Here are some of the ways we have worked to make Pip alyatjara School a good place for children to learn. . .
Excursions
This term the primary class went on an excursion to Perth. You may read some more about this in the rest of our newsletter.
Making School a safe place for Everyone
All the staff in the school are working on OHS which means Occupational Health and Safety. We are planning to identify all the dangerous things that could cause accidents and make plans to try to stop them happening. If anyone sees something that could hurt kids or adults they need to tell the office.
Extra teacher for 2001
At PYEC meeting permission was given for an extra teacher for Pip next year to help take the older secondary girls for Year 11 studies as well as provide extra time for AnTEP. Paula will be full time next year working with AnTEP students so we can have Anangu teachers for Pipalyatjara as soon as we can get graduates from Stage Three.
Telephone lessons for Year 11 students
Five of the students in our secondary class are doing telephone lessons with the Open Access College in Adelaide. They are doing Year 11 high school work in English as a Second Language and Child Studies. Some students were also doing Maths but have found it too hard so have had to stop. They can do Maths next year. The students continuing next term are Tracey Miller, Kerrie-Anne Buddy, Marlene Burton, Tjutjana Burton and Gwenda Watson.
Open access College Teachers visit Secondary students
In Week 5, a big group of teachers from the Open access College flew into Pip to visit the secondary students who were doing lessons over the phone. They included Bruce Richardson who teaches English and Jackie Bone- George who teaches Child Studies.
School Planning - Facilities Group Visits
In week 6 we had visitors from the education department to look at our school facilities and make a plan for spending money to make the school better.
Graham Allen, Grant Dolejs and Bill Beggs came to the school and talked to Mr MacGregor.
Graham Allen has said we will have a feasibility study of our school to see what has to be done about all the problems.
They will talk to the community about this. When everyone knows how much it will cost the government will be asked to fund the program.
School Community Meeting
On Tuesday in Week 7 the community met in the school yard to talk about helping the school.There were lots of people present. Some of the things the parents said were:
Kids can listen to the teachers and AEWs. Families talk to the children after school so the children understand.
We would like someone to look after the school every-day, like a warden.
We don't like kids climbing on the roof.
We would like to have a school council meeting.
Move the school away from the community like Murputja.
We want milk/milo for lunchtime.
Talk to the school council about this one.