The gazette december 2014

December 2014Volume 5, No 10

Monthly Newsletter

THEGazetteChook story brings dream aliveFor Naomi Lake, seeing her first book in print was the best Christmas present ever.Naomi, whose love of

English led her to write the children’s book, has been inundated with orders since its launch in mid-November.Harmony the Forgetful

Hen and the Lost Eggs will, no doubt, delight many a young person finding a copy in their Christmas stocking, but the goodwill spreads further. For every $20 book sold, Naomi will donate $2 to Variety WA.“I want to donate some

money to Variety because they help sick and disabled children,” Naomi said.Having Down Syndrome

herself has not held her back, and in addition to being a prolific reader and writer, Naomi is a productive and competent clothing production student at Great Southern Institute of Technology.Naomi said her inspiration

for the book came from her love of chooks, going back to her childhood on a farm in Bridgetown.While she had her world

opened up by an iPad

class she attended at the institute, Naomi still prefers to write in the more traditional way.“I wrote it by myself using

a pen and paper, and my mum helped me edit it,” Naomi explained.“It’s about a chook called

Harmony who looks like she has lost something – it’s obviously her eggs,” she said.“She asks the other

animals and she looks under trees and bushes, and then she asks me – I’m in the book as well!”

Continued on page 2

Great Southern Institute of Technology student and author Naomi Lake with the children’s book she recently launched.

Great Southern Gazette – December 20142

To access this newsletter as a PDF by email or for a printed copy, phone 9892 8888.To download a PDF, visit the website www.gsit.wa.edu.au. The Gazette is on the Publications page under the ‘About Us’ tab.

Want to read The Gazette in another format?

I wrote it by myself using a pen and paper, and my mum helped me edit it

From page 1The search ends with the hen’s discovery

of her eggs, and their hatching brings the story to a happy conclusion.Naomi said illustrator Dave McCleery,

whose pictures make a perfect complement to the story, was a family friend from the UK.“My sister Paula sent him the story and

Dave did the illustrations,” Naomi said, explaining her family arranged the printing as a Christmas present.Since the books arrived from PK Press

in Fremantle, Naomi has organised a Facebook page and a separate bank account. She has also arranged sales through the

Vancouver Café, where she works part-time, and the 1849 Backpackers, where

Paula is employed.The thrill of seeing 3000 copies of her book

offloaded in cartons from a truck is clearly one Naomi relishes, and the experience is one she plans to repeat with a sequel already in the pipeline.

Naomi’s dedication of the book is a fitting tribute to those closest to her. It reads: ‘To my family, who believe anything is possible.’

Chook story brings dream alive

Our communication preferences revealedWhen sharing or sourcing information – both corporate and informal – staff may find the results of the recent communication survey useful.The highest results for each question

have been extracted, though some areas

may change with the introduction of the new intranet and further rollout of the TRIM record management system.Thanks to everyone who responded to

the survey, for which we received an an extremely high response rate.

Receiving corporate updatesEmail 105Electronic newsletter 11Formal workplace meetings 8

Accessing existing corporate informationIntranet 39Email requests 29G Drive 19Line Manager 14Work colleagues 9

Sending information or responding to requests for feedbackEmail 101Phone calls 9

Informal correspondenceEmail 84Electronic newsletters 10

www.gsinstitute.wa.edu.au

Great Southern Gazette – December 2014 3

Six staff were recipients of the annual Staff Awards for Excellence at the end-of-year morning tea on 10 December.The coveted awards,

each worth $1500 towards professional development, were presented by Governing Council Chair Scott Leary.Two winners in the

Excellence in Non-Teaching category were IT Manager Justin Laing and Building Services Officer Bob Vigar.In the Excellence in

Teaching category, the winner of the Innovation in Teaching award was Hospitality Lecturer Andrea Gallagher. Business Lecturer Louise Hillman took out the title for Workforce Development

in Teaching, and for the Leadership in Teaching award, the prize was shared between TryTech Coordinator and Plumbing Lecturer Rod Connell and Business Lecturer Marilyn Connell, who each received $1000.Scott also presented

certificates to all nominees.Congratulating the

nominees and winners, Managing Director Lidia Rozlapa said she was proud of the high standard of work they had achieved.The staff award nominees were:Excellence in Non-Teaching categorySamantha AhernSue DybingLionel HartCarolyn Heffernan

Justin LaingWendy MacliverJanet MatwiejewTerri MichaelRick MullerCherry PearceTanielle SherwoodBob VigarThe Skills Development Centre team of:• Christine Coldwell• Sue Dawes• Tash Henderson• Jackie McLeish• Sandy Marshall• Jess Johnston• Anita Verazzi• Dianne FranzinelliExcellence in Teaching categoryLeaya BaileyJason BloomerCraig BottomleyMarilyn Connell

Continued on page 10

MD proud of worthy award winners

Rod Connell, Marilyn Connell, Bob Vigar, Andrea Gallagher and Justin Laing celebrate winning staff awards for excellence. Louise Hillman was absent.


