Celebrations of Learning and Community
YEAR 9 COMMUNITY DAY
This semester, our Year 9 cohort has been focusing on a variety of issues that affect our local community as well as discuss and delve into wider issues that affect our state, country and global nations. It has been enlightening to listen to our young people empathise with these problems and share ways that they can make a difference.
A part of this semester was planning and deciding on a Community Day project. During Week 7, students on each side of the cohort participated in a variety of activities to improve our community and awareness of others. Some students visited aged care facilities, playing games and chatting with residents; worked in land care management, cleaning up parks in our city whilst others volunteered time in our primary years classrooms or designed/created painted murals for our Year 9 courtyard space. It was a wonderful experience and was amazing to see so many students giving their attention to others. We look forward to seeing this day evolve with future Year 9 students into more volunteering and work in the community.
Here is a short blurb from Angad and Yohan (9D), sharing what they have taken away from the community day: Visiting the local aged care facility was a truly enriching experience. Spending the morning with the elderly, we had the chance to hear their stories, participate in engaging activities (a blind man beat me in balloon volleyball), and gained insight into their life experiences. One resident, Dorothy, gave us some great advice, “Time is the most important thing in this world, don’t waste it.” These interactions helped us develop a deeper appreciation for the wisdom and resilience of the older generations.
After the visit, we headed to Westfield for lunch, where we had time to reflect on what we’d learned while enjoying a meal with friends. The day was a meaningful opportunity to connect with the community and better understand the value of fostering relationships across generations.
YEAR 9 FOCUS CAMP
Year 9 has a well-planned variety of activities to get students out of their comfort zone, building independence and resilience along the way. This culminates with attending a two-day Focus Camp at Clifford Park Activity Centre. This week, students headed out to Clifford Park and participated in a variety of activities, lead by their teachers and Scouts Victoria. Crate stacking and abseiling were new events for Focus Camp, along with the Challenge Valley mud crawl, which many enjoy racing to see who has the best army crawl! There is also water gun fun, volleyball (which can get a little competitive), an Amazing Race course, Karaoke night and some free time as well to hang out with friends!
It is great to see the growth and change in many students throughout their Year 9 journey, and there were many smiles and laughs at this year’s camp. There will be many tired young people as they pack up their tents and head home today with memories that they will still be sharing in the future! A big thank you to the teachers and staff in Year 9 who spent many hours planning and organising events for the two days- much appreciated!
YEAR 10 ROAD SAFETY PROGRAM
This week, Year 10 students participated in Road Smart Interactive, a program which helps young people feel empowered to help achieve the vision of a future with zero lives lost on our roads.
As part of the session, students identified some key actions that can help improve road safety in our school community. They participated in multiple interactive stations and engaging activities, including a Virtual Reality experience. It was a worthwhile experience for reflecting on the impact we can all have on ensuring the future exists with zero lives lost on the road.
More information about the program can be found at roadsafetyeducation.vic.gov.au
