Children's Forum

The School Captains and Vice Captains attended the 2025 Greater Dandenong Children’s Forum with Miss Halliwell. The Forum empowers young student leaders from our local council to come together and share their ideas to make the Greater Dandenong community a better place.

Throughout the day, students participated in a range of interactive workshops and creative activities designed to develop a sense of agency and leadership in their community. A highlight of the event was learning how to play the djembe and listening to Ganga Giri perform Aboriginal music. The students also enjoyed communicating with peers from neighbouring schools, forming new friendships and connections.

Below are some reflections from our student leaders about the Children's Forum:

One of my favourite activities was writing advice for Year 6 students heading into Year 7. The purpose of this task was to support students as they begin their transition journey into secondary school. I really enjoyed this activity because it gave everyone in the room a chance to share advice and encouragement. It felt nice to be able to help others while also hearing about their thoughts and worries. It reminded me that everyone feels the same way during this big change. - Jennica Na 

One of my favourite activities this term was ‘Imagine the Future’, where we brainstormed creative ways to improve our local library. We were encouraged to dream big and share any idea we could think of, as if we had an unlimited budget! Some people came up with wild suggestions, like adding a Gordon Ramsay restaurant, while I suggested building a swimming pool. I really enjoyed this activity because it let us think creatively and imagine endless possibilities for our community. - Thierry Tran 

My favourite activity was writing a Message to Your Younger Self. The purpose of this task was to create messages that would help younger students settle into school, especially those in Kindergarten and Foundation. Our messages will be published in a book for the younger students to read and learn from. I really liked this activity because it gave me the chance to help someone feel more comfortable and confident at school. My advice was: never be afraid to ask for help. - Alexa Nguyen

I really enjoyed the Make Your Move workshop. The aim of the activity was to help the council understand which activities encourage people to be more active. We worked in small groups with students from different schools, which gave us the chance to socialise and learn from each other. I had a great time playing games and sports, such as Golden Child and Knockout. I especially liked meeting and connecting with students from other schools. 

-Ethan Nguyen