From the MD’s Desk

A big thank you to all institute staff for another successful year.In many ways, 2014 was

a challenging year, but I am proud of the results we have achieved.As we approach the sharp end, we have achieved 98.8 per cent of profile, and are positioned to reach 100 per cent by close of business.I would like to congratulate

the managers and directors for the excellent financial management of their sections, which has seen us reach the end of the year within budget. Thank you for your efforts, I know this has not been easy.

Emerging LeadersOur under-40s staff gathered for professional development sessions to discuss ideas and identify new ways of working across our institute.The resulting issues and

actions are detailed on pages 6 to 9 of this edition.

PACDPlanning is progressing for the whole-of-institute professional development day on 6 February.We have some inspiring

speakers to set the tone for the start of the academic year and numerous fun activities planned for after lunch. It is shaping up to be a very

interactive and productive day.

Severance SchemeOn 6 October, Cabinet approved a targeted severance scheme for 1500 public sector employees. Registrations of interest

from institute employees are now closed, and all interested staff members will be advised of their position in due course.

SustainabilityFourteen QR signs to assist with our teaching of environmental sustainability have been installed around the Albany campus.Using a smartphone with

a QR app installed, people can discover information about each site on the trail, and its value to our sustainability ethos. See the story on the signs on page 24.In other initiatives, a

daylight sensor control has been installed to the external lights at M Block to minimise power use and improve safety and security, and all internal lights in M Block are to be replaced with LEDs.

USIStaff who work with student enrolments have been advised of the requirement for all future students to supply a Unique Student Identifier before they enrol. This is a quick, simple

process, and it is preferable to have students obtain their USI in advance. However,

computers with an internet connection are available for students to obtain a USI at the time of enrolment, and staff will guide them in the process.

2015 enrolmentsFull-time enrolments through TAFE Admissions has now passed the 300 mark, which is the best result at close of applications for several years.

The Environment and Primary Industries portfolioWelcome back to Neil Binning, who has been on long service leave for several weeks, and thank you to Peter Young, who has capably taken the reins while Neil was away.

IntranetWork on our intranet is progressing and we can look forward to enjoying this excellent new system of communication in a few months’ time. This has been developed

by the company we chose to produce our new website – which has been excellent – so we expect it to be another high-quality product tailored to our needs.

Open Day 2015A change to our open day for next year is later opening, designed to encourage workers and parents to attend. The format will be similar to this year’s, which was so successful, but this time, our Albany campus will be open from the afternoon to the early evening on 6 May.

Continued on page 5


From the MD’s Desk

From page 4The message to visitors will be ‘meet the staff of each section and explore your future’.

Capital worksCapital works continue in 2015 with the refurbishment of the Library Resource Centre, and the completion of the renovation work to A and M Blocks.

End-of-year activitiesWarmest congratulations to those people who were nominated for staff awards for excellence, and congratulations to the winners. See page 3 for the report and photograph.Congratulations also to those staff who

received milestone service certificates. We had an enjoyable morning tea in the

café - thank you to the café staff for your hard work putting this on, and to Student Services for the organisation.The award presentation was followed by

our inaugural cricket match between the teaching and administration staff. This was brilliantly organised by our cricket

specialist Ches Leonard – well done,Ches, everyone had a great time. See pages 20 and 21 for the report and photos.As this is our last Gazette for the year,

I’d like to wish you all a very happy and enjoyable Christmas and new year break with your family and friends. Drive safely and I look forward to working

with you in 2015.

