Concurrent Speaker Sessions

Friday 4 July 2:30pm - 3:30pm

Session Details:

This presentation aims to share the story of a collaborative project between an Atelierista, a Wellbeing Leader and a Pedagogical Coordinator in connection with the St Peter’s Girls’ ELC community.

In 2024 the evolving needs of our learning community led to the creation of the role of a Wellbeing Leader. This role works alongside teachers, children, and families to ensure best practice and is focused on the vital role of nature in child development.

We were inspired by the project Padninthi Mularta (Aboriginal Walking Stick), a journey of cultural learning in Ferguson Conservation Park, adjacent to our ELC, where children connected with Kaurna culture and explored the Hundred Languages collaborating to create walking sticks. Slowing down, taking time to be present in the moment, and immersing themselves into nature and creativity, the children created their collective Padninthi Mularta.

The project was extended by our Hundred Languages expert, Elina Qian, who transformed Ferguson Park into an outdoor Atelier, bringing creative materials into nature to spark curiosity and wonder.

The project highlights the importance of progettazione and organisation in creating meaningful learning experiences as well as the interdependency of the principles of the Reggio Emilia educational project. This immersive experience nurtured the children’s creativity and connection to both nature and First Nations perspectives, deepening their understanding of land, well-being, and community.

Through our presentation we aim to inspired delegates understanding of:

  • Collaboration and Innovation
  • Adaptability in a Changing Society
  • Nature Connection and Development
  • Balancing Digital and Natural Exposure
  • Positive Influence of Nature
  • Culture of the Atelier and the Hundred Languages
  • Pedagogy of Listening
  • Leadership and Growth
  • Australian First Nations Perspective and connection with the Land.

Presenter Bios:

Caterina Pennestri is an Atelierista who graduated in Contemporary Art from the University of Bologna, Italy. She holds a Master of Art Education and completed her postgraduate training in Reggio Emilia, collaborating with Reggio Children. Since 2015, Caterina has been the Atelierista at St Peter’s Girls’ Early Learners Centre, where she works closely with children, families, and educators. Prior to this role, she worked at the Art Gallery of South Australia and as Artist in Residence for several schools in Adelaide. Caterina is actively involved at both local and national levels with the Reggio Emilia Australia Information Exchange (REAIE), helping to coordinate the Adelaide REAIE Network and presenting the workshop “The Hundred Languages of Children” nationally. Since 2024, she has taken on the role of Atelierista and Pedagogical Coordinator and at St Peter’s Girls’ ELC, where she continues to integrate the principles and philosophy of Reggio Emilia into daily practice.

Monique Gannon is a dedicated professional with a rich background in psychology and early childhood education. Monique holds a Master of Psychology and has worked in both mental health and disability settings, supporting children, adults, and families. Drawn to the positive and creative nature of the early learning environment, she later pursued a Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education. In her role as Wellbeing Leader, Monique works at St Peter’s alongside the Teaching staff to ensure best practice in the classroom in relation to children’s socio-emotional development, wellbeing and inclusion. This comprises research, resource provision and consultations, as well as working with children in small groups to develop their emotional literacy and skills in mindfulness, interoception and emotional regulation.

Elina Qian is a highly experienced and dedicated teacher with nearly 25 years of experience in both China and Australia. She has been working as an educator at St Peter’s Girls’ since 2019. Elina is passionate about creating rich, immersive learning experiences for children, particularly through exploring the Hundred Languages. Her expertise is internationally recognised, especially in the areas of the Language of Light and Digital Landscapes. Elina is deeply committed to researching and integrating innovative practices, currently focusing on Loose Parts and Graphic Language. She furthered her professional development by participating in the Reggio Emilia Study Tour in 2023, the Reach Study Tour in Singapore in April 2024, and the Reach Professional Development on Mosaic of Marks, Words, and Materials in November 2024.

