Newsletter December 2008
1. ACS on Christmas Break
ACS will be closing for the Christmas break between 20th December and 5th January.
2. These popular courses have been updated, expanded, and are now available online!
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Tropical Plants
This course provides a valuable instruction for both growing plants in warm positions or in protected places such as greenhouses and inside homes or offices.
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Throughout this comprehensive program you will:
- Learn how to identify tropical plants and understand their cultural requirements.
- Learn how to create a wonderful garden in the tropic or sub tropics, outside the tropics, or indoors, anywhere in the world, by adopting the elements and landscape principles used by professional garden designers.
- Discover tropical annuals, perennials, bulbs and grasses, climbers, shrubs, trees, and ferns – with extra study emphasis on ornamental gingers, heliconias, cordylines, palms, bromeliads, tropical herbs, vegetables and fruit bearing plants.
- The online version also contains new interactive self assessment tests.
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Advanced Aerobics
This is a course for both fitness professionals who want to develop a greater depth of understanding, or individuals who want to pay more serious attention to their own well being. Lessons in this course cover elements necessary for a career in aerobic instruction such as class design, leadership, and organising classes.
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Why do the course?
- Gain a great new skill to promote health and fitness for both yourself, friends or the community.
- Contribute to the quality of life of yourself and others.
- Maintain a healthy body and mind.
- Develop the skills and ability to conduct exercise classes to music.
- Understand and gain an understanding of various energy sources.
- Learn important rhythms and music beats used in aerobics.
- Learn basic safety skills, insurance requirements and the legalities involved in being a fitness instructor – including safety audits and pre-screening fitness checks.
- Improve your understanding of fitness, including how to take heart rate, blood pressure, weighing (including Body Mass Index) and more.
- Understand the "Training Zone" – the formula to work out if the heart is working at maximum intensity.
- Learn about lung and cardiovascular capacity.
- Learn how to manage and teach an exercise program.
- Learn how to design an entire class.
- Improve your leadership and communication skills.
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3. Forget socks and underwear this Christmas!
If you're looking for inspiration for your Christmas shopping, then check out the ACS Bookshop, which is filled to the brim with great gift ideas!
Are you looking for...
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Something quirky?
Don’t Die in The Bush: The Complete Guide to Australian Camping
Paperback book
Here in one compact, practical and attractive volume is everything you need to know – not only to survive the bush, but to also make the most of your camping adventures.
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Something wild?
Wildlife Ecology, Conservation and Management
2nd Edition by Simclair, Fryxell and Caughley
Paperback book
A clear introduction to general ecology, followed by an explanation of how those principles can be applied to wildlife management.
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Something fun?
Aerobics Fitness
By John Mason
Paperback book
From aerobic fitness levels and overall health to the body and its functions, this book will give you a deeper understanding of the science behind aerobic fitness, with heaps of practical tips.
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Something practical?
The Psychology of Selling
By Brian Tracy
Paperback book
This inspiring and well written book will give you practical advice on how to increase your sales faster and easier than you ever thought possible.
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Something green?
Growing and Using Vegetables and Herbs
By John Mason
Paperback book PLUS free online course
Includes over 90 different vegetables and herbs! Grow your own delicious food successfully, no matter how small your space; and learn how it can add a stylish element to your home while it's growing.
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...or something for the coffee table?
Birds: The Definitive Visual Guide
Hardback book
These 512 pages are jam packed with thousands of stunning and colourful illustrations and includes over 1200 bird species from around the world. A great book for bird enthusiasts of any age!
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OR give the gift of knowledge in an area of special interest – with one of our CD courses!
4. Staff Profile
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Rosemary Davies Dip Hort Sc.
Originally from Melbourne, Rosemary trained in Horticultural Applied Science at Burnley, a campus of Melbourne University. Initially she worked with Agriculture Victoria as an extension officer, taught horticulture students, worked on radio with ABC radio (clocking up over 24 years as a presenter of garden talkback programs, initially the only woman presenter on gardening in Victoria) while simultaneously developing a career as a writer.
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She then studied Education and Training, teaching TAFE apprentices and developing curriculum for TAFE, before taking up an offer as a full time columnist with the Herald and Weekly Times and its magazine department after a number of years as columnist with the Age. She has worked for a number of companies in writing and publications, PR community education and management and has led several tours to Europe.
In 1999 Rosemary was BPW Bendigo Business Woman of the Year and is one of the founders and the Patron of the Friends of the Bendigo Botanic gardens. She has completed her 6th book this year and is working on concepts for several others.
Rosemary also currently works for ACS as tutor, course counsellor and course writer.
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5. *NEW* ACS “Student Space”
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Getting into Gardening
Margot – Certificate in Horticulture
"Having spent 20 years shuffling paper in an office, the call of the real world has become too strong to ignore, and having just my weekends to be with plants is not enough. I've taken the coward's way in and started my gardening course while keeping the office job running, and ensured that all my friends knew that I was moving into horticulture.
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I've kept my eyes open too, putting a note through the letterboxes of houses with untidy gardens. Slowly the business has grown, along with my knowledge and the experiences I've gained. I've been lucky as well – my first customers were an elderly couple grateful for anyone prepared to turn their tiny hay meadow back into a lawn and rescue their flower beds from weeds. They have spread the word amongst the sheltered housing too, and I now have eight little gardens to nurture.
Then came the exciting bit: 'My daughter has a lawn and wants someone to put in plants. Can you do it?'
'YES PLEASE!' In talking to the local nursery about prices and plants for this fantastic opportunity, I discovered another gardener with too much work – 'Phone me in the summer and I'll let you know' I’ve been promised.
Right now, it's hard work as I'm still office-working while the business becomes established, but every garden is satisfying and energy giving, and every fee earned is a reference for the future. The course has been a brilliant boost to my confidence and has disciplined me to the point that I offer a service that my customers are proud of – sure beats that office job! (I thought this might lead to a few others of you out there sharing your experiences – I'd like to read what you are doing.)"
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If you have a story you would like to share with other students, let us know!
6. Congrats to our November Graduates!
We would like to congratulate our November Graduates, and wish them all the best for the future!
Dean Roger
Certificate in Aboriculture
Andrea Edlinger
Certificate in Horticulture – Permaculture
We would also like to remind all graduates to take advantage of the 5% fee discount on subsequent courses!
*Only one (1) discount per person per enrolment can be claimed at any one time.
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