KU Annual Report 2010 | Page 6

Making the KU Difference For children The annual KU Difference Awards are designed to recognise and celebrate staff who have worked over and beyond their normal duties, and made a significant contribution to KU. The awards are peer nominated and are open to any KU staff member or team who has made the KU Difference in one of the award categories. Jeanette Davidson Director, KU Bulli Preschool Jeanette was nominated for this award because of her outstanding work with children with additional needs at KU Bulli Preschool. She spends many additional hours planning and preparing enriching experiences for the children with whom she works. The patience and compassion Jeanette demonstrates with the children and the wonderful support she provides to their families, has earned her a reputation within the local community as a dedicated early childhood professional. Many local families of children with additional needs now seek out Jeanette and KU Bulli Preschool because they know it is a place where their children will be welcomed and included. KU strongly values the importance of play-based learning and Jeanette has worked hard to ensure this approach forms the basis of the program at KU Bulli. This ensures that the learning experiences are purposeful, building upon children’s strengths and focusing on individual children’s interests. Under Jeanette’s leadership, the team at KU Bulli have been inspired to create an environment that fosters children’s interest in learning and enables them to understand and embrace diversity. Jeanette’s colleagues describe her as a quiet achiever with a calming manner, who always makes the wellbeing of children and their families a priority. Truly an unsung hero, Jeannette is making the KU Difference for many children in her service, and is a worthy recipient of this recognition. KU’s commitment to Inclusion We are very proud of the initiatives we have undertaken to include and support children with additional needs in KU services during 2010: • KU’s Early Learning Inclusion Team supported 946 children • The Speech Pathology Program carried out 183 assessments of children • KU Indigenous Programs supported 112 children • KU Family Programs supported 603 children from 480 families Additionally, KU’s Early Learning and Literacy Initiative (ELLI) expanded into a third preschool and provided numerous information sessions and resources for families, to promote language and literacy in the home environment. 6 KU Children’s Services