Community News
“Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much” – Helen Keller.
Community advertisements can be emailed to mount.beauty.sc@education.vic.gov.au with "FOR NEWSLETTER" in the subject line. Our weekly school newsletter is sent out on a Monday afternoon. Submissions need to be received by COB Fridays for inclusion. JPEG/PNG/PDF/word format allowed.
Sport Vouchers
Helping eligible families get their kids involved in organised sport and active recreation.
Eligible children may receive up to $200 to cover the costs for membership and registration fees. Applications are now open.
Any school aged child who lives in Victoria, with a valid Health Care or Pensioner Concession card can apply. This round closes on 10 May 2023.
Nominations for the 2023 Alpine Shire Youth Awards are now open.
We invite nominations for young people aged 12 – 21 who work, live or study in Alpine Shire, nominations close on Monday the 7th of August 2023.
The Alpine Shire Youth Awards is a great opportunity for our community to acknowledge and celebrate the valuable contribution young people are making in many areas of our community.
After a difficult couple of years, we are excited to present the Alpine Shire Youth Awards at the Mount Beauty Community Centre on Friday the 1st of September this year.
The Youth Awards evening is a celebration of young people including local young performers, a guest speaker and finger food.
We invite members of the public, schools, and employers to nominate young people for awards in the following categories:
• Academic: recognising an individual who is dedicated to aspects of academic study.
• Community: recognising an individual or a group who has the welfare of their community and the people within it at heart
• Endurance & Persistence: recognising a young person who has demonstrated personal growth and endurance to overcome hardships or to achieve their goals. This may be demonstrated through but is not limited to family, culture, sexual orientation, geographic location, long term unemployment, health, disability, or education.
• Sports and Recreation: recognising a young person who demonstrates a strong commitment not just to his/her personal sporting achievements but to the wider benefit of the sport.
• Workplace: recognises a young person undertaking part- or full-time work, traineeship or apprenticeship who consistently displays a strong work ethic and a high level of professionalism
• Rural: This award recognises an individual who shows commitment to agriculture or rural life in the Alpine Shire, through work, study or lifestyle
• Performing Arts: This award recognises a young person or group who display/s their skill or talent through performing arts; it is for an individual or group who displays a large amount of determination to succeed in their field
• Visual Arts and Media: We invite young people who excel in the areas of visual arts and media to nominate themselves for this category; their excellence could include (but is not limited to) photography, drawing, sculpture, painting, fashion, textiles, or film.
• Proud and Deadly: recognising a young person who is of First Nations descent and champions their culture proudly.
Landslip Recovery
Calling on Kiewa Valley community to lead landslip recovery.
Alpine Shire Council and Emergency Recovery Victoria are coordinating the formation of the volunteer Kiewa Valley Community Recovery Group (CRG).
The CRG will represent communities across the Upper Kiewa Valley, including Bogong Village, Mount Beauty, Tawonga South, Tawonga and Dederang, ensuring local knowledge and expertise are front and centre in creating a long term, community-centred recovery plan. The role of the recovery group will not only be to plan, coordinate and lead the recovery process, but give a voice to the broad views, priorities and recovery goals of affected communities, providing a link between community, Council, Emergency Recovery Victoria, and other state government agencies.
Some of the responsibilities of the group may be to engage and consult with community members to better understand their recovery needs and listen to their ideas, develop, implement and update a Community Recovery Plan that includes short, medium and long-term priorities, and keep communities informed of recovery issues, plans and actions.
Council and Emergency Recovery Victoria will provide support to the Group, including attending meetings and undertaking secretariat duties.
Nominees will be required to demonstrate that they have an interest in and understand the local community they represent, Group members will be expected to provide insight and two-way communication with their whole community and networks.
Ratepayers in the Kiewa Valley who live outside of the Alpine Shire can also nominate for the Group.
More information about Kiewa Valley CRG can be found here or by calling Community Recovery Coordinator 5755 0555.
Nominations will be received up to 1 May 2023 through the online registration form found here
Community Seminar
Dr Michael Carr-Gregg -“Building happiness and resilience in young people and their families”
Wangaratta on Thursday 4th May 2023 @ Quality Hotel Wangaratta Gateway, 29-37 Ryley St, Wangaratta VIC 3677, from 5.30pm – 7.30pm
Myrtleford on Thursday 18th May @ EMAPC - Marian College Performance Centre, 11/49 Prince St, Myrtleford VIC 3737, from 5.30pm – 7.30pm.
Light refreshments will be provided prior to the event from 5.45pm | Each workshop will run for approximately 2 hours
Community Workshops
Family Connections through Art
Create an artistic image of your family tree with the support and guidance of local artist Lisa Bishop
Wangaratta on Tuesday 9th May 2023 @ NESAY 86-90 Rowan Street Wangaratta from 5.30pm – 7.30pm
Myrtleford on Tuesday 16th May @ the Myrtleford Senior Citizens Centre, Smith Street Myrtleford from 5.30pm – 7.30pm.
Light refreshments will be provided | Each workshop will run for approximately 2 hours
Rhythmic Drumming Together
Connect and have fun through African drumming with Bri from in the Groove Community Drumming
Wangaratta on Tuesday 23rd May 2023 @ NESAY 86-90 Rowan Street Wangaratta from 5.30pm – 7.30pm
Myrtleford on Tuesday 6th June 2023 at St Marys Primary School (music room), 43 O’Donnell Avenue Myrtleford from 5.30pm – 7.30pm.
