Young, local and transient professionals in Parkes have a great opportunity to meet when the Country Universities Centre in Parkes will be hosting its inaugural Parkes Young Professionals networking session.

The free event on Wednesday, 10th August from 6 to 10pm at the Cooke Park Pavilion will include complimentary catering and drinks.

“These sessions will become regular chances for young local and transient professionals to meet in a social networking setting, allowing them to share skills and experiences and build relationships,” said CUC manager Jacob Cass.

“We hope that in doing so, we can promote longer retention rates for transient and relocating professionals, let our local professionals gain skills and knowledge from them and provide our industry partners with a community-based professional group to use in attraction strategies.”

Jacob said the first event would focus on building on the model through consultation with the attendees about how the Parkes Young Professionals community could be of service to them. 

There are 50 tickets for this event and some have already been reserved. Tickets for this event can be reserved by visiting www.eventbrite.com.au/e/parkes-young-professionals-tickets

OUR NEW ONLINE COLLECTION: BORROWBOX

Parkes Shire Library has consolidated our eBooks and eAudiobooks to a single portal, BorrowBox. Both Libby and Wheeler apps have been discontinued. You will need to download the BorrowBox app, find Parkes Library, enter your member number and password which is your birthdate (DDMMYYYY). If you need help, drop into the library or give us a call. https://parkes.borrowbox.com/

LIBRARY CHILDREN & YOUTH PROGRAMS

Join us for Storytime every Tuesday at 10:30am for 3-5 year old children and Rhyme Time every Wednesday @ 10:30am. Both are free but bookings are required. Parkes Shire Youth Voices consult on programs and activities for youth. The group is open to young people in the Parkes Shire aged 12-25 years. The next meeting is on Wednesday, 17th August @ 4pm at Parkes Library. A Zoom link will be available, contact the library for more information. Senior Student Space is available every Tuesday 3:30-5:30pm during school terms. Current Year 1 to 12 students are invited to use this space to study, meet and relax. Free afternoon tea, the library’s Nintendo Switch and collection of board games available.

MOVIE NIGHTS

Friday, 29th July @ 6pm & Saturday, 30th July @ 9:30am – a 2022 fantasy film starring fantastic wizards, witches and beasts (PG 13+). Bookings are essential, contact Parkes Library on 6861 2309.

MARRAMARRA MAKERSPACE STUDIO 

The Makerspace programs will re-open on 1st August on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2-5:30pm with weekly demos on how to use the equipment. Lego Club will recommence on Tuesday, 2nd August from 4-5pm for 10-15 year olds. We have some exciting workshops coming up, so follow us on Facebook or join our mailing list makerspace@parkes.nsw.gov.au 

Forbes High School is creating bright futures for all students who enter our gates. Our school environment is rich and filled with diverse experiences that cater for all learners. We are fortunate to have expansive grounds which have recently undergone significant transformation to ensure that our learning environment is inviting and conducive to learning. 

High quality educational experiences are what you find at Forbes High School. Highly experienced educators fill our classrooms who differentiate the learning to support all students. This creates an educational experience that shapes the future of the students, whether that be further study at university, TAFE or employment. All our graduating students are successful in the future career pathways and several of the cohort of 2022 have already secured university placements. 

Our passion at Forbes High School is providing the complete education experience. High quality teaching and learning is paramount, this occurs in an environment rich in extra curricula opportunities and in a highly supportive and inclusive environment. Forbes High School caters for all students and supports their educational pathway, recognising that individual needs must be supported. 

Forbes High School offers public speaking, academic competitions, sporting opportunities and caters to all areas of the Creative and Performing Arts. Recently, we had a very successful Forbes Eisteddfod with our school placed first in the schools point score trophy. 

We work closely with our community partners including Forbes Local Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG), local businesses and our P and C. We have an active parent and community body who work alongside us ensuring that the education received at Forbes High School creates the best possible future for our students. 

EDUCATION WEEK 

Education Week 2022 takes place next week from 1-5 August. This year’s theme is ‘creating futures – education changes lives’ and celebrates quality education and the opportunities available to everyone in NSW public education. 

Education Week is your chance to celebrate the achievements of your school, students or learning community. “This year NSW public education continues to celebrate the journey students and learners take throughout the NSW Education system, focusing on how we are creating futures for our students, staff and families. 

“From the first days in child care to post-school pathways, our education system is preparing young people to be agile thinkers and lifelong learners.” 

Forbes North Public School is committed to ‘creating futures with education changing lives’ as a true reflection on what our school believes while celebrating the theme for Education Week 2022. 

Throughout Education Week and across the month of August our school is offering multiple opportunities for wider community including parents, carers, and extended family to visit the school, enjoy meaningful celebrations and acknowledge the importance of public education. 

Starting this week by celebrating ‘100 Days of School’, our 30 Kindergarten students dressed as if they were 100 years old to celebrate 100 days of primary school with parents and grandparents coming to school for a picnic in the sun on the common green area with a special cake cutting ceremony. 

NAIDOC 2022 was celebrated with a cultural immersion inviting local Aboriginal cultural group ‘River Spirit’ onto our grounds for a full day of authentic cultural activities. 

Next week during Education Week on Tuesday 2 August our school is open to our families from 10.00am until 3.30pm as our community comes to school at a time suitable to them to enjoy the playground sports and games, have lunch at the canteen, visit our classrooms and see first-hand what a day in public education really looks like. 

Our students will also commence a unique sports program including golf and squash at Forbes Golf Club, lawn bowls at Forbes Bowling Club and cycling around Lake Forbes. 

During August our senior students are attending an Eco Day in Parkes, hosting ‘Reading Up North’ previously known as Reading Downtown and Northparkes Mine are installing 20 roosting boxes in our mature trees allowing our students to observe and monitor breeding native birds including the Grass Parrot, Eastern Rosella, Currawong, Honey Eaters, other species and, we are hoping to attract rare birds such as the Swift Parrot to our playground. 

Parents and carers will also have the opportunity to attend Mathematics workshops over two evenings as our staff are currently focusing on place value and whole number as an area of interest and improvement across Kindergarten to Year 6 numeracy. 

Forbes North is also celebrating Education Week in August with a massive book sale combining the love of reading and the annual book week celebrations around the theme ‘Dreaming with Eyes Open’. Education changes lives and every student at Forbes North will have the opportunity to proudly celebrate public education in the coming weeks.