Wellbeing News
Dandenong High School
School for Student Leadership
The Department of Education conducts a live-in student experience for selected Year 9 students from across the state. The program commenced with a single campus called the Alpine School.
Currently there are four campuses located in quite distinct areas around the state. The Alpine School is at Dinner Plain, which is a short drive from the snow fields of Mt Hotham. The Snowy River Campus is in Gippsland, located at Marlo, which is at the mouth of the Snowy River. Gnurad Gundidj is located at Glenormiston North, which is in the west of the state near Camperdown. The most recently opened campus is the Haining Farm Campus located in Don Valley, which is close to Warburton.
At the present time, we have four Year 9 students living and studying for this term at the Haining Farm Campus. Our students travelled to the campus on May 1st and have been living and studying with around 40 other students from schools that applied for positions. Beyond the academic program, our students are developing many skills as independent young people. Living away from home means that they are responsible for many tasks that were probably done for them by their parents.
Students are responsible for their own washing and ironing, they have to clean their own living spaces and are rostered to clean communal bathrooms and assist with the preparation of meals and the meals area.
As part of their assessment, students need to complete a Community Learning Project which they enact when they return to our school for Term 3. They are also involved in a range of outdoor activities, which include, canoeing, mountain bike riding and caving.
While at the campus, students also carry out two expeditions which involve camping out for a total of 3 nights. The students take responsibility as a group to determine the route and need to arrive at pre-determined rendezvous points along the way.
We look forward to seeing our four students when they return next term and we continue working with them to complete their Community Learning Project.
