Geelong-Viqueque Friendship Schools
"Developing social responsibility and connectedness with Timor Leste"
Starting in 2019, Geelong Viqueque Friendship Schools (GVFS) has partnered with Mary MacKillop Today (MMT) in an innovative teacher training in Viqueque. 40 Viqueque teachers will take part and GVFS has committed to covering the expenses for seven teachers at a total cost of $A14,000. The focus is on assisting the professional development of current primary... Continue Reading →
Timorese parents value education. The students, both boys and girls, are very keen to attend primary and secondary school. The government has invested in the regions schools by building and equipping many primary and secondary schools. They have also employed teachers for these schools. However, a high proportion of the teachers have minimum or no... Continue Reading →
During 2017-2018, Geelong Viqueque Friendship Schools Inc supported Mary MacKillop International’s one-year training program. This funding allowed 5 teachers from Viqueque to participate. It allowed 150 children to receive quality education in the classroom and to assist in creating a positive future for themselves and their community. This teacher training program is particularly vital in... Continue Reading →
Late last month 8 students supported by the Geelong Viqueque Friendship Schools and Geelong Friends of Viqueque graduated from the Catholic Teachers' College in Bacau. Margie Beck, who is the Registrar, reported that it was a very lovely day. The College used the renovated Mercado, and even though there was heavy rain, no one got wet! The students... Continue Reading →
Annie Chadwick and Cathie Mahar, nurses from St John of God, were in VQQ in March for 11 days to teach Basic Life Support and hand hygiene. Thirty-one of a possible forty-three nurses and midwives employed in the sub-district attended training, and the outcomes were very good. For the first time in the St John... Continue Reading →
Clonard College hosted their very first night market on the 17th of April 2015. It was an amazing turn out and a new tradition Clonard will uphold for the oncoming years. It was an opportunity for Clonard girls and families to show off their arts and crafts skills to our Clonard community. Stalls such as... Continue Reading →
We have recently received the following news from Margie Beck at the Baucau Teachers College where Geelong Viqueque Friendship Schools is sponsoring 8 students. It is great to be able to tell you that this year every one of our students passed all their end of semester exams – no failures at all in any... Continue Reading →
There was a high representation from Geelong schools at our annual end of year gathering which was held at Geelong Grammar School, Corio. An interesting two hours was spent learning more about how our schools can engage more effectively with our partner schools in Timor Leste. Penny Dewar and Julie Whelan from Clonard College gave... Continue Reading →
The full transcript of the 2014 President's Report can be found below in the Newsletter Section. Here is a highlights package! The Butler Donation We have had another good year both in Viqueque and Geelong. The highlight has been the commencement of the allocation of funds from the Butler Donation, a most generous gift from... Continue Reading →
During the wet season the grounds of schools in Viqueque can become waterlogged. This year was no different and the grounds at Viqueque 01 school became unusable after the rain. Mariano De Sliva, the Geelong Viqueque Friendship Schools Projector Officer decided to do something about the problem. Using funds earned from the sale of English-Tetun... Continue Reading →
