Super Site Award winners, 2012
The Super Site Award recognises the outstanding contribution made by schools and Outside School Hour Care Services (OSHCS) in the coordination and delivery of the Active After-school Communities (AASC) program.
The Super Site Award has been established to promote best practice and recognise outstanding site achievement.
There is an annual Super Site Award per state/territory which is announced in Term 4 each year. The winners for 2012 are:
ACT - Brindabella Christian College’s
NSW - Delegate Primary School
NT - Alyangula Area School
Qld - Mount Morgan Central Primary School
SA - Thorndon Park Primary School
Tas - Snug Primary School
Vic - Bannockburn Primary School and Vic - Dingley Primary School
WA - Deanmore Primary School
ACT - Brindabella Christian College’s
Attendance levels have risen dramatically at Brindabella Christian College’s Active After-school Communities (AASC) program – from 30 to 70 in 2011 and then close to 90 students in 2012. This is testament to the dedication of this school which has won the AASC Super Site Award in ACT for 2012.
Incentives are offered to encourage parents to volunteer their time to prepare healthy afternoon teas at the school, allowing the funding to be focused on building activity programs which appeal to the traditionally inactive kids who attend.
In 2012, Brindabella hosted a Prime Minister’s Olympic Challenge event which coincided with the closing of the 2012 London Olympic Games. The event involved two other sites and five local organisations delivering tennis, basketball, fencing, volleyball and athletics activities; it also attracted the attention of local media who profiled the school positively for their enthusiasm and community engagement.
The program coordinator, Terry Baskerville, has built upon the AASC program to suit the individual needs of his school community – training senior students to run sessions, ordering ‘coach’ shirts to encourage a sense of pride in the program, and sourcing funding to provide one on one coaching to a child with down syndrome.
NSW - Delegate Primary School
Children at Delegate Primary School in New South Wales (NSW) have been fortunate to have free access to a swimming program for the last six years, due to the efforts of their principal, and their involvement in the Active After-school Communities (AASC) program. This school, with a fifty percent participation rate across the school, is the winner of the AASC Super Site Award in NSW for 2012.
Principal of the school, Carol Sellers has been nominated for the Five Star Community Coach award on two occasions for her tireless efforts in promoting healthy lifestyles to her pupils.
In addition to swimming, the school has developed a variety of programs to encourage students to participate in sport including aquatics, oz tag, dance, athletics, tennis, netball, tai chi, table tennis, yoga and fitness/martial arts.
Despite being in an isolated area, the school has engaged three different community coaches to deliver the program; and also makes use of local facilities including tennis courts and public pools outside the school, to ensure the interest of the kids.
Children are benefiting from the program, through opportunities to get involved in sport in their wider community; the local tennis club now accepts year 6 children into its evening competition due to their skill improvement within the AASC program. In turn, this has enabled the tennis club, which was threatened by low member numbers to continue to operate for the entire community.
The P&C group has donated funds to cover the cost of a regular healthy afternoon tea for AASC participants; and in 2012 they also donated drink bottles to students. Volunteers also prepare the food and get involved with coaching sessions.
NT - Alyangula Area School
The Active After-school Communities (AASC) program at Alyangula Area School works closely to build community collaboration with parents and organisations; a key reason it was named as the winner of the AASC Super Site for the Northern Territory (NT).
The school has developed a positive relationship with the Groote Eylandt and Milyakburra Youth Development Unit (GEMYDU), a community-based organisation that delivers the program on behalf of the school. This community collaboration has resulted in strong attendance for the AASC program, with 50-60 children participating in three sessions each week.
In addition, a joint coaching course and referee course are planned to enable the community to run more friendly competitions outside the AASC program. Students will also have a chance to try out for Arnhem basketball cluster teams, and potentially travel to Gove for an event in term 2, 2013.
Qld - Mount Morgan Central Primary School
The entire Rockhampton community has benefited from Mount Morgan Central Primary School’s enthusiasm throughout its involvement with the Active After-school Communities (AASC) program. This school, located forty minutes away from Rockhampton with only one local sports club, has achieved a 90% retention rate for its participants, and is the winner of the AASC Super Site Award in Queensland (QLD).
The site initiated the Mount Morgan transition project, which, in connection with Rockhampton Basketball, saw two potential teams (15 children) sign up for the Rockhampton basketball competition. The school also ran softball, mini-olympics, athletics, netball, cricket, touch football and soccer, with strong participation from a community which traditionally has 90 percent inactive children.
The involvement of coaches and parents in the community was commendable, with one community member receiving training from Rockhampton Basketball and going through the Community Coach Training Program (CCTP); six staff members from the school also underwent CCTP training.
The school also sought separate support for after school afternoon teas, to allow for the program to use 100% of its funding supporting local kids to participate in sport. The afternoon teas provided by the school are often the only healthy meal children receive during the day.
SA - Thorndon Park Primary School
Winner of the Active After-school Communities (AASC) Super Site Award in South Australia (SA), Thorndon Park Primary School, developed its after school sport programs by first asking local community participants what sort of specific sports and skills they were interested in learning. This approach has led to an engaging program where coaches are selected with expertise in a wide range of fields – including parents, past students and members from local sport clubs.
Thorndon has also taken the approach of training the majority of their staff through the AASC Community Coach Training Program, enabling them to better understand and promote the ‘play for life’ approach; and participate in training sessions after school, and ensure that the sessions are fun, inclusive and safe.
