Dunhelen

                                                     Mrs Francis Scuderi

Year 8 City Experience

The Year 8 Dunhelen City Experience went very well last week. Students visited some of our City’s great sites and also enjoyed some free time to shop and eat. Students visited places like the Eureka Skydeck, Birrarung Marr, Queen Victoria Market and the Shrine of Remembrance. One of the most interesting parts of the excursion was the visit and education session at the Big Issue Office. It was here students were given facts and figures about homelessness in Australia. Students participated in a quick game that showed how different factors can control the situations people find themselves in. They were also given firsthand accounts from people who found themselves homeless and what this entailed. This excursion is a wonderful opportunity for students to begin to develop some independence and decision making. It was wonderful to hear the stories, particularly those when things did not go as planned and how they managed to fix the problem. A very big thank you to Mrs Flynn for organising the four days of fun and learning.

Mobile Phones

A reminder that students seen with mobile phones (whether they are using them or not) between the hours of 8.45am and 3.15pm will have them confiscated for the day. Parents should ring through to Dunhelen Administration if there is a message that needs to be passed on. Students can go to their Homeroom teacher, Head of School or an Assistant Head of School if they really need to contact home. Students who feel ill must present to First Aid and parents will be called by staff.

Homework Club

We are almost at the end of Term 3 and students are working hard to ensure they keep up to date with school work. The Homework Club is open to all students in Dunhelen on Tuesday lunchtimes, if they need some extra time or assistance. If your child reports that they have no homework, perhaps they can spend some time revising the topics being covered in their subjects; so that they are not cramming all the study into one night. Reading is also something that students should be doing every night, even at this age.

Battle for Australia Ceremony at the Shrine

On Wednesday 4 September a select number of student leaders attended the Battle for Australia ceremony. The ‘Battle for Australia’ ceremony is held at the Shrine and is commemorated on the first Wednesday in September each year. Ceremonies are held around Australia on that day to commemorate the struggle to defend Australia against Japanese forces during World War 2. Once again, we were honoured to have one of our students present a reading for the ceremony. Dunhelen School Captain, Sabrina C, delivered a piece and represented our College beautifully.

Student Conduct

It is pleasing to see that most of our students are working hard and doing the right thing. It is always a pleasure to work with young people and learn with them. Our students are wonderful and should be proud of themselves. They display kindness, courtesy and manners and in most cases, are able to ‘negotiate’ properly when they do not agree with something. It is a magical (albeit also frustrating) time of life – too bad they will not realise it until they are much older.