VCE VM News

As we move towards the end of another busy and rewarding year, our VCE VM students have been involved in a range of fantastic projects and activities that showcase their teamwork, creativity, community spirit and practical skills.

Year 12 students have now finished classes for the year, marking an important milestone in their VCE VM journey. Next week is Catch-Up Week, when students can attend to complete any outstanding work requirements and Outcomes. All students should check in with each of their teachers to ensure they have completed all required work.

Throughout the term, VM students have demonstrated their learning through a variety of Personal Development Skills (PDS) projects. Market Day was a great success, with excellent participation from both Year 11 and Year 12 students through their elective work and involvement on the day. We received wonderful support from the wider school community and raised close to $1,000 to donate to Churchill Neighbourhood House.

The Year 12 City Project / Celebration Day was another highlight, with students enjoying escape rooms, taking part in a Street Art Amazing Race and having some free time to explore the city before travelling home by train.

Students have also been making a positive difference in the community. The clothing drive project collected 10 bags of clothing for donation to Tabitha’s Closet, helping support people in need. Meanwhile, the Hamper Project team has been busy carefully putting together thank-you gift hampers that Kurnai College will use to recognise and show appreciation to the individuals and organisations who have provided significant support to the school throughout the year. This initiative has provided a valuable opportunity to demonstrate organisation, teamwork and community spirit while acknowledging the contributions of those who support our school.

To further support their transition into the workforce, Year 12 students also participated in Mock Interviews with local employers. This provided a valuable opportunity to practise interview skills, build confidence and prepare for future employment.

Meanwhile, our Year 11 students have been demonstrating their leadership, teamwork and organisational skills as they plan a Community Walk to raise awareness of homelessness. Working alongside the Kurnai Young Parents program and Churchill Neighbourhood House, students have been making great progress with their planning and preparations for the event, which will take place on Thursday 29 October. Their planning includes organising a three-hour walk along a designated track through Churchill’s parks, setting up awareness posters and coordinating a BBQ at Churchill Neighbourhood House. Through this project, students are taking responsibility, working collaboratively and contributing ideas to bring their plans to life. It is a wonderful opportunity to develop practical planning skills, work towards a shared goal and make a positive contribution to the local community while raising awareness of an important social issue.

We also have an exciting new project underway! Churchill Neighbourhood House has generously left us with the first Pitta Patta car, and our students are ready to get creative and begin painting it. We look forward to seeing their ideas come to life as this project progresses.

It has been wonderful to see our students putting their learning into action, developing real-world skills and contributing positively to both our school and the wider community. We are proud of their efforts and look forward to sharing more of their achievements as the year draws to a close.

Building Community Connections: Year 11 VM Practice Walk

As part of their preparation for the upcoming Community Cohesion Walk on 28 October, Kurnai College Year 11 VCE Vocational Major (VM) students have been undertaking practice walks to help plan and organise the event. Students are making important decisions about the walk’s purpose, route, safety considerations, promotion and overall organisation.

On Thursday, 15 October, 11R took a practice walk around the lake, where students had the opportunity to observe how local community spaces bring people together.

Throughout the walk, students encountered a variety of community members and workers using the park and its facilities. One student spoke with a group of Federation University students who were assessing the park for potential improvements to benefit the community. The university students are currently studying to become outdoor education and sport teachers and later enjoyed a few rounds of frisbee golf within the park grounds.

The class also met Rain, a ranger working for the Victorian Fisheries Authority. Rain explained that she was releasing 800 rainbow trout into the lake to support recreational fishing opportunities. Students also observed people fishing, walking and running around the lake, highlighting the many ways people enjoy and connect with their local environment.

The practice walk provided a valuable, real-world learning experience for 11R. It demonstrated the importance of accessible community spaces in bringing people together, supporting recreation and promoting community wellbeing.

These observations will help students make informed decisions as they continue planning their Community Cohesion Walk, ensuring the event is inclusive, safe and welcoming for everyone involved.

Written by Katelyn Year 11 VCE Vocational Major, Kurnai College

VCE VM Market 

Our Year 12 VCE VM students have successfully planned and delivered a community Market Afternoon, raising an impressive $995.95 for the Churchill HUB.

As part of the planning process, students considered the types of products that customers would be interested in purchasing and how these could be made using the available equipment and materials. The products created included stickers, badges, T-shirts, keychains, cat toys, 3D-printed fidgets, and a range of wood and metal products, including outdoor furniture, storage boxes, and nesting boxes.

In addition to the broad range of products available, students offered a variety of services, including games, live music, and a photo booth offering studio-style portraits for the visitors.

Students from Personal Development Skills used the VM Market Day as an opportunity to demonstrate their planning, organisational, and leadership skills by coordinating logistics, setting prices, and setting up the market stalls on the day.

