celebrating literacy and numeracy
National Literacy and Numeracy Week

in New South Wales 1-7 September 2008

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Regional Initiatives

New South Wales Government schools' initatives for 2007:

• Hunter and Central Coast
• Illawarra and South East
• New England
• North Coast
• Northern Sydney
• Riverina
• South Western Sydney
• Sydney
• Western NSW
• Western Sydney

Region: Hunter and Central Coast
Initiative	Target audience	Anticipated outcomes
Presentation by Regional Director to (approx) 12 regional schools in recognition of their literacy and numeracy achievements Each school will make a presentation describing their journey. These presentations will be set up as exhibitions. Spectators will have the opportunity to discuss the presentation with the exhibitors – as they move around. A people's choice award will be made for the best presentation. Presentation materials from each school will be displayed at the Presentation Ceremony.	Regional executive school principals teachers students parent and community members local media representatives	Regional celebration of the literacy and numeracy achievements of schools during National Literacy and Numeracy Week Public acknowledgement of regional schools with successful balanced literacy and numeracy programs that have resulted in improved outcomes for students Parents, community members, media and invited guests gain knowledge of successful literacy and numeracy programs in schools Students gain experience in talking about how and what they learn in the areas of literacy and numeracy Sharing of successful practices in literacy and numeracy across all schools in the region.

Region: Illawarra and South East
Initiative	Target audience	Anticipated outcomes
An environmental day at Bournda Environmental Education Centre focussing on environmental literacy and numeracy. Students will be drawn from the Sapphire Coast area An environmental day at the Illawarra Environmental Education Centre focussing on environmental literacy and numeracy. Students will be drawn from the Wollongong/Shellharbour areas Students will be assisted in recording suitable images for the follow-up activity The regional Aboriginal Education Strategy poster will be a focus for visual literacy and understanding	Stages 3 and 4 students including a significant number of Aboriginal students.	Improve students' writing and visual literacy and mathematical concepts that are connected to environmental contexts and problems Develop students' awareness and appreciation of the prevalence of literacy and mathematics in aspects of life in the environment Enhance students' mathematical and visual language including terminology and home language Promote National Literacy and Numeracy Week across the region
Separate parent workshops to be run concurrently with student activities on our environmental days to raise awareness and understanding of everyday numeracy and literacy in real life.	Parents of participating students	Improved parental understanding of literacy and numeracy demands in real life.

Region: New England
Initiative	Target audience	Anticipated outcomes
Develop a strategies 'kit bag' utilising the Literacy Strategy Pack 2007 and the Educational Measurement and School Accountability Directorate support documents for each Key Learning Area (-strategies in both literacy and numeracy). A hands-on workshop will be held at each high/central school across the region in an after school session.	Key Learning Area teachers 7-10 in 25 schools	Strategies to support literacy and numeracy teaching in 7-10 schools will be developed Teachers 7-10 will see literacy teaching as everyone's responsibility Teachers will have a kit bag of strategies to use in classroom situations
The New England Region Literacy and Numeracy Week Award celebration will be held on 3 September 2007 at Narrabri (during National Literacy and Numeracy week) as a part of the New England Region Leadership Conference.	New England Region Schools	Celebrate and promote successful projects from the New England Region
Network Literacy and Numeracy days to be held in major centres across the region during National Literacy and Numeracy Week.	New England Region schools, local media	Promote Literacy and Numeracy Network events across the Region
Regional Sudoku competition will be organised and advertised to New England Region schools through InPrincipal.	New England Region schools and networks	Promote awareness of mathematics in everyday life
Regional Bush poetry competition will be organised and advertised to New England Region schools through InPrincipal. Schools will hold finals and a Regional final will be held at a central location.	New England Region schools, local media	Encourage talking and listening opportunities across the region Support an established genre in the NER

Region: North Coast
Initiative	Target audience	Anticipated outcomes
Three writing workshops across the region (north, central and south) with a variety of local published authors for identified talented students from stages 2-5. Two student workshops per day over 2 days with the teacher and community workshops to be held in the afternoons.	Students Stages 2 –5 and teachers All classrooms across the region	NSW English Syllabus outcomes: K-6 writing WS2.9 and WS3.9 'Writes a range of literary texts' K-6 writing outcomes WS2.13 and WS3.13 'Context and text' Stages 4-5: outcomes 4.6 and 5.6 'imaginatively and interpretively transforms experience, information, ideas into text'
Student work samples submitted and published on website. Also student artwork scanned and submitted to provide illustrations for the anthology.	Teachers, parents and community members, regional staff	To improve student writing in Years 3, 5 and 7 PWA and ELLA tests – more students into the higher bands Identified gifted writers from Stages  2-5 working with published local authors in order to expose them to talented role models, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal authors.

