October 23 - 29, 2016: Issue 286
Avalon Beach RSL Club’s Pikachu Triumph
Pikachu getting a hug in Avalon Beach - photo, A J Guesdon
Angus Rimmer, General Manager of Avalon Beach RSL Club has completed the "Dare The Boss" challenge set for him by his staff members. The Dare the Boss Challenge is a fundraising idea for the Children's Cancer Institute where a boss can be challenged to do something they dislike, fear, has an element of 'squirm' or they would avoid if possible.
Challenges such as spider encounters, ten plates of cold broccoli for ten days in a row, listening to a recording of Frozen's 'Let it Go' sung/bellowed by your children for a month, or wearing a costume of one of their favourite, not yours, characters, are all up for grabs.
After two hours and 13 073 steps, Angus, or Pikachu as he preferred to be known when on this run, but not ever after, .... and that's ever ever ever, completed the challenge set him early Saturday afternoon, October 22nd.
Along the way his support team captured many a fine moment, including the youngsters and their parents who wanted a photo with the bright yellow electric mouse, the gruelling climb up Newport hill and even a small rest on a park bench at Bilgola Beach.
Katie Lewis, Assistant General Manager at the club, and Avalon Beach RSL Sub-Branch member Lynn Murphy accompanied the Pikachu Angus all along the route – at one stage they can be seen pushing him up those rather challenging steps from Bilgola.
More HERE
Prime Minister’s 2016 Prize For Excellence In Science Teaching In Primary Schools
Gary Tilley: Seaforth Public School
Gary Tilley - photo credit: Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science/WildBear.
On Thursday, October 20th, Mr Gary Tilley (Seaforth Public School) was announced as the winner of the Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools.
Gary Tilley is mentoring the next generation of science and maths teachers to improve the way these subjects are taught in the classroom.
“In over 30 years of teaching, I’ve never seen a primary school student who isn’t curious and doesn’t want to be engaged in science. Once they’re switched onto science, it helps their literacy and numeracy skills, and their investigative skills. Science is the key to the whole thing,” Gary says.
Gary recognised a long time ago that the way science was taught in primary schools needed to change. So he has taken it upon himself to mentor the younger teachers at his school, and helps train science and maths student teachers at Macquarie University through their Opening Real Science program.
At Seaforth Public School, he and his students have painted almost every wall in their school with murals of dinosaurs and marine reptiles, and created models of stars and planets, to encourage excitement and a love for science. The school is now known by local parents as the ‘Seaforth Natural History Museum’.
Pittwater Pinks Dragon Boat Team Invite You To Oaks Day At The Beach Club Collaroy
The Pittwater Pinks - photo by A J Guesdon.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
In 1996 Dr Donald McKenzie, from the University of British Columbia in Canada, went against the then prescribed norm that women diagnosed with breast cancer should avoid upper body exercise and in doing so discovered that by following a special exercise and training program, women could avoid lymphedema and enjoy active, full lives. He chose the activity of dragon boat paddling as this involves repetitive use of the upper body. His 3-month dragon boat training program was carefully monitored by a sports medicine physician, a physiotherapist and a nurse. Dr McKenzie’s theory was proven correct. No new cases of lymphedema occurred and none of the existing cases became worse.
That same year Abreast In A Boat was established. In 2016 Abreast In A Boat celebrates its 20th year, with a continuing mission of: “We paddle to raise breast cancer awareness and to demonstrate that women living with breast cancer can lead full and active lives.”
The International Breast Cancer Paddlers’ Commission or
IBCPC holds a seat in the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) Commission Chair under Protocol, Culture and Heritage Commission (PC&HC). IBCPC governs the BCS Participatory Festivals and the Combined Racers Division in the Club Crew World Championships (CCWC). This division is open for entry for Breast Cancer Survivors Crew (BCS), All Cancer Survivors Crew (ACS), and Paradragons/Adaptive Paddlers Crew (APC).
Across the world there are 183 IBCPC Member Teams as of October 2016. In Australia there are 34 teams.
We have a resident chapter of this wonderful enterprise - the Pittwater Pinks Dragon Boat Club, a great group of women who are an integral part of the Bei Loon Dragon Boat Club that paddles out of Rowland Reserve, Bayview.
On Oaks Day, the traditional 'ladies day' as part of the Melbourne cup Festival, Thursday November 3rd this year, the girls are having a fundraiser at The Beach Club, Collaroy.
Pittwater Pinks - photos by A J Guesdon
The Farr 40 2016/17 Australian Open Series
Estate Master OD Trophy 2016- photo by Crosbie Lorimer
The Farr 40 2016/17 Australian Open Series will be contested through six regattas between October 2016 and March 2017 on Sydney Harbour, Pittwater and at Newcastle. The enduring Farr 40 class is moving into another phase of a 20-year lifespan in Australia following on from Sydney hosting the international fleet’s last world championship.
Saturday 22nd of October opened the series with the first regatta, organised by Middle Harbour Yacht Club.
Report on day one,
Kokomo In Control After Farr 40 One Design Trophy Season Opening Day, by Lisa Ratcliff HERE Spring In Pittwater: 2016
Seeds and fruits as well as brand new bushflowers (wildlflowers) are beginning to appear in Pittwater bush reserves and alongside the creeks and waterways. Birds are feasting on these native seeds and fruits while large butterflies are attracted by the nectar.
Flannel flowers are in abundance at present, and have been for weeks - with masses covering the hills. So too all the varieties of red bottlebrush are lighting up the bush along with many kinds of yellow bush peas.
This week's Pictorial shares some of those found in research done for the upcoming Annie Wyatt Pittwater Fields of Dreams II history page as well as others spotted along the ways. All of this reminding you that Mother Nature speaks in verses and poetry, in bushland verges, for all the senses - should we wish to hear, see, smell, touch or speak it... Corella feasting on wattle pods - Careel Creek - Saturday October 22nd, 2016
The filtered by gum trees view from Annie Wyatt Reserve - Spring in Pittwater pictures Issue 286, A J Guesdon.
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