Inspire

Transcription

Inspire

July 2012 | Issue 6
ICT Leadership
Student-led integration
VCE Awards
Meet the winners
Bush Kinder
Getting kids back to nature
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Inspire
Inspire is published monthly by the
Communications Division for the
Department of Education and Early
Childhood Development,
GpO Box 4367, Melbourne 3001
ABN 52 705 101 522
www.education.vic.gov.au
use of this publication is welcome
within the constraints of the
Copyright Act 1968.
Cover photo | les O’rourke
edItor | tina luton
ph: 9637 2914
E: editor@edumail.vic.gov.au
Art/deSIGn | Alan Wright
next ISSue |
published week beginning 6 August.
to AdvertISe |
Contact Wayne Maxwell
(ph: 9637 2868) or Diane Mifsud
(ph: 9637 2862) or email
ed.advertising@edumail.vic.gov.au
to SuBSCrIBe |
Contact Wayne Maxwell
ph: 9637 2868
Email: inspire@edumail.vic.gov.au
inclusion of an advertisement in
Inspire should not be construed
as an endorsement from DEECD.
readers should rely on their own
investigations to determine the
suitability of advertised products
and services. No responsibility
will be taken by DEECD for
the accuracy or otherwise of
representations, statements
and information contained in
advertisements.
some material in Inspire is
opinionative and does not
necessarily reflect the views of
DEECD.
No responsibility will be taken
by DEECD to ensure that
advertisements do not infringe the
intellectual property rights of third
parties.
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please recycle.
Cover
story
22
Back to nature
Bush Kinder sessions form part of the overall Westgarth
Kindergarten experience. Once a week, the children visit the
nearby parklands where they explore the bush, climb trees,
study bugs and draw in the dirt in self-directed play.
inspire July 2012
3
CONtENts
Set for success
26
the premier’s VCE Awards are a celebration of outstanding
student achievement. this year 314 awards were presented to 280
students, with 25 students receiving multiple awards.
Music for the brain
38
students at Newport lakes primary school are encouraged to sing
and play music because it’s fun – but also because science shows
that music benefits their learning.
The maths garden
30
When it comes to outdoor learning spaces, plenty parklands
primary school really measures up with the advent of its recently
completed maths garden.
A Day on the Screen
44
this recent professional development day enabled primary
students to showcase their iCt talents and help others to enhance
their computing abilities.
features
pAGe 20
Wrapped in reading
pAGe 48
onenote – multi-purpose software
During Education Week, Beaumaris primary school wrapped
their school in stories and drawings to embrace the National
year of reading.
Most teachers use Microsoft Word on a daily basis as one of
their main tools for creating and editing documents. But there is
another option.
pAGe 32
Berwick Lodge students leap into leadership
pAGe 52
A passport to possibilities
At Berwick lodge primary school iCt integration is led by
the students and is less dependent on the teachers attending
year 10 students at Bairnsdale secondary College provided
Education Minister Martin Dixon with an update of how they
continue to reap the benefits of their overseas learning experience.
professional development.
4
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Maximise your learning spaces
sale primary school’s professional learning leader Judy lawless
offers some tips on how to make the most of 21st century
learning spaces.
50
Singapore school’s learning journey
After recognising a need for a more effective approach to behaviour
management, Mordialloc College implemented restorative practice
and is now assisting a singapore school to do the same.
regulars
Briefcase
..........................................................................
6
Digital resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
regional roundup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
professional Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Professional Learning Workshop Programme Term 3, 2012
34
Working with challenging student
behaviours
Dr Bill Rogers. Friday 20 July, 9.30am – 3.30pm
Managing Mathematics for Graduate
Teachers (Years P-6)
Michael Ymer. Friday 20 July, 9.30am – 3.30pm
21st century learning- using technology
and research to improve outcomes
Andrew Fuller. Friday 3 August, 9.30am – 3.30pm
Improving pedagogy through classroom
observation
Julie Landvogt. Tuesday 14 August, 9.30am – 3.30pm
Thinking Through Inquiry: A Focus
on Strengthening Students’ Thinking
(Logical, Creative and Reflective) through
Inquiry (Years P-6)
Kath Murdoch. Tuesday 14 August, 9.30am – 3.30pm
Deepening your interventions with boys
Rollo Browne. Friday 17 August, 9.30am – 3.30pm
Fractions, Decimals, Percentages and
Probability – making them enjoyable,
engaging and relevant (Years 3-8)
Rob Vingerhoets. Monday 20 August, 9.30am – 3.30pm
Leading a team
Karen Stammers & Yvonne Willich
Monday 27 August, 9.30am – 3.30pm
Helping students make sense of
numeration and place value
Michael Ymer. Friday 31 August, 9.30am – 3.30pm
Teaching social competencies
Helen McGrath. Friday 7 September, 9.30am – 3.30pm
Headstart VCE Revision Program
24-28 September
For the VCAA November VCE examinations in Accounting,
Biology, Business Management, Chemistry, Economics,
Further Mathematics, Mathematical Methods, Physics,
Psychology, Specialist Mathematics
For more information and bookings 9524 6222
Curtain Call. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
All workshops are held at the Australian Institute of
Management, 181 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda
take a Break . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
For further information or to book online visit:
www.edpd.com.au
t: (03) 9524 6222 e: seminars@edpd.com.au
J2350
inspire July 2012
5
BriEfCAsE
What’s new this month?
Free global issues
workshops for
primary schools
n Just Like Me? is an incursion program that aims to make
primary students more aware of other cultures, and of the
similarities and differences between themselves and their peers
in impoverished countries.
The program has been developed by International Needs
Australia (INA), a small, not-for-profit international aid and
development agency committed to the alleviation of poverty
through community education. One of its current objectives is
to raise the awareness of Australian primary school children to
the different lives of children around the world.
To do this, INA has developed a series of workshops that
enable students to learn about global issues such as poverty,
sustainable resource use and environmental management.
6
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The workshops encourage an increased understanding of how
these issues impact the daily lives of children around the world
in a diversity of cultures. The related resources and teaching
activities have been developed by Victorian teachers to link with
the Australian Curriculum.
Thanks to the support of AusAID, these incursion-style
workshops are being offered to primary schools free of charge.
A registered teacher will visit your school, at no cost, and offer
an engaging presentation and a variety of thought-provoking
activities based on issues such as the Millennium Development
Goals or the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, with
particular reference to children living in poverty.
For more information, visit www.justlikeme.org.au
this daffodil day.
Your school can be a
ResourceSmart School
Friday 24 August 2012
Cancer Council’s Daffodil Day will fund important cancer research,
provide prevention programs and provide support for cancer patients
and their families.
Sell Daffodil Day merchandise
Order merchandise for students, teachers and parents to purchase at
exclusive discount prices. No upfront payment.
Dress yellow on
Daffodil Day
Wear a touch of yellow and make a
donation.
We’ll send you a kit with everything
you need for your dress yellow day,
including stickers for all participants.
Register your school today.
1300 65 65 85
daffodilday.com.au
n Entries are piling in for the ResourceSmart Schools Awards,
which recognise and reward Victorian schools, students and
teachers for their outstanding achievements in sustainability.
With $40,000 worth of cash and prizes up for grabs, the awards
are a fantastic way to experience what other Victorian schools
are achieving, boost your school profile and celebrate with your
school community.
Everyone’s sustainability achievements are worth celebrating, no
matter if your school is new to sustainability or you have been
leading the way for years.
This year there are eight categories open for entry including three
new categories.
Schools that enter three or more of the resource module categories
(biodiversity, waste, water, energy or community leadership) will
automatically be considered for Victoria’s top ResourceSmart
School of the Year Award.
Schools new to sustainability that enter one or more of the
resource module categories will automatically be considered for
the new award, ResourceSmart Newcomer of the Year.
Entries close 9 August.
For more information, visit www.resourcesmart.vic.gov.au or call
1300 061 565.
LOCUM SERVICES FOR SCHOOLS AND
SCHOOL NETWORKS
Lewis & Lewis is a successful, expanding company
with a reputation for expertise in psychology, speech
pathology and learning difficulties developed over
fifteen years in business.
We are able to provide professional staff locum
services to schools, networks of schools and regions
that are both timely and responsive.
Lewis & Lewis locum staff comprise experienced
psychologists, social workers and speech pathologists
who are able to fill vacancies when a support officer is
on leave, until a permanent employee is secured or to
provide a service where none currently exists. Locum
staff are available for short or longer periods and for
various time fractions from half a day per week to full
time.
Professional locum replacement staff are available for
psychologists, social workers and speech pathologists
supporting schools and Networks. Our locum service
also complements other services provided.
Further information about the Lewis & Lewis
Locum Services can be found on our website at:
www.lewisandlewis.com.au or phone Geoff Riley
on (03) 9380 5742.
inspire July 2012
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BriEfCAsE
Languages Teaching Scholarships
n DEECD is offering scholarships to Victorian government
school teachers who wish to become qualified languages
teachers (see 12 June DEECD Mail S226-2012).
To be eligible, you must have a university post-VCE language
major or sub-major, or proficiency in a language demonstrated
by a Statement of Equivalence.
Scholarship recipients will be funded to undertake an
appropriate university languages course (where required), a
languages methodology course and an in-country language
course.
n Game Masters is a highly interactive video game exhibition
showcasing the work of leading local and international video
game designers from the arcade era through to the latest
console and mobile game technology.
More than 30 game designers who have made a significant
impact in the field will be profiled throughout the exhibition,
including well-known international, independent and
Australian game designers.
Qualified languages teachers who have not taught a language for
the past two years can also apply for a scholarship to undertake
an in-country language course to refresh their language skills.
Applications for first-round scholarships close on 17 August.
For more information, contact Therese Mercader at
mercader.therese.t@edumail.vic.gov.au or call 9637 2197.
Their work will be explored through 125 playable games and a
combination of rare concept artwork and newly commissioned
interviews.
The exhibition runs at The Australian Centre for the Moving
Image until 28 October.
For more information, visit acmi.net.au
One minute to win it
Time to Shine – specialist
exhibition and performance
n An invitation is extended to all Victorian specialist schools to be
a part of an exciting new event called Time to Shine.
This combined exhibition and performance event aims to highlight
the abilities of students from specialist schools and showcase their
unique contribution to the arts.
It offers an opportunity for students to explore their creativity
through painting, drawing, textiles, construction and modelling,
and to experience the fun of performance in dance, drama, music
and media.
n 60secondscience is an online international competition
sponsored by DEECD’s Innovation Next Practice Division.
The competition links to student outcomes over a number of
VELS standards.
The challenge is to create a 60-second video that explains a
science concept or phenomena.
Entry is free, with $10,000 in cash prizes to be awarded
across a range of categories by a prestigious panel of
international scientists, filmmakers and multimedia experts.
Registrations close 1 August with uploads due by 26 August.
For more information, visit www.60secondscience.net
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inspire July 2012
Time to Shine will be held at the Northcote Town Hall from 28 to
30 August.
For more information,
email Nicole Molloy
at Ashwood School
(performing arts) at
molloy.nicole.m@
edumail.vic.gov.au
or
Sue Nicholls at
Heatherwood School
(visual arts) at
nicholls.suzanne.m@
edumail.vic.gov.au
BriEfCAsE
European Sweethearts Disasters and
n Geelong’s internationally acclaimed school-based band,
Sweethearts has been signed to play four of Europe’s best
music festivals in July.
“The response to
our last tour there
in 2010 has been
overwhelming. We
have had contact with
so many European
festivals that we
could have toured
for three months but
the girls have school
commitments, so we
narrowed it down to
four of our favourites,”
says music director Ross Lipson.
Sweethearts is a professional music group consisting of up to
30 girls enrolled at secondary schools across the Geelong area.
They will be playing Jazz a Vienne in France, The Montreux
Jazz Festival and Vissoie Arts Festival, both in Switzerland,
and the Porretta Soul Music Festival in Italy.
Porretta festival director Graziano Uliani says: “I was
determined for Sweethearts to be in our 2012 line up. There is
no other band like them. They bring excitement and energy to
our festival. They have many fans in Italy.”
Sweethearts released their latest CD Red in Your Eyes on 25
May.
“We are very proud of this recording because it mixes together
some great re-worked soul classics with songs we’ve written. I
think it sounds great,” says drummer Jess Elwood.
For more information, visit www.sweethearts.com.au
trauma conference
n Floods, bushfires and community tragedies have highlighted
the need for school communities and other education facilities
to be prepared with the latest thinking, planning and procedures
when disaster and trauma are experienced.
The Disasters & Trauma: Creating a Safe Supportive
Environment in the Education Setting conference provides
an opportunity for those working within the education sector
to hear experts with practical experience in creating safe and
supportive environments in response to, and preparation for,
disaster and trauma.
The conference will be held at the Kenneth Myer Building,
University of Melbourne, on 10 August from 9am to 3.30pm.
Keynote speakers include Ruth Wraith OAM and Dr Vicki
Trethowan.
Registration closes 3 August.
For more information, visit www.casse.org.au, email
enquiries@casse.org.au or call 0450 540 366.
inspire July 2012
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BriEfCAsE
Schools Tree Day
Register now for the regional
environmental change forum
n Greening Australia and Sovereign Hill, with support from
DEECD, will deliver the fourth annual Regional Toolbox for
Environmental Change on 17 August.
This one-day teachers’ event, aimed at primary and secondary
levels, is held at Narmbool, a 5000-acre property owned and
operated by Sovereign Hill at Elaine, 30 minutes south of Ballarat.
n Planet Ark is calling on teachers and students to get involved
in Schools Tree Day on Friday 27 July to help inspire a healthy,
happy and green school community.
The forum will feature inspiring keynote speakers Andrew Vance
from the Victorian Association for Environmental Education,
and Bill Thomas, head of sustainability practices at Bentleigh
Seconday College. There will be plenty of workshops, ideas
shared and organisations available to assist teachers to integrate
sustainability education into their curriculum. Schools with a
focus on environmental education are encouraged to attend and
give a workshop to help spread the good news about sustainability
initiatives.
For more information and to register, visit
www.greeningaustralia.org.au/community/vic
Part of National Tree Day, Schools Tree Day is a fantastic
opportunity to foster a connection between students and nature
and teach future generations how to care for and protect their
native environment while having fun outside.
“Schools Tree Day is an opportunity for young people to get
involved in a fun and friendly event to look after their parks,
schools and bushland, which has long-lasting benefits for both
the students’ health and the health of the environment,” says
Planet Ark spokesperson Rebecca Gilling.
For more information, visit treeday.planetark.org or call 1300 88 5000.
Enter the GenerationOne competition and win $15,000
n GenerationOne and the Australian School
of Performing Arts invite all schools to get
involved in the Creative Change GenerationOne
competition, which aims to raise awareness
and get young Australians actively involved in
the initiative to end Indigenous disparity in one
generation – this generation.
The competition encourages primary schools
to perform and film their own version of the
GenerationOne theme song ‘Hands Across
Australia’, and secondary schools to use the
Warumpi Band’s ‘Blackfella/Whitefella’ to
inspire their response to Indigenous disparity.
One primary and one secondary school will win
$15,000.
A resource pack, filled with great activity
ideas and support materials, was sent to every
Australian school in the week of 18 June.
Entries close 19 October.
For more information, visit
www.generationone.org.au or call 1800 338 142.
10 inspire July 2012
BriEfCAsE
David Brown’s
the olive Journey
Channel seven meteorologist David Brown is
busy visiting government schools across greater
Melbourne to discover the exciting programs and
activities on offer. tune into David Brown’s school
Days on saturdays at 6pm during seven News to
see all the great school initiatives.
PHOTOGRAPH BY MiCHeLLe DuNN
school days
invite seven News to your school!
if your school has an interesting
program with lots of colour and
action, email a brief description
to schooldays@edumail.vic.
gov.au for your chance to be
featured on the program.
