathways program by the Department of Social Services and held appropriately during Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month in May, with guest speakers from Community Services Industry Association, the Services Union, and local Domestic and Family Violence support organisations, the breakfast will give employers real solutions and tools to help them navigate this important topic.
Dates:
• Gladstone Friday 12 May 2023: Gladstone Engineering Alliance. Connect here to register.
• Rockhampton Wednesday 31 May 2023: CocoBrew Rockhampton. Connect here to register.
For more information or to register by phone, please call 07 4900 1617 or email contactus@integreatqld.org.au
Confidential information, counselling and support for people impacted by domestic and family violence (including employees and employers) is available at the 1800 RESPECT website, the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service.
Employer Breakfast: Register now for our FREE Employer breakfast about Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) paid leave.
“I’m living in a Domestic and Family Violence relationship”.
“Eight years ago, I knew nothing about Domestic and Family Violence (DFV). In fact, I knew so little about the topic, that I didn’t realise I was living in a DFV situation.” – Jo Mason, CEO and Founder of WorkHaven.
Those are the words of Jo Mason who was in a DFV situation, but it wasn’t until she learnt more about the topic that she realised what was happening in her own life. After leaving her situation, Jo said she was lucky enough to be supported by Brisbane Domestic Violence Service.
“They made my home safe and provided counselling support to help me understand what had happened,” Jo said.
Due to her experience, Jo was invited to become an advocate to share her story and raise awareness of DFV and advocate for change.
“This role also gave me the opportunity to learn from experts and start to build my understanding of DFV beyond the lens of my own experience.”
Jo (pictured) said sadly, the impacts of her DFV rippled beyond the breakdown of her relationship where she experienced the aftershocks in every element of her life.
“One major casualty was my work,” she said. “My workplace didn’t understand DFV or its impacts. There were no provisions or support in place, if anything they made my situation worse, and so four weeks after leaving my home, I also left my job and my career fell off a cliff face.”
Due to her own experience and learning about others and understanding the important role of the workplace, Jo founded WorkHaven to provide employers, industries and communities with the tools, insights, and information to help facilitate the right conversations in a manner that reflects their specific needs.
“I launched WorkHaven three years ago. Our focus is to equip workplaces with the knowledge, skills, and resources to address DFV in meaningful and effective ways. We take an action-orientated approach and everything we do starts with the question – Will this reduce the impact and incidence of DFV?
““We have worked with some incredible organisations across the corporate, government, and community sectors. To date our resources have been available to over 90,000 workers across Australia. Our clients are from diverse industries and locations with a vast span of organisational cultures and each is committed to playing their part in preventing DFV through awareness, empowerment, and action.”
For more information about WorkHaven, please visit workhaven.com.au
To assist employers in how to recognise and help employees that maybe experiencing DFV as well as understanding the new employer legislation for DFV paid leave coming into effect on August 1, Jo will be guest speaker at Integreat Queensland’s FREE Employer breakfast about DFV paid leave both in Rockhampton and Gladstone.
Funded through the Safer Pathways program by the Department of Social Services and held appropriately during Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month in May, with guest speakers from Community Services Industry Association, the Services Union, and local Domestic and Family Violence support organisations, the breakfast will give employers real solutions and tools to help them navigate this important topic.
Dates:
• Gladstone Friday 12 May 2023: Gladstone Engineering Alliance. Connect here to register.
• Rockhampton Wednesday 31 May 2023: CocoBrew Rockhampton. Connect here to register.
For more information or to register by phone, please call 07 4900 1617 or email contactus@integreatqld.org.au
Confidential information, counselling and support for people impacted by domestic and family violence (including employees and employers) is available at the 1800 RESPECT website, the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service.
Learning to talk: Employers are encouraged to create a supportive workplace to address domestic violence.
Programs and Events.
What’s happening in Gladstone.
Get your Certificate III in Hospitality and start working today!
New start date! Our hospitality course has a new start date, so there is still time to enroll.
