Ancient Greek philosopher Plutarch once said, “The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled”. During week 8 students from year 10 will have the opportunity to take part in an innovative workshop here at school facilitated by a range of local community groups based around the concept of self-awareness. As young people, they already have various levels and concepts of social and emotional awareness and intelligence, but the intention of the event is for students to reflect and grow, challenging them to finish the day with a new perspective on some of their behaviours, coping mechanisms or current beliefs.

“Self-awareness is the ability to understand your own thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and characteristics. It involves recognizing how these aspects of yourself affect not only you but also others. Self-awareness can be as simple as being aware of your emotions or as complex as understanding the patterns and reasons behind your actions”.

The timing of the event is significant as all students are transitioning into another life period, and this may itself trigger some challenging thoughts and emotions. Across the cohort there are some students entering the workplace or alternate vocational training facilities. Others are entering employment on a full-time basis, and others may be leaving to attend boarding school in another region. The remaining students are transitioning to our senior classes and with this comes new responsibilities, challenges and expectations.

For those leaving MCC they will also have to establish new support networks within the greater community which as we know can be particularly challenging. The services included on the day are leaders in their field and the activity promises to be both informative and engaging.

The activity has been named “IGNITE”: igniting minds, shaping futures as we feel this reflects growth and empowerment. The students will complete 4 different workshops and participate in a range of hands-on activities focusing on 4 key areas~

Mindfulness: It’s the practice of observing your internal state—your feelings, thoughts, and physical sensations—without judgment.
Self-understanding: It’s the capacity to recognize your strengths, weaknesses, and values, and to understand what drives your decisions and actions.
External perspective: Self-awareness also includes the ability to see yourself from an objective, outside perspective and understand how others perceive you.
Action and behaviour: At a basic level, it’s knowing you are a separate person, but it also means being able to manage your behaviour and align it with your internal standards and values.

I look forward to sharing the highlights of the day in the next issue of our MCC newsletter and already there is great enthusiasm regarding the event from both students, services providers and staff.

Our year 10 students who attended the Soroptimist International Griffith Enable Empower School Project last term have recently been conducting a survey open to all student from year 7 to year 10 identifying any additional lunch time activities they would like to see available in 2026. Once the results are collated, they will liaise with staff to see if any new activities can be included and what

current ones will still be available. The goal of the group is to be able to inform all students, particularly those new to the school; via a range of mediums what activities are available enhancing their sense of belonging and welcoming them to our school community.

The group will continue to meet regularly and finalise their project as the school year draws to a close.

I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend and I encourage you all to include selfcare as part of your normal routine, particularly as we head into the last few weeks of the term.

Sue Hone

(School Wellbeing Support Worker)

Year 12 Graduation