Region: North Coast
Initiative	Target audience	Anticipated outcomes
Three writing workshops across the region (north, central and south) with a variety of local published authors for identified talented students from stages 2-5. Two student workshops per day over 2 days with the teacher and community workshops to be held in the afternoons.	Students Stages 2 –5 and teachers All classrooms across the region	NSW English Syllabus outcomes: K-6 writing WS2.9 and WS3.9 'Writes a range of literary texts' K-6 writing outcomes WS2.13 and WS3.13 'Context and text' Stages 4-5: outcomes 4.6 and 5.6 'imaginatively and interpretively transforms experience, information, ideas into text'
Student work samples submitted and published on website. Also student artwork scanned and submitted to provide illustrations for the anthology.	Teachers, parents and community members, regional staff	To improve student writing in Years 3, 5 and 7 PWA and ELLA tests – more students into the higher bands Identified gifted writers from Stages  2-5 working with published local authors in order to expose them to talented role models, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal authors.

Region: Northern Sydney
Initiative	Target audience	Anticipated outcomes
Schools invited to participate in the regional project that invites students to compose a 'story' in any genre using any medium of production that is inspired by how numeracy has made a difference.	Students 5-10	Develop students' knowledge and understanding in the identified areas of literacy and numeracy
Teachers and the whole class or a focus group of students use a Stories inspired by numeracy package to focus on effective writing skills and making meaningful connections between literacy and numeracy.	Teachers and students	"Making a difference" to teaching and learning practices in literacy and numeracy
Regional celebration to showcase quality writing. Invited students, parents and teachers to attend a Celebration Conference.	Teachers, students and parents	Enhance students' appreciation and understanding of effective writing and the significance of numeracy and literacy in their lives
Regional secondary students who are recipients of the Sydney Writers' Festival Awards and invited writers share their ideas and skills with students, teachers and parents in a panel discussion and presentations at a regional celebration.	Regional Consultants, teachers, students and parents	Raise community and parental awareness of the importance of students developing effective literacy and numeracy skills

Region: Riverina
Initiative	Target audience	Anticipated outcomes
Mathematics Challenges for Stage 4 in five locations across the Riverina. These challenges require an understanding of mathematical ideas, skills, and techniques.	Secondary students and teachers	Students develop problem solving skills and learn to work mathematically, showing progress in critical thinking. Teachers will be provided with opportunities to network.
Collate book of numeracy problems linked to the syllabus through Key Ideas. The book will assist teachers in identifying and addressing the numeracy needs of their students in a planned whole-school approach. These activities are also designed to make maths relevant and fun.	Primary students and teachers	Teachers will be supported in developing and applying optimum teaching practices. Teachers will be able to assess students working mathematically displaying consistent teacher judgement.
Production of a CD which provides Departmental support documents in literacy for Board of Studies syllabuses and the Teaching Standards Framework. This resource will also support the regional priority of accelerated literacy (Scaffolding). In this form, equitable distribution of these resources will be achieved for all teachers, reaching all school settings from P6 to high school.	Primary and secondary K-10 students and teachers	Teachers develop a balanced integrated approach to the teaching of reading, writing, talking and listening. Consistent teacher judgement and appropriate assessment techniques will be developed. In particular, emphasis on addressing the needs of early career teachers will be instigated. These teachers will be provided with explicit instruction in the teaching of literacy, with a particular emphasis on reading.

Region: South Western Sydney
Initiative	Target audience	Anticipated outcomes
Information Morning Tea to provide schools and participating teachers with an overview of this year's regional initiative Students (K-10) are invited to take on the challenge of producing original literary texts based on the wonders of science Students, with the help of their teachers and/or other members of the school community, will create texts that explore one or more scientific phenomena The picture book Science Verse by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith will be the inspiration for this project Whole-day Professional Learning Support Workshop to provide professional learning to teachers and students to assist in the production of original literary texts based on the wonders of science	K-10 teachers and students, parents and community groups	Improve students' writing, visual and multimodal literacy around mathematical concepts that are connected to real-life contexts and problems Develop students' awareness and appreciation of the prevalence of mathematics in all aspects of their daily life Enhance students' language including mathematical terminology, home language and the language of visual and multimodal design Improve students' skills in solving mathematical problems posed by peers Improve teachers' integration of ICT in authentic tasks for a wider audience Create texts that explore one or more scientific phenomena Maximise involvement and inclusivity of South Western Sydney Region school communities' rich cultural resources Promote National Literacy and Numeracy Week across the region
Celebration day for schools to present their texts and to acknowledge their efforts through the presentation of awards across a number of categories. A high profile speaker and afternoon sessions for parents/community members will also be a feature of the day.	The Regional Director and School Education Directors will be in the audience