The hospitality industry is fast-paced and people who work in the sector also have a reputation for having a range of highly developed employability skills. Integreat Queensland’s Certificate III in Hospitality prepares you for a range of roles in restaurants, hotels, motels, clubs, pubs, cafés, and coffee shops, and for specialisation in accommodation services, food and beverage and gaming.
Develop skills in hospitality service, sales or operational skills and gain sound knowledge of industry operations. You will learn multiskilling, techniques in using discretion and judgement, and will work with some independence and under limited supervision using plans, policies and procedures to guide work activities.
Who is this course for?
Our courses attract people from all walks of life, from young people just starting their careers to more experienced people looking for a new career. The hospitality industry has many different career options, including bar tending, gaming attendant, hotel front desk, barista, kitchen hand, housekeeper, just to name a few.
Why study with us?
This is not your average course. We go above and beyond to ensure that you are supported to finish your qualification and achieve your study goals. From helping you to write a resume and making sure that you can get to the classes, to planning lots of fun and interesting practical training, we’ve got you covered from start to finish.
How do I sign up?
Give us a call or come visit our office. We will run through some eligibility questions with you, and then assist you with the online enrolment process.
If you would like to get your Certificate III in Hospitality, please contact us on 4903 1931 or email contactus@integreatqld.org.au
Inspiring women to stay strong.
“The world is not easy place to navigate and can be quite difficult but after being around other women, and even though we all had different journey’s, I listened to their stories and felt connection and for the first time in a long time, I felt valued and respected for who I was and for my own experience.” – Those are Jacqueline’s words, a participant of our SisterLife Circle program.
SisterLife Circle is a unique program that encourages women to achieve things they might not have thought possible. Its aim is to strengthen the bond between women by encouraging them to support each other through listening, talking, and by taking part in activities together and becoming part of a community.
“The SisterLife Circle program gave me connection and inspired me to keep strong and move forward by giving me a feeling of belonging and by helping me learn and build resilience within myself,” Jacqueline said.
Held fortnightly in Rockhampton, SisterLife Circle is a safe and supportive environment for women to meet, share and connect.
For more information or to register by phone, please call 07 4900 1617 or email contactus@integreatqld.org.au
I want to hold a conversation with confidence.
If you asked most people why they want to learn English, the answer would likely be: I want to be able to hold a conversation with confidence. That, in essence, is conversational English. It is the ability to confidently speak English with native speakers. It is not necessarily about being fluent in English. They are very different skills and for most English learners, the goal is to learn conversational English.
Conversational English is the language used by everyday speakers. It is casual and informal. It is the type of English that is used in grocery stores, at the gym or when speaking with friends and family. It is, for most speakers, the language used to communicate. While formal English relies on specific rules and structure, conversational English is much freer. It provides flexibility and style, making it easier to use and learn, as well as more fun to use.
We will be providing English conversation classes and Adult Literacy classes. Childminding is also available on request for free. Come along to the meet and greet on Thursday’s from 1pm to 2.30pm during school term at 1a Manning St, South Gladstone.
When: Thursday, (during school term)
Time: 1pm – 2:30pm
Where: 1A Manning St, South Gladstone.
Cost: Free. Registration required.
*Participants can join anytime during the term.
To register or for more information, please contact us on 4903 1931 or email: contactus@integreatqld.org.au
Fun and friendships created with each little step.
Your child may be a social butterfly or the type that prefers to play on their own – and that is perfectly fine. Each child has their own approach towards developing their social skills. Playgroup is really about following the lead of the child as it allows children to develop their social skills at their own pace.
Building a child’s emotional confidence begins at home, as the best thing for developing children is to have great relationships with their family members. This gives the child a sense of attachment and stability, whether we are talking about developing relationships with parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or other carers.
