CAS
Collingwood Alternative School
Celebrating Student Initiatives:
The students at CAS have been tasked with coming up with a business idea that can be shared with the Collingwood Alternative School and Collingwood College communities. I have included two of our students and their businesses below.
Maddison Edwards has created her own bag business and would like to introduce herself to the CAS/CC community:
The idea for ME Bags began when I noticed how many old jeans and fabric scraps were being thrown away-piled up in second-hand shops or heading straight to landfill. It felt like such a waste, especially when these materials still had so much life and character. I started collecting discarded denim and leftover fabrics, experimenting with patchwork designs and finding joy in turning waste into something meaningful. This journey became the foundation of ME Bags-a brand inspired by a blend of sustainability, y 2K fashion, and streetwear culture. Each design reflects a strong commitment to upcycling, combining bold patchwork layouts, visible denim details, and playful inner linings that pay tribute to early 2000s aesthetics. Influenced by the creativity and individuality of streetwear, ME Bags are more than just accessories-they're wearable statements of personal style, environmental awareness, and the belief that fashion can have a second life.
Susannah Willis has been creating 3D designs during her 3D Printing Elective and is offering to make pet name tags for anyone in our community who would like one. Here is an example of her work on her own dog, Snooki. Please email Mel Singleton on melanie.singleton@education.vic.gov.au if you would like a pet name tag and include the following details:
Pet’s name
Contact number
Colour preference
Well done to our CAS students and the amazing work they are doing at school.
Thank you,
Mel
Melanie Singleton
Campus Principal - Collingwood Alternative School, Collingwood College
Operation Newstart Bus Donation proudly purchased by
The Community Bank Clifton Hill - North Fitzroy
Operation Newstart is a re-engagement program hosted by Collingwood College and is located at the Collingwood Alternative School. Collingwood College has provided governance for the program since 2001 and has seen over 800 students referred from over thirty Department of Education, Northern Metropolitan schools in the region. The unique outdoor adventure and life skills program promotes valuable strengths and skills, that are sometimes hard to find inside the classroom, for students experiencing difficulties in their mainstream school.
It is fair to say, given the natural spaces we seek, that our bus is our classroom and the most prized possession we own. From the oceans of Torquay to the peaks of the Cathedrals, or the rivers in the Rubicon valley, our bus delivers us safely to these beautiful locations. When our last bus, a 2003 Ford Transit, started to creak, we put out the community holler that we needed some support to keep our young adventurers safe.
It was no surprise, that the Community Bank of Clifton Hill - North Fitzroy, who is very proud to have contributed almost $4.5million back to our community in 20 years thanks to their customers, came to our aid.
We cannot thank the Community Bank of Clifton Hill - North Fitzroy enough for valuing the safety of the young people attending Operation Newstart and/or the Collingwood Alternative School , by proudly donating a brand-new Ford Transit Bus, seen below.
In the photo from left to right we have Phil Wheatley, EO of Operation Newstart Victoria, Laura Roulston, Youth Worker ONS, Chris Millard, Principal Collingwood College, Lee Chia, Ro Roberts and David Fielder from the Community Bank Clifton Hill -North Fitzroy, Azzam Hussein past ONS/ CAS student/ current Collingwood College Student and Brendon Delaney, Program Manager ONS)
Feel free to jump on the Community Bank’s socials to see how they support our local community @COMMUNITYBANKCLITFONHILL #CommunityBankCliftonHillNorthFitzroy #PartneredByCommunityBankCliftonHillNorthFitzroy
Brendon Delaney
Program Manager
Operation Newstart
