August 27, 2008
It’s not too late to register your school for National Reading Day on September 3rd. This is just one of the Literacy & Numeracy Week activities. National Literacy & Numeracy Week runs from 1 -7 Sept and information and suitable activities can be accessed from the official website.
Reach for the Stars covers the numeracy angle for the week. ‘Reach for the Stars’ activities allow students to practice ‘real-life’ mathematics. Both the Reading and Mathematics websites have lots of practical ideas for classroom activities across all phases of development.
Along with the government initiated week of activities, teachers and students can also be involved with Indigenous Literacy Day which also takes place on 3rd Sept . Information about school registration, participation and activities can be found on the website. On ILD, part of the Indigenous Literacy Project all Australians are invited to join together to raise funds to address literacy needs in remote Indigenous communities.
As part of the ILD in WA there is a morning of storytelling to be held at the State Library of Western Australia at 10.30 am on Wednesday Sep 3rd. Participants include author Sally Morgan and former Fremantle Football Club player Troy Cook.
The CMIS Evaluation Aboriginal Literacy Strategy page gives more ideas on books to use in the classroom.
All of these events are precursors to the United Nations International Literacy Day on September 8th. This year marks the middle of the UN Literacy Decade which aims to extend the use of literacy to those who do not currently have access to it. Universal Eucation and literacy is a key aspect of the millenium Development Goals.
Staff members can become involved in a “Staff Reading” - Perhaps a whole school assembly with different people reading a favourite book or using the school PA system.
No Comments » | 
books, celebrations, curriculum resources, reconciliation | Tagged: literacy, special days, United_Nations | 
Permalink
Posted by cainr
June 30, 2008
NAIDOC WEEK, celebrated in the first full week in July each year, has become an important conduit in moving towards spanning the cultural differences between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. The current celebrations have grown from mainly unsupported activism during the early 20th Century, through the 1938 Day of Mourning, National Aborigines Day to the present NAIDOC WEEK observance.
The NAIDOC Perth Logo 2008 was designed by Mt Lawley SHS student Helena Chestnut.
What’s on in WA for NAIDOC WEEK? Check out the activities at the PROGRAM of EVENTS on the Perth NAIDOC WEEK website.
The theme for 2008 is “Advance Australia Fair?” and the focus city is Canberra, where the National NAIDOC Awards will be announced at a ceremony on Saturday 12 July. Awards are given in various categories including Sport, Scholarship, Art, Youth and Lifetime Achievement. Previous winners include Ernie Dingo, Mark Bin Baker, Kyle Vander Kuyp and Anthony Mundine.
The NAIDOC WEEK website gives students and teachers a good background to the week, ideas on how to celebrate the week plus some fun activities to complete. Studies incorporating NAIDOC WEEK,
utilise outcomes of Culture and Active Citizenship in the Society and Environment Curriculum and values of Respect and Cultural Understanding can also be applied.
NAIDOC Perth Logo - used with permission.
No Comments » | celebrations, curriculum resources, reconciliation | Tagged: Aboriginal peoples, Australian Identity, NAIDOC Week | Permalink
Posted by cainr
May 1, 2008
Does your school have PALS?
PALS, which stands for Partnership, Acceptance, Learning and Sharing, is a reconciliation initiative run by the Department of Indigenous Affairs (DIA) in partnership with the major sponsor, BHP Billiton.
Is your school interested in advancing the reconciliation cause? Then entering the 2008 PALS Schools Reconciliation Awards could be just what you’re looking for. Schools entering for the awards receive a grant of $750 to fund their project.
School projects can be entered in any of the following categories:
-
Community Development
-
Education
-
Environment
-
Arts & Culture
-
Health
-
Sustainable Partnerships
The awards are presented annually at the Wardarnji Aboriginal Cultural Celebration. Wardarnji is held on the second last Saturday of November on the Fremantle Esplanade.
For more information about the PALS School Awards visit the PALS website
No Comments » | competitions, curriculum resources, leadership, reconciliation | Tagged: , Aboriginal people, environment, reconciliation | Permalink
Posted by cainr
February 14, 2008
 |
Sharon O’Neill, Director General of Education, is encouraging staff to acknowledge the Australian Government’s formal apology to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians who were forcibly removed from their families and communities as children. |
CMIS has a large range of resources recommended for teachers and students in public schools.
Key websites from our Resource Bank include:
Aboriginal Culture
Imaginative stories and personal narratives can be an excellent way of conveying the emotional reality of events and supplementing information titles.
Resources for Primary students
Resources for Secondary students
These are just a few of the resources that may already be in your school library.
1 Comment | reconciliation | Permalink
Posted by mjmidolo
