Year 9 RAID Program
RAID Day – at school
Our Year 9 students enjoyed another engaging RAID day on Wednesday 4 March, with a range of activities designed to build independence, life skills and real-world knowledge.
One of the highlights of the day was a visit from Wild Action Zoo, who delivered a fantastic hands-on wildlife experience. Students had the opportunity to meet and learn about a range of amazing Australian animals. The clear crowd favourite was getting up close to a baby wombat and a Western Grey Kangaroo joey, which sparked lots of excitement and curiosity among the students.
Students also completed their Morrisby Profiling testing, which helps them explore their strengths, interests and possible future career pathways. This is an important step in helping students start thinking about their future learning and career options.
Another session was delivered by Bendigo Bank’s Money Mentors program, where students learned about important financial concepts including taxation, interest and superannuation. These sessions help build valuable financial literacy skills that students can use later in life.
Most students made the most of the opportunities on offer and engaged well with the different activities throughout the day.
However, we are still finding that some students arrive unprepared for sessions without a charged device or something to write with, which limits their ability to fully participate in the activities.
Students receive a Compass Newsfeed post prior to each RAID Day outlining the program and what they need to bring. We would greatly appreciate it if parents and carers could remind students to read this post the evening before RAID so they can arrive prepared and ready to learn.
RAID Day - Zoo Excursion
On Wednesday 18th March, our Year 9 students embarked on their first RAID Day into the city, travelling by train to the Melbourne Zoo for a day of exploration, learning and independence. From the moment students arrived at the station, it was fantastic to see them stepping up to the challenge of navigating public transport.
Students successfully made their way to meeting points on time and organised, demonstrating growing confidence and responsibility—key goals of the RAID program. One of the standout moments of the day was the way many students conducted themselves on public transport. Several students were observed offering their seats to members of the public, showing genuine respect and awareness of others. These small but powerful actions reflect the values we aim to build through RAID—Respect, Achievement, Innovation and Diversity—and we were incredibly proud to see them in action.
At the Zoo, students worked in small teams under beautiful sunny skies to complete a fact-finding mission. The challenge encouraged them to investigate:
• The history of Melbourne Zoo
• Animal adaptations and how species survive in their environments
• The threats facing wildlife, both locally and globally
Students engaged enthusiastically with the activities, collaborating effectively and making the most of the opportunity to learn outside the classroom.
Overall, the day was a fantastic success. It was particularly pleasing to see students demonstrating independence, teamwork, and respectful behaviour while representing the school so positively in the wider community. We are excited to continue building on this as the Year 9s take on more RAID experiences throughout the year!
-Marnie Sparrow, Year 9 RAID Coordinator