Until next year, happy reading,Lidia

At our institute we have about 35 staff who are 40 or under. Having had discussions with these young

people, I felt they had a really different view of the world and a different way of approaching tasks we had all taken for granted. In July of this year, this group were

invited to attend a PACD which had three objectives:• Engage and empower emerging future

leaders to challenge the status quo and champion process improvement.• Break down barriers between

academic and organisation staff and have fun together.• Identify improvement ideas and

commence an ongoing process of organisational and professional development for the emerging leaders.A young consultant from Integral

Leadership Centre was engaged and the group carried out exercises that elicited outcomes against the above

three objectives. The Emerging Leaders identified nine major areas of process improvement. All staff were invited to comment on the findings, and the Emerging Leaders reviewed the input and identified those areas they would like addressed. Actions are detailed on the following pages.The Emerging Leaders were invited to

present their findings on the last day of the two-day planning session for the institute. The purpose of the Emerging Leaders

group was to ensure that the young people had a voice, and that this voice was not lost on existing management structures.Next year I – or members of the

Executive – will work with a cross section of the Emerging Leaders to progress the recommendations.I would like to sincerely thank the

Emerging Leaders group for their candid discussions and look forward to healthy debate in 2015.

Emerging Leaders’ outcomes

See pages 6-9 for issues and actions from the Emerging Leaders’ group


Actions from the Emerging Leaders’ groupIssue relates to: Issue Actions

1. Customer service focus in all delivery areas and institute reception

1.1 The message to all students is that Portfolios, Student Services and the Director Organisational Effectiveness provide consistent customer service to the client.

EMT to ensure operational processes are in place so that the customer receives a consistent message.

EMT also to ensure timely information flow to regional campuses.

2. Proactive approach to communication

2.1 The completion and implementation of the internet and the intranet were identified as being vital to the operations of the institute.

Completion 2015.

2.2 Creating opportunities for sharing of information between administration and lecturing areas, through targeted discussions, seen as important.

EMT to establish cross-functional teams and include PLs, ASLs and all staff.

2.3 A consistency of approach across portfolios/procedures/policies i.e. roll creations, marketing.

EMT to work with portfolios to establish a consistent approach.

3. Sharing best practice across portfolios

3.1 Enshrining support in policy to ensure new staff members have an opportunity for strong support when they are first employed at the institute.

EMT to review induction process.

3.2 Establishing cross-sectional teams of lecturing and support staff so that best practice can be shared across the institute.

PLs and ASLs to establish teams to instigate sharing of best practice days or seminars.

3.3 Formal and informal ‘lunch box’ meetings across the institute to share best practice.

EMT to organise and include information to regional campuses.

Continued on next page


Issue relates to: Issue Actions4. Staff training – lecturers 4.1 PLs and ASLs having

a clear understanding of their responsibility in mentoring and assisting new and existing staff as the academic leaders at the institute. Following a Capability Framework is seen as a good start.

Academic Leaders, PLs and ASLs.

4.2 Adherence in all areas to our performance management strategy (SPIRe) to ensure all staff can identify their training needs for the development of a training calendar. (NB: The outcomes of this process determine the $ value from Corporate Executive).

EMT directive managed by Managing Director.

4.3 Fostering an environment where the emotional and academic needs of lecturing staff are responded to by their managers.

EMT directive managed by Managing Director.

4.4 Providing funding relief and travel so staff may attend professional development programs – this includes regional lecturers.

Managing Director funding allocation from PACD reviewed.

4.5 Possible PD days in regions or online.

Review PD calendars to include regions.

4.6 To be more understanding of regional delivery and distances from resources at Albany.

PMs as Academic Leaders.



Issue relates to: Issue Actions5. Staff training – GOSAC 5.1 Adherence in all

areas to our performance management strategy (SPIRe) to ensure all staff can identify their training needs, so that a training schedule can be developed for GOSAC staff. (NB: The outcomes of this process determine the $ value from Corporate Executive).

Managing Director directive to EMT.

5.2 Targeted training sessions provided when new systems, policy or processes are introduced and ensuring a consistent approach across all study areas and administration.

PD calendar updated by Director Corporate Services and Director Organisational Effectiveness.

5.3 Formal and informal ‘lunch box’ sessions.

Academic Leaders, PLs and ASLs.

5.4 Skills Development Centre to assist with administration duties in regional locations.

Skills Development Centre and EMT to discuss staffing.

5.5 Cover for office when all regional GOSAC staff are required to go to Albany.

Director Organisational Effectiveness to follow through.

5.6 Videoconferencing/webinar capability to save on travel and attend sessions.

Videoconferencing/webinar capability to be completed in regions.

6. Succession planning 6.1 Providing opportunities for career enhancement such as work shadowing, mentoring and career planning across the institute.

HR to develop strategy.

6.2 Using SPIRe sessions to identify opportunities for succession planning.

EMT to identify and HR to include in PD calendar.

6.3 Performance management needs enhancing.

HR to review SPIRe as a performance management tool.

7. Streamlining processes, policies and procedures – Lecturer and GOSAC

7.1 Standardising electronic processes across the institute once the intranet is completed.

IT and EMT.



