Schools Newsletter
News and information for teachers on our education programs and resources relating to water, wastewater and recycled water
Enter the National Water Week 2016 Primary Schools Poster Competition
We are once again inviting primary schools across our region to participate in the National Water Week Primary Schools Poster Competition, a regular feature of our education program.
The competition offers reward and recognition for students who create a visual interpretation of relevant water themes and issues through an A3 poster. The theme for 2016 is 'Water, Life, Growth'.
Please see our website for further information and register your interest with us if you wish to be involved.
National Water Week 2016
National Water Week is held every year during the third week of October and provides schools and community groups with an opportunity to conduct events that place a focus on water-related themes.
For further information about National Water Week please see the Australian Water Association website.
Be Smart. Choose Tap!
Choose Tap is a campaign encouraging people to drink tap water as a healthier, cost-effective alternative to bottled water and sugary drinks.
Water is essential for healthy living and staying hydrated is crucial for sporting, mental and academic performance.
This campaign can be promoted in the school community to support sustainability principles addressed in the curriculum. Two elements of the campaign which may be of interest to teachers are our free 'Check Your Wee to See' charts, a good way to encourage students to drink enough water, and our water bottle fundraiser, a healthy way to raise money for your school. See below for more details.
Download a free 'Check Your Wee to See' Chart
Available in primary and secondary versions, our 'Check Your Wee to See' chart for toilets enables students to compare the colour of their wee as a prompt to drink more water. Charts can be downloaded by completing our chart order form.
Sell reusable water bottles for your next healthy fundraiser!
Schools can purchase our ‘Choose Tap’ high quality, reusable water bottles at cost price to sell as a fundraiser. We also have sports bottles and carriers, manufactured by the same suppliers to the AFL, available at cost price. Complete our water bottle order form.
School incursions and curriculum resources
We offer a range of interactive and engaging activities to provide hands-on experiences to find out about the story of water from catchment to tap.
Our program supports sustainability and science themes in the curriculum. Contact our Education Officer to arrange a visit.
Catchment in the kinetic sandpit
We have been trialling an indoor version of our popular 'Catchment in the Sandpit' activity using kinetic sand. Students use the sand and small props to construct water systems in a tray. The activity has been well received and is suitable for all levels. Students are encouraged to express principles learned from the session through their own life experience.
From water treatment to tap
Demonstrations and age-appropriate interactive activities teach students from Prep to Grade 6 about the importance of treating water to make it clean for household use and safe to drink. We encourage the sustainable, healthy and cost-effective option of drinking tap water and will provide students with a free reusable water bottle to assist in this regard.
Fun learning with ‘Taps & Toilets’
A core activity of our education program, ‘Taps & Toilets’ is an engineering game which demonstrates our role in the community as a water and wastewater service provider. Students work in groups to design water systems for a community using straws placed on a map. The activity is suitable for all ages and provides a first-hand role-play experience.
Feedback from teachers
In March we held a Teachers Focus Group to meet with teachers and listen to their feedback and suggestions. From the session we plan to develop and deliver new elements in our education program. We value suggestions and feedback from teachers so please feel free to contact us at any time.
Information on our website
Our website has lots of information which may be helpful to students engaged in work relating to water, including:
Schools Water
Efficiency Program
The Schools Water Efficiency Program (SWEP) is a state government initiative available to every school in Victoria. There are 34 schools in our region participating in SWEP. Collectively they have saved more than 100 million litres of water. SWEP provides schools with data loggers, curriculum materials and a webpage to learn about water consumption. An email alert function has successfully identified faulty appliances and leaks enabling schools to act. This year SWEP is conducting a Short Film Contest, with a prize-pool of more than $5,000. Visit the SWEP website for more details.
ResourceSmart AuSSIVic
We support the ResourceSmart AuSSIVic sustainability curriculum framework, particularly for schools working towards accreditation in the water module. Teachers are reminded that entries for the Sustainability Victoria’s ResourceSmart Schools Awards 2016 are now open until Monday 15 August 2016. This year, Sustainability Victoria in collaboration with Museum Victoria are creating a memorable and interactive Awards experience for students, teachers and schools at the Awards event.
See the ResourceSmart AuSSIVic website for more information.
‘Water- Learn it. Live it.’
The ‘Water- Learn it. Live it.’ curriculum resource is a state water education resource. This Victorian Water Industry initiative features three volumes of information and activities.
Teachers can select from a range of activities from Prep to Grade 10 grouped into three themes when planning water based units:
- Volume 1: Water in the Natural Environment
- Volume 2: Water in the Urban Environment
- Volume 3: Water in the Community
You can access all
three volumes of the resource on our website.
Waterwatch River Detectives
We support the River Detectives program provided by North Central Catchment Management Authority. The environmental education program increases student awareness of waterway and catchment health through three core hands-on activities. The program also provides teachers with professional development training so they can engage students in key waterway and catchment health concepts. To learn more about the River Detectives program visit NCCMA.
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37 - 45 Bridge Street
Bendigo
Victoria 3550