What is SENIORS' WEEK?
It is a celebration for people aged 60 and over acknowledging their continuing contribution to family, friends, workplaces and their communities. The theme for 2014 was 'LIVE LIFE' offering great opportunities for seniors to stay active and independent and be recognized for their community involvement.
Photo courtesy of What's On - City of Sydney
NSW Seniors' Week is an annual NSW Government campaign with a program of events organized during the week of 15th - 23rd March and has become the largest celebration for seniors in the southern hemisphere. Did you know that? To be fair, other States also have celebrations.
The purpose is to promote positive attitudes towards ageing.
IS THIS ME?
YES, apparently!
John and I attended Seniors' Week celebration at Howlong Public School where our youngest grandchild, Hunter, attends.
GRANDPARENTS' DAY!
Where is HOWLONG and why such a "funny" name?
Howlong is a lovely riverside country town situated 597 km south-west of Sydney, nestled upon the Murray River on the NSW-Victorian border, with a population of a little more than 2500.
The name Howlong is derived from the Aboriginal native language, "Oolong" meaning a haunt of native companions (Brolga Birds).
I am writing this blog mainly for the benefit of our diverse range of readers ALL over the world as I think it is of interest for an insight to the opportunities for children in Primary Schools that maybe we never enjoyed when we were at school - seemingly a century ago! (Probably quite true!)
John and I were entertained in the classroom and in the playground. Our classrooms were NEVER this bright and cheerful. Hunter with School Principal when he was elected as his class SRC member (school council representative)
Children at Howlong have their own gardens and animals. We were given beautiful, freshly-made egg and lettuce sandwiches for a picnic lunch, made by the children from their own outside activities.
Children care for their garden and for their chooks.
Loved the fluffy black one!
Planting another tree - they have a very large 'nature' area and they look after it themselves.
Loved this old tree - just look at the size of the trunk!
The playgrounds are typical of every Primary School today, but I am in awe compared to our days of making do with our own imagination in schoolgrounds.
Notice how everything is under cover with protection from the weather.
WELL DONE HOWLONG PUBLIC SCHOOL
So, what do you think?
John and I thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the school and for a small country township, their Primary School is something the community should be very proud of.
Schools have come a long way and our children are being looked after beyond belief.
Just for the record, we have three children and they are ALL Schoolteachers!
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Looks like a great school. My children attend(ed) a local suburban school - unfortunately we don't have the land to have great things like veggie patch and chooks. Fabulous experience.
ReplyDeleteIt really IS a great school and Hunter is very fortunate to be growing up in the country as opposed to the city - my opinion, anyway.
ReplyDeleteI worked at the one primary school for 27 years and apart from a couple of years when a building program was happening, there were always chooks and a vegetable patch. The other little school I now work at has 2 calves, 2 sheep, chooks (and now some chickens), guinea pigs, vegetable garden etc. They make lunch one day per week, often with produce from the garden. An abundance of tomatoes, and next thing there is relish to sell at a stall. The kids love it.
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