Merewether High School

Merewether High School Duke of Ed Participants and Parents Handbook 2017 1

Duke of Edinburgh’s AwardParticipants and Parents Handbook

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is the world’s leading youth achievement award. To date over five million young people from over 100 countries have been motivated to undertake a variety of challenging activities as part of the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

BackgroundThe Award program was founded by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh in the UK in 1956, and introduced in Australia in 1962.

In NSW, the Duke of Ed program is administered by the Department of Sport and Recreation. Merewether High School is a Licensed Award Unit, with a Parent Support Group which reports to Deputy Principal Ms Nadene Harvey. Award PhilosophyDuke of Edinburgh’s International Award recognises individual goal setting, application and self-improvement through persistence and achievement. The Award develops young Australians who are motivated and engaged citizens, equipped for life and work.

The Ten Guiding Principles are:

1. Individual 6. Balanced2. Non-competitive 7. Progressive3. Achievable 8. Inspiration4. Voluntary 9. Persistence5. Development 10. Enjoyable

Read more about the Guiding Principles on the Duke of Ed website.

Basic Structure of the Award

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Program has three levels: Bronze Silver Gold

Each of these levels is made up of four sections: Service Skills Physical Recreation Adventurous Journeys (Expeditions or Explorations)+ Residential Project at Gold Level only

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Participants design their own Program including selecting activities they are interested in, setting their own goals and achieving their own potential through meeting the following minimum requirements:

SERVICE(Volunteering)

SKILLS PHYSICAL RECREATION

ADVENTUROUS JOURNEY

BRONZEMinimum Age: 14 yrs*

Average 1 hour/week over 3 months (6 months if major section)

Average 1 hour/week over 3 months (6 months if major section)

Average 1 hour/week over 3 months (6 months if major section)

Training, a practice and a qualifying expedition2 days1 night away

SILVERMinimum Age: 15 yrs*

Average 1 hour/week over 6 months (12 months for Direct Entry** Silver)

Average 1 hour/week over 6 months (12 months for Direct Entry** Silver)

Average 1 hour/week over 6 months (12 months for Direct Entry** Silver)

Training, practice (2 for non-bronze) and a qualifying expedition3 days2 nights away

GOLDMinimum Age: 16 yrs

Average 1 hour/week over 12 months (18 months for Direct Entry** Gold)

Average 1 hour/week over 6 months (18 months for Direct Entry** Gold)

Average 1 hour/week over 12 months (18 months for Direct Entry** Gold)

Training, practice (2 for non-silver) and a qualifying expedition4 days3 nights away

The Gold Award only has an additional Residential Project. Participants are required to undertake some shared purposeful activity away from their place of residence for a total period of no less than 5 days (4 nights away).

*Some discretion is allowed to the Licenced Award Unit to permit participants who are close to their 14th birthday to enter the Bronze Award if they are part of a larger group of the minimum age so that they can start with their friends; similarly the Award Unit may permit those who have completed the Bronze Award just below the age of 15 to make a start on the Silver Award. No activities may be counted for the Gold Award below the age of 16. There is no time limit for each Award, other than the 25th birthday. Participants are encouraged to work at their own pace.** Direct Entry is available to participants who have not completed the previous level, ie, Direct Silver have not completed the Bronze Award, Direct Gold have not completed the Silver Award.

At MHS the parents of the participants, with support from the parent support group, run a bushwalking based adventurous journey program for Bronze participants. At Silver and Gold level, a variety of adventurous journeys are possible depending on participant and parent interest and experience.Participants chose their own activities for the skill, physical recreation and service (volunteering) sections. Activities should be personally challenging, be done in the participant’s leisure time, and enjoyable!

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at Merewether High SchoolGetting Started – Find out about the Duke of Ed programParticipants and Parents

Attend an information session at school in November 2017 to decide if the program interests you. Talk to other students and / or parents who have been involved in Duke of Ed. Read about the program on the Duke of Edinburgh website Parents should be aware that the program at MHS is run by parent volunteers for their own child’s group.

Parents should consider their capacity to fulfill volunteer roles. For Bronze participants, check the draft calendar on the school website (Duke of Ed tab). Consider if both students and parents can commit to the activities. If registering for Direct Silver or Direct Gold, you should make contact with the relevant Level Coordinator.

Registration sessions will be held at school in February 2018: check the calendar on the school website (Duke of Ed tab).

Participants Participants decide on an activity for the service, skill and physical fitness recreation components of the

Award. Check the Duke of Ed website for examples of suitable activities. Participants should complete a Participant Award Plan and discuss this with the Level Coordinator for approval before starting activities.

