Education
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Platypus protectors
Lucky students from four primary and secondary schools in our district are learning how to become Platypus Protectors and care for our two beautiful rivers – the Campaspe and the Coliban. The students are involved in the Platypus Project, a collaboration between the Upper Campaspe Landcare Network and platypus ecologist Josh Griffiths from EnviroDNA. The…
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AM for career in theology
Charles Sherlock spent 26 years among the exclusive membership of the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission. Just 18 scholars of theology are selected world-wide for ARCIC – nine from each of the two churches – tasked with bridging the gap that had grown between the churches since the reign of Henry VIII. Before the posting,…
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Parlez-vous Francais?
The hot, dry bushland of Walmer is a very long way from Canada’s French Quebec famed for its icy winter carnival. But you don’t have to chat to local French language tutor, Emma Dubuc, for long to see she loves the Aussie bushland she now calls home. Originally from Quebec City where French was her…
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Student project a hit
Cafe visits to Kyneton’s Social Foundry have been made more fun for children since the unveiling of new purpose-built play equipment last week. The play space was a focus project of Sacred Heart College students undertaking the school’s Learning, Initiating, Networking and Connecting for Success program. After meeting with the Social Foundry’s Paul Dettman, the…
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Rock and Roll stars
Forty-five enthusiastic students at Trentham District Primary school helped plant, fence, tag and monitor 32 nationally endangered basalt peppercress (Lepidium hyssopifolium) plants in a new native garden at the school. Known as the Rock and Roll stars of the plant kingdom, because they are short lived and party hard, the plants can be difficult to…
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Students ‘strike’ for climate change
A group of young Castlemaine students say federal government inaction on climate change is threatening their future and have staged a strike calling for climate action. About 30 Castlemaine students – aged around 14 years old – travelled by train to Bendigo on Friday and held a peaceful demonstration at the office of Nationals’ Senator…
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School in strife – From 43 students down to eight
Langley Primary School began this year as a small but vibrant school with an enrolment of 43 students. Ten months later it has an enrolment of just eight students and permanent staff departing or on stress leave. The mass exodus has come following a flurry of claims of students feeling unsafe and bullied, and staff…
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It takes a village
Gisborne Leading Senior Constable Jason Azzopardi could not stand by as he saw the impact of issues like bullying, mental illness, substance abuse and family violence on youth in his community. To help young people avoid becoming victims or offenders, he created not-for-profit youth engagement program KidzFlip, and was recently recognised for his work as…
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Platypus project begins!
About 130 people gathered on the banks of the Campaspe River in Kyneton on Friday for the launch of the Upper Campaspe Landcare Network’s Platypus Project. With the sound of poddlebonk frogs calling from the river, they learnt from senior wildlife ecologist and platypus expert Josh Griffiths of EnviroDNA how they could be part of…
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‘Big K’ a big hit
Young Ava Coleman has taken the war on waste and waistlines to her school canteen. The grade six Kyneton Primary School student has campaigned to take flavoured milks like Big Ms off the menu and replace them with Big Ks or ‘Big Kyneton’ milkshakes to reduce the amount of single-use plastic bottles generated. “I have…
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400 reasons to celebrate
Ask learner drivers Lily McMahon and Tilly Donkin what they’ve got out of doing a unique intensive local learner driver course and they’re quick to respond. Both learner drivers immediately list gaining better parking skills among the obvious benefits of participating in the Maldon and District Community Bank learner driver program, while driving in testing…
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Colour runs riot
What better way to celebrate life in all its charm, chaos and occasional confusion than with a riotous celebration of colour. And so it was at Castlemaine Secondary College on Thursday when staff and students took time out beneath a perfect blue sky to participate in the annual Colour Run. First up, a brisk jog…