More help for schools at army museum

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 14, Issue 686, 13 May 1997, Page 7

More help for schools at army museum

By

Anne

McElwain

The appointment of Kate Klemich as assistant education officer at the Queen Elisabeth II Army Memorial Museum means that programmes offered to school groups-will become even more comprehensive. Miss Klemich aims to "facilitate the use of resources for teachers and (to provide) support in the classroom." Recognition of the curriculum-based education programmes offered at the museum contributed to their success in obtaining Ministry of Education funding under the heading of 'learning experiences outside the classroom.'

Miss Klemich' s background of teaching at St Brigid's Primary School and as a writer with Kids TV, both in Dunedin, means that she is well suited for the position. Currently working on developing her first recourse kit which has an ANZAC theme, Ms Klemich aims to produce a number of other kits extending the programmes already offered by the museum. She will also build up information resources for use by teachers in the classrooms prior to attending one of the museum' s programmes, as well as developing evaluation guidelines for use after the visit. Both Ms Klemich and her supervisor, education officer Angela Young, aim to give the children skills so that the museum "becomes a comfortable place for them." The Education Service has been built up over the past threeyears by Miss Young. Initially it offered only guided tours to school groups and she expanded this concept so that they now provide 1 8 programmes to cater for preschool to tertiary groups. These programmes are as varied as"how soldierstransportthemselves' forYear l-4pupils, to 'New Zealand race relations and the battle of Gate Pa' for Year 12 students. Miss Young, who wrote a thesis on museum education programmes for her degree, "wants to make (a visit to the museum) a hands-on, dynamic and active experience, focusing on kids enjoying what they do and see." The Army Museum' s full range of programmes for school-age groups attracts an average of 350 people per

month in vanous educational groups from as far away as Kaitaia and Wellington.