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For each activity, participants will identify an instructor (if appropriate) and assessor who can verify their activity. These people should be experienced and / or qualified in the activity and must complete an assessor commencement guide and a Dept of Education Appendix 11 form. Family members cannot act as assessors but may be instructors if they have appropriate background.

Participants set goals / objectives for each activity in consultation with the instructor or assessor and record these goals in their ORB.

The ORB is used to keep track of progress through the award but it is recommended that participants keep a diary to help them keep track of their progress and to assist assessors to make their assessment. Diaries can be written, visual, audio and/or pictorial records. They should include the day, the time and a brief record of activities for each Section. The Level Coordinator may also check diaries from time to time.

ParentsThe Duke of Ed program at MHS is primarily run by the parents of the participants, with administrative and governance support from the school, within the framework of the Duke of Ed guidelines.

The Parent Support Group (PSG) coordinates the parent volunteer activities. The PSG Executive Committee consists of the President, Secretary, Treasurer, Communications Coordinator and Level Coordinators. Parents are strongly encouraged to become involved with the PSG. Please see the PSG Position Descriptions below. The program relies upon these essential positions being filled.

The Parent Support Group (PSG) is open to all families of a participant undertaking an Award, and elects members of the Executive Committee annually. It facilitates the organisation of Award training, expeditions, equipment, finances, and communication with the NSW Duke of Edinburgh Award office. The PSG meets on the second Tuesday of each month during term time at 6pm at MHS.

When your child registers, you will be asked to consider what contribution/s you could make to helping the Duke of Ed program to operate, for example

Participate as a parent volunteer on weekend expeditions (either walking or non-walking roles) Take on an organising role for the Bronze group (for example, Bronze coordinator, assistant coordinator) Take on an executive role within the Parent Support Group (for example, President, Secretary, Treasurer,

Communications equipment officer, etc). Attend Parent Support Group meetings

Please note that all parents participating in Adventurous Journeys are required to complete the Duke of Ed Volunteer Code of Conduct , have a valid Working With Children Check and complete a Dept of Education Appendix 11 form. The WWCC for volunteers is free, please follow the link for the application process.

FEES. Fees are payable on or before 28/2/2018. All fees are paid to the school and include the following:

Duke of Edinburgh registration fee1

Training / Equipment / Expedition Feepayable now

Expedition fees payable later 3

Total payable by 28th Feb.

Bronze $130 $1302 Nil $260Silver $135 $30 TBC

depends on expedition3$165

Gold $160 $40 TBCdepends on expedition3

$200

Direct entrySilver

$135 $40+ $55 for First Aid training TBC

TBCdepends on expedition3

$230 TBC

Direct entryGold

$160 $50+ $55 for First Aid training TBC

TBCdepends on expedition3

$265 TBC

1 Duke of Ed Award Registration Fee set by Duke of Ed Australia, non-refundable once online registration with Duke of Ed Australia is completed. Covers award administration and insurance.

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2 Expedition fee set by MHS Duke of Ed parent support group. Covers participant training, camping and national park fees, and provision of safety and communications equipment.3 Silver and Gold expedition fees will be levied once expedition details are determined.Additional costsAll costs involved in pursuing an Award are borne by the participant and vary according to the nature of the activities pursued.

There will be a number of costs in addition to the registration fee: Equipment. The parent support group (PSG) has a pool of equipment that can be hired from the

quartermaster for the adventurous journeys: 2 person hiking tents for $10 per night with a $10 per night deposit and backpacks for $5 per night with a $5 per night deposit. Participants must provide their own clothing, footwear, cooking gear, sleeping bag, food, etc.

Fees in relation to other activities (sporting registration, skills courses or equipment, specialist instructor fees) will vary with the participant’s choices and are the responsibility of the participant.

Adventurous Journey

At MHS the PSG coordinates an adventurous journey program for the Bronze participants, which provides the preparation and training required to enable the participants to undertake practice and qualifying bushwalking expeditions to meet the adventurous journey requirements of the Award. The adventurous journeys are run by the parents of the participants, with support from the PSG. These expeditions take a considerable amount of preparation and planning by parent volunteers to ensure that the expeditions maintain an appropriate balance between adventure and safety, within the guidelines of the Duke of Edinburgh framework. The PSG runs parent training sessions, including a weekend at the same location as the participants’ qualifying expedition. All parents are encouraged to attend the parent training weekend, whether they are experienced bushwalkers or not.

The Award stipulates that Bronze participants complete appropriate training, one practice and one qualifying expedition. If participants are unable to attend the required number of expeditions (for any reason) they will not be able to complete their Award.

Information about equipment required for the Adventurous Journeys will be provided at the Participant Training Weekend and the Parent Training Weekend.

