Forbes Shire Council announced that Lifeguarding Services Australia will take on operations of the Forbes Olympic Pool.

Lifeguarding Services were successful in securing the contract after a competitive tender process in July. The company will be responsible for pool operations and management over the next three years.

The company will have a focus on employing local people and will begin advertising positions in the next week.

The Forbes Olympic Pool will open its doors to swimmers on October 1 and will be open from 6am until 7pm daily (closed Good Friday and Christmas Day). A Facebook page has been established where residents can access up-to-date information or email forbespool@lifeguarding.com.au.

Children of Forbes North Public School were excited to celebrate receiving beautifully embroidered aprons.

The aprons were bought with a Westpac bank funding boost that the school was awarded earlier this year.

A program that the school has to support children in learning about nutrition, healthy eating, and cooking good foods, secured the funding for them.

The aprons are to be used for children involved in cooking classes.

Westpac local branch manager, Shannon Crowley, said: “With Australia having one of the highest rates of obesity in the world, we think what the school is doing will help change this for future generations”.

Students from various Forbes primary and high schools and members of the community celebrated Indigenous culture during NAIDOC Day last Thursday. Festivities commenced at the Wiradjuri Dreaming Centre from which participants marched to South Circle Oval for the main event.

Forbes Mayor, Graeme Miller, welcomed everybody to the celebration of the history, culture and accomplishments of the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. “It is great to see so many young people here today,” he said.

As part of the celebrations the mayor presented awards to Indigenous people who have made a valuable contribution to the local community. Matty Duke received the Forbes Junior Indigenous Citizen of the Year award and Kathleen Bowden the Forbes Indigenous Citizen of the Year.

Following this, children from the Wiradjuri choir of Forbes North Public School delighted the crowd with their song and movements.

Students were given opportunity to partake in some Indigenous games and everyone was treated to a barbecue. Finally, a performance was given by the renowned Indigenous dance group Koomurri. The day was filled with celebrations and learning of the Aboriginal culture.

By Gizell van Wyk

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Amy Shine of Forbes Preschool handed over the keys of their old school to House With No Steps on Wednesday morning.

“On behalf of the preschool, we are happy to hand over the school to another community organisation and look forward to continuing our long-standing partnership with them,” Amy said.

The school moved into new premises end of April last year and since then the old building has been vacant.

Support Manager for House With No Steps, Kim Wright, said that they were looking forward to utilising the area.

House With No Steps will be using the old school as an office and meeting space and have a few plans in mind on how to make the building suit the needs for people with disabilities. House With No Steps members did a tour of the premises and made suggestions for possible improvements.

Leanne Allegri who is the Area Manager for House With No Steps said: “We are very excited about being able to build more of a community space to support people with disability as we move towards the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

By Gizell van Wyk

 

 

More than 500 high school students were emotionally challenged with the realities of what happens in a serious car crash during the staging of a mock crash at the PCYC Parkes last week.

“I am still shaken by it,” said Kian Schembri, a Year 10 student from Parkes Christian School of the annual event staged for the ninth time this year.

The aim of the confronting mock crash is to bring home the message of drinking and driving. The demonstration by the Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils is the corner stone of the NOT A STATISTIC! Youth Driver Education Program.

Four youth actors, Krystle-Lee McMurray and Maddison Collits from Forbes and Jack McGrath and Faith Hanstock from Parkes, took the audience on a moving, tragic and at times upsetting ride from a care free birthday party to the horrors of a car crash and its long-term after effects.

“It is a really good way to teach us a lesson,” said Wally Campbell from Forbes High School, one of seven high schools attending. “It will remain with me as a reminder not to drink and drive, and to think before getting into a car with someone who’s been drinking.”

For Ella Richards from Parkes Christian School it was “really good and very confronting” as she has friends who had been in a crash. “I will definitely not drink and drive.” Melanie Suitor, Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils’ Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, said it was hard to gage the effect of the annual event, but in the Central West 25% of accidents involved young people, while the state average was 32%.

Local young drivers were involved in 207 crashes across the Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Council areas over four years from 2011, resulting in three fatalities and 228 injuries.

By Maggi Barnard

 

Sydney University was just down the road for Forbes High School students recently.

Forbes was one of four towns to take part in Sydney University’s Widening Participation and Outreach (WPO) program (formally compass), which saw Sydney University run three workshops at Forbes High School this week.

The workshops were attended by Year 11 and 12. According to year 12 student Paige Ellison, “It was very informative and really helpful, especially for preparing for the trials and early entry to university”.

Relieving Deputy Principal and Careers Advisor Daniel West said: “Forbes High School is extremely lucky to have this strong community partnership with Sydney University.”

“The Widening Participation and Outreach program has been supporting students at Forbes High School for over five years, providing opportunities to be successful learners and excel in future careers is important to us as a school”

The three workshops run were:

• Year 12 Promote Yourself – Year 12 students practiced writing persuasively about themselves.

• Year 12 HSC Exam Prep – Students developed effective approaches to prepare for senior school exams.

• Year 11/12 SMASH Essay – Year 11 and 12 students received key tips on how to improve their essay writing skills.

Forbes Public School students dressed upon Wednesday as real country kids to not only help raise money for the Year 6 farewell, but to also celebrate the start of the show season.

Students were given the opportunity to be photographed with a tractor from Forbes Machinery and the Miss Showgirl finalists holding their art entries for the show.

Students were asked what it meant to be a country kid. Sally Rout said: “What country means to me is having wide open spaces and being able to help dad when I get home from school. I love getting into my workers to feed the sheep.”