Both students and staff were eager to celebrate Education Week this year by promoting a love for learning and having some fun along the way.

“Inspiring students today to shine tomorrow” was the theme for primary students on Wednesday. In line with this year’s Education Week theme, Creating Brighter Futures, students had the pleasure of working with the team from Bright Future STEM Program from AREEA (Australian Resources and Energy Employer Association) in conjunction with CMOC Northparkes Mines and Howden Australia to explore the wonders of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education and career opportunities. The students were inspired and their love for learning was ignited as they engaged in plenty of hands-on activities, including the use of virtual goggles and puzzle solving that encouraged plenty of critical thinking, teamwork, imagination, and FUN!

The week started with the Forbes Public School Book Fair which encouraged many of our students from the most avid readers to those who simply enjoy listening to and/or reading along with others to purchase books for their home libraries. We were excited to welcome our community along to share in our love for books. The day proved a huge success raising over $7,000. These proceeds will go back into providing resources and activities for our students to both benefit from and engage in. 

We are thrilled to know that our students have added to home libraries, their imaginations and time with loved ones at home sharing a story or two having purchased books.

The highlight of Education Week is always, the Book Character parade, where book characters are brought to life by both staff and students who proudly showed off their costumes by parading to music in front of the school community on Friday. The parade is always a welcomed opportunity to connect with our families over plenty of fun and laughter. The parade was followed by a family picnic and open classrooms where teachers, students and their families were able to share in student learning experiences and opportunities that have occurred so far this year. 

It was wonderful to have our wider school community on site, joining in the fun of the book fair, the parade, picnic, and classroom activities. We are grateful during these current times to be able to come together as a whole school to not only celebrate a love for learning, but also the fun and community spirit that comes with being a part of the FPS community. 

Topsoil Organics employees with the Small Business Award at the awards night were (L-R) Kylie Martin, Siobhan Ber-mingham, Lan Nicholson, Dan Nicholson, Stephanie Crowe and Eloise Clayton.

An innovative and young Forbes business took out the Small Business award at the 2022 Western NSW Business Awards held at Taronga Western Plains Zoo recently. 

First time entrants Top Soil Organics shocked and surprised themselves by winning the most competitive category on the night. 

“We are very excited about this award,” said Director Dan Nicholson. “It’s been very tough as a new business through COVID, but this award gives us a feeling that we must be on the right path. It gives us reassurance for the future.” 

After exponential growth over the past 12 months for the composting making business and the staff compliment growing from two full-time employees to 19, Dan said he foresaw business tripling in size over the next three years. 

He said the company had four vacancies at the moment, and if winning the award made them stand out to attract good employees, it would be a further win. 

Topsoil’s composting facility opened last year and provides an environmentally compliant facility for the receival and reuse of food and green waste. The facility processes food and green waste from supermarkets in metropolitan areas, mainly Sydney, into compost that is sold to farmers in the Central West as fertiliser. 

“There is a massive demand for the end product, and as food waste needs to be diverted from landfill, there is an opportunity to keep growing,” said Dan. He is looking to expand his processing capacity from 30,000 tons to 150,000 tons. 

“We are looking at equipment from Europe to depackage the plastic on food products. Once we’ve found an end market for the plastic, we will complete the circular economy loop from supermarket to farmer and the farmer’s produce back to the supermarket. 

“We are very proud where we’ve come from,” said Dan. 

By Maggi Barnard

Board members at Forbes Rotary’s 75th Annual presentation dinner (L – R) David Rhodes (treasurer), Greahame Uphill (secretary), Chris Finkel (president), Gary Pymont (immediate past president), Ross Williams (youth director), Chrissie Hawke (bulletin editor) and Peter Norris (vocational director). Absent: Michael Jelbart and John Zannes.

As the Rotary Club of Forbes held its 75th annual presentation dinner recently it also launched a project to assist the people of Ukraine. 

The club is raising funds through the sales of sunflower seeds – the sunflower is Ukraine’s national flower. Little blue and yellow packets of sunflower seeds for Ukraine have been placed at local businesses for the public to support the project. 

A few dollars as a donation for these seeds will help Rotary International fund much needed assistance for the war-torn people in Ukraine to regain their independence and freedom. 

“Planting the seeds in your garden will not only provide a colourful display in the streets of our town but will provide much needed support for those impacted by war in Ukraine,” said club president Chris Finkel. 

“It’s one more way Rotary is supporting communities both here and abroad – as a group of faithful Forbes volunteers has now been doing for three quarters of a century.” 

Forbes has two Rotary Clubs, and next year the Rotary club of Forbes Ipomoea will be celebrating 20 years of service. Forbes Ipomoea was chartered in 2003 and meets once a month on a Tuesday at 7am, while the 

The two Forbes Rotary clubs are encouraging more people to join them “to do good in our world, to do good in Australia and do good in our region”. 

President Chris Finkel, his board and Rotary members would love to welcome more people to join them. 

If you’re looking for something incredible to be part of, Rotary is a good place to start. Contact Chris on 0429 661 358 to talk about provisional membership if you’d like to try it out first. 

“I’ve made many friends through the world… involving myself in humanitarian Rotary projects and I invite members of our community to join our Rotary club and share the enjoyment and satisfaction one receives in pursuit of helping others,” he said. 

An artist’s impression of the pergolas to be installed in the CBD this weekend.

The CBD is going to look very different after the weekend with the installation of pergolas this weekend. Forbes Shire Council reported on Wednesday that earthworks had started in preparation for the pergolas, which is part of the CBD masterplan and funded by the Australian Government’s Building Better Regions Fund. 

The installation of the pergolas will take place over the weekend to minimise the disruption to business and traffic. Traffic controls will be in place and the plan is to only close one end of the street at a time. Take care near the works and follow all signs to ensure your own safety and the safety of the crews.