Caterina Pennestri
Monique Gannon
Elina Qian

Session Details:

In this seminar, Michaeli and Jill will share their thinking and practice, to shed light on the importance of participation “as an act of collaboration” in both their preschool and school contexts. This seminar will intentionally explore how the principle of participation (as they have interpreted it from Reggio Emilia’s Principles) informs their ongoing collaboration, with each other, within their educating teams, and in their work alongside students, families and the wider community.

This will be a valuable seminar for those longing to think more deeply about the real-life joys, and challenges, of collaborating with others and staying engaged with our practice, while also encouraging educators to never give up when it comes to leaning in and engaging deeply in our role as educators.

This seminar will examine our ‘image of the teacher’ and how our image of ourselves can powerfully shape how we are able to ‘turn up’ with each other and our students. Expect to laugh, engage and be inspired as these two educators bring their real stories to light through this invitation to participate as an act of collaboration!

Presenter Bios:

Michaeli Hillam and Jill McLachlan are both leaders within Blue Gum Community School, which includes two schools in Australia – one in Canberra (est. 1998) and one in Sydney (est. 2022). In the founding Canberra school, which welcomes students from Playgroup through to Year 10, Michaeli is the Assistant Principal and one of the founding educators of the school. In Sydney, where Jill is the Principal, the newer Sydney school welcomes children in Preschool and Primary School.

Both presenters are longstanding members of the Reggio Emilia Australia Information Exchange, heavily influenced by the principles of the Reggio Emilia Educational Project, particularly inspired by the invitation to consider how the ‘image of the child’ that we hold informs how we relate and respond to children. At Blue Gum, all students are seen as competent, capable, creative, responsible, resourceful and resilient citizens of the present, with influence and responsibility in the school community.

In practice, both Michaeli and Jill work to ensure their schools are human places, where people want to be, with learning environments that are intentionally designed to provoke wonder and invite thinking together. The spaces of Blue Gum carry traces of the students’ ongoing thinking, inviting relaunches into areas of inquiry, that often bring different perspectives into conversation with one another. They both see learning ‘as a group’ as crucial, providing multiple opportunities every day for their students to bring ideas together, so depth in understanding is possible. Both presenters are longstanding advocates for tapping into the often undervalued capabilities of young children and nurturing their innate desire to learn through immersion in authentic research projects.

Jill is also the co-author, alongside Clare Britt, of Unearthing Why: Stories of thinking and learning with children.

Jill McLachlan
Michaeli Hillam

Session Details:

During our study tour in Reggio Emilia, Italy, we sat in the piazza on our final day, reflecting on our experiences and asking, “What does this mean for how we return to teaching and learning in Australia?”. This encounter with the Reggio Emilia Educational Project ignited a deep desire to transform our own practices and relationships with documentation, family engagement, and digital technologies. What possibilities might we reimagine?

This session will share the stories of how Kelly and Ellen’s collaboration reshaped their perspectives and practices across three elements inspired by Reggio Emilia’s principles within a Long Day Care context:

  • Braving the Unfamiliar: Co-Research with Children
    Exploring the role of digital technologies and how the story of Derek the Seal redefined our approach to learning with children.
  • Documentation as Professional Learning
    Rethinking the documentation panel in a long day care setting as a tool for professional reflection and growth.
  • Redefining Participation: Family Engagement
    Reimagining parent meetings and collaboration with families as a key strategy for shared educational responsibility.

Through these interconnected stories, we will illustrate how our learning in Reggio Emilia has informed a deeper, more meaningful approach to curriculum design, leadership, and collective responsibility in early childhood education

Speaker Bios:

Ellen has been a dedicated kindergarten teacher for eight years in Melbourne, Australia, following her studies in Dublin, Ireland. In 2023, she had the privilege of visiting Reggio Emilia, where the innovative thinking and practices of the schools deeply inspired her. Ellen is passionate about fostering curiosity and creativity in young learners through inquiry-based projects, guiding children as they explore big ideas and complex concepts in meaningful, collaborative ways. Her work emphasises empowering children as capable, independent thinkers in a nurturing, stimulating environment.

