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October 18-24, 2018 Dubbo Photo News
EDUCATION
ENVIRONMENT
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Fact finding in Finland
THREE members of staff at Macquarie Anglican Grammar School visited Finland this year on a fact finding mission into the Finnish education system. Teachers Benn Wright and Natalie Cole were awarded the school’s inaugural Robert Grant Scholarship which enabled their visit, and were accompanied by Teaching and Learning for Pre-Kinder to Year 12 head Marina Simcox. “There’s lots of discussion about how Finland has such a different system and how they’ve done so well compared to many other education systems,” Natalie Cole said. Consequently, the teachers set out to discover what was and wasn’t true. “There’s a myth that they don’t do any homework or any assessments and that was found to be untrue. They don’t do standardised national testing through to
Year 9,” Mr Wright said. “The big thing they have is called a basic education curriculum from early childhood to Year 9 which is a continuum focussed around life skills, life learning and language development,” he told Dubbo Photo News. “For example when students are learning math, they get to apply it in a real world context. Even from Year 3, they’re learning woodwork and textiles and they can transfer their math to that,” Mrs Simcox said. “Rather than just learning the knowledge, they apply it to a real world application. As a teacher you can see their level understanding math, for example, as they transfer it.” A significant difference in the Finland education system, which is funded by heavy taxes, is the school life support systems for individual students, whatever their needs. “Their support network is exceptional for student develop-
Teachers Marina Simcox, Benn Wright and Natalie Cole pictured in Finland in August. The Dubbo trio of teachers were there to study Finnish teaching methods. PHOTO: SUPPLIED.
ment throughout the whole student life. You can see why their results are where they are when you look at their support model,” Mr Wright said. “They identify students early and put support structures around those students exceptionally early. If it’s something that’s superficial or need of support, the student gets it,” he said. “So, if they need an OT, they
come in. If they need a speech therapist, they come in,” Mrs Cole said. Students also learn Swedish and English in the attempt to be trilingual by Year 7. “If you come to their country from another country, a teacher will come in and teach you in your mother tongue, so their lessons could be one on one,” Mrs Simcox said.
ROYAL VISIT
A right royal beer attracts publicity for city By JOHN RYAN IT’S a right royal beer and so it should be, the Old Bank’s Ryan Mackintosh once again showing his flair for innovative business promotional concepts, brewing a beer to commemorate and celebrate the royal visit. It was a collaboration with the Hope Estate from the Hunter Valley. “We designed the beer around their marriage, which is still very fresh, so we took a lager to represent Harry – lager is a very popular drink in the UK – and for Meghan’s component we took three American west coast hops which gives us a nice fruity flavour. We put those two components together so it’s like a marriage in a can,” Mr Mackintosh said. “The reception from the community’s been outstanding. We’ve had phone calls from all over the place, Sydney, Melbourne... I’ve had emails internationally, the Daily Telegraph did a story, 2GB (covered it), and I’ve got Channel
Bank ambience. With just 100 cases of beer and a limited run of kegs, it’s a very limited launch, but if the demand is there, a second run could result. Meantime, there are plans underway to ensure a memento of the royal occasion is kept. “I’ll definitely keep a full carton and I’d also like to get a six-pack put in a frame and mount it with all the newspaper articles, and keep that as well,” Mr Mackintosh said. Once again it shows he has a passion for his job, there’s so much work gone into this it doesn’t make sense from a commercial perspective, even though his idea has generated untold amounts of free and Michael Chow, Jason Thompson and Ryan Mackintosh having a laugh with the super-positive publicity for the city. royal couple's cut-outs. Mr Mackintosh has brewed a beer to commemorate “We do a lot of craft beer, we and celebrate the royal visit. PHOTO: DUBBO PHOTO NEWS. pride ourselves on that, so it’s great to so something that’s not just for 10 coming in to do a live cross, so be pounding on his pub’s door. us, it’s for Dubbo, and it puts Dubeveryone’s behind it.” The beer was officially launched bo on the map. Mr Mackintosh has worked out earlier this week (Monday, Octo"It’s very unique and hopefully it that if journos can choose between ber 15), with the replica Prince might start something... and flow doing stories without beer, or may- Harry and Meghan Markle appar- into other things like doing charity be getting a free schooner, they’ll ently loving the taste and the Old beers for events,” he said.
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ENTERTAINMENT
Romantic musical afternoon in Narromine THE incredible voice of Australian-Italian tenor Gaetano Bonfante will grace the Ballhausen Room of the Narromine USMC on Thursday, October 25, from 1.30pm. Gaetano Bonfante has performed in Opera Australia’s Tosca, Parsifal, and La Boheme on the Harbour and has performed and studied in Verona, Lucca, Venice, Shanghai and Beijing, and in the USA. The concert is called “Pure Imagination” and he will be accompanied by renowned Australian pianist Michael Harvey. The romantic repertoire includes “Bring Him Home”, “Anthem” from “Chess”, Mario Lanza’s “Be My Love”, “Younger than Springtime”, “Mi Mancherai” and the beautiful “Se” from Cinema Paradiso.
Top 10 movies on Google Play now 1. Sicario: Day Of The Soldado (pictured) 2. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom 3. Solo: A Star Wars Story 4. Tag 5. Ocean’s 8 6. Deadpool 2 7. Hotel Transylvania 3 8. Uncle Drew 9. Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War 10. Adrift
NSW Environmental Trust Restoration and Rehabilitation Grants Applications are now open for grants to support community organisations and government entities working to protect, restore or enhance the environment. Grants up to $100,000 are available (total funding available $4 million) Applications close 3pm 3 December 2018. Contact the Trust: For further information about the grants, please visit environmentaltrust.nsw.gov.au or contact the Trust on (02) 8837 6093 or email info@environmentaltrust.nsw.gov.au
BLZ153079
By YVETT0E AUBUSSON-FOLEY
THE Gas Field Free Dubbo group is urging voters to stand by Dubbo Regional Council’s unanimous decision in August 2018 to declare a ban on CSG mining in the Dubbo local government area. The group is asking residents to have their say by using their vote in March 2019 state election. Residents who would like to make an informed decision are invited to visit the Knitting Nannas Against Gas on Wednesday, October 24, from 9am to 12 noon in front of the Talbragar Street post office. In early November, existing and new supporters of a Gas Free Dubbo Region are invited to connect to the ongoing campaign at “Spring into the Pilliga” to be held at Pilliga Pottery.