A major benefit of playgroup is that children come assisted by their parents or other carers. From an emotional point of view, this strengthens the relationship between the child and their carer, because it creates a shared experience. At the same time, the child meets new people at playgroup, which allows for a safe test of separation from their carer. This is an important trait for building confidence in children, encouraging them to be independent from an early age.
Integreat Queensland’s Little Steps multicultural playgroup supports children’s emotional confidence while having a parent close by for encouragement, and a sense of stability while sharing the experience together. The meeting and interacting with new people stimulates children to learn to separate from their carers if even only for short bursts of time, building confidence and independence.
When: Every Tuesday & Friday from 9:30am to 11:30am (during school term)
Where: Philip Street Families and Communities Precinct – 1 Pengelly St, Gladstone. (Yellow/Nutchee building)
Free: Everyone with children from 0 to 5 years old are welcome.
Limited places available. Please do register for the day you would like to come.
For more information, please contact us via email: littlesteps@integreatqld.org.au or phone 07 4903 1931.
Let’s make friends and have a Picnic! Sun, 7th May.
Integreat Queensland invites you to join us for our Picnic in the Park on Sunday, 7th of May. Having a picnic is a great way to enjoy nature and its surroundings while spending quality time with family or friends. Taking some time to relax and connect in a natural setting can reduce stress levels, give you a change of environment, and create memories.
By packing a picnic basket, you can take refuge in a beautiful outdoor location and experience the fresh air and open space. Beyond that, picnics are also a great way to bond with others and celebrate a special occasion.
From offering lovely scenery to providing an enjoyable eating experience, there are plenty of reasons why having a picnic is a nice way to spend a day.
Our next Picnic in the Park is on Sunday May 7 from 12pm onwards at Spinnaker Park – (Area C – near the swimming beach area. Please look for Integreat QLD signs.
This is a free event every month. Integreat Queensland will provide a sausage sizzle and some games. All ages welcome. Please BYO picnic food/, chairs, picnic mat etc.
To RSVP, please text 0412 868 571 or email contactus@integreatqld.org.au
Come join our Culture Cafe.
Did you know Germany is a land of poets, thinkers, and composers, such as Goethe, Beethoven, and Bach, as well as philosophers like Kant and Nietzsche?
You may know Germany as a country that loves beer and sausages, but in reality, Germany has 1,500 different types of beer and 1,000 types of sausage and is home to the biggest Beer Festival in the world, Oktoberfest in Munich, where the standard glass of beer is a whole litre!
And did you know, more than 800 million currywurst sausages are eaten every year in Germany! The snack is so popular that there’s even a museum dedicated to it in Berlin.
Besides beer and sausages, there is a lot more that makes up Germany like there are 35 different dialects of the German language and Germany has a unique letter that’s not used in any other language, the ß, called “Eszett” which is pronounced like a double-s.
To find out more about Germany, Integreat Queensland are inviting you to our next Cultural Cafe on April 19. Held at the Gladstone Regional Library on Goondoon St, the Culture Café is is a place where you can learn, meet people from all around the world and hear someone share their culture. Everyone is welcome to attend this free event.
- When: Wednesday, 19th April from 9:30am-11am
- Where: Gladstone Library, 39 Goondoon St.
For more info and to RSVP, please email contactus@integreatqld.org.au or call 07 4903 1931.
What’s happening in Rockhampton.
A unique family bond is the foundation for a young child’s personality.
A good understanding of a child’s needs at each stage of growth and development helps parents raise them better. The growth and development of children depend on the various early childhood experience, some of which we have no control over. These early childhood experiences shape their brain development and social relationship across the lifespan. And also, as a parent, you need to encourage your child to try new activities, develop a new passion, improve on expertise, and gain confidence.
A unique child-family bond is a foundation for every young child’s personality, life choices, and overall behaviour. Parents should use every interaction with their children as an opportunity to connect with them. Thus children are reassured that you are there to help them whenever they have problems. When parents work with children to find solutions for different issues, children learn how to analyse and make decisions in difficult situations.
