From the Principal 2023

Community Wrap-Up

16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence

 

Saturday the 25th of November marked the annual International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. Running until International Human Rights Day on December 10th, people around the world joined together to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women, girls and LGBT+ individuals.

 

Together with thousands of organisations across the globe, our school is aiming to help change the story, challenge misogyny and violence, and make sure women are heard. Gender minorities everywhere deserve to be able to access the help they need, when they need it, so we can end gender-based violence once and for all.

 

Tying into our existing “Respectful Relationships” curriculum in Strive, throughout the 16 days we focused on the idea on what “Respect Is...”, prompting conversations amongst students on what safe scenarios and treatment of peers looks like. All our students deserve to be safe and equal within school, and we hope moving forwards we can continue to develop a positive school community.

 

One of the key goals of the campaign within Victoria, lead by Respect Victoria and Safe+Equal, is to challenge sexism, harassment, and disrespect towards women. To apply this in your own life, consider the following strategies.

  • Diffuse: Make light-hearted comments or give disapproving looks.
  • Check in: See if the person facing harassment is okay.
  • Call it Out: Explain that the statement or behaviour was offensive and clarify why it is harmful.
  • Report: Report to trusted adults or authorities.

By challenging misogyny and discriminatory culture, we hope to ensure the equality and respect of all.

Small actions can have big consequences, and we are striving to help change the cultural ideas that harm women and gender diverse individuals.

Together, we can foster a positive culture of respect.

Together, we can create change.

 

We would like to thank and congratulate Year 11 student, Niamh Coffey for leading the implementation of this program at our College.

 

Salvation Army Christmas Appeal

St Helena Secondary College is proud to once again support the Salvation Army Christmas Appeal. We're participating in a food drive to help those in our community who require some assistance. No one should have to go without a Christmas meal, and your generosity can make a real difference. Please consider donating non-perishable food items with a long expiry date. Here are some examples of items that would be appreciated:

  • Tinned food (fruits, vegetables, soups, meats/fish)
  • Meal bases (pasta sauce, pre-prepared rice meals)
  • Cereal
  • Spreads/jams
  • Packets of jelly
  • Sugar
  • Tea/coffee 

We would also encourage you to consider donating gluten/dairy/nut-free items. Please bring your donations to the Salvation Army donation box at the main office by Friday 15th December.

 

 

 

Blue Edge Police Day 

This week, we had a visit from the Mounted Branch of Victoria Police as part of our Blue EDGE Police Day! During term 4, we've been running a before-school program with Victoria Police and Blue Light Victoria, focusing on personal growth and development, fitness, team building and maintaining connection to community.

 

 On Tuesday, we were lucky enough to meet Ruby and Spots, two of Victoria Police's beautiful horses. We learned about how horses are trained for police work, and why they are so important to Vic Police. Police horses are trained to be calm and obedient in difficult situations. They are also trained to be comfortable around crowds  and noise. This makes them invaluable assets to Victoria Police, as they can be used to control crowds, deter crime, and search for suspects. 

 

We are so grateful to Victoria Police and Blue Light Victoria joining us over the last few weeks. We would also like to congratulate Kate Pizzey for organising and the successful implementation of this program for our students.

 

Congratulations

 

The Musical Guild Theatre Awards were held in Geelong last weekend and, on top of the accolades St Helena already has, Dion Sanelli was awarded Best Dancer (Chicago).  Congratulations  Dion!

 

 

5 students competed in the National Schools Athletics championships in Perth last weekend.  We are very proud of them for their national rankings:

 

*Charlee Dickson U15 Girls - 400m hurdles - 6th

*Lucy Johns U15 Girls - 3k Walks - 4th

*Vanessa Smith U17 Girls - Javelin - 6th

*Tara Smith U18 Girls - Javelin - 6th

*Toby Hamilton U14 Boys - High Jump - 3rd

*Toby Hamilton U14 Boys - Javelin - 9th

 

Well done to  students and staff for the wonderful performance of our annual Studentworx piece last week.   Although staff supervise the creation process and rehearsals, this performance is entirely student led and created.

 

And well done to  the St Helena staff who participated in Movember again this year, raising $4245.00 towards supporting men's health.    The members of St Helena and the Face Fuzz  "moved" a total for 230 km for the month of Movember, with Business Manager Angela Campbell wearing out her sneakers to the tune of 141km!! 

 

All creatures great and small 

From police horses to guinea pigs.  This week teacher Leanne Hindley brought her three giant guinea pigs to school for some quality TLC with our students.  It was great to learn about these charming creatures, and we had heaps of students line up for a cuddle.