It's time to put your hand up! It's time to put your

JOURNAL
TERM 3, 2012 VOL 63 NO. 3
, Federal Secretary, Australian Education Union, 120 Clarendon Street Southbank 3006.
rt says we
e in public schoo
hools would benefit th
aller class sizes
• greater individual attention
• more literacy and numeracy teachers
But so far the politicians are refusing to act
Tell Tell Canberra Canberra our our kids kids can’t can’t wait wait any any longer. longer.
Register your support at
igiveagonski.com.au
It's time to put your
hand up!
12/06/12 10:18 A
THE JOURNAL OF THE FEDERATION OF PARENTS AND CITIZENS’ ASSOCIATIONS OF NSW

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CONTENTS
COVER STORY
4 Gonski, Gonski, Gonski
16 What’s a Gonski?
13
34
P&C NEWS
4 A message from
the President
Parent and Citizen Journal
The Journal of the Federation of
Parents and Citizens’ Associations of New South Wales
Ph: 1300 885 982
Fax: 1800 655 866
Email: journal@pandc.org.au
Website: www.pandc.org.au
President: Lyall Wilkinson
Publicity Officer: Rachael Sowden
Contributors and feedback to:
journal@pandc.org.au
4 State Council resolves to
broaden membership base
20 A moment with Marsh
on insurance
21 Insurance time again
IMPORTANT ISSUES
8 Local Schools, Local Decisions
9 Local Schools, Local Decisions -
what say State Council?
10 Educating boys
11 Help children see clearly
22 Digital Citizenship
34 Great leftover recipes
38 Trials for all
10
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Phone: 9738 9151
www.oxfordcreative.com.au
The views expressed in the Journal
are not necessarily those of the
Federation of Parents and Citizens’
Associations of New South Wales
IN THE SCHOOLS
6 Benefiting from a trained
librarian in your school
12 Every student deserves an
opportunity to suceed
13 Primary Colours
14 Colours of Berala
18 Corrimal High Schools
Extreme Science Experiment!
19 Blokes Session
23 World of Maths Roadshow
24 Everybody loves a bit of pi
26 National Year of Reading
28 New fund raising idea!
29 2012 Premier’s Spelling Bee
30 One Mum’s journey
32 Olivia speaks out
36 Multicultural Perspectives
Public Speaking Competition
37 When “acting up” pays off
37 The project - Carmen
P&C JOURNAL
3

from the
President
Lyall with our new
addition... Ryder Douglas
MacDonald, Kelly’s new
baby boy
Greetings to all P&C Federation
affiliates. Once more the year
seems to go quicker than
expected.
Already we are about to embark on
our premiere event, the 2012 Annual
Conference. Delegates are welcome
to attend, participate and have a say
in the policies that affect our children.
Local Schools Local Decisions
is still a popular talking point for
school communities as is the Gonski
Review. If your P&C hasn’t had a
chance to discuss the future of
public education, particularly with
a focus on school autonomy and
federal government funding perhaps
the articles within the journal may
provide good starting points.
Importantly for our affiliates State Council recently discussed the
need for all school communities to be represented with a P&C
association. Further, they resolved to broaden the membership
terms and let each and every individual P&C decide who may or
may not be a member. Great news for attracting volunteers to
our very worthy public education school communities.
In singing off I’d like to remind all associations that renewal for
affiliation, and insurance where suitable, is due on the 1st of
August 2012 so look in the letterbox for your mail outs.
Faithfully
Lyall Wilkinson
President
STATE COUNCIL RESOLVES TO
BROADEN MEMBERSHIP BASE
4
The State Council of P&C Federation at their
meeting in May 2012 have resolved to remove
any boundary restriction for affiliated P&C
Associations. This means that membership
of the P&C is open to all irrespective of their
residential address. Great news for our valued
volunteers and public education!
P&C JOURNAL
GONSKi GONSKI GONSKI
What does this mean? What is it about? Reminds me
a little of Jan Brady and her cries of “Marsha Marsha
Marsha” But maybe that just tells you about my
childhood of American
TV reruns. As it certainly
says nothing of what
this is about.
David Gonski is the
businessman who headed
the Federal Government
Review into Federal
Funding for Education.
This review was
commissioned by Julia
Gillard when she was
the education minister
in the Rudd Labor Govt.
This review was into the very unfair current system of federal
funding which sees the schools that educate 30% of the
nation’s children receive 70% of the federal monies.
Sadly as you may be aware, the review was released
by the Government in February 2012, the same week
as the Rudd vs. Gillard challenge so, as often happens
in Media and Politics the review got little traction and
was quietly swept under the carpet.
One of the very interesting things about the
recommendations of the review were they have been
supported by many quarters and appear to have cross
sectoral and cross political support... Why is this? Well
because everyone could see the last system was so flawed
and that the new model addresses the inequities without
removing all funding from the non Govt sector.
The Resource Allocation Model, and I am sure you will hear
a lot about that into the future gives a base allocation to
all schools across all sectors, it then gives additional funds
to schools based on other factors including: geographical
isolation, number of students with a learning difficulty,
low social economic status, aboriginality and language
backgrounds other than English... It is known that all these
factors increase the level of support that students need
at school and it is also shown that the vast majority of
these students attend Public Schools. Even Peter Garrett
acknowledged that when he said to Parents at a National
Conversation with Parents on 14th November 2011 “Public
Schools do all our heavy lifting”
But let me make it real for you and me... I have four children
in NSW Public Schools, two each at two schools and
without knowing what the additional loadings would be
for them let’s just look at the base increases, which will
be approximately $1500 per student, now let’s look at the
numbers, my little two attend a central school with about
400 students, so straight away that is an increase in funding
to the school of $600,000 per year, OMG what they could
do with that, worried about levels of
activity at your school, maybe we could
employ a sports teacher to integrate
better the sports and activity levels in the
school. Want to ensure that the dance
group or spelling bee team does well,
maybe some support for them, think
your school struggles to communicate
with Parents, maybe an additional
front office person to focus on
that. And this is before the
loadings for the school...
So maybe they would
also employ a few more
specialist teachers to
look at learning needs of
the kids.
“I dare you to play
this game with your
schools, number of
student’s times $1500...”
At my girls high school my mind is
blown just on the base allocation we are
looking at over $1.02 MILLION dollars
extra, that’s a lot of fundraisers for my
P&C... imagine your Saturdays free
from Bunning’s BBQ’s and sock and
bulb drives, imagine if the P&C really
didn’t have to put its hand in its pocket
to buy those English texts or the goal
posts for sport, things that should just
be there but are not currently, imagine if
we really just did the extras, how much
better we could support the schools, our
schools, and how we could then also
be seen as not the people to turn to for
the whiteboards or the texts books but
maybe we could support the excursions
or other such warm and fuzzies.
I dare you to play this game with your
schools, number of student’s times
$1500, this would be the approximate
base increase in your schools from these
recommendations, before you add the
loadings, this is what Public Schools
are currently underfunded by… how
can we strive to give our children the
best in education without funding and
supporting our schools?
Politicians across parties and states
have come out in support of the Gonski
Review, Including Barry O’Farrell, Peter
Garrett, and Tony Windsor. Now is the
time for the Federal Government to be
bold and not falter at the line.
Now it is time for us as Parents to
add our voice, loudly and
3 x 3 Marquee + Print
4.5 x 3 Marquee + Print
6 x 3 Marquee + Print
clearly telling the Federal
Government that we need this
reform before the opportunity
is lost. It’s Time.
Rachael Sowden, Publicity Officer
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P&C JOURNAL
5

Teacher librarians improve literacy and
connect students with the best books,
including e-books, to meet their interests
and reading levels. Children who read
more have improved vocabularies, better
spelling and better writing. Studies show
that people with low literacy levels have
poorer health, lower incomes and limited
work opportunities compare to those with
higher literacy skills.
Teacher librarians want to see students
acquire critical thinking skills and locate reliable
information to help build new learning. Google,
copy and paste are not meaningful learning experiences.
Teacher librarians want to collaborate with teachers in creating
authentic and lasting learning experiences.
As librarians, teacher librarians want to build collections of
the best print and digital teaching and learning resources for
their unique school community needs, in an attractive, safe
environment.
In the national year of reading which is 2012, we should be
encouraging our children to participate in and learn to engage
and enjoy the school library experience.
Many of us as parents wish that our children
experience that lost wonderment of a favourite
book, the safe and delicious smell of the books
How do your
children
benefit from a
trained teacher
librarian in
their school?
on the shelf, being so engrossed in
the book that special library teacher
helped you find as they knew what
you liked and what would engage
you that you didn’t hear the bell go..
These are experiences that all children should
encounter, and really it shouldn’t matter what
the text type is, the gift of reading, of enjoying
the imparting of knowledge, that’s what should
count for us as parents, that someone is there
to support our children’s journey into the magic of
reading, be it the bmx magazine, the footy guide or a
classic novel by Austin, or the latest vampire novel.
What has been shown to improve student learning is what the
teacher does in the classroom, targeted to his or her students.
What improves student learning is having qualified teacher
librarians to collaborate and support teachers in this. Teacher
librarians locate and select and make accessible the resources,
in print, online, as DVDs, books, e-books, databases, and
interactive learning objects, which teachers incorporate into
lessons and which students can explore on their own.
Teacher Librarians are integral to educational school community.
By Georgia Phillips
co-founder of The Hub: Campaign for Quality School
Libraries in Australia and head of advocacy for the School
Library Association of NSW.
6 P&C JOURNAL
P&C JOURNAL
7

