Marlee making a dash for regional championships

Suzie McManus - Sacred Heart Primary School

WITH perfect running conditions in Warrnambool on Monday, Marlee Robbins lined up against 45 other competitors in the 12/13 girls division cross country.

She started well and held her position for the entire three kilometres. 

Marlee placed 6th in her race, which sees her advance to the Regional Championships next Monday.

Good luck Marlee!

Peace Pole Vigil

THE Grade 4 to 6 participated in a vigil for Ukraine at Rotary Park on Thursday.

Students gathered with members of the Rotary Club, Casterton Primary school students and staff, Councillor Karen Stephens and the wider Casterton community to reflect on the war in Ukraine. 

Over the past two weeks the students have been making a sunflower, Ukraine's national flower.

Now, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine stretches into its fourth month the sunflower has taken on new layers of meaning, emerging as a “global symbol of resistance, unity and hope”.

Mini Vinnies

OUR Mini Vinnies team started their Winter Appeal awareness and fundraising project on Wednesday with a Winter Woollies dress up day.

They raised $32.50.

Once again this year, we have our ‘shop to donate’ stall in the foyer and a box for donations. If your family would like to donate to this year's St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal, you can pop into school any time and purchase one of our handmade beanies or make a cash or goods donation.

Success in the pool for secondary college students

Ann Hirst - Casterton Secondary College

ON 19 March we had two of our talented students head to the Horsham Aquatic Centre for the Regional Swimming Carnival.

Having been successful in the Divisional event, these two boys were ready to do their best.

The results reflected that clearly, with Phoenix Lykke coming third in 50m Freestyle and 400m Freestyle and Riley Munro coming first in 50m Backstroke.

Good luck to Riley who is off to state championships for swimming!

Although CSC didn’t have the most represented school at the event, we most definitely had one of the best strike rates.

A massive thank you goes out to parents and carers of these students in transportation, organisation and being the cheer squad for the day!

Live4Life

OUR 2021 Live4Life crew had their induction day based in Portland on Thursday.

An early start combined with eagerness saw us off, and it was thoroughly enjoyed by the mix of Year 9 & 10 student crew members.

Topics around mental health, leadership and self-care were covered by some interesting guest speakers and the crew participated in some fun activities organised by Headspace and Glenelg Shire Youth Development Officers.

Our crew are looking forward to brainstorming more of their ideas for the launch day which will be celebrated with the Year 8 students in May and to promote more of their newly-learned skills and enthusiasm around the school.

Compliments to the crew for their willing participation and remarkable manners throughout the day!

Students ponder 150 years of public education

Jill Robertson - Casterton Primary School

THIS year, Education Week focuses on 150 years of public education in Victoria, commemorating the past, celebrating the present and imagining the future of education.

Did you know that one of the oldest government primary Schools in Victoria was opened at Digby in 1864 (School Number 191) with 54 students?

It was known as the Digby Common School.

It was closed in 1878, when a new brick building was built and it was renamed the Digby State School (School Number 2047).

I asked some of our junior students what they thought it would be like going to school in 1864?

Archie Ferguson: “There would be no work for anybody. They would ask the people to cut down trees to start making paper to make worksheets for school. The teachers maybe a bit mean. There would be no playground – kids would just have to run around playing spotto.”

Averie Parsons: “School would have been beautiful. You would write on a book board with a crayon. Girl teachers would wear skirts and boy teachers would wear pants and a t-shirt.”

Maddy Fidler: “School would have been old. Books would just be writing with no pictures but teachers would be nice and help us.”

Harper Searle: “There would have been no monkey bars!”

Xavier Green: “School would have been boring and sad. You would have had to walk or ride a horse and carriage to school. But the teachers would have been very good.”

I then asked some of the students what they thought school might look like in another 100 years, and Stephanie Smith, Dougie Harvey and Harry James had some interesting ideas:

- “Schools would be old and different.”

- “There would be no paper – just computers.”

- “There would be virtual playgrounds and you would play footy with goggles.”

- “People would get fat and lazy.”

- “We would eat burgers.”

- “We would have robot teachers.”

Biggest Morning Tea

LAST Friday students were invited to wear a splash of yellow and bring a gold coin donation to take part in our Biggest Morning Tea.

Our legend in the kitchen, Mrs. Brown, has worked tirelessly both solo and with the Hands on Learning Group, to make scones, muffins and biscuits for our morning tea.

Today Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Kelly lead the grade six leaders (comprising Hands on Learning, Social Service and leadership) to serve food and hot milo to the whole school for this important fundraiser.

The school raised $100 for cancer research.

AFL Footy Clinic

ON THURSDAY last week, Mrs. Barlow organised for Lauren from the AFL in Melbourne to come to our school and run coaching sessions with all of our students on AFL footy.

Rupert and Chloe tell me that it was a great day and they did heaps of work on their skills and fitness for footy.

Thanks Mrs Barlow.

Books at Bedtime

LAST Thursday I met with Betty Sherry, Karen Stephens and two ladies from the Paint the Town Read initiative to discuss a new arm called “Books at Bedtime”.

This initiative offers training to participants and the aim is to encourage families to read to their children from birth and encourages this by having pre-loved books to borrow.

We are hoping to have this initiative happening around Casterton later this year.