Sadie Keane and Valentine Karaitiana practiced their superman pose, which is one of the most important postures for sensory integration.

It is Early Learning Matters Week next week and Forbes Preschool (FPs) will be launching it with their first Facebook Live seminar for parents on Monday, 3 August at 7pm to share how important quality early learning is.

“High quality education and care supports children to be confident, enthusiastic learners, building a foundation for wellbeing and achievement through their whole lives,” FPs Director Amy Shine said.

“Our preschool has always focused on developing the best outcomes for our children and Early Learning Matters Week 2020 is helping spread the message to the community at a national level.”

Early Learning Matters was started by Service providers, peak bodies and re- search and advocacy groups to better inform political decision makers of the importance of quality early education. This year FPs is expanding that message to include families and communities.

“We have long been working towards the best outcomes for our children, but we need the whole community to understand the positive implications early learning has in supporting families and building our society.”

“All early learning centres in Forbes are working hard every day to develop exciting programs to help our children become strong independent learners,” said Amy.

FPs has recently become an NDIS provider and continues to offer Occupational Therapy, Speech and Synergetic Play Therapy as an integrated part of all programs. “NDIS is about working with children in their own environments and FPs is able to provide extended and specialised learning in a child’s own safe preschool space –  programmed specifically for their own very personal needs,” Speech Pathologist Jess Schofield added.

To attend the webinar, find the Forbes Preschool Facebook and record your interest in attending under ‘Events’. Facebook will send a reminder before 7pm to join. Get settled in a comfy, quiet spot so you can tune in for a discussion about the FPs 2020 school transition program.

Children learn more in the first three years than they ever will, which is why the work educators do at Bright Beginnings ELC is vital, as it builds a strong foundation for all future development and learning. We underestimate how much children learn before they begin formal schooling, but the professional team of educators are committed to providing high-quality learning environments that offer a variety of rich and stimulating educational opportunities. The goal is to ensure every child has a strong foundation to reach their full potential.

The innovative teaching and learning continues at Forbes High School with staff embedding Curiosity & Powerful Learning in partnership with Positive Behaviour for Learning to improve student outcomes.

Education Week 2020 takes place from Monday, 3 August to Friday, 7 August. It is a state-wide annual event that celebrates public education in NSW with an emphasis on students, educators and the communities that support them.

During Education Week 2020 Forbes High School will highlight student empowerment, agency, and ownership of their education under the theme, ‘Learning Together’.

It is an important message that underpins NSW Education’s ambition for every student within the public school system to be known, valued, and cared for. The message gives us the opportunity to reflect on the valuable role the student voice has in creating engaged citizens who will thrive beyond the school gates.

Principal Safija Bristina said Education Week was the ideal opportunity for the school to reach out to its community and share its achievements through online platforms and social media.

“Forbes High School continues to ensure every student improves every year and we do this with passionate and courageous staff that are prepared to do teaching and learning differently to make it work for our students,” said Safija.

Like so many things in this Covid crazy world, Education Week is being conducted differently at Forbes North Public School this year! Due to current health advice, Forbes North is unable to hold their regular community events. So, instead of inviting the community in, Forbes North are ‘going out’ into the community.

This Education Week, student artworks, outstanding work samples, photos and audio-visual items will be on display in the heart of Forbes in the store-front windows at 54 – 58 Rankin St. We encourage the entire Forbes community to come and do some ‘window shopping’ and see the great work the kids have been doing both at school and at home while “Learning Together”.

Deputy PM Michael McCormack and Nationals MP Sam Farraway met with Mayor Phyllis Miller in Forbes last week to see where funding has been spent, and will be spent, on improving infrastructure and the local economy.

A $2.9million cash injection for roads in Forbes Shire will create jobs and boost the local economy at a time when it is needed most. The Federal Government has committed $191 million to build on the New South Wales Government’s Fixing Local Roads program.

Riverina MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack, who visited Forbes last week, said the Federal Government continued to deliver on its commitment for regional Australia.

“I am proud to be a part of a Government which has supported our regional areas so much as this COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded,” Michael said.

“I know regional and rural residents rely on roads much more than our city counter- parts which is why I took our fight to the Cabinet table to deliver for residents in the Forbes Shire. Forbes Council submitted a shortlist of projects which they deemed as shovel ready and from there I have worked tirelessly in my role as Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development along with NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole to ensure our regional roads receive the funding they deserve.”