Six olive trees planted at Coburg West Primary School in 2000 as a
celebration of the Olympics are paying dividends in the classroom.
Students learn all about olives and how they are grown and then put it
into practice by picking, preserving and then tasting the results a couple
of months later.
See the video of David’s visit to Coburg West Primary School at www.
education.vic.gov.au/about/news/dbschooldays/coburgwestps.htm
inspire July 2012 11
BriEfCAsE
Technical leadership support for
principals and business managers
n The Schools Resource Allocation Branch in conjunction
with the Bastow Institute of Educational Leadership provides
informed professional learning opportunities for principals
and business managers or aspiring leaders with the Dollars and
Sense and Talking Finances programs.
Based on DEECD policy and best practice, the programs focus
on school financial management and each component has been
specially designed to support school leaders in this climate of
increased school autonomy. The aim is to extend the knowledge,
skills and confidence in leading and monitoring the resources
for education priorities. The programs’ structures are relevant
to the daily work of educational leaders and regularly measured
for effectiveness through participant evaluation.
Sessions are held around Victoria to support both metropolitan
and rural participants. There is no cost to attend.
Dollars and Sense
Presented by experienced practitioners as four half-day sessions,
this program builds school leaders’ technical capabilities in
financial management. It equips them with the knowledge and
skill to effectively manage school finances. Dollars and Sense is
reviewed and updated each year.
Participants will develop an understanding of:
• Student Resource Package (SRP) and the SRP planner
• workforce budgeting – introduction to developing workforce
plans
• financial management – overview of financial responsibilities,
internal controls and School Resource Indicator reports
• financial reporting – key reports and how to analyse them in
CASES21 Finance.
Talking Finances
Delivered as six half-day sessions, this program is designed to
provide a more detailed examination of all aspects of school
financial management.
n The annual History Teachers
Association of Victoria’s conference
will be held at the Hemisphere
Conference Centre in Moorabbin on
26 and 27 July.
This event, titled One World,
Many Histories, offers teachers
the opportunity to meet with peers
from Victoria and beyond, and to
interact with members from a range
It is designed for business managers, aspiring business managers
and education support staff. Principals are encouraged to attend
with their business manager.
Participants will develop an understanding of:
• Student Resource Package (SRP) and the SRP planner
• asset management – an overview of asset policy, the asset
register, procurement and disposal of assets and information
on the School Equipment Insurance Scheme
• budget preparation – best practice procedures and relevant
policies and guidelines
• report analysis – interpret and analyse reports
• school level payroll – including superannuation
• taxation – requirements and procedures relating to Goods
and Services Tax (GST) and Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT).
For more information, and for dates and locations, visit
www.education.vic.gov.au/management/financial/pd.htm or call
Sharon Ciantar on 9637 3794.
of organisations showcasing their
resources.
The conference will feature workshops and sessions from examining
the Australian Curriculum and using
technology in the classroom, to the
latest research in history education.
For more information, visit
www.htav.asn.au
BriEfCAsE
imagine Peace for Lions
international poster contest
n Students aged from 11–13 years are encouraged enter the
Lions International Peace Poster contest and use a variety
of mediums including charcoal, crayon, pencil and paint to
express their visions for this year’s theme, ‘Imagine Peace’.
During the last 20 years, more than four million children from
nearly 100 countries have participated in the contest. Twentyfour international finalists are selected each year, representing
the work of more than 350,000 young participants worldwide.
Posters are shared globally via the internet, media and exhibits
around the world.
Posters will advance through several judging levels: local,
district, multiple district and international, where judges will
select a grand-prize winner and 23 merit award winners.
Entries close 15 November and may only be submitted through
your local Lions Club.
For more information, visit www.lionsclub.org or contact Rod Moss
at rodmoss@bigpond.net.au or call 9808 6061.
A little ray
of sunshine
n Vitamin D is essential
for
healthy
bones,
muscles and general
wellbeing. The best
natural source of vitamin
D is the sun’s UV.
UV levels are typically
low in Victoria between
May and August. Sun
protection is not required
at this time of year, unless near highly reflective surfaces such
as snow, outside for extended periods or when the UV reaches
three and above.
To help with vitamin D, most people need to expose their
face, arms and hands (or equivalent area of skin) to midday
winter sun for two to three hours spread over the week. People
with naturally very dark skin may need three to six times this
amount.
Physical activity assists synthesis of vitamin D, so get your
students outside and active in the middle of the day.
Upload SunSmart’s UV Alert widget to your school website to
know the times when sun protection is or isn’t required.
Visit the SunSmart website to create a vitamin D poster or
check out the vitamin D tracking tool.
For more information, visit sunsmart.com.au
EArly CHilDHOOD
Boost to increase
breastfeeding rates
BREASTFEEDING ‘drop-in’ centres will be
trialled as part of a $1.1 million Victorian
Coalition Government research project to
improve breastfeeding rates.
Minister for Children and Early Childhood
Development Wendy Lovell says the
intervention stage of the three-year research
project will begin next month.
“Only about half of the 73,000 babies being
born in Victoria are still being breastfed at
six months. That’s despite the World Health
Organisation recommending babies be
breastfed until at least six months of age,”
she says.
“Extensive research shows breastfeeding
has health benefits for mothers and babies,
and that babies that are not breastfed are
more likely to develop medical problems
and obesity in later life.
“This new research project is about finding
out what works best when it comes to
providing support to new mothers to
increase breastfeeding rates in Victoria.”
Ten local councils are taking part in the
trial, with six receiving home visits from
specialist breastfeeding nurses and three
setting up breastfeeding centres where
local mums can seek face-to-face advice
from a Maternal and Child Health nurse,
and breastfeed in a relaxed and friendly
environment. La Trobe University is
conducting research as part of this
project.
“This research project is about looking
at the best way to support women to
breastfeed, however it is important to
note that some women are unable to for
a variety of reasons, including medical
difficulties, and these women must be
supported too,” Ms Lovell says.
“I am looking forward to the progress of
this trial, and the vital information it will
provide us.”
The Coalition Government is currently
developing the Victorian Breastfeeding
Action Plan, which will provide health
service organisations with strategies aimed
at improving breastfeeding rates.
The government also provides the Australian
Breastfeeding Association with $100,000 a
year to provide education and support to new
mums.
“In this year’s budget, the Coalition
Government provided an additional $104
million for early childhood development,
including the biggest-ever investment in
maternal and child health, with $62.7 million
over four years dedicated to providing new
mums with 10 visits to a Maternal and Child
Health nurse,” Ms Lovell says.
“These consultations are vital in providing
new mums with extra support and detecting
any medical problems early, giving children
the best chance to grow up healthy and
strong.”
Trial participants:
EArly CHilDHOOD
First graduates of early
childhood mentoring program
EARLY CHILDHOOD Minister Wendy Lovell congratulated
graduates of Victoria’s first ever $1.3 million government-funded
early childhood teacher mentoring program last month.
Thirty-five new and rural early childhood teachers spent last year
working closely with their mentors – experienced early childhood
professionals committed to guiding the next generation of early
years teachers.
Under the program, teacher mentees received regular visits
from their mentors in their workplace, attended professional
development days and were in frequent phone and email contact
with their mentors, seeking advice and tips on how they can
improve their practice.
A further 85 teachers are now participating in the pilot program,
which is a partnership between the Victorian Government, Victoria
and Deakin universities.
“Research increasingly shows that supporting teachers early in
their careers makes all the difference to teacher quality, and this
is particularly important for early childhood teachers,” Ms Lovell
said.
“I’d like to congratulate the teachers who have benefitted
enormously from the wisdom and experience of their mentors.
I’d also like to thank Victoria University and Deakin University
for designing and delivering such a comprehensive professional
training program, which will benefit and guide these teachers for
the rest of their careers.”
For more information, visit www.education.vic.gov.au/about/news/newsalerts/2012/mentorprogram.htm
EArly CHilDHOOD
Kindergartens receive
record capital grants
MINISTER FOR Children and Early
Childhood Development Wendy Lovell
recently announced that 97 early childhood services would benefit from more
than $40 million in grants as part of
the Victorian Coalition Government’s
record investment in early childhood
infrastructure.
The grants can be used to upgrade facilities
or develop integrated children’s services
hubs.
The money is a combination of State
and National Partnership funding,
incorporating the 2011–12 $26 million
grants round, money brought forward from
the recently announced $50 million grants
round and $4.4 million of departmental
funds.
Ms Lovell said that the funding would help
centres across the state to deal with both
the increasing demand from a growing
population, and the move to 15 hours of
kindergarten for four year olds under
Universal Access.
The $40 million investment delivers:
• $17.5 million to establish 15 integrated
children’s centres, which will combine
kindergarten, playgroup, Maternal and
Child Health and other essential services
in a one-stop shop for families; and
• $23 million in renovation and
refurbishment grants, to extend or
upgrade 82 centres across Victoria.
“The early childhood years are vital,” Ms
Lovell said. “We know that 95 per cent of
a child’s brain development happens by
the age of five, and a good quality early
childhood education will give them a great
foundation for their primary, secondary
and tertiary education, and for their future
work life.
“Because of this, every application that
met funding criteria has been funded, by
bringing forward money from the recently
announced $50 million grants round.
This will ensure that funding is on the
ground and construction starts as soon as
possible.”
In addition to this $40 million grants
round, a further $36 million in grants for
early childhood services was announced in
late June. These grants will help children’s
services to build early learning facilities,
upgrade existing facilities and develop
integrated children’s hubs. Three grant
types are available to eligible organisations:
an Integrated Children’s Centre grant of
up to $1.5 million, a New Early Learning
Facility grant of up to $600,000 and an
Early Learning Facility Upgrade grant of
up to $300,000.
“I encourage children’s services across
the state to apply and share in this
latest round of funding as part of our
$80 million Children’s Facilities Capital
Grant Program,” Ms Lovell said.
DisCussiON pApEr
new directions
for the teaching
profession
THE NEw Directions for School Leadership • better performance development
including mentoring, in-class coaching
and the Teaching Profession discussion
and observation
paper launched on 21 June outlines the
Victorian Government’s goal to raise
• stronger performance management
student performance to match the very best
jurisdictions worldwide.
• more coherent school leadership
development and support system.
The paper highlights that the quality of
teaching has one of the greatest impacts Addressing Parliament the day after the
on student outcomes, and outlines a clear launch of the discussion paper, Minister
strategy for lifting Victorian students into Responsible for the Teaching Profession
the global top tier within a decade through Peter Hall said, “We are committed to
improvements in the teaching profession.
making Victoria’s teachers and school
leaders the envy of the world. This is
It calls for Victorian student performance
an ambitious agenda that will require
to lift by an average six months’ learning
consistent effort from the whole community,
across the board to catch up to worldand I am confident we can take our place in
leading jurisdictions in Europe, Canada
the global top tier. This paper, therefore,
and East Asia, with improvements in
seeks discussion in the three main areas.
teacher recruitment and training, teacher
performance management and school “The first of those areas is in recruitment and
leadership identified as the key drivers.
training of potential teachers. We should be
encouraging our best and brightest young
Launching the paper in Parliament, Premier
people into the teaching profession, as well
Ted Baillieu said, “A good teacher will lift
as providing the opportunity for those with
a student from the middle of the class to
other experiences to enter teaching as well.
the top of the class in three years, having a
greater impact than any other school factor. “We also need to look at the suitability of the
training courses that have been undertaken
“Teaching is one of the most respected
by teachers. We need to ask ourselves
professions but one of the least popular for
questions such as, are the current structures
high-performing graduates, so we need to
for teacher training the most appropriate?
attract the best and brightest, and careerI am pleased that the Department has
long training is important.
undertaken some trial projects with a
“To get these young people more involved will number of our training institutions and
require radical improvement in university universities, looking at and evaluating
offerings, teacher selection and performance different teacher training programs.
management, driven in partnership with a
“Another area we need to look at is
respected and professional principal class,”
embedding in the teaching profession a
Mr Baillieu said.
culture of continuous improvement and
The paper calls for a number of key reforms professional development. We need to make
sure that the job satisfaction of teachers is
including:
such that it sustains them in that profession.
• more quality and accountability in
This paper looks at a number of ways in
university courses for teachers
• a progressive increase in the ATAR scores
for undergraduates
which we can look towards establishing
that culture of excellence and performance
improvement within the teaching force.
“Finally, the third main area looks at school
leadership. I think the importance of that
role in our schools goes without saying.
School leaders undertake a very responsible
task of managing their workforce and
responsibility for the learning outcomes
of their schools. Consequently we need to
make sure that the support structures and
learning opportunities for leaders are also
available,” Mr Hall said.
Minister for Education Martin Dixon said
the paper set a direction for the teaching
profession that recognised its importance to
education and provided the best chance for
reaching ambitious targets.
“Together with improvements in our
curriculum, assessment, reporting, discipline, inclusion and school autonomy, this
paper gives us the tools to achieve our goal
for a world-leading school system.
“Moving from the middle of the pack to the
top tier will provide Victoria with the global
competitive advantage it needs to prosper in
a demanding economic climate by driving
economic growth and labour productivity.
Strong education outcomes lead to reduced
crime and better physical and mental health,
increased social cohesion, and reduced
reliance on welfare,” he said.
To download the paper, visit www.education.vic.gov.au/teachingprofession
yOutH CONfErENCE 2012
Improving outcomes for
vulnerable young people
the Victorian government is taking action to support the more than 2000 students living out-ofhome while attending school and the thousands more at risk of becoming disengaged from their
education.
EDUCATION MINISTER Martin Dixon
outlined the Government’s commitment
to improving responses to vulnerable
young people at the Youth Affairs Council
of Victoria (YACVic) Youth Conference
2012, held at the Melbourne Park Function
Centre on 25 and 26 June.
The two-day collaborative ‘Connect For:
improved outcomes for vulnerable young
people’ conference was a collaboration
of YACVic, Victorian Council of Social
Service, Municipal Association of Victoria,
DEECD, Department of Human Services,
Department of Health, Department of
Justice, Victoria Police, and Office of the
Child Safety Commissioner.
It brought together government, local
government, schools and the community
sector, including those working in youth
support, health, housing, justice services
and police. It featured keynote speakers,
presentations and workshops around future
thinking in education and service delivery,
early intervention, partnerships and
integrated service responses, transition,
and participation of young people.
“Education is a powerful tool for breaking
the chains of circumstance and lifting
people out of disadvantage,” Mr Dixon said.
“There are too many talented, creative and
bright kids with potential that through
no fault of their own are dealing with
additional pressures and challenges – and
staying engaged in education can be just
too hard if they don’t have extra support
and understanding. We are determined
to reverse that situation by improving the
way we respond to the needs of vulnerable
school-aged Victorians.”
The comprehensive package of support for
vulnerable young people includes:
young people. Pilots may involve new
• Ensuring individual student funding
through the Student Resource Package
or existing re-engagement programs,
follows students when they are referred
with expressions of interest to open for
to a re-engagement program – a program
schools and their partners at the start of
outside mainstream school, delivering
Term 3. Pilots will commence in 2013.
tailored education and support to
students at risk of disengagement. This • Enabling principals, who know the local
area best, to make decisions about what
commitment comes into effect at the
supports young people need. From 1
start of Term 3.
July, Student Support Services will be
• Comprehensive new online guidance on
managed in school networks, bringing
re-engagement programs for schools,
them closer to the needs of students in
education and training providers and
schools.
community agencies. Guidance covers
delivery arrangements, establishment • The $11 million Youth Partnerships
and referral processes, funding and
initiative, which will design new ways for
contract arrangements and elements of
education providers, non-government
quality program delivery. This will be
services, local government and state
available from Term 3.
government bodies to better coordinate
improved responses for vulnerable young
• Investing one million dollars to pilot
effective ways of re-engaging disengaged
people.
For more information, visit www.yacvic.org.au
spotlight on
literacy &
numeracy
national Year of reading 2012
the National year of reading 2012 is
a collaborative project joining public
libraries, government, community
groups, media and a range of other
organisations that share a passion for
reading.
