Connecting with Cambodia

By MsAlgar.

 I have been fortunate to be invited to spend January in Cambodia to participate in the Angkor Project and teach in schools.
Whilst Glengarry does not have a sister school there, I will be finding out about how it all works.
If you have any pens or pencils which you want to go to a good home, I will take them with me.  I can’t carry paper as it’s too heavy but even team hats, erasers sharpeners are all appreciated.
Read below to find out more.

 

The Angkor Project

The Angkor Project overview

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
Nelson Mandela

Children helping to rebuild the schools of Cambodia through sister school relationships

To best prepare our students to be part of a shared future of regional stability, prosperity and peace, they need to engage with studies of Asia and Asian languages to build Asia literacy across our school communities. Such views are supported by Australian politicians, business leaders and educators, and are reflected in the Australian Curriculum general capabilities, the cross curriculum priority of Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia, and in the Australia in the Asian Century White Paper.

The White Paper includes strategies for Building Asia Literacy through Schools to ensure that:

  • “Every student will have significant exposure to studies of Asia across the curriculum to increase their cultural knowledge and skills and enable them to be active in the region; and
  • “All schools will engage with at least one school in Asia to support the teaching of a priority Asian language, including through increased use of the National Broadband Network.” (Executive Summary, p16).

These significant national documents reiterate the need to develop people to people links across the Asian region to build Asia relevant capabilities.

Aims of the Angkor Project

  1. Promote cooperation in education between the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (Cambodia) and the Department of Education (Western Australia);
  2. Build mutual capacity in the Cambodian and Western Australian educations systems; and
  3. Establish cultural awareness between Western Australia and Cambodia.

These aims will be met through sister school relationships and the provision of professional learning programs to Cambodian educators. Children, teachers and school administrators will all benefit as a result of participation.

The Angkor Project in a regional context

  • There has been an increase of 2 billion people since 1950 and much of this growth has been in the Asia region;
  • 61 million children around the world did not get the chance to go to school today.
  • 134 million children between the ages of 7 to 18 have never been to school.
  • 26 million of these children live in the Asia-Pacific region.
  • Currently two thirds of the world’s poor live in Asia;
  • Economic progress has assisted large portions of the population within the Asia region to rise out of poverty;
  • However, Southeast Asia’s poorest people lack access to essential services, safe drinking water, adequate sanitation and face rising rates of tuberculosis and HIV AIDS; and
  • Living conditions of large sections of the populations of poor people in Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos) and the Philippines, in particular, still lag far behind those in neighbouring countries.

Here is the challenge; to break the cycle of poverty through education in Cambodia.

At the heart of the Angkor Project are 22 sister-school relationships, linking Western Australian students with schools in the Kampong Speu Province, 50km from the capital Phnom Penh.

Schools in Kampong Speu Province lack basic amenities such as drinking water, adequate sanitation, electricity and classrooms, problems which are compounded by a lack of trained teachers and administrators. School classes, on average, comprise 50 students and there are few teaching resources.

Central to the aims of the Angkor Project therefore, is fundraising, instigated and organised by our students to support the rebuilding of schools in Cambodia. All funds raised by WA students are transferred to the District Office in Kampong Speu for further distribution to sister schools. This process is monitored through an annual study tour, available to all WA public school educators, which includes visiting and teaching in sister schools and an option to contribute to professional learning for Cambodian principals and teachers.

There are myriad benefits provided by the Angkor Project; it gives our students and schools a global perspective, promotes active citizenship and develops Asia literacy across school communities. Significantly, it improves the learning environment for Cambodian students in a very practical sense and develops strong, sustainable and mutually beneficial intercultural relationships within our region.

for girls who want to play in an Australian Football League team

By MsAlgar.

Good morning to all of you and I hope the school year has been kind to you and your students.  I am sending this email on behalf of the Sorrento Duncraig Junior Football Club.  As many people will be aware the AFL Womens League commences in 2017 and both the Australian Football League and the West Australian Football Commission have received increased interest in the game from interested females.

