Embedded Files
Writing alongside our students
Jackie French
Author
What do I miss?
Hugs. Making pancakes with my grandsons. Time - hours seem to gurgle down the plughole as schools and education departments suddenly need online book videos. It’s been days since I managed to write even a paragraph on my next book. Except...
I’ve suddenly got my own teleporter machine. There’s exercise and discussion groups I never had time to drive to but now they are online. I just turn on my computer and wacko! I’m there.
I was in Switzerland yesterday, the USA the day before, and will be having fun in Perth tomorrow. I’m doing a zillion things with friends, like emailing ‘the international space station will be overhead in four minutes’ and we all race out and gaze as it suddenly appears in the middle of the darkening sky and it is HUGE and we all email ‘wow!’ to each other, or ‘who feels like date scones?’ and we cook them and eat them together even though we are apart.
We look after each other more these days. There was garlic in my letter box last week and proteas this week and I leave books in my letter box for anyone passing by who needs them, and post books too. Who’d like some rhubarb? Does anyone need eggs? Someone texts ‘can I pick up your groceries this week?’
It’s actually pretty wonderful. It’s not surprising, either. Pandemics come often. Our ancestors were the ones who survived them- they must have, or we wouldn’t be here. During the Black Death more people died of neglect than the plague – you don’t get better without food and water and kindness.
It’s hard work to suddenly change how we do things together. I wish there were 42 hours in every day. But I have never felt more optimistic for humanity either. We can change FAST. And we’ve re learned that it’s fun to be kind.
Listen to Jackie French read her journal entry
Dr Kaye Price (left), Natalie Howson (centre), Shona Chapman (right)
Dr KayE Price AM
PhD (ANU); M.Ed (UniSA); B.Ed (ECU); Dip Teach (UniTas). FACE
Dr Price is both a champion and Elder of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education. She has worked tirelessly for many decades to ensure all young people in Australian school can learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures, languages and knowledge.
For most of the year, I spend a lot of time at home, with occasional visits to Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide to participate in meetings. Some of the time I work on aspects of Science and Maths in the Australian Curriculum.
During November, I look at applications from schools, teachers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who are applying for one of the CSIRO Indigenous STEM Awards.
So what am I missing you might ask.
From February through March and April I get to meet all the amazing Indigenous STEM Awardees and to present them with their awards. Last year I met them all at a secret event in Sydney which was very special.
In March last year, I travelled with representatives of CSIRO and the BHP Foundation (who funded the Indigenous STEM Awards) to Areyonga, or Utju, a very small town in the Northern Territory, to announce the winners. As Areyonga was receiving the school award, the announcement was made there and publicised. I also travelled to Galiwink’u (on Elcho Island) to present Marcus Lacey with his STEM Champion Award.
This year, the announcements were made at the BHP Science and Engineering Awards Ceremony in Melbourne and we had planned to travel to each awardee’s home community to present their awards. On March 7, we presented Rikki Bruce, an engineer, with her award at a community event at Darwin and on March 13, the school award at Thurowinga State High School at Darwin.
So what am I missing?
I am missing the opportunity to present Jamie Graham with his award at Hobart.
I am missing the opportunity to present Corey Tutt (NSW Young Australian of the Year and Deadly Science) with his STEM Champion Award.
I am missing the opportunity to present Makhdoom Bhatti with his award at Ntaria School (Hermannsburg) with his award for being an innovative, unselfish science teacher.
But most of all I am missing the opportunity to celebrate STEM achievements with these remarkable people and their communities, and with the very hard working people at CSIRO and the BHP Foundation.
DIANA WEBSTER
High School Teacher
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