VCAL/VET 

As we are coming close to the end of 2021, our year 12 VCAL students have been working tirelessly to complete their outcomes to achieve their senior certificate. 

The VCAL program at St John’s allows students to complete units in Literacy and Numeracy, as well as Work Related Skills and Personal Development Skills.  Additionally, students are to complete a TAFE course, resulting in completion of high school with a year 12 certificate and TAFE certificate in their chosen career path.

Students are given the opportunity to personalise their learning by choosing topics and tasks that are of particular interest to then. 

CHLOE JOHNS- YEAR 11 VCAL

Close to the end of Term 3, all the VCAL students from years 10 to 12 were invited to participate in small and fun challenges to do in their spare time during lockdown.  This was because a lot of placements had been cancelled during covid lockdown, giving us all at least one day of nothing to do.  Mr Graham and Ms Wills called it the “VCAL competition”.  With these competitions, staff members each week would tell us what we had to do and how we could do them.

During our spare time we would have to do these challenges to the best we could whilst trying to win the challenges.  The prize for winning each week was a $25 gift card of your choosing.  The first task was to write the longest word out of rice, followed by having an attempt at some world records.  These records were putting the most number of socks on one foot, eating M&Ms with chopsticks and how many soccer touches you could get in a minute.  The final task was to try to make the tallest tower out of pasta/spaghetti.  I had a fun time trying to do the challenges and I hope that they do more stuff like this in the future. 

Todd Nicolopoulos (year 12) wrote a piece on his “Journey in Football” to complete Outcome 1- “Writing for Self Expression”: 

My Journey in Football

I would take this opportunity to explain that in Europe, Greece, and most of the world what is called soccer in Australia the rest of the world calls it Football. I wish the pursue football because one day I will be the best goalkeeper in the world, with great coaches, sacrifices and a winning mentality.

From a young kid all I ever wanted to be is a professional goalkeeper, my eldest brother introduced to me to the world sport, I was at his game, very first time watching a professional game, Melbourne hearts against Melbourne Victory. The atmosphere and intensity were what inspired me to work towards reaching the professional level. My eldest brother James is an Ex- Professional Referee in the A-league for 8 years and an Australian recognised gold medalist for the Senior Olympics. My intention was to never be a referee. What inspired me to perse and to become a goalkeeper is when Vukovic who is the Melbourne victory goalkeeper saved a penalty and the crowd cheered him. That was what inspired me to become a goalkeeper from a young age. 

The struggle from young to now was hard work and sacrificing. At the age between 5 and 15 I was overweight and struggled not just to keep up but fit in also. I placed the weight on during the season away from the season because being in a European family all you do is eat and that is why I put the weight on. At age 15 I went on a strict diet at age 16 I lost 32KG when I was 17 I lost 41KG this didn’t just inspire me to keep going through my weight lost journey but also strive to be the best on the field but also off the field. I knew that the higher up I go as a footballer the harder yards I must put into the sport. Still till this day I look at how far I have come with my football from a Sunday league player to a Semi Professional and National State representative. 

As a teenager I have climbed the ranks quickly, but mentally I still must be strong to get to that next professional stage in my career. when playing my sport it is not a game for me it is a way of life it is art if played correctly, people my age and especially males drop off the curb between 16 and 18 to go out partying and enjoy themselves, unfortunately for me I had to sacrifice more and it affected me really bad mentally sacrificing my main teenage hood, I had to give up so many friends, girlfriends, even missing family events, sacrificing is painful but making sacrifices helps you mentally, physically, but not just that who is loyal to you and who is not. 

Sacrificing and facing new challenges has shown me to be strong, not to be afraid of trying new things. My brother showed me the correct way in life and that is from hard work and dedication. Like my brother said, “there are people that do and there are people that don’t.