Student Wellbeing

Maxine Beneba Clarke – Book Week Speaker 

Last week in assembly, we celebrated Book Week and had the privilege of welcoming Maxine Beneba Clarke as our guest speaker. Maxine is a prolific author whose work spans fiction, non-fiction, plays, poetry, and picture books. She is the author of Foreign Soil, a former VCE Literature text and winner of the ABIA Literary Fiction Book of the Year 2015 and the 2015 Indie Book Award for Debut Fiction, and The Hate Race, a memoir she has adapted for the stage. Her five poetry collections include Carrying the World, which won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Poetry in 2017. Currently serving as the University of Melbourne’s poet in residence, Maxine’s creative work delves into the complexities of humanity, addressing issues such as racism, recycling, schoolyard bullying, family relationships, migration, and displacement. 

Initially studying Law, Maxine later followed her heart and pursued a creative writing degree. She shared how her love for the written and spoken word has opened up a wide array of employment opportunities and allowed her to truly follow her passion. Maxine reminded us of the beauty of poetry and how its techniques can be found in various forms all around us. She captivated us with the reading of one of her own poems, which beautifully showcased her skills as a poet and spoken word artist. I am sure both students and staff alike walked away from Maxine’s presentation inspired to try their hand at writing their own rhyming couplets or perhaps even a verse or two! 

Year 12 – The Final Approach 

This week I had the pleasure of working with some of our Year 12 students in preparation for their final VCE examinations. We talked about how viewing their revision journey in stages can make it more manageable and effective, with each stage calling for different techniques and approaches. I also reminded them how important it is to pause and celebrate their successes at the end of each stage before looking ahead and setting goals for the next one. 

Last year, when these students began their VCE journey, we discussed the crucial role of self-reflection and the value of being honest with oneself. True openness to feedback, recognising strengths, and learning from mistakes can only come from this honesty. I reminded them of this lesson and encouraged them to be candid as they answer key questions to help them craft their own revision program. 

All Year 12 students were invited to schedule time with myself, Ms. Wright, or Mr. Hill to create an individualised study plan. This ensures that their final revision strategy is tailored to their unique needs, revision styles, and examination schedules. 

Connor’s Run – Sunday 15 September 

The Shelford Team is eagerly looking forward to participating in Connor’s Run on Sunday 15 September in support of the Robert Connor Dawes Foundation (RCD). A big thank you to our Parliamentarians for organising and running a fabulous Bake Sale last week! This relied on the generosity of our community - those who donated baked goods and those who came out to buy them. 

We’re incredibly proud of our students for raising $480, which will be donated to the RCD Foundation. If you are interested in joining the Shelford team on the day of the run or would like to donate towards this very worthwhile cause, there is still time to get involved. Please click here.