LocaL SchooLS,
LocaL DeciSionS
Over the last few months I have been
leading the Local Schools, Local
Decisions Schools Implementation
Team. This role has allowed me to work
collaboratively with many of my friends
and colleagues from previous roles.
When I reflect on what makes our public
education system great, it is the shared
belief that every student from every family
is important and that through working
together as a total school community
we can achieve great things. When I visit
schools and talk with parents or work
with P&C representatives at a regional or
state level we often spend time sharing the
stories of what has been achieved at one
place or another because of this strong
working partnership.
I believe that the education reform Local
Schools, Local Decisions will facilitate
these great partnerships by providing
greater authority to the school community
to make the decisions and allocate the
resources to those programs that you
know will make a difference.
I am always mindful that our staff in schools
are a dedicated, talented group of people.
I am also aware of the importance of the
trusting relationship between teachers
and parents. The Local Schools, Local
Decisions reform has not been designed to
impact on this important relationship in any
way. Indeed, the reform is designed to do
just the opposite.
Our Minister and Director-General have
given their assurances that our state wide
staffing system will be retained. It will
be changed but it will remain. We need
to have a greater capacity for schools
to select some of their staff. I must say
parents in the many, many schools I have
visited over the years have also made
these comments to me. We need to make
these changes in a way that supports our
school communities, not disadvantages
them. No-one wants to see widespread
casualisation of our school staff. But there
are times when school communities would
like to implement that special program to
support that particular group of students
and they should be able to do so.
Our system is highly centralised compared
with other high performing education
systems around the world. This limits the
flexibility and authority of schools to make
local decisions that best suit their students.
Local Schools, Local Decisions
is built upon the fundamental
principle that students should
be at the centre of all decision
making – that is why we need
to improve the system to better
support principals, their staff
and their communities.
For very good reasons, much of the public
discussion around Local Schools, Local
Decisions has focused on how we staff our
schools. It is well established that teacher
quality is the single greatest in-school
influence on student engagement and
outcomes.
A major part of the reform will build on
changes made in recent years to give
schools more say over the mix of staff
in their school.
This means that, over time, schools will be
better able to build – and maintain – a team
that is committed to the school community
and achieving the best possible learning
outcomes for its particular students.
The changes will be gradual but, over time,
I believe a professional culture of increased
local decision making has the potential to
transform the way schools engage with
their communities.
We already know that strong partnerships
between the school, its teachers and
the parent community make a positive
contribution to student learning. With
increased local decision making in schools,
the significance of parent and community
engagement will also increase.
Under Local Schools, Local Decisions
the school plan will become even more
important and the parent community
should actively contribute to the
development of a school’s strategic
direction and priorities in the way that
makes the most sense for them.
We will not be heading down the path of
some jurisdictions where schools have
formally accountable local parent boards
and councils, but under Local Schools,
Local Decisions we will be developing ways
to support our schools to more effectively
engage with the local community.
One area of the reform that I
am particularly excited about
is the genuine recognition and
encouragement of the development
of truly collaborative consultation
strategies that meet the particular
context of each school community.
We all know that effective community
Concern is not a reason to
not have a discussion
P&C Federation acknowledges that school communities
are concerned about the forecasted Local Schools Local
Decisions program.
This concern appears to arise from a lack of information on the
consultation process coupled with misinformation about the impacts
of the government policy and a real interest in ensuring that public
education retains its position as an accessible resource for all
children in New South Wales.
P&C Federation is aware of the strong lobbying by all educational
stakeholders in relation to the project and we appreciate their
position in relation to teaching and learning and industrial matters.
participation and engagement
acknowledges and values each
participant’s contribution and ensures
the combined efforts of the school
community deliver enhanced benefits for
our students. I look forward to working
closely with P&C representatives to
collaboratively develop policy in this area.
The elements outlined in Local Schools,
Local Decisions are complex and we will
be consulting with all key stakeholders.
The Federation of Parents and Citizens’
Associations of New South Wales are
key members of the Local Schools, Local
Decisions Joint Consultative Committee
and I greatly appreciate their support and
advice through this process.
However, we ask our affiliates to focus their discussions on their
child, their school community and protecting their right to a free and
inclusive education that suits their community’s needs.
I would encourage all parents and
community members who have not had
an opportunity to read the five fact sheets
that outline the key elements of the reform
to do so. They can be found at http://www.
schools.nsw.edu.au/news/lsld/index.php
I personally and professionally have much
to thank public education for and I am
confident that through working together
we will take public education into the
future for the benefit of our children and
grandchildren. Thank you all for what
you do on a daily basis to support public
education.
Ms. Robyn McKerihan
Regional Director,
Local Schools, Local Decisions
P&C Federation calls on the government to release, as a priority,
further information to our school communities to specifically
address these concerns. As representative to the Local School
Local Decision Consultative Group we will continue to seek more
information and advocate for our affiliates.
The State Council, recently resolved to ensure that each and every
school community are formally consulted. Indeed, the State Council
calls upon the Minister for Education to recognise the legal right for
each affiliate P&C association to be the consultation group for the
LSLD projects.
P&C Federation reminds our affiliates, at the very least,
be engaged, have your say and be involved in these very
significant discussions that will impact education, public
education and the educational experiences of our children.
Rachael Sowden, Publicity Officer
8 P&C JOURNAL
P&C JOURNAL
9

10
Educating
It has been nearly 20 years since
the “What about the Boys?” pleas
of parents and teachers were
heard - and 10 years since the
Federal Government’s Inquiry into
the education of boys. Where are
we now placed and what have we
learned about the education of
young men...
Both Single Sex and Co-ed schools now
realize that boys generally learn differently
from girls and acknowledge that the
curriculum, assessment and subject
changes in Australia have not helped
boys; instead it has magnified the
comparative under-performance of boys
compared to girls.
Closed, structured, information-dense tasks
have been replaced with more open-ended,
reflective, text-based tasks paralleling the
changing workplace and major shifts in
the types of jobs that males traditionally
undertake. Where previously men used their
brawn, they now need to use their brains
and emotional intelligence. They have to
think on the spot, relate to the public and
communicate differently in the modern,
21st Century workforce.
Schools are slowly adapting to this
change and even though we have seen
a reasonable shift in girls moving into
the types of subjects and jobs that boys
traditionally have held, the reverse is not
true. To make things better for women we
had to change the whole fabric of society:
the right to vote; equal work for equal
pay; and acceptance of women in senior
positions. Society needs to persevere in
order to ensure these changes continue to
happen for girls and women as, even now,
we are not quite there yet. Boys and men,
on the other hand, are offered the world on
a plate – so changing society is not the
issue – it is changing the boys’ mindsets
– which needs to happen within their
heads and minds - not without.
Some schools have been
very successful in helping
their young men to
understand
the way the
world works:
P&C JOURNAL
what it means to be a man
in modern society; the types
of skills and attributes men
need to be successful in work
and life; as well as ways of
developing their emotional
intelligence.
Many schools offer a Coming of Age
program – while other schools offer courses
in masculinity, gender construction, role
modelling etc. Even though we haven’t
seen a dramatic improvement in boys’
academic results Australia-wide, we have
noticed awareness amongst our young men
and a willingness to embrace different forms
of expressing masculinity.
There is a BOY-CODE among boys that real
men play team sport with all the associated
macho ways of behaving, expression
of hyper-masculinity and homophobia.
Slowly they are developing a tolerance and
acceptance of the gentle man, the metro-
sexual, the computer-geek – the boys
who don’t play team sport yet still offer the
world the most amazing qualities, spirits
and talents i.e. the Real Men of The Arts,
Drama, Dance, Music etc. Further work
is essential in encouraging our sporting
heroes to visit schools in order to read,
write and interact with the boys. Many
football clubs are doing this throughout
Australia top varying degrees.
Related to this is the need our boys have
for role-modelling and mentoring. Even
though instances of bullying and initiation
occurred, the apprenticeship model was
one where the boy (beyond school) could
have a set of mentors to guide him through
those very dangerous years where cars,
girls and booze are their main priority and
where (sadly) we lose many of our beautiful
young men in Australia to the scourge of
suicide.
Schools have successfully used Peer
Mentoring, Buddy Systems etc which have
been extremely beneficial. Even though
many boys have Dads at home, the time
spent interacting with them is (unfortunately)
quite minimal due to technology –
particularly television, mobile phones and
The Internet. When boys in schools mentor
younger boys and girls we see them glow
– bringing out their qualities of affection,
empathy, caring, thoughtfulness and
genuine concern. Where you have all boys
of the same age together (as in most
schools from Kindergarten
to Year 12) it is sometimes
difficult to commend them
with these
virtues, but put them with younger kids in a
structured situation, or with older people
and watch them SHINE. It is critical that
all schools embrace this – it is unnatural to
have people of the same age together for so
long (as in school) and we must take every
opportunity to allow boys (and girls) to work
and play with their younger and older peers
on a consistent basis.
In terms of what has been learnt over the last
few years from the affirmative action taken
in boys’ education, I have summarised 52
recommendations which can be downloaded
from my website – www.boysforward.com
Amongst my recommendations I stress the
need to use evidence-based learning to
enhance boys’ learning. They need to see,
more so than girls, taste, feel, hear, touch and
smell something before they acknowledge
learning has taken place. In subjects where
they do produce something out of Food
(Home Economics), Paper (Art), Wood or
Metal (Manual Arts) etc there is not a problem
because they can see their time in class
Parents and educators urged
to help children see clearly
The Australasian College of Behavioural
Optometrists (ACBO) is urging teachers
and parents to understand and identify the
signs of learning-related visual problems in
children, so they don’t fall behind in their
education.
To help parents and teachers identify
children who may be experiencing poor
visual development, ACBO has developed
a checklist of specific warning signs to look
out for. Some signs to look out for are;
has resulted in a tangible outcome. But as
boys tend not to reflect as well as girls or
THINK before they ACT it is hard for them
to see that they have achieved something in
more theoretical subjects. However, every
time we use coloured paper, we ask them
to stand before introducing a concept, we
use plasticine to make a representation of
their learning, we ask them to share what
they have learnt to the group, we have them
write down the main concept in a learning
journal, we ask them to pair and share, we
are reinforcing evidence-based learning. This
makes it easier for boys to reflect on their
achievements and they enjoy a sense of pride
looking back on what they have done.
Some schools are trialing single-sex classes
in a co-educational environment with a lot of
success, but just teaching one gender does
not automatically make us experts in teaching
boys or girls. We need to tap into their needs,
likes and aspirations in class – we need to
value them for who they are - teach kids and
not subjects.
Dr Ian Lillico
• Holding a book very close
(only 15-20 cms away).
• Holding head at an extreme angle
to the book when reading.
• Squinting or experiencing burning
or itching eyes after doing near
vision work.
• Blinking excessively when doing near
work, but not otherwise.
• Experiencing headaches after
reading or near work.
• Constant poor posture when
working close.
Tips to help children protect their vision by
developing positive habits.
And so - what
about the Boys?
They are very
special young
people who have
the ability to bring
so much to our
schools, classes
and homes - as
long as we cherish
boys for who they
are and do not
expect them to
approach their
learning and living
in the same way
as girls.
• Moving head back and forth while
reading instead of moving only with
the eyes.
• Poor attention span or drowsiness
after prolonged work less than arm’s
length away.
• Rubbing eyes during or after short
periods of reading.
• Treatment is available to help
support the learner to see better.
ENSURE ADEQUATE LIGHTING IN CLASSROOMS AND STUDY AREAS
LIMIT TV TIME
ENCOURAGE REGULAR BREAKS FROM CLOSE UP WORK
ENCOURAGE APPROPRIATE DISTANCE
ESTABLISH WORKSPACES FOR CORRECT POSTURE
ENSURE PENS/PENCILS ARE HELD CORRECTLY
HELP UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE OF GLASSES
P&C JOURNAL
11

