School’s boost geared towards smaller class sizes
Burt MP Matt Keogh joined students at Providence Christian College on Monday to officially open their new $2.4 million building.
He said the building would enhance the educational opportunities for local students by bringing down class numbers.
“We know students benefit from smaller class sizes and individualised learning between teacher and student,” he said.
“This new building will enable some 600 primary students to build closer relationships with their teachers to achieve precisely that.”
The new facilities will include music, design, technology, arts and science studios; as well as a kitchen, meeting room, staff room, offices, and amenities.
These new facilities will provide teachers, staff and students at Providence Christian College a major boost.
“In order to further strengthen the school community, these new facilities will house a dedicated parent room to allow parents who volunteer in classes to easily care for small children,” he said.
Change is coming to a school near you
Containers for Change is set to be rolled out throughout Western Australian schools.
The popular recycling program is celebrating a major milestone, with three billion containers salvaged since the program was launched in October 2020.
With more of the state’s schools expected to come on board, there is anticipation that the scheme will reach its next milestone even faster.
New teaching resources including a Containers for Change education guide will provide school leaders with a list of principles and approaches to help integrate the program into schools.
The guide is being made available free of charge from the Containers for Change website with hard copies available upon request from the program’s online store.
In addition, Containers for Change has also worked closely with cool.org (formerly Cool Australia) to develop a selection of teaching resources that provide an easy-to-understand introduction to the circular economy.
These resources, which include tailored teacher information, have been created for Year 5 and 6 students and can be accessed via the cool.org website.
“Supporting the growth of Western Australia’s circular economy is incredibly important,” Environment Minister Reece Whitby said.
“With more than 900 schools throughout WA participating in Containers for Change, I encourage those schools that haven’t signed up to access these new resources and consider the benefits of implementing Containers for Change.
“The program can help raise important funding for student causes while embedding positive environmental behaviours into students’ lives.”
Health grants for schools
Schools and P&Cs can now apply for individual grants of up to $5000 to promote health and wellbeing initiatives.
The state government grants are available through the Healthway’s Healthy Schools Program for activities such as healthy lunchbox preparation workshops, promoting walking or bike riding to school, and mental health or vaping education activities.
Successful projects will focus on increasing student health-related knowledge and skills, positively changing health behaviours, improving student health and wellbeing, and creating school environments that support good health through policy change.
Applications are strongly encouraged schools with students representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, culturally and linguistically diverse communities and/or those experiencing disadvantage.
“This is a very important program that will help students better understand the benefits of a healthy lifestyle,” Education Minister Tony Buti said.
“Health plays a critical role in a child’s development throughout their schooling years from kindergarten through to Year 12 and is a catalyst for their ability to learn and thrive.”
More can be found on Healthway’s, and applications must be submitted by Friday, 22 March.
