On 6th–8th of September 2023 we will celebrate our 9th National Conference, on Wiradjuri Country at Parkes, NSW, the birthplace of Paint The Town Red (PTTR). Rhonda Brain, the then principal of Parkes Public School started PTTR with six other local school principals and it’s in over 100 communities across Australia.

Our theme is Storytelling and Told Stories. We have been liaising with local elders in planning and preparation.

It is fitting that it will fall in National Child Protection Week and on Indigenous Literacy Day. Told Stories give every child everywhere a fair go at learning who they are, and where they have come from. The Conference will begin with Indigenous storytelling the very best and right place to start. We’re an early literacy movement. Encouraging people to read with children from birth, so they start school ready to learn.

Our brains do most of their critical development in the first three years of life. A baby’s brain doubles in weight in the first year, tripling by age three.

Every time we read, talk, sing and rhyme with children brain connections grow, and build the foundations for learning. Children with good foundational early literacy skills arrive at school:

• able to communicate their needs.

• understanding conversations

• able to take direction, and

• ready to learn to read and write, with a healthy brain.

PTTR have been helping children since 1997. From humble beginnings, PTTR has grown into a thriving community of over 100 local groups, helping over 500,000 pre-school aged children get ready to learn at school.

The movement is making a difference. If children start school without early literacy skills, no matter how good the teaching, these initial cognitive gaps increase as children go through school. Head along and help Paint The Town Red.

The Black Dog Institute is calling on Australians to take a stand in solidarity for the 1 in 5 Australians experiencing symptoms of mental illness each year by participating in One Foot Forward – a national virtual challenge taking place in October – Mental Health Month.

The challenge is to walk, run, or roll 40km, 60km, 100km, 150km, or a distance that suits them throughout October, to show people experiencing symptoms of mental illness that they are not alone and to raise funds for Black Dog Institute’s crucial mental health research and support services in Australia. One in five Australians experience a mental illness each year which means around 5 million people are personally affected.

One Foot Forward can be a great way to take a positive step forward for your own mental health and show Australians impacted by mental illness that they’re not alone. You can take part solo, with a team or with your colleagues.

With mental illness costing Australian businesses $39 billion in lost revenue each year, Black Dog Institute is calling on corporate groups and businesses to join in.

This national virtual event is a great team building exercise for colleagues, can increase staff morale and help promote mental wellbeing in the workplace.

In 2022, over 28,000 participants walked, ran and rolled over 2,286,105km during Mental Health Month and joined in on the fun, got active, and raised funds to help Black Dog Institute. 

Funds raised by One Foot Forward participants this year can assist in the research and development of digital mental health tools and apps for adults and children, support novel and innovative suicide prevention programs, and help community presenters reach school students to talk about mental health in schools and how to get support.

Register online today at www.onefootforward.org.au 

This week saw a big week of celebrations for the Parkes Meals On Wheels (MOW) branch with National Meals On Wheels Day on Wednesday and their 60th anniversary celebrations being held today, Friday 1st September.

Chair of Meals on Wheels Australia, Paul Sadler says the 70-year milestone is something to be truly proud of, as well as the many ways that Meals on Wheels supports communities, far beyond delivering food.

“One thing that has remained clear over Meals on Wheels’ 70 years is that the service we provide with the support of committed volunteers, is vital,” said Paul.

The Parkes Meals On Wheels branch has been operational since 6th January 1963 and they currently service 120 clients. In order to service those clients, MOW have around 180 volunteers covering the Parkes Shire including Parkes Peak Hill, Trundle and Tullamore.

The lease on their previous location was coming to an end, and they wanted to be able to be more self-substantial and return to the grassroots of cooking nutritional meals for their clients, delivered hot and fresh daily.

The new MOW premises, located at the corner of Forbes Road and Callaghan Street will allow for the reintroduction of a production kitchen for the fist time in over 30 years.

A MOW spokesperson said, “The open day is a chance to celebrate our 60th birthday. It is a great leap forward to deliver to the people of Parkes hot nutritional meals every day as well as a welfare check. We are more than just a meal.”

The Meals On Wheels open day will kick off at 12pm with The Mayor, councilors, Phil Donato MP and MOW volunteers in attendance. Phil Donato will also hand out certificates to some of the long serving volunteers. A BBQ and cake will be provided.

Last weekend, teachers and students at Parkes School of Dance Inc were thrilled to host guest teacher and Royal Academy of Dance examiner, Miss Sharyn Constable at their May Street Studio for a weekend of winter workshops.

The weekend workshops were proudly supported by Northparkes Mines and the Parkes Shire Council 2023 Sports Grant. Parkes School of Dance Inc is thrilled to be recognised by the arts and sport. Without their support, these workshops wouldn’t be such a huge success.

The two big days of ballet and dance workshops saw 24 dancers, between the ages of 18 months and adult, and three teachers, participate in coaching across 14 hours of dance workshops. Many dancers had their first experience of dancing, three hours of ballet across two days with a highly regarded guest teacher.

“Thank you so much for inviting me out to Parkes. It was such a joy to see, and finally meet everyone in person. Both the students and teachers were so delightful,” said Miss Sharyn. 

“I look forward to a time when we might have the chance to do it all again.”

Parkes School of Dance students are in the midst of working towards their Royal Academy of Dance Ballet exams, coming up in early September.

