From the Head of Campus

What a fabulous first half of the year it has been! As acting Head of Campus at Blackhall Kalimna, I've thoroughly enjoyed my time in this position and now confidently hand over my responsibilities to Daniel Symons, whose kindness and attention to detail will shine through in this role.

Over the past week I've taken time to reflect on some of the rewarding moments of the past two terms, including my most recent camp to the Northern Territory with the Year 9 students.

YEAR 9 EXPERIENCE

As is tradition at Preshil, each year our Year 9 students are invited to embark on an exciting and challenging camp fondly known as the Year 9 Experience. This year our 11-day journey began in Darwin and travelled to Kununurra via Katherine, Lake Argyle and El Questro National Park.

Unique to this year’s program was the partnership with Rustic Pathways and the introduction of the service project in Kununurra. This opportunity provided our students a supportive environment to share stories and develop new friendships with children in a remote indigenous community. It was wonderful to see them experience positive aspects of community life through service projects with local organisations in Kununurra.

The Year 9 Experience is more than just travelling to see a beautiful part of our country. As we crossed East Kimberley, it quickly became apparent that an experience such as this really does provide a wealth of opportunities for students to mature and grow.

Get involved - a program such as this asks our students to get involved; to participate in activities which are designed to challenge them. In Kununurra we asked them to step outside their comfort zone and spend time looking at how volunteering can have an impact at a local level and how implementation of small actions works towards achieving a larger goal.

Embrace independence - being away from home for 11 days really does ask our students to embrace independence. In order to do this, much of the program is designed for them to take responsibility for their actions and yet also have the confidence to stand up for what they believe in. It provides a scaffolding for students to have the courage to question and yet know where to reach out for support when necessary.

Understand culture - it gives our students a new window to view and understand cultures different from their own. On the second night of the camp, our students listened to Liam from Rustic Pathways share his story of growing up as a young indigenous man in Halls Creek. His unique and intimate story gave them the opportunity to view issues from other perspectives and cultures and to have the skills to be able to communicate and work effectively with diverse groups. Specifically, the Year 9 Experience gives students personal opportunity to gain a much deeper understanding of indigenous culture in the East Kimberly.

Develop relationships - while away from the distractions of modern life, students were given the space to cultivate relationships with their peers and with adults on the trip. By working together, we explored how we can develop a deeper appreciation for the people in our lives.

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Thank you for all the support and kind words of encouragement I've received from not only students and staff but also the wider school community. Wishing everyone a happy holiday with family and friends, and I look forward to seeing you all back in Term 3.

Jen Buchanan

Acting Head of Campus (Secondary School)

jen.buchanan@preshil.vic.edu.au