Record keepingParticipants record their activities towards the award through the Online Record Book (ORB). They will set up (or see how to set up) their own ORB at the registration day.

Many participants find the paperwork and record keeping the most challenging component of the Award. It is important to make time for the paperwork as well as for the activities.

Communication

Most of the communication regarding Duke of Ed activities at MHS is carried out by email. Participants and parents are asked to provide an email address that is checked regularly and are expected to respond to Duke of Ed emails in a timely fashion.

Assessment of the award

In order for the award to be earned the participant must Meet the time requirements for the particular Section and level of Award. The ORB calculates when the

participant has met the time requirement for each activity. The Award requires a regular commitment of an average of 1 hour per week. The ORB will accept 2 hours per fortnight but will not count effort for a longer time on a less frequent basis.

Demonstrate genuine individual effort, commitment and improvement. The assessor reports on the participants efforts.

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Appendix 1 – PSG Positions

Position Descriptions – Parent Support GroupLast revised 17-8-2015

Overview

Merewether High School (MHS) facilitates student participation in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, a global programme governed by The Duke of Edinburgh's Award in Australia.

The MHS Duke of Ed program is run as an adjunct department of the school by the Parent Support Group (PSG) for and on behalf of MHS Duke of Ed student participants. The PSG is predominantly comprised of parents, chaired by an annually elected Executive Committee.

The Award Leader, usually the Deputy Principal, is nominated by the school and is accountable to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in Australia. Level coordinators, while also part of the PSG, are accountable to the Award Leader, are supported by the PSG and are responsible for the majority of the program administration. For this reason the parent volunteers who take on the Level Coordinator roles usually recruit additional volunteers to assist in the organisation and administration of the program as shown in the organisational chart below.

The Parent Support Group comprises the following positions: President Vice President Treasurer Secretary Level Coordinators Expedition Advisors Award Advisors Quartermaster Communications Equipment Coordinator Assistant Coordinators Approvals Coordinators Field Supervisors Parent volunteers

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Each role has one responsibility in common and that is to plan for the successor to ensure smooth transition to the next parent group. Roles within the PSG are typically intended to be held for only one to three years by any one parent. The PSG places a strong emphasis on documenting and sharing knowledge to enable the program to continue as parents leave the school. The majority of these roles need to be filled by parents of the new Bronze group intake for the program to proceed.

PresidentThe President is accountable to the MHS Award Leader for ensuring the program delivers the required outcomes and meets the school and Duke of Ed guidelines.

The President also:

Chairs PSG meetings Leads the PSG in the planning, organising and actioning of activities such as: parent information nights,

awards ceremonies, gear expo, Participant and Parent Training. Attends awards ceremonies and gives a welcoming address Represents the PSG, including at events such as the parent information night.

Vice President

Assists the President as required.

Treasurer

All monies belonging to the PSG are held by MHS and are distributed by authorisation of the PSG.

The role of the Treasurer includes:

Liaising with the Bursar of MHS to advise on which expenses have approval for payment Obtaining financial records to ensure that a financial statement, outlining income and expenditure, is

prepared and tabled at each PSG meeting Maintaining a list of current participants at Gold, Silver and Bronze levels, ensuring that all payments are

current and where fees are outstanding, to send a reminder notice seeking payment Advising the Level Coordinators of any incidents of ongoing non-payment of fees.

SecretaryThe Secretary's role is to ensure the PSG functions smoothly and effectively by:

Giving notice of meetings and circulating an agenda Booking a meeting room and ensuring access Taking minutes of the meeting and circulating the minutes after each meeting to ensure accuracy and to

communicate agreed actions Manage correspondence that is not directly related to level coordinators Ensure the Duke of Ed information and documents on the school website are up to date Keep records of meeting minutes and correspondence to hand over to next Secretary

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Level Coordinators

The PSG appoints a Level Coordinator each year to manage the new Bronze level intake. The Level Coordinator for the Bronze level typically becomes the level coordinator for the Silver level the subsequent year and so on (or hands over to a parents whose child is continuing).

Level Coordinators are accountable to the MHS Award Leader and the PSG to deliver the Duke of Ed program for their participant group. This includes:

Ensuring the program is delivered in compliance with the Award Coordinator roles and responsibilities outlined in Section 2.2.1 of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award (Australia) Handbook and with the policies of MHS and the PSG

Communicating with MHS staff, the PSG, participants and their parent/guardians regarding the Duke of Ed program for their level

Communicating with assessors as required Building team relationships with the parents/care givers of the bronze participants with the view to

identify individuals’ skills and interests that is relevant to support the participants in their adventurous journeys or in the management of the program

Recruiting and managing parent volunteers to ensure expeditions can occur. This includes recruiting parent volunteers to the role of Field Supervisors.