Issue relates to: Issue Actions7.2 Providing staff training on the use of new media across the institute to ensure consistency.

Staff calendar and IT.

7.3 Communication of maintenance procedures across regions.

Facilities Manager to prepare 2015 maintenance schedule.

8. Brand/Marketing of Institute

8.1 Providing an opportunity for new students and parents to attend a ‘parent/open campus’ event where new students can meet the staff in each area of their interest and be shown the facilities and have talks from the academic leaders on what is available for them to study. Personalise the experience and show professionalism of existing staff.

Student Services and Director Organisational Effectiveness to organise.

8.2 Identifying lead trainers that work closely with their community and their industry and use these in promotional materials.

EMT to progress.

8.3 Meeting the expectations of students and clients. Prospective students/clients are now paying increasing costs for their training and they are expecting quality training for their investment dollar. We need to ensure that we meet and exceed their expectations.

EMT to progress.

8.4 Whole-of-institute approach to advertising in regional papers with regional course lists (Katanning, Denmark and Mt Barker).

Director Organisational Effectiveness and Manager of Communications to develop a marketing strategy for the institute.

8.5 Relationship with schools in regional areas vital (e.g. Katanning, Kojonup and Gnowangerup) – marketing to students early on before they make subject choices.

EMT and Student Services to progress.


MD proud of worthy award winnersFrom page 3Rod ConnellRachel de RuiterJenni EattAndrea GallagherLeah GoodremAnne GreenWilliam GriffithsLouise HillmanAdrian JonesTony KingSara LemboAlison SharpeTracy ThomasMelissa TicknerMark TupmanLucille WellsteadDonna WhiteLillian Whitmarsh

Staff passing service milestones of five, 10,

15, 20, 25 and 30 years were also presented with certificates. They were:

Five yearsCatherine AttwellLeaya BaileyCassie FarnellRon GreyPaul KellyDianne MaddenBen MitchellAnne PulsRob SchorerAlison SharpeMichelle SmithSusan StokesBryan Thompson

10 yearsRod ConnellMark Draper

Cheralee GodyckiGillian HazelNoelene RobinsonLee-Anne Smith

15 yearsMel BishopSue DawesAnn MolanBetty PaunicAnne Pinchen

20 yearsMark CrabtreeLauchlan GillettJohn Maddison

25 yearsJan DavidsonStephanie Lindesay

30 yearsBarbara Watson

ARE YOU A LECTURER NEEDING SUPPORT?

Principal Lecturers are here to support you to deliver the best possible training experience for our students. We offer a range of workshop-based and ‘at-your-desk’ support including:• Help with validation and pre-audit preparation• Coaching and mentoring for new staff• Moodle support from beginner to advanced.

We are also able to set up individual and small-group sessions on any training or assessment-related topic.

Phone Ray on 9892 8831 or Ruth on 9892 8759


Group exhibit talent at gallery

Student Lue Lu August, Art Lecturer Sunjung Bloomer, In-class Assistant Sally Crossley, and students William Gonzales and April Bessell proudly show some of the art the students produced for the Katanning exhibition.

Exploring a variety of artistic techniques and media brought a year of creativity and fulfilment for a group of people with disability in Katanning.Two sources of great excitement

were a Katanning promotional banner, which they made for the Banners in the Terrace competition in St George’s Terrace in Perth, and their public art exhibition at the Katanning Art Gallery, opened by the Shire President on the recent International Day of People with

Disability.Popular exhibits at the gallery were

the self-portraits, some of which were painted on eggs.Under the guidance of accomplished

artist Sunjung Bloomer, the Certificate I in Visual Arts group learnt mixed media painting in Semester 1, and drawing and painting in Semester 2.Good numbers of visitors have

enjoyed the art exhibition, in which the students have taken great pride.


Shrinking budgets and busy schedules are no longer obstacles for lecturing staff who want to do professional development to gain currency or to meet AQTF compliance.The institute is a member of an

organisation called VELG Training which is dedicated to providing professional development to the VET sector. Training is delivered via webinars which are interactive and include extra resources available for download after the training.Portfolio Manager Kathy Keay recently

attended a VELG webinar with lecturers Drew Young and Brad Eastough.Kathy said it had been beneficial to interact

with the trainer through the talk-by-text feature.“It’s also good to be able to download the

electronic resources and share them with other staff as well as discuss what we have learned with colleagues,” Kathy said.“An hour or two behind a computer gives

staff access to a calibre of trainer that would otherwise not be feasible and helps them keep up to date with the latest trends,” she said.“Travel limitations do not mean that we

need to limit the PD offered to staff and most webinars are only around $50 per person so they are very affordable.” Carpentry and Joinery lecturer Drew Young

matched Kathy’s enthusiasm.“The training was great,” Drew said. “We learnt about tools that will help

highlight changes that occur with units.