Light refreshments will be provided | Each workshop will run for approximately 2 hours
All events are FREE with tickets available via our NESAY website https://nesay.com.au/upcoming-events/
Creative Writing Competition
entries are now open for the 2023 Insight Creative Writing Competition!
Open to all high school students in Australia, the competition aims to ignite a passion for creative writing and to inspire the voices of the future. It also offers participants the chance to share in over $3000 of cash prizes!
All shortlisted entries will be judged by one of the following acclaimed Australian authors: Scot Gardner, Demet Divaroren, Alice Pung, Michael Earp, Nam Le and Melissa Keil. We’ll send you more details about them in the coming months.
Competition key dates
Entries open: OPEN NOW!
Entries close: 1 September 2023
Longlist announcement: 18 October 2023
Shortlist announcement: 1 November 2023
Awards Ceremony: 7 December 2023
Schools Plus is now inviting nominations and applications for the Commonwealth Bank Teaching Awards. Each year, national education non-profit Schools Plus celebrates 22 inspirational educators who are making a transformative and measurable impact on students and school communities. Twelve outstanding teachers or school leaders will be selected to receive a prestigious $40,000 Teaching Fellowship, including $25,000 for a strategic school project and participation in a unique 12-month professional learning program. Ten early career teachers with the passion and potential to make an increasing impact in education will receive $10,000 for professional development and an exclusive learning and mentoring program. The Awards are open to educators working in government, independent and Catholic schools across Australia.
Together, let's celebrate life-changing teachers! Nominate your colleagues or apply yourself! Applications are open until 7 May 2023. For more information, visit www.schoolsplus.org.au/awards or contact us on awards@schoolsplus.org.au
From experienced educators to up-and-coming teachers making a real difference in students' lives, we look forward to celebrating these amazing educators with you.
UKVCA have a major event coming up very soon.
For several years now we have been holding a Community Forum to which we invite our representative at each level of government - Federal, State and Local.
We are very pleased that this will be the first year for some time that we have managed to get all three levels to the Forum. Dr Helen Haines MHR, Tim McCurdy MLA and Will Jeremy CEO Alpine Shire will all be present.
The Forum is scheduled for Thursday, April 6th, 7:30 pm in the Auditorium.
Our representatives will update you on current government concerns, followed by a question time during which you will be able to quiz about your concerns. Then a chance to meet over a 'cuppa' will allow a less formal chance to discuss your concerns. Please note this into your plans/dairy/calendar and join us for an informative evening.
Please find below Gateway Health's Community Recovery and Resilience Team movements in Alpine for the upcoming fortnight:
Wednesday 5/4/2023
Falls Creek: Phone or zoom appointments available call our intake 0487 374 686 or 0418 761 350. (No General visit by Gateway on mountain but we can schedule outreach visit or phone/video call with client if urgent).
Mount Beauty: Lilli Pilli Day Larder 10am-12pm and
Mt Beauty Library 1-2pm
Wednesday 12/4/2023
Falls Creek: Phone or zoom appointments available call our intake 0487 374 686 or 0418 761 350. (No General visit by Gateway on mountain but we can schedule outreach visit or phone/video call with client if urgent).
Mount Beauty: Lilli Pilli Day Larder 10am-12pm and
Mt Beauty Library 1-2pm
Alternatively please call our intake 0487 374 686 or 0418 761 350 to arrange an outreach visit and we can come to you on a day and time that suits. We can also see clients in our Myrtleford, Wangaratta or Wodonga office or other locations where suitable.
Gateway Health’s Community Recovery and Resilience team are currently providing disaster recovery outreach to Falls Creek and Mount Beauty on Wednesdays to support those in the area affected by the Bogong Landslip. Impacts don’t need to be physical, it can be financial, social or mental health impacts. Food and Fuel vouchers available for eligible individuals, families and Businesses in Falls Creek, Mount Beauty and surrounds. Gateway Health also provide Bushfire and Flood recovery services across the Alpine Region. https://gatewayhealth.org.au/services/community-recovery/
We provide both Case Management and Mental Health Clinician services. Our service is FREE and voluntary.
Any questions please feel free to email or call 0418 725 168.
The next round of the $250 Power Saving Bonus commenced on 24 March 2023. It is available to all eligible Victorian households, including those who have already received a payment through previous rounds of the program. Bring a current power bill and bank account information into the Neighbourhood Centre and we can help you to lodge your claim. With every claim we lodge the Centre will receive $10. Please call to book your time (03) 5754 1166.
“The Saver Plus community program has helped over 55,000 Australians take the stress out of back to school time. It’s free for eligible people to join.
At Saver Plus, we pair you with a savings coach while you budget and save over the next 10 months. You attend online workshops to learn tips, tricks and information to grow your budgeting and savings skills. Once you reach your agreed savings goal, ANZ matches your savings dollar-for-dollar, up to $500. You can use that money towards education costs such as uniforms, text books, laptops or extra-curricular activities such as sport or music.
You could be eligible to join Saver Plus if you:
- have a Centrelink Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card
- are at least 18 years old
- have some regular income from work (you or your partner) including casual, part-time, full‑time or seasonal (we also accept child support and carer’s payment as income)
- have a child at school or attend vocational education yourself.
If you’re eligible, start now and we’ll help take the stress out of next year’s back to school.
To find out more, or to apply, go to www.saverplus.org.au or call 1300 610 355