With over 20 years of experience in early education across New Zealand and Australia, Kelly specialises in designing pedagogical systems that empower educators, teachers, and organisations to strengthen their teaching and learning practices within an inquiry-based approach. A deeply reflective practitioner and a pedagogical companion, Kelly collaborates with teams to co-design pedagogical documentation and systems that support active construction and participation whilst fostering meaningful, authentic learning encounters.

Her work centers on facilitating rich, reflective dialogue that encourages teams to engage in practitioner research, generous listening, and exploration of the “why” behind pedagogical practice. Kelly is the author of several publications and resources in early childhood education.

Kelly and Ellen travelled to Reggio Emilia together in 2023 and Kelly has spent three years as a pedagogical companion alongside Ellen who teaches in a 3–5-year-old classroom within a Long Day Care setting.

Kelly Goodsir
Ellen Carney

Session Details:

Stefania, Sally-Anne and Natalie present curriculum design with young children as an act of “unhurried” (Clark, 2023) collaboration, informed by the concept of “timefulness” (Clark, 2023). In this collaborative project between Curtin University and MLC Kindle, a stance of documentation-progettazione was an invitation to always tend towards “artfulness” (Manning, 2016), complexity, and participatory practices, imbuing an aesthetic dimension to all aspects of research. This presentation illuminates the ways in which our “relaunches” (Giamminuti et al., 2024), a fundamental element of progettazione, relied on sharing of documentation and collective reading, and were co-designed and co-imagined.

The experience is brought to life through documentation of children’s encounters with Storm, framed within our research focus on “hierarchies and connectivity” and the research question: “How do young children construct knowledge of ecological systems?”.

Early in the project, the three-year-olds were captivated by a storm as it swept across Melbourne; they demonstrated awe and curiosity but also fear at the power of Storm. In response, the teachers tended to separate Storm into different parts, wondering which was the most powerful; the children however, referred to Storm and its power as one entity, showing an innate tension towards “connectivity thinking” (Bird Rose, 2017).

The hundred languages were employed as tools for “thinking with” (Rooney & Blaise, 2023) Storm, a way of working that emphasises “relationality and mutual vulnerability, and that suggests that there is something generative in the exchange between humans and weather that is worth exploring more deeply” (Rooney & Blaise, 2023, p. 5). No longer frightened by its power, the children’s final story of Storm celebrates all the characters connecting in an ecological system. Through the story of Storm, this presentation will illuminate relaunches as acts of collaboration between children, educators, and Wurundjeri elder Murrundindi, propelled by documentation.

Speaker Bios:

Stefania Giamminuti, Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education at Curtin University draws on two decades of sustained research collaboration with the educational project of Reggio Emilia, to investigate possibilities for early childhood education and care as the common good. She is co-author, with Paola Cagliari, Claudia Giudici and Paola Strozzi, of the book The role of the pedagogista in Reggio Emilia: Voices and ideas for a dialectic educational experience.

Sally-Anne Polson is the Educational Leader and a teacher at Methodist Ladies’ College, K-12 independent school, with over 20 years’ experience and a Master of Education (Early Childhood).  The importance of being an advocate for children, families and educators, and engaging in professional learning is an essential component of her practice, pedagogy and leadership.

Natalie Jones is a Team Leader at Methodist Ladies’ College. She has worked in the Early Childhood sector for 30 years and has a Master of Education. Her practice sees the intersection of arts-based curriculum, post-structural theory, and the Educational Project of Reggio Emilia.

Stefania Giamminuti
Sally Anne Polson
Natalie Jones

Session Details:

What possibilities can arise when educators intentionally seek partnerships with children, their families, and the community? This presentation will invite conference delegates to consider how presence and participation can lead to an educational project rich in exploration of concepts such as democracy, storytelling, posthuman thinking, education for sustainability, and digital animation.

