What a way to finish Term 3! As we come to the end of another wonderful term at the Community Hub, we couldn’t have asked for a more meaningful way to wrap things up than with our Women’s Health Forum on Thursday 10 September at Dandenong South Primary School.

What an incredible day it was, with over 150 women and children attending a day dedicated to women’s health, wellbeing, connection and celebration. The day began beautifully with Thara Brown and Zoe Brown-Holten performing the Boonwurrung Women’s Journey Cycle dance, sharing a beautiful cultural experience and helping us begin the day with a focus on culture, connection and storytelling.

The women then moved into their groups and participated in a variety of informative and wellbeing activities. This included chair yoga and meditation facilitated by the local Mental Health and Wellbeing team, providing the women with an opportunity to slow down, relax and focus on their own wellbeing.

South East Community Links and Victoria Police also facilitated a respectful relationships and help-seeking workshop. The session shared an important message with our women: they are not alone. There are many people and organisations available to provide support, including our schools and Community Hub leaders. We hope the women left knowing that asking for help is a strength and that support is available when they need it.

The women also had the opportunity to explore our Women’s Health Expo and connect with many of our wonderful partner organisations. They were able to learn about a range of important health topics, including CPR, breast screening, continence health, menopause and much more. It was fantastic to see the women asking questions, sharing experiences and building their knowledge about their own health.

We were also very fortunate to welcome Maram Ismail from SBS Australia. Maram is a journalist and podcast content creator who shared her work with our community and introduced the women to the SBS Learn English podcasts, which are available for free and provide a wonderful opportunity for people to continue developing their English language skills at home.

Of course, no Community Hub event would be complete without food! We enjoyed a delicious hot lunch provided by our local Afghan bakery, giving everyone the opportunity to sit together, share a meal and connect with one another.

We finished the day with a beautiful cultural dance celebration, inviting our partner organisations to join us. The day ended with a warm and heart-warming circle dance, bringing everyone together and leaving us feeling connected, celebrated and empowered as women. It truly was a fabulous day and a wonderful opportunity to share important information about women’s health while celebrating the amazing women in our community.

We also ended the term with celebrations in our English classes. The women came dressed in their beautiful traditional outfits and brought delicious foods from their home countries to share. We ate, danced, laughed and celebrated their achievements throughout the term. These celebrations are such a wonderful reminder that our English classes are about much more than learning a language. They are about building confidence, creating connections, sharing culture and developing a strong sense of belonging.

And just like that, Term 3 has come to an end! A huge thank you to all our women, families, volunteers, staff and partner organisations who have contributed to another fantastic term at the Community Hub. We are so proud of everything our community has achieved.

We will now have a two-week break, with all Community Hub programs recommencing on Monday 5 October. We can’t wait to see everyone again and we already have lots of exciting things planned for Term 4, so stay tuned!

Wishing everyone a safe, happy and relaxing break. We look forward to welcoming you back in Term 4!

To stay up to date with everything happening at the Hub, please like and follow the Springvale Rise Community Hub Facebook page if you haven’t already. This is the best way to access the latest news, events and program information.

If you have any questions, please feel free to

contact me on 0447 273 998 or via email at Julie.Raciti@education.vic.gov.au.

https://www.facebook.com/SRcommunityhub

Mrs Julie Raciti

Community Hub Leader

Dates to Remember

Term 3 Monday 13th July to Friday 18th September 2026

Last Day of Term

First Day of Term 4