National Numeracy and Literacy Week in NSW - Literacy and Numeracy Week Awards

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 2007

NSW National Literacy and Numeracy Week Awards Ceremony 2007

Summaries of all 2007 New South Wales nominees

The Hon Julie Bishop, MP

In her address at the national awards ceremony for National Literacy and Numeracy Week on 16 August 2007, the Hon Julie Bishop, MP emphasised that across Australia literacy and numeracy are the foundations of life and every child should have access to high quality education in a high quality environment.

The 2007 slogan for National Literacy and Numeracy Week is Making a Difference and Ms Bishop stated that the Federal Government is making a difference by identifying literacy and numeracy as their focus. As part of that focus, various new programs will be offered in 2008:

Even Start - a national tuition program for students who do not meet national standards. Parents of identified students will be given a voucher for one-on-one tuition in literacy and numeracy.
Rewarding Our Schools - a literacy and numeracy initiative offering schools grants up to $50,000, but they will be asked to share their best practice with others.
Australian Government Summer Schools - starting in January 2008, a two-week residential course for teachers of Science, Mathematics, English, Australian History and literacy and numeracy will be offered. A thousand teachers will be selected from those already nominated to develop their professional learning. Part of the role for the trained teachers will be to return and act as leaders of change and mentors in their own schools, especially in the areas of literacy and numeracy.
Development of a Chair in Australian Literature - at an Australian university.

In her address, Ms Bishop thanked the four sponsors of National Literacy and Numeracy Week:

Australia Post
Franklins Electronics
Network Ten and
Scholastic Australia

She also thanked the following associations for their support:
AAMTE, ALEA and the ATE (Australian Teachers of English) with National Literacy and Numeracy Week.

Also Gladesville Public School was thanked for their generosity in opening their school for the filming of the Community Service Announcement about literacy and numeracy.

The five people receiving Minister's Awards for their achievements in making such a positive difference in their local community were:

In NSW Ms Jennifer McVicar - Director of Pro Bono and Community Service, Baker and McKenzie, Australia who developed literacy programs with lawyers from various significant legal firms: Pen Pal Program, Reach Out and Read Program, and LEAPS the Year 9 Mentoring Program where Year 9 students visit a legal firm and are mentored in the workplace.
Mr Andrew Fildes (Victoria) - who established the Andrew Dean Fildes Foundation for Language-Learning Disabilities
Professor Judith Rivalland (Perth) - Professor of Language and Literacy Education at Edith Cowan University and Director of Edith Cowan's Fogarty Learning Centre
Professor Jane Watson (Hobart) - Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Tasmania
Lorraine Yeomans (Ballarat, Vic) - Head of the Department of Further Education at the University of Ballarat TAFE

Ms Bishop presented certificates and cheques for $10,000 to the various Excellence Award-winning schools across Australia. 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. Additionally, there are three Excellence in Numeracy Awards offered nationally to government and non-government schools.

Four NSW schools received Excellence Awards in 2007:

Christian Brothers High School, Lewisham
receiving their award from Ms Bishop