Integreat Queensland’s Circle of Security Parenting program is a relationship program for caregivers. We believe everyone can help prevent adverse childhood experiences and promote positive childhood experiences by supporting children and families to develop the skills needed to support and strengthen parent-child relationships.
So what do we do? We look at children’s emotional world and learn to read and support a child’s emotional needs by enhancing the development of their self-esteem but most importantly, we honour your wisdom and desire for your child to be secure.
Available in person and online, daytime or evening and depending on demand can be held in two locations – north or south Rockhampton.
Cost: Free. Registration required. Childminding available on request.
This program is an initiative delivered by Integreat Queensland Inc. in partnership with Capricorn Communities for Children Facilitating Partner. Capricorn Communities for Children Facilitating Partner is funded by the Australian Government and facilitated by The Smith Family.
To find out more including the next dates for the next Circle of Security Parenting program, please phone 4900 1617 or email: contactus@integreatqld.org.au
Fun and friendships created with each little step.
Your child may be a social butterfly or the type that prefers to play on their own – and that is perfectly fine. Each child has their own approach towards developing their social skills. Playgroup is really about following the lead of the child as it allows children to develop their social skills at their own pace.
Building a child’s emotional confidence begins at home, as the best thing for developing children is to have great relationships with their family members. This gives the child a sense of attachment and stability, whether we are talking about developing relationships with parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles or other carers.
A major benefit of playgroup is that children come assisted by their parents or other carers. From an emotional point of view, this strengthens the relationship between the child and their carer, because it creates a shared experience. At the same time, the child meets new people at playgroup, which allows for a safe test of separation from their carer. This is an important trait for building confidence in children, encouraging them to be independent from an early age.
Integreat Queensland’s Little Steps multicultural playgroup supports children’s emotional confidence while having a parent close by for encouragement, and a sense of stability while sharing the experience together. The meeting and interacting with new people stimulates children to learn to separate from their carers if even only for short bursts of time, building confidence and independence.
When: Every Tuesday from 9:30am to 11:30am (Term 2 starts on 18th April).
Where: Berserker Street Community Hub, 28 – 140 Berserker Street, North Rockhampton (Entrance at the corner of Charles and Berserker St)
Free: Everyone with children from 0 to 5 years old are welcome.
This program is an initiative delivered by Integreat Queensland Inc. in partnership with Capricorn Communities for Children Facilitating Partner. Capricorn Communities for Children Facilitating Partner is funded by the Australian Government and facilitated by The Smith Family.
To register and for more info, please contact us by email: contactus@integreatqld.org.au or phone 4900 1617.
Understanding your Journey of motherhood.
When you first become a mother, if you are given the gift of motherhood to begin with, you aren’t prepared for the sheer volume of what you are supposed to know, and be able to adeptly deal with. Here is this tiny life in your hands. There is nothing she (or he) can do without your help. It is daunting.
Toddlerhood is also the time your child needs more interaction – and mothers are more tired. Answering those “why?” questions and working hard not to just plop your child down in front of some “electronic babysitter” at this stage is really tough. Navigating restaurants and trips out of town and visits to houses where everything is breakable is exhausting.
Integreat Queensland’s A Mother’s Journey is designed to be a supportive, educational and fun environment for women. It’s a free program to assist mothers to learn about themselves and the services that can help and support them and the ones they love. We celebrate where we’ve come from and what has made us who we are and hear from a variety of guest speakers about our rights, our mental health, and gender diversity plus more. The program is for women of all ages who look after children – part time, full time, your own or others.
A Mother’s Journey is held on Fridays one day a week during school hours and will include free lunch and childminding.
Next Event: 21st April, 2023 9:45 AM through to 2:45 PM.
Where: 223 Campbell St Rockhampton. Connect here to register.
This program is an initiative delivered by Integreat Queensland Inc. in partnership with Capricorn Communities for Children Facilitating Partner. Capricorn Communities for Children Facilitating Partner is funded by the Australian Government and facilitated by The Smith Family.
