Stork News: Congratulations to Melissa and Stephen West of Forbes on the birth of their daughter Madison West. Madison was born on 17 December 2015 weighing 3.67kg. Grandparents are Neil and Leanne Parslow, and Graham and Cynthia West of Forbes. Great Grandparents are Patricia Splite, June West and Olga Tilley of Forbes.

Since opening on Boxing Day, the new Cinema located in the Forbes Services Memorial Club, has been a popular attraction for members and guests. The Cinema was a collective idea instigated by club manager, David Fitzgerald and the Board or Directors. Their vision was to fill a void which they saw in the town and provide a great source of entertainment for the community to enjoy.

The cinema seats 37 at present and many of the sessions have been a sell out since its opening, especially popular movies such as The Good Dinosaur and The Dressmaker. Alvin and the Chipmunks commences its season this week and is sure to be popular with families. The club is offering six sessions per day with movies commencing at 11.00am daily. Movie reviews, program and timetables are available from the club or via the Forbes Services Memorial Club Facebook page.

Tickets are $12 for members and $16.50 for non-members and there are great family deals available as well. Due to the cinema being in a licenced premises all children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Tickets are available for purchase 1 hour before screening time and bookings are not yet available but staff are working towards an online booking system which will be operational in the near future. Food and beverages, purchased in the club can be taken into the cinema but alcohol is not permitted at G or PG rated movies.

Australia Day is fast approaching and plans are almost finalised. Council is accepting nominations for Citizen of the Year and Junior Citizen of the Year. Australia Day festivities start at 7am with the traditional Rotary Breakfast at Apex Park. The Diggers Family Swim commences at 11am at Forbes Town Pool. The afternoon program begins at 4pm at Colin McKenzie Park. Included in the activities is the CWA Damper Competition, the Ben Hall Gift and
the official ceremony with the announcement of the Citizen of the Year awards.

The Big Splash Water World has arrived in the Central West for its second year of operation and Parkes Showground is the venue until Saturday before they move on to Orange on Boxing Day.

Jesse and Alicia McDonald launched the water world last summer travelling from Gunnedah to Tamworth and then on to Dubbo. This year they have begun in Parkes before moving on to Orange then to Mudgee before finishing in Muswellbrook. Their big waterslide, ‘The Triple Dipper’ is the biggest inflatable waterslide in the world measuring 180 ft. long and 55 ft. high which means it’s as tall as the tree line! The middle lane is the fastest with a straight
drop to the bottom and the two outer lanes have some turns making them a slower ride for the less adventurous.

They have 4 other slides for those not daring enough to give the Triple Dipper a go, ranging from the ‘Baby Palm Trees’ for the under five year olds to the ‘Rainbow Slide’ which has 4 lanes made for racing your friends to the bottom. Parkes is very lucky to have this opportunity, what a great way to entertain the children now they have finished the school year and the weather is heating up. Entry for spectators is free and they have amusement games, a massive shaded area to keep out of the sun and slushies and fairy floss available so everyone is sure to enjoy the day out.

Stork News: Welcome to Jimmy Josiah Jones born Friday 25th September 2015, 3.35am, 7lb 12oz, 49cms. Nick and Jolene are proud to announce the birth of their fourth child. Little Brother to Griffin, Ruby and Ivy. Grandson of Henry and Debbie Stavleu and Trevor and June Jones all of Forbes. Great grandson of Mavis Burton.

On Saturday 5th December the Midstate Motorcycle Club in conjunction with the Salvation Army held their annual Toy Run. The parade began at McFeeters Car Museum in Oxford Street Forbes and finished at Bunnings. Around thirty bikes with riders hailing from Forbes, Parkes, Molong, Canowindra and surrounding areas took to the streets to promote the event and provide a little

Christmas cheer to those in need. Troy Munro, from the Salvation Army, was very impressed with the generosity of the cyclists who each donated a toy or toys which will be distributed to identified families this weekend. At present numerous toys have been received which are currently filling a 4 x 4 m room to shoulder height, Mr Munro stated.

Donations are still being taken and items can be left at the Salvation Army store in Rankin Street. Northparkes Mines also support this worthy cause by sending a team of employees to assist the Salvation Army, St Vincent’s De Paul and other community organisations to sort and prepare the toys and Christmas hampers ready for delivery. Other Motorcycle clubs around the State also organise their own Toy Run in their local area and in Newcastle this year there were 3000 participants.

Troy wanted to thank the Midstate Motorcycle Club for organising the event and putting everything together and the toys will be sure to put a smile on the faces of many local children in Forbes and Parkes.

The anxious wait for 2015 Year 12 students and their teachers is finally over with the release of the Higher School Certificate results on Wednesday 16th December. Our Year 12 HSC students 2015 have produced outstanding results as a cohort with Band 6’s received across several subjects. It is not only about band 6s but about students achieving their potential and this group of students have produced ‘personal bests’ across all subject areas.

The Senior Science class performed exceptionally well with all students receiving band 5’s and 6’s. Excellent individual success was achieved in many subjects including PDHPE Senior Science, Primary Industries, Agriculture, General Mathematics, Early Childhood, Biology, Visual Arts and Industrial Technology with marks reflective of
the effort students applied and the support and dedication of their teachers. Of course the staff are all thrilled with these results which has certainly inspired drive and commitment in the Year 12 students and teachers for 2016.

Industrial Technology student, Isaac Wren along with the school, has recently been notified of his nomination for inclusion in the InTech 2016, annual exhibition of outstanding Major Design Projects developed by 2015 HSC Industrial Technology students. In addition to this his project will be part of a combined HSC Technology project display at the Powerhouse Museum from Friday 26th February until Sunday the 8th May. Isaac designed and produced an interactive first person 3D puzzle game with 7 unique and challenging levels. This is a
great achievement as only a limited number of projects are chosen for this display.

Overall staff are pleased with the student’s results throughout the year with their assessment tasks and commend them on the study and preparation they completed prior to the commencement of the HSC examinations. Year 12’s achievements and contributions were recognised and celebrated at the annual graduation assembly in September which was a time for family, friends, staff and peers to reflect upon six years of secondary education and the experiences had along the way. Year 12, 2015 also celebrated their HSC exam completion with a Graduation Dinner on the 20th November. Congratulations Year 12, 2015 on a fantastic year, we are very proud of you. For those of you who are intending to attend University the school wish you every success as you enter the next chapter of your
lives and look forward to hearing of your progress in the future.