February

The sweat and effort of more than 70,000 NSW public school students has been rewarded with the completion of the Premier’s Sporting Challenge. Read more here.

More than 100 government high schools have expressed an intention to offer vocational education and training to Years 9 and 10 students next year. Learn more here.

It’s not every day students get to look at prehistoric bones but last term students from around the state got an expert-guided view via videoconference. Find out more.

In its seventh year in NSW public schools, the Exploring Interests in Information Technology and Engineering (EXITE) program – funded by IBM – aims to make girls aware of the opportunities available through technology. Learn more here.

Students with literacy delays have advanced their reading ages by up to two years through an eight-week program undertaken in a network of Western Sydney region schools. Read more here.

Towards the close of last term’s trade fair, Milperra Public School Years 5 and 6 students realised they were going to have to make some tough financial decisions – slash hundreds of “milpies” from the price of cupcakes or be left literally holding the bag. The trade fair – involving the whole school and students from Maitland East Public School – is part of the Lifeskills Microsociety Program aimed at developing consumer and financial literacy. Find out more.

Murwillumbah Public School has gone one step further in its sustainability ethics by teaching the students to grow their own food as a way of being self-sufficient when pocket money is a bit tight. Learn more here.