With an estimated 46 per cent of
Australians unable to read fluently, the
National year of reading has identified
three goals to help turn Australia into
a nation of readers and encourage a
reading culture in every home:
• for all Australians to understand the
benefits of reading as a life skill and
a catalyst for wellbeing
• to promote a reading culture in
every home
• to establish an aspirational goal for
families, parents and caregivers of
sharing books with their children
every day.
As part of the National year of reading
there will be many exciting and
engaging activities taking place around
Australia and online so people of all
ages and from diverse backgrounds
can discover and rediscover the joy of
reading.
One event is the reading Hour, which
takes place on saturday 25 August.
this event is a focal point for the
National year of reading and aims to
establish the idea that everyone will
benefit from reading for at least one
hour a week. the reading Hour is
nominally 6pm to 7pm, but activities
will be held throughout the day in
libraries, bookstores and other public
places.
the premiers’ reading Challenge
is another exciting event. Open to
all students from prep to year 10,
the challenge encourages students
to develop their love of reading and
their literacy skills, with the support of
their teachers, schools, parents and
classmates.
last year, Victorian students broke
all previous challenge records, with
222,000 participants reading more
than four million books. With 2012
being the National year of reading,
there has never been a better time
for students to be inspired by the
challenge and discover the magical
power of books.
teachers and early childhood
professionals are encouraged to visit
the National year of reading website,
which provides details about local
events and campaigns that may
be relevant to their communities,
including information about the
reading Hour.
for more information, visit www.
love2read.org.au
for more information about the
premiers’ reading Challenge, visit
www.education.vic.gov.au/prc
litErACy
Wrapped in reading
During Education Week, Beaumaris primary school wrapped
their school in stories and drawings to embrace the National
year of reading.
IN 1969, artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude
wrapped the cliff-lined coast at Little Bay
outside Sydney in one million square feet
of fabric and 35 miles of polypropylene
rope to create their famous installation
wrapped Coast.
Fast-forward to 2012 and Beaumaris
Primary School, where students created
their own masterpiece, wrapped in
Reading, by swathing the school in a mural
of stories and drawings 100 metres long.
Each of the school’s 25 classes prepared a
four-metre long, three-metre high banner
to attach to the school boundary fences.
The banners consisted of stories classes
diligently constructed from author studies,
book reviews, quotes and other ideas
designed to promote reading and share the
students’ reflections with their families and
wider community during Education Week.
Year 6 teacher Jan Smith coordinated the
project and says the students made the
banners using a special plastic paper and
wrote on them with felt-tip pens and stuck
things on with glue.
“They worked on the banners for two
weeks – one week to plan and one week
to create, and were very passionate about
making them as bright and colourful as
they could,” she says.
Each class focused on a favourite story or
author, and each student made a careful
draft or two of their story before putting
felt-tip pen to plastic paper.
“Some students wrote diary excerpts,
others wrote their stories in Japanese,
which is our language subject, and some
Year 6 students captured memories of
their grandparents. The younger students
focused on Peter Rabbit, others favoured
The Very Hungry Caterpillar or where
the wild Things Are. A lot of the children
chose favourite books from the Premiers’
Reading Challenge, some even wrote
their own version of stories, which was
fantastic,” Ms Smith says.
Hundreds of parents and grandparents
helped students at Beaumaris Primary School
celebrate their masterpiece Wrapped in
Reading during education Week.
When the banners were finished, the school
held a special morning tea for parents and
grandparents who were then invited to
join Education Minsiter Martin Dixon and
help tie the artwork to the school fence.
“We had nearly all the parents and about
300 grandparents turn up. The children
were happy and very proud of their work.
It was a magical moment to watch them
as they walked the permitter with their
grandparents, holding hands and reading
all the stories. It was also lovely to see
them busily identifying the work of their
siblings and friends in other year levels,”
Ms Smith says.
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cover story
22 inspire juLY 2012
COVEr stOry
Back to nature
Bush Kinder sessions at Westgarth Kindergarten engage students in self-directed outdoor
play vital for early years development, writes Caroline reidy.
PLANET ARK research shows only 35 per
cent of Australian children play outside
every day, and one in 10 only plays outside
once a week. This is in stark contrast to
their parents’ generation, with double that
many saying they played outside every day
as children.
The Climbing Trees: Getting Aussie Kids
Back Outdoors 2011 study concluded that
parental fears about safety, lack of family
time and overreliance on technology has
created a generation of children who spend
more time playing indoors than out.
There is growing evidence that these factors,
combined with a focus on structured indoor
play, reduction in green play space and
overreliance on ‘too-safe’ outdoor play
equipment that doesn’t encourage risktaking is contributing to increased anxiety,
obesity levels and a disconnection from
nature in children. In contrast, outdoor
play and learning encourages creativity,
on a regular basis, and through play have
helps build confidence, social and problem
the opportunity to learn about the natural
solving skills and improves cognitive
environment, how to handle risks and use
development.
their own initiative to solve problems and
Director of Westgarth Kindergarten in cooperate with others.
Northcote, Doug Fargher, has seen this first
Drawing inspiration from the Forest
hand. The centre – which utilises a longSchools, Mr Fargher created an Australianday program that allows for uninterrupted
specific Bush Kinder program, which
periods of play where children can explore
saw him become a finalist in the Victoria
their ideas and work with their peers in a
Teachers Mutual Bank Outstanding Early
pressure-free environment – has for many
Childhood Teacher Award at the Victorian
years used its outdoor playground as its
Education Excellence Awards 2012. The
primary learning space.
program is based around the Victorian
“As an educator I’ve had a long-held belief Early Years Learning and Development
that children learn best in nature,” Mr Framework and was developed with
Fargher explains. “This belief was boosted support from DEECD, parents, teachers,
when I heard about the work being done the local community and academics.
by the Forest Schools in northern Europe Bush Kinder forms part of the overall
and the wonderful opportunities they offer Westgarth Kindergarten experience. In
children.”
addition to their regular kindergarten
Forest Schools, which have been operating
successfully for more than 50 years, have
demonstrated success with children of all
ages who visit the same local woodlands
sessions, the four-year-old children visit
the nearby Darebin Parklands once a week.
Within an allocated space selected for safety
and areas of potential interest, the children
... continued on next page
COVEr stOry
... continued from previous page
spend three hours roaming and engaging in self-directed play, in
a model of child-driven, adult-supported learning. The parklands
offer opportunities for exploration without the need for expensive
infrastructure and sessions are held rain, hail or shine.
they climb up a tree they’re using all their faculties, thinking about
what they’re doing, balancing and listening, compared to standard
a-frame climbing equipment, which, after a couple of weeks they
have mastered and can climb as second nature.
“When kindergartens were offered the opportunity to think of
ways to provide 15 hours under Universal Access I spoke with my
parent community and committee and we decided it would be
great if the additional three hours – the original access hours were
12 – could be spent offsite,” Mr Fargher explains of his motivation
to create the program in 2011.
“The children are involved in big running games and have intimate
moments when they might be by themselves. They’ll sweep out
little areas underneath a tree, where the space then becomes a
room,” Mr Fargher adds.
“I was fortunate to have a very strong and supportive community
and among that team there were two particularly strong parent
advocates, one of whom had a background working with parks and
local council. A lot of work has gone into ensuring the program
was done properly from the outset.”
Bush Kinder runs each Wednesday and 52 children take part.
Three educators are onsite supervising 26 children in two separate
sessions and parents drop off and pick up the children directly
from the parklands. Children explore bushland, climb trees, study
bugs, splash in puddles, play in the rain, balance on fallen logs, get
involved in dramatic play and draw in the dirt with sticks.
“I think one of the great things about preschoolers is they’re
really imaginative and curious and when provided with natural
materials they see things we don’t necessarily see as adults,” says
Mr Fargher.
“Young children will see a stick and it can be a wand or drawing
implement. One of the limitations to our typical learning materials
in early childhood and classroom settings are their uses are often
closed. A spade for example – while we encourage its use – is a
limited object for a child, it has one use. Natural materials are
open-ended.”
During Bush Kinder sessions each child’s developmental
progression, advancing skill levels and particular interests are
noted by their teachers. Teachers will support children as they
take the risks and face challenges, while also instilling a respect
for nature.
“Exploring nature is a big part of the sessions and the children are
also physically challenging themselves,” says Mr Fargher. “When
24 inspire July
l 2012
ly
“On Bush Kinder day we’re unencumbered by traditional in-centre
tasks like having to hang up paintings or tidy up after sessions and
can really focus on our relationship with the children and they can
focus on their relationships with each other. We’ve found that as a
result of the program the children’s relationships with each other
have become very strong.”
The program also utilises storytime, music and songs and makes
use of park rangers, musicians and artists who can support the
offsite learning, including Indigenous teachings about spiritual
and historic connections to the land.
“Our knowledge of the children and our knowledge of the
environment shapes the way we teach the children. There are lots
of opportunities for the children to lead the play themselves but
also for intentional teaching,” says Mr Fargher.
“Being outdoors has something of a spiritual effect on the
children. It is relaxing and stress relieving. They get to experience
the weather and the changes to the environment it brings, the
way the wind moves and the way light moves around in a space.
Although we operate in a relatively small space, children can see
the horizon.”
The centre’s parents have also responded very positively to the
program, Mr Fargher says.
“Even if spending time out in nature might not be their own
natural inclination, the parents have been really thrilled that their
children have had that opportunity. The feedback we’ve received
is, although the children love kinder generally, Bush Kinder day is
their favourite day of the week. And although it’s probably the day
we work the hardest, for us as educators it’s the day we enjoy the
most as well.”
COVEr stOry
The program has generated a lot of interest from other early
childhood professionals and Mr Fargher has begun sharing his
learnings.
“Some of the educators are keen to do something like this
themselves and others just like to see boundaries pushed a bit, to
do things differently while still following guidelines,” he says.
Mr Fargher believes this style of teaching may also provide an
opportunity to attract more males into early childhood education
and care, with Bush Kinder already resulting in an increase in
requests for jobs and work placements from men. I
For more information on the Bush Kinder, visit
www.wgkg.vic.edu.au/bush-kinder
For more information on Forest Schools, visit
www.forestschools.com
To read the full research report on the Climbing Trees:
Getting Aussie Kids Back Outdoors 2011 study, visit
http://treeday.planetark.org/documents/doc-534climbing-trees-research-report-2011-07-13-final.pdf
prEMiEr’s VCE AWArDs 2012
Premier’s VCe Awards
2012 at a glance
the premier’s VCE Awards are
an annual celebration recognising
outstanding student achievement
in the Victorian Certificate of
Education. the 2012 ceremony,
held on Wednesday 27 June at
the Melbourne Convention and
Exhibition Centre, saw 314 awards
presented to 280 students, with 25
students receiving multiple awards.
An impressive 139 Victorian
schools were represented.
in total, 26 top All round High
Achievers were recognised for their
exceptional VCE efforts. these
students achieved study scores
of 46 or higher in at least five VCE
studies in 2011 and 2010. Of
these 26 winners, 13 also won
individual and, in some cases,
multiple subject awards. individual
study awards and the top three
international student Awards were
based on 2011 study scores.
Hosted by premier of Victoria ted
Baillieu, and officially opened by the
Honourable Alex Chernov AC QC,
Governor of Victoria, the awards
were presented by Education
Minister Martin Dixon, and Minister
for Higher Education and skills
and Minister responsible for the
teaching profession peter Hall.
Guest presenters were young
Australian of the year Marita
Cheng; Carman’s fine food owner
Carolyn Creswell; Netball Australia
president Noeleen Dix; forever
New (fashion) owner Amanda
Goenka; sustainable landscape
architect phillip Johnson;
composer and music director
Chong lim; sussan Group CEO
Naomi Milgrom AO; and Nine
Network presenter livinia Nixon
(all pictured on page 28).
Set for success
the premier’s VCE Awards 2012 recognised
some remarkable achievements by students and
schools alike, Caroline reidy reports.
Fast Facts
Who: student winners of the
premier’s VCE Awards 2012, their
teachers, principals and families
What: the premier’s VCE Awards
2012, hosted by premier of
Victoria ted Baillieu
Why: to recognise outstanding
student achievement in the
Victorian Certificate of Education
(VCE)
MELBOURNE HIGH School brothers
Samad and Istafa Raza (pictured left) were
both named Top All Round VCE High
Achievers at the Premier’s VCE Awards
2012.
“Identical twins and identical ‘perfect
scores’; they truly are inseparable,” says
principal Jeremy Ludowyke. “While these
young men are gifted with exceptional
ability, no-one achieves a perfect score
without an equivalent level of sheer
hard work over many years. Remember
Edison’s formula of 1% inspiration to 99%
perspiration.”
Samad’s achievement is particularly
impressive given he sat his Unit 4 Biology
exam at the Royal Children’s Hospital,
while recovering from a collapsed lung.
“I mustered the courage to pick up the
books again and studied in the paediatric
ward,” he says. “With heaps of support
from the nursing staff and my family, I was
able to motivate myself despite the pain.
I will never forget that experience as an
event that greatly increased my resilience.”
Samad is currently studying a of Bachelor
of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery
at Monash University and in the future
hopes to help those less fortunate. Istafa is
undertaking the same course. Both studied
English, Maths Methods, Specialist Maths,
Chemistry and Biology during their VCE.
Istafa also took out Premier’s VCE subject
awards in English, Mathematical Methods
(CAS), and Physics.
“I would like to specialise and further my
education with a Masters in Global Health
in order to become involved in global
health and health policy and try to make
a difference in the parts of the world that
need it most,” he says.
Melbourne High School was ranked equal
top-performing school alongside The
Mac.Robertson Girls’ High School at this
year’s Premier’s VCE Awards. Both schools
received 12 awards in total.
“This success is predominantly a tribute to
the ethic and dedication of our students,”
says Mr Ludowyke. “A basic truth is that you
achieve the results you deserve. It is also a
testament to the dedication and support
of their committed team of teachers. Noone can ensure success but the relevant
educational research shows that setting
high aspirations for all students is key to
encouraging it. One of the goal statements
of Melbourne High School is ‘We challenge
every student to achieve their full potential
often beyond their perceived capabilities’.”
The Mac.Robertson Girls’ High School
principal Jane Garvey says collaboration
and understanding between teachers and
students is the key to the school’s success.
“Teaching at Mac.Rob is very challenging
because the students expect a high degree
of expertise and are motivated to work
hard, which creates lots of preparation
and assessment work for their teachers.
Our teachers have been focusing on
personalising education for each student,
knowing their students’ capabilities and
which areas need development.
“We encourage them to keep developing
their pedagogical skills and expand their
teaching repertoires so that classrooms
are stimulating and engaging places for
the students. Our teachers give so much
of themselves to their students because
they care and in return they are very much
respected and appreciated by the students.
“Our girls work very hard, have high
expectations of themselves, strive to be
organised and allow themselves every
opportunity to achieve this success, which
is so well deserved,” Ms Garvey adds.
“The best thing about our students is the
way they support each other to learn, they
are truly inclusive and wholeheartedly
celebrate each other’s successes and help
pick up the pieces when things don’t go
according to plan.
“They also embrace a wide range of cocurricular activities and are encouraged
to follow their interests and passions.
Creativity is alive and thriving in this
community of socially aware and
compassionate young women who embrace
their activism and plan for the future. They
are so exciting to work with, I am in awe of
their energy.”
The school boasted two Top All Round VCE
High Achievers in Joanna Wang, who also
took out English Language Award, and
Swetha Prabhakaran who says “my VCE
years were the two best years of my entire
life. I made lasting friendships that I hope
to maintain throughout my life.”
Inspired by Fred Hollows, she is studying
Medicine at Monash University and
hopes to travel around Australia and the
world to help people in disadvantaged
communities.
