Establishment of CAPERS Circus Arts Network for students to peer tutor schools’ students/teachers/parents using learned skills. Our school and students will teach others the program and it’s importance in improving student learning through physical activity, brain gym, higher-order thinking and meeting different learning styles. Funds cover release, travel and accommodation.

Increased understanding and participation in high interest brain activities to increase concentration, co-ordination, self-esteem and self-belief.
Enhanced student outcomes through knowledge and understanding about how they learn.
Network of schools and students with circus arts and brain thinking skills.
To have fun when learning with others...

Background

Grenfell Public School has been involved in the Circus Arts Program, CAPERS, K-6 for almost a year. This involves students learning a variety of activities including how to ride a unicycle, juggling, balancing on stilts, staff, poi, devil sticks and clowning. This involves a practical, hands-on approach to engage brain thinking activities. The students progress through levels and as they reach each level, they are able to teach others. We originally had a teacher and a class trained in the circus arts and have now adapted it to suit the needs of our students and school. It has really improved the tone of our school, discipline, co-ordination of students, peer to peer relations and improved self-esteem among low achieving students.

From a recent survey conducted, we had 100% response from students, teachers and parents. They all believe that CAPERS has been great for our school and want it to continue in 2007. From other data collected, we have found that our pink discipline slips have decreased by over half and the students who were offenders in the past are heavily involved in the CAPERS program. In 2005 we had an average of 100 pink slips per term and that has reduced to under 50 per term, since the introduction of the CAPERS program.

Our school has purchased over $5000 worth of equipment through school and P and C funds, to fund the CAPERS program and to release teachers to be trained through professional learning. We have also made a lot of equipment through parent/student workshops. We have performed for local organisations, for example the Senior Citizens Concert, local festival and travelled to local school in our district. The response has been overwhelming and schools really see the value in the initiative and want to be involved.
We are very excited about a program that improves brain thinking and we would like to share our success with others to make a difference in their education. We want to make this available to students, teachers and parents that are affected by geographic isolation and who would not otherwise get these opportunities. We feel that we have the skills, expertise and enthusiasm to enhance the learning outcomes of our students and other students in isolated areas through an enjoyable initiative that everyone can be involved with that is of benefit to them and something they can share with others. We can teach skills that they will have forever that are special and unique.

Please note there will be a significant amount of parental participation that will fund their own way on participating tours. Principal of Grenfell Public School will also accompany the tour group.

Fundraising and seeking of sponsorship will be undertaken to help subsidise the program.

In order to overcome this and put our plan in place, we have 6 parts to our program.

1: We visit other CAP schools to show our CAP CAPERS circus program. We put on a performance and then our students peer tutor other students in workshops on different activities. We also tutor other teachers and parents that are interested.

2: We would like to do a tour to isolated schools in Western NSW to show our students different schools, students, towns and different forms of isolation and to give extremely isolated schools the opportunity to participate in, and be a part of, this program. Through promotions in local media ie, newspapers, TV, radio and establishment of our own CAP CAPERS Circus newsletter.

3: We would like schools to visit Grenfell Public School so they can see how we run our CAPERS program and to develop friendships and links with other communities. Participating schools will fund 5 days relief. A CAP CAPERS circus concert will be conducted at Grenfell P.S School to help raise funds to subsidse the student tour.

4: Improve our transition from Primary to High School by offering our Year 5/6 CAP CAPERS group a chance to peer tutor other students in High School to break down barriers and to make the transition smoother.

5: Community and staff training and setting up of a CAP CAPERS committee.

6: Trainer training to keep our trainer up to date with the learning of new skills so that they can be passed on to the students to learn.


Our Anticipated Outcomes:

From all these activities we hope to help isolated students and schools achieve a positive brain thinking initiative that will improve self-esteem, discipline, co-operation, teamwork and provide opportunities for students to perform and meet other students from isolated areas. It will allow us to expose our students to Aboriginal students and multiculturalism and to show other schools how our special needs students can contribute to a worthwhile initiative and build their skills through it. It is a very appealing boys education strategy and our parents have really noticed how their self-discipline and esteem has improved due to this. We will be engaging motivated and confident students that will apply and implement a range of learning strategies to enhance effective thinking amongst themselves and others they are teaching the skills to. Staff, students and parents will be excited about the involvement and implementation of these brain thinking activities and will be motivated to extend it to other areas. A committee of skilled teachers, parents and students will be formed to share ideas and skills with other schools. We will also develop a strategic plan with future directions for effective thinking in CAP schools.