Simelukuthula "Thula" Sibanda – Opportunities for Every Child

Year: 2021 — Province: Alberta
Certificate of Achievement Recipient

Edmonton Northwest Day Care Centre
Child care centre
Edmonton, Alberta

Quote

“Sending your child to daycare is like giving someone the reins to not only maintain the safety and life of your child but also trust that they will appropriately love, engage, and teach your child in your absence. In my home we often joke and call Thula the “second mother”. Knowing your child is being respected and cared for is the biggest relief an early childcare educator can provide. Thula does this flawlessly.”

Parent

Philosophy of care

Thula works tirelessly to support children in their development. One of her greatest skills is her ability to adapt her approach to each individual child and their needs. She has been part of the early childhood education community for many years and she uses her experience and expertise to support the development of each child.

Support of child development

Thula’s activities are influenced by the “Flight” curriculum training - an early learning and childcare curriculum framework that focuses on broad holistic goals rather than specific outcomes for each subject area. This is evident in Thula’s practice as an early childhood educator. Thula plans and implements programming that supports development in all domains (social, emotional, physical, cognitive and language). For example, she follows “The Image of the Child”, a guiding principle of Reggio Emilia’s work which she uses to create an environment that supports growth but also provides for authentic interactions.

Notably, she is skilled at creating opportunities for children who are self-conscious about making mistakes. Thula follows the children’s example when it comes to their progress and looks to what interests them and uses that to further their development. The other part of Thula’s approach is to move at the child’s pace. She is very aware that each child develops differently and on their own time. She applies this premise every day.

Involvement with parents, families and the community

Thula values family involvement and takes the time to connect with parents daily about their children’s achievements and challenges. She works in partnership with another educator in the toddler room to make sure that parents are always informed – either online or through verbal communication. The ability to involve parents, families and the community has been more challenging with COVID, with very little ability to gather in person, which has created extra obstacles in engaging outside of the daycare. When daycare closures first occurred in Alberta, many educators were unsure about how to stay engaged with families as this was so new and unprecedented. Thula and her colleagues have been very successful in remaining connected to the children and families while the daycare through resourceful and innovative methods.

Not surprisingly, Thula has become so confident in applying the Flight framework that she has moved on from learning the concepts to taking on a role as mentor. She currently coaches three other educators so that they can develop skills akin to hers in order to implement in their own programming and childcare practice.

Get in touch!

Edmonton Northwest Day Care Centre  
12823-116 Avenue 
Edmonton AB  T5M 3C8    
780-454-6353 
Email: EDNWChildCare@communityoptions.ab.ca