Throughout the event, the atmosphere was vibrant and engaging as students showcased their work to visiting parents and family members. Visitors enjoyed the live music and delicious baked goods while browsing the market stalls. Students remained busy throughout the evening, managing their stalls and selling their products, helping to raise almost $1,000 for the Churchill Neighbourhood House.  Also, congratulations to Lindy Gumpold for winning the raffle!

A big thank you to the VM team and supporting staff for your efforts to make Market Day such a successful event!

Students put their elective skills into action by making products, organising activities and working collaboratively to deliver a successful afternoon. They showed great commitment by staying back after school from 3pm to 5.30 pm to sell their products and run activities for the community.

A huge thank you to all the staff who supported the students throughout the planning and delivery of the event, with special recognition to our Education Support (ES) staff for their invaluable assistance throughout the entire process.

The funds raised will support the Pitta Patta Driving Academy, helping provide opportunities for Kurnai students. The event celebrates the longstanding partnership between Kurnai College and the Churchill HUB, which continues to grow through a range of community initiatives.

We are incredibly proud of our Year 12 VM students for demonstrating teamwork, initiative and generosity while using their learning to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

Congratulations to everyone involved, and thank you to the Churchill community for your continued support!

Community Clothing Drive

Making a Difference 

Our Year 12 VCE Vocational Major (VM) students have demonstrated outstanding teamwork, initiative and community spirit through a clothing drive organised as part of their Personal Development studies.

Over Terms 3 and 4, students Kyra, Scarlet, Arisa and Ruby worked together to raise awareness of poverty and homelessness by collecting clothing donations for Tabitha’s Closet, an organisation supporting people in need.

The students took the initiative to contact local organisations and secure four donation bin locations at the Churchill Junior Campus, Churchill Leisure Centre, Churchill Community Hub and Kurnai College’s University Campus. With the generous support of Latrobe City Council, which donated the collection bins, the project quickly gained momentum.

Thanks to the generosity of our local community, the students collected more than 10 small bins' worth of clothing, providing a valuable contribution to Tabitha’s Closet and the people it supports.

The students would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who donated clothing, the organisations that hosted the collection bins, and Latrobe City Council for helping make the project possible.

A special thank you also goes to their teacher, Brett Gay, for supporting the students throughout the planning and implementation of their project.

This initiative is a wonderful example of applied learning in action, allowing students to identify a community need, work collaboratively and make a meaningful difference beyond the classroom.

Congratulations to Kyra, Scarlet, Arisa and Ruby for turning their learning into positive community action. Your efforts have shown how a small group of students can make a big difference!

Thank you, Churchill, for your generosity and support!

VM Project Day in Melbourne

Our Year 12 Project Celebration Day in Melbourne was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the students’ achievements and recognise the effort, commitment and teamwork they demonstrated throughout their VCE VM projects. Students worked hard to plan, organise and bring their projects to life, developing valuable skills in communication, collaboration, problem-solving, organisation and leadership along the way.

The day was a well-deserved celebration of their hard work, with students enthusiastically participating in escape room challenges and the Street Art Amazing Race. These activities provided further opportunities to work together, think creatively and navigate their way around the city. Students also enjoyed some free time to explore Melbourne and celebrate their successes with their peers before travelling home by train.

A big thank you to the staff who supported the day, encouraging students, helping coordinate activities and ensuring everyone could participate in this memorable experience. It was wonderful to see students enjoying the rewards of their hard work, reflecting on their project achievements and celebrating this important milestone in their VCE VM journey.

 Kurnai Art Competition Winner

Celebrating Student Talent

Congratulations to Nuceya Johnson, the winner of our Kurnai Art Competition! Nuceya’s fantastic drawing of our Kurnai Blue Wren was selected to feature on the thank-you cards included with our end-of-year hampers, recognising the people who have supported Kurnai College throughout the year.

This is a wonderful achievement for Nuceya, whose creativity and artistic skills will be showcased as part of a meaningful initiative celebrating our school community. It’s fantastic to see student talent being recognised and used to make a real contribution to the College.

As our competition winner, Nuceya received a canteen voucher. Well done, Nuceya! We’re proud to celebrate your creativity and the positive impact your artwork has on Kurnai College.

Pitta Patta Driving Academy

Our First Pitta Patta Car has Arrived!

Last term, Nathan, from Churchill Neighbourhood House introduced students to an exciting new initiative – the Pitta Patta Driving Academy. The program has acquired three “nugget” cars that will be refurbished and developed for young people to participate in motorsport activities. Students involved in the program will have the opportunity to gain track experience at Haunted Hills Track while developing valuable teamwork, communication and project-management skills.