If you are interested or would like to learn more, please phone 07 4900 1931 or
email: stephanie@integreatqld.org.au
Inspiring women to stay strong.
“The world is not easy place to navigate and can be quite difficult but after being around other women, and even though we all had different journey’s, I listened to their stories and felt connection and for the first time in a long time, I felt valued and respected for who I was and for my own experience.” – Those are Jacqueline’s words, a participant of our SisterLife Circle program.
SisterLife Circle is a unique program that encourages women to achieve things they might not have thought possible. Its aim is to strengthen the bond between women by encouraging them to support each other through listening, talking, and by taking part in activities together and becoming part of a community.
“The SisterLife Circle program gave me connection and inspired me to keep strong and move forward by giving me a feeling of belonging and by helping me learn and build resilience within myself,” Jacqueline said.
Held fortnightly in Rockhampton, SisterLife Circle is a safe and supportive environment for women to meet, share and connect.
If you are interested in joining our Sisterlife Circle, please contact us on 4900 1617 or email: contactus@integreatqld.org.au
I want to hold a conversation with confidence.
If you asked most people why they want to learn English, the answer would likely be: I want to be able to hold a conversation with confidence. That, in essence, is conversational English. It is the ability to confidently speak English with native speakers. It is not necessarily about being fluent in English. They are very different skills and for most English learners, the goal is to learn conversational English.
Conversational English is the language used by everyday speakers. It is casual and informal. It is the type of English that is used in grocery stores, at the gym or when speaking with friends and family. It is, for most speakers, the language used to communicate. While formal English relies on specific rules and structure, conversational English is much freer. It provides flexibility and style, making it easier to use and learn, as well as more fun to use.
Integreat Queensland FREE Conversational English classes begin on April 27.
Come along to the meet and greet on Thursday 20th April from 2.30-3.30pm at Lakes Creek Community Hub. Regular classes will commence on Thursday, 27th April for 7 weeks. We will be providing English conversation classes and Adult Literacy classes.
English Conversation classes:
Thursdays (starts on 27th April)
2:30 – 3:30pm
Adult Literacy classes:
Thursdays (starts on 27th April)
3:30 – 4:45pm
Lakes Creek Community Hub
445 Paterson St, Lakes Creek QLD 4701
Cost: Free. Childminding is also available on request for free.
For more info and to register, please contact us on 07 4903 1931 or email contactus@integreatqld.org.au or turn up on the day.
See yourself at your best and the value you can bring to your child.
When most parents think about consequences for kids, they usually envision negative consequences, like a time-out or taking away a video game. While negative consequences are instrumental in changing a child’s behaviour, positive consequences are also effective discipline tools.
When used together, positive and negative consequences will change your child’s behaviour however, Integreat Queensland’s 1-2-3 Magic and Emotion Coaching program is designed to allow you to see yourself at your best and the value you can bring to your child by nurturing positive emotions and behaviour with reason, patience, and compassion.
As one participant commented “It’s great to see a different way of doing things” – and that is exactly what the program is about allowing for open communication, encouraging individuals to identify value and assemble their strengths and capacities when raising a child.
Our 1-2-3 Magic and Emotion Coaching program is available either in person and online during the day or in the evening and depending on demand can be held at two locations – north or south Rockhampton. Expressions of interest are open now for a 3-week, 2.5hr program. Let us know your preferences and we will see what can be offered. Childminding will be available for daytime, in-person sessions.
This program is an initiative delivered by Integreat Queensland Inc. in partnership with Capricorn Communities for Children Facilitating Partner. Capricorn Communities for Children Facilitating Partner is funded by the Australian Government and facilitated by The Smith Family.
To find out more and/or to register your interest in attending, please email: contactus@integreatqld.org.au – phone: 4900 1617.
Integreat Queensland opens up opportunities for everyone from everywhere to get involved, feel welcome, learn new things, and contribute to a strong, thriving local community.
