Award

Life is full of (nice) surprises. Only yesterday we found out that our Slovenian primary English course Magic Adventure, which is currently being turned into a Turkish edition, was given an award in 2011! How good is that! (Hmm, the publisher was very apologetic for not letting us know.) From the jury's report:

The package is comprehensive (students’ book, teachers’ guide, CD, DVD, flashcards and story cards) and very learner-centered with a clear set of aims, objectives and learning goals. There is a great variety of activities, all of them age-appropriate, and skills other than purely linguistic ones are developed (colour recognition, counting, fine-motor skills). Cross-referencing between the various components make it easy for the reader to navigate through the material. Useful extension materials for differentiation are provided. The integration of singing activities into the language learning process is a very positive element. The learner can follow his own progress via the self assessment sheets included in the teachers’ guide. The teachers’ guide is outstandingly useful as it contains not only suggestions for each lesson but also clearly explains the pedagogical concepts. The jury particularly liked the introductory chapter which explains the characteristics of the target group and their different learning styles.

Flag

STUDENTS from Alstonville High School yesterday made a public show of support for the celebration of indigenous history, culture and achievements as 850 students formed a human Aboriginal flag on the school grounds.As part of 2013 NAIDOC Week celebrations, the students, along with teachers, parents and other community members, took the chance to dress in red, black and yellow and together form the shape on the oval.

Students from Alstonville High School form an aboriginal flag as a part of NAIDOC week. Photo Patrick Gorbunovs / The Northern Star Patrick Gorbunovs

Rachel Varela was one of the teachers behind the event. She was so pleased with how it turned out and how obliging and respectful the students were.

Principal David Silcock spoke to the students about how, in order to nurture a love of learning, one must first open their mind to learning about other cultures and appreciating other perspectives.

"To have a love of learning, you must first prepare to challenge your own perspectives sometimes," he said.

Alstonville High School captain and Aboriginal student, Connor Floyd, 18, said the public show of support from the school and students was great to see.

He said as he was in Year 7 when then prime minister Kevin Rudd made his apology to indigenous Australia. He's grown up watching as support and action has developed and increased - an excellent thing to see, he said.

"(Forming the flag today) is a great sign of support - it's every student in the school saying they recognise indigenous culture, that they recognize NAIDOC," Connor said.

Gold Coast Titans NRL players Matt Beddow and Caleb Binge visited for the celebrations, taking students through a football clinic and said they were happy to see the kids embracing the event.

Cold...

It's cold, says my love.
Which is why I curl up, says Shadow.
And I sleep upside down, says Raffi.
And why I lit the fire around six..., says Hans.