The Garden Flourishes

The seedlings in the vegie garden are coming on apace- if they continue to grow at their current speed we’ll be testing them for growth hormones! Maybe that’s why a magpie was observed by Mary-Anne chomping away at the leaves. Reports of this evil deed brought a flurry of activity in Branka’s class who, with Stan’s assistance, constructed a magnificent scarecrow.. Lots of language “Shooo bad bird!” and suchlike. Thanks to Sonia for the photos, which will soon be on the student blog, as Alison has undertaken the task of keeping it up to date as a professional duty.

Large Provider of the Year

Many staff attended the MD’s lunch on Wednesday to celebrate the College’s success in winning the Large Training Provider of the Year Award. It is a significant achievement and marks the culmination of three years’ continuous effort to improve West Coast’s performance. Six months ago the College employed a professional marketing company for the first time to mount an advertising campaign and the impressive results will soon be seen in the press. (see accompanying photo).

Class photos will start next week.

I spoke to Anna this week and she hopes to be well enough to visit us in the next few weeks. However she is still experiencing a lot of pain and the medication makes her very sleepy. She hopes to see the pain specialist soon..

The Good Old Days

The 30th anniversary of Elvis’s death was marked by Mary-Anne’s CD of Blue Hawaii playing on the verandah as teachers (followed by students) displayed their skills with the hula-hoop. Video clips will appear on youtube soon.

A Slight Problem!!

Last Friday we had some very bad luck when a plumber who had come to unblock the staffroom sink traced the problem to a soakwell outside. Guess where the soakwell was?! Many thanks to Simon for removing the seedlings from the affected area (4 square metres) and replanting them the same day. They seem to be recovering well!

Shahin is making a late run in the footy tipping, having won the last two rounds! Her method is to choose all the home teams but last round she really took the initiative and selected an away team, Geelong (because she had been there and thought it was a pretty place!). Result: 7 out of 8. With two rounds to go, Mary A is still in the overall lead by one point from Branka.

The photographer organised by West Coast was very happy with the shots of Balga students working in the vegie garden, playing boules on the lawn and showing off their art work on the classroom walls.

Several teachers are wanting to assist students obtain glasses. The community nurse recommends an optometrist in Ballajura- he’s the cheapest she has found:

Barry Tucker, Ballajura Optometrists 110 Illawara Cresc, Ballajura
93443491 Open Saturday morning. Basic reading glasses $83
Take a friend/ relative who speaks good English. Need to make appointment. Healthcare card AND Medicare card required.

AMES Balga is now on youtube! Go to www.youtube .com and put AMES Balga in the search box. There are four short clips of the drumming workshop held in Herb Graham. They’re very amateurish – it was a first attempt. For those of you who missed the amazing wildlife clip of lions, buffalo and crocodiles on youtube, put “Kruger” into the search box.

Footy Tipping. The business end of the season is approaching and the overall situation is very tense. Branka and Mary Aitken are neck and neck on 97 points with Andrew on 96. This week’s winner is Shahin who spent many hours studying the form guide, finding out the injury situation and so on before choosing the home teams! All the “experts” were left in her wake. As one sporting pursuit draws to a close, so another takes hold- several teachers have returned to their youth and taken hula hoops out of their lofts. It will be interesting to watch their demonstration under the gum trees- no comments about hips and balancing will be permitted.

Next Wednesday we have a photographer organised by the College visiting us at coffee break. We hope the weather will be fine so that they can get some shots of the gardeners in action.

PD in October

PD is finalising the program for the staff development sessions on October 9th, 10th and 11th but before we do so, is there anything in particular that anyone would like to suggest having a session on?

 

Feel free to pass on ideas about any sort of training or development you would like to be doing,  but please get back to us (Philip 9229 3609 or Sue 9229 3623) by the end of next week (17th August).

 

Thanks

 

The Fencers Prepare!

Ready to Plant

Anna's Class

Branka's Classes

Veronica and Students

Stan and Assistants!

Student Writing. Click to Enlarge

Latest News

The vegie garden is really taking shape, with planting almost complete. The students in the Pre CSWE classes are very enthusiastic (and in some cases knowledgeable!) and we look forward to seeing the plants develop. My office resembles a mini- Bunnings at present so we will have to look at th storage of equipment and gardening paraphernalia.

In the week beginning 28 August a professional photographer will be taking photos throughout the College. He/ She will be visiting Balga – details to follow.

David Ryan has asked managers to pass on his congratulations to all staff : AMES West Coast exceeded all expectations in the financial year 2006/ 2007. For example the number of students overall rose to 2151 (from 1867 in the previous year). The surplus for the year came in at about $ 450,000.

The new Citizenship legislation will (if passed) mean that anyone arriving in Australia after July 1^st 2007 will have to wait four years before applying for citizenship. Test centres for the computer test are supposed to be ready for September.

Elyse has asked teachers if they could donate any old, unwanted cassette recorders to students who do not have a machine at home. It doesn’t matter how old it is- it will allow students to take packages out from the ILC and listen to the cassettes.

Mary-Anne has been diagnosed with shingles and is experiencing a lot of pain – unfortunately she did not get to the doctor in time for medication to be administered. Sonia should be back in the nest day or so after spraining her ankle and damaging a shoulder in a fall on Monday.

Term 3 Begins

Thanks to Sonia for nominating Carole Mendelson and Ann Dunstan for Adult Learners' Week Awards. It’s a very time-consuming task but will be much appreciated by these valuable conversation volunteers.

Alison went to see Anna on Thursday and found her in good spirits – they had a long chat. She started her last chemo treatment yesterday and then she will have a break. Earlier this month she resigned from West Coast and is now able to access her entitlements.

Some of Veronica’s students wore their national dress to class last week- photos will be on student blog soon.

The vegie garden planting will be underway next week and teachers are stocking up on seedlings and other necessities. We are all grateful that the sweet smell of sheep manure has been countered by heavy rain and the centre no longer reminds those of us from farming backgrounds of their rural childhood! Simon and I are organising a chicken wire fence, as the gardener has seen marauding rabbits in the area.