Commitment to Community
One of our key roles as early childhood educators at Choklits Child Care is to help set children up for lifelong learning and success. That involves exploring the wider community and assisting children in beginning to identify their place within it.
Our curriculum includes regular travel beyond the Choklits grounds to explore our local community and to meet our local people. We visit the library, catch the public bus to visit Estia Health, visit the Botanical Gardens, venture to local businesses and incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and contributions.
Through our own fund raising exercises, partnering with local organisations and our cultural commitments, we believe in supporting our community for the benefit of all early learners.
Support
We are proud to hop, skip, jump, walk, run and fly alongside many organisations doing great things and investing in our future leaders.
Some of the organisations we are currently supporting include
Ringwood Hawks Basketball
Choklits is a proud sponsor of the Ringwood Hawks Basketball Association, supporting the club in both their junior program and involvement in the NBL1 competition. The Hawks biddy ball intro and biddy ball skills programs align with Choklits commitment to introduce children to sports, to movement and an active lifestyle. Ringwood Hawks Basketball Association is located directly opposite Choklits Ringwood in Canterbury Road, Ringwood.
Reconciliation Action Plan
The Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) is a commitment to develop a high level of knowledge and pride in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and contributions.
Choklits is proud to be one of more than 6000 schools and early learning services who have formalised their commitment by developing a RAP.
What is a RAP?
A RAP is a working document which helps the Choklits Community identify and understand our own cultural identity. It ensures Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives are embedded in everyday practices and that Choklits is a culturally safe place for everyone to attend.
Why?
By formalising these commitments we embrace the opportunity to weave elements of reconciliation together in practical and positive ways. Those elements include historical acceptance, race relations, equality and equity, institutional integrity and unity.
In the words of local artist Simone Thomson (descendant of Victoria’s Ulupna and Moira Clans of the Yorta-Yorta Tribe, and the Yarra-Yarra Clan of the Wurundjeri Tribe), we have the opportunity to:
“Contribute to teaching respect for the oldest living culture on Earth and inspire knowledge seeking little
minds to accept”.
How?
The RAP is divided into opportunities, relationships and respect. Each of these contain sections for our centre, classroom and community actions.
| In The Classroom | Around The School | With The Community | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relationships |  |
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| Respect |  |
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| Opportunities |  |
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There are 40 actions for Choklits to work through in our reconciliation journey. Over several months, a diverse “working group” including Choklits Owner Jade Ingleby, Educator Dee Wasserfall and Choklits families are responsible for implementing reconciliation initiatives.
Together, we are
Reflecting on our current reconciliation abilities and how we could improve them
writing a vision for reconciliation, and progressing through the relevant 40 actions within the RAP.
On completion, the RAP will be submitted to Reconciliation Australia for review and reviewed annually.
Who is involved?
The RAP structure is provided by Nurragunawali, a program developed by Reconciliation Australia to support schools and early learning services to develop environments that foster a high level of knowledge and pride in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and contributions.
Narragunnawali (pronounced narra-gunna-wally) is a word from the language of the Ngunnawal people, Traditional Owners of the land on which Reconciliation Australia’s Canberra office is located, meaning alive, wellbeing, coming together and peace.
We’re also working to include the voices of and build relationships with the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. So far in our journey, this includes the local community centre, Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place, families within the service who identify as Aboriginal and local artist, Simone Thomson.
Our work in progress
In September 2021, we were proud to finalise and submit our RAP to Nurragunnawali for review. Receiving the finished version was a moment that concreted our part in bigger national movement taking important steps for Reconciliation.
As a live and ongoing document, we will continue adding to our RAP where we identify new opportunities for growth.
Our Centres
(03) 9879 5888