Alternate Programs

Welcome to Week 8!

We've almost made it through NAPLAN, and we're well into term 1.  Thank you to our Year 7 and 9 students for their great work completing NAPLAN so far. Your effort and dedication are commendable. 

A reminder about student absences, if your child has been away for any reason, please contact the teacher to follow up. We're committed to staying informed about your child's progress and offering support where needed.

Late in the term can be when fatigue sets in and getting to school can become more difficult.  If you are facing any challenges around attending school and need additional support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your program leaders.

Thank you to all parents who attended the parent-teacher interviews. Your involvement is greatly appreciated in your child's education journey. For those who couldn't attend, we encourage you to reach out to program leaders for support and insights into your child's progress. McKenzie Creek interviews took place on Wednesday, March 20th, and interviews for all other programs were held on Thursday, March 21st.

As we move into the Easter break, we ask that you look after yourself, your children and reach out for any support you need. While schools are closed and the support they offer is unavailable, Horsham has a range of services to assist you through many situations. Please take the time to reach out to them if needed.

Staff at Alternate Programs have worked tirelessly this term to do anything they could for your students’ needs and I thank them whole heartedly.

Senior Group

Students studying the Victorian Certificate of Education – Vocational Major (VCE-VM) are required to complete 2 units of Vocational Education and Training (VET). One student from Alternative Programs is studying Certificate II in Cookery under the guidance of Ms Cat Clarke. Students learn cookery skills as well as covering food hygiene. The course consists of the following topics.

• Participate in safe working practices
• Prepare and present sandwiches
• Use hygienic practices for food safety
• Prepare and present simple dishes*
• Receive, store and maintain stock
• Use food preparation equipment*
• Prepare dishes using basic methods of cookery*
• Show social and cultural sensitivity
• Clean kitchen premises and equipment
• Prepare appetisers and salads
• Prepare stocks, sauces and soups
• Prepare vegetable, fruit, egg and farinaceous dishes
• Use effectively in a commercial kitchen
• Use Hygiene practices for food safety

Pictured is work created by the student.

McKenzie Creek - End of Term 1 Wrap Up!

How can it be that it is almost the end of the term already? And what a wonderful term it has been at McKenzie Creek to start off 2024!

Fun at the Field Days

On Thursday 7 March, the ‘Creekers’ ventured out to Longerenong for the Annual Wimmera Machinery Field Days. All students who attended were blown away with the endless career opportunities that are available in the local region, everything from farmers, mechanics, managers, salespeople to even geologists! 

McKenzie Creek staff were particularly impressed with the questions and the level of interest that our students had shown to stall holders, all did an excellent job of representing the college. 

Asher explores careers in Trades 

Asher was one of the students who had taken up the opportunity to explore some of the careers that are available in different trades. The SALT (SkillWomen Supporting And Linking Tradeswomen) workshop showed students how to use various tools and how to measure whilst building their own toolbox. 

Students were able to meet several amazing mentors who have worked in trades their whole lives and have broken down stereotypes. Well done Asher for showing initiative and contacting Mr Schultz directly and putting yourself outside of your comfort zone for a truly life changing experience. 

NAPLAN

Over the last two weeks, some of our Year 7 and Year 9 students have been completing NAPLAN in the areas of Literacy and Numeracy. We are so incredibly proud of the way they have approached this and we commend them on the resilience and perseverance they demonstrated when completing each of these tests. 

It is important to remember that our students are more than their results, they are more than one moment in time and that above all else, no matter what result they get for Literacy and Numeracy, they can still be an amazing citizen and contributor to the world.

Happy Easter

We hope you all have a very safe and Happy Easter! If you are travelling, please take care on the roads and enjoy spending time with loved ones. As staff, we are looking forward to a much-deserved break - with plenty of chocolate and hot cross buns, of course!

We look forward to seeing you all on Monday 15th April, 2024.

Important Dates

• Friday 22 March - NAPLAN ‘catch-up’ session 
• Thursday 28 March - Last Day of Term 1 (early finish at 2:30pm)
• Friday 29 March - Good Friday