CMIS Evaluation

It’s PALS time once more

Registrations are now open for 2009 and close on Tuesday June 30. Grants of $750 are available for school to promote Reconciliation Projects.  Further information is available from the PALS website. Here teachers can gather project ideas for their school.

What is PALS?
PALS (Partnership, Acceptance, Learning, Sharing), a partnership between the Department of Indigenous Affairs and BHP Billiton, encourages young Western Australians to develop projects that promote and advance Reconciliation.

Using the PALS model, teachers and students turn the concept of Reconciliation into action by making new friends, building Partnerships in their community through Accepting differences, Learning about our own culture and the cultures of other people and Sharing this knowledge with our family, friends and the wider community.

International Children’s Book Day – April 2nd

The International Board on Books for Young People initiated Children’s International Book day in 1967 and chose the date of the birthday of Hans Christian Andersen – one of the world’s best loved classic children’s authors. Each year an international section is chosen to sponsor the event and for 2009 it is Egypt.

For information about the poster and this years’ message from Hani D. El-Masri, follow this link
EBBY(Egypt)

This year’s poster (above) is available from the section office.  email: s.magoud@gmail.com

Teachers can access the CMIS Resource Bank to discover books suitable for young students.

For a picture dictionary with a difference, check out NASA’s Picture Dictionary.  Featured are words associated with NASA’s program supported by photos or illustrations.  Clicking on the word or picture links to a page that defines the word and uses it in two sentences.  page also provides links to webpages that explain the concept in more detail and in terms a Middle Primary student could understand.  This would be a handy reference resource for Space or technology topics.

Image used with permission

Pete the Sheep is this year’s story.

It’s time now for your school to register this year’s storytime event.

Put the date in your diary – May 27th @ 11am. At the ALIA website you will find ideas for fun activities in the lead up to the day.

Written by popular childrens’ author,  Jackie French, Pete the sheep was first published in 2004. Bruce Whatley’s expressive illustrations give the book a larrikin flavour which appeals to younger readers.

The book tells the story of Sean the shearer who instead of a sheepdog to help him, he has a ’sheep sheep’ called Pete. After being rejected by the other shearers and their dogs, Sean and Pete set up a sheep salon in town and sheep from everywhere arrive to have their wool shorn in the latest style.

Teachers can utilise this book as part of a farming topic. The CMIS database has other books to add to the topic.

The book was a Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Picture Book in 2005.