As teachers, we recognise ourselves as advocates for children’s rights. Every day we are positioned with opportunities to bring recognition to the significance of children’s voices and the theories that emerge through play and connection. We often utilise the power of stories to stretch our ordinary modes of understanding of the world. However, children often express the desire to hear, see, and re-tell stories, beyond the capabilities of adults in the human world. This presentation will explore a distinctly democratic and ethical style of curriculum that will open educators’ eyes to how months of slow, collaborative, and ethical theory building can result in a movie night under the stars with over one hundred guests from our community.

Speaker Bio:

Bree Creighton is a passionate and committed early childhood teacher with a strong philosophical approach that values working alongside children as partners and co-researchers. She is dedicated to working closely with children to develop and nurture their creative potential, and views children as powerfully capable authors of their own learning. Her practice combines her teaching and progressive research skills as an Educational Leader, while working collaboratively with others to support pedagogy and practice.

Bree Creighton

Saturday 5 July 2:30pm - 3:30pm

Session Details:

This presentation examines community, diversity, and collective responsibility through children’s research of a paper wasp nest. Starting from the premise of children as citizens with rights, pre-existing views of teaching and learning were reimagined, raising ethical questions about knowledge, citizenship, and the type of society we choose to create.

The wasp nest became a metaphor for the collective, provoking inquiry into the complexities of connections and interrelationships. Like the structure of the wasp nest, the interconnections of individual identities in the kindergarten studio grew and interwove through agreements about collaboration and the building of knowledge through research. Through a metaphor of the wasp nest, each child can be viewed as a single cell, unique yet an essential component of the collective structure and stability (the democratic framework) of the nest.

Drawing on democratic education research, this session highlights how children can navigate multiple perspectives, respect differences, and collaborate within diverse communities with value placed on the importance of children’s voice and citizenship in knowledge-building. Moss (2020) describes: democracy is the highest form of human interaction, valued as a social process with real-life experiences and relationships as its foundation. Practical strategies of working through intentional individual, small and larger groups structures, representation using the 100 languages, and play are shared: emphasising creating a studio reflecting the multiplicity and interdependence of a democratic society.

Presenter Bios:

Bronwyn Thomson holds a Diploma of Arts (Fine Art), Graduate Diploma of Primary Teaching, and a Bachelor of Early Childhood. She is an experienced Pedagogical Leader, having mentored early childhood teams throughout QLD, NSW, ACT and VIC. Bronwyn has over 25 years of experience as an early years teacher in both state and private schooling systems. Throughout her work, Bronwyn has been continually inspired by the research and practice of the Reggio Emilia Infant Toddler schools. Bronwyn has a fine arts background, and her early working life included being a potter in an established production pottery located on the scenic Sunshine Coast Hinterland.  Bronwyn continues to exhibit ceramics regularly as a practicing artist. The language of the arts, and how children use these to construct and represent rich understandings and connections, are a continuing influence and inspiration in Bronwyn’s professional learning.

Sophie Hage holds a Bachelor of Development Studies, Master of Teaching (Early Childhood), and is an internationally experienced Senior Teacher who has built her practice on the foundations of the principles of Reggio Emilia. She has brought this background knowledge to influence her work with children on Peramangk Country in South Australia (2012-2023), the Waikato in Aotearoa New Zealand (2015-2017), and Quandamooka Country in Queensland (2023-present). She was recognized as Early Career Teacher of the Year in South Australia in 2014, for her advocacy in challenging early childhood practices. Her continual passion is centered on leading robust dialogue on the culture of childhood.

Annicka Amundsen holds a Norwegian 4-year qualification in Childcare and Youthwork, and a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Teaching). She is a Norwegian born teacher who has lived in Australia for a decade. Annicka has worked in Early Childhood Education for 17 years both in Norway and Australia. Annicka’s interest in the Reggio Emilia Educational Project traces back to her first introduction to the profession in her late teens, when she took on her first educator role. When she commenced her current employment at Sheldon College, she fully immersed herself in the approach and began working philosophically with the principles of Reggio Emilia alongside her colleagues. This position provided her with many opportunities to deepen her understanding through professional development and align her work with her own philosophy.

