The Berrima Fleet – Australia Day 2017
The Rotary Club of Berrima District once again took to Sydney Harbour to take part in the Yacht Ballet as part of the official Australia Day celebrations. This year we hired three Yachts. We had a total of 53 members and guests with representatives of Berrima, Bowral/Mittagong and Moss Vale Rotary Clubs. We had a wonderful day and extend our sincere thanks to Allen Cupit and Ace Internet Services for their generous sponsorship and Bridget Cosyn for her marvelous catering of the event. A thank you also to Berrima Buslines for transport to and from Rushcutters Bay.
Triple Care Farm – Rotary House Maintenance Work
Australia Day 2017 Sydney Harbour Adventure
Australia Day on the Harbour in the ‘Yacht and Tug Ballet’
Australia Day is Sydney Harbour’s fun day. The day is jam packed with activities – the great ferry boat challenge, tall ship races, fly overs and much much more!
Join us centre stage on our yachts performing in the ‘2017 Yacht and Tug Ballet’.
We did this last year, we were on the yacht with the blue hull in the above photo, it was awesome!
Limited places available so book now!
Book through the following link: https://www.trybooking.com/251735
Includes:
Bus transport from Bowral Railway Station, departing at 8:00 am – NOW 7:45
Activities on the Harbour from approx 10:00am – 3:30pm
Lunch and drinks on the Harbour
Light refreshments on the bus.
Bus return to Bowral, departing Rushcutters Bay at 4:00 pm
Price: $160 Per Person
Contact Details:
Allen Cupitt, Work Phone: 02 4861 8888 email: allenc@ace.com.au
Breakfast Meeting – 30th November 2016
Our meeting of the 30th November was a breakfast meeting held at The Mill in Bowral. We had a delicious breakfast and then retired to the conference room to hear from two inspiring women – Kiara Rochaix from Oxley College and Jennifer Star from Tara Ed.
- In 2009 they received funding for 20 reconditioned computers. 4 Australian teachers were sent to the school for a month to teach the Indian teachers how to use computers. The Australian teachers also helped to develop and equip a library as well as training librarians.
- 2012 saw the start of the Star Kids scholarship programme which has seen 246 students since 2012. Girls between the ages of 11 and 16 have been the main focus as they are the children who seem to fall through the cracks.
- 2013 saw the installation of an internet connection and Skype communication in the form of open classrooms with Mulwarree and Bowral High Schools who both have a sister school arrangement with the Rosary School.
- 2014 saw the original 23 Indian teachers taught by Tara Ed take their knowledge into the community and teach a further 70 Indian Teachers. The school now independently runs 4 teacher training programmes a year.
- 2015 saw the current gender balance at 72 girls per 100 boys. The aim it to reach gender parity by 2020. The completion of the girls amenity block in December 2015 is a giant step towards this.
- 2016 saw the identification of pre-primary (pre-school) education as the next step that needed developing. With the help of a grant from the Australian government they have built 3 new classrooms – 2 high school and one preschool that has 20 boys and 20 girls.
So what is the measure of the success of Tara Ed?
- There are obvious physical changes with new classrooms and new amenities.
- 23 teachers have had sustained exposure to Tara Ed teacher training.
- Over the past 3 years all the students who have attempted the school certificate have passed.
- New classrooms have seen the student body grow from 426 to 591.
- Increased student retention – is at 74% and is above the national average.
- 2016 is the last year of Tara Ed with the Rosary school as they now have everything they need to be sustainable as well as teaching other teachers throughout the surrounding districts.
- There were 27 schools in the initial programme. many of these are now fully sustainable and Tara Ed are only involved in 8.
- May 2017 will see a reciprocal teacher exchange with a number of Indian teachers coming to Australia. Stay tuned!