The school has observed positive changes in participants attitudes to sport and physical activity since starting in the program. One session per semester is organised at a local club, allowing kids to experience facilities and programs that could provide long term sport support.
Winner of the Active After-school Communities (AASC) Super Site Award in South Australia (SA), Thorndon Park Primary School, developed its after school sport programs by first asking local community participants what sort of specific sports and skills they were interested in learning. This approach has led to an engaging program where coaches are selected with expertise in a wide range of fields – including parents, past students and members from local sport clubs.
Thorndon has also taken the approach of training the majority of their staff through the AASC Community Coach Training Program, enabling them to better understand and promote the ‘play for life’ approach; and participate in training sessions after school, and ensure that the sessions are fun, inclusive and safe.
The school has observed positive changes in participants attitudes to sport and physical activity since starting in the program. One session per semester is organised at a local club, allowing kids to experience facilities and programs that could provide long term sport support.
Tas - Snug Primary School
Snug Primary School has been awarded the Active After-school Communities (AASC) Super Site Award in TAS, for its efforts to continuously build and improve its Active After School Program in the Franklin region. The average attendance for school activities is 40 children per night (or 40 percent of the children at the school); which the school credits to their direct invitations for students to attend particular activities.
Although the school is in a small community, they have invested in the program to ensure engagement with students. For example, the school uses coaches who are known to have an established rapport with the children; and has also trained four staff members through the Community Coach Training Program, so they can be involved in activities during and after school hours.
Fourteen different sports have been included in the program at Snug including archery, futsal, martial arts, AFL, and lifeball to name a few. This has resulted in children joining clubs to engage with sports in an ongoing manner. The school was also awarded a Medibank Active Tasmania Award, recognising its contribution to improving physical opportunities within their community.
The school encourages activity throughout the school week and weekends; placing sport equipment baskets strategically around the grounds during breaks, conducting twice weekly sessions with year six grade leaders and teachers; and encouraging parents and kids to use a fitness trail around the school.
The coordinator of this program, Jo Malone, was also recognised for her efforts to promote healthy lifestyles; she won a volunteers award in 2011 for her continued efforts to encourage participation and health in the Snug community and beyond.
Vic - Bannockburn Primary School
Bannockburn Primary School is one of two winners of the Active After-school Communities (AASC) Super Site winner for Victoria (Vic) in 2012. Bannockburn Primary School, has secured permanent spaces and established ongoing sport programs as a result of their engagement with the program. The school has a view to developing the local community by investing in long term programs that capitalise on the popularity of AASC so far.
The program, offered to Bannockburn kids from grade 4-6, included soccer, tennis, bike ed, basketball and judo. A newly formed judo club is now run outside of the AASC, as is a newly established Golden Plains soccer club; the tennis club has also seen 70 students join as a result of collaboration with the program.
The co-ordinator at Bannockburn, Rick Humphrey, also won a 5 Star Community Coach Award for his tireless efforts at developing the program and the community. Rick is now looking to support the formation of new clubs in the shire to promote hockey and dance and increase the number of activities under the AASC program, for example, to include gymnastics, circus and orienteering.
Healthy eating is encouraged as an everyday practice at the school. Bannockburn provides afternoon teas during AASC sessions but also makes fruit available in the school foyer every day.
Vic - Dingley Primary School
Dingley Primary School is the second winner of the Active After-school Communities (AASC) Super Site Award in Victoria (VIC) in 2012; owing to its strong focus on linking to the local community and providing positive and healthy pathways for students.
Participation in the AASC program at Dingley is consistently high for all age groups at the school; and also have a high engagement with children getting involved in offsite events with local sporting clubs. In 2012, 50 Dingley students travelled to Springers Leisure Centre to participate in a variety of sports for the Prime Minister’s Olympic Challenge event.
A group of students also recently visited the Southern Golf Club for a final AASC golf coaching session on a real course; four parents registered their children’s interest in continuing golf as a result of this visit. A total of 40 students also visited Keysborough Basketball Club for their last session.
Two teachers at Dingley have completed the Community Coach Training Program, to enable continued support for children during school hours and beyond.
WA - Deanmore Primary School
Over 100 children each week were engaged in after-school sessions at Deanmore Primary School, the Active After-school Communities (AASC) Super Site winner for Western Australia (WA) in 2012. There would be very few students who have not been involved in the program, which ran on a weekly basis across all year levels.
Parents played an important part in the program at Deanmore, with regular attendees of thirty or more at the sessions. The parents were so inspired by the success of the program that they initiated a once- a-week surf session over seven weeks to cater for kids that couldn’t attend the AASC sessions.
Deanmore engaged with local sporting clubs so the children could enjoy a variety of programs including Girls Football, cheerleading, athletics, rugby union and surfing. The program has benefited from expert coaching from Surfing WA, Athletics WA, Rugby WA, Lacrosse WA, Cheer Up North and the Claremont District Football Association.
This school also attracted attention from the wider community, attracting media coverage in the StirlingTimes, and a nomination for 6PRs Perth Teacher of the Year – a result of his tireless work with AASC for his students.
Seeing the success of the AASC program in developing local community engagement Deanmore, other WA schools have expressed interest in participating – including Newborough Primary School and Kapinara Primary School.