Importantly, the program will be student-led, with participants taking responsibility for different aspects of the project, including:

Motorsport Teams – working together to develop and prepare the cars

Fundraising – developing ideas to raise money for the program

Sponsorship – building relationships with local businesses and organisations

Merchandising – creating and promoting merchandise

Social Media – developing content and promoting the program

Advertising & Promotion – sharing the project with the wider community

We are particularly excited that three of our VCE VM students are currently participating in the pilot program, giving them the opportunity to develop practical workplace and community skills through an exciting, hands-on project.

The program is an excellent example of Applied Learning in action, demonstrating how community organisations can provide young people with meaningful opportunities to build skills, make connections and explore future pathways.

A big thank you to Nathan and Churchill Community Hub for supporting our students with this program!

Mock Interviews

Last Thursday, our Year 12 VCE VM and VPC students took an important step towards their future careers during our Mock Interview Day, supported by a fantastic group of local employers and community organisations.

Students put their learning into practice by participating in mock interviews with panels of two employers, gaining valuable real-world experience while developing their confidence, communication skills and interview readiness.

Our students were absolutely buzzing afterwards! The encouragement, insights, and practical advice our interviewers shared helped make the day memorable and meaningful as students prepare for life beyond Kurnai.

A huge thank you to all the employers and community members who generously gave their time to support our young people:

Craig Binotti – AGA

Peter Ceeney – Plastic Fabrications

Zoe Ferguson – AGL

Nathan and Bethany Brown – Churchill Neighbourhood House

Blake Hunter – Gippswater

Gemma Francis and Charlotte Degennaro – Latrobe Community Health Services

Luke Bremner, Mark Johnston, Corine Noblet, Heather Farley, Michelle Galea and Andrew Bek.

We greatly appreciate employer and volunteer willingness to share expertise and support our students. Opportunities like these help bridge the gap between classroom learning and the world of work, empowering our young people to take their next steps with greater confidence. 

Thank you for helping our students prepare for their future pathways! 

Australian Indoor Championship Bowling

Congratulations to Cooper G, who had the opportunity to compete in the Australian Indoor Championship Bowling competition in Queensland last term. Cooper and his team put in a strong performance and competed well throughout the tournament. Although they didn’t take home the win, it was a fantastic achievement to compete at this level. Well done, Cooper, on this outstanding experience and for representing your country with pride!

This tournament was the best bowling experience I have ever had. The amount of information I received was unbelievable and getting to bowl against international people was cool, and seeing the pros give advice to the juniors was really nice, especially when I was one of them.

The people I bowled with and against were really funny. The stuff they were saying on the lanes was unique to hear, and seeing how passionate participants are about the sport made it a better place to bowl.

The franchise owners were really nice and easy to talk to about what to do if we were struggling on the different oil patterns. Bowling in this tournament has given me a massive confidence boost and I will not forget talking to the pros and asking them questions to make me better with the decisions I make on the lanes and how to react to different types of bowlers I bowl against, and what I can do to improve my own bowling games.

Looking forward to doing next year!

Cooper G

On a Final Note

A huge well done and congratulations to our Year 12 students who are completing their classes and final Outcomes this week and during Catch-Up Week next week. Keep up the hard work and stay focused as you finalise your assessments and finish your VCE VM journey. We’re incredibly proud of your efforts and achievements – see you at Graduation!

Year 11 students, it’s time to step up and finish the year strong!  Now is the time to take ownership of your learning and get organised. Check your progress in every class, speak directly with your teachers about any outstanding Outcomes, and make a plan to complete and submit all required work before the end of the year. Make sure your work placement paperwork, timesheets, logbooks, reflections and Portfolio evidence are up to date.

Attendance is more important than ever at this time of year! Every day counts, and being at school gives you valuable time to complete outstanding work, get support from your teachers and demonstrate your achievement of Outcomes. Our expectation is 90% attendance, unless you are genuinely unwell or have an approved absence. Don’t miss out on important learning and catch-up opportunities when there is still work to be done.

Don’t wait for your teachers to chase you – take the initiative, ask for help when you need it, attend catch-up sessions and get the job done! The effort you put in now will set you up for a much stronger start to Year 12.

We’re looking forward to our student-led Year 11 Community Walk and BBQ on Thursday 29 October. This year, we’re adding a splash of colour with a Colour Run! Be prepared to get colourful as you move through the checkpoints, or cross your arms to opt out of the colour. It promises to be a fun day of teamwork, community connection and celebration!

And finally, Year 11s, get ready for Year 12 – Headstart is coming! Start thinking about your goals, build on the skills you’ve developed this year, and get organised for the expectations and opportunities of your final year of VCE VM. Finish this year with purpose, get your outstanding work completed and make the most of Headstart – your Year 12 journey starts now!

Karen Anders

VCE VM Team Leader