The Northern Junior Football Conference (of which Sorrento Duncraig are a part of) is running a girls only competition next season for girls aged between 10 and 12 years of age and we are canvassing the local area to recruit girls interested in playing.  Our club has many junior teams made up of boys and girls but next season we are hoping to put together at least 1 girls only team in this age group and therefore I am sending this email.

I am asking for the school to pass on the information to school students and families.  Should any interested families seek any further information please ask them to contact me on

andie.fagan@outlook.com or

0409200278

Thank you

Well done lunch providers!

By MsAlgar.

no-junk lunches

Recent reports on more Australians being overweight do not apply to the children at Glengarry!  One only has to take a look around at our students.  As we feed children they grow into healthy adults with healthy habits.

Lunch boxes filled with fresh, unprocessed fruit and vegetables, whole-grain cereal breads & ‘no added sugar’ snacks are a major factor.

The other main factor in  fitness, is that Glengarry children run around a lot in their breaks, clearly enjoying the exercise and taking advantage of our spacious grounds.

This information is from the Australian Government…Excess weight, especially obesity, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, some musculoskeletal conditions and some cancers. As the level of excess weight increases, so does the risk of developing these conditions. In addition, being overweight can hamper the ability to control or manage chronic disorders. Rates of overweight and obesity are continuing to rise in Australia. Collecting information on these trends is important for managing the associated health problems.

All things considered, parents and guardians at Glengarry should be proud and take a bow.

 

Black Cockatoo fundraiser

By MsAlgar.

 

Many thanks to all who tossed in a few coins for the Black Cockatoo fundraiser.  We raised about $117.  There is a jar on the reception desk, in the office.  Please send more coins if you can.  I will send off a cheque early next week.

When I attend the 2016 Friends of Underwood Avenue Bushland Annual General Meeting on Saturday I will let them know how much we have raised for Kaarakin.

Afterwards is a talk by Dr Anna le Souef entitled

‘The Secret Life of Cockatoos: The latest research in the race to save the Carnaby’s cockatoo’.

I will feed back to you what I learn about how the fight to save the black cockatoos is going. Meanwhile, here’s a bit more information…

Black Cockatoos

There are three species of black cockatoo in Western Australia, all of them under threat of extinction!

Carnaby’s Cockatoo

With its famous white tail and ‘wee-loo’ call, most people in Perth recognise this iconic species. They migrate back and forth from the Swan Coastal Plain where they feed during the summer, to the Wheatbelt where they breed in tree hollows during the winter. The only problem is, 90% of what is now the Wheatbelt used to be bushland, and this cockatoo is running out of places to breed and feed.

Learn More

Swimming Carnivals 2017

By MsAlgar.

I’m coordinating the Year 4,5,6 House (Friday 10 March) and Inter-school (Friday 31 March) swimming carnivals next year.  It is our turn to host the inter-school event and this entails setting up and packing down as for the House Carnival.

I’m looking to form a small committee to help with the carnivals.

My experience in organizing carnivals includes taking on the role of Life Guard.  I however will not update my Bronze Medallion next year so need to source someone to be Life Guard at the House Carnival.  (I have someone for the Inter-school Carnival).  The lifeguard is on call to administer CPR and oversee first aid.  We need a Pool Supervisor to be on duty – someone who can quickly rescue a struggling child.

There will be a few after-school swimming sessions.  I have a good understanding of teaching strokes as I have also taught swimming in Vacation classes, however there isn’t much time for coaching after school. The purpose is more to help children know that they have been placed in the correct division and to ensure they feel comfortable to compete, particularly Year 4s.

I will come along  to open the gate and observe swimmers, however the sessions must be run by parents.  This entails someone taking a roll, collecting money and ensuring that all children have an adult responsible for them at the pool.  We may time swimmers and / or allow children to race to go into a higher division.

If you are interested, please get back to me.  pam.algar@education.wa.edu.au