Year 9 CLC Program
Week 7 - Team Challenges
With many of our Year 9s on Ski Camp in Week 7, a smaller cohort of our Semester 1 CLC group spent the day on campus completing various challenges.
A Board Game Morning eased the kids into the day, with small groups competing against each other in the classic game The 5 Second Rule, socialising across tables.
A campus-wide Scavenger Hunt then saw them swarm the schoolgrounds searching for 16 clues in teams as an exercise in Trust & Teamwork, two major CLC concepts which are coming more and more important as they get closer to being let out in the community in Term 4 volunteering. With prizes on offer for the first group to return with all clues found, competition was fierce. The group of Billy Hiskins, Kade Hadley, Gus Jayet, Luke Macklan & Hamish Tanner were the first back, but inspection of their Clipboard found they had unfortunately missed one clue. That left the door open for eventual champions Lia McKeown, Levi Smith and Zierra Melbourne who had a flawless sheet.
The weekly tradition of CLC Family Lunch was a hit again, with Ham & Cheese Toasties served by staff on chopping boards as the kids ate in groups as usual.
After lunch the cohort was split into groups choosing either Cooking, Painting or a Working Bee. Painters Zoe Taurega-Green, Teagan Stewart and co worked on touching up our CLC Mural with Ms Ronald. Over in the CLC Kitchen, the group of lads worked hard in cooking up a post-lunchtime Dessert, including pancakes on the frying pan (Luke Macklan), kneeding dough for Scones (Billy Hiskins) and whipping up cream for the scones (Hamish Tanner). Jayden Laxton was the standout worker in the Working Bee, helping clear rubbish & debris as we straightened up the CLC building and store room.
A CLC Dessert Circle topped off the session, with everyone sitting in a circle eating the pancakes & scones with the Sister Sledge funk hit “We Are Family” soundtracking it all on the loudspeaker.
In the afternoon it was out the hill down at One Mile Creek at the back of the school for another team challenge, this time a Nearest The Pin Golf Challenge. In another activity completely unfamiliar to most of the kids, they took turns teeing off down the hill with varying results and a fair bit of grass being hacked out of the ground. In the end it was the persistent Dylan Hooper who won it all, finishing with the top 2 closest balls to the pin (the closest falling 2.5m away) with his final 2 attempts.
Week 8 – Guest Speakers & Main Street Scavenger Hunt
Week 8 began with presentations on further options for the Term 4 Volunteering Phase of CLC.
There will again be 3 opportunities at Wangaratta West Primary School, either assisting in Demi Walker’s senior P.E classes, helping in junior classrooms with Literacy & Numeracy, or getting their hands dirty as part of the outdoor “Grounds Crew”. Thanks again to Principal Kristy Mullins, Demi and the team at The West, for always being willing to host so many of our CLC students each Semester, despite everything else going on down there as Wangaratta’ largest primary school. There looks like there could be another 15 or so down there again, making them again the CLC’s biggest supporter.
We’ve got another terrific addition this semester in the Wangaratta District Specialist School, who have put their hand up to take a couple of our kids. Thanks to Principal Alysha Jackson and her team for jumping on board. Having spent some time umpiring some All Abilities Footy Carnivals recently, with many current WDSS students in the local Merriwa Magpies side, I believe this will be a great thing to experience for the 2 lucky CLC kids that get the chance to work there.
Another opportunity has popped up via Wangaratta Council, in educating the Wangaratta public about the working of Recycling. The kids were amazed to learn that the Recycling Centre has a full-time employee whose sole job is to watch the conveyer belt and pick out the Vapes that have been wrongly placed into Recycle Bins.
After another CLC Family Lunch of Ham & Cheese Toasties, we screened a 60 Minutes piece on the inspirational Aussie Nick Vujicic, who was born with no arms and no legs, but who exudes positivity and now is a motivational speaker inspiring people across the world. The kids watched images of him diving into and climbing out of swimming pools, playing golf and driving boats, and then they added to the balloons on our Gratitude Tree, populating them with things they are grateful for in their life. Where themes of Family & Friends were popular answers last time, this time Health started to appear more.
To follow, the traditional challenge of Persistence saw the kids attempt the Stick Bomb Challenge, weaving large Icy Pole sticks together. Framed as something most kids struggle to master, but that not giving up is the key, sure enough after 10 minutes not a single person in the room had it happening, despite a YouTube tutorial playing on repeat on the Big Screen. However, Levi Smith, sitting alone in front of the screen with laser focus, eventually cracked the code. In a great show of Persistence, he created the core section of what would eventually become a Group Snake of 4-5m. In other corners of the room, Dylan Hooper was the other standout, with Faith Mayer-Young also able to master it, as well as the boys group of Ethan Rhodes, Markus Mibini, Aurelio McIllroy & Marcus Iley. Loud celebrations rumbled the room as Levi pulled the trigger causing the sticks to explode successfully.
Then it was on the bus to King George Gardens for another Mini-Excursion. Another Random Act of Kindness saw another bouquet of flowers presented to a group sitting on a bench seat - three generations of females in a family (young child, her mother, and grandmother), the perfect choice. Luke Macklan & Hamish Tanner jumped at the chance this time, with Luke writing a great personal WHS Postcard, and Alec Armstrong, Markus Mibini & Noah Simmons alongside as Support Crew. Watching the boys approach them from a distance, with big Hamish ambling up with his elbows out, and a couple of Rough Mullets in the group, onlookers quipped we were lucky Mrs Wilson was approaching with them to make them look less terrifying. Hamish apparently did a great job doing all the talking, and the recipients loved it. Again, the whole CLC cohort, waiting secretly nearby, clapped in celebration and as the boys returned to the group we noticed they looked very happy with their tremendous deed.
The CLC Scavenger Hunt was the Main Event, with the kids in small teams tasked with finding clues dotted around the main 2 CBD blocks. A major exercise in Team Work but especially Trust, it was the first time they had been somewhat “let loose” without strict supervision, a precursor to Term 4. Markus Mibini was the standout, literally sprinting around the city, leading his group, winning the challenge by returning first and with all clues correctly recorded.
Back at school, nominations drawn from The Kindness Box saw prizes won by those witnessed doing something kind throughout the day. Levi Smith got one for sacrificing himself at lunch by allowing his mate Jayden Laxton to take the last Toastie on the plate, and Hunter Boruch scored one, nominated for always being kind to others.
Thanks to the kids for another successful fortnight, with 2 more weeks of fun coming up including a trip to the Waldara Golf Club’s Driving Range, a Day Trip volunteering at Myhrree Primary School, and a likely visit, motivation talk & Goal Kicking Competition from our school’s greatest ever sporting product, 3x Premiership player & Norm Smith Medalist Stevie Johnson.
- Jud Mullins
