The Challenge Update

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Our Northern Bay Challenge Newsletter aims to keep members of our wider NBC Challenge community updated with work that is happening at our college and through the programs that are directly funded by The Challenge.

KINDNESS - Refugee Week                               

Refugee Week is acknowledged across our college this week. One of the highlights this year was an exhibition held in the Gallery Space at our Goldsworthy Campus.

The exhibition titled "Stories Without Borders'' combined short films and visual art installations that have been prepared by our own students. These pieces share our students' own personal and unique stories highlighting their resilience and their creativity and resilience. It is an exhibition that was deeply personal, and we are so fortunate that our students are so generous to share these experiences with their school community. Article.

At Northern Bay College we are fortunate to be part of the education and lives of over 650 refugee students. The exhibition that was wonderfully curated and coordinated by Brandon Dellow and supported by a number of community organisations, digs deep into the experiences of our students as they travel to Australia and the treatment - not always nice - they are subjected to when they arrive. 

Another section of the exhibition  was the short film festival featuring works created by students at our school. This LINK will take you to these films.

Thank you to all staff for your support in sharing the important messages based around this year's theme - Finding Freedom. 

More information is available at this LINK to the Refugee Council of Australia website.

GROWTH - Goldsworthy Build

After an immensely busy term one break for our facilities, college operations and IT teams, along with a few other special helpers, we were able to open for business in our new facilities at the Goldsworthy Campus. 

I can't begin to describe the amount of work that was completed in a short period of time by NBC staff to ensure that classes could start in an orderly manner on the first day of term. And as usual these teams were again able to rise to the task - a fact we are all just so grateful for. 

The result of this work was best summed up by the students who entered their new spaces onthe first day of term. The overriding sentiment of students was one of great pride for their new facilities and what it meant to them, even going as far as to say that the spaces made them feel more important. 

This was such an important part of this project - to ensure that students and the wider community symbolically felt that learning was indeed valued in the Corio and Norlane area and to hear these comments from our students certainly provides an initial sense that this investment has met this brief.

COLLABORATION - NBC ANZAC Day Service

A highlight every year is our NBC ANZAC Ceremony held at the Norlane RSL. The Norlane RSL have been a supporter of our college service for a number of years now and it seems each year that it becomes a little more special. With our own students being responsible for the actual ceremony from reciting the Ode, to playing the Last Post and the Rouse and to this year singing the National Anthem live - the service gives our students leaders a unique perspective of the moving nature of an ANZAC service. 

This year we were very fortunate to have in attendance Naval Captain David Murphy who is a proud NBC Alumn. Captain Murphy is a former student of Corio North PS, Flinders Peak and Corio Community College. He left Corio after finishing school to join the Navy and has had a most distinguished career. He spoke with such a passion for his hometown and shared with the students a wonderful story of Corio / Norlane important military history and a very special dedication to Norman Lane for whom Norlane is named. David was a very generous and quite inspiring guest and followed this visit up with a visit to a VM Careers chat today at Goldsworthy. 

Also, in attendance at our ceremony was CoGG Mayor Trent Sullivan who again was very generous with his time. The event has been shared with our community through this recording and we are very grateful to all who helped in the organisation of this special occasion.

PERSISTENCE - Reward and Cognition Camp 2024

Our Wellbeing camp for 2024 April holidays saw 17 Year 5 and Year 6 students from our P-8 campuses and 4 wellbeing staff attended SVOEC (Staughton Vale Outdoor Education Camp). Highlights included: Walks through Anakie Gorge & You Yangs, rock climbing and abseiling at the You Yangs, LifeChanger – encouraging positive mental health and wellbeing, Werewolf – a social deduction game encouraging students to communicate with each other to identify the traitors amongst them, Wildlife Exposure which is an educational presentation with reptiles and a student talent show which was loads of fun. 

Outdoor games such as bocce, hide and seek, football, basketball and table tennis.

The breadth of activities kept the students entertained and all slept well. For some students, it was the first time away from home, but all students enjoy the camp, and we are sure, if given an opportunity would attend again.