This will help save us time and to plan for changing training packages,” Drew said.Kathy also praised PACD coordinator

Cassie Farnell for her approach. “Cassie is a fantastic support. She is

available to help staff if they have any trouble accessing the webinars and sends out regular reminders of upcoming training,” Kathy said. Most webinars are less than 1½ hours long

and generally start around 9am so lecturers can fit them into their schedules. If a staff member cannot join the webinar at the scheduled time, the session is available to view afterwards through the VELG website. Webinars can be organised for individuals

or groups and as usual, any completed training goes onto staff records.

Wake up to webinars with VELG

Keeping abreast of the latest developments and best practice in industry is a primary aim of Great Southern Institute of Technology lecturers and program coordinators.Students enrolling in courses can be confident they are receiving up-to-date training to industry standards, and employers can expect a level of competence from those trained on our campuses.All lecturers are encouraged to participate in industry consultation and attend

seminars and conferences, and portfolio budgets allow for professional and career development opportunities.The Gazette’s series of articles featuring staff committed to providing cutting-

edge training continues this month with the focus on opportunities for staff to access quality, relevant training through webinars.

Carpentry and Joinery Lecturer Drew Young and Portfolio Manager Kathy Keay


An information session for the region’s high school principals and vocational education and training coordinators was held at the institute at the end of November.Through VET in Schools (VETiS)

programs, high school students can get a head start towards employment or further training.The institute’s Teaching and Learning

Portfolio Manager Justine Bradney, who manages the VETiS program, thanked the school representatives for their attendance and the other portfolio managers for their ongoing work to meet the demands of school students and deliver a high level of training to prepare students for the workplace.Managing Director Lidia Rozlapa said

the VETiS program was an important

first step for young people, who could gain the skills to be competitive when they left school to take on further training or employment.“Through the VETiS program, these

students can continue their education and gain school qualifications while learning the basics of a trade,” Lidia said.“It has helped many young people to

take their first steps into a trade, from which they can progress to become skilled workers.”She said the close relationship the

institute had with the region’s high schools was a major factor in the success of the program, and the institute valued this mutual support.The institute and the schools signed

a memorandum of agreement and the program will continue in 2015.

Great Southern Institute of Technology Teaching and Learning Portfolio Manager Justine Bradney with St Joseph’s College VET Coordinator Jane Bennett and Principal Bradley Hall.

Boost for VET in Schools program


A combination of excellent organisation skills, dedication to her studies and strong family support helped student Jade Zutt to achieve two qualifications in one year from Great Southern Institute of Technology.After leaving school at the end of 2013,

Jade enrolled in the Certificate II in Business and Certificate III in Education Support at the Mount Barker campus.She also worked as a volunteer two days a

week in the kindergarten class at the Mount Barker Community College and overcame the potential travel constraint of living 50km away from the town by organising her study days to coincide with her mother’s work days.While she hopes to move into the

education support field later, the energetic 18-year-old is now looking for a position in an office, and judging by her work ethic and community spirit, she will be a real asset to her employer.Jade said her business course had given

her a wide range of useful skills.“I learnt a lot about the presentation of

documents and how to speak in a more professional way,” Jade said.“For the education support course, I had

to do a profile of a child and present it, and what I’d learnt in the business course helped with that,” she said.Education Support Lecturer Rebecca Lovitt

said it had been a pleasure seeing Jade’s growth this year.“Completing two qualifications in one year

is a fantastic achievement,” Rebecca said.“Throughout the course, Jade has been

committed to her studies and completed all of her assessments in a timely manner,” she said. “Jade has a lovely, quiet and calm nature,

which has proved to be an asset in the classroom – it is clear she has a strong interest and passion for working with young children, and it is in this field I can see her excelling.”The supportive lecturers and the flexibility

of the TAFE system were Jade’s favourite

aspects of studying at the institute.“I’d recommend TAFE, it’s not as

regimented as at school,” Jade said.While a bright outlook is clearly on the

horizon for Jade, moving away from the Great Southern is not on her agenda. The keen netball player intends to stay close to her family as she moves in to the workforce.As for the future, she expects to enrol in

further training at the Mount Barker campus and after gaining experience in a range of areas, she would like to become a pre-primary teacher.