Bronwyn Thomson
Sophie Hage
Annicka Amundsen

Session Details:

This presentation delves into the Harmony Garden at Woodline Primary School—a child-designed space designed to foster conditions for growth, balance, and transformation. Initially envisioned as a bird sanctuary, the garden evolved into a living representation of children’s inquiries into harmony and change. Observing life cycles and natural rhythms, children like Willow and Max reflected on cycles of renewal, mirroring their own experiences of growth and shared responsibility.

The documentation of these reflections informed educators’ collaborative processes, reshaping their roles and fostering a holistic pedagogy. Through the story of the Harmony Garden, this session invites dialogue on creating spaces that honour children’s voices while inspiring adult collaboration in education.

This session will encourage participants to:

  • Explore the Impact of Documenting Children’s Voices: Gain insights into elevating children’s reflections to deepen professional collaboration.
  • Understand Collaborative Processes in Education: Learn how children’s contributions can inspire adult teamwork in creating community spaces.
  • Reflect on Adult Collaboration Through a Child-Inspired Lens: Explore how children’s collaborative practices can inform adult interactions.
  • Discover the Power of Collaborative Documentation: Understand how shared documentation informed school-wide pedagogy at Woodline Primary.

Presenter Bios:

Kelly Hanson, PhD, is an international speaker, educational leader, innovator, researcher, and author with over two decades of experience. She has worked as a K-12 teacher, adjunct professor, and instructional leadership coach in Canada. In October 2024, Kelly joined Woodline Primary School as Deputy Principal, supporting the nature-based, wellbeing-focused pedagogy.

Bridie Premraj, Research and Visual Arts Guide at Woodline Primary, is passionate about integrating creativity, listening, and play into learning. Holding a Master of Advanced Social Work (Research), Bridie combines her trauma-informed practice with Reggio Emilia-inspired approaches. Bridie presented at the 2024 REAIE Symposium on children’s graphic languages in research.

Jess Jones is an experienced educator with a background in English, Literacy and LOTE instruction across both primary and secondary settings. A committed lifelong learner, Jess has acquired a Master of School Leadership and a Master of Teacher Librarianship, which greatly inform her educational and wellbeing design practices. Jess was drawn to Woodline Primary for its Reggio Emilia-inspired approach and high esteem for the role of nature in nurturing the whole child. 

Kelly Hanson
Bridie Premraj
Jess Jones

Session Details:

Engaging with the principles of the Reggio Emilia Educational Approach necessitates careful consideration that avoids oversimplification and tokenistic practices. While these pitfalls often arise from good intentions, they can detract from the foundational systems meant to enhance Early Childhood Education and Care. Thus, the role of thoughtful organisational design is crucial.

This paper explores the dynamic intersection of pedagogy, organisational frameworks, and democratic values, spotlighting New Horizons as a vibrant learning community where adults and children co-create knowledge. Within this relational space, collaboration, creativity, and critical inquiry come alive, transforming learning into a shared journey. We will reveal how New Horizons cultivates a community of collegiality and co-responsibility, empowering all stakeholders to engage deeply, question meaningfully, and shape an inclusive, interconnected educational experience.

Through this discussion, we aim to demonstrate how our commitment to democratic principles and intentional organisational practices fosters a genuinely inclusive and dynamic learning environment— one that goes beyond tokenistic gestures. By embedding meaningful participation and collaboration at every level, we enhance the educational journey for both children and educators, creating a space where diverse voices contribute authentically to a shared, transformative learning experience.

Presenter Bios:

Lou Kirkwood brings more than 25 years of experience in Early Childhood Education and is Co-School Leader at New Horizons Preschool. She has participated in Australian Educational Tours, REAIE Biennial Conferences, and Study Tours to Reggio Emilia.

Lou is deeply committed to ethical and political practices in education. She is passionate about values education, creating democratic classrooms, the pedagogy of listening, and fostering collaborative work environments. Her expertise lies in encouraging educators to deepen their thinking and enhance their pedagogical approaches. At New Horizons, Lou promotes inquiry, constructive dialogue, and active listening, effectively building meaningful relationships with others.