Every Student deserves an
opportunity to succeed
Every student,
regardless
of their
circumstance,
deserves an
opportunity
to succeed
in life. Some
students need
a little extra help
to actively engage
in learning and to
reach their full potential.
The Public Education Foundation (PEF)
helps to align broader community
and corporate support to provide that
opportunity.
The Public Education Foundation
is a not for profit organisation
dedicated to providing lifechanging
scholarships for
students studying at public
schools. The Foundation aims to
remove some of the barriers to
achievement created by social
and economic disadvantage, and
to help talented students to excel.
The PEF offer a broad range of
scholarships to students in public schools
across NSW. The Friends of Zainab
Scholarship and Stellar Astronomy
Scholarship for Girls are two prestigious
and competitive scholarship programs
being offered by the PEF.
The Stellar Scholarship for Girls
encourages more young women to
choose Physics in Years 11 & 12.
“Currently girls make up only 22% of
students studying Physics for the HSC.
This is despite the fact that more girls
than boys actually sit for the HSC each
year,” said Verity Firth, Chief Executive of
the Public Education Foundation.
In 2012, 12 students in NSW public
schools received the Stellar Astronomy
Scholarship for Girls. Recipients of
the Stellar Scholarships received a
scholarship package including financial
support, text books, laptop computers, a
telescope and individual mentoring.
A 2010 scholar spoke of the impact the
scholarship had on her; “the opportunities
that have arisen from the scholarship
have been fantastic. Work Experience
at Sydney Observatory was brilliant and
both allowed insight into working in that
field as well as a possible part time job
opportunity in the future. The people I
have met as a result of the scholarship
has opened many doors both now and
for the future.”
The Friends of Zainab Scholarship
provides financial support for refugee
students through the critical years of
their High School Certificate (HSC).
The Scholarship also provides for
financial support to assist refugee
students transition to university. Without
the support of the Friends of Zainab
Scholarship, many of these students
would be at risk of leaving school before
completing the HSC. Many more would
not have the opportunity to attend
university due to the costs involved.
A young female student named Nahid
received the Friends of Zainab Scholarship
in 2006. Nahid was 13 years old when she
enrolled at Holroyd High School Intensive
English Centre. She could not speak
English and she had no formal education
having been home-schooled by her
mother in Afghanistan. When she entered
the gates of Holroyd High in 2002, she
had never attended a school before in her
life. In 2006, with the help of the Friends of
Zainab scholarship, she finished her HSC
and is now close to completing a Bachelor
of Medical Sciences at the University of
Western Sydney.
Nahid’s story is a tribute to the power
of education and a reminder of the
contribution people from all backgrounds
can make to our society when we give
them a chance.
The PEF is launching an array of new
scholarships for the 2013 academic year
that will help students better participate
in schooling. Scholarship applications will
open in Term 3 and will assist a diverse
range of students including Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islanders, students in
regional and remote areas, in the Arts
and students living in disadvantaged
communities.
The scholarships will assist
students to participate effectively
in schooling. Scholarships currently
under development will have a
particular curriculum focus
including technology, drama,
foreign languages, music,
business, economics and the law.
Scholarships provided by the Public
Education Foundation involve more than
mere financial rewards. It paves a path for
students to truly succeed in their desired
career field; an opportunity to change a
student’s life.
www.publiceducationfoundation.org.au
Tristanne Scott
Public Education Foundation
Who hangs out in
the Department
all day?
Local primary students have brought some colour to the Regional
and Area offices of the Department of Education and Communities
around the state.
The Primary Colours Project witnessed a number of senior officers
from within the Department of Education and Communities were
invited to submit creative briefs for the project, outlining their
interests and what sort of art they like. Students from across the
state were then invited to create works to address those briefs.
The works selected were on display in the Department’s Bridge
Street Atrium in June, they will now be hung in the managers’
workplaces for a year. The student artists whose works have
been selected by senior officers each received a Certificate of
Appreciation, and remaining entrants receive a Certificate of
Participation.
The Primary
Colours Project
is making sure
the future for
our children in
Public Education
is bright.
Student
artwork!
Sophie from Collaroy
Ruben from
Annandale North
Milly from Collaroy
Charly from Frenchs Forest
12 13
P&C JOURNAL P&C JOURNAL

Vietnamese Dance Group
Chinese Dance Group
Kindy Singing Group
Pacific Island Dance Group
Turkish Dance Group
14
P&C JOURNAL
COLOURS
of Berala
Many Cultures,
One Community
Berala Public School is located in the Auburn area
between Regents Park, Lidcombe and Auburn. It
was established in 1924 and is now a school with an
amazing diversity of cultures. Approximately 95% of
the students come from a Language Background
other than English, with over 35 different cultures
being represented at the School.
On Thursday 7th June, the School celebrated its multicultural
community and public education, with an annual day of
good food and performances, called the “Colours of Berala”.
Many parents, family and friends attended the day, enjoying
performances of cultural dances and musical items, open
classrooms, with cultural food from China, Turkey, Lebanon
and Australia. This day is one of the major Parents and
Citizens fundraising events for the year.
The children wear either their traditional cultural dress or
“green and gold” to represent the Australian colours and
they have a great time celebrating and sharing their cultural
background.
The parents and teachers all provided sumptuous food from
the many cultures that make up our multi-cultural School.
Some of the dishes we feasted on were Chinese noodles and
rice dishes, Turkish pogaca, borek, kisir, moziak cake, pide,
Arabic falafel rolls, tabouli, baklava, sweet biscuits, Australian
sausage sizzle and an assortment of cakes. It was great to
have the opportunity to try food from other cultures.
The performances were outstanding! They were led by the
Junior Choir, who gave upbeat rendition of the Australian
Anthem. This was followed by the Senior Dance Group who
gave a polished and energetic performance who had recently
performed at the South Western Sydney Regional Dance
Festival. The audience was captivated by the Kindergarten
Singing Group who were adorable singing their Chinese
nursery rhymes. The Pacific Islander Dance Group wowed
us with the girls performing a graceful hula and the boys
performing a fierce Haka. The musicians shined displaying
the polished performances of the Violin Group and The
Senior Recorder Group, who will be shortly performing at
the Opera House. Congratulations! The Chinese Dance
Group performed a serene and elegant umbrella dance and
the Turkish Dance Group wowed us with their “Turkish rap”
dancing. The rhythmic Arabic Drum Group displayed their
remarkable talent followed by the Vietnamese Dance Group
who performed a beautiful fan dance. The Lion Dance Group
wowed us with their display of athleticism, together with their
scary costumes. The Chinese Waist Drum Group, in their
lovely yellow and red costumes, closed the festivities, with
exuberance and flair.
Our P&C was amazed at the sheer volume
of parents and teachers who helped and
volunteered to support the school.
This shows of strong feeling of community and your continued
support is greatly appreciated. The performances showed our
highly skilled student talent which has been nurtured by our
dedicated teachers, who have volunteered their time to teach
the children the dances and musical items. Thank you all, you
are fabulous. The amazing array of multicultural food topped off
the day to ensure a fabulous time was had by all!
Cheryl Miller & Linda Tarasenko,
President & Vice President,
Berala Public School P&C.
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P&C JOURNAL
15

WHAT’S A GONSKI?
Who is GONSKI?
Gonski reviewed, for the federal
government the funding of schools
in Australia.
What did the Review
look at?
The review of federal funding of schools
considered the present state and federal
funding arrangements across all states
and territories. The review considered
the funding needs of all students across
all schools, government, Catholic and
independent sectors.
The review explored the data on inequity
of student outcomes.
What did the Gonski
Review find?
The Review documented the high
degree of inequity of outcomes for
student. It demonstrates from research
the low level of outcomes experienced by
many children from low socio-economic
backgrounds. New arrival and refugee
children struggle for adequate support to
make the adjustments to their new homes.
Students who are not well supported
in the learning of English experience
poor educational outcomes. Indigenous
students continue to achieve at levels
more than three years behind their cohort.
Students with disabilities and learning
needs fall behind as the differentiation
necessary to support their learning is not
available in our schools.
It is noted that around 80% of students in
each of these categories of disadvantage
are enrolled in our public schools.
What does the Gonski
review recommend to the
Federal government?
The Gonski review recommends the
immediate injection of funds to enable
schools to address the needs of these
students. The review calculates that an
injection of $5.4 billion is necessary to
resources schools to enable them to
support the learning outcomes of
these students.
It recommends the calculation of a
Schooling Resource Standard to
replace the inadequate and unfair
ways in which money is currently
allocated to resource schooling.
The proposed Schooling
resource Standard is to be
based on the cost of schooling
in a school where 80% of
students are achieving
at the desired national
levels or benchmarks in
literacy and numeracy.
This identified level
of required funding
would be the base
level upon which
additional loadings
would be calculated to address the
needs in schools where students are
not achieving at these levels
Gonski recommends that the wealthiest
non-government schools should
contribute 75% to 80 of their funds from
private sources.
What could this mean for
Public schools?
Funding that could see a radical
improvement by reducing class sizes in
schools so that teachers are better able
to meet the diverse needs of students.
Reducing class sizes enables teachers
to better address the individual needs
of students. Small classes are used for
the most disadvantaged of our children.
The funding recommended by Gonski
could be invaluable in supporting school
teachers to connect schooling to the life
of their communities.
BUT...
Will the federal
government introduce
the legislation to
put into action the
recommendations of
Gonski?
We need to talk at our P&C meetings
about this report. Make everyone aware.
Decide to write to the Federal Minister of
Education, the Honourable Peter Garrett.
Tell him what we want and need to make
public education serve the needs of all
in our community. High quality public
education helps make a high quality
society for all.
Dianne Butland,
Metropolitan Vice President
The Gonski review recommends
the immediate injection of funds to
enable schools to address the needs
of these students.
Extra funding
for your school
could change
your child’s life
The Gonski Report says we urgently need to invest
more in public schools. Students in local schools
would benefit through:
AEU 0004_A5 Flyer_FINAL.indd 2
• smaller class sizes
• greater individual attention
• more literacy and numeracy teachers
But so far the politicians are refusing to act.
Tell Canberra our kids can’t wait any longer.
Register your support at igiveagonski.com.au
Authorised by Susan Hopgood, Federal Secretary, Australian Education Union, 120 Clarendon Street Southbank 300
The Gonski Report
to invest more in pub
in local schools would b
• smaller class sizes
• greater individual attentio
• more literacy and numeracy
But so far the politicians are refus
Tell Canberra our kids can’t wait an
Register your support at
igiveagonski.com.au
16 P&C JOURNAL Authorised by Susan Hopgood, Federal Secretary, Australian Education Union, 120 Clarendon Street Southbank 3006 P&C JOURNAL
17

