Ties across cities

A SPECIAL event held last week reaffirmed the relationship between the City of Casey and the District of Ermera in East Timor, which was established in 2004.
City of Casey Mayor Amanda Stapledon hosted the event to celebrate a number of significant achievements between the friendship cities.
Cr Stapledon said she was proud to recognise the council’s recent work with local community organisation, the Friends of Ermera, to develop a resource and information kit for Casey schools that were a part of the Casey-Ermera Friendship Schools Program.
“The aim of the Friendship Schools Program is to create links between students, teachers and schools in Casey and East Timor,” Cr Stapledon said.
“Implementing these resource kits will help our schools to enhance their cultural awareness of their friendship schools. It will also improve information exchange and maximise educational opportunities with East Timor and the Ermera District’.
Representatives from schools accepted their kits at the event.
Casey’s Friendship Schools include Kambrya College, Gleneagles College, Fountain Gate Secondary College, Beaconhills College, St Paul Apostle North Primary School, St Paul Apostle South Primary School, Strathaird Primary School and Woodbine Road Kindergarten.
The celebratory event also acknowledged four East Timorese teachers who completed a 12-week English Language Teacher Training program, funded largely through the fund-raising efforts of the Friends of Ermera, and contributions from the City of Casey.
“The City of Casey is very supportive of this program which provides intensive language training for teachers from Ermera,” Cr Stapledon said.
“They are then empowered to return home with the foundations to build English Language Study Centres in their schools and support other teachers and students to learn English.”
‘It is important that we continue to work together harmoniously and be exemplary in our ongoing, cross-cultural friendship, communication, training and support.”