“The opportunity to learn from different teachers does not happen often, let alone with a Royal Academy of Dance Examiner! Miss Sharyn inspired our dancers and teachers to think like ballerinas,”

Parkes School of Dance RAD teacher said, “Welcoming Miss Sharyn to our studio was such a wonderful experience for dancers of all ages and our teachers. As a teacher, I am always trying to find ways to improve my teaching. Miss Sharyn’s generosity of knowledge is invaluable!”

Each year the Forbes Community marks NAIDOC Week and 2023 is gearing up to be an amazing celebration and display of culture. 

The NAIDOC Committee and Forbes Shire Council has organised a day of workshops, demonstrations, activities and more, all aimed at celebrating the local culture to be held on Thursday 7th September. 

The day will kick off with an official ceremony at 10am during which the 2023 NAIDOC Award winners will be announced, along with the winner of the NAIDOC design competition. 

Forbes Preschool will be performing, whilst Dinawan’s Connection will complete the smoking ceremony and opening dance. 

“Come and see the completion of the Yarning Circle mural, join in weaving, cultural dance and language workshops, make damper, see demonstrations for making clapsticks and hand carving,” Forbes Mayor Phyllis Miller said. 

There will also be tools and weapons, and reptile displays, amusement rides, and girri girri grown at Forbes High School, just to name a few. 

“Everyone is welcome to come and learn more about the Indigenous culture of this region. Forbes Shire Council would like to thank the NAIDOC Committee and the Wiradjuri Dreaming Centre for their organisation and support,” Mayor Miller said. 

NAIDOC Week is a time to reflect and celebrate the histories, cultures and achievements of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and recognising them as ongoing custodians of the land. The theme for this year’s event is ‘For Our Elders’. 

It is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nation cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures in the world. 

NAIDOC Celebrations will be held at Wiradjuri Dreaming Centre from 10am until 2pm. So save the date, 7th September in your calendar and make sure to come along and enjoy NAIDOC.

Henry Parkes Museum will be holding an exhibition this Saturday, 19th August, to celebrate 150 years since Sir Henry Parkes first visited Bushmans, later to be rename Parkes. 

The Henry Parkes Museum is located next to the Parkes Visitors Centre. The display depicts the life of Sir Henry Parkes including his four visits to the Central West. 

Souvenirs for sale include local history books, mugs, can holders, key rings, fridge magnets, car stickers, hat pins and tea towels. Admission is free for members, adults $10, concession $7.50 and children $3. 

Nominations are now open for the tenth annual Philips Community Sports Dad of the Year award, acknowledging the contributions and positive impact that Australian dads have made both on and off the sporting field. 

Celebrating ten years of this prestigious award, dads across Australia have been acknowledged for their commitment to community sport – from coaching duties, painting lines on the pitch to raising funds for new equipment. 

Damien Cook, Rabbitohs and NSW origin star who won the 2022 Celebrity Sports Dad of the Year award, knows first-hand the support he received from his own dad growing up and aspires to do the same with his kids, Willow and Jagger. 

“Speaking from experience with my own dad when I was younger, community dads are so important with the roles they cover – from being a coach, setting up fields, refereeing and driving us to and from training and on game days. 

“My dad did this all while working full time and then worked overtime just to earn the extra time off to be able to get me to and from my commitments and be there to support me.” 

Every athlete, no matter grassroots or professional, has their story of who has supported them over the years. 

Nominations are now open and close midnight AEST on 22 August 2023. To nominate a community sports dad, submit 100 words on why they should win via www.sportsdads.com.au/community. The winner will be notified prior to Father’s Day, Sunday, 3 September, with the prize pack including a Philips male grooming pack valued at over $1,000 RRP, as well as a $5,000 Rebel Sports voucher to purchase clothing or sporting equipment for the community sports club of choice. 

To submit a dad who deserves to be recognised, visit www.sportsdads.com.au

FRIDAY FLICKS

This 2022 rom-com follows the blossoming romance between two writers brought together in Mexico. With its beautiful scenery, this fish-out-of-water story where opposites attract, makes for a mini romantic getaway.

Friday 25 August, 6pm. Bookings essential.

JUNIOR BUILDERS

Bookings are now open for the Junior Builders workshop on Tuesday August 22 from 4-5pm. Students in Years 3-6 are invited tocome any enjoy a free after-school activitycreating and contributing to a communityart project. Spaces are strictly limited – call6861 2309 to book.

CURL UP THIS WINTER WITH ONLINE WINTER-READS

This winter join libraries throughout the state to read the gripping, fast-paced crime thriller The Other Side of Her by B.M. Carroll. Login to indyreads to start now! Need help accessing our online collections? Our staff are happy to help! Winter-Reads runs from Tuesday 1 August – Thursday 31 August

GET INVOLVED IN THE CARDBOARD SHOW

Got an empty box at your house? Across the month of September the Coventry Room will be hosting an ever-changing and expanding community exhibition of art work made from CARDBOARD. Get involved and enter a piece – build with it, paint on it, create a sculpture or piece of furniture from carboard. All entries to be delivered to the Coventry Room on 4th or 5th September.

Need some inspiration? Join one of the FREE cardboard workshops in the Marramarra Makerspace & Coventry Room:

• Friday 8th September @ 6pm: Workshopand wine (especially for adults)

• Saturday 9th September @ 10am: Cordialand cardboard (especially for kids andparents welcome)

• Saturday 16th September @ 10am: Continue with cardboard (everyone welcome)

Friday 29th September @ 6pm will be the celebration and grand finale event (a free event where artworks will be sold by donation). To book into any of the workshops or events contact Parkes Library 6861 2309.