[English] Fwd: BRIT-OZ ePals Scheme

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

From: DoE Mail (Victoria)

To: All School Principals; All Assistant and Campus Principals; All
Schools; All Corporate; All School Council Presidents; School Services
Officer; All Business Managers; School Technicians; All OHS Reps; All
Learning Technology Co-ordinators

Subject: DoE MAIL Bulletin for week ending 6 April 2007

Department of Education
Victoria (snip)

S121-2007 BRIT-OZ ePALS scheme

Summary

Brit-Oz e-Pals is a scheme designed to encourage every school child in
Australia and Britain to have an email pen friend. The main objective is
to foster, from an early age, new and lasting relationships and to create
a better understanding of the other country, its values and culture.

The intention is to enable schools in both countries to link not only
with those having similar interests but, should they so wish, with other
schools from quite disparate backgrounds eg a rural school in Victoria
with an inner-city London school.

Background

Brit-Oz e-Pals is an initiative of the Britain-Australia Society. Since
its inception the scheme has gained momentum and is now enthusiastically
supported by the former Australian High Commissioner in London, HE Mr
Michael L'Estrange and his counterpart in Canberra, the British High
Commissioner, HE the Rt. Hon. Sir Alistair Goodland KCMG. Brit-Oz e-Pals
is a charity registered in the United Kingdom.

While encouraging school children of all ages to become involved, Brit-Oz
e-Pals is initially targeting the 7-14 age group, with the intention of
providing an additional and, hopefully, stimulating new tool to aid,
develop and improve computing and language skills, whilst adding
knowledge of each other's country. The Brit-Oz ePals Group will aim to
assist by putting schools in touch with each other. As an added
incentive, it will establish an e-Pals award scheme for students and for
schools. The Program is always under the control and guidance of
students' teachers.

Objectives

Through regular pen pal contact via email, the intention is to provide a
stimulating new tool to:

* aid, develop and improve computing, language and literacy skills

* learn something of the history, culture and values of each other's
  country, in a more informal way

* Establish lines of communication and friendships that will last a
  lifetime.


Contact Details

Interested schools should register at www.britozepals.org

  <http://www.britozepals.org/>

Should you have any further queries, please contact
Rod Parnall on (03 9637 2192; email parnall.rod.j at edumail.vic.gov.au)

Tony Cook
General Manager
Student Learning Division
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Cheers all ..
Stephen Loosley
Victoria, Australia