Joanna, who is studying a Bachelor of
Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at
Monash University, says undertaking
extracurricular activities – including sport
and community work – kept her mentally
positive and physically energised during
her VCE.
Inspired by Steve Jobs, Balwyn High
School’s Top All Rounder Alper Gokoglu
(pictured right) is currently studying
Commerce at The University of Melbourne.
“His innovation and determination helped
shape the world for the better,” Alper
explains. “I want to contribute to shaping
a better world, even if my contribution is
small.”
Alper, who also won subject awards in
Chemistry and Specialist Mathematics,
believes support from his parents and
teachers were key to his VCE success.
Balwyn High School took out an impressive
seven awards at this year’s VCE Awards, to
see it ranked eighth school overall.
Principal Deborah Harman, also speaking
on behalf of assistant principals David
Nichols and Karen Harris, says this success
is testament to hard work undertaken over
many years by students and teachers alike.
“We work with all year levels all year
to maximise student outcomes. Year 12
results are the most public results a school
has but they do reflect work that occurs at
all year levels. We are constantly looking at
improving our educational experience for
all our Year 12 students and the outstanding
results, in particular the very high number
of students achieving an enter of 99 or
above, was really pleasing for the school
community. The results achieved reflect
the whole-school team approach we have
towards improving student outcomes.
Governor of Victoria Alex Chernov, Premier Ted Baillieu, Minister Hall and Minister Dixon
were joined by a number of high achieving guest presenters.
“Our teachers are essential in ensuring
student success,” Ms Harman adds. “There
are clear policies adopted for maximising
student outcomes, particularly at Year
12, and all staff have ownership of these
policies. All Year 12 teachers have an
understanding of Victorian Curriculum
and Assessment Authority data relating
to their subjects and use this to reflect on
practice and set goals. Teachers work at
all year levels to build the skills students
require to do well in Year 12. They
have a great deal of support from their
heads of learning and regularly discuss
improvement strategies with them.
They are also supported by appropriate
professional development and give a
lot of extra time outside of their class
contacts and this dedication is very much
appreciated by our students.”
Her tips for other schools hoping to
improve their VCE success is to have a
comprehensive calendar that lists all events
during the year.
“Students appreciate the school being well
organised and having a clear direction.
We work at reducing between-class
differences. One way of doing this is via
common assessment tasks and our policy
of – wherever possible – ‘teachers do not
plan alone’.
“Ensure you have a thorough revision
program and that the program is the
same for each subject,” she suggests.
“This consistency breeds confidence in the
students and reduces anxiety. Listen to
the feedback from your student leadership
team, work strategically with the heads of
learning to solve whole school educational
issues as well as developing and
implementing improvement strategies.” I
The Mac.Robertson Girls’ High School’s
Joanna Wang receives her Top All Round
VCe High Achiever Award from Premier Ted
Baillieu.
For more information on the Premier’s VCe Awards and a full list of 2012
winners, visit www.education.vic.gov.au/about/events/premiersvce/default.htm
NuMErACy
Plenty to learn in the maths garden
When it comes to outdoor learning spaces,
the maths garden at plenty parklands primary
school really measures up.
MATHS CLASSES at Plenty Parklands
Primary School have taken on a whole new
look and feel with the advent of the recently
completed maths garden.
This
exceptional
outdoor
learning
environment began with a humble sundial,
purchased in 2007 by a Year 3 class after
winning a maths talent quest.
“As a class, we brainstormed what to do with
our $60 winnings and decided to purchase
a sundial as this was a mathematical
instrument that we could use as part of our
maths lessons on time,” explains maths coorindinator Sharon Kandell.
“The students really enjoyed using the
sundial, and we began to talk about how
fantastic it would be if we had an outdoor
area filled with lots of things like the sundial,
to explore maths concepts.”
With the assistance of grants, and the vision
and hard work of the school’s landscape
gardener Colin Sievers, the maths garden
concept became a larger-than-life reality.
It is now a focal point of the school and
has been a huge hit with the students and
local community, with other schools and
kindergartens lining up to visit and put the
fun but practical playground to the test.
The garden features a wide range of patterns,
pavers, sculptures and plants to illustrate
concepts of measurement, time, shape,
multiplication, angle and comparison.
A spiral, fondly named the ‘railway track’,
shows varieties of lines and patterns. A
set square on top of a direction post spins
to show wind direction. Giant pencils are
used to measure and compare. There is
also a giant compass and a steel screen for
magnetic numbers, as well as a series of
circles and cylinders, dice faces, fraction pies
and a zig-zag pathway showing tessellations.
One of the quirkiest fixtures is the human
sundial. “The sundial was calibrated to
our exact spot in the world,” Ms Kandell
explains. “You stand on the correct month,
with your heel on the date, and your shadow
tells the time.”
NuMErACy
Another interesting aspect of the garden
is the giant height post, which is the
same height as the tallest man in the
world, Robert Wadlow, who died in
1940 aged 22, and was 8 feet 11.1 inches
or 272cm tall.
“There are lots of measurement
opportunities in the garden, including
a 10-metre ruler path and a series of
vertical and horizontal lines and poles of
varying heights and diameters that can
be used for patterns, location, parallel
lines, fractions, measurement, averages,
angles and shapes, just to name a few
of the mathematical uses,” Ms Kandell
adds.
Students have been busily offering ideas
on how to use aspects of the garden
in their maths learning. Teachers are
also incorporating the space into their
planning documents.
“It is certainly a very popular space,”
Ms Kandell laughs. “We have rostered
various year levels into the garden
for recess and lunchtimes so that the
students can continue their learning.
In the future, we hope to add a giant
chessboard, number lines, a giant
abacus and noughts and crosses.” I
For more information, contact Plenty Parklands Primary School at plenty.parklands.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au or call 9404 4311.
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stuDENt lEADErsHip
Berwick Lodge students
leap into leadership
At Berwick lodge primary
school iCt integration is led
by the students and is less
dependent on the teachers
attending professional
development.
Fast Facts
Who: Berwick lodge primary
school
What: lodgers’ elearning
Extension program (lEEp)
Why: extension for high-achieving
students based on iCt
THE LODGERS’ eLearning Extension
Program (LEEP) offers extension for highachieving students based on ICT.
Students that participate in the program
are known as ‘LEEP ICT leaders’. They
have small, group lessons in advanced
ICT skills and are tutored to develop the
social and interpersonal skills necessary
for leadership and mentoring of both their
peers and teachers.
In this way, the students benefit from
the lessons in advanced ICT skills and
leadership experience, the teachers have
models and examples for integrating ICT
into the curriculum, and the whole school
benefits by spreading the learning and
infusing the classes with ICT experts and
mentors.
“The gifted and talented students who
are often in the range of ‘being bored’ in
a regular class are engaged and active in
helping others in their own class and across
the school,” says eLearning leading teacher
Lois Smethurst. “What better way to know
and understand something than to have to
teach it to someone else?
“Having ICT integration led by the students
means it is less dependent on the teachers
attending professional development. The
students have the opportunity to embed
their learning by teaching others, and the
small group affords the opportunity to
share and discuss the appropriate way to
work with others, including adults,” she
adds.
Ms Smethurst says the LEEP ICT leaders
have helped many teachers develop
the confidence to try new ICT tools and
programs such as blogging, Web 2.0 tools
and creating multimedia. When teachers
are in the ICT lab, they often ‘hand over
the reins’ to their LEEP students who
demonstrate new concepts using the
interactive whiteboard.
The LEEP program has three main goals:
As part of their responsibilities, the LEEP
students share responsibility for tasks
such as maintaining a school blog, helping
younger students in the ICT lab, and
operating the panel in the school’s radio
studio for students performing broadcasts
or conducting interviews. They also use
ethical practises, such as Creative Commons
Searching for images and audio, and then
share this knowledge with their class.
• to provide an enrichment program for
highly able or gifted students, which will
complement the classroom curriculum
particularly inquiry learning units of
study
• to enable students in the program to
become ICT leaders in their classroom,
modelling innovative use of ICT and
supporting their peers and teachers to
utilise ICT skills to enhance learning
• to utilise ICT to enhance student learning
in all areas of the curriculum. ICT will
provide participants with the means to
personalise their learning by providing
access to information, resources and
experts from all over the world.
“The LEEP students find the responsibility
of ICT mentoring a privilege,” Ms
Smethurst says. “They develop stronger
interpersonal and leadership skills and are
highly regarded and valued by their peers
and teachers. The structure of program,
where the LEEP students work ahead
stuDENt lEADErsHip
of their class in their inquiry unit,
means that the mentors are not over
taxed or disadvantaged by having the
responsibility of helping others achieve
the ICT outcomes.
“The use of ICT extension where students
explore Web 2.0 tools to demonstrate
learning, connect with the outside world
using synchronous and asynchronous
communication, and use multimedia as
a regular outcome for an inquiry unit is
exciting and engaging and prepares the
bright and capable students for future
independent learning,” she says.
Ms Smethurst adds that teachers can
also use the work of their LEEP students
to provide models of how ICT can be
embedded in the curriculum.
“A finished example of work that has
been created by students in their class
makes it much more possible for them
to envisage how their whole class might
achieve a similar outcome. By seeing what
their LEEP students have done they are
aware of new ICT practises and how they are
linked to improved student learning. In this
way, students and teachers are exposed to
many practises that they might not otherwise
see.” I
For more information, visit www.berwicklodgeps.vic.edu.au
lEArNiNG spACEs
Make the most of your
learning spaces
Victorian schools are constantly evolving to meet the needs of today’s learners. With new open learning
spaces popping up in schools across the state, sale primary school professional learning team leader
Judy Lawless offers some tips on how to make the most of 21st century learning spaces.
Make it your own
the furnishings and layout of your learning space should
be designed to maximise student learning. At sale
primary school we made a conscious effort to form a
‘learning community’ in our learning space. the space
was customised to fit the needs and goals of the school.
We did a lot of research into what type of furniture to
select and ended up choosing flexible furniture, which
is constantly being moved according to what type of
learning is taking place. We have four main learning
spaces and each class ‘home base’ is rotated every term.
lEArNiNG spACEs
Brainstorm
Give students ownership of spaces
students at our school have an enormous sense of pride
in their learning space. it’s important that no one ‘owns’
a particular space. the children share spaces and
have collective ownership and responsibility for them.
they are really excited about their learning and their
environment. Giving students specific responsibilities,
such as being in charge of recycling and maintaining
the gardens, strengthens their sense of pride over
their space. student displays are another great way to
provide them with a sense of ownership of their space.
Doing some research is a good way to start exploring
how you can make the most of your learning spaces.
staff at sale primary school carried out research
into how to make the most of our space. We visited
a number of other schools to see what was working
for them, and had many discussions about how to
use our space. We then brainstormed a number of
programs that could best utilise our spaces, and we
often revisit our research and ideas. i recommend
that schools set priorities during the planning stage
and don’t try to do too much too soon.
www.makeitso.org.au/aew
lEArNiNG spACEs
... from previous page
New ways of teaching and learning
embrace technology
technology is playing a significant role in the evolving
format of Victorian schools. Open learning spaces
provide schools with the opportunity to embrace a
range of modern technologies. We have incorporated
laptops, interactive whiteboards and cameras into our
learning across all subjects.
Our new learning spaces have been designed to support
modern teaching and learning methods. Our teachers
have implemented a number of methods in their open
learning spaces to maximise student learning outcomes.
teachers use Common Assessment tasks (CAts) to
establish student learning profiles, we use a range of
grouping structures (home base, ability, mixed ability,
interest based, etc), and we are constantly working
on new ways to engage students through negotiated,
open-ended and investigative learning. these teaching
and learning techniques have resulted in engaged and
motivated students.
Share the spaces
Communicate
sharing your space is a great way to strengthen ties
with parents, community members, other schools
and local organisations and groups. We have used
our space for staff meetings, parent evenings, school
and regional based professional development, student
expos, and family maths and science nights. you
might also consider making your space available for
local sporting and hobby groups, after hours school
care, community meetings and art exhibitions.
it’s great to be able to share all of the wonderful things
that are going on within your learning spaces with the
community. the children at sale primary school gave
their parents a tour the first time they came to visit the
space. We send out regular newsletters to parents
outlining classroom programs, upcoming events and
timetable changes. parents are invited to be familiar
and be involved with their children’s learning. We’ve
also communicated what we’re doing to the wider
community through our local newspaper. it’s important
to celebrate achievements and success with the
school and the community.
CulturAl DiVErsity
new report champions
cultural diversity
ON 13 June, Minister for Higher Education and Skills Peter Hall
launched a new publication to support educational opportunities
for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) adult learners.
With nearly half of Victorians born overseas or having at least one
parent who was, Mr Hall said the Responding to CALD Learners:
Cultural Diversity in Action report provided a snapshot of regional
and metropolitan communities to help Learn Local organisations
meet the challenges of providing education and training to their
culturally diverse adult learners.
“With around 200 hundred languages are spoken by people from
around 200 nations, Victoria is becoming an increasingly diverse
place to live and work and we have a responsibility to ensure that
everyone can participate and thrive in our communities, and our
economy,” he said.
“This publication, funded by the Adult, Community and Further
Education (ACFE) Board and developed by AMES, provides a
snapshot of cultural and linguistic diversity in Victoria, emphasises
the role of culture in successfully engaging diverse learners, and
draws together key educational research findings and examples
of good practice to help Learn Local teachers provide the best
possible support for their CALD students.”
“Many more CALD residents are accessing services in the Diamond
Valley, for instance, thanks to ongoing work between Learn Local
organisations Diamond Valley Learning Centre and North-East
Neighbourhood House. As CALD demographics evolve in the
Eastern suburbs, Learn Local organisations Coonara Community
House and Mulgrave Community House are working to respond to
Mr Hall said outstanding work was already occurring in Learn changing demographics.”
Local centres across Victoria.
“Great partnerships between Learning Centres and Neighbourhood
Houses are already reaping great results in regional and rural
Victorian communities.
For more information, visit www.acfe.vic.gov.au
Don’t miss out on these great
seminars and workshops
Tuesday 24 July
Kathy Walker
Bill Rogers
Garry Chapman & Russell Feben
Thursday 16 August
Linking the Early Childhood Years with Early
Primary Education
Tuesday 28 August
For All Teachers
Effective Learning with Computers in the
Middle Years
For Prep to Year 6 Teachers
Developing Effective Teaching Skills
Andrew Fuller
Beverly Derewianka
For Year 4 to Year 8 Teachers
Thursday 23 August
Guerrilla Tactics for Teachers
Connecting with Grammar – The Australian
Curriculum
Sue Fine
Thursday 2 August
Thursday 30 August
For All Teachers
Rob Vingerhoets
Deb Sukarna
A Practical and Sequential Approach to the
Learning of Fractions to Develop Conceptual
Understanding
Tuesday 28 August
Also in Term 3 – Kath Murdoch and Tony
Stead... See our website for full details
Friday 10 August
Maths – Catering for the Range of Abilities in
Introduction to Spelling
your Classroom
For registration forms and enquiries, please contact Paula Welham on:
Telephone: 9490 1877 • Mobile: 0488 110 000 • Email: mail@ivanhoepl.com
Time:
9:15am – 3:15pm
(Registration from 9:00am)
Where: Darebin Arts &
Entertainment Centre
(Cnr Bell Street &
St Georges Road, Preston)
Cost:
$209 (inc. GST)
Cost includes morning tea,
lunch & hand-outs
Book online now:
www.ivanhoepl.com
MusiC
Music primes the
brain for better learning
students at Newport lakes primary school are encouraged to sing and play music because it’s
fun – but also because science shows that music benefits their learning.
“THERE’S a growing body of research
that shows when students are singing or
playing an instrument they are actually
‘priming’ their brains for other learning
activities,” says the school’s music teacher
Kathy Hirche.
