Keen to pursue a career in early childhood or teaching? Information sessions will be held this week at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Ontario for the Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies and the Bachelor of Primary Education Studies. Graduates and students will be on hand to talk about their experiences, as will the Head of School, Associate Professor Will Letts, and other CSU staff to explain the programs and entry requirements. The Program Director of the Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies, Dr Pat Dickinson, says, “Students, who have completed a two-year Early Childhood Diploma at an Ontario college with a B-average, can now complete the four year Honours Bachelor degree with two years of full-time study at Charles Sturt University. The course is one of only a few available in Ontario which provide early childhood educators with full credit for their two year diploma. As with the Bachelor of Primary Education Studies, this course has both Australian and Canadian faculty offering broad experiences to these students.” Read more about the CSU Ontario School of Education here.

After flying through the air and around the world, Charles Sturt University (CSU) student Mr Rick Resijan swapped the stage for the classroom for a while in order to complete a degree in primary education at CSU in Ontario. Born in Hamilton and raised in Stoney Creek, Ontario, Mr Resijan moved to Toronto to study fine arts and then joined the prestigious Joffrey Ballet School in New York, USA. “In the past 20 years I have danced in such classic ballets as Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Firebird and Cinderella, as well as contemporary ballets such as Prodigal Son, a rock ballet to music by The Doors,” he said. “A special job at this time was working with the children’s theatre company New York Theatre Ballet, and I suppose this also captured my interest in teaching children. I am now back in Canada while I study at CSU, but I can’t stop dancing – I have a few projects with the Victoria Ballet Academy in Toronto and am appearing in The Nutcracker in Richmond Hill, Toronto. I would love to combine my love for dance with teaching to work in an arts-oriented school.”

The CSU Media team welcomes you to 2010. We hope you had a safe and enjoyable holiday season, and that the year ahead is a healthy one.

Four students from Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Ontario Campus, Canada have arrived in Dubbo to work at Buninyong and Wellington Public Schools as part of their studies. Ms Angelica Barone, Ms Laura Donnelly, Ms Lucy Lee and Ms Wendy Wright have been provided accommodation on the CSU Dubbo Campus during their stay and will complete their practical studies as part of their Bachelor of Primary Education Studies. Lecturer in the School of Education in Dubbo, Ms Alison Lord, is excited about the Canadian student’s arrival, having taught them during her secondment at CSU in Ontario. “These girls are passionate about children’s education,” Ms Lord said. “Their commitment to the course and their future careers is proven by travelling to the Western Region of NSW to complete their studies.”

A graduate of Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) primary school teaching program at Ontario has taken out the ‘New teacher of the Year’ award in the 2010 Premier’s Award for Teaching Excellence. Ms Michelle Jerzyk teaches Grade 4/5 at Sam Sherratt Public School in Milton and graduated in 2007 from the Bachelor of Primary Education Studies (BPES). “Teaching is an extremely rewarding vocation. Each day, the kids in my class inspire me. It is truly amazing to see them want to come to class every day to learn, and to grow together,” Ms Jerzyk said. The Head of the Ontario School of Education, Dr Will Letts said, “The staff and alumni at Charles Sturt University are tremendously proud of Michelle’s achievement. As they say in Australia ‘good on her’! Michelle’s passion to meet the needs of each and every student, and her commitment to continuous learning and innovation in education, is a wonderful reflection of the values and objectives of our BPES program.” Ms Jerzyk said her training at CSU helped her become a better teacher. “Charles Sturt University’s approach is different than other universities. First, they want to meet you and actually interview you and, throughout the program, they place a lot of emphasis on practicum in the classroom and learning best practices and the latest education research. I think that helped to prepare me for the very demanding job of teaching and set me up for success,” she said.

Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) reputation as a leader in early childhood education is highlighted by its involvement in the second Early Years Education Ontario Network (EYEON) Symposium on Friday 16 April. The event will bring together a range of organisations with responsibility for young children including 250 administrators, researchers, front-line teachers, early childhood educators, and government policy makers. The Program Director of CSU’s Bachelor of Early Childhood Studies, Dr Pat Dickinson said, “Charles Sturt University has provided substantial support in organising and facilitating the symposium, and continues to be an active member of EYEON. The main aim of the symposium is to link current teaching methods into research in early childhood education. EYEON members work to promote advocacy for children from infants to eight years by building knowledge and capacity, professional learning and research in action.” Other symposium sponsors are the Council for Early Child Development, the Peel District School Board, The Learning Partnership, and the Halton Catholic District School Board. The keynote speaker is Mr Jim Grieve, the Assistant Deputy Minister of the Early Learning Division in the Ontario Ministry of Education.

A former trained fire-fighter, paramedic, rock climbing expert and personal trainer will join a former professional singer and over 260 fellow graduates in the largest graduation ceremony ever held for Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Ontario. Dr Paula du Hamel Yellow Horn, a member of Canada’s First Nations, will receive her Doctorate in Education from the Faculty of Education in front of a large audience of CSU staff, family and friends including the University’s Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Ian Goulter, who has travelled from Australia for the event. Graduates from CSU’s Faculties of Arts, Business, Education and Science will receive awards on Friday 18 June in Burlington, Ontario. Other graduates include 12 members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who have completed CSU’s Bachelor of Policing degree.

There was loud applause for awarding-winning Charles Sturt University (CSU) researcher Associate Professor Gavin Ash as he received public recognition for his work in the fields of agricultural and veterinary sciences and environmental sciences. Professor Ash was named earlier this year the recipient of the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Research Excellence 2007. The CSU academic received his award from the Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Goulter during the graduation ceremonies on the Wagga Wagga Campus in April. Professor Ash, from the CSU School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, was honoured for his outstanding contribution to innovative research in plant pathology, identifying and determining the risk posed by diseases in crops and exploring innovative approaches to the management of diseases and weeds. Since joining CSU at Wagga Wagga in 1990, Professor Ash has attracted more than $4.2 million in research funds, written for over 150 publications and supervised 38 postgraduate students. In the last five years Professor Ash has authored 27 refereed publications and gained 27 research grants.

New students to Charles Sturt University (CSU) wanting to apply for scholarships for the coming year will need to get their applications in before Monday 18 February. The scholarships, which are offered through the Charles Sturt Foundation, are awarded to students who have demonstrated high levels of academic performance, leadership and motivation throughout their school careers. Some scholarships are also available for students undergoing economic hardship, are disadvantaged, are Indigenous or are undertaking distance education with CSU. In 2007, the Foundation provided 235 students with ongoing support for their University studies through the scholarship program.