RACHAEL PONDERS THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION

You might expect that after another busy term, leading teacher Rachael Gore would be using the school holidays to to put her feet up and recharge her batteries.

Instead, she will be flying to Canberra on July 7 to discuss the future of education with the nation’s education leaders and policy makers.

The Canberra gathering has been organised by federal and state education ministers, who have set up an Expert Review Panel to recommend where the national focus should be directed to close gaps in educational outcomes that deliver world-class schools.

The expert panel has been asked to engage extensively across the schools sector and seek ideas and advice from students, teachers, school leaders and support staff, education unions, national education agencies, nongovernment sector school stakeholders, parents, carers, youth and student bodies, and governments.

Rachael was chosen by the Victorian Education Department to represent public school teachers in discussions.

The expert panel will deliver a final report to all Education Ministers by 31 October. So it might mean Rachael has to head back to Canberra in the September school holidays for another meeting.

That’s dedication worth applauding!

If you would like to have your say on the future of education, complete the survey being conducted by the Expert Panel. It closes this Friday, June 23.

Leon Defies Gravity To Win National Title

Year 8 student Leontin Moumèn Denanto is taking his love of sport climbing to new heights.

Leon was one of 55 young climbers who represented Victoria in the national youth championships in Sydney recently.

Leontin’s favourite discipline is lead climbing, in which you aim to climb as high as possible without falling while clipping your safety rope into safety points as you move up the course.

After being third in the qualifiers, Leontin outclimbed his seven rivals to take out the competition.Watch out, Spider Man! Leontin has you covered.

Basketball Team Fights To The Finish

A team of boys from years 9 and 10 fought hard at the recent Victorian College Basketball championships in Nunawading recently.

The boys, chosen to represent APC at the championships, played with determination and teamwork to win all their round robin games before narrowly losing in the semi-final.

The team is part of the APC Basketball Academy, which has been part of the school since its opening in 2011.

This year, the academy boasts a squad of more than 70 basketballers who train under the watchful eyes of head coach Darcy Daniels and are led by captains Tom Harrison and Victoria Petersomn.

The academy offers two morning training sessions to students of all abilities. Sessions are conducted at either MSAC or the Danks St campus.