Operation Newstart

Rosalie Fourniotis

Assistant Principal - Senior School

Operation Newstart is an innovative re-engagement program aimed at young people who may have struggled to attend school regularly, and are deemed to be at risk of not completing their secondary education.

Using a combination of experiential learning, wilderness therapy,  group work, mediation, counselling and community interconnectedness, the staff at Operation Newstart aim to support re-engagement with school and to prepare pathways to further education and employment. 

The program runs for a full school term, with students attending their home school for two days each week, and the program for the remaining three days. 

Odessa Dunn has shared the speech that she presented at the student graduation celebration, after participating in the Operation Newstart program in Term 2.

Odessa Dunn

Newstart Graduate

My name is Odessa.

I’m here to talk to you guys about surfing. We went on a two day surf  camp. It was probably one of the most challenging parts of the whole camp for me because of the weather. It was sunny but very windy and even though we had wetsuits on, it was still so cold. 

We drove down to Bancoora beach where we met Kev who taught us how to surf. 

The character strengths that I drew upon during this camp were courage and hope. I used courage to help me push through this part of the camp.  Even though it was hard, I still persevered through the big waves and getting wiped out many, many times. I also managed to stand up on a surfboard which I didn’t think I would be able to do!

Surfing was a challenge for me because I’m not fan of the beach and getting all cold and sandy, and I found it really hard to stand up on a board but after a while (and nearly drowning in the waves) I did it and felt pretty proud of my self, especially considering I really don’t like the beach. 

Special thanks to Alex Moyer (Student Wellbeing Leader) and Rosalie Fourniotis (Assistant Principal) for letting me have the opportunity to be a part of Operation New Start. 

Thank you for shairing your experiences with us, Odessa.