Milieu Early Education and Care Oak Flats to celebrate NSS with a visit to Ratha’s Place

The children and educators of Milieu Early Education and Care Oak Flats (New South Wales) will celebrate tomorrow’s National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) event with a visit to Ratha’s Place Cafe, in keeping with the themes of acceptance and inclusion embedded in the 2024 NSS story Bowerbird Blues by Aura Parker. 

Bowerbird Blues is a moving story of longing and connection, which explores themes of self-acceptance, embracing uniqueness, and the beauty of diversity, making the visit to Ratha’s Place Cafe, which is run by individuals with disability and which provides training and employment opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities a wonderful alignment with the themes of the story. 

Children and educators will be leaving the service at 11am to visit Ratha’s Place Cafe before participating in NSS, which involves the same story being read in libraries, early childhood settings, schools and other venues across the country at 12 midday. 

“We are visiting this local venue to continue with the theme of inclusiveness while being active participants in our local community,” Milieu Founder Daniela Silicato shared. 

“Our children love this day because it’s a unique experience where they get to be part of a nationwide storytelling event and also share connections with their local community,” she added.

“They enjoy the excitement of hearing a special story simultaneously with children all over the country. The interactive nature of the activities, the themed crafts, and the sense of togetherness make it a memorable and fun day for them.”

The bowerbird character in this year’s story struggles with feeling different from others because of its unusual appearance and behaviours. However, through the journey of self-discovery and acceptance, the bird learns to celebrate its differences and realizes that these differences are what make it special – a lesson the Milieu team hope will remain with the children long after NSS concludes. 

In their daily programing, pedagogy and practice the team at Milieu Early Education and Care use a variety of approaches to ensure children have a focus on inclusion and empathy, including  storytelling featuring diverse characters, interactive activities that simulate different perspectives, discussions about empathy and inclusivity, inviting guest speakers with disabilities to share their experiences, and incorporating inclusive practices.

“We emphasize the importance of treating everyone with kindness, respect, and understanding, regardless of differences,” Ms Silicato said. 

Learn more about how to be involved with NSS here. More information about Milieu Early Education and Care is available on the service website, here.