VCE-VM News
Sport & Recreation
By: Sunni, Lexi and Mikala - Year 12
Semester 1 Recap: A Semester of Growth, Leadership & Community Connection
Semester 1 in Sport and Recreation has been one of those semesters that sneaks up on you, and before you know it, you've done things you never expected to do, grown in ways you didn't expect to grow, and made memories that actually matter.
We dove into the real world of the Sport & Recreation industry, getting across everything from Workplace Health and Safety and emergency response, to running recreational sessions, organising our own work priorities, and sharpening our officiating skills. But honestly? The best part was that we didn't just learn about these things, we actually did them.
Developing Practical Skills & Confidence
From fitness testing and gym-based training to team-building games and helping run primary school athletics carnivals, this semester was packed with hands-on experience. For a lot of us, the sheer number of practical sessions was a welcome surprise, and a reminder that sometimes the best way to learn is just to jump in.
We worked hard on setting up and running rotation activities smoothly, and we pushed ourselves to demonstrate sporting skills clearly, give confident instructions, and adapt on the fly when working with younger kids. That's not always easy, but we rose to it.
The moment that really stuck with us? When staff from visiting primary schools pulled us up to say how impressed they were with our professionalism, our communication, and the way we led activities. That kind of feedback hits differently when you know you've genuinely earned it.
Connecting with the Community
Stepping outside the Loreto bubble and into local primary schools for their sporting carnivals was one of the highlights of the semester. We worked alongside people we'd never met, in environments we weren't totally familiar with, and we figured it out.
We learned to read a room, to communicate across age groups, to problem-solve on the spot, and to show up for others. These aren't just Sport & Recreation skills. These are life skills, and we're walking away from Semester 1 with a lot more of them than we came in with.
Looking Ahead
Semester 1 has given us a strong foundation, not just in the technical side of Sport & Recreation, but in who we are as leaders, teammates, and community members. We've grown in confidence. We've backed ourselves. And we've shown what we're capable of when we're given the chance to really do something.
Semester 2, we're ready for you.
PDS and VET Community Services
By Isabella and Matilda - Year 11
This semester in PDS (Personal Development Skills), we have been involved in BotaniKids, where we work with preschool children and community members to deliver a wide range of nature-themed activities. These include seasonal crafts connected to a specific theme each week. The day before each event, we cook, plan and organise the activities and food. This preparation is what helps everything run smoothly on the day.
BotaniKids has been valuable in so many ways. It has taught us resilience through problem-solving, pushed us to become more flexible when working alongside people we don't know, and given us a genuinely realistic taste of workplace expectations.
One aspect of the VCE VM program we didn't anticipate was just how much community work is involved; it has been one of the best surprises. Being a meaningful part of helping our local community thrive, and connecting with community members at least once a week, has been an unexpected bonus.
Through PDS and VET Community Services, we have also been involved in Community Engagement at Yullie Park Primary School, where we run activities linked to their Respectful Relationships program. These include games and tasks around problem solving, respectful communication and asking for help. It was daunting at first, many of us wondered, what are we doing? Can we actually do this? After four weeks, we know the answer is yes, and we can see the growth in our confidence and skills with every session.
Those skills carry across everything we do, whether that's working with customers at the Pottage or supporting students at St Columba's. One moment that has stood out is watching children dive straight into our activities without any encouragement, something that felt like a real achievement compared to earlier weeks when we had to work much harder to get them engaged. We can see our experience reflected in how smoothly each session runs and how quickly we are now able to plan and adapt, and that is genuinely empowering.
Looking ahead to Semester Two, we still have personal goals to work towards, particularly around initiative and leadership, and we are excited to keep building on everything this program has given us.