Young go-getter shows her mettle

Jade Zutt’s commitment to her studies has given her skills to take her to a promising future.


Among the 400 or so people who volunteered their services to the public during the Anzac weekend were a group of Certificate III in Events students from Great Southern Institute of Technology.These students performed their duties

before the weekend started, as they were engaged in checking-in volunteers as they reported to the organisers at Albany’s Senior Citizens’ centre.With their lecturer Cathy Glen, the

students played a vital part in the check-in process, which included giving volunteers an indemnity form to sign, a list of their duties, maps, programs and one of the iconic Anzac Albany uniforms worn by the ambassadors.The students gained a taste of working

shifts, which included weekends, honed their organisational skills and enjoyed their involvement in the biggest event Albany has seen.Chloe Kirkwood said she had enjoyed

excellent practical experience.“We’ve used a variety of skills, and this

has helped us in everyday dealings with people of different cultures and people with disability,” Chloe said.Agreeing that the experience had been

invaluable, Tasha Heffernan said she had enjoyed the interaction with other volunteers.

“We can apply the skills we have learnt to a lot of different areas,” Tasha said.The girls said their course at the institute,

which had developed their communication and cultural awareness, had been a great learning experience.

Certificate III in Events students Chloe Kirkwood and Tasha Heffernan played a vital volunteer role in the recent Anzac weekend.

Event is valuable work experience

Email [email protected]

Do you have an idea for an article in The Gazette?


They’ve been up to their elbows in chocolate and soup and spattered from head to toe with sausage fat. They’ve given up their favourite things, worn silly slippers to work, organised fun and games for everyone – and shown the great things that can be achieved when people pull together.They’re the Heff ‘n’ Puffers and Spare Parts,

whose efforts for Relay for Life have seen them exceed their fundraising target three months early.Under the leadership of their intrepid captain

Carolyn Heffernan, the Heff ‘n’ Puffers and Spare Parts have raised more than $6000 for the Cancer Council WA – even though they had hoped to raise just $5000 by the time the relay is held in March 2015.Carolyn said there were more fundraising events

in the pipeline, but she was delighted with the results so far.“People have been incredibly generous,”

Carolyn said.“We’ve had great fun and everybody on the

teams has been brilliant, helping in all sorts of ways,” she said.She explained the reason for the Spare Parts’

name was that too many people put up their hand to join the Heff ‘n’ Puffers – the original Relay for Life team.“So the second team is the Spare Parts, but we

are all one big group, really – even though we have two names, we are all working together.”She said she had been astonished at the level

of support, such as from Hospitality Lecturer Mark Crabtree and his Creative Catering group, who had donated funds from the sale of food the students had produced as part of their course.The Heff ‘n’ Puffers’ and Spare Parts’ projects

have included donations or sales from the slippers day, cupcakes, soup, travel mugs, sugar-free September, Anzac biscuits, a wine tour, butter chicken, rocky road, gingerbread house raffle, other section raffles, the cricket day and two sausage sizzles.Carolyn paid tribute to all the team members

and everyone who had supported the fundraisers or donated money.“A massive thank you to everyone,” she said.“You’ve all been awesome.”

Target exceeded with months to spare

Cricket barbecue.

Funky slippers day.

Cupcake day.


Sausage sizzle at Bunnings.

Rocky road sales. Creative Catering group’s soup sales.

Butter chicken cooked by the Creative Catering group.


HR NewsWith Paula Pattinson

Positions Advertised• Lecturer Massage – successful applicant was Carol Wolfe.• Lecturer Health Sciences – successful applicant was Kerrie Goodsell.• Lecturer Tourism and Events – applications closed on 20 November, selection

process is underway.• Portfolio Liaison Officer – Jaime Eatt.• Casual Lecturer Tourism, Katanning (12-month recruitment pool) – no

applications received, advertising process closed.• Data Administrator – advertising process withdrawn due to organisational

structure changes.• Lecturer Accounting and Finance – applications closed on 3 December,

selection process is underway.• Director Academic Leadership – applications close on 18 December.• Lecturer Cabinet Making – applications closed on 12 December, selection

process is underway.New staffA warm welcome is extended to the following new or recommencing staff:• Cheryle Willis, Casual relief, GSIT Cafe.• Grant Moulden, Casual Horticulture Technician, Denmark.Staff exiting• Mark Draper, ceased 28 November.We wish you well in your new endeavours and thank you for all your hard work.

Is your face in our book?