Corrimal High School was one of just 40 schools from around
NSW lucky enough to participate in an extraordinary science
event. On Friday the 15 June, Year 10 students Jack Hummel,
Brighid Walton, Jake Osborne, Jake Vulic-Berry, Marley
Hayman and Raphie Burrett along with Acting Head Science
Teacher Ms Tanya Sullivan travelled by train to attend the
event held at the Sydney Convention Centre, Darling Harbour.
Our students joined 240 others at the 2012 Extreme
Science Experience (ESE) where they learnt through
hands-on experiments with Australia’s top scientists
and innovators.
The winners of the top secret 2012 ATSE Clunies
Ross Awards were named the previous night and the
students and teachers were able to hear from, talk to
and work with the 2012 Award winners at the ESE in fun,
informative workshops.
This year’s award winner was Professor Peter Blamey who
is a hearing loss expert. Professor Blamey is calling for action
to save the hearing of the ipod generation. Our students
actually engaged in listening and voice recognition exercises,
the results of which Professor Blamey will use in his research.
Other exercises included using MRI scans to build a 3D
image; learning how our brains filter signals and how we can
preserve our hearing, and how explosives are used in mining.
In recent years the Awards - Australia’s top awards for
mastery of new technology and business expertise -
have recognised the achievements of many special people
including Dr Fiona Wood, inventor of spray-on skin;
Professor Ian Frazer, co-inventor of the cervical cancer
vaccine; Professor Graeme Clark, inventor of the bionic
ear and Nobel laureate Dr Barry Marshall, who discovered
the bacteria that cause stomach ulcers.
18 P&C JOURNAL
Corrimal High School
to take part in
A real blast of science!
Jack said he was surprised to learn how connected
Engineering was to Science and Marley said the day opened
up her eyes to job prospects in the science field.
Jake Vulic-Berry enjoyed the day, he thought it was well
organised and he enjoyed the hands on activities. All the
students enjoyed using the metal detectors and participating
in the voice recognition research.
“The students were very excited and it was
a real privilege for them to get to meet and
learn from Australia’s top innovators,” said
Ms Tanya Sullivan, Acting Head Science
teacher at Corrimal High.
Jane Littrich
Community Liaison & Promotions Officer
Corrimal High School
Students Jack Hummel, Jake Osborne, Jake
Vulic-Berry got to meet the host of ESE, Bernie
Hobbs, who many will know from the ABC “New
Inventors” program.
Blokes Session
The Blokes Session held at Lake
Munmorah Public School on 21st
March, 2012 was a great success.
The ongoing success of events at
our school can be attributed to the
dedicated and committed, staff
and parent community.
The Blokes Session was a
‘boys only zone’ where all
our boys invited their dads,
Grandpops, uncles, big
brothers, or significant males.
The event was a low-keyed
one where the invite was to
come along to school between
4.30 and 6.30 pm and play
handball, have a look around
and enjoy a cholesterol laden
BBQ and free drink.
Right from the first male through the
gate, the importance of male role
models in boys’ education was clearly
evident. The Blokes Session was
designed to foster a more inclusive
feeling aimed at fathers (step fathers,
grandfathers, uncles, carers) in
particular, the relationship with their
boys’ schooling. We were confident
that it could help us ‘bridge the gap’.
At Lake Munmorah Public we want
all male role models to feel welcome
and to have an ongoing, active
interest in their boys’ education. It
was obvious from the large number in
attendance that our males are keen
to be involved. There were dads and
granddads in the library reading and
playing games on the Smartboard.
There were dads and big brothers
playing handball with their sons and
each other amid happy laughter and
some very competitive shots. It was
great to see so many of our boys
taking their visitors to their classroom
and introducing them to the teachers
and support staff.
The Blokes Session was a thoroughly
enjoyable and hugely popular event
that we are hopeful will become an
annual event.
Aaron McSweeney
We were confident that...
Blokes Session... could
help us ‘bridge the gap’.
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19

20
a moment with Marsh
on insurance
Ever wonder what if? What if I hurt
myself whilst volunteering? What if
I damage property whilst working
for my P&C? What if my child injures
themself?
What if P&C Federation offered a
broad scope of insurance products
to provide peace of mind?
WE dO!
Here’s what’s on the table….
Public Liability
Legal Liability to Third Parties for death,
bodily injury or loss or damage to property
as a result of an accident and happening
in connection with any organised activities
of the P&C Association but excluding the
negligence of the Education Department.
This cover can also be purchased for
Before & After School Care, After School
Classes, Vacation Care and even Tutoring.
cash & Property
Loss of or damage to all property
(including cash) owned by or in the
custody of any affiliate who applies in
the usual manner to the Federation to
purchase the cover in accordance with
the guidelines set out by the Federation.
P&C JOURNAL
Voluntary Workers
Personal accident
This policy applies only in respect of
voluntary workers and only whilst they are
engaged on P&C activities.
The benefit is payable irrespective of
negligence by the P&C however the
weekly benefit is only recoverable if the
Insured Person loses time from work.
In the case of a house person domestic
expenses benefit becomes payable.
(a) The injured person must be a voluntary
worker acting on behalf of the P&C
Committee but does not preclude that
Insured Person from suing the P&C if
negligence is proved.
(b) There is no cover for children
accompanying voluntary workers.
For cover to apply they must be
engaged in voluntary work on behalf
of the P&C Association.
(c) Students over the age of 10 engaged
in voluntary work on behalf of the P&C
must be accompanied by a parent/
carer to be covered by this insurance
policy.
Fidelity
Loss of money or negotiable instruments
or goods belonging to the Insured or
for which the Insured is legally liable
directly resulting from any act of fraud or
dishonesty committed by an employee or
voluntary worker.
directors &
Officers Liability
Past, present, or future directors, officers,
committee members, trustees and/
or employees of the organisation or at
request of its committee of management.
Student injury insurance
(24 hours 7 days a week)
Option 1
The coverage afforded under Option
1 of this policy shall only apply whilst
an Insured Person is at school and
undertaking school activities including
authorised sports and excursions
including necessary direct travel to and
from such activities and/or school.
Option 2
The coverage afforded under Option 2
of this policy covers school children only
and provides 24 hour 365 day protection
outside school activities and shall only
apply when Cover 1 coverage does not
apply (subject to the terms and conditions
of the policy).
nEW options for
better cover!
Here are some new products we thought
may help you rest easy…
Private Motor Vehicle Excess
Insurance
Any voluntary worker of any affiliate who is
involved in a motor vehicle accident whilst
driving his/her private motor vehicle on
Association business or activity, including
travel to and from home associated
therewith.
The insurer will pay the amount of any
excess which said voluntary worker is
liable to pay under his/her own private
comprehensive motor vehicle insurance
and which is not recoverable from
any other source. The insurer will only
reimburse his/her excess up to $1,500.
School Bus Insurance
New Replacement Vehicle in the
event of a total loss circumstance
(eg. Stolen, Written Off) in first 12
months of registration for vehicles
less then 3.2t GVM
Sign Writing (No Sub-Limit)
Hiring Costs for the period of up to
14 days, if insured vehicle is stolen
(No Sub-Limit)
Standard Basic Excess of $500
Nil Windscreen Excess on vehicles
less then 3.2t GVM
Personal Property $500 any one loss
Keys and Locks up to $2,000 any one
period of insurance
Simple Application Process
Musical Instrument Insurance
Cover for physical loss or accidental
damage to your equipment – 24 hours a
day, including when in transit.
Cover for loss of equipment caused
by theft.
Emergency replacement hire up to 25% of
the equipment sum insured following loss
or damage covered by this policy.
Repair or replacement of your equipment
following loss or damage.
Australia and Worldwide cover
automatically included.
Liability cover (excluding Canada
and USA) for personal injury or
property damage to others arising
in connection with your work or use
of your musical equipment.
Please note these are summaries of
benefits only. Policy terms, conditions
and exclusions apply to each insurance
product.
For more information please
contact Ela Comertpay
at the Federation of Parents and
Citizens Associations of New South
Wales on 1300 885 982 or via email
insurance@pandc.org.au
Insurance time...
Things your P&C may need to consider
Does your P&C? Have you considered?
Run a canteen • Cash and Property insurance to cover any losses that may
occur in the canteen
• Ensure that your P&C has an up to date asset register to
ensure adequate insurance cover is held
Run a uniform
shop
• Cash and Property insurance to cover any losses that may
occur in the uniform shop
• Ensure that your P&C has an up to date asset register to
ensure adequate insurance cover is held
Run an OOSH • Under guidelines, any OOSH is required to have a
minimum $50 million in Public Liability. To extend your P&C
insurances to the OOSH, an additional premium applies.
Offer Vacation
care
Organise before
or after school
classes
• To extend your P&C insurances to cover Vacation Care, an
additional premium applies.
• Extension of your P&C insurances to cover the Before
and After School Classes, an additional premium applies.
(gymnastics and sporting activities are not covered)
Organise tutors • Extension of your insurances to cover Tutors, not employed
by the school or the P&C Association, an additional
premium applies.
Have volunteers • Keep a sign on book for volunteers at any P&C task or
event - even regular canteen volunteers need to have their
attendance recorded
• Personal Accident insurance for your volunteers.
• Insurance for Loss or dishonest acts committed by an
employee or volunteer.
Hold events –
Fete, BBQ’s etc.
• Insurance for your event
• Insurance for cash being dealt with at the event.
A notification of event form is required for ANY P&C
Association event.
Employ staff • Workers Compensation (not offered through P&C
Federation).
• Insurance for Loss or dishonest acts committed by an
employee or volunteer.
Have assets or
equipment
Is your P&C
Incorporated
again!
1st of August is renewal time for our affiliated P&C associations. This year P&C
Federation has aimed to broaden the policies offered, this will better meet the
needs of our P&C associations. Secretaries should look out for the letters,
renewal form and manual in the mail. If you miss the postman check the website
www.pandc.org.au for a copy of all relevant affiliation and insurance documents.
Also new this year the handy checklist, this document can help your P&C
association sort through the paperwork, and your affiliation needs in no time.
• Property insurance to cover any losses that may occur
• Ensure that your P&C has an up to date asset register to
ensure adequate insurance cover is held
• Insurance for the Directors and Officers of your Association
P&C JOURNAL 21

