New Mural 

Rochester Secondary College’s Year 9 Design Adventures class have created a bold new mural that visually depicts the school’s values.

Mrs Melissa Gould, (Principal) invited students to design and collaboratively create the mural in response to and promotion of the values of the school.

Students designed original pictographs to represent each of the school’s values -  Growth, Respect, Optimism, Wellbeing and Support. They then hand cut stencils and spray-painted the pictographs in bright, mostly warm colours on top of a cool coloured, hand-painted background. The letters RSC GROWS were then stencilled over the top in the school’s navy blue.

Inspiration for the mural came from the values that Rochester Secondary College represents, encourages and strives towards. ‘The mural represents these values as a whole and that when practised, can help each of us to grow’ said student designer, Izzy Miriklis.

The project commenced at the end of Term 1 and was to continue after the holidays, to be finished and installed at the start of Term 2. These plans were disrupted by Coronavirus, (COVID-19), and the need for remote learning for the first 8 weeks of Term 2. As a result, the project was delayed until school-based learning resumed.

‘The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted our work and ironically, we had to rely on our school values more than ever to push through remote learning and get back to school to finish off our project. The mural now displays not only our school values but the strengths we used through isolation and remote learning.’ - Isabella Miriklis.

As they undertook the collaborative painting project, each of the Design Adventures students got a chance to reflect on their remote learning experiences and how the school values helped them through such unexpected and new circumstances.

‘I’m incredibly proud of the student’s achievements; the way they worked together to create this celebration of our school values and the end result, which is spectacular.’ Ms Meg Doller, Design Adventures teacher.

The mural has been installed, high and proud, on an exterior wall of one of the classrooms. Staff and students will be able to enjoy it immediately, and as restrictions ease, future visitors to Rochester Secondary College will be encouraged to view it for themselves.