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Welcome to the new format News


Moving forward we would like keep you informed of upcoming opportunities, events, and home education news with our new format newsletter which will be published each month.

Feel free to share with other homeschoolers who might like to become HEA Members.

 
Each month the HEA Newsletter will feature images submitted to the photography competition.

 

Introducing....Story Box Library


Story Box Library is a great place to watch celebrated stories read aloud by favourite storytellers. A fantastic literary resource for preschool through to upper primary aged children, a range of actors, sportspeople, illustrators, activists and more share their voices in an ever growing library. Including Indigenous Story Time specifically intended to increase the diversity of stories in the library, to allow every child in Australia to see themselves reflected in our stories.

It’s story time, any time!

Teaching resources usually accessible only to teachers with a school subscription to Story Box Library,  are now accessible to home educators as part of your Home Education Association membership. Just scroll down the page, under the story to access these resources for each book. Classroom Ideas are based on the unique themes, story structures and language features of each story. While the classroom ideas are designed for traditional schools, they are also designed to provide a flexible and easily accessible resource that can be adapted to suit each educator’s needs, and are curriculum linked which may assist with registration paperwork.

The HEA is excited to announce that Story Box Library is now included in your membership. To access these resources, simply log in to the HEA website to obtain access details. Your subscription includes access to high quality literacy resources, including Indigenous Story Time, as well as curriculum linked teaching resources.

The HEA thanks Story Box Library for partnering with us in making this resource available to homeschooled students. 

Stories that Connect Us All

Stories Connect Us All, is a short film documenting reflections on story and sharing the voices of our Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander storytellers who made ‘Indigenous Story Time’ possible. Stories Connect Us All, was released to coincide with NAIDOC Week to both support this year’s theme of  'Voice. Treaty. Truth.’ and to engage with the idea that stories connect us all.

We hope that our storytellers’ reflections on ‘Giilang’, the Wiradjuri word for ‘Story’, will serve as a reminder for why we need to continue to share the stories and voices of Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Stories Connect Us All has been made freely available and we encourage you to share the short film widely with your colleagues and wider network, not just during NAIDOC Week, but throughout the years to come.  

Watch Stories that Connect Us All

2019 Tax, Super + You competition
 

The Australian Taxation Office invites high school students to enter the 2019 Tax, Super + You competition for a chance to win from a total cash prize pool of over $6,000! Entries close on 23 August.

The ATO also has free education resources, worth checking out if you are teaching financial literacy. 
Learn how to enter


It’s dry out here. 


In an academic way, most Australian’s know that. But for those of us who live in rural or regional areas, it becomes quite personal. And it’s very, very dry. 

When we moved out of the ‘burbs and onto 100 acres of bush three years ago, we thought we were pretty good at keeping our electricity and water usage down. After living completely off the grid for three years, I can confidently report that we were wrong. 

Now, we save every drop. There’s the obligatory bucket in the shower to catch the water as we wait or the hot water to kick in. The kitchen bench has ice cream containers on it, all collecting water that was used to wash vegetables, or rinse the kitchen cloth. The washing machine empties to the remaining gardens, close enough to the house to save. Everyone is on strict 3 minute showers - the boys are down to every other day. 

When it doesn’t rain, the landscape changes, and it is easy to see the wide brown land that Dorothea Mackaller wrote about. Wildlife comes closer to the house, to the roads, looking for food and water. And that means more roadkill. Daily I drive past dead Kangaroos and Wallabies; recently also Possums and a Koala. Around Glen Innes, even the pine trees are dying. Locals tell me that they’ve never seen it this dry. 

I was unprepared for just how stressful not having enough water is. Our dams have been empty for about 6 months now. We are down to the last half of a tank of water. Soon, we will be having water carted out here. A six week supply of water costs me about the same as I used to pay for six months of town water. Still, we are more fortunate than most. You see, we’re not farmers. We have no livestock - only a few chooks, so the empty dams mean that my veggie gardens are dead, but it hasn’t affected our livelihoods. Many of the businesses in towns are affected also, as spending decreases; but we work in healthcare, and the government pays us regardless of whether or not it rains. Our area has had a little bit of rain; many others have had none at all. Whole towns will be out of water within six months without significant rain. Places like Tamworth, Orange, Cobar, Stanthorpe and Warwick, just to name a few. 

Every time I go to Sydney, it seems to rain. We turn on the taps, and water flows out. And it’s easy to forget. In the country, sometimes it’s hard to remember that it will rain again.

If you are a homeschooling family who has been impacted by the current drought, we want to hear from you. From August 8 to September 8 inclusive, The HEA is offering: 

  1. Drought affected member families one free subscription per family, or

  2. A free HEA membership for drought affected non-member families.

 If you live in a drought declared area, simply write in and tell us how the drought has affected you. This could be a story, poem, photos or artwork - be as creative as you like. We would like to share these in our next newsletter, to improve awareness of the impacts of drought. 

Email: contact@hea.edu.au


Rain – By Karen Chegwidden

The earth is hard, brown, dry.