Digital citizenship -
are you a native?
As the world spends more time online, it is increasingly
important that all students understand how to stay safe
online, while taking advantage of all the possibilities
offered by the internet and digital technologies.
The NSW Department of Education and Communities (DEC) has
been at the forefront in supporting schools to teach students
what it means to be a safe and responsible digital citizen. In 2012
the DEC produced a suite of resources for Year 10 students
with a focus on social networking. These resources were highly
evaluated when trialled. In 2011 and then into 2012, the NSW
Curriculum and Learning C (CLIC) worked to update and expand
the range of resources, including publishing an online game, to
cater for students from K-10.
All of these resources can be accessed through the Digital
Citizenship site http://www.digitalcitizenship.nsw.edu.au/.
From the home page you have the option to enter the primary,
secondary or parent pages.
The primary section has a series of learning activities which can
be used on interactive whiteboards and links to age-appropriate
videos about keeping yourself and others safe online. Also there
is a games section that links to a number of cybersafety games
to help children navigate their way through the cyber world.
Take the popular game RUA Cyber Detective? http://www.
digitalcitizenship.nsw.edu.au/cyberdetective/index.html Stage
2 students (Years 3-4) take on the role of a junior detective at
the Cyber Detective Agency. They are assigned an urgent case
involving stolen identities, they must use their digital citizenship
skills in a range of mock situations, including participating in chat
rooms and using webcams, as they race to recover the identities
from Dr Hiss. At the end, children make a brief guide about
staying safe online and receive a Junior Detective Award.
The secondary games section also links to a number of
cybersafety games like Digital dilemma, where Stage 5 students
travel to a music festival and navigate through a series of social
networking challenges. The secondary section also has learning
activities, as well links to selected videos about keeping yourself
and others safe online.
Not just for the children...
parental viewing allowed!
The parent section contains lots of fantastic and useful
information. You will find guides on staying safe online and
digital citizenship. Links to videos from Australian and UK sites
about cybersafety, including protecting reputations online, secure
passwords, secure websites, phishing scams, social networking,
social media and posting photos online.
Not to mention critical information and links to videos about
preventing and responding to cyberbullying and tips about
protecting children online on the Stay Smart Online website
http://www.staysmartonline.gov.au/ As well you can also find
links to the best parent app schoolatoz.
The Digital Citizenship site is an essential resource for
parents, students and teachers, these tools support public
educational communities.
Leonie Wittman, NSW Curriculum &
Learning Innovation Centre
World of Maths Roadshow
On Monday February 20th Year 7 and 8 students from Woolgoolga
High School were fortunate enough to experience the World of Maths
Roadshow. They were exposed to a variety of interactive maths-based
problem-solving activities which were enjoyed by all.
A testament to its popularity and how much the students enjoyed it last
year, this roadshow has visited on a more frequent basis, with many
students attending asking about its return next year.
Reflections:
Eden - It was an amazing
experience because of all
the different activities
Lizzie - challenging
and fun - it was great
Emma - You could interact
with group method
Emily - We got to learn
new skills while having
fun with our friends
I N S P I R ING C O M M U N I T Y S P A C E
Because our
children need
positive, inspiring
environments!
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call us on: 02 9534 1314 or 1800 980008 or visit
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22 23
P&C JOURNAL P&C JOURNAL

Everybody loves a bit of Pi!
Pi Day is an unofficial holiday
commemorating the mathematical
constant, π (pi). Pi Day is celebrated
on March 14, which is 3/14 in American
month/day date format! Since 3, 1 and
4 are the three most significant digits of
π in the decimal form. Pi is discovered
by our students in year 8 when they
commence their work with circles and
cylinders. Pi describes a relationship
between circumference and the diameter
of any circle. It is used to determine the
area of a circle and volume of any cylinder,
cone or sphere. Pi also has applications in
higher mathematics in regard to the cyclic
nature of trigonometric functions – but you
probably know that?
The earliest known official or large-scale
celebration of Pi Day was organised by
Larry Shaw in 1988 at the San Francisco
Exploratorium where Shaw worked as a
physicist with staff and public marching
around one of its circular spaces, then
consuming fruit pies. The Exploratorium
continues to hold Pi Day celebrations.
Our school, Wollumbin High, hosted
numerous events in a combined celebration
of Pi Day and Albert Einstein’s birthday,
which is also March 14.
At recess a large chocolate birthday cake
was shared among the staff and students,
to receive a piece they had to sing happy
birthday to Albert Einstein. The Year 12
boys did a marvellous rendition.
In classes students created Pi Day Paper
Chains, where each digit was encoded
through the use of a different colour.
This chain was made by a year 9 class
and when it was completed it identified
more than 100 decimal places of Pi.
Students were offered the opportunity to
create a poster to celebrate Pi day. We
received a large number of entries, these
were displayed at school.
The Mathematics Faculty was delighted to
see the range of entries and the effort that
went into creating the winning entry by Year
7 student Mackenzie New.
During lunch and Pi Day for a small entry
fee students could enter the Pi day eating
competition. Our “Pi’s” were donuts.
Donuts were selected as they are an
annulus, that means that they have an
inner and outer circle, and their crosssection
is also circular. So many circles, so
many ways to do calculations with Pi! Mr
Thompson was the master of ceremonies
and other mathematics staff supported in
judging. We had a number of rounds and
final. Eating styles for our winners were
diverse. Congratulations to the winners.
The Final event of the day was the Pi
reciting competition. Many students
entered and were able to reach 10 decimal
places correctly earning a small prize. We
had a respectable number of entrants that
successfully quoted 20 or more decimal
places of Pi. Competition at the higher end
was fierce we had 3 student able to quote
over 100 decimal places correctly. Our
overall winner was Dylan Wills receiving
a $30 canteen voucher and a chocolate
bunny to commemorate his excellent effort.
Pi day at Wollumbin High certainly left
everyone on a mathematical high.
Jenny Unwin
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24 25
P&C JOURNAL
P&C JOURNAL

Attention Australia
26 P&C JOURNAL
– it is the
National Year
of Reading
Australian libraries and library associations are behind a
campaign to turn 2012 into the National Year of Reading, linking
together all the great things that are already happening around
books, reading and literacy and giving them and extra boost
with inspirational programs and events across the country.
Libraries will be partnering with government the media writers, schools
publishers, booksellers, employers, child care providers, health
professionals and a whole host of other organisations that share our
passion for reading.
That is what it says on the Home page of The National Year of Reading
website. A huge task has been set to turn the population into readers.
Organisations are signing up and events have begun. Some are,
as you would expect: author visits, book clubs being established
and exhibitions of illustration from children’s picture books. But
there’s plenty more than that, fifty five pages so far. Examples that
caught my eye included a Reading Wall in the Wagga Wagga region
where readers can put up reviews of the books they’ve read and a
national short story competition aiming to put on line a short story
every day for the year: 366 day Short Story Challenge. At the Dickson
ACT library there is an attempt to knit the longest ever bookmark
and in the Goulburn valley there is a digital photo competition, the
subject, a reader caught reading.
Two of my favourites are the travelling jeans and SEEDS. Nine pairs
of jeans are travelling around the country to metropolitan and rural
libraries. At each library they are decorated and various events
are hosted before they are passed on to the next library. SEEDS:
Supporting Early Education and Developing with Stories is a project
in Ipswich where young parents fifteen to twenty five are working with
library staff on ways to use stories with their young children to empower
them as parents and to begin a family journey of reading.
The list is so vast and so varied that there will be something there that
challenges and attracts you.
I am a National Ambassador for this National Year of Reading. When
asked by the organisers, I had no hesitation in agreeing to the role.
On the website I wrote: I read in order to live.
Someone very famous said that and I agree with them.
Through reading I go anywhere and everywhere and
I experience every emotion. I would be lost without
reading and I aim, through writing to help a reader
have the same range of emotions and experiences
that I have had. A whole year devoted to highlighting
reading is wonderful. Get out there and read.
In looking at the list of events I am pleased
to note that in almost every case there
is an emphasis on the joy of reading, the
pleasure that reading can bring.
Too often now in schools the emphasis
is on literacy and measurement without
acknowledging that literature is at the
heart of learning how to become a fluent,
engaged reader. All readers, from those
at the beginning of discovering the power
of books and story, to those of us who
have known it for over fifty years, need
real quality books. There is no research
evidence to support a notion that children
need to learn to decode first outside of the
context of engaging, enjoyable story. All
credit to those in schools, in public libraries
and those parents who raise children with
the best of children’s literature from the
beginning.
So all credit to those who have worked
hard to make the National Year of
Reading a reality. They aim to redress
the situation that states that 46% of
the Australian population struggles
with literacy. Through the partnerships
established and others yet to come,
they aim to make us a nation of
readers. All credit to them. Get out
there and read!
National Year of Reading
http://love2read.org.au
Libby Gleeson
Libby Gleeson AM
Libby Gleeson is a former teacher of English and history and has now
published forty books. She has been shortlisted for the Children’s Book
Council awards fourteen times. Her most recent works are the picture books
I am Thomas, illustrated by Armin Greder
and Look a Book! illustrated by Freya
Blackwood. Look, a Book! is currently
shortlisted for the 2012 Picture Book of
the Year in the Children’s Book Council
of Australia awards.
In 2008 Libby published the novel
Mahtab’s Story, which tells of an Afghani
family escaping their homeland and
ending up in a detention centre in
Australia. In 2012 she published Red,
a story of a young girl surviving a
cyclone that wreaks havoc on the
East coast of NSW. The young girl
has no memory of her name, her family
or the circumstances she has survived.
The novel becomes a journey of
discovery.
Libby Gleeson
www.libbygleeson.com.au
P&C JOURNAL
27

