celebrating literacy and numeracy
National Literacy and Numeracy Week
in New South Wales 1-7 September 2008
Literacy and Numeracy Week Awards
NSW National Literacy and Numeracy Week Award Winners 2006
NSW National Literacy and Numeracy Week Awards Ceremony 2006
Deputy Director-General, Trevor Fletcher
delivered a dynamic keynote address to the excited audience about the achievements in literacy or numeracy of schools from the three education sectors.
Mr Fletcher recognised the Australian Government's role in funding the awards and its role in encouraging all states and territories in their promotion of literacy and numeracy in their schools.
He commented on the vast array of professional learning opportunities that teachers have taken up, especially over the past two years, to enhance their knowledge of teaching and learning along with their subject content and knowledge of their students.
Mr Fletcher went on to state that through learning together, dioceses and schools have retained their commitment to the National Literacy and Numeracy Plan and specifically to the agreed national goal for literacy and numeracy. The new State Numeracy Plan 2006-2008 and the State Literacy Plan 2006-2008 for government schools provide clear strategies for action in regions and schools.
National Literacy and Numeracy Week provides a wonderful opportunity for school communities to focus on the literacy and numeracy achievements of their schools and demonstrate their commitment to quality literacy and numeracy development for all students.
Later, the following schools were presented with their Highly Commended awards (worth $5,000):
- Airds High School
- Callaghan College, Waratah Technology Campus
- Great Lakes College, Forster Campus
- Kyogle High School
- Our Lady Help of Christians
- Punchbowl Boys High School
- St Patrick's Parish Primary School
- Tea Gardens Public School
- The Alice Betteridge School
- Thomas Pattison School
- Tregeagle Public School
- Westport Public School
Trevor Fletcher presents
Principal Kevin Devine and students
from Our Lady Help of Christians with their award
Representatives from The Alice Betteridge School (part of the Royal Institutefor Deaf and Blind Children) receive their award
Principal Mark Youngblutt and students
from Westport Public School are recognised
for the school's strong program in numeracy,
especially in supporting Aboriginal students
The 2006 National Awards Ceremony for National Literacy and Numeracy Week
On Friday 25 August at the Maritime Museum, the Hon Julie Bishop MP was introduced to the audience by Deborah Knight from Network Ten. Ms Bishop pointed out to the audience that since 1996, the Department of Education, Science and Training has set tenants for literacy and numeracy development at a national level for all students to make improvements at school. She recognised that there is still room for improvement for us all.
But the critical issue is to give the teaching of literacy and numeracy the highest priority to increase the proportion of young people achieving their skills, especially in their struggle to read. The National Inquiry (Teaching Reading) was an attempt to address this issue.
Julie Bishop mentioned that $1m is given to States and Territories (which is then matched dollar for dollar by the States and Territories) for the development of literacy and numeracy, especially in terms of Braille, digital, middle years, adult and non-English speaking background literacy and numeracy.
Ms Bishop presented awards to five individuals for their outstanding contributions to the development of literacy and/or numeracy.
Then she presented cheques for $10,000 to the various Excellence Award-winning schools across the States and Territories. Each State and Territory is entitled to one Excellence Award for a government school. Then there are four Excellence Awards offered nationally to non-government schools.
In NSW, there were three recipients of Excellence Awards:
- Al Noori Muslim Primary School
- Good Shepherd Primary School, Hoxton Park
- Terranora Public School
These schools clearly demonstrated innovation in their initiatives and strong value-added data to students' development in literacy or numeracy.
Al Noori Muslim Primary School
Good Shepherd Primary School
Terranora Public School
Barbara Chapman from the Commonwealth Bank Foundation spoke charmingly to us about how her institution views education and financial literacy as key focuses in young Australians. Financial literacy, as we all know, is a vital life skill used daily. The Foundation distributes $350,000 cash grants annually. In 2006 there were 70 recipients of grants from 800 applications with ideas such as a school restaurant, movie-making, interactive storybooks and mentoring others through an elearning program, and the digital oral recoding of veterans.
It is amazing that over $1.7m has been donated by the Foundation since the inception of their program. An example of one idea in a NSW school is from Corpus Christi at St Ives who will digitally record a behind-the-scenes journal of the school musical. They will capture a timeline of the production process through to rehearsal and final performance of the musical.
National Literacy and Numeracy Week has six sponsors in 2006: Australia Post, Commonwealth Bank Foundation, Franklins Electronics, Lovatts Crosswords and Puzzles, Network Ten, Scholastic Australia.
2006 Regional Activities
July 2006
Barbara Chapman from the Commonwealth Bank Foundation spoke charmingly to us about how her institution views education and financial literacy as key focuses in young Australians. Financial literacy, as we all know, is a vital life skill used daily. The Foundation distributes $350,000 cash grants annually. In 2006 there were 70 recipients of grants from 800 applications with ideas such as a school restaurant, movie-making, interactive storybooks and mentoring others through an elearning program, and the digital oral recoding of veterans.
It is amazing that over $1.7m has been donated by the Foundation since the inception of their program. An example of one idea in a NSW school is from Corpus Christi at St Ives who will digitally record a behind-the-scenes journal of the school musical. They will capture a timeline of the production process through to rehearsal and final performance of the musical.
National Literacy and Numeracy Week has six sponsors in 2006: Australia Post, Commonwealth Bank Foundation, Franklins Electronics, Lovatts Crosswords and Puzzles, Network Ten, Scholastic Australia.
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© DET 2007