Our 40th anniversary book is available for purchase through our website at

www.gsit.wa.edu.au/celebrating40

The first 40 years of Great Southern Institute of Technology

1974-2014

Forty Years

Years

The first 40 years of Great Southern Institute of Technology

Available in hardcover, softcover

and PDF for download.


Access All Areaswith Wendy Macliver

Safety First

With Rick Muller

Disability Awareness Week was held in Western Australia in the first week in December to coincide with the International Day of People with Disability. The week aims to recognise people and

community groups who have contributed to the Count Me In vision that all people live in welcoming communities that

facilitate citizenship, friendship, mutual support and a fair go for everyone. To celebrate their achievements,

the Access Art students at Katanning exhibited their work at the Katanning Art Gallery, and the Busy Bee Creations students held a stall to sell their sewing products and Christmas gifts.

Count Me In

The arrival of the electronic age has fundamentally changed how much time we spend sitting. There has been a lot of

talk and media coverage in recent times about the implications of excessive occupational sitting. The evidence is still being gathered but many are suggesting it could be as serious an issue as RSI, or even as big a risk as smoking. As with most things,

everything in moderation and too much of anything is not good for you. There are many simple

changes you can make to reduce your sitting time and move more. It’s important to focus on your posture and most important to take regular breaks. A regular

break doesn’t mean that you should cease work and take a break every 30 minutes. All that’s required is to

alternate between tasks, limiting the amount of time you do a continuous task.

Bad posture is the sneakiest workplace risk there is. Be aware of the dangers and learn some simple ways to stay healthy during your daily office grind.

Is sitting the new repetitive strain injury?


It may have been touted as friendly rivalry, but the inaugural annual charity cricket match between the Deliverers and the Corporates brought out the competitive spirit of more than a few of the players.The 20-20 match, organised by Ches

Leonard as a wind-up after the staff presentations, brought together rookies and would-be test players. There were two winners – the

Corporates and the Heff ‘n’ Puffers and Spare Parts Relay for Life teams, who garnered nearly $500 from playing fees and the sale of barbecued sausages and cool drinks.Simon London and Peter Slebos

shone for the Deliverers, each retiring after reaching 20 runs and helping to set up a good score for the Corporates to chase.After losing a few early wickets, the

Corporates pulled themselves up by the bootstraps through the fine partnership of Rick Muller and Ches Leonard. Then Lauchlan Gillett and Syd Wheelwright played some majestic shots.Lauchlan’s outstanding performance

earned him the Player of the Match title. Lauchie showed his all-round skills as a young player had clearly not faded with time.Other notable players were Justin ‘The

Cat’ Laing and Jim Bolger, who claimed two wickets with fine catches.Lexy Grover kept everyone guessing

by bowling a couple of unexpected grubbers, and Warren Sloss scored 16 in a cameo appearance late in the innings.The Corporates scored 7 for 118,

eclipsing the Deliverers (next year’s winners) on 8 for 113.Max Michael and Will Griffiths donated

their time to umpire the match, and managed to leave the field unscathed.No injuries were reported either, but

a few sore muscles and aching bodies were evident around the Albany campus next day.

Following the coin toss by MD Lidia Rozlapa, team captains Anne Pinchen and Peter Slebos prepare to do battle.

Corporates take out cricket title

Keeper Justin Laing prepares to spring to action as Jay Rowles faces a bouncer.

Umpire Will Griffiths watches as Lauchlan Gillett strikes fear into the heart of the player at bat.


Justin ‘The Cat’ Laing.

Lauchlan Gillett receives the player of the match award from Lexy Grover.Jamie Eatt promotes sales of barbecued sausages.

Left: Tanielle Sherwood lets one go through to the keeper.

Above: Keeper Lionel Hart watches as Peter Slebos slugs one to mid-off.

The teams prepare for a tough match.


Degree celebration for new nurses

New nursing graduates celebrate at their last gathering. Back row: Erin Annison, Sally Vlahov, Leanne Higgins, Cassie Creek and Gina Zalmstra. Front row: Peter O’Keefe, Lauren Donner, Trish Hoare and Donna Ross.

Nine recent nursing graduates celebrated the end of their 3½-year course with their family and friends in George’s Restaurant on 21 November.The group recently completed the Curtin

University degree, which is delivered entirely at Great Southern Institute of Technology.Studying in Albany allowed the nurses

to maintain family and work commitments without leaving home during their course. They also appreciated the small study groups which gave them greater lecturer contact and one-on-one assistance than they would have encountered at a larger campus.The nurses will now take a well-earned

break before starting in the workforce. Some will serve their degree year in Albany and some will travel to other parts of the State to widen their experience before settling in their chosen area of nursing. George and Judy Ross.