The new site to raise funds for schools and charities.
The new site A total to raise Non-Profit funds for Organization!
schools and charities.
A total Non-Profit Organization!
The new site to raise funds for schools and charities.
A total Non-Profit Organization!
Raphael Kahn, one
of the site’s founders,
Raphael Kahn, one
Raphael explains
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how can we be sure it is credible?
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how can we be sure it is credible?
initiative of parents, helping to find
MeCareUCare is the result of an
a way to beat the current “donation
initiative of parents, helping to find
fatigue”. MeCareUCare is founded
a way to beat the current “donation
and run entirely by volunteers.
fatigue”. MeCareUCare is founded
and
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What’s the Buzz? –
Spelling!
The 2012 Premier’s Spelling Bee
We invite all P&C Presidents
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Who is behind MeCareUCare launched andon
19 June, this muchloved
event has grown from 800
how can we be sure it is credible?
participants in its inaugural year
MeCareUCare is the resultin 2004 of an to over 115,000 students
initiative of parents, helpinginto 2011. find This makes it the biggest
spelling bee event in the country –
a way to beat the current “donation that’s a buzz! The 2012 State Final is
fatigue”. MeCareUCare is founded held in November and is expected to
be even bigger than previous years.
and run entirely by volunteers.
Helping to launch the 2012 Bee will be
All admin and running costs are students to be with a real connection to the
self-funded through the monetary event.
contributions of sponsors. Corey Blyth, Gymea Bay Public
School placed 2nd and Aleisha
MeCareUCare is a trust and a
Kamsoo, from Mount Pritchard East
non-profit organization. All donation Public School, placed 3rd in the state
in the 2011 Junior competition. 2011
totals can be followed live online. At
Junior Champion Niamh Brazil Wilkins
least 95% of the money realized Public School will be testing her mettle
from the sale of your pre-loved to see items if she can stay on top in this
mini-Bee.
goes to your affiliated school and
As well as the enthusiastic Tyler Lynch
charity (5% is reserved for Tamworth bankSouth
Public School, a
charges and external accounting). regional finalist in 2011, who placed
28th in the state despite being a
Any funds of this 5% not utilized year younger than most of the other
will be returned as a donationcompetitors.
The Premier’s Spelling Bee is an
example of the NSW Government’s
pnc_advert8_pnc_advert_4 12/07/2012 15:26 Page 1
oney of their sold items is
tically 28 P&C donated JOURNAL
to their
P&C MeCareUCare assistmembers them in is thea embrace very start-up userprocess. friendly this new
site MeCareUCare and participating is a very isuser an enjoyable friendly
way of fundraising because it is so
and site and funparticipating learning experience is an enjoyable for
easy
students, and tofunjoin and learning and
a rewarding experience it takes minimal
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effort parents students, to get and andit the aall rewarding wider organized community. onefor for their
schools. Now, parents even Aandspecially the the parents widerwho designed community. are never starter
able Now, to even participate the parents inwho other areschool never
kit is made available for P&C's to
activities, able to participate have a chance in other to school engage
assist
and
activities, them
contribute
have in the
too.
a chance start-up to engage process.
MeCareUCare and contribute too. is a very user friendly
site and participating is an enjoyable
ADVERTORIAL
and fun learning experience for
commitment to ensuring all NSW
public school students have access
to opportunities that will help them
develop and improve their literacy.
The Premier’s Spelling Bee is one
of many events that showcase the
successes of Public Education
and the brilliance of our very
talented children.
Maruschka Loupis
Department of Education and
Communties
P&C JOURNAL 29

This is my story, a journey from ‘bad
mum days’ to being on top of my
mummy duties every day.
My name is Leigh Kostiainen, I’m a
work from home mum from Rouse Hill,
in the north west suburb of Sydney.
I have two boys, Nathan in year 5 and
Cameron in Kindy.
My journey began while making school
lunches one morning. My oldest son
came in to the kitchen and said “mum
don’t forget it is Harmony Day today”.
Now, I hadn’t actually forgotten the
event for a change, I knew they needed
to wear an orange shirt, but in this case
I started asking myself all those ‘silly
mum’ questions; do they need to wear
orange shorts as well, do they need a
gold coin donation etc … you know those
questions!
A Journey from ‘Bad Mum Days’ to
Techno Mum
I started asking myself all those ‘silly
mum’ questions
Looking furtively at the clock I had only 10
minutes to get us all out the door. There
was just no time to turn on my computer,
go to the schools website, find for the
newsletter and read the newsletter again
just to check. So I stuck a gold coin in
each of their pockets and said if you don’t
need it as a donation then it’s a bonus and
you can go to canteen. That was the best
I could manage that day.
Just a little background about me, I have
been creating websites and social media
pages for years so my technical skills
made this next part possible.
Straight after school drop off that day I
came home and started building a “secret
little mobile phone app” just for myself.
One that I could personally use to help
stay on top of all the details and have
more “good mum” days. The flow on
would mean my kids would have a better
start to their day, and of course that would
have to be better for their teachers too.
I put all the ‘things’ I needed into the
app. In particular I wanted to access
newsletters quickly even when I was
making lunches or sitting in bed at night
planning the next day ahead. I also
wanted to have access to an area that let
me know which notes were due or what
events were coming up that day or week.
But by far the best little ‘thing’ I put in the
app was as a result of being a new school
family this year. I didn’t know where any
of the sports carnivals were held and
Nathan had gotten into a PSSA team for
the first time so I also didn’t know where
the sports fields were that are used for
external sports. My first thought on game
day was to call the office and ask them,
but rather than waste their precious time I
decided to add the details of every venue
used by the school to a Google map.
This gives me one click directions from
wherever I was to the venue I needed. I
still love it.
For the next few weeks I had this really
cool little helper with me all the time on
my phone that was usually in my pocket.
One afternoon I happened to show the
app to my best friend. She normally rolls
her eyes at my numerous ideas, but this
time she looked at the app and said
“Can I have a copy of that”. Of course
I couldn’t because it wasn’t public and
it was actually my little secret up til then.
She was understanding of course and
went on to say “Well, let me know
when it is available”… at that moment
time stopped.
This was the point when
I realised I had made
something that all the other
parents in my school could
really benefit from.
Being new to the school I wasn’t sure who
to approach. The first thought to come
to mind was the P&C, given that they are
really the conduit between families and
the school. I found the P&C President and
nearly jumped on her with excitement. She
grabbed me by the arm and dragged me
away in excitement to show the IT teacher.
I subsequently got an early morning
message the next day from her to say she
had arranged a meeting with the Principal.
It turned out that she also loved what it
could do for the many communication
issues at school.
After a 100% consensus at the next P&C
meeting, I was officially underway building
my app for my school. This is where
my journey takes another turn. With the
power of Facebook, other mums started
saying they wanted to have this app. I
was even getting text messages from
other local schools. One savvy mum in
Canberra asked me to create a demo of
an app for her school, Macgregor Primary
School in the ACT. She presented the
app to her school’s Principal who also
loved it and presented it to her P&C who
were all in agreement. They are the first
school in Canberra to adopt this type of
technology to solve the growing problem
of communication in schools.
The main feedback people say is how
obvious it is that my apps are made with
a parent in mind. After all it was made for
me. But now I had a problem; I wanted
to make the app available to as many
parents as possible because I knew deep
down how much it can help even the
most organised parent. I just didn’t know
how to let all the other schools know
about it. Again, the first thought that came
to my mind was the P&C or rather the
Federation of P&C Associations of NSW.
So the next part of my journey
is about my trip to P&C
Federation.
I had the great pleasure of meeting the
Staff, all “P&C user friendly”, it was like
catching up with cousins I hadn’t seen
in months, and we shared mum war
stories and laughed a lot. I was nervous
but very excited at the prospect that P&C
Federation would like my app as much
as they did. Staff were as excited as
me to be seeing the demo I had made
for P&C Federation. I went through all
features of the app including the pop
up messages which are a great way
to share timely information or provide
important reminders of when forms or
events are due. To my absolute relief,
in deciding if the app was any good
it was stated that “There is nothing
in here that I don’t like”. From there I
was asked to make one straight away
for the members of the Federation
of P&C Associations of NSW which
will be proudly revealed at the Annual
conference in July.
“There is nothing in here that
I don’t like”
The next chapter in my journey is
to connect with school Principals
and P&C Executives whose
schools are feeling communication
pressures. Either due to financial and
environmental costs of printing paper
based newsletters, the rapid growth
of enrolments or the need to provide
information in the way your school
parents want to receive it.
I know a lot of schools have tried
to deliver information through their
website or even through social media
Educational
Assessment
Australia
Taking
practice to
a new level…
Never Stand Still
platforms like Facebook or Twitter with
varying degrees of success. My mobile
phone app doesn’t try to reinvent the
wheel it takes the information you have
already created and delivers it instantly
to your parents in a highly accessible
way. As mobile smartphones and
mobile devices are now in more than
50% of all Australian homes it is no
wonder that parents are now starting
to expect to communicate with
schools this way.
You are invited to request a free
demo app for your school to really
take the guess work out of what
your app might look like. As a special
thank you to Sharon Johnson and
the Federation of Parents and
Citizens Associations of NSW for their
encouragement and support, if you
request an app demo quoting coupon
code: FPCANSW, you will receive 60
Days free hosting on top of my 100%
money back guarantee.
Thank you for sharing my
journey.
Visit www.ActiveSchoolApps.com.au
or call Leigh in person 0417 230 682.
For the next few
weeks I had this
really cool little
helper with me
all the time on
my phone that
was usually in
my pocket.
The first in a unique new line of products, Practice Online Mathematics (Beta release) is an innovative series of maths tests from
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features 40 skills-based questions to be completed in an authentic examination time frame. After taking a test, students receive a
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• Offers ideal preparation for ICAS Mathematics and other maths skills-based assessments
• Allows students to revise and practice core maths skills at home or in an independent study environment
• Gives immediate results in a detailed individual report comparing the student’s performance with that of other students in their year level
• Results are broken down by skill area, providing insight into areas of strength and weakness
• Gives students the option of revisiting the test questions after getting their results; a valuable opportunity to review the test with a
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Through combining challenging, age-appropriate questions with meaningful feedback,
Practice Online Mathematics offers an effective tool to help students improve their maths
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To “click-start” your students’
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The perfect home study resource for students
Educational Assessment Australia
Tel: 61 2 8344 1000
Email: info@eaa.unsw.edu.au
Web: www.eaa.unsw.edu.au
30 P&C JOURNAL
P&C JOURNAL
ICAS2012_EducationToday_MathsOnline.indd 1 13/07/2012 9:29:01 AM
31

