PAKENHAM COLLEGE UK <-> AUSTRALIA LINK ?

Once upon a time, a teacher called Jodie Doble worked with the Rock Challenge team from Thornton Grammar School (near Bradford).

Then she moved to Australia, and now works with the Rock Eisteddfod Challenge team at Pakenham Secondary College. Since she has been there, the team has moved up to the Premier division.

Jodie would love to open up links between her Rock Eisteddfod Challenge team in Australia and a Rock Challenge team here in the UK competition.

She says (in her "jottings" :) "My ideas would start with basics, leading to whatever ... kids penpal together, maybe talking about their experiences ... the teachers doing the same ... teachers sharing ideas, kids sharing ideas (why re-invent the wheel) to develop our schools' work ... teacher stuff could go wider into school pedagogy and practices (curriculum etc)."

Jodie also has a long-term aim: she says "We would keep four student team places for UK kids and would like the same in return, so that a UK teacher and kids could fly out, learn our stuff and take part in our performance here in Melbourne. We would fly a teacher and four kids to the UK to do the same."

Does this sound the sort of thing that you think YOUR school's Rock Challenge team would like to take up ? If it is, take it to your team's Liaison Teacher and ask them to think about it. If they then agree that it sounds like a great idea (and your Head Teacher does too :) they can contact me about it on the usual address (john@arrowsmith.demon.co.uk) and I'll get your team's LT in contact with Pakenham's LT.

Pakenham is about 32 miles to the south-east of Melbourne and is linked to the city by a regular train service as well as by a main road straight there.
Click here to see it on Windows Live Local. (Zoom down for a closer look.)
Click here to visit the Pakenham Secondary College website.
Click here for their school's September 8th newsletter (in pdf format) covering their success in the finals - after just two years as a new team in the Open, they were promoted to the Prems. (You need page 2 :)