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Hard work brings great results
You can do anything if you’re prepared to work for it: Cherbourg State School students show how hard they worked to get some great Year-3 NAPLAN results last year. They include Quiytina Murray, Aquilla Malone, Ethan West, Colin Saltner and Jacody Saltner-Weazel. Year-3 teacher aide Lisa Hansen and teacher Peter Bakhash encourage children to use school to chase their dreams. Image supplied
by Marcus Priaulx 10 August 2013
F
ilming of Cherbourg State School students is set to roll next week as their results have caught the eye of the Queensland Government. Camera crews are scheduled to arrive on Thursday as the school is closing the gap through its holistic approach. This ensures its children’s health and wellbeing is addressed while teaching them culture and the curriculum. All parts of the equation are given equal weight and principal Peter Sansby was contacted by Education Queensland to say it wished to highlight the school’s efforts with a film. He was told there had been a significant improvement within its
Year-3 students’ academic results measured by NAPLAN, in relation to like schools. “It’s because of the dedication of our staff who put together the concept of health, wellbeing, teaching and culture within the school’s workings,” Mr Sansby said. “We’re all working hard to ensure the children’s results continue to improve as they get older in the upper part of the school.” How it works Mr Sansby said the school had consulted with the community and placed a high expectation on its students’ ability to do well. It also provides a high-level of education to the children about their Indigenous traditions, culture and history. Partnerships with community
health workers and a sit-down dining café that serves only healthy meals, helps ensure the children’s wellbeing and readiness to learn. “Mums and dads now need to ensure their children come to school every day on time so their children can chase their dreams and be the best that they can be,” Mr Sansby said. “The community has told us the three things they clearly wanted the school to address was learning, culture and the children’s health and wellbeing. “We’ve now developed a model to make that a reality. The children are responding and this is the system Education Queensland has acknowledged as best practise and will promote to other like schools at future conferences.”
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