Comings and goings
2018 Youth Parliament Team
Meet our 8th team, Castlemaine Victorian Youth Parliament Team!
The six students hail from a small school but have broad aspirations. Their Bill is the Prevention and Minimisation of Harmful Effects Surrounding Gambling and Betting Bill 2018.
Each member struts a different style and individual flair, Ella Hayes, Shanti Steventon-Lorenzen, Bodie Maffescioni, Isabel Lynzaat, Abigail Meadows, and Gabby Byrne are in fact long-time friends with “different personalities, but the same values”
Check out page 19 of this weeks Midland Express!
Hope Tour 2018 Visit
Castlemaine Secondary is very fortunate to receive a visit on Tuesday 19 June from this uplifting group of dynamic individuals sharing the message of resilience, anti bullying and persistence from moments of struggle in their lives. Students were wowed by motivational speaker Fracis Owusu, singer Timomatic, magician Amdino and their fabulous dance crew. Amongst their team is our former student Travis Elliot
IDAHOBIT Day
17th May was IDAHOBIT day - International Day Against Homophobia, Bi-phobia, Intersexism and Transphobia. To show its support the Mount Alexander Shire Council agreed to have the Gay Pride flag flown in the centre of Castlemaine, making the Shire a part of the largest annual LGBTI international solidarity event. The CSC Diversity Group who, along with many others, had presented Council with a request (which had been denied) to fly the flag during the Marriage Equality plebiscite in 2017, were invited to attend.
The speeches at the flag raising ceremony were very moving and really explained the significance of the ceremony. Whilst it is important to recognise the freedoms that LGBTI people have in Australia compared to countries where some sexual orientations and gender expectations are vilified by severe punishment, it is also important to acknowledge that LGBTI people in Australia are not free from discrimination. Speakers at the event explained that as LGBTI people, wherever they go, whether it be at shops, schools, businesses and even among family, there is a constant anxiety about whether they can be their true selves and just be accepted for who they are. Whilst the Marriage Equality plebiscite had a favourable outcome for the LGBTI community the very fact of having to vote on whether or not same sex love and marriage should be considered equal or not to opposite sex couples was hurtful to LGBTI people in the Castlemaine community (and indeed across the nation). Raising the flag was in this way a healing ceremony but as you can see from the joy on the face of students Judzea Gatt and Charles Carland from the Diversity Group who had the honours, it was a moment to be celebrated.
Camping Out
Pictured above is Nick Barker and Murray Hammersley with Maree Edwards and former student Asha Bannon who is working locally as a community Landcare Facilitator. We have attached the issue of The Core for you to read the full story about the 2018 Connecting Country Camp Out .