32
P&C JOURNAL
Olivia SpeakS Out
“We make soup and there are three things you’ve got to put in
a soup,” Olivia O’Donnell, 11, says as she explains one of the
games her class plays during group speech therapy sessions.
She then lists the ingredients in her soup – “carrots, broccoli
and some fruit”.
“You never would have gotten this conversation out of her prior to
having speech therapy at school,” Olivia’s mother, Leanne O’Donnell
says while laughing at the last item in her daughter’s soup.
Olivia, whose birth was fraught with many unexpected complications,
had a severe expressive and receptive language delay compared
with other children her age. She used very little spoken language and
struggled to express herself, which often left her feeling frustrated.
Lacking the ability and the confidence to speak out, she would never
talk to other children – until now.
“The other day I asked Olivia to find out where one of her friends from
school lived so that we could invite her over for a swim in our pool,”
Leanne says. Olivia asked her friend that very day then told her mum.
“This is not unusual for most kids, but for Olivia it was a really special
moment as she never used to ask questions – even with her friends,”
Leanne says. “I was extremely surprised and proud of her for making
the effort.”
Olivia attended private speech therapy sessions for a brief period
but Leanne, who has two other children and was also juggling work
commitments, found it difficult to keep up with the additional speech
therapy activities Olivia had to complete at home.
When she started at Miranda Public School, Olivia was assessed as
having moderate range of intellectual disability and placed in an IO
class. It was in this class that Olivia gained access to Educational
Speech Pathology & Therapy Services’ “speechie” program, which is
supported by Miranda Rotary Club since 2009.
“The school based program is a really different approach to
most speech pathology services,” Practice Manager, Sue
Wilks, says.
Educational Speech Pathology & Therapy Services offers a range
of Speech and Occupational Therapy programs in mainstream and
special Primary and Secondary School classes across NSW. Our
speech pathologists and occupational therapists, work within the
classroom and alongside teaching staff, ensuring that teachers
learn valuable skills resulting in quality
teaching practices as the teacher begins
to integrate activities which support
communication and motor development in
their classrooms.
“Through direct modelling of our program
and close collaboration with our Speech
Pathologists and Occupational Therapists,
the teachers are able to carry over the
activities with the children on the days
when our program is not running at the
school,” Sue explains. “There is a great
benefit for the children because they use
their skills in the classroom and with their
peers. This makes the learning so much
more functional for them and supports
both their academic and social skills.”
Felicity Ryan, a Speech Pathologist
delivering the speechie program at
the Miranda Public School says she
values the opportunity to work in IO
classes. “We’ve seen a huge progress
with the kids, just being able to have
more words, being able to make
sentences and just communicate with
each other,” Felicity says.
One of Olivia’s favourite speechie activities
is “News”, where students stand up in
front of the class and talk about what they
did on the weekend. When asked what
she would tell her class on Monday, Olivia
says, “I went swimming on the weekend,
Brittany came over on the weekend…”
Parents are invited to be part of the
speechie program and Felicity Ryan has
regular contact with Leanne. Leanne says
that the program has allowed Olivia to
grow in her language and learning skills
and her daughter’s speech has improved
dramatically – she can express her ideas
in quite long and complex sentences
and others can follow what she is saying
because her ideas are presented in a
good sequence. Olivia can also say so
much more because she has learnt so
many new words.
“They’re getting therapy a lot more with
the speechie program because the
teachers are learning it as well and they’re
providing it consistently throughout the
day even when the speech pathologist is
not at the school,” Leanne says, “and the
whole class gets the benefit.”
Leanne has seen this progress in Olivia
and was amazed as her daughter gained
confidence in speaking and started talking
to other children, including people she
didn’t know. “She’s more able to express
herself, her feelings and emotions, more
than she ever has before,” Leanne says.
This year, Olivia has moved from an IO
to an IM class. This means she has also
moved to a school that does not yet have
the speechie program in place. However,
having heard about the benefits of
Educational Speech Pathology, this
school is considering the speechie
program in its classes.
“This is a fabulous outcome for Olivia
and her new peer group, and it
emphasises the need effectiveness
of action-based learning and the benefits
of having classroom support from Speech
Pathologists and Occupational Therapists.”
After one term, Olivia has showed steady
signs of continued improvement in her
communication and social skills.
“She is loving the new school.”
Leanne says. “She’s making new
friends, meeting new teachers and
she can relate to everyone well. Also,
being in the IM bracket opens the
door to more opportunities for her
when she leaves school.”
“The future looks very bright
for Olivia now.”
For more information about
Educational Speech Pathology and
Therapy Services and how your
school can access our programs,
please contact Sue Wilks
(speechie@ezylink.net.au)
or visit our website (www.
educationalspeechpathology.com.au).
Interested
in
Speech
Pathology
or
Occupa;onal
Therapy
services
for
your
school?
Who
we
are
Educa&onal
Speech
Pathology
&
Therapy
Services
provides
the
highest
quality,
school‐
funded
speech
pathology
and
occupa7onal
therapy
interven7on
services
in
Preschool,
Primary
&
Secondary
mainstream
and
Special
Educa7on
se=ngs.
We
are
the
largest
school
based
private
prac7ce
supported
by
the
University
of
Sydney’s
clinical
educa7on
program.
What
we
do
Every
school
is
different.
We
take
the
7me
to
tailor
the
right
service
model
to
meet
the
needs
of
your
children.
Our
team
has
extensive
experience
working
in
the
child’s
context
of
learning
to
enhance
academic
skills,
build
self
esteem,
and
develop
social
skills.
We
also
support
teachers
with
prac7cal,
effec7ve
and
sustainable
strategies.
Want
to
know
more?
For
more
informa7on,
please
contact:
Sue
Wilks
(Radovich),
Prac7ce
Manager
Mobile
 0410
50
40
30
Email:
 speechie@ezylink.net.au
Website:
 www.educa7onalspeechpathology.com.au
P&C JOURNAL
33

NSW household throw out an estimate $694 million dollars
worth of leftover food every year. Most of that waste ends
up in landfill which is bad for our environment as well as the
household budget.
Organising lunch for the family can make big savings for the
household budget. One way to reduce food waste is by using
leftovers from the evening meal as lunch the following day.
Here are three meals designed to serve six and any leftovers
will be great to serve for lunch the next day. All these recipes
can be made in less than an hour.
Recipes that have been provided by Go for 2&5® © State of Western Australia, 2012.
For more recipes visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.nsw.gov.au/cook-it/recipes
Love Food Hate Waste has been developed by the NSW Government to raise awareness of the problem of food waste and
provide practical tips, tools and recipes to help you waste less food, save money and our environment.
Visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.nsw.gov.au for more information.
Love Food Hate Waste is an initiative of the NSW Government and is managed by the Office of Environment and Heritage.
34 P&C JOURNAL
25 minutes preparation +
30 minutes cooking
500g pumpkin or sweet potato,
peeled and sliced
2 bunches English spinach or young
silver beet, washed and sliced
500g reduced-fat ricotta
6 spring onions, sliced
½ cup chopped parsley
12 sheets instant lasagne,
softened in hot water
425g jar tomato pasta sauce
Topping:
2 eggs
2 tablespoons plain flour
2 cups low-fat milk
Pinch pepper and ground nutmeg
to taste
½ cup grated Parmesan
or Romano cheese
CAULIFLOWER &
BROCCOLI GRATIN
(serves four)
20 minutes preparation +
20-30 minutes cooking
7 serves of fruit in this recipe
4 pears peeled, cored and diced
2 cups rhubarb (4 stalks), diced
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
Crumble
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons margarine
1¼ cups untoasted muesli
½ cup plain flour
Preheat oven to 180 °C. Steam the
pumpkin for 3 minutes, then cool.
Plunge spinach into boiling water
until wilted and drain well to remove
excess liquid. In a large bowl combine
drained spinach ricotta, onion and
parsley. Arrange 3 sheets of lasagne
on the base of an ovenproof pan
(33cm x 23cm). Top with 1/3 each of
pumpkin, tomato sauce and spinach
ricotta mixture. Repeat twice and top
with remaining lasagne sheets.
To make topping, break eggs into
flour and mix well to remove lumps.
Whisk in milk, pour into a saucepan
and bring to the boil, whisking until
smooth and thickened. Add pepper,
pour over top of lasagne and sprinkle
with cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or
until golden brown.
Serving suggestion
Cut into squares and serve with
a green salad, or if you fancy
something warm try:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Place
pears, rhubarb, sugar and water
in a saucepan, cover and cook
for 8-10 minutes until softened.
Spoon fruit into an ovenproof dish.
Combine honey and margarine in
a small bowl and microwave on
HIGH (100%) for 20 seconds. In
a separate bowl, combine muesli
and flour. Stir in honey mixture,
mixing until the crumble resembles
coarse breadcrumbs. Spread over
fruit and bake for 20–30 minutes
until golden. Serve hot.
Variation
If you, or someone in your family
doesn’t like rhubarb (or pears) you
can substitute with another fruit.
10 minutes preparation +
20 minutes cooking
½ medium cauliflower,
cut into florets
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
2 tablespoons cornflour
2 cups low-fat milk
2 tablespoons (30g) grated
reduced-fat cheese
Pinch nutmeg
¼ cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons grated
Parmesan cheese
Vegie Lasagne
(serves six)
Steam vegetables for 6-8
minutes until tender and place
in an ovenproof dish. In a
saucepan, mix cornflour with
a little milk to form a paste, stir
in remaining milk and bring to
the boil, stirring until thickened.
Add cheese and nutmeg and
pour over vegetables. Top with
breadcrumbs and Parmesan
cheese. Grill for 3-4 minutes
until golden brown or bake in
a moderate oven for 15-20
minutes.
RHUBARB &
PEAR CRUMBLE
(serves six)
P&C JOURNAL
35