My garden withers, dead.

CRUNCH

The grass beneath my feet.

HOLLOW

The empty tank echoes.

The distant rumble of thunder, 

Another empty promise?

 

 

Then quietly, gently, a tentative rattle.

The land and all she holds waits - 

Expectant, hopeful. 

The drumbeat on the tin roof

Steady, confident now.

Trickling, gurgling,

Soaking silently in the parched earth.

A collective sigh,

A hopeful hush. 

Perhaps this time it will be enough?


Wildlife & Environmental Education
 

My Green World is launching a full suite of programs tailored to children. The company’s education resources for 5-18 year-olds can be used both in and out of school to teach children about science, geography, wildlife and environmental conservation, animal welfare and climate change. My Green World’s resource packages include classroom presentations, games, wildlife photos, fact files, teachers’ notes and classroom and at-home activities.

My Green World is a Melbourne-based social enterprise dedicated to addressing global wildlife and environmental challenges through inclusive, youth-focused education. Since 2013, My Green World has been pioneering digital education programs that further children’s engagement with global conservation efforts while ensuring the preservation of species and environments. These programs include the World of the Wild mobile game app and Kids Corner online classroom. 

My Green World was created to respond to wildlife and environmental crises by unlocking the potential of children as change agents and ensuring that every young Australian has access to educational materials and support that they need to address the challenges that will define their generation. By increasing children's engagement with wildlife and environmental conservation education, My Green World are equipping the next generation with the knowledge that will enable them to respond to key issues defining their lifetime. 

Find out more

University of Western Australia presents: Geometry and the theory of numbers


The University of Western Australia is pleased to present 2018 Fields Medal winner, Professor Akshay Venkatesh’s public lecture, Geometry and the theory of numbers. Professor Venkatesh is only the second Australian to have been awarded one of the world’s most prestigious mathematical awards – the Fields Medal. Considered by many as the Nobel Prize for mathematicians, the Fields Medal is awarded to researchers under 40 years old to recognise outstanding mathematical achievement for existing work and for the promise of future achievement.

In mathematics, there are many surprising parallels between problems in the theory of numbers and questions in three-dimensional geometry. For example, there is a strong correlation between prime numbers and knots. Join Professor Venkatesh as he explores this theory and how it continues to inform his research.

All are welcome to attend this free event at The University of Western Australia. As places are limited, we recommend that you register as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Please note, there is a limit of two tickets per booking.

Register for this event

Wesley Vision Valley have asked us to pass on information about a camp they are running for home-schooled students. As they are also a not-for-profit organisation, we are happy to share this information with our members. It is not an endorsement by the HEA. 

The camp costs $389 per person with a minimum of 30 people to run the camp on 26th – 29th August, 2019.  If there is a group of 30 guests that are interested in other dates please email Olivia at Olivia.Buley@wesleymission.org.au

Get Connected through Wesley Vision Valley


Discover a tailor-made Life Ready camp for home educators within the greater Sydney region. 

Wesley Vision Valley is an award-winning centrein Sydney’s north that is taking expressions of interest for a tailored camp for 16yr and 17yr old students in a unique and convenient Aussie bush location. 

Wesley Vision Valley offers this camp experience guided by the New South Wales Department of Education curriculum that will help prepare and support senior students as they encounter situations related to health and safety, becoming more independent and gaining more responsibilities. 

Why choose Wesley Vision Valley? 

At Wesley Vision Valley, we provide a safe and relaxing environment for your students to explore the six key areas of learning within the required curriculum of the Life Ready course. These include Safe Travel, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Independence, Drugs and Alcohol, Sexuality and Sexual Health, and Relationships. 

We aim to engage , equip and empower young people as they navigate their communities and values. That’s why we provide everything you need in one place; including skilled educators from the Wesley Training team, excellent catering and facilities, and opportunities for students to build the functional knowledge and skills for life post school.

To find out more about the Life Ready camp from 26th to 29th August 2019, please call 1800043344 or email visionvalley@wesleymission.org.au

Fully Funded Mental Health Services for Regional Australians


onPsych appreciates how difficult it is for many Australian’s to receive high quality mental health support in a timely manner; this is why we have a dedicated team of psychologist who are onboard to work with Australian’s living in regional and remote areas via telehealth. At the moment, there is no wait list and we have practitioners who have a variety of skills and experiences to ensure the individual needs of each client are met. We have the experience and capacity to support children, adolescents, families, and adults via telehealth. Sessions can be facilitated at home, at the work place, at school, or anywhere else that may be appropriate (e.g. community centre, health clinic, etc). In cases where the individual has a referral from their GP and resides in a regional area (as determined by the Dept of Health), this this service can be covered under Medicare (no gap fee). 

For more information, please visit our website at http://onpsych.com.au/ or our FB page https://www.facebook.com/onpsychaustralia/

For a confidential conversation or to obtain a referral pack, please contact Meg Christie, NSW General Manager on mchristie@onpsych.com.au or 0405427785.
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