Month: March 2025

UC Senior Secondary College Lake Ginninderra teacher Sam Davies loves being a teacher.

He is just one of eight teachers across Australia sharing their stories in a new initiative called Be That Teacher.

The joint Australian, state and territory government campaign aims to showcase the value and importance of teachers while encouraging people to consider a career in teaching.

Teachers across Australia share why they choose to teach and their inspirational stories about the lasting impact they have had on their students.

“If life is about creating meaningful moments, you get a meaningful moment every day in this profession,” Sam said.

“Every day we have the opportunity to make a real and positive difference in the lives of our young people.”

Ewen McMahon is one student at UC Senior Secondary College Lake Ginninderra who has benefitted from Sam’s dedication.

“I only had him for one semester in Year 11 English, but he inspired me with just how involved he is in the class – how quickly he got to know everyone personally. He will go out of his way, in his own time, to make sure everyone’s okay and understanding the work, to check if anyone has questions and has what they need to get the work done,” Ewen said.

“He just goes above and beyond. He just really cares and that comes out through in the way he teaches as well as who he is as a person.”

While there are many excellent teachers like Sam across the country, more are needed.

The National Teacher Workforce Action Plan was developed to address the national issue of teacher workforce shortages.

It is hoped both the plan and the Be That Teacher campaign increase the number of people choosing to become teachers and ensure that existing teachers remain in the profession.

If you are a school leaver, graduate or career switcher thinking about a career in teaching, view the pathways into teaching, scholarships and support available to you.

“I hope that anyone considering a career in teaching will be touched by these remarkable stories, and that they will see how fulfilling this profession is,” Sam said.

Read more on the Be That Teacher website.

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The new BMX freestyle facility at University of Canberra Stromlo Forest is ready to host its first event this weekend, the ACT Jam 2023.

The track is designed by the Freestyle ACT BMX Club and caters to the needs of beginners entering the sport, right through to elite level riders.

Riders can expect seven elite jumps and a progressive jump line with 10 rolls and jumps catering for beginners to intermediate levels.

“I’m ecstatic to see Freestyle BMX be catered to with such a high-quality BMX facility. Off-road cycling tends to start with riding a BMX bike, jumping dirt jumps,” Tyson Jones-Peni, President, Freestyle ACT BMX Club, said.

“The bike control you learn from Freestyle BMX riding is hard to replicate on any other bike and with a facility like this, we can expect to see the next generation of BMX rippers come out of Canberra,” he said.

The BMX project is another step towards the ACT Government’s vision of the University of Canberra Stromlo Park Master Plan.

The track provides a new place for the community to meet and be active while enjoying the increasingly popular sport.

It is also ideal for hosting BMX freestyle events, such as the ACT Jam 2023.

“Canberrans love riding bikes – we have the highest participation rate in the country. And with amazing facilities like we have here at UC Stromlo Forest Park, it’s not hard to see why,” Nick Hannan, Executive General Manager, AusCycling, said.

“Around 16,000 Canberrans rode a mountain bike in the last year. What’s really exciting is that participation among women and girls has gone up more than 180% over the last five years. 

“Local riders like Caroline Buchanan and Harriet Burbidge-Smith are winning some of the biggest events in the world and inspiring the next generation back home to get on a bike.”

The ACT Jam is sponsored by Boost Mobile.

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A parents’ room for families with younger children, a purpose-designed therapeutic arts and play activities space, and more interview rooms are some of the fresh features for the new Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service Southside fit-out in the Woden Town Centre.

Construction has started on the 1,032 sqm ground floor refurbishment in Bowes Place in Woden, to replace the current accommodation in Callam Offices.

This will provide a better client experience and a more modernised work environment for staff to support the mental health treatment and care of their clients.

Upgrades will include a new waiting room near the main reception that supports young people to regulate in a low-stimulus environment if needed. There will also be modern treatment spaces for assessments and an overall aesthetic design to appeal to young people and their families or carers.

Office and administration spaces will be modernised to provide better workspace layouts for staff, a quiet room for staff to conduct activities that need additional privacy, a dedicated staff breakout room, modernised safety systems and a high-quality acoustic design throughout to minimise noise.

CAMHS Southside has operated from Callam Offices in Woden since 2001, but the location no longer meets the contemporary best-practice requirements for the team and the service.

The Callam Offices facility is busy and staff saw around 5000 clients last year. The new location will be more easily accessible for clients and close to amenities, public transport, and public parking.

