Fig Tree School Ltd Newcastle

Writing an update that I have been putting off because its a sad one. We are having to shelve our beautiful plans for now because a location is just not becoming available to us. But the dream continues to be held - just wanting parents searching and hoping now to know there is nothing coming soon. x Becky

❤️

The image of the child musician crying was classified as one of the most emotional photographs of modern history.

This photo was taken of a 12-year-old Brazilian boy (Diego Frazzo Turkato), playing the violin at the funeral of his teacher who rescued him from the environment of poverty and crime in which he lived.

In this image, humanity speaks with the strongest voice in the world:
"Cultivate love and kindness in a child to sow the seeds of compassion. And only then you will build a great civilization, a great nation ".
( Photographer: Marcos Tristao )

Update: I've bumped into a few people recently who asked how the search for a property is going. Here's the lay of the land. I feel that we have exhausted as much as possible the idea of renting from a community group - shared space just didn't seem to work out even after extensive negotiation and relationship building. We also at this time have exhausted the option of buying something privately (funded by the founders - as the school has a total of approx. $400 funds raised). I'm now bracing myself and researching launching into the commercial renting space, and have received some good advice in how to navigate this, this will still need to be guaranteed privately we takes us back to nearly being worth buying so we will see how it goes. The longer I look the more I realise this is a long term project to find the right space which meets NESA and council planning requirements and is a beautiful learning environment. Thanks for your continued support and interest. -Becky

I received an interesting email about a trial to extend school hours in public schools from the P&C Federation. I'll quote a section below:
"Extending the school day- the Department of Education wants to hear from parents and carers
Do you think that the current school day matches the needs of parents and carers juggling work commitments in the 21st century?"

Whilst the program itself sounds interesting, providing more extracurricular opportunities on school site, it bothers me that we are asking what suits "the needs of parents and carers... work commitments" not how this will effect the wellbeing of our children - although the survey goes into a bit more depth.

If you have a child in a public school currently, I encourage you to take the survey here: https://research.det.nsw.edu.au/jfe/form/SV_b469PhhqUOzJulg

What are your thoughts?

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How far would you travel to a school that met your child's needs?

UPDATE: Our bid on the property was unsuccessful, the search continues.

Please keep Fig Tree School in your thoughts these next couple of weeks as we make another attempt towards a particular location. I'm trying hard not to get my hopes up but knowing that you are all behind us would give me that extra boost of confidence to pursue this hopeful spot. Thanks again for all your patient support for what proves to be taking a lot longer than we hoped! Hopefully Fig Tree School can have a home 🏡
Much love, Becky

Had a phone call with NESA today to touch base, after attending their New Independent School information meeting. They said location is a very common problem new schools face, we are not the first to come up against this hurdle and are determined to keep looking!
We need:
- around 200m2 disability accessible indoor space
- fenced outdoor space
- amenities including disability access
- a central location for easy family commutes and community (preferably close to some green space like a park or oval)
- parking for staff

Recent changes to legislation mean we no longer come under State Development Application process which we hope will help speed up the process! Yay a win :)

Congratulations to Gumbaynggirr Giingana Freedom School who are starting for the first time in a few days!( Bularri Muurlay Nyanggan - 2 Path Strong ) We know the massive effort it must have taken, must be so exciting to have those doors opening!

Gumbaynggirr Giingana Freedom School, NSW’s First Bilingual School opening in Coffs Harbour, 2022 The Bularri Muurlay Nyanggan Aboriginal Corporation (BMNAC) is excited to announce the registration of NSW’s first bilingual school, the Gumbaynggirr Giingana Freedom School (GGFS).

"Applies and refines interpersonal skills to assist themselves and others to interact respectfully and promote inclusion in a variety of groups or contexts". - An exert from the NSW Stage 2 (grade3-4) PDHPE curriculum. I'm so glad that you can find these gems in the NSW curriculum it makes me so hopeful for our future. - Becky McIntosh

"According to Psychologists, there are four types of Intelligence:

1) Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
2) Emotional Quotient (EQ)
3) Social Quotient (SQ)
4) Adversity Quotient (AQ)

1. Intelligence Quotient (IQ): this is the measure of your level of comprehension. You need IQ to solve maths, memorize things, and recall lessons.

2. Emotional Quotient (EQ): this is the measure of your ability to maintain peace with others, keep to time, be responsible, be honest, respect boundaries, be humble, genuine and considerate.

3. Social Quotient (SQ): this is the measure of your ability to build a network of friends and maintain it over a long period of time.

People that have higher EQ and SQ tend to go further in life than those with a high IQ but low EQ and SQ. Most schools capitalize on improving IQ levels while EQ and SQ are played down.

A man of high IQ can end up being employed by a man of high EQ and SQ even though he has an average IQ.

Your EQ represents your Character, while your SQ represents your Charisma. Give in to habits that will improve these three Qs, especially your EQ and SQ.

Now there is a 4th one, a new paradigm:

4. The Adversity Quotient (AQ): The measure of your ability to go through a rough patch in life, and come out of it without losing your mind.

When faced with troubles, AQ determines who will give up, who will abandon their family, and who will consider su***de.

Parents please expose your children to other areas of life than just Academics. They should adore manual labour (never use work as a form of punishment), Sports and Arts.

Develop their IQ, as well as their EQ, SQ and AQ. They should become multifaceted human beings able to do things independently of their parents.

Finally, do not prepare the road for your children. Prepare your children for the road."

(Copied status) but one that resonates with me.

I've been putting off writing this because I so very much didn't want it to be true, but sadly we have been unable to find a location in time for this years NESA deadline. Barring a miracle, we will be delaying our opening year, to 2024 (or later). We've learnt a lot this past year that we will be able to carry on forward with us to continue the search.

Its been a hard week. We missed out on a property that would have made a beautiful school. But articles like this remind me to keep going. - Becky

‘Let children play’: the educational message from across Europe While approaches may differ, the importance of free time to play is increasingly being recognised