Principals flourish with program

Who would be a school principal? Over worked, under pressure, time poor… being a principal is tough, that’s a given, but pinning down exactly how to make the job easier is harder still.

For Bob Willetts who heads up Berry Public School in NSW, the issue came to a head when he attended a network meeting and was told that there was a raft of new compliance requirements he was required to meet; more work, no extra time, more stress. Read more

The best predictor of student success is…

The best way to predict a student’s success in later life isn’t their exam results or their NAPLAN score, it’s their attitude and their grasp of the basics like reading and writing according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

Of course, one feeds into the other, better attitude, better results, better achievement later on, but having a foundation of a favourable disposition towards school and study sets you on a path to success. Results are a factor of that and not the other way around. Read more

Sydney school spearheads sports head injury care

Head trauma incurred during sport is serious, what’s more is the damage is cumulative, beginning on the school sports field, and often it isn’t until later life that the full effects come to light.

Schools are starting to tackle the problem with technology; designed in New Zealand, CSx Headguard is an automated system which manages concussion in athletes and is currently being used by the AFL, NRL, and World Rugby. Read more

Facebook flipping – how, why, tips

When people think about teenagers and their use of Facebook, or any form of social media for that matter, many negative thoughts often come to mind. ‘Facebook’ and ‘education’ are two words that are seldom seen next to each other or considered to be similar enough to be spoken in the same sentence.

The reality is that social media and in particular Facebook, is a fabulous tool which can be used to enhance education in a huge number of ways. I use Facebook on a daily basis to help me ‘flip’ my classes and achieve a number of other things. Read more

Studies say increased funding benefits disadvantaged students

Riddle me this: at a time when governments both state and federal have a preoccupation with education and an era where the testing of student performance has never been more thorough why are NAPLAN scores going nowhere?

According to a recent paper from Save our Schools the problem lies not in the funding but where it is going. Read more

$5.7m upgrade underway at Warragul Regional College

Students across the Warragul region will soon be enjoying new facilities with a major upgrade at the Warragul Regional College.

Warragul Regional College’s $5.8 million upgrade will help it deliver a 21st century education for its approximately 800 students at Warragul’s historic “School on the Hill”. Read more

New upgrades for historic school in Port Melbourne

Work is set to begin on a new $5.4 million upgrade of Port Melbourne Primary School.

The upgrade includes a new multi-purpose gymnasium, with indoor basketball and netball courts, change rooms, toilets and canteen and an arts and music building offering a diverse range of arts and inclusive programs at the school. The local community will have access to the facilities. Read more