“Neuroscientists are consistently finding
that music-learning activities forge
powerful new connections across the brain
as well as the nervous system, and these
provide a type of ‘scaffolding’ that supports
development of other skills such as speech,
language, memory and attention.”
This growing understanding of how
music aids brain development is actively
promoted to parents at Newport Lakes
Primary School in Melbourne’s inner
west. Every student is considered to have
musical abilities and there is a strong focus
on ‘having a go’.
“Our message across the school community
is that music makes your brain work better
no matter your age or ability and we
encourage everyone, including parents, to
get involved,” Ms Hirche says.
All students at Newport Lakes Primary
sing and play percussion and keyboard.
The school also has a thriving band and
choir with strong links to other musical
groups in the area.
An exciting new musical addition for the
school this year has been its partnership
with the Hobsons Bay City Band, which has
formed the Hobsons Bay Training Band
with students. The band rehearses at the
school and students are learning a wind,
brass or percussion instrument and get
to play with the City Band at community
events.
“We have strong family and community
involvement in our music activities,” says
Ms Hirche. “Our parents have established
a Music Resource Group to support our
music program and many help with
rehearsals and also perform with their
children at school events.”
MusiC
As part of its efforts to encourage music
making, the school recently participated
in the Making Music Being Well campaign,
an annual event to promote music and its
links with health and learning.
Presented by the Music Council of Australia
and held during Victoria’s Education
Week in May, the national campaign this
year included mass community singalongs, music jams, open rehearsals and
playground activities.
At Newport Lakes Primary, students
celebrated Making Music Being Well with
a performance by the Bayside Secondary
College Band before joining older students
in an open rehearsal. The Hobsons Bay
Training Band and the City Band also
held open rehearsals during the week for
students, family and friends keen to try a
musical instrument.
“The social and therapeutic benefits of
music are well known but the strong
evidence emerging about how music
actually changes our brain for the better is
exciting,” Ms Hirche says.
“It adds to our school’s commitment to
music and we hope the connections we’re
helping students make with other musical
groups across the community encourage
them to continue with music throughout
their lives.” I
For more information about the brain and music, visit www.neurosciencenews.com and search for ‘music enhances learning’.
For information on the Making Music Being Well campaign, visit www.makingmusicbeingwell.org.au
DiGitAl rEsOurCEs
Great digital learning resources on the
London olympics
Maths and sport: countdown to the olympics
reSourCe Id: nJ7t3Y
www.london2012.com
reSourCe Id: BSGJL5
http://sport.maths.org/content
London will host the Olympic and paralympic
games from 27 July to 12 August. This site
contains overviews of each sport, including video,
schedule of events and media centre.
explore maths and science through the
London 2012 Olympic and paralympic Games.
Activities arranged by learning level, plus a
searchable sport index with interactives, Olympic
measurements and current records.
Get in the zone
reSourCe Id: nr5G7C
www.getinthezone.org.uk/schools/ages-4-11
experiments, kits and games supporting discovery
and participation in sport. Download teacher and
student resources, plus links to pe-related sites.
similar pages for ages 11 to 19: www.getinthezone.
org.uk/schools/ages-11-19
english for the games
reSourCe Id: hYW4YW
www.teachingenglish.org.uk/english-for-the-games
Literacy-focused Olympic activities. Lesson plans
incorporating language skills, plus great pDF and
Word-illustrated guides to many sports ready for
student annotation.
Search Ultranet endorsed content to find quality digital resources to support your learning program.
Resources include interactives, videos, images and websites. Visit https://ultranet.vic.edu.au
To share your story, contact Russell Blackie at blackie.russell.r@edumail.vic.gov.au
DiGitAl rEsOurCEs
London
Olympics
and the science of sport
vic Sport
reSourCe Id: 5Kv9LA
www.vicsport.asn.au/home
Vicsport is an
umbrella body
for over 128
state sporting
associations and
affiliated sport
service organisations
in Victoria. education
and training
resources, plus
sportsview online
journal.
top end sports
reSourCe Id: r57dpv
www.topendsports.com/index.htm
sport, fitness and nutrition information covering
all aspects of sports science, plus online
journals, training, major sporting event links and sport clip art.
AChper
reSourCe Id: 52W63n
www.achper.org.au
Better health channel image library
reSourCe Id: uhBr2S
www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcsubmit.nsf/
ImageLibrary?open
View 3D rotatable images of key components
of physiology including respiratory, digestive,
heart and circulatory, brain and nervous
systems.
The Australian
Council for
Health, physical
education and
recreation
represents
professionals
working in these
associated fields.
explore pD
opportunities,
research and
current projects.
using Qr codes
Quick response (Qr) codes are a convenient way of accessing web links but can also include text and phone numbers.
The web links on this page can be accessed in the usual way or by using a smartphone or the webcam in a netbook,
notebook or desktop computer. A Qr code reading app is required for a phone. Free Qr computer software can be
downloaded at www.dansl.net/blog/?p=256
To generate your own Qr codes, visit www.qrstuff.com/index.html
DiGitAl rEsOurCEs
Microsoft partners in Learning
Asia pacific Conference 2012
As Victorian winner of the innovative teacher of the year award, Boneo primary
school teacher Sally Walsh joined 200 educators and school leaders from 19
countries at the annual Microsoft partners in learning Asia pacific Conference.
THIS YEAR I was fortunate enough to
attend the Microsoft Partners in Learning
Conference in Auckland, New Zealand.
I was awarded the Innovative Teacher
of the Year award for Victoria and joined
innovative educators and school leaders
from 19 countries in the Asia Pacific region.
The 200-strong delegation, made up of
people from as far as Brunei and Sri Lanka,
attended the forum to learn, share and
connect with educators from our region.
It opened with a Maori welcome followed
by several key plenary sessions – all with a
common theme of stressing the importance
of technology in assisting with 21st century
learning and teaching.
This forum provided an opportunity
for educators and school leaders to
engage in reflective conversations about
existing practices and explore innovative
approaches to new ones, which empower
students to not only manage their own
learning and development paths but also
to develop communities that work together
across boundaries to address global issues.
Highlights included teachers sharing
innovative practices, professional development workshops, technology immersion
sessions near Rotorua and visits to
Auckland schools, including Botany Downs
College, which was cited as an ‘inspiration
to how good government schools can be’.
For me, the forum created amazing
opportunities to build my professional
learning network. I learnt from and
shared with educators and school leaders,
including Tony Bryant and Amanda
Prosser from Silverton Primary School, and
strengthened connections with the award
winners from all states and territories.
I also built connections with teachers
throughout the Asia Pacific region and
heard first-hand about some inspiring
projects that are happening in Asian
countries.
Since the forum I have been reflecting
on the importance of the role of teacher
as change agent and the quote from Tony
Bryant that, ‘In order to transform schools
successfully, educators need to navigate
the difficult space between letting go of
old patterns and grabbing on to new ones.’
Speaker Dave Faulkner highlighted
Making A Difference (MAD), reinforcing
that great technologies don’t make you
innovative; it is the action of using the
innovation to make a real difference
that makes you an innovator. He also
reminded us of the famous quote made by
John Dewey in the 1920s that, ‘If we teach
today as we taught yesterday, then we rob
our children of tomorrow’.
Collaborative group sessions addressed
the question ‘How might 21st century
technologies enable, develop and improve
these 21st century skills for more powerful
learning?’. We undertook collaborative
enquiry and shared the results through
team-based video presentations.
Discussion on what drives whole-school
improvement was a key conference theme.
We identified the student skills for life and
work in the 21st century as knowledge
building, self-regulation and assessment,
collaboration, skilled communication,
problem solving and innovation, ICT skills
and global awareness, and in many of the
sessions we discussed how to get schoolwide improvement in all these areas.
Rewarding educational
professionals
Our Rewards Package contains a range of money saving benefits for Principals,
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For more information call 1300 654 822 or visit victeach.com.au.
To be eligible for a Rewards Package, you must have a Basic Home Loan or an Offset Home Loan and have your salary credited to your account with
Victoria Teachers Mutual Bank. 1. Charges may apply at non-CBA ATMs. 2. For House, Contents, Car and Landlords Insurance products the Rewards
Package holder must be either a sole or joint policy holder of the relevant insurance product. is discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other
discount or promotional offer. Discounts are calculated off the base premium. Where applicable, minimum premiums may apply and reduce the extent to
which discounts are applied. Where you are eligible for the Rewards Package and you have an existing Home, Contents, Car or Landlords Insurance policy
issued through Victoria Teachers Limited with no discount applied to your current policy, we will cancel and reissue you with a new policy with a 10%
Rewards Package discount applied. Insurance is underwritten by Allianz Australia Insurance Limited (Allianz) ABN 15 000 122 850, AFSL 234708 and
CGU Insurance Limited (CGU) ABN 27 004 478 371, AFSL 238 291. In arranging this insurance, Victoria Teachers Limited ABN 44 087 651 769, AFSL
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or needs. erefore you should firstly consider the appropriateness of this information and refer to the Terms and Conditions or the relevant Product
Disclosure Statement (PDS) before acquiring a product. ese documents are available at our branches or by contacting us on 1300 654 822. Victoria
Teachers Limited, ABN 44 087 651 769, AFSL/Australian Credit Licence Number 240 960.
DiGitAl rEsOurCEs
A Day on the Screen
Fast Facts
Who: Cardross primary school
and red Cliffs East primary
school
What: A Day on the screen
Why: to showcase iCt talents
and help other students enhance
their computing abilities
this recent professional development day enabled primary
students to showcase their iCt talents and help others to
enhance their computing abilities.
IN MAY, more than 100 students from
across the Loddon Mallee region took
part in a one-day collaborative learning
conference called A Day on the Screen.
The event saw students learn a variety
of ICT skills and technologies through
a series of workshops, many of which
were run by Years 5 and 6 students from
Cardross Primary School. In addition,
participants interacted with schools from
across the Sunraysia district – as remote as
Murrayville – via the Ultranet.
Cardross Primary School principal Chris
Grimmer and Red Cliffs East Primary
School principal Craig Warn masterminded
the project, with the assistance of eLearning
coach Simon Trembath and teacher Keryl
Datson.
This year, staff at both schools have met on
a regular basis to improve their ICT skills
through professional development, and
all agreed that the logical next step was to
provide the same learning opportunities for
students.
“We live in a digital world and it is important
that our students know the appropriate way
to interact in this realm, as well as gain
the necessary practical skills to utilise ICT
programs and applications effectively,” Mr
Grimmer says.
“Students who attended the Day on the
Screen learned how to use the internet
safely, they explored how iPads can be used
for learning, how to use Web 2.0 programs
and ways the Ultranet can be used in their
day-to-day education. The fact that students
were learning from each other in a handson way is what made this day particularly
special. When students teach each other, it
is extremely powerful learning and tends to
be retained.”
Red Cliffs East Primary School principal
Craig Warn agrees that participating
students gained excellent experience in
DiGitAl rEsOurCEs
using the Ultranet throughout the day,
providing a strong foundation for them to
take this knowledge back to their classroom
and integrate it into their schooling on a
regular basis.
“The Ultranet is a safe and secure online
educational tool that allows students to
collaborate within their own classrooms,
and with classrooms across the state. It
brings education into the cyber age and
allows opportunities for students, parents
and teachers to follow the progress of
students’ learning throughout their
schooling career,” he says.
Mr Warn adds that A Day on the Screen
shows how committed teachers are to
providing students with the necessary skills
they will need as they move through life.
“Technology is developing at an incredible
rate. By the time our students enter the
... continued next page
DiGitAl rEsOurCEs
workforce we will have seen it advance
even further. It is vital that, in our role as
educators, we provide students with the
necessary ICT skills now that will help
them to adapt to new technologies as they
become available.
“Students have proven that they adapt to
new ICT very quickly – a lot faster than
adults do – however we must never neglect
our obligation to allow opportunities for
students to integrate these technologies
into their learning and gain experience
working in an online collaborative context.”
Cardross Primary School e-learning coach
Simon Trembath says the school has utilised
the skills of its students to help mentor both
students and teachers ever since one-to-one
netbooks were introduced to classrooms in
2009.
“We believe strongly in the e-learning
mentor approach that we have implemented
at our school. This approach has allowed
our mentors to further their skills while
developing the skills of our entire student
body. Our student workshops at A Day on
the Screen allowed students to not only
further develop their technology skills,
but also their planning, presentation and
interpersonal skills.”
“A Day on the Screen was a big success,”
continues Red Cliffs East Primary School
teacher Keryl Datson.
“The concept of students teaching students
through student-led workshops worked
really well, and the students learnt a lot
about the Ultranet and Web 2.0 tools. All
in all, there would have been around 100
students involved in the day; approximately
60 from Red Cliffs East and Cardross
primary schools, along with students from
Ouyen P–12, Murrayville Community
College and Koorlong and Werrimull
primary schools,” she says.
The A Day on the Screen initiative was
presented at last month’s Principals
Conference in Melbourne. I
For more information, visit ultranet Collaborative Space No: 139323237 or contact Simon Trembath,
trembath.simon.g@edumail.vic.gov.au, 5024 1267 or Keryl Datson, datson.keryl.r@edumail.vic.gov.au, 5024 1147.
Think Beyond the Classroom and include a trip to one of Museum
Victoria’s three sites in your curriculum planning.
Melbourne Museum, Scienceworks and the Immigration Museum offer
outstanding exhibitions in Sciences and Humanities as well as hands on
and interactive programs that will enhance learning. Museum Victoria
offers a broad range of onsite, offsite and online resources to stimulate
and inform students’ research and development.
AT MUSEUM VICTORIA
Museum Victoria provides opportunities for learning about our
community, our society and our environments using a range of new and
mobile technologies.
Visit museumvictoria.com.au/education to explore the possibilities.
BOOKINGS NOW OPEN for Semester 2. Bookings essential 13 11 02. Student entry is free.
Education service fee applies. Additional fees apply for staff led programs.
IN THE LOOP MV Teachers is Museum Victoria’s free online subscription service for teachers.
View the full benefits, including free entry to our museums at our website.
DiGitAl rEsOurCEs
onenote –
e
s
o
p
r
u
p
i
t
mul
l
o
o
t
e
r
a
w
t
sof
Most teachers use Microsoft Word on a daily basis
as one of their main tools for creating and editing
documents. But there is another option, and it’s been
part of Microsoft Office since 2003.
a built-in webcam and the video is
immediately available on the page, along
with documentation of date and time. Web
links and images are also automatically
given citations identifying the site and
date sourced. OneNote is not limited to
As part of the current eduSTAR V4 software
keyboard entry; it can also be used fluidly
image, OneNote is available to all DEECD
with a Windows 7 tablet.
staff and students and can be used as part
Oberon High School teacher Seven Vinton
of a school’s Ultranet architecture.
has been assisting staff to use OneNote
The layout of OneNote is based around a
across diverse subject areas, and says it
journal, with as many chapters as the user
has had a very measurable impact on the
desires and as many pages as required.
student’s final results.
Each chapter has a visible tab, like a paper“For some students in my photography
based folder.
classes it has meant the difference between
The pages are virtual spaces that can be as
a C grade and an A, because OneNote can
large as you like, and text can be entered
be used to easily document developmental
anywhere on the page – the cursor is no
stages that would otherwise be lost.
longer your master.
Formerly, students presented the starting
OneNote includes one-touch audio and and finishing pieces of work with whatever
video recording tools. Record using notes were written in post-production.
MICROSOFT OneNote is a user-friendly
application that combines the best elements
of Microsoft Word with multimedia
capabilities and offers a seamless approach
to collaborative learning.
DiGitAl rEsOurCEs
OneNote resources
OneNote online course
http://goo.gl/0ZhWp
OneNote demo
http://goo.gl/iThgd
OneNote epotential showcase
http://goo.gl/rTn8X
This is only one of the applications of this
brilliant piece of software that I call the
Swiss Army Knife of the software world,”
he says. “One of the main buzz phrases in
digital education is ‘collaborative learning’
– OneNote has had the capability to do
this for many years now and the use of the
‘interactive classroom’ feature takes this
even further,” Mr Vinton adds.
