The Winter Olympics are held in the ‘opposite’
four years to the Summer Games.
This year the Winter Games are being held in and around the city of Vancouver in Canada.
Information about when Australian athletes competing in the games can be found at theAustralian Olympic website.
Students may like to send an athlete a message via the Herogram facility.
TheBK Zoneis an activity centre for children with a great deal of information about the games. A special section looks at the individual venues. Students can also‘Chat to a Champ’.
A couple of other interesting websites include one of theGames Mascotsand another from theVancouver Sunnewspaper which has downloadable posters of the winter sports. A current list of Winter Sports can be found here.
To complement and support Focus 2010 which was sent to schools last September, the Director General, Sharyn O’Neill has recorded a podcast outlining the directions and priorities for 2010.
As you begin the new school year, you may like to play the podcast at a staff meeting or encourage individual staff to go online to view it. In this way everyone is fully aware of the commitments to the five key areas of literacy and numeracy; student behaviour and attendance; supporting teachers and school leaders; flexibility and diversity in schooling; and early childhood development and learning.
The following two weeks, December 7-11 and December 14-17, over fifty presentations will be posted online to the conference blog and conference Ning for participants to view, download, and discuss.
Live Events in the form of three “Fireside Chats” are scheduled on the conference events page.
Everyone is encouraged to participate in both live events during and after the conference as well as asynchronous conversations.
Right now the Webster World Online Encylopaedia is offering free subscriptions for a short time.
It is available to teachers and students.
On the subject of Encyclopaedias – we’ve updated the Encyclopaedias Page on the CMIS Web site - it’s in the Learning Areas section under Resourcing the Curriculum and can be accessed here.
Every child has the right to a life free from discrimination.
Directed by John Rocco.
Imagine Asia, Philippines.
In 1989, the Convention on the Rights of the Child became the first legally binding international convention to affirm human rights for all children. While great progress has been made on child rights in the past 20 years, much work remains to be done.
What is the CRC? – It is the first legally binding international instrument to incorporate the full range of human rights—including civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. The Convention has achieved near-universal acceptance, having now been ratified by 193 parties – more than belong to the United Nations or have acceded to the Geneva Conventions.
Do you know what the rights of the child are? – Check here
Voices of Youth is a website where young people can relate their stories. Registration is required to participate. This could be a useful activity for schools.
Congratulations to Borden PS for being recognised for their work in Reconciliation.
Having no indigenous students at the school did not stop the school undertaking an exciting project to investigate the town’s rich Nyoongar history.
Other Award winners which were announced at the Wardarnji Aboriginal Cultural Festival on November 14th can be accessed at this link
PALS is an initiative of the Department of Indigenous Affairs, in partnership with BHP Billiton, that encourages young Western Australians to develop projects that promote and advance reconciliation.
Congratulations to Philip Allen from Perth Modern School, Julie Boston from John Curtin College of the Arts, Fiona Farren from South Bunbury PS, Paul Fuller from Orange Grove PS and Lynda Smyth from Gooseberry Hill PS who received awards for being dedicated, innovative and inspiring teachers.
Check the CMIS Tech Focus blog for a short feature on Paul’s podcasts and his contributions to the professional development of teachers using technology in educational settings.
Image by Brooks Elliott used under CC Attribution Share Alike license
Activities are happening all over the city including Government House Gardens, FESA Museum and Stirling Gardens. The Local Studies Library situated in the Law Chambers in Hay St. will be open from 11 am – 3 pm to view a collection of photos and other displays on history of Perth. They also have children’s activities and a prize quiz that will take you on a journey round the city.
A full list of Activities can be downloaded here.
Teachers can incorporate the CMIS Theme page on Western Australia in studies about Perth’s History
Remembrance Day – also known as Poppy Day, Armistice Day (the event it commemorates) or Veterans Day – is a day to commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and of civilians in times of war, specifically since the First World War. It is observed on 11 November to recall the end of World War I on that date in 1918. The day was specifically dedicated by King George V, on 7 November 1919, to the observance of members of the armed forces who were killed during war.
History and SOSE teachers are advised that Remembrance Day ceremony outline and historical background can be found online at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Remembrance Day Page.
Picture books to support units of work on Remembrance Day include Memorial by Gary Crew and Shaun Tan and In Flanders Fields by Norman Jorgensen & Brian Harrison-Lever.
Completing a CMIS Topic Search of the CMIS Resource Bank using the keyword ‘war’ will give a listing of almost 300 resources that could be used in a unit of work about war. Remember – your search can be narrowed by Phase of Development, Learning Area and Outcomes.
If you have any great resources to support this topic let us know. Be the first! Click on the ‘No comments’ link below this post. Once your comment has been accepted the link will change to show the number of comments received
The CMIS Evaluation Blog is published by Curriculum Materials Information Services (CMIS), Department of Education and Training, Western Australia. It is designed to provide news about current events, resources and research to assist staff in schools to become aware of the most up-to-date, relevant resources for learning and teaching. The CMIS Evaluation Blog is supported by 3 specialist blogs: Fiction Focus, Primary Focus and Technology Focus.