Makaton is a new program being piloted at Lifestart Eastwood. The program is designed to provide opportunities for parents, carers and children to learn and use Makaton key word signing in everyday play situations. Parents and carers attend weekly small group sessions and there are also opportunities for these families to attend a Makaton Basic signing workshop and have one-to-one support to use signing in daily activities at home, childcare and pre-school settings. The program is running this term and being taken by Speech Pathologist and Makaton specialist Michelle Hughes supported by Lifestart staff. The Makaton program will also run at other Lifestart centres - contact your local centre for more detail.

Lifestart Eastwood would like to thank Dank’s Trust for their generous financial support in making this program possible.

The 2008 Lifestart Winter Ball is on Saturday 16 August at Acer Arena. See Events for more details.

Lifestart Eastern Suburbs will be holding their annual Family Fun & Kite Day on Sunday 31 August. This year a special addition will be a car boot market. If you’d like to clear out your garage and help our special kids, contact Area Coordinator Lou Limoges on 9344 4081 to book your space now.

Families and staff in Nepean are starting the new term located in Lifestart Nepean’s new premises at 8-10 Carinya Avenue, St Mary’s (cnr. of Cana Street & Carinya Avenue). The contact number for the centre remains the same on 02-9623 2100. A very excited Area Co-ordinator Deb Emelhain said staff and parents worked hard to refit the centre in time for the new term and that an open day will be held later in the term so they can “show it off”.