YEAR 9 CLC Program
YEAR 9 Students Make A Stirring Impact Over 5-Week Project
A Standing Ovation is due to the Semester 1 cohort of our beloved C.L.C (Community Leadership Challenge) program, who yesterday completed their final Wednesday of a 5-week Volunteering Project, showing Empathy and Kindness, developing Team Work and Resilience, and building Connection with their Community.
Lavish kudos and thank you messages have flown in from all around Wangaratta, from the people our kids have helped and made an impact on.
At the Wangaratta District Specialist School (WDSS), the group of Matthew Leerson, Jed Murray, Hugh Spring and Cameron Vincent have been praised heavily by both P.E teacher Rowan Barrow (W.H.S alumni and our greatest Swimmer/Athlete ever) and several other teachers. The boys have gone swimming and bike riding with the WDSS student, judged Gymnastics competitions, and have fitted in seamlessly.
At Illoura Aged Care, there has been similar praise for a large group helping with the elderly residents - Patrick Alker-Jones, Charlie Bell, Atticus Carta, Lanie Evans, Elijah Grant, Paige Hanley, Leila Hyland, Oskar McGahan, Chas Spencer, Emilie Sanderson and Anges West. They have engaged in all sorts of activities with the residents, from walking the Wheelchair Group, playing board games and running Bingo tournaments, to just having conversations an providing company.
At Wangaratta West Primary School we've had 3 groups, with school Leadership delighted with their contribution, and sad yesterday was our final week. Plenty of tales of their little talking about our kids by name at the Dinner Table at home. Many of our kids are Wang West alumni returning to "give back", say hi to former teachers, and some even able to touch base with their parents working and siblings attending there.
The "Classroom Helpers" (Emily Matthews, Issa Moffatt and Chase Lovell) have impressed helping Prep classes with their literacy, numeracy and various activities.
The"Ground Crew" (Thomas Fieldew, Isaac Robinson and Noah Williams) have worked hard beautifying the grounds with plenty of weeding and wheelbarrow loads of bark chips into multiple garden beds, as well as completely transforming, cleaning and re-organising their Garden Shed.
The "P.E Teachers" have (Lars Croft, Kaity Ford, Inanay Gilson, Clarence Lampa, Ruby O'Kane and Zach Wills) have been running two P.E sessions of Grade 2 P.E each week, as well as helping with another two, under the guidance of P.E teacher Demi Walker.
Three girls (Annelise Nash, Lacy Solimo and Bella White) went back to "give back" to their old school, Appin Park Primary School, facilitated by another o our great alumni in Craig Kerlin.
Two other girls have Volunteered at their previous primary Schools - Ruby Burns (Beechworth Montessori School and Ruby DeFazio (Glenrowan PS). They showed terrific initiative and organised their own placements.
Riley McKay and Taylor Rowley did a great job helping pack food for the Homeless at the Anglicare Loaves & Fishes depo in Ovens Street, while Jono Bowler, Oli Cleave-Sessle, Bentley Mitchell and Logan Mills raised over $200 running BBQs at Coles - according to teacher Michelle Wilson, the largest tally she can recall in C.L.C.
We also have a group who recently returned from Term 1 spent at the School For Student Leadership (Alexis Cox, Liv Day, Gus Hedderman, Charlotte Walker and Leo Woodburne), who have continued their project in designing and planting a new garden bed near the entry of the school.
Each week groups have shared their achievements in our C.L.C Celebration Circle, and prizes have bnne awarded from ourKindness Box.
Overall, a sterling 5 weeks. Thank you to all of our students, staff and especially our generous hosts around the community for hosting our teenagers.
Their next task is to prepare their groups's Presentations, which will they present to an audience of our Year 7-8 kids, as well as families and community hosts at our C.L.C Presentation Assembly on Wednesday June 18th.
Jud Mullins & Michelle Wilson
C.L.C Coordinators.