As part of the netbook trial, Kangaroo Flat
Primary School teachers Bree Franks and
Carryn Hendy successfully incorporated
OneNote across their Years 5 and 6 classes.
Students created OneNote journals for
reading, writing and maths, scanning
their artwork, linking word documents
and PowerPoint presentations, and taking
screenshots of their progress with other
applications.
They reflected on their learning using
media including text, photos, videos and
audio recordings. Both teachers noticed
that more of their students completed
activities at home to add to their OneNote
digital portfolio.
Students then made use of their OneNote
digital portfolios to lead three-way
conferences between parents, teachers and
students.
St Helena Secondary College has a oneto-one program utilising Windows 7
convertible notebooks that have a keyboard
and touch screen.
According to assistant principal Anesti
Anestis (pictured left), “OneNote provides
a powerful way for students to share their
work with teachers. It is truly the only way
that we can assess student work in progress
and provide immediate feedback.”
Staff believe that OneNote’s ability to easily
access previous class materials and notes,
making them available for students who
have missed a class, is invaluable.
Mr Anestis says students love the userfriendly structure of OneNote. Staff can also
easily adapt and selectively make resources
available to classes and individual students,
enhancing learning delivery.
One Note
professional
development
Jo tate, ultranet coach in the
Grampians region, has been
incorporating OneNote pD into
an ongoing program called
pD @ your doorstep, utilising
polycom virtual conferencing.
for more information, email
tate.joanne.e@edumail.vic.
gov.au
“OneNote provides a great entry point for
all ICT abilities and has created a culture
of sharing across staff and students. Now,
we have coupled this learning to the use
of a tablet-based notebook, the features
and opportunities are magnified and this
includes the integration with the Ultranet
through formal reporting,” he says. I
if you have been using OneNote with the ultranet at your school, email
blackie.russell.r@edumail.vic.gov.au
rEstOrAtiVE prACtiCE
Singapore school’s learning
journey at Mordialloc College
After recognising a need for a more effective approach to behaviour management,
Mordialloc College implemented restorative practice and is now assisting a singapore
school to do the same.
Benefits of restorative practice
restorative practices are innovative ways to:
• build caring communities around students
while not accepting harmful behaviour.
in other words, supporting people taking
responsibility for their actions and repairing
any harm that has been done
• recognise and encourage the contributions
that staff, parents, carers and the
community make in promoting great
relationships which contribute to good
behaviour and enhance learning
• involve all those affected by any conflict
to find a way forward, reducing anger and
resentment.
ON TUESDAY 5 June Mordialloc College hosted guests from
Bishan Park Secondary School in Singapore, including principal
Valerie Goh and her leadership team. Mordialloc College has
been identified as a school of best practice in restorative practice.
Members of staff were keen to share their collective knowledge
and the school’s journey thus far with the group from Bishan Park,
who were in Victoria for a week on a team bonding exercise that
included visiting several schools and popular tourist destinations.
The international visitors heard from restorative practice experts
Marg Armstrong and Dave Vinegrad, before being given an insight
into the journey Mordialloc College has undertaken since 2004.
As principal Michelle Roberts explains, “Eight years ago we had
an awareness of the ineffectiveness of traditional methods of
behaviour management. We realised the need to use methods that
were more focused on building relationships to where they are
today. Restorative practice is recognised as a critical component
in improving student wellbeing and is a key component of our
strategic plan.
“We have been able to demonstrate the positive outcomes of
a whole-school approach to the restorative model of student
rEstOrAtiVE prACtiCE
management, with Students Attitudes to School survey results for
the past two years showing all variables scoring high in the fourth
quartile, which is quite outstanding in a secondary school,” she
says.
The Bishan Park leadership team was taken on a student-led tour
of the Year 7 learning centre, where they were very impressed with
the students’ ability to articulate the learning that occurs in this
collaborative environment, and also their understanding of the
benefits of the restorative approach.
“They observed role plays of the restorative conversation and
circle time in action. As a school specialising in the visual arts, they
were also very keen to see some art classes and completed student
works in this area,” Ms Roberts says.
Since the visit, Bishan Park Secondary School has expressed
interest in forming a sister-school relationship with Mordialloc
Collage in the future – something Ms Roberts and her team are
looking forward to.
“Going forward, it means that we can have an exchange of teachers
and students. It also means that we will become a critical friend to
Bishan Park in the implementation of restorative practice.” I
sistEr sCHOOls
A passport to possibilities
year 10 students at Bairnsdale secondary College recently provided Education Minister Martin Dixon
with an update of how they continue to reap the benefits of their 2011 overseas learning experience.
BAIRNSDALE SECONDARY College was
nominated as the Gippsland region’s
participant in the 2011 overseas learning
experience, which provides Victorian
government school students with the
opportunity to study in another country.
To be selected, the school’s Year 9 students
had to complete a written application,
attend a formal interview with DEECD and
school representatives and design a learning
enquiry to be undertaken overseas. The
criteria for selection included not having
travelled overseas before, a capacity to be
an excellent ambassador and the likelihood
that involvement in the program would
have long-term benefits for the student and
the local school community.
In September, 26 Year 9 students and
five staff travelled to China as part of the
program and spent two weeks attending
the Taizhou Experimental Middle School
where they undertook their learning
enquiry: Do Australian teenagers have
better lives and futures than Chinese
teenagers? The students participated in
a homestay with local families, followed
by a further 10 days touring cultural and
historical sites.
“The Taizhou Experimental Middle School
community went out of its way to give the
Bairnsdale students a rich and enjoyable
experience. From personally greeting
the tour party on arrival in Shanghai, to
formal welcome ceremonies, assemblies
and banquets, to providing a diverse range
of activities and programs. They even
installed Western-style toilet facilities at
the school and in homes, their hospitality
was amazing,” says teacher Sheryl Carnie,
who was in charge of the school’s overseas
learning experience and accompanied the
students to China.
During their time at the school, the
students also participated in workshops
in traditional calligraphy and art, Chinese
music and opera, Wu Shu (a traditional
martial art), the Moon Cake Festival and
dumpling making.
“There was a two-way exchange of culture
too, as the Bairnsdale students conducted
English language lessons for many classes,
featuring Australian life and culture, and
ran an Aussie Rules football clinic,” Ms
Carnie says.
The students returned to school greatly
affected by their overseas experience and
encounters with a new culture and their
host ‘brothers and sisters’.
Last December, they joined other overseas
learning experience participants from
across Victoria at a Performance of
Understanding event at the MCG. Using a
combination of role-play, multi-media and
direct delivery the students presented their
reflections on their personal and academic
growth as a consequence of the program
and the outcomes of their learning enquiry.
They highlighted how their view of the
world and other cultures had broadened,
how their confidence and self-esteem
had increased, and they explained that,
in many cases, they had re-focused their
long-term goals. The presentations also
included the perspectives of parents
and teachers who had noticed how the
experience had contributed to the positive
re-engagement of the students, as well as
significant development in their maturity
and a renewed appreciation of their family
and Australian way of life.
Ms Carnie says the ongoing benefits of the
experience are increasingly evident this
year, with many students subsequently
taking on leadership roles: seven students
have become house captains and others
have accepted significant positions with
the Student Representative Council.
“Increased confidence and a greater
willingness to accept new challenges have
seen the overseas learning experience
sistEr sCHOOls
students take up many other opportunities
that they may have otherwise passed up,
both in and out of school,” she says.
“A large number have taken up part-time
work and community service. We have
high participation rates in VCE and VET
programs, increased involvement in the
school production, and there are more
students wanting to attend a Japanese
language immersion camp. Then there are
the students who are making presentations
about the overseas learning experience to
local primary schools. Two students spoke
at our Year 6 information night and they
talked about how the overseas learning
experience had opened doors for them
and given them new ways of thinking
and inspired them to really embrace their
learning across the curriculum.”
sistEr sCHOOls
Bairnsdale Secondary College students and host brothers and
sisters from Taizhou experimental Middle School at Yunyansi
Pavillion in China last year.
During his recent visit to Bairnsdale Secondary College, the
overseas learning experience students, now in Year 10, had an
opportunity to update Minister Dixon on how they have continued
to use their experience to enrich their learning and personal
growth.
Benefits of an overseas
learning experience
There are many benefits to an overseas learning
experience for students, teachers and school communities
including:
• a more global outlook on life and an increased
awareness and appreciation of different cultures
• increased independence, maturity, confidence and selfawareness
• a new perspective on and respect for school and the
importance of education
• improved research, oral and written communication skills
• motivation to further engage with other cultures
through future travel, language skills and considering
employment opportunities overseas
• a school culture that prepares all students for success in
an increasingly globalised and connected world.
Kathleen reported on the making of a teaching and learning video
that focused on how students went about their learning, in particular
their enquiry based learning project, and the development of their
Performance of Understanding. The video was shown to a meeting
of Gippsland principals to stimulate discussion about the 4 Cs –
collaboration, creativity, communication and capability.
“The way we went about our learning in this program was really
rewarding. We had to work well together in small and large groups,
and we had to think about how we were going to present our
learning to all sorts of people, so that it was fun and interesting.
We used these experiences when we worked with Rob King from
the regional office to make the video and it was a good feeling
to know people were interested in what we had to say about our
learning,” she said.
Caitlin (pictured top left having a calligraphy lesson) told Mr Dixon
about a trip to Melbourne to participate in a Cultures of Excellence
workshop conducted by the Asia Education Foundation in March.
“The presentations were really inspirational and the workshop
gave us an opportunity to reflect on how we, as individuals, can
make a difference to the lives of others. The trip to Melbourne also
gave us the opportunity for some other new experiences, such as a
tour of Melbourne University and a Turkish meal.”
Briannon told Mr Dixon how the confidence generated by the
overseas learning experience and the development of skills such
as public speaking had encouraged participants to seek out
leadership positions so they could contribute to students having
a voice. Another student, Lisa, (pictured next page with host
sistEr sCHOOls
sister Chang) talked about how the experience and confidence she
gained while participating in the program encouraged her to apply
for the student technicians program at the school. Lisa, and Jack,
another overseas learning experience participant, are now part of
a small team of students who are supporting students, staff and
technicians in the school-wide implementation of a one-to-one
netbook program, gaining VET accreditation in the process.
This month, a group of students and teachers from Taizhou
Experimental Middle School will visit Australia and homestay with
host families from Bairnsdale Secondary College. Ms Carnie says
this experience will enrich the school and local community, and
further cement the already strong bonds forged by the overseas
learning experience.
“We are all very excited about the upcoming visit from our sisterschool students,” she says.
“The growth in our 26 overseas learning experience students to
date has been incredible. Before they went to China many had
never been out of their own local communities. Now, they know
how to manage passports and negotiate airports, and they are
open to new places and people and experiences. They have more
confidence, drive and resilience and they have developed stronger
coping mechanisms; things that seemed insurmountable before
they now take in their stride.
“It has been an incredible journey and I have no doubt it will
continue to impact on the students and our school community
well into the future, and it is all possible because of the overseas
learning experience.” I
For more information, visit www.education.vic.gov.au/
about/directions/international/oslearnexp/students.htm
or call international education Division on 9637 2990.
WANNiK
School Community
partnership Agreements
A community-driven initiative has developed into an inspiring commitment to Koorie education.
TWO SCHOOL Community Partnership Agreements facilitated
through the Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Inc.
(VAEAI) Koorie Parental and Community Engagement Program
(KPaCE) are currently operating at Swan Hill Primary School and
Reservoir High School.
“The agreements were negotiated over a period of time between
Koorie parents, the school and the local Koorie community.
They set out the respective responsibilities of each party and the
ways in which they will work together,” says VAEAI Parent and
Community Engagement Program coordinator Sheree Lowe.
The VAEAI KPaCE program is based on the concept that Koorie
families and communities are the first educators of their children,
and that education is a lifelong process. Through engaging parents,
carers, families and communities in the students’ education it
enriches the experiences of students, schools and community.
The program has created a supported environment over 18 months
that enables groups of Koorie parents and caregivers, relatives and
other Koorie community members to be heard. This engagement
has been enacted in a practical and structured way with parents
working on the formation of partnerships with local schools.
“KPaCE is a pilot program funded by the Department of Education
and Workplace Relations,” says Ms Lowe. “We would like to see
it operate across Victoria; it is unique in that it employs Koorie
community members to coordinate the program in their local
areas. KPaCE officers all have intimate knowledge of the Koorie
community and the issues that impact the community, including
attitudes to schooling.”
The School Community Partnership Agreement makes a
commitment that families and the school meet regularly to
create a culturally inclusive environment, share information, and
openly discuss and negotiate programs and issues relating to the
education of Koorie students and students in general.
“We found that one of the best methods to support parents,
caregivers and other community members to connect with the
school and engage in the partnership process was through forums
and workshops,” Ms Lowe says.
Swan Hill Primary School principal Janet Mullenger-Barnard
believes that the School Community Partnership Agreement has
allowed education to be demystified in the eyes of the parents,
“What you find is that Koorie parents and, for that matter, all
parents, come in with ideas about education from their own
schooling experience. With the consultation we are able to discuss
their ideas and ways in which the school can be more inclusive of
the students and their families.
“Working with VAEAI and the KPaCE officer Wanda Wellington
was a really good way to increase the participation of Koorie
education Minister Martin Dixon and local member, Minister for Resources
and energy, Minister for Tourism, Martin Ferguson, at Reservoir High
School with the School Community Partnership Agreement.
parents,” she adds. “The community meetings allowed us to focus
on topics such as EMA, IT and netbooks for Year 5 and 6 students.
It also led the school to future involvement in projects like the
Stronger Smarter Program and Focus Schools – Next Steps.”
Since implementing the School Community Partnership
Agreement, Koorie student attendance has improved at Swan Hill
Primary School and two Koorie parents have joined the school
council. To celebrate the improved attendance rate, the school
holds regular family barbecues and dinners and parents are
encouraged to come along to reward the students for their hard
work.
“The agreement is based on the notions that through empowering
parents and caregivers of Koorie students’ with knowledge and
support, they are able to advocate better outcomes for their
children,” Ms Lowe says.
Swan Hill Primary School is also involved in the National Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Education Action Plan (NATSIEAP)
Focus Schools – Next Steps initiative, which supports a range of
systemic and national actions for local-level engagement between
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and their schools.
VAEAI is the peak Victorian body for Koorie education and has
Local Aboriginal Education Consultative Groups (LAECG) based
in 32 locations. Through the piloting of its KPaCE program, VAEAI
has developed a guide for schools to assist in the development of a
School Community Partnership. DEECD intend to use this guide
to inform the development of School Community Partnership
Agreements with other focus schools.
For more information, contact VAeAi on 9481 0800.
IT’S ALL ABOUT LOVE ...
2 SHOWS ONLY
HISENSE ARENA, MELBOURNE PARK
SATURDAY 8 SEPTEMBER 2012: 11AM & 5PM
rEGiONAl rOuNDup
Good news from
around the state
Montmorency Secondary College
n Creativity was unleashed during the Melbourne Master Class
Festival hosted by Montmorency Secondary College for guitarists,
bassists and drummers in the Northern Metropolitan region.
Teacher Anthony Citino says many of the students, including those
pictured, already have what it takes to be successful musicians at the
ripe old age of 13.
“Some have written their own material, which will be recorded this
year. These kids are very talented and received a serious boost in
skills, advice and confidence when they played for internationally
recognised master musicians Peter Hodgson, Daniel Lynders and
Damian Corniola.
“Peter has played with Steve Vy and works with Gibson, Daniel
works on local and international original projects as well as teaching
at Wheelers Hill Secondary College, and Damian headlines drum
festivals across the planet with his phenomenal speed and technique.”
Drumtek, Bass Centre, Drumscene, Gallins Guitars, Sound Lab,
Gibson and Epiphone donated equipment and awards.