GROWTH - Young Women in Public Affairs Award

Shortlisted through a cast of many from schools across the region, Roqya Husseini was awarded the YWPA through Zonta International. The award is given to a young woman who has an active commitment to volunteerism, experience in local government or student government, has volunteer leadership achievements and demonstrates support in Zonta International's mission of building a better world for women and girls. The board were all extremely impressed with Roqya’s determination to continue to be an influential voice for women in our community. 

This is an outstanding achievement, one which we are incredibly proud to celebrate alongside Roqya.

COLLABORATION - Polly Farmer - Follow the Dream

Nyoora! I’m Kylie Clarke; a proud Gunditjmara, Wotjobaluk, Ngarrindjeri and Muandik woman born and raised in Corio on Wadawurrung Country.  Nurturing young peoples’ dreams has been my life’s passion since graduating from the Goldsworthy Campus in the late 90’s. With a BA in Education and 15+ years of program lead experience, I’ve returned as the Polly Farmer Follow the Dream Program Coordinator.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people of Northern Bay College now have an opportunity to follow their dreams with the Polly Farmer Foundation - the first program in Victoria!

COLLABORATION – SVOEC First Nations Project

It was exciting last month to formally begin work at our SVOEC on our First Nations Community Project. This project, funded by a generous grant is a combined effort of NBC, Nelson Park School, Wathaurong and KESO staff and students with the aim to provide a safe and welcoming space for First Nations students and visitors to our SVOEC. The work began with a cleansing smoking ceremony and will see the installation of a Bunjil Sculpture and Yarning Circle. We look forward to sharing further updates as the project continues this term. 

GROWTH - ABCN Leadership Summit

In May, two Year 11 students, Mendy Moo Soe and Ali Agha Wali Zada had the remarkable opportunity to attend the ABCN (Australian Business and Community Network) Leadership Summit in Sydney. 

The Summit is a two-day program, held each year, that provides an opportunity for scholars and mentors from around Australia to meet, network, connect, and be inspired. During the summit Mendy and Ali had the opportunity to work with their nominated mentor on key leadership skills developing strategies and confidence to continue their work as inspiring leaders.

Attendance at this very special event comes as part of the students ABCN scholarship that will follow them through their final years of study. 

Feedback for the ABCN is that our students were outstanding role models and represented themselves and in turn their families and school with utmost distinction. 

Congratulations to Mandy and Ali and thankyou to Ken Massari for his leadership for this program at NBC. 

COLLABORATION - The MSO visit our Preps

A wonderful way to finish a week at NBC with our Prep to Year 2 students from all campuses coming across to Goldsworthy Campus Theatre to participate in a performance by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra during May of this term. 

The students had a wonderful time dancing and singing along as these amazingly talented musicians performed some beautiful renditions of songs from Stravinsky’s Russian Fairytale Firebird. 

This excursion was such a success, and we are so thankful to the Performing Arts team for supporting events such as this that expose our students to opportunities that are so unique.

GROWTH - Year 7-8 Sport                       

Our SEEDlings program gives our Year 7-8 students the opportunity to participate as a single college team at the district sports events and this effort has provided students much success in the past. This was no different as students from across all four P-8 Campuses participated in their Lightening prem series. 

During the day students had great fun building friendships with students they will sit alongside in class at Goldsworthy in the years to come. 

Along the way they also achieved some outstanding results including - winners of Div 1 Volleyball; Div 2 Volleystars; Div 1 Netball; Div 2 Soccer and runners up Div 1 Tee ball and Div 1 Soccer. 

As well as these wonderful results our students were so well behaved and represented the College in a very positive way. Congrats everyone!

To be involved, the Challenge Committee is offering 'Supporter Shares' @ $1,000 per share. To become involved please contact the college directly or The Challenge via the 'How Can You help?' page at the end of this Newsletter.

Yours sincerely,

 Ken Harrison and Scott Diamond

The Challenge Chair & College Principal

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