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What is the Citizenship Award Scheme?
The Citizenship Award Scheme (CAS) is an initiative of the HSIE staff at the Dubbo School of Distance Education. The CAS is open to any full-time students in Years 7 – 10 at the school.
What is the purpose of the CAS?
The CAS has been devised for several reasons:
- It will allow you work towards achieving the aim of the draft Citizenship Education Statement: “to develop in students the ability to participate with others in a constructive way in the life of their community, society and environment.”
- Involvement in the CAS will enable you to achieve more of the School’s Exit Outcomes in the areas of Learning; Positive attitudes; Setting goals and taking risks; and Belonging to a community.
- The CAS will allow you to better understand many of the ideas presented to you in your normal schoolwork.
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How does the CAS work?
The Citizenship Award Scheme is based on you receiving ‘points’ from the school for various activities that you might undertake both inside and out of school hours. Many of these citizenship-style activities you may already undertake as an individual, or as a member of a family or social group (such as a club).
The CAS allows you to receive recognition from the school for your involvement in community and school activities.
You will receive a certificate for each points-earning activity you are involved in. When you have accumulated a certain number of points you will be entitled to receive a Citizenship Level Certificate from the School.
The Certificates can be included in your personal resumé and be used to demonstrate your achievements to a potential employer, as well as being a record of participation in activities during your junior secondary years.
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How will I benefit from being involved in the CAS?
- You will better understand your rights and responsibilities as an Australian citizen.
- You will develop skills and understandings which will enhance your participation in the civic life of our society, both while at school and after you have left school.
- You will develop the ability to participate with others in a constructive way.
- Your skills in investigating and communicating will be improved.
- Your learning will be enhanced, especially as you develop improved general and applied knowledge in your subject areas.
- You will become more self confident and better able to work independently and in a group.
- You will develop a closer relationship with the school and your teachers.
- You will have a record of your achievements which can be presented to an employer to demonstrate your talents and abilities in extra-curricula activities.
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How will the CAS operate?
- Your Geography, History or Commerce teacher will be your contact person for the scheme. This teacher will keep a record of your involvement in CAS activities and be responsible for issuing you with your Certificates and CAS points.
- Whenever you participate in an activity which will earn you CAS points you will write a report on that activity to your teacher. (See sample form) The Activity Report is to be signed by a parent/supervisor, or by a person associated with that activity. You can attach documentary or photographic evidence if you wish.
- Your CAS teacher will record your activity and send you an Achievement Certificate (see sample), which will indicate the number of Points you have earnt. (Points for activities not listed in the booklet will be calculated by the HSIE Head Teacher and your CAS Teacher).
- When you have accumulated 100 points (or multiples thereof) you will be sent a Citizenship Level Certificate (see sample), which will be signed by your CAS Teacher, the Head Teacher and the Principal.
- You should keep your Certificates in your personal resume folder.
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What sort of activities earn CAS Points?
The following is a listing of the type of activities that can earn you CAS points. They have been divided into the areas of Learning, Personal Development, and Community Service/Involvement. The number of points is in brackets.
Learning
- Getting a letter published in a newspaper [20 points]
- Completing a major school project [10]
- Recording rainfall statistics over a long period [15]
- Visit a local museum; the Australian War Memorial; Parliament House; Old Parliament House; the National Art Gallery; the High Court; Questacon; Powerhouse Museum; Taronga Zoo, etc [25]
- Attend a major exhibition [20]
- Go to an auction sale [5]
- Tour a mine or an historic site [10]
- Participate in school workshop or residential camp [15]
- Have project or practical work entered in a competition [15]
- Undertake local history research [20]
- Participate in school’s work experience program [15]
- Complete recognised First Aid course [25]
- Undertake personal interest education course [15]
- Success at region/state/national level in competition [15]
Personal development
- Writing to a penfriend overseas [10]
- Nursing an injured animal back to health [15]
- Bushwalk to the highest peak in area [5]
- Bushwalk involving overnight camp [10]
- Travel interstate [5] or overseas [25]
- Belong to a sporting team [10]
- Obtaining holiday or weekend employment [20]
Community service/involvement
- Planting native trees and shrubs [10]
- Recycling and composting wastes [10]
- Growing vegetables using organic methods [5]
- Cleaning up an area, such as yard or river bank [15]
- Participate in ‘Clean-up Australia Day’ or ‘Tidy Towns’ [20]
- Enter an exhibit in local show [10]
- Be a competitor in show or gymkhana [15]
- Join a club or society [10]
- Hold executive position in club or society [20]
- Participate in charity fund raiser [25]
- Clean-up grave site [15]
- Attend an Anzac Day Dawn Service or March [10]
- Attend Local Council meeting or Court Sitting [5]
- Attend polling booth on election day [5]
- Produce an item for donation to a charity or community service organization [10]
- Restore an item of heritage value [15]
- Undertake voluntary community work [20]
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Can I undertake an activity not in the list?
Yes, certainly! The list is best thought of as a guide to the sort of activities you can become involved in. Many of the things you do on a family holiday may be included. All you need to do is complete the Activity Report form and return it to the school.
Do I have to achieve so many points in a year?
No. Participation in the CAS is voluntary. You can undertake as many or as few activities as you like while you are enrolled at the school. Every time you accumulate 100 points, your CAS teacher will send you a Citizenship Level Certificate. (Level 1 = 100 CAS points; Level 2 = 200 points, and so on.) The scheme is non-competitive – student scores are not published for comparison.
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