Dave, Abby and Holly Hoare.


Curtin RN Coordinator Catherine Attwell, Curtin University representative John Taplin, Nursing Lecturer Ruth McLean and Corporate Services Director Edward Armstrong.

Barbara, Garry and Leanne Higgins and Erin Annison. Heather Cottrill and Ruth McLean.

Melissa Chandler and Sharryl Healy.

Adam Thompson, Beryl Toovey and Julie and Rodney Vlahov.


Seeds OF SUSTAINABILITY

Students and staff have a new, contemporary resource to learn about the institute’s environmental sustainability initiatives.At 14 sites around the institute’s

Albany campus are signs featuring QR – or Quick Response – codes.Many people use these codes with a

QR app on their smartphone or tablet to take them directly to a web address.Facilities Manager Neil Augustson

explained the codes linked to the institute’s website, to pages only visible to those pointing their smartphone to the QR code.“People can view a story on each of

the initiatives – how they originated and their value to the institute’s sustainability stance,” Neil explained.

The 14 sites make up a trail detailed in a map which guides people from one site to another in a logical sequence. Principal Lecturer Ruth McLean said

lecturers would find the trail useful when teaching the sustainability units embedded in their course material, or for student inductions during their walk around the campus.Ruth said the map could be

downloaded from the sustainability pages of the institute’s website and read quite clearly on a tablet, though it could also be printed, which was useful for people using smaller smartphones.She said the QR reader apps could

be downloaded free of charge from smartphone app stores.

Facilities Manager Neil Augustson, aquaculture student Ethan Cooper and Lecturer Leah Goodrem at one of the QR code sites.

QR codes promote sustainability message


It was a definite cause for celebration in Mount Barker recently when seven Certificate III in Education Support students went out for lunch to celebrate their achievements. The course was delivered at the Mount

Barker campus for the first time in many years. Focus workshops were held every Wednesday, with students attending from Mount Barker, Kendenup and Frankland. Lecturer Hayley Fletcher facilitated delivery in Semester 1 and Rebecca Lovitt in Semester 2. For some of the students, having on-

campus support was essential to completion of the course. They had been progressing slowly through the units in flexible delivery (for up to two years prior), but completed

the remainder of the course through attendance at the focus workshops. The majority of the students gained work

as an education assistant throughout the year. One student applied for – and was successful in gaining – an education assistant job at Kendenup Primary School. It is a great achievement to have seven

students graduate with their Certificate III qualification, and improve the pool of skilled education assistants for the schools in the region. Mount Barker Campus Coordinator Karine

David was instrumental in gaining the interest and momentum for running the course, and it is hoped it will run again in the future.

– Rebecca Lovitt

Education Assistants ready to assist

Rebecca Drage, Jade Zutt, Rebecca Lovitt, Jacqui Knight, Lyn Hambley, Donna Roberts, Angie Wright, Helen Batchelor and Karine David.

Email [email protected]

Do you have an idea for an article in The Gazette?


This column courtesy of Great Southern Population Health. For more information, phone 9842 7500 (Albany) or 9821 6287 (Katanning).

Christmas is a time to celebrate with friends, colleagues and family. For many of us, those celebrations involve a lot of food and drink and not much exercise. The average Australian gains between

0.8kg and 1.5kg over the Christmas period. This might not sound like a big deal,

but research shows that this holiday weight is rarely lost again despite New Year resolutions. Over a few years, it sure adds up.Try some of these tips to live a lighter,

healthier Christmas this year.

Make vegetables the heroMeat is often the centrepiece at Christmas parties and the veggies can sometimes be a bit of an afterthought. Making some beautiful salads will add

colour to the spread and help everyone get their five serves of veg per day.

Portion controlDon’t pile your plate too high! Using a

smaller plate can help you control your portions. Savour your food and eat slowly – appreciate all the work that went into your meal! This gives your body time to tell you that you’re full and will make it easier to resist that extra serving if you don’t want it.

Start a new tradition The whole family can benefit from a little extra exercise, so why not add some into the festive calendar? A late afternoon walk is a great way to help digest your lunch and avoid falling asleep on the couch.

Gifts that giveInstead of bringing a box of chocolates or sweets for your host, try something different. A box of cherries, a pot plant or a juicy

pineapple are all quirky and healthy gifts.

For more great ideas download the LiveLighter Christmas fact sheet available from the resources page at www.livelighter.com.au.

Live Lighter this Christmas

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The gazette december 2014