Around the College
Orientation Days:
Middle Years
Year 7s hit the ground running with their very first Endeavour Way Day. They spent the day learning all about how to live out our values of Love, Courage, Forgiveness and Hope. Courage was in great supply! Old friendships were rekindled, and new ones formed, and students met with their Year 11 buddies. By lunchtime, the newest members of the community were zooming around the campus with a lot of confidence. The Year 7 staff team were impressed by their courage, their support of one another, and their willingness to participate.
Our Year 8s were delighted to not be the youngest year level anymore and arrived at school with a lot of positive energy. After meeting in their new classroom space and meeting the Year 8 staff team, they jumped straight into team building activities and prepared for The Amazing Race. Mawson Lakes didn’t know what had hit it when they headed out onto the streets tethered by team ropes and blasting out team chants. A lot of fun was had by all. The Year 8s widened their friendship circles, creating lasting memories.
A 7am start may have been a shock to the system of many of our Year 9s, who started their school year with a hike up Anstey's Hill. The Voyage program is special to Endeavour and each Voyage class spent the day bonding as a ‘tribe’ while undertaking physical challenges and setting up their goals for 2024. They finished the day by sealing their hopes for the year in an envelope and locking them in the Voyage vault until the final ceremony in December. It may have been an uphill climb, but they earned an early finish for their efforts.
Year 7 Orientation Day Photos ^
Year 9 Orientation Day Photos^
Louisa Mulligan
Middle Years Director
Rod Dissel
Year 7 Year Level Leader
Simon Maddern
Year 8 Year Level Leader
Rachael Piro and Laura Brenko
Year 9 Year Level Leader
Year 10 Orientation Day Photo Reel
Connection Builders:
Year 11 Orientation Day
Positive Relationships Build Strong Community
The theme of Year 11 in 2024, is “Connection Builders” and was the main focus of Orientation Day. The goal? To forge strong bonds among students, enhance teamwork skills, and prepare them for their crucial role as Peer Buddies for the incoming Year 7 cohort.
The Peer Buddy Program: A Village Approach
The highlight of the day was the official launch of the Peer Buddy Program. With the separation of Villages into Middle and Senior Care Groups, the underlying connection of the Village as a whole is of most importance. In 2024 each Year 11 Senior Care Group is buddied with a Year 7 Middle Years Care Group and throughout the year, they will spend time with their Buddy Group helping the transition between primary school and high school. This may include helping them navigate the College, finding classrooms and facilities, getting involved in the upcoming athletics and swimming carnivals, and generally being someone who can answer questions. This program is designed to provide mentorship, friendship, and a reassuring presence during those nerve-wracking first weeks to the Year 7 students. For Year 11 students it is also an opportunity to take on a leadership role in the community.
Team Building Activities and Leadership Workshops
On Orientation Day, Year 11 students worked with members of their Village where each functioned as a mini community, fostering collaboration, trust, and shared experiences to develop leadership skills.
The day kicked off with a series of team-building activities. Students experienced and learnt about the importance of different methods of communication to promote inclusion and trust with each other and how to be mindful of this when working with their Year 7 Buddy Groups.
Recess was spent forging new relationships with the Year 7 students within the Village or, as it turned out, helping lost students find their way around the College!
The remainder of the day was spent consolidating skills through a variety of practical tasks such as Stepping Stone, finding a hidden path on a grid, and drawing a series of ‘secret images’ using a single pen connected to five pieces of string. Teamwork makes the dream work!
The Christan Living classes engaging in the Peer Support program were also introduced to the purpose of their chosen course and how this incorporated the skills learnt through the Peer buddy training. Thanks to Ms. Barry for running this session!
Closing thoughts
With newfound relationships and leadership skills, the Year 11 students step into their roles as Peer Buddies, ready to welcome the Year 7s with open arms.
I want to thank all staff members of the Year 11 team and the amazing work they did with their Villages on the day- your enthusiasm and care for our students shone through!
Lauren Gray
Year 11 Year Level Leader
Year 12 Orientation Day
On the last day of January, shortly before school began, the Year 12 students took part in an orientation program led by the teachers, staff and volunteers from yLead, a not-for-profit organisation that develops positive leadership education in young people. The day consisted of many activities that focused on team building, successful communication, and showing courage by stepping out of your comfort zone, which all intended to teach some valuable skills and bring the cohort together as we move into our final year of schooling.
The day also consisted of some final year information and concluded with a short Q&A with previous Year 12s, a valuable experience that allowed us current Year 12s to ask about anything regarding the coming year.
Overall, the day was a positive way to begin our final year at school, starting the year on a high note and equipping us with some useful skills and things to consider for the exciting year ahead.
Jack Wake-Dyster
on behalf of the Class of 2024