NSW Nationals Upper House MP Sam Farraway joined Michael’s visit to Forbes and said that the improvement of local roads was vital to better road safety for our regional and rural communities.

“We’re turbocharging this funding to ensure we create jobs and create better journeys on the roads that really matter to local communities, in what has been a difficult period for all. Projects like patching Wirrinya Road may seem small, but they will make a big difference to the overall safety and experience of daily commuters and visitors to the region,” Sam said.

The Federal and NSW Governments will deliver a total of $3.26million towards projects across the Riverina and Central West

The successful recipients from round one of the China Molybdenum Co Ltd (CMOC) and Northparkes Mines Community Investment Program have been announced. The program has two rounds annually, with $40,000 donated each round. Since its inception, over $760,000 has been invested in the Parkes and Forbes Shires.

Northparkes Managing Director Hubert Lehman said, “The Community Investment Program has been one of the successful programs we have used to support the sustainability of the Parkes and Forbes Shires. Despite the COVID-19 health pandemic, we want to ensure we are still able to support our local community through this investment program.”

The successful applicants for round one in the Forbes Shire were Aruma Disability Services, Bogan Gate Golf Club, Forbes District Soccer Club, Forbes Golf Association and Forbes Rugby Union Club Inc.

“Congratulations to the successful recipients and thank you to everyone who took the time to apply. It is always a very challenging task for the committee to select the successful recipients when there are so many quality applications,” said Hubert.

The Community Investment Program has an independent committee, made up of local community members of Parkes and Forbes to review the applications and allocate the available funding. This involves ensuring the applications meet the economic, social, environmental, cultural, recreational, and educational needs of the local communities.

Round two of the Community Investment Program is now open, visit www.northparkes.com to apply. For more information, please contact Ali Standen on 02 6861 3621 or ali.standen@au.cmoc.com.

There is currently $10million of extra arts funding available nationally through the Australian Government’s Regional Arts Fund (RAF). Arts OutWest is offering a free, online workshop to help people in the region prepare applications for the RAF.

The free workshop will be held via Zoom on Friday, 31 July from 10.30am-12pm and participants are encouraged to bring their project ideas or beginnings of their applications to discuss.

The Regional Arts Fund is an Australian Government Program that supports sustainable cultural development in regional and remote communities in Australia: designed to benefit regional and remote arts practitioners, arts workers, audiences and communities. The standard 2021 round of the Regional Art Fund is now open and closes 21 August 2020.

The funding recognises that the creative industries are central to thriving and healthy communities across regional, rural and remote Australia and that arts and culture activities are vital in the recovery and renewal process. The Recovery Boost grant program will be implemented in three stages moving from Relief to Recovery and Renewal.

RAF Relief is currently open for quick turn-around grants; expressions of interest for the Renewal program are also now open; and Recovery projects funding closes 29 October.

“Between the standard Regional Arts Fund funding program and the special Recovery Boost program there are significant funding opportunities for artists, arts organisations and communities in our region, but from the outside it can look like a bit of a maze,” said Arts OutWest executive director Tracey Callinan. “Our workshop is about unpicking the options and designing projects that match the opportunities.”

To register for the Arts OutWest funding workshop, email artsoutwest@csu.edu.au, or call 6338 4657.

Kim Muffet reminds all that security will be further enhanced to ensure appropriate use of Gum Swamp.

As the cooler weather brings chainsaws out of sheds, and firewood collection be- comes high on the agenda for many families, Forbes residents are being reminded that the removal of trees from council land without permission is illegal.

“We were shocked to see the amount of damage in the Wildlife Reserve area at Gum Swamp,” say Forbes Shire Council Mayor, Phyllis Miller OAM. “Countless trees have been felled recently and some are even close to the water’s edge.”

“This whole area is a protected wildlife reserve and we cannot and will not allow this to happen. Some of the recent State Government funding received by the Forbes Art Society has been allocated to this area for the construction of new bird hides and improving the existing bird hide. People travel from all over Australia to admire our amazing diversity of birds who occupy this region and we cannot afford to have this prized habitat destroyed.”

Council rangers will be patrolling the area regularly with on the spot fines of $3000 issued to those caught cutting and collecting timber from the area. If Council deems it necessary court-imposed fines of up to $500,000 can occur.

“It disappoints us greatly that people would disrespect this beautiful wildlife refuge,” says local resident and Forbes Art Society project manager, Kim Muffet. “Taking timber from this area is criminal given it provides habitat for so many species of birds.”

Illegally acquired firewood has already been seized and donated to the Men’s Shed for fundraising.