Mary Ward Secondary - Meeting diverse needs

Leisure And Life Skills Program

Our Leisure and Life skills program is offered as an alternative to our Workplace Learning program.  Each week students experience either an excursion into the community or an incursion featuring specialist dance, art or music.  

The goals of the program are to familiarise participation in the community:  develop community awareness, build confidence, make connections, practise relationship skills and experience a diverse range of recreational and cultural activities.  Incursions provide opportunities for immersion in activities which allow students space and time to be aware of their creative selves.

Our music program has proved a favourite under the instruction of Mary Walton.  One morning a cycle students are transported in the world of making music.  Mary is a passionate music educator who is a specialist in the Orff teaching approach.  Under Mary’s tuition students have grown in self-awareness and have visibly expanded their expressive language skills.  Students experience playing a diverse range of instruments and using music as a language:  utilising their voice,  movement and body language to express themselves.  For the whole session music is the language.  Students are given permission to connect, engage, imitate, explore, improvise and enjoy without any rules! 

Gill Lyon

Head of Learning - Mary Ward Secondary