Thiess helps deliver Hear to Learn

Thiess’ Central Queensland operations are helping children reach their full potential as part of the 2019 Hear to Learn – School Hearing Program.

 
Delivered in partnership with the Hear and Say Foundation, this year’s program tested 868 students from 23 schools in the Bowen Basin.
Hear to Learn
Thiess is the founding regional partner for the Hear to Learn - School Hearing Screening program which seeks to identify a child’s basic hearing sensitivity and middle ear status to detect those who may have difficulty in the classroom.
The program, now in its second year, continues to grow and has more than doubled in reach in 2019.
Across the 23 schools visited, 60 students were found to be experiencing a hearing or ear health issue that required follow-up from a General Practitioner. A further 84 children were identified to require further monitoring by a parent.
A child’s hearing can change over time having a significant impact on the child’s speech, language, education development and behaviour. Regular hearing assessments can result in the early diagnosis and treatment of hearing loss and improve the social and academic outcomes for children.
Hear and Say and Thiess first brought Hear to Learn to the Bowen Basin in 2017.
Thiess supports the early screening, diagnosis and treatment of hearing issues in young school children, to improve academic performance and social interaction.
Supporting education programs in our local communities is a core focus of the Thiess CARE program.
Getting involved
Thiess project team members from Dawson South, Curragh North, Jellinbah Plains, Lake Vermont, Peak Downs, Caval Ridge, and QCoal helped deliver the 2019 Hear to Learn – School Hearing Screening Program.
Their responsibilities included walking students to their screening tests, engaging in learning activities with teachers and students and hosting the visiting screeners in each school.
John Stirling, Finance Manager at Jellinbah Plains, supported three school visits in the Blackwater area.
“Taking the time to work with the students, schools and screeners from Hear and Say you learn so much about the importance of good hearing for kids and their education.
The program makes a significant difference by going to these regional communities. It helps make sure families get the help their kids need to have a bright future and aren’t left behind just because of where they live.”
Participating primary schools included Bowen, Queens Beach, Collinsville, Scottville, St John Bosco, Blackwater, Blackwater North, Comet, Bluff, Dingo, Duaringa, Theodore, Banana, Moura, Moranbah, Moranbah East, Coppabella, Nebo, Valkyrie, Middlemount and Dysart State School. Testing was also conducted at Blackwater C&K Kindergarten and Moura State High School.
Thank you from our partners at Hear and Say
Thiess has been a partner of the Hear and Say Foundation for 25 years.
Through the funding Thiess has provided, the early screening, diagnosis and treatment of hearing issues has improved the academic performance and growth in social interaction for many young Queenslanders living in the regions where Thiess projects operate.
CEO of Hear and Say, Chris McCarthy said the team were thrilled to have the continued support of its longstanding partner, Thiess to reach even more students in the Bowen Basin area for another year.
“We are incredibly proud of our 25-year partnership with Thiess and working together on this initiative means that children with hearing issues living outside of the major cities can be identified and steps put in place to address any concerns,” said Mr McCarthy.
Mr McCarthy noted that the school-based screening program was particularly vital as hearing loss can occur at any time, and children who were not hearing as well as they could in the classroom could experience an enormous impact on their ability to learn.
“We often get teachers or parents saying their children are naughty or won’t listen when the truth is they can’t hear. If we can pick up the hearing loss, we can work with families and use early intervention to make a difference, no matter where they live,” said Mr McCarthy.