Leah Ryan holds a Bachelor Degree in Primary and Secondary Education, furthered by a Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care. She is currently Co-School Leader at New Horizons Preschool. Leah has experience in public, private, and independent sectors.

Leah is passionate about fostering rich, creative learning environments that celebrate children’s self-expression through diverse artistic mediums, embracing the Hundred Languages of expression to nurture growth in both children and staff. Leah is an advocate for child agency and her approach is inspired by the philosophy of the Reggio Emilia Educational Project and guided by inquiry-based, nature-focused pedagogy.

Lou Kirkwood
Leah Ryan

Session Details:

The values of the educational project of Reggio Emilia support our curriculum planning as a collaborative process involving our educators, children, families, Art specialist, and Pedagogista.

Children and adults together reflected on the form and function of games. Our co-participative research supported understandings about fairness and inclusion and guided our year-long collaborative project.

In Reggio Emilia, children are viewed as ‘resources’ to each other’s learning (Edwards, Gandini & Forman, 1998, p.302). With this perspective, our project aimed to foster learning as a social endeavour, where individuals together formed a collective, sharing ideas and perspectives.

Conference delegates will be supported to reflect on the value of collaboration:

  • To advocate for children’s rights and enhance the meaningful participation of the three protagonists, providing a meeting place for multiple perspectives.
  • To better understand the potential of the individual to contribute to and extend the group’s thinking capacities.
  • To highlight strategies which expand the individual’s thinking processes through the exchange of ideas and theories.
  • To support the active participation of the teaching team and specialist teachers in curriculum design and documentation.
  • To strengthen the interdependence of theory, practice and co-participative research.
  • To embed democracy and participation as everyday practices, supporting children’s engagement in group encounters.

Presenter Bios:

Hanna Daniel is a dedicated kindergarten teacher at Amici Westbourne ELC, with over a decade of experience working with children aged from birth to 5 years. Highly influenced by the Reggio Emilia Approach, focusing on inquiry projects, collaborative research, and advocating for children’s right to high-quality education.

Heather Conroy is an experienced pedagogical mentor working in collaboration with colleagues in both Early Learning and Junior school settings at Westbourne Grammar to advocate for and deepen educator understandings of the interface between theory and practice in relation to the values of the educational project of Reggio Emilia.

Hanna Daniel
Heather Conroy

Session Details:

This presentation explores how children and their educators at The Point Pre-School in Oyster Bay, NSW developed a participatory and collective research inquiry centered on an unexpected discovery of a piece of bleached and fossilized coral in the sandpit. Initially, children had multiple and diverse ideas, holding both imaginative and logical possibilities of what it could be together. The inquiry developed over time and both children and educators shared the joy of walking together as they explored what turned out to be a piece of the Great Barrier Reef. 

Through this presentation we are sharing how a pedagogy of relationships and listening (Rinaldi, 2006) developed a collective ethic of care and co-responsibility both for and with the Great Barrier Reef.  Both children and educators embraced leadership and collaboration and what arose was a reconceptualisation of collective responsibility towards worldmaking and collective response-ability (Haraway, 2016).

Target audience includes leaders and educators interested in progettazione as a way of learning together alongside children in evolving contexts which embrace hope, possibility and advocacy.

 

Presenter Bios:

Catherine Lee is an Early Childhood Teacher based in Sydney at The Point Preschool. She is passionate about amplifying and documenting children’s voices and supporting their advocacy.  Catherine regularly presents at conferences both in Australia and internationally. Her first visit to Reggio Emilia was in 2019 and left a lasting impression.

Debi Keyte-Hartland is a UK based pedagogical consultant, artist-educator, speaker and workshop facilitator working internationally to ignite pedagogical approaches which generate conditions for curiosity, inquiry and expression. Debi has visited Reggio Emilia for over 20 years and has engaged with Reggio Children developing her practice as teacher-educator of the approach.

Catherine Lee
Debi Keyte-Hartland
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