CAMHS Southside will relocate to the new Bowes Place facility in early 2024 once construction is complete.

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Canberrans who already use an oral contraceptive pill may be able to obtain a re-supply of their contraceptive at one of five participating pharmacies as part of a new trial.

Under the pharmacy trial, which is being led collaboratively by NSW Health and the University of Newcastle, people aged 18 to 35 may be able to get their next supply of the pill after a consultation with a participating pharmacist if they have been:

• taking their existing pill for contraceptive purposes; and
• continuously prescribed a low-risk oral contraceptive pill in the last two years by a doctor or nurse practitioner.

This initiative expands on the current trial of pharmacists supplying medications to treat uncomplicated urinary tract infections.

Enabling pharmacists to supply certain low-risk medications when it is safe to do so is one way of providing more timely access to medications and treatments for Canberrans and reducing pressures on primary health care providers and emergency departments.

The highly trained pharmacists participating in the trial will be able to have a conversation with eligible Canberrans to determine whether they can provide medications, or whether the person needs to see a doctor or nurse practitioner.

The five pharmacies participating in the trial are:

• Capital Chemist Charnwood
• Gold Creek Discount Drug Store
• The Pharmacy on Petrie (Civic)
• Erindale Pharmacy
• Pharmasave Woden Pharmacy

ACT Branch President of the Pharmacy Guild, Simon Blacker, said this is a step forward for Canberra women.

“It’s a good example of community pharmacies partnering with GPs and other health professionals to treat common health conditions with increased accessibility, in a safe and efficient way to unclog the health system,” he said.

“The ACT has now joined NSW, Queensland, and Victoria in the resupply of the oral contraceptive pill to women by community pharmacists. Community pharmacies in the ACT are ready to do more for patient’s health by having community pharmacists working to their full scope of practice, and we look forward to working further with the ACT Government on this.”

For more information visit on the pharmacy prescribing trial for the oral contraceptive pill or uncomplicated UTIs, visit: www.health.act.gov.au/pharmacy-trial

Today the Shirley Smith High School logo and uniform were officially released in advance of the new school’s first year of operation in 2024.

Community input was sought on three potential design options for the school’s logo and uniform.

Following this community consultation, the final logo and uniform were chosen.

The final design concept chosen by the community is the ‘Curly S’.

The Curly S logo represents the initials in the name Shirley Smith, as well as the handwritten and the mechanical coming together, to show the relationship between people, community and the institution of education.

The community’s preferred colour for the logo is ‘fresh green’.

The student uniforms have both the Curly S logo on the chest, as well as the handwritten S design on the uniform body.

Located in Kenny, Shirley Smith High School is the ACT’s 91^st public school.

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Forget laptops – for some students, giving treats and tummy rubs are all in a day’s learning.

Nestled alongside bushland at CIT’s Bruce campus, CIT Dog Day Care is an authentic learning environment for aspiring animal care professionals.

Here, students pursuing careers in animal care gain hands-on experience in a real-world setting.

This not only equips them with essential skills towards a career in a field facing a shortage of qualified professionals, it’s also just great fun.

Erin, a current CIT student, says “I’ve always wanted to do an animal course. Working here gives us a real hands-on experience so that we know what we should be looking for. We’re supported the whole way by our teachers to work with the dogs and their owners – the support gives you a real boost to deal with all parts of the job.”

Under the guidance of experienced instructors, students provide the best of care for their doggy clients.

This practical experience is complemented by classroom lessons throughout the week.

Some students are completing Australian School-based Apprenticeships (ASBAs), some are Fee-Free TAFE course graduates – all are gaining foundational skills towards a career in anything from veterinary nursing to dog grooming.

As well as learning the optimal ways of communicating with the dogs in their care, students develop customer service skills liaising with their owners.

Small dogs attend day care on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and large dogs on Fridays.

The numbers of participating dogs are limited, ensuring students get to know each one well enough to offer individualised care.

Each day, the dogs enjoy high-quality care including multiple walks, grooming or bath time, play, basic training and socialisation – and plenty of attention and affection.

Maree, a supervisor, says the facility is “a unique space for students to develop real skills. Here they get a lot of preparation, true hands-on dog experience. They have an opportunity to see a range of natural behaviours and are able to develop the skills to manage situations in a supportive environment, all whilst collaborating and learning from other students.”