KidS could tEach uS
grown-upS a lot!
Top: Oliver Reucassel from Annandale
North Public School, winner of the
2011 Years 3&4 age division.
Bottom: Christos Tatsis from Earlwood
Public School, winner of the 2011 Years
5& 6 age division.
When it comes to issues of race and
tolerance, NSW primary school kids have a
lot to teach the grown-ups in their lives. At
least that’s the impression you get listening
to the speeches they write and present
each year in the Multicultural Perspectives
Public Speaking Competition.
The Multicultural Perspectives Public
Speaking Competition kicked off in 1
996 as New South Wales’ first state-
wide public speaking contest for
primary school kids. It was conceived
of by The Arts Unit and the Multicultural
Programs Unit (two divisions of the NSW
Department of Education & Communities)
as a forum for kids to develop both their
understanding of multiculturalism and
their public speaking skills.
continuously, with over 2,100 kids from
Years 3 to 6 officially entered in 2012.
That official number, however, significantly
understates the level of participation
across the state, since schools are limited
to entering their 4 best speakers, and hold
their own selection trials and contests to
determine their representatives.
This year, the lucky few who made the
cut at school level went on to deliver
their speeches at one of 82 local finals
held throughout June. Schools volunteered
to host the finals all across NSW, with
teachers in Lennox Head and Inverell in
the north, Broulee and Corowa in the
south, and everywhere else in between
giving up their time to help out. The 164
winners will now go on to regional finals
next term, and the 24 best will head
to Sydney in November for the nervewracking
state finals.
At each level of the competition the
contestants begin by presenting a
speech they’ve prepared on one of the
set topics for the year. The 2012
list includes topics like “Welcoming
Refugees”, “Every Family Has a Story”,
“Un-Australian”, and “Racism – It’s Just
Not Funny” (you can see the full list at
the website below). Students generally
spend weeks drafting and redrafting
their speeches with the help of teachers,
parents and classmates before delivering
them at the finals, which has seen the
standard of both the presentation and the
subject matter increase astronomically
since the competition began.
As to their views on race in Australia,
they’ve got an enormous amount to say.
From fiercely political speeches on asylum
seeker policy and the Australian flag to
very personal tales of family struggles
or school friendships, every aspect of
multiculturalism gets a going over. The
overwhelming message is that aside from
the delicious food different nationalities
bring to the table, it’s weird that grownups
notice race at all in their daily lives.
More than a few speakers take a moment
to wonder what happens to kids as they
grow older that would make them forget
how little they cared about skin colour and
religion in the playground.
The prepared speeches alone are an
amazing effort, but they’re only half the
story, because once they’re done with the
contestants are also asked to present an
impromptu speech. Leaving their parents
and classmates waiting in the audience,
they’re all sequestered before being given
just five minutes to write a short speech
on a random topic selected on the day
by the adjudicator. It’s a huge ask, but
even the state’s Year 3 speakers have
proven they’re up for the challenge. Last
year’s state finalists were given “The Good
Guys” and “Time Out” as topics for their
impromptu, and delivered some brilliant
speeches on themes as varied as worklife
balance, solving playground disputes,
dealing with disappointment and working
to save the environment.
The state finalists and the winners
obviously deserve our admiration, but
really it’s the thousands of kids who
get involved at all levels that make the
competition so important. At every
level they receive detailed feedback
from their adjudicators to help them
develop their writing and speaking
skills, and with each speech both they
and the adults in their lives cooperate
to understand how much tolerance
and diversity means to Australia.
There’s more information on the
Multicultural Perspectives Public Speaking
Competition and all of the other programs
run by The Arts Unit at www.artsunit.nsw.
edu.au. The public is also welcome to
attend the state finals of the competition
in November – they’re free, unticketed
events where the very best primary
schools speakers in NSW will be strutting
their stuff. You can email the organisers
from the website if you’d be interested in
attending.
Tony Davey
NSW Debating & Public Speaking
Budding performers from Muirfield High School in North
Rocks have done public education school proud by
placing third in the finals of the Theatresports Schools
Challenge Grand Final.
Team mates Ellen Houghton, Rhys Mackenzie, Christian
Maltby, Kali Merriman and Zack Nelson made it through several
rounds over several months, culminating in a battle of wits at
the Enmore Theatre on a winter’s Sunday in June. Just like the
‘real’ Theatresports, the Schools Challenge involves students
creating instant characters and scenes based on surprise offers
and audience suggestions – with no preparation time.
Over 100 NSW public school students will join 800 adult singers to
form this year’s ChorusOz, performing highlights from ‘Carmen’.
The choristers – who come from all over Sydney – have been learning
the music from Bizet’s famed opera for weeks, and will all converge on
the Sydney Opera House for a massed performance.
Artistic and Musical Director of Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Brett
Weymark, will lead two days of rehearsals at the Sydney Opera House,
culminating in an inspiring 90 minutes of dramatic music and song.
The collaboration between the NSW Department of Education and
Communities’ Arts Unit and Sydney Philharmonia Choirs is part
of the ‘Voices in Performance Secondary Choral Music Initiative’,
giving students an unparalleled opportunity to work with professional
soloists, a professional orchestra, and one of Australia’s leading choral
conductors, as well as the chance to sing in an opera in one of the
world’s leading opera houses.
The experience is one that is sure to leave a lasting
impression for the children. Break a leg!
WHEN
‘ACTING
UP’ PAYS
OFF
Muirfield team members say the key to their success was
the strong connections ex-students have with the school’s
community. Ex-students and Theatresports participants
returned to mentor and coach the current team.
Drama teacher Valerie Miller proudly presented the winners
with their medals at the whole school assembly. “I am blown
away by the creative spirit of these students,” she said, “Their
willingness to take risks and their innovative and divergent
views of the world are inspiring.”
Valerie Miller, Teacher
Muirfield High School
The Project - Carmen
Since then, the competition has grown
Liz Scott
36 P&C JOURNAL
The Arts Units
P&C JOURNAL 37

Trials for all...
As the Journal goes to print it is trials
time for our HSC students and only a
term till the HSC starts.
Is your child and your family ready for this?
Have they gotten the great study habits
embedded into their routine or are they
and you going to wing it?
Are they doing the twenty hours a week
of study that is recommended? Have
they cut down on their social lives and
work commitments? Have they got a
quiet and organised spot to study, are
they eating right? Have they applied for
early entry for Uni if that is what they plan
to do? Do they even know what it is they
want to do next year?
These are all things that are suggested
to help your child through the trying
time that is the HSC year. This is of course
also added to the teen angst of formals
and drivers licences, friends and their
many crises.
As a parent of one of these red laptop
cohort I have found some useful websites
including www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au
A quiet, organised
spot to study is very
important
and www.hsc.csu.edu.au which also has
a useful parent carer section. We were
disappointed that the Govt has closed
the HSC advice line which was staffed by
teachers as we thought that was a great
resource for our students.
If all these things are not in place is it
too late? Oh I hope not… Teen Queen is
coasting, is there anything more frustrating
for a parent? Knowing that your child isn’t
working to their best ability… to know that
they are mainly at school for their social
life. I should perhaps take the time here to
apologise to my mum formally and in print
as that is what I did too, and now I see
your frustrations.
Teen Queen has had a rough year at
school, it was very disrupted during first
term with issues resulting in her not being
in one of her classes for the whole term,
this then spilled over to her other subjects
and I’m still not sure that she has managed
to close the gap between her and the
other students in the class she missed for
so long, and as she is only doing ten units
they all count!
So to give her the best chance to have
the least amount of stress and therefore
less stress for everyone else let me tell you
what we have attempted to put into place
at home and at school to support her. It
might give you some ideas for you red
laptop child.
Sadly I can’t and don’t want to farm out
the three younger siblings, but we have
spoken to them all about noise in the
house and being patient with teen queen,
(and not using all the internet for watching
you tube star wars lego and mine craft
videos) not sure how much of that they will
take notice of but it’s a start.
We have a great relationship with her
teachers and the school which allows for
good open communication and the ability
to know that support is being provided
when and if needed. This is something
that I can’t stress highly enough to parents
as a great way of being able to support
your child. You know your child and are
there to be their support, and sometimes
you do need to be able to pick up the
phone or email the year advisor or the
wonderful Maths or English teacher
and just let them know what you know
about your child and how they might
need some extra support.
We have supported teen queen while
she attends her dance classes, she isn’t
competing this year. She also has cut back
on her job with less shifts during the week
and not as many late nights.
We have ensured that she gets as much
free time as possible and that we have food
that she likes and is healthy at home. With
four children sometimes the food they like
isn’t the same.
We hope that we have
managed all the big
issues for her and that
we make the next few
months as stress free
as possible.
Good luck to all of you
also on this journey. Look
forward to hearing what you
did and how your red laptop
child goes, and maybe some
helpful tips for the blue
laptop parents coming…
Rachael Sowden
The HSC is... of
course also added
to the teen angst
of formals and
drivers licences,
friends and their
many crises.
38 39
P&C JOURNAL P&C JOURNAL

Trials for all...
As the Journal goes to print it is trials
time for our HSC students and only a
term till the HSC starts.
Is your child and your family ready for this?
Have they gotten the great study habits
embedded into their routine or are they
and you going to wing it?
Are they doing the twenty hours a week
of study that is recommended? Have
they cut down on their social lives and
work commitments? Have they got a
quiet and organised spot to study, are
they eating right? Have they applied for
early entry for Uni if that is what they plan
to do? Do they even know what it is they
want to do next year?
These are all things that are suggested
to help your child through the trying
time that is the HSC year. This is of course
also added to the teen angst of formals
and drivers licences, friends and their
many crises.
As a parent of one of these red laptop
cohort I have found some useful websites
including www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au
A quiet, organised
spot to study is very
important
and www.hsc.csu.edu.au which also has
a useful parent carer section. We were
disappointed that the Govt has closed
the HSC advice line which was staffed by
teachers as we thought that was a great
resource for our students.
If all these things are not in place is it
too late? Oh I hope not… Teen Queen is
coasting, is there anything more frustrating
for a parent? Knowing that your child isn’t
working to their best ability… to know that
they are mainly at school for their social
life. I should perhaps take the time here to
apologise to my mum formally and in print
as that is what I did too, and now I see
your frustrations.
Teen Queen has had a rough year at
school, it was very disrupted during first
term with issues resulting in her not being
in one of her classes for the whole term,
this then spilled over to her other subjects
and I’m still not sure that she has managed
to close the gap between her and the
other students in the class she missed for
so long, and as she is only doing ten units
they all count!
So to give her the best chance to have
the least amount of stress and therefore
less stress for everyone else let me tell you
what we have attempted to put into place
at home and at school to support her. It
might give you some ideas for you red
laptop child.
Sadly I can’t and don’t want to farm out
the three younger siblings, but we have
spoken to them all about noise in the
house and being patient with teen queen,
(and not using all the internet for watching
you tube star wars lego and mine craft
videos) not sure how much of that they will
take notice of but it’s a start.
We have a great relationship with her
teachers and the school which allows for
good open communication and the ability
to know that support is being provided
when and if needed. This is something
that I can’t stress highly enough to parents
as a great way of being able to support
your child. You know your child and are
there to be their support, and sometimes
you do need to be able to pick up the
phone or email the year advisor or the
wonderful Maths or English teacher
and just let them know what you know
about your child and how they might
need some extra support.
We have supported teen queen while
she attends her dance classes, she isn’t
competing this year. She also has cut back
on her job with less shifts during the week
and not as many late nights.
We have ensured that she gets as much
free time as possible and that we have food
that she likes and is healthy at home. With
four children sometimes the food they like
isn’t the same.
We hope that we have
managed all the big
issues for her and that
we make the next few
months as stress free
as possible.
Good luck to all of you
also on this journey. Look
forward to hearing what you
did and how your red laptop
child goes, and maybe some
helpful tips for the blue
laptop parents coming…
Rachael Sowden
The HSC is... of
course also added
to the teen angst
of formals and
drivers licences,
friends and their
many crises.
38 39
P&C JOURNAL P&C JOURNAL