Former local principal Kevin Brown says his daughters, like many parents of young children, have been struggling with home schooling.
His advice was that they shouldn’t try to replicate school but utilise the amazing local resources that can be found all around us, such as the environment and local knowledge.
“I suggested they should seize the opportunity to utilise the home and outside environment to follow and foster the kids’ curiosity,” he said.
“I believe my best teaching was when I ran a ‘Wheels of Discovery’ program. One day a week the class and I accompanied by the art teacher Judy Laycock would jump on our bikes and explore a part of Castlemaine: the Botanical Gardens, the sewage farm, the diggings etc. The children’s discoveries would be the learning
focus for that week in the classroom.
“I suggested my daughters utilise the Castlemaine Field Naturalists Club guide and explore and study the indigenous flora and its been a real hit!” he said.
Two of Kevin’s granddaughters are pictured here in their ‘classroom’ in the back paddock of farm Gowan Brae. ‘Gowan Brae’ means hill of daises. Allegra and Sophia discovered numerous Yam Daisy plants so they think that is why the farm was named Gowan Brae over 100 years ago.