St Albans Primary School
n Prep students at St Albans
Primary School dressed up in
costumes and were treated to a
special storytime session with
The Smith Family’s ambassador
Jo Stanley. The stand-up
comedian and popular FOX FM
breakfast host was at the Western
Metropolitan school to promote
The Smith Family’s fundraising
initiative Back2School Day,
which encourages Victorians
to celebrate their past and help
change a child’s future. Ms
Stanley shared books and stories
from her childhood with the
students. “We’re encouraging
schools, teachers, families and
people everywhere to put on
events that celebrate their school
days while also raising funds to
support The Smith Family’s
Learning for Life program,” she
said.
For more information and to register,
visit www.back2schoolday.com.au
rEGiONAl rOuNDup
Le Page Primary School
Warrandyte High School
n Students at Le Page Primary School in the Southern Metropolitan
region held a Mad Hatters morning tea to raise money for cancer
research.
The whole school attended the event, which was organised by the
junior school council, with each class contributing plates of food,
including pikelets, fairy bread, chocolate cupcakes, ANZAC biscuits
and tea-cup cookies – a Tic Toc biscuit with a marshmallow and a
chocolate Freckle on top and half a Lifesaver on the side as a handle.
Teacher Kate Freestone says the students created their millinery
masterpieces from coloured paper, and decorated them with
drinking straws, pipe cleaners, paper curls, ribbons and cellophane.
“They made their hats in class-time and they were very excited
to show them off on the day. We raised more than $300, which
is fantastic. Next year we will invite parents and grandparents as
well,” she says.
n Last November, Warrandyte High School English teacher
Nerissa Marcon (pictured left) entered Racing Victoria’s
Melbourne Cup competition promoted in Inspire. Ms Marcon,
who owns an ex-racehorse, jumped at the idea of being able
to share her passion for horses and the thoroughbred racing
industry by designing a project for her Years 7 and 8 English
students using a Bloom’s-Gardner matrix.
“The matrix maximised student motivation by allowing them
to choose from a wide range of activities, including song
writing and creating feature articles and magazine front
covers. The collective entries were of such a high standard
that the competition win was awarded to the entire Year 7
class,” she says.
The Eastern Metropolitan school was awarded a visit by
1992 Melbourne Cup winner Subzero. The champion horse
was accompanied by his owner Graham Salisbury and Racing
Victoria representative Melissa Weatherley, who awarded
certificates to the winning students and spoke about Subzero’s
role as an ambassador for the racing industry. To celebrate
the day the students dressed to impress with prizes awarded
for the finest attire.
rEGiONAl rOuNDup
St Arnaud Secondary College
Bogong Outdoor education Centre
n Two panels have been produced to adorn the walls of the
recently completed science centre at St Arnaud Secondary
College in the Grampians region, creating interesting focal
points and objects of discussion.
The inspiration for the panels came from the work of prominent
Australian artist Rosalie Gascoign who is well known for
creating assemblages from old signs and wooden packing
crates.
Teacher Robyn Leach says the Year 10 Art students produced
the panels from old forest trail signs, which had been replaced
by the Department of Sustainability & Environment.
“They had fun choosing and selecting different parts of the
signs and then arranging them to create unusual combinations
of words within the compositions. The students then applied
a range of strong and vibrant colours to enhance the striking
visual effect created in the panels,” she says.
n Every student, including these pictured from Templestowe
and Emerald secondary colleges, that visits the Bogong Outdoor
Education Centre’s Bogong Campus in the Hume region
participates in Zero Power Hour. Based on the Earth Hour model,
students go without power for one hour, learning about reducing
power use and renewable energy alternatives.
Energy Watch students check that all the lights and heating are off
before heading outside to enjoy a picnic dinner under the stars.
“Dining on a low-energy meal, that does not require the use of
bain maries, a dishwasher or stove, represents an energy saving
of approximately 57kW – the equivalent of 350 hours of LCD TV
watching,” says the education centre’s teacher/sustainability coordinator Michelle Forrer.
“It is acknowledged that there is still some power required to
run the fridges and emergency systems, but it certainly creates
some good discussions among the students about the use of
energy. They also learn about the use of the centre’s 6kW solar
photovoltaic energy system and solar hot water system as well as
the reasons behind the school’s commitment to purchasing 100
per cent renewable energy,” she says.
Kyneton Secondary College
n Fourteen students in Years 10
and 11 have created an exhibition
called Sayings – some people we
talked to in collaboration with
the National Gallery of Victoria
(NGV) and traders in Piper Street,
Kyneton, in the Loddon Mallee
region.
Teacher Alexander Ashley says the
12-week project encouraged the
students to think about ways of
reducing race-based discrimination
and stereotyping, and gave them the
opportunity to work with a range
of culturally diverse artists such
as award-winning photographer/
artist Bindi Cole, Chinese artist and
calligrapher Kim Hoa Tram, and
members of Crooked Rib, a Muslim
women’s art collective.
“The
students
collected
sayings from their families,
friends,
community
and
the internet with the aim of
sharing and connecting with
others and keeping ‘sayings’
and cultural knowledge alive.
They also explored aspects
of the NGV’s collection and
temporary exhibitions to gain
an understanding of how artists
communicate aspects of their
world and self.”
Piper Street traders offered
window space to exhibit the
students’ work. The exhibition
is part the NGV’s Youth Access
WeR1, a three-year project
funded by VicHealth to promote
cultural diversity in Victoria.
rEGiONAl rOuNDup
Northern Bay College
n Northern Bay College in Geelong is a new
school that does not want to forget its past and
the schools and people that paved the way to
where it is today.
In 2010, the government schools in the Corio,
Norlane and North Shore areas of the Barwon
South Western region merged to create the new
super school, which is made up of five junior
campuses and one senior campus, catering to
nearly 3000 students.
“We have created an alumni of sorts called Grads
Of The Past, and we are looking for students
who went to school in the 3214 postcode area
of Geelong,” explains teacher Amanda Baulch.
“We have already had some amazing people
come forward – lawyers, business owners,
members of Victoria Police. We have so many
successful past students, many working in
education, who we would like to be able to
call on as role models and mentors to help to
develop our history and make a link between
the present and future of Northern Bay College,
and to show our students that everything is
possible if they follow their dreams.”
For more information, email Amanda Bualch at
gradsofthepast@gmail.com
ClAssifiEDs
Retirements
retiring Soon?
Volunteers for Isolated Students’ Education
recruits retired teachers to assist families
with their Distance Education Program. Travel
and accommodation provided in return for six
weeks teaching. Register at vise.org.au
or George Murdoch 03 9017 5439 Ken Weeks
03 9876 2680
Accommodation
WE’RE YOUR MAC
EDUCATION EXPERTS.
Ballarat FurniShed accoMModation
in 3BR central sharehouse. Suitable for 3month+
placements. Rooms now available. Rental
includes 5GB wireless Internet/month, gas,
electricity and water usage. www.lynda.id.au for
all the details. 0401 807 649.
Mac Education
Specialists
Building Services
Reunions
engraved glaSSeS
Have your reunion or commemorative message
permanently laser engraved on glassware.
Contact Ian Newman, telephone/fax 9645 8699,
or PO Box 5164, Middle Park Vic 3206.
heathMont eaSt PS 50th
Heathmont East Primary School is celebrating 50
years of “Aiming High” on Saturday 25th August.
All past, present and future students, parents
and staff are invited to share photos, finger food
and memories from 2pm. Further information
available@ www.heathmonteastps@vic.edu.au
Contributions of memorabilia and photos
most
welcome, please
contact
finighan.christine.w@edumail.vic.gov.au
Mildura Senior college
(Formerly Mildura HighSchool/Secondary
College) 100 Years Centenary Celebrations.
Friday 14th September - Sunday 16th September
2012. An invitation is extended to all past
students & staff. Bookings are now open. Please
register on-line or by contacting the College. For
further information - please contact the College.
Phone 03 5021 2911 www.milsen.vic.edu.au
Email - centenary@milsen.vic.edu.au
verMont Sc 50th
Vermont Secondary College is turning fifty.
Former and current staff, students and families
as well as members of the public are warmly
invited to an open-day, to be held on Saturday
the 13th of October from 10.00am to 3.00pm.
Events on throughout the Open Day include a
50th Anniversary book launch at 12.00 and a
commemorative mural unveiling at 12.30. To
complete the 50th celebrations a Gala Ball will
be held during the evening – for Gala Ball tickets
and further information about the festivities
please refer to the Vermont Secondary College
Website. We hope to see you on the day to
celebrate with us the history of Vermont
Secondary College
WarracknaBeal SecondarY college
A reunion of all past teaching and ancillary staff
of Warracknabeal High School/Secondary
College is to be held on the weekend of the 5th,
6th and 7th October 2012. Registration night at
the Commercial Hotel at 6pm on Friday 5th.
School Tour, Official Dinner and informal
breakfast over the weekend. Please contact the
school for more details 03 53981433 or stewart.
nicole.m@edumail.vic.gov.au. Photos, stories
and memorabilia welcomed.
Where are theY noW?
Teachers and Students, Pembroke High School
1972 -77 Cohort. We are having a reunion!
Friday October 19th 2012. Contact Sue Millar at
moneyspider@hotmail.com for details and
tickets.
Wonthaggi north PS centenarY
celeBrationS 18th -20th octoBer 2012
The Centenary Committee are celebrating
100years of outstanding education with the
following events: Thurs 18th October- School
open afternoon – visit current students in their
classrooms. Fri 19th – Student dress in 1912
costumes then BIG NIGHT OUT at the Wonthaggi
Club to celebrate 100 years. Sat 20th – Reunion
at the School 1 -4pm. All former students, staff
and families are welcome and encouraged to
attend. Please contact the school 03 5672 4697
or Wonthaggi.north.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au for
further information or if you have any photos or
memorabilia.
email: education@mymac.com.au
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Real life
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PUPPET SHOWS &
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John Evans
Telephone
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0419 346 731
0417 272 880
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Incursions for Primary Schools
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Phone: (03) 9729 9679 or (03) 9855 1191
Email: enquiries@handsonscience.com.au
www.handsonscience.com.au
Offer valid MAY – OCTOBER 2012
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ProJect BalSa Wood
Sticks, sheets, blocks assorted sizes. Models
and kits. Custom sizes made. Please
contact Ozzie Traders. Ph: 03 5367 1519, email:
sales.ozzietraders@gmail.com,
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LIVE ANIMALS DIRECT TO
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Telephone 0419385245
Employment
aPPlYing For JoBS?
Teachers, principals, support staff:
Others succeed – why not you? Discover
secrets of criteria responses. Anywhere
in Victoria. Experienced in schools, staff
selection. Contact Geoff: 03 5998 4932 or
geoff@sagacityservices.com.au
ProFeSSional aPPlicationS PrePared
Reduce Stress. Achieve results. SELECTION
CRITERIA. CV’s, LETTERS. CARNEGIE
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ClAssifiEDs
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Miscellaneous
BlindS rePaired and neW
Including audio visual venetians, verticals,
hollands, slimline and heavy duty venetians.
Maintenance service, laundering, repairs and
new blind sales. Telephone GP BLIND
REPAIRS AND SALES on 5931 3976 or contact
wendy_geoff@bigpond.com. Thirty-five years
experience with Department of Education
contracts.
Professional
Development
support, learn, achieve
Enrol now for Certificate
III & Certificate IV in
Education Support
www.ctcs.com.au
1300 275 282
teacher aide courSe
Certificate III in Education Support. Nationally
Accredited Course. Suitable for parent helpers
and teacher aides. Course starts July at Fitzroy
campus. Classes one day per week during
school terms. Apply now for July course. Places
limited. Enquiries to Jacqui Ryan 9953 3447
acucom.melbourne@acu.edu.au Australian
Catholic University - A Public University Open to All
Designed to help participants
understand the underlying issues
and aims to provide strategies for
dealing with students exhibiting
challenging behaviours.
Venue: Clayton campus
Dates: August 9, 16, 23, 30;
September 6, 13
Duration: 5.30–8 pm
Smartsalary_Inspire_Classified_Jan12.indd
29/03/2012
1
1:57:20 PM
Metung
Akora flats; 4 two bedroom self contained flats.
Outdoor bbq, off street parking for cars and
boats. Well behaved dogs are welcome. Phone
03 5156 2320 or email: info@akoraflats.com or
visit www.akoraflats.com
Mt Buller - 44 Bed Ski lodge
Well positioned on the mountain, Merrijig Ski
Lodge makes for affordable, convenient and
easy skiing. Come in from the slopes and relax
by the open fire, taking in the spectacular alpine
views in our family friendly lodge. Enjoy tapas
and gluwein, followed by a three course evening
meal, and cooked breakfasts prepared by our
resident chef. The lodge offers all modern
features for the family [wireless internet, TV/DVD
room, games room]. With the bus stop out the
front for easy access to the ski lifts, it’s relaxed
carefree skiing at its best on Mt Buller. Bookings:
www.merrijigskiclub.com.au
ocean grove
Modern 2 story, Sea views, 2 living areas, 2
bathrooms, 3 bedrooms; sleeps 9. Secure double
garage. Ph; 9439 1258 Mob: 0419 536 608
Understanding and
Managing Challenging
Behaviour
Adolescent
Counselling
This course aims to provide
participants with the appropriate
knowledge, skills and attitudes
required to support, guide and
understand young people and
the issues that confront them.
Available in two locations
Commencing: 23 August
(Thursday evenings for 10 weeks)
Duration: 5 .30–8.30 pm
Contact: 03 9905 2700
Venue: Footscray
Commencing: 28 August
(Tuesday evenings for 10 weeks)
Duration: 5.30–8.30pm
Contact: 03 9905 2700
12 points credit at postgraduate level
www.education.monash.edu/
shortcourses
CRICOS Provider: Monash University 00008C
Contact: 9905 2700
shortcourses
Working with Primary
School Aged Students
with Autism
Designed for teacher aides,
this practical three-day course
outlines the features of autism
that impact on student learning
and provides skills and
strategies to successfully
support the students.
Dates: August 29,
September 5, and 12
Duration: 5.30–8.30 pm
Contact: 9905 2700
shortcourses
Mentoring Matters®
Dr Philip Riley
Designed to help aspiring and
experienced school leaders draw
out the potential and hidden talents
of their colleagues efficiently and
effectively, whilst learning about
the craft of relationship formation
and maintenance.
Dates: August 16, 17;
October 22
Duration: 9am – 4.30pm
Contact: 03 9905 2911
12 credit points at
postgraduate level
www.education.monash.
edu/shortcourses
School Camps
Lakewood Park Paynesville
Making memories for life
ACA Accredited Camp
n
n
n
n
n
Up to 100 students
Luxury staff quarters
Lakes cruise
Australian Indigenous Culture
Activities
Beach activities, water skiing,
sailing, canoeing, raft making,
nature walks, orienteering,
ropes, hut building
BOOK NOW for 2013
www.lakewoodpark.com.au
Phone 5156 6395 or 0427 516 050
email info@lakewoodpark.com.au
MelBourne urBan caMP – richMond hill
We offer safe, secure, accommodation with a
choice of styles and tariffs. We are centrally
located in Richmond, with free coach parking in
our own designated bus zone. We can
accommodate up to 40 students, with a choice
of meal options. There is 24 front desk and
security. Call for a free quote. Tel 03 9428 6501
Email rhhotel@bigpond.net.au
Waranga holidaY caMP
We are situated 4 kms from Rushworth, a
70 square mud brick complex offered on a
catered or self catered basis to groups of 20–64.
Phone for further details, 5856 1243. Email
info@lakewaranga.com
Travel
France – BurgundY
Relax in a renovated stone farmhouse, fully
equipped including all linen. Sleeps 6. Near
Cluny Abbey, Macon, Beaujolais wineries, local
markets, walking and bike trails. Within 1 to 2
hour drives of Lyon, Beaune, Dijon, Geneva.