Assisting with the development of, or modification of, adventurous journeys as required Liaising with NPWS and private landholders in regards to adventurous journeys Record keeping Creating and review documentation, including document control Supporting participants in completion of the award level.

Expedition Advisors

Expedition and Award Advisors are typically parents who have been involved in the Duke of Ed previously, having held positions within the PSG, such as Level Coordinator, and who have knowledge of Duke of Ed and MHS requirements. Their primary function is to support Level Coordinators and the PSG by providing advice and oversight.

Expedition Advisors:

Help maintain MHS Duke of Ed program knowledge base Provide oversight and review of expeditions. Assist Level Coordinators to:

Understand how the expeditions are conducted Assist with training for parents and participants Review Field Supervisors Develop new or revise adventurous journeys Help set annual expedition calendar.

Award AdvisorsExpedition and Award Advisors are typically parents who have been involved in the Duke of Ed previously, usually holding positions within the PSG such as Level Coordinator and who have knowledge of the Award requirements. Their primary function is to support Level Coordinators by providing advice as required.

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Award Advisors:

Help maintain MHS Duke of Ed program knowledge base Provide advice on service, physical recreation and skill activity requirements. Assist Level Coordinators to:

Understand of how the Duke of Ed program works Understand award requirements Help set annual expedition calendar

QuartermasterThe quartermaster is responsible for the storage and hire of PSG equipment including tents and backpacks. This includes:

Arranging the hire of items to participants and parents in accordance with hire agreement Receipting hire and deposit payments Monitoring condition of equipment and undertaking or arranging repairs as appropriate Assisting with participant training Reporting to PSG meetings

The quartermaster role and is suitable for a participant to undertake and can count towards the service component of the Silver or Gold Award.

Communications Equipment Coordinator

The Communications Equipment Coordinator is the custodian of communications devices owned by Merewether High School for use by MHS Duke of Ed participants. Devices include portable UHF radios, handheld GPS devices, emergency locator beacons (EPIRBs), compasses, associated support equipment (chargers, etc.) and related consumables.

The role includes: Tracking, coordinating and maintaining the communications equipment and associated

consumables Ensuring equipment is available and reliable for events (including testing and replacing batteries,

testing units, purchasing and labelling new equipment as approved by PSG) Ensuring participants (e.g. participants and parents from diverse backgrounds and capabilities)

are adequately trained/briefed in equipment use Proactively liaising with Level Coordinators and Field Supervisors to ensure equipment will be

ready for adventurous journeys Keeping records of equipment loans and returns Contribute to PSG equipment decisions and implement action as required Monitor equipment use and event feedback to identify and implement improvements - such as

user training and equipment/asset maintenance Recommend improvements to PSG (and where relevant the MHS executive) on both

equipment/assets and overall MHS Duke of Ed program.

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Assistant Coordinators

Level coordinators have a broad range of tasks and this can include a significant work load. At the Level Coordinators' discretion these responsibilities can be delegated to other volunteers and might include taking responsibility one aspect of the program, for example managing student progress in the online record books, for the duration of the program.

Approvals CoordinatorThis is an administrative role to ensure that all walks can proceed. It involves:

Ensuring landowners whose land our walks cross are notified of walk dates Being a contact person on all communications with landowners Applying for permission from National Parks and Wildlife Service as needed and organising access and

payment of fees Notifying the Rural Fire Service and State Emergency Service of all walk intentions Updating the property owner contact list annually or as needed to ensure future groups have correct

information Organising thank you letters for all private landowners.

Field Supervisors

Field Supervisors are responsible for the adventurous journey and should have considerable navigation and bushwalking experience. Typically a number of Field Supervisors are appointed within any parent group so that the workload is not too significant. One or more Field Supervisors will volunteer for each adventurous journey and are responsible for:

Determining if it is safe to undertake the journey on the day Monitoring weather and other factors to determine if the journey needs to be modified or shortened

once it has commenced Assisting participants to make decisions regarding navigation Making decisions about any first aid, emergency or evacuation situations Signing off on pre and post logs submitted by participants.

Other parent volunteersParents are needed to volunteer for a range of one off or ongoing tasks, allocated by the Level Coordinator, for example:

Assisting in training participants in navigation, camping, safety etc Walking with participants to support their acquisition of navigation and bushwalking expertise Transporting participants Transportation of water and supplies to camp sites Base camp support including communications First aid Providing a 4wd as vehicle support Camp site preparation and clearing as required Picking up and dropping off the satellite phone

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