The CIT Dog Day Care facility has become popular with pet owners who appreciate the personalised attention their dogs receive from the enthusiastic and dedicated students and staff.

Its success highlights the close relationship between the Canberra community, CIT and industry, creating a safe, enjoyable environment for furry friends while contributing to the development of the next generation of animal care professionals.

Netball courts around Canberra will begin receiving upgrades from today, giving players and officials improved facilities.

The work planned across the city’s five district netball facilities will include improvements to playing surfaces, fencing, drainage and stormwater management.

The ACT Government is working with Netball ACT, following their ongoing engagement and advocacy on behalf of the local netball community.

Netball is one of Canberra’s most popular sports with over 12,000 participants.

The upgrades align with the vision of the ACT Government’s CBR Next Move Sport and Recreation Strategy, to get all Canberrans moving more through sport and active recreation.

Netball ACT’s courts remediation project will be staged over two years, with works at the Arawang Netball Association facility in Stirling starting today, and work commencing at the Canberra Netball Association facility in Lyneham also.

South Canberra, Belconnen and Tuggeranong will receive their improvements later in 2024.

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Fee-Free Tafe – a jointly funded initiative of the Australian and ACT Governments – will continue until 2026.

This extension will allow Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) to deliver another 3600 places over three years from 2024 onwards.

This amounts to 600 tuition-free places for Canberrans each semester from 2024 through to the end of 2026.

There will be a focus on priority learners and areas of skills demand.

Applications for CIT Fee-Free TAFE places in semester 1, 2024, open Monday, 13 November 2023 and prospective students are encouraged to apply early.

All are invited to attend CIT Open Day on Friday, 17 November, at the CIT Reid, Bruce and Fyshwick campuses.

CIT has successfully met its targets in the first year of delivering Fee-Free TAFE, reaching its allocated 2,530 enrolments for 2023.

More than 1000 of CIT’s Fee-Free TAFE student enrolments have been in the care sector, in skilled areas of demand such as childcare, aged care, disability care and community services.

CIT has also seen a strong uptake of education and training in cyber security. The Certificate IV Cyber Security has been the most popular of all Fee-Free courses with 264 enrolments.

“CIT has shown we can successfully deliver the national Fee-Free TAFE program, making education and training more accessible to Canberrans and continuing to drive the ACT’s workforce forward, especially in industry areas of need and to priority learner cohorts,” CIT Interim CEO Christine Robertson said.

“Vocational education and training can change people’s lives, and Fee-Free TAFE is providing opportunity, especially to priority learners. It’s encouraging to see big enrolments among our youth and job seekers, while Fee-Free TAFE in the ACT has supported 430 women in financial hardship to access education and training.

“Students have shared how they may not have even considered vocational education and training if not for the opportunity and accessibility that Fee-Free TAFE has provided them.”

“We look forward to seeing more students graduate of Fee-Free TAFE and becoming the carers, construction workers, hospitality staff and digital experts the ACT needs. We’ve also had many students graduate short course via Fee-Free TAFE, which has set them on the pathway to further education,” she said.

Highlights of CIT’s Fee-Free TAFE delivery in 2023 include:

• 268 course completions already, mainly in short courses, which is a great pathway to further study and jobs
• 1,609 female student enrolments (more than 60 per cent of total). CIT has been enhancing diversity in student cohorts e.g. 25 enrolments for women in building, construction and electronics trades
• 430 women in financial hardship. Fee-Free tuition has made education and training possible.
• 1,027 enrolments in care sector related courses, across areas including childcare, aged care, disability care, and community services
• 936 enrolments for students aged between 17 and 24
• 774 enrolments for job seekers
• 215 enrolments for unpaid carers
• 163 enrolments for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples
• 124 enrolments for people that identify with a disability
• 55 enrolments are for Humanitarian visa holders and 161 for other eligible visa holders
• 30 enrolments for veterans.

More information on CIT courses eligible for Fee-Free TAFE enrolment in Semester 1, 2024, is available at the CIT Fee-Free TAFE webpage.

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Did you know the ACT Government operates and manages more than 90 parks and nature reserves for our community to enjoy? Volunteers – like the Friends of Mount Painter – play a huge role in making this possible.

The Friends of Mount Painter is a registered ParkCare Patch group that is made up of a small number of residents who support ACT Parks in the management of the 93-hectare reserve.  

Convenor Sarah Hnatiuk, along with her group of volunteers, is helping protect and enhance the area for generations to come.

Production brings support for the local screen industry