Region: Sydney
Initiative	Target audience	Anticipated outcomes
The focus of this year's NLNW activities in Sydney Region is a regional Scrabble competition for students Years 1- 10	Primary and secondary schools in Sydney Region	Schools will participate in activities to promote understanding of vocabulary, spelling and working mathematically
Afternoon project briefings to interested school executive to encourage and support their involvement in the activity. Schools will receive a support package which will enable them to participate meaningfully in this NLNW activity.	All schools invited to participate	Students will apply knowledge and skills of spelling, expand their vocabulary and work mathematically as learnt in the classroom (K-10 English Syllabuses and K-10 Mathematics Syllabuses) in a real world context.
Teachers will teach appropriate numeracy and literacy skills that will enable students to play Scrabble effectively and strategically, and keep accurate scores
Schools will organise a Scrabble competition at the school level to determine students who will represent their school at a regional level in each stage. Regional staff will organise a Regional round robin competition with a grand final round.	Schools that become involved will receive consultancy support as needed	Numeracy Teachers will demonstrate and teach strategies that will develop students' ability to work mathematicallyand strategically. Students will apply their knowledge and skills of mathematical operations and chance and probability. Literacy Teachers will demonstrate and teach strategies that will develop students' vocabulary knowledge across KLAs, spelling skills (phonological, morphemic, etymological, visual) and dictionary skills. Students will be involved in activities that will engage them in substantive communication around words and mathematical problem solving. Parents will see the value of integrated, relevant teaching of literacy and numeracy skills, the clear link between children's everyday lives and the constant need to use literacy and numeracy to operate in the community.

Region: Western NSW
Initiative	Target audience	Anticipated outcomes
Schools in the Dubbo, Bourke and Warrumbungle districts will be encouraged to enter a competition to illustrate this year's theme using digital literacy. Consultants will support schools in providing staff with knowledge about using Photostory for literacy/numeracy activities Students may use PowerPoint, Photostory or though other visual images (photographs, etc) supported with written texts to illustrate this year's theme All participants to receive a Certificate of Commendation and prizes will be given to a Stage 3 and a Stage 4 student in both districts Teachers will be invited to attend a workshop about using digital literacy in the classroom at the venue where the students' work will be displayed	Students in Stage 3 and Stage 4 in Dubbo, Bourke and Warrumbungle districts Support to teachers with ideas of using ICT to support learning Teachers across the three districts will be invited to attend the workshop	Develop students' digital literacy skills Encourage students to use a range of digital literacy skills to complete project Celebrate in the community the digital skills of students in the middle years of schooling Showcase in the Dubbo, Bourke and Warrumbungle communities the literacy/numeracy skills of students Provide teachers with strategies and skills to use digital literacies in their classrooms
Teachers, parents and students will be invited to an afternoon tea to award prizes.	Parents and other community members	Encourage the community to attend and discover the digital literacy that students achieve in our schools today.

Region: Western Sydney
Initiative	Target audience	Anticipated outcomes
Schools throughout the region are invited to enter multimedia submissions that highlight the theme 'Making a Difference' Submissions will incorporate a multimedia focus and will be categorised into three areas: early years (K-4), middle years (5-9) and later years (10 -12) All entries will be awarded certificates of participation and a selection of entries will be awarded certificates of achievement Sponsorship for further prizes is being sought through Penrith Panthers Rugby League Club	Teachers and students K-12, local print media	Increased engagement and participation from students in Western Sydney Region schools through the use of multimedia as a form of expressing their ideas, knowledge and understanding of literacy and numeracy concepts
A showcase of students' presentations will be held within the region and provide an opportunity to highlight to the wider community the talents of students attending public schools within the region Professional learning workshops will be held within the region on utilising emerging technologies to enhance delivery of literacy and numeracy concepts		An opportunity to highlight and showcase the achievements of students and staff within Western Sydney Region public schools Increased awareness regarding the effective use of emerging technologies through professional learning workshops
Regional Awards Ceremony held to highlight student achievement in literacy or numeracy.	School staff and students, local print media	Recognition of school achievement and excellence in improving literacy and numeracy outcomes of students.

... NLNW Regional Initiatives for 2008
... NLNW Regional Initiatives for 2007