Student Wellbeing and Engagement

It has been wonderful to see so many students getting involved in the wide range of activities, programs, and opportunities offered throughout the term. From celebrating cultural diversity during Harmony Week to participating in wellbeing clubs, Breakfast Club, and small group programs, our students have continued to demonstrate connection, creativity, and community spirit. We are proud to share some of the highlights and achievements from the term and acknowledge the staff, students, and community members who have helped make these experiences possible.

Harmony Week

ECSC celebrated the cultural diversity together as staff and students through a range of fun and engaging activities held from Monday 23rd to Friday 27th March.

Activities included:

Cultural Appreciation Station - Run by our SRC members, students were able to display notes about what they appreciate and love about their culture for everyone to see.
Harmony 100 Game - Students participated in a trivia game featuring facts about Harmony Week.
Sport matches and Creative Activities - Students enjoyed basketball round robin, Four Corner Soccer, cupcake decorating, bracelet and art making activities.
Cultural Showcase - Our talented students had the opportunity to showcase their talents through dancing and singing performances. There was a fantastic atmosphere in the theatre, with plenty of support shown for our performers.
Cultural Dress day - Students proudly wore cultural dress and looked fantastic celebrating their heritage.

Thank you to the SRC students, wellbeing team and staff who helped organised and run these activities for the students to enjoy.

ABCN - Future Thinkers

During term 1, 26 Year 10 students participated in ABCN Future Thinkers program. Students worked alongside mentors to create solutions to problems using design thinking methodology. At the end of the session, students presented their ideas and solutions.

The purpose of Future Thinkers aims to build transferable skills such as creativity, critical thinking, innovation and problem solving to help students to adapt to changing workplaces and the world. The students were surveyed before and after the program. Results showed that:

Understanding the principles of Design Thinking increased from 26% to 96%
Confidence in communicating ideas to others increased from 59% to 85%
Feeling comfortable connecting with and developing relationships with others increased from 48% to 74%

Student Reflections:

The most important things I learnt:

Communicating with others
That there are many options and pathways into different careers
How to break down an idea into manageable parts
How to pitch ideas and contribute to a team
How to identify a problem and find solutions for a specific target audience

Other comments:

The mentor gave me an insight of how my future can look like and it gives me more hope that there is more options in careers if I don’t get into something else.
I think the program was worthwhile because of how the skills we learnt could translate into many different things
Helped me learn valuable problem solving skills that i can implement in my schooling
The program was worthwhile because the groups were different and i wasnt with friends so i had to speak up to students i dont talk to in school

I would like to thank the Year 10 students for taking the opportunity to participate in the program and for being open to experiencing and learning new things.

Breakfast Club

Breakfast Club has continued to be popular with the students each Tuesday and Friday morning. Students are welcome to join the Wellbeing and Engagement Team, along with the VM students, for some toasties, fruit and hot Milo.

Wellbeing Clubs

The Wellbeing Clubs continue to be popular with the students. Students have enjoyed learning how to knit during the chilly weather, participating in table tennis competitions and connecting with other students in the wellbeing space.

Small groups at ECSC

A number of exciting programs that have been running this term, including

Calm Youth, the Pasifika Roots Student program and Chill Champs.

Pasifika Roots Student program

Delivered by Ala Mai Cultural Connections, City of Whittlesea Youth Development team and Centre for Multicultural Youth, this program has been designed to empower Pacific Islander students by deepening their connection to their heritage, fostering pride in identity, and building strong community ties. The program is covering cultural identity, trust building, leadership skills and elements of art and dance.

Calm Youth

Calm Youth is a program dedicated to empowering young people with the confidence and connection to shape their future, uplift one another, and lead with passion and purpose. The program supports students through self discovery and reflection while exploring the core pillars of Composure, Ambition, Leadership and Mentality. Students develop skills in emotional regulation, meaningful goal setting, and navigating challenges.

Chill Champs

Chill Champsis a small group that helps students build practical skills for managing emotions, handling frustration, and making thoughtful choices. Through games, discussions, and real-life strategies, students learn how to recognise strong emotions, pause before reacting, and respond in ways that support positive friendships, learning, and well-being. The group focuses on self-awareness, coping strategies, communication, and problem-solving in a supportive and engaging environment.

In the next newsletter, we will include some student feedback on the programs and what students enjoyed most about participating.

Thank you to all students, staff, families, and community partners for your continued support of our wellbeing and engagement programs. It has been fantastic to see students building confidence, connections, and new skills through the many opportunities available this term. We look forward to continuing these programs and sharing more student experiences and achievements in our next newsletter.

Thank you,

Belinda McKenzie

Assistant Principal - Wellbeing

2027 Soccer and Cricket Academy

We are excited to announce the launch of our Soccer Academy and Cricket Academy for Year 9 and 10 students, in partnership with Academy Movement, Cricket Victoria and the Melbourne Renegades.

These exciting programs will provide students with valuable opportunities to develop their sporting skills, leadership capabilities and passion for sport through high-quality coaching and specialised training experiences.

We look forward to expanding both academies through to Year 12 in future years.

Applications are now open for students interested in applying for a place in either academy program. You can access the application form here.

Zac Anderson

Assistant Principal - Engagement