Phone Melbourne owner 9545 0505. Website:
aFarmhouseInFrance.com
France, Provence
Fully equipped and restored 17th century
house in mediaeval, fortified village of Entrevaux.
Sleeps seven. Close to Nice, Cote d’Azur
and Italy. Phone owner 5258 2798 or
(02) 9948 2980. www.provencehousestay.com.
Wanted
Wanted–PhotocoPierS
Photocopiers all brands and many models.
Working, faulty, obsolete or surplus. Also
telephone systems, IT/computer items. Contact
David on 0402 469 111, and fax 9388 9810.
Email bbs_copy@westnet.com.au Call all hours
and collection arranged.
Submitting photos to
Inspire
Photos must be highresolution images
that are suitable for print (300dpi).
Inspire cannot accept photos that
are embedded in Word documents
or PowerPoint presentations. Photos
must be taken using a camera only
and should be supplied as JPEG files,
ideally above 2Mb in size.
Do NOT submit photos that:
• have been taken using touchscreen
tablets or any mobile phone
device (images might look good
on screen, but due to poorer
lens quality do not reproduce to
magazine standard)
• are captured stills from a video
recording
• appear very small on your
computer screen
• look blurry, fuzzy, over-exposed or
too dark
• feature people with their back to
the camera or part of their face
obscured
• are less than 1Mb in ﬁle size.
DO submit photos that
• appear large on your computer
screen
• look clear and sharp and have
strong colours
• feature balanced composition or
use one person as a focal point
• have been taken both horizontally
and vertically
(different perspectives)
• are, at the very least, more than
1Mb in ﬁle size
(ideally above 2Mb).
professional development
velopment
Victorian Association for the
Teaching of english
Wet and dry felting
Tuesday 4 September, Box Hill
Bookings: www.vate.org.au
Animation
Tuesday 11 September, Box Hill
2012 english language mini-method
Wednesday 25 July – Thursday 8 November,
Collingwood
Language awareness and the Australian
Curriculum: english
Thursday 26 July, Thursday 9 August, Thursday 30
August and Thursday 13 September, Collingwood
The Australian Curriculum: english
Bookings: www.pdplus.com.au
Thursday 9 August, Sandringham
Vocabulary – the key to success
in language learning, with Andrea
Truckenbrodt
Creating an effective mathematics learning
environment with the National Curriculum
Literature network – meeting 3
The literacy demands of the middle years,
with David Hornsby
Middle years regional conference
Solutions network: preparing
underperforming VCe students for
the exam
Wednesday 5 September, Collingwood
Zart Art
Bookings: www.zartart.com.au
Book Week champions read
July and August, at a school near you
Studies of Asia
Saturday 4 August, Box Hill
Dolls around the world
Tuesday 7 August, Box Hill
Monday 30 July, Nunawading
Restorative practices in schools training,
with Marg Armstrong
Thursday 2 and Friday 3 August, St Kilda
Get social in the language classroom, with
Andrea Truckenbrodt
Tuesday 14 August, St Kilda
A master class for restorative practitioners
in schools, with Marg Armstrong
Tuesday 21 August
Classroom circles: An old tradition in new
classrooms, with Marg Armstrong
Monday 27 August
Curriculum building in the primary
languages classroom, with Andrea
Truckenbrodt
early learning wire exploration
Monday 3 and Tuesday 4 September
3D mosaics Pamela irving
Friday 7 September
Tuesday 14 and 18 August, Box Hill
Dyeing fabric
Linking art with music
Tuesday 28 August, Box Hill
Lino printing with a press
Thursday 30 August, Box Hill
Corrugated card constructions
Saturday 1 September, Box Hill
QuiZ & PuZZLe ANSWeRS
Teaching writers, with Andrea Hillbrick
Personalising learning
Wednesday 15 August, Bentleigh east
iT and a bit: Gizmos and gadgets for the
early years
Wednesday 15 August, Springvale
Personalising learning in writing through a
workshop approach
Thursday 16 August, Noble Park
Pattern in mathematics: Planting seeds for
enhanced numeracy
An inquiry approach to writing
Thursday 23 August, Cheltenham
enriching readers: effective comprehension
strategies
Thursday 23 August, Keysborough
iCT ‘no brainers’
Wednesday 29 August, Berwick
enhancing literacy with performing arts
Thursday 6 September, Springvale
Spot-on mumeracy: The iWB and e5
partnership
Thursday 6 September, Patterson Lakes
Motivating and engaging middle years LOTe understanding the challenges facing
learners to write, with Andrea Truckenbrodt reluctant readers
Friday 14 September
Thursday 13 September, Dandenong
inspireD Professional Learning
Network
Bookings: inspired@atholroadps.vic.gov.au
Higher order thinking skills in the
classroom
Wednesday 25 July, Keysborough
© 2012. Melbourne Trivia Company.
QuiZ ANSWeRS 1. Chloe (at Young & Jacksons hotel). 2. A queen. 3. Thailand (its real name
is Khwae Yai). 4. The queen is not there (when the Queen is home, they fly the Royal Standard).
5. Ron Alexander. 6. Liberté, egalité, fraternité (liberty, equality and brotherhood). 7. Aubergine.
8. Three. 9. A hand-held Celtic drum. 10. French (the French use, ‘Quarante A’ for the first
deuce in each game, and ‘Égalité’ for subsequent deuces). 11. Prosthesis. 12. Tin. 13. Triumph
(The last Triumph, the Acclaim was produced in 1981). 14. Peter Lalor. 15. Five (Archer, Peter
Pan, Rain Lover, Think Big, Makybe Diva). 16. Red. 17. DC. 18. Afghanistan. 19. Maurice
Sendak (died in May, aged 83). 20. Q1 (Queensland Number One), Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast.
Toolkit for phonics
Monday 30 July, Moe
Monday 6 August, Queenscliff
Thursday 2 August, Springvale
PD Plus: Professional Development
Plus
Monday 30 and Tuesday 31 July, Nunawading
Thursday 2 August, Collingwood
using 1-to-1 conferencing to personalise
learning and facilitate collaborative
teaching
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Curtain Call
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Attention teachers! Nothing brings words to life for students like seeing them performed on stage.
feast your eyes on these educational stage productions and incursions.
Page to Stage presents:
Bookings: pagetostageaustralia@gmail.com
The Tempest – William Shakespeare
incursions through 2012
Macbeth – William Shakespeare
Cosi – Louis Nowra
Workshops Term 3
The Crucible – Arthur Miller
Workshops Term 3
identity in Print – Ann Harkin
Australian Shakespeare Company
presents:
Bookings: www.shakespeareaustralia.com.au
Play on Shakespeare
Shakespeare intensive
Shakespeare Characterisation
The Storyteller’s Guide presents:
Bookings: www.storytellersguide.com.au
The Storyteller’s Guide to Australia
Gold in the Heart
Buckley: The Go-between
Lest We Forget – Gallipoli
Singing Australia Workshop
Brainstorm Productions presents:
The Magic Words (Years P–6)
incursions through May 2012
Jan’s Story Workshop
The Flying Bookworm Theatre
Company presents:
Wominjika: indigenous Thank You
Workshop
Shakespeare without Tears – Romeo
and Juliet
Complete Works Theatre Company
presents:
Bookings: www.brainstormproductions.com.au
The Protectors (Years P–6)
Verbal Combat (Years 7–10)
The Hurting Game (Years 7–10)
Cyberia (Years 8–11)
Cheap Thrills (Years 9–12)
Wired (Years 10–12)
Regional Arts Victoria – education &
Families presents:
Bookings: www.rav.net.au/arts-in-education
Henry iV Part 1
Bookings: www.flyingbookworm.com.au
Shakespeare without Tears – Macbeth
Bully (Years 7–8)
The Banjo – AB Patterson (Years 3–6)
Bookings: www.completeworks.com.au
Romeo and Juliet
Touring through 2012
Macbeth
Phat Poetry (Years 7-8)
Magical Journeys – where you choose
the stories! (Prep to Year 3)
Cosi
VCe Tour – Term 3
The Crucible - encountering conflict
VCe Tour – Term 3
Say it to my Facebook! – Shake & Stir
Theatre Co.
Touring 27 August to 7 September 2012
A Little Bit of Blue – Jenny ellis
Touring 5 to 16 November 2012
Scribble Jam! – Lotus expression
ear-O-Polis – Arena Theatre Company
All Hands on the Puppet – Barking
Spider Visual Theatre
tAKE A BrEAK
Staffroom Quiz
Puzzles
Put your general knowledge to the
test with this month’s 20 questions.
1
A French girl named Marie was the model for an 1875 painting by Jules
Lefebvre that hangs in Melbourne’s CBD. What is the name of the
painting?
2
What do cat breeders call an adult female cat?
3
The film Bridge Over The River Kwai won numerous Oscars in 1957. in
which country is the river Kwai?
4
What does it indicate when the Union Jack is flying over Buckingham
palace?
5
6
Who was the first coach of the West Coast eagles?
7
8
What is the other common name for eggplant?
9
What sort of musical instrument is a bodhran?
10
What three qualities became the motto of the French revolution, in 1793?
How many people were in the 1990s band, Ben Folds Five?
The French-derived words ‘love’ and ‘deuce’ are used for zero and 40-all
at three of the four Grand slam tennis championships. At which Grand
slam are they not used?
Across
1. Caribbean native
5. Daytime drama, ...
opera
7. Handle
8. recovered (wreck)
9. peruvian pack
animals
12. Climbs up
15. Maltreats
19. Managed (4,2)
21. War axe
22. fun objects
23. Hurried
24. torn to strips
down
1. Dual personality,
...... and Hyde
2. scrapbook
3. luggage items
4. sheer hosiery
5. spirit meeting
6. Bike footrests
11
What name is given to an artificial replacement for a missing body part?
12
13
Which element has the shortest name?
14
15
16
Who was the leader of the revolt at the eureka stockade?
17
18
Were Green Lantern and The Flash characters in Marvel or DC comics?
5
7
2
4
9
8
6
3
1
What country did russia invade in 1979, sparking an Olympic boycott?
3
6
8
1
5
7
2
4
9
19
Who wrote and illustrated the classic children’s book Where the Wild
Things Are?
9
1
4
6
2
3
5
8
7
2
9
7
8
3
4
1
6
5
20
Which is Australia’s tallest building? And what city is it in?
4
3
1
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6
9
8
7
2
6
8
5
7
1
2
3
9
4
1
4
3
2
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5
8
7
2
6
9
8
5
4
1
3
8
5
9
3
4
1
7
2
6
Which car company made the stag, the Herald and the Acclaim among
other models?
See page 64 for answers.
How many horses have won more than one Melbourne Cup?
sudoku
What colour navigation light does a ship display on its port side at night?
Difficulty level: Medium
Quiz by Melbourne Trivia Company
www.melbournetrivia.com.au
10. invites
11. Copies
12. Donkey
13. Castro’s land
14. Quick letter
15. insect, praying ...
16. Due (bill)
17. Matches
18. Gave shelter to
19. Builder
20. Went
1. fill in the numbers (1-4) without repeating
a number in any row or column.
2. the numbers in each heavily outlined set
of squares (cages) must combine to equal
the number in the top corner using the
arithmetic sign indicated.
3. Cages with just one square can be filled in
straight away with the target number in the
top corner.
4. A number July be repeated in a cage but
not in a row or column.
Leading Thinkers Seminar
Series 2012
Presented by
ACER INSTITU TE
Be engaged, challenged and inspired!
The ACER Institute’s LEADING THINKER SEMINAR SERIES brings inspirational speakers to educators
at all levels of policy and practice. These seminars are an important source of knowledge for school
leaders to explore the practical application of real school issues.
Realising the Power of Professional Learning:
Whole school improvement
Professional Learning is an essential element for
whole school improvement.
This one day seminar will focus on professional learning as an essential
element for whole school improvement and creating better outcomes
for all students. To achieve this improvement, professional learning must
become core business where it is an integral and essential part of the
functioning of all schools.
This improvement occurs when a school becomes a learning community
with the focus on creating the collective capacity of leaders, teachers,
students and the community to advance educational goals for all students.
When the school focus of improvement includes
our teachers our students succeed.
This seminar will draw on a 10 year research and development project
in over 300 schools that have demonstrated substantial and consistent
improvements in student achievement. Case material will be used to
illustrate how you can realise the power of professional learning for
impact in both your school and jurisdiction.
HELEN TIMPERLEY is
Professor of Education
at The University of
Auckland
in
New
Zealand. Her early career
involved teaching in early
childhood, primary and
secondary
education
sectors which formed
the basis of her research program focused on
making a difference to those student outcomes
valued by the communities in which they live.
A particular research emphasis has been
on promoting leadership, organisational and
professional learning in ways that improve the
educational experience of students currently
under-achieving in our education systems.
She has recently completed a best evidence
synthesis iteration on professional learning
and development that has received major
international attention. She has published
widely in international academic journals and
has written and edited seven books focusing
on the professional practice implications of her
research in her specialty areas.
Melbourne: Tuesday 07 August | Brisbane: Thursday 23 August | Sydney: Friday 24 August
To register and for more information:
www.acerinstitute.edu.au
Don’t miss out – book
your free seminar today!
Get the facts from the people
who run your fund.
ESSSuper is the super fund for Victorian State Government
employees.^ We offer members and their partners free super
seminars conducted by our Member Education Consultants who
are experts in your fund. Our seminars are designed to help you
get the most out of your super.
Our seminars cover topics such as:
ESS3218_(03/12)_INSPIRE
What to do when planning for retirement.
Tax on super benefits.
How much do you need for retirement?
Your options at retirement.
Tips on boosting your super.
Talk to the people who run your fund. Bookings
are essential as places are limited. To book call
our Member Service Centre on 1300 655 476.
Revised Scheme Members
New Scheme Members
Date
Time
Location
Date
Time
Location
11 July 2012
10am
Essendon
10 July 2012
10am
Essendon
24 July 2012
10am
Melbourne*
25 July 2012
10am
Melbourne*
8 Aug 2012
6.30pm
Ballarat
7 Aug 2012
10am
Melbourne*
16 Aug 2012
6.30pm
Frankston
7 Aug 2012
6.30pm
Ballarat
17 Aug 2012
10am
Melbourne
10 Aug 2012
10am
Melbourne*
22 Aug 2012
6.30pm
Eltham
15 Aug 2012
6.30pm
Frankston
30 Aug 2012
10am
Melbourne
21 Aug 2012
6.30pm
Eltham
6 Sept 2012
10am
*
Melbourne
25 Sept 2012
6.30pm
Wantirna
11 Sept 2012
10am
Melbourne*
28 Sept 2012
10am
Melbourne*
*
*
26 Sept 2012
6.30pm
Wantirna
2 Oct 2012
6.30pm
Box Hill
3 Oct 2012
6.30pm
Box Hill
16 Oct 2012
6.30pm
Sunbury
17 Oct 2012
6.30pm
Sunbury
18 Oct 2012
10am
Melbourne*
24 Oct 2012
10am
Melbourne*
23 Oct 2012
6.30pm
Glen Waverley
24 Oct 2012
6.30pm
Glen Waverley
31 Oct 2012
10am
Melbourne*
30 Oct 2012
10am
Melbourne*
ESSSuper, Level 16, 140 William Street, Melbourne.
*
^Members include State Government employees who commenced employment prior to 1994. If you are not already an ESSSuper member you are
not eligible to join (unless you are a spouse of an existing member).
Issued by Emergency Services Superannuation Board ABN 28 161 296 741, the Trustee of the Emergency Services Superannuation Scheme (ESSSuper)
ABN 85 894 637 037. Before making a decision about an ESSSuper product or service please consider our Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) that is
available at www.esssuper.com.au or by calling our Member Contact Centre on 1300 655 476.
Proudly serving our members

Inspire

Transcription

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