Around The College
Mental Health Fundraiser
Looking after one’s mental wellbeing is very important and especially during and coming out of lockdown. My classmate, Mia and I (Callum) have stepped up to raise the much-needed funds to support the Ballarat Community Health’s Headspace, who are actively involved in addressing the mental health in their community. Please consider donating to the cause here:
https://www.givenow.com.au/crowdraiser/public/brentwoodmentalhealthfundraiser_1
Callum and Mia, VCAL Intermediate students
School for Student Leadership
Each Year, students from Year 9 have the opportunity to attend School for Student Leadership – a unique residential experience that focuses on personal development and team learning projects.
When: Term 3 2022 for a nine-week block
Where: At TheAlpine School Campus located at Dinner Plain in the Victorian Alps.
Who: 2022 Year 9 Students – 6 students in total. The School for student leadership experience is ideal for students who wish to develop both their collaborative and leadership skills.
How: Acceptance into the program is via an application process. Applications will open via Compass on Monday 8th November and close Friday 19th November.
Cost: The cost for the residential camp is subsidised by the school. Approximate cost to families is $525
School for Student Leadership mission:
More information:
http://www.alpineschool.vic.edu.au/ssl/student-video.html
Student testimonials:
Year 9 2021 participants:
Aimee Booth My 9-week journey at the School for Student Leadership was without a doubt the best experience of my life so far. Alongside other year nine students from various parts of Victoria, I did activities like surfing, camping, hiking, tandem bike riding, bridge building, raft building and kayaking. Our classes on campus involved learning about nine learning concepts such as empathy, respectful relationships, resilience, collaboration and emotional management, which enabled us to become better leaders and people. Throughout the term I learnt a lot about myself, created unforgettable memories, developed considerably as a leader and formed lifelong friendships.
Theodora Koutsikos The School for Student Leadership was an experience I will never forget. It was an amazing once in a lifetime opportunity, and everyday was an adventure, not to mention the amount of fun the program was. I loved going off campus to do activities. Between mountain bike riding, hiking, surfing, bridge building, the list of activities we did was endless, and I loved every single one of them. There were so many important skills I have learnt from the experience, but an important one for me would be the true definition of a leader. Before I participated in the program, I thought a good leader was someone who stepped up and ran things and they were the person in charge, but I’ve learnt that a true leader is someone who steps away from the spotlight to give others a chance to take the lead and encourage them to do so and help and guide them if they need the help. This was such a crucial and important lesson that I learnt whilst at the School for Student Leadership. The program has helped me grow as a person in the sense that it has taught me many valuable skills, which will help me the best person I can be. SSL has helped me become a better leader in the sense that it has taught me the true definition of it and has helped me to improve my leadership skills. If I could go back to the program, or do it again, I would take the opportunity in a heartbeat. It was truly the best experience of my life.
Olivia Hart-Crombie
During my time at the School for Student Leadership my favourite part was meeting new people, I created friendships with amazing people and everyone there was so nice. Some skills I have learned whilst experiencing this program has been becoming a better public speaker, more confident and working better in a team and collaborating with others. Through some of the learning concepts we focused on while at the school I've grown in so many ways, most significantly in health and well being. I really enjoyed the adventurous lifestyle whilst being there, we got to go camping, surfing, cave exploring, kayaking, tree surfing and we got to do so many other cool activities. Being there inspired me to go for more leadership roles by applying for roles I’d usually be to nervous to go for and it’s given me the skills to lead in an inspiring way. Ashton Gordon During my time at the SSL (School for Student Leadership), my most enjoyable experience was making genuine human connections. We didn't have access to the internet so therefore there were no phones or social media to distract us. Instead you could say we were forced to interact with each other face to face, not through a screen. I truly believe this is what made these connections so strong and meaningful. Completing a whole term away focused on leadership development was amazing. I learnt many new skills as well as further developing ones that I already had. I grew in my confidence, collaborative skills, perseverance, resilience, recognising my own individuality and the importance of respect. School for student leadership helped me to become more independent and personally driven. I needed to wake up early and get everything done, have a tidy room, be responsible by respecting others all whilst dealing with being away from family and close friends. Attending School for student leadership is an opportunity of a lifetime. I encourage each and everyone of you to look further into this experience and apply.
Zeke Pallett
The School for Student Leadership is hard to describe as it’s such an amazing place and I couldn’t pick a favourite moment as the whole experience was life changing. I’ve learnt a lot from the SSL whether it was from my fellow peers, my experiences, as well as the teachers. The most valuable thing I learnt was to appreciate that everyone is different and unique and that this should be celebrated. The school teaches many skills particularly leadership. This has really helped me to improve my confidence as well as my communication and public speaking skills In short, my time at the SSL has got to be one of, if not the greatest experience of my life.
College Captains 2021
Jennifer Mc Donald
The School for Student Leadership is an opportunity I am so glad that I was given. You are away for a term with students from metropolitan Melbourne and Regional Victoria. You stay on campus for the term with the group of students from around Victoria. There is no access to your phone or an electronic device apart from the laptop provided to you by the school. Throughout the term, you have classes, not like maths or English or language, but classes that teach you how to be the best version of yourself and the best leader you can be. You are given opportunities to run classes and lead groups throughout the course of the term. I have made some of the most amazing friendships from this experience. We were together through hiking trips and crazy on campus adventures like first aid training and fashion shows. The group of people you meet on the first day become like your family. They are with you from when you wake up to when you go to bed. They are with you through the ups and downs and your team becomes like you unit, you do everything together. from the experience, I learnt what type of person I want to be and also the type of person I want to be to others as well as learning how to be the best leader I can in an environment that allows you to make mistakes, take risks and better yourself. I cannot emphasise the importance of these experience if you want to take the journey of becoming a leader.
Ashleigh Fuller
The school for student leadership is a term long program available to year 9 students. Students selected to attend will live on campus for the duration of the term, where they will have an opportunity to make new friendships and learn outdoor and leadership skills. There are no regular school lessons. Instead, students participate in outdoor activities, classes on problem solving and leadership programs. A typical day begins at 7am, with breakfast, followed by a day of classes, that can involve team-work activities, leadership skills, bike riding etc. You will go on all kinds of adventures, camping trips, dress up days, and have the opportunity to participate in an abundance of new and exciting opportunities. The School for student leadership is the adventure of a lifetime, filled with challenges and excitement, it is a truly unforgettable experience. I attended the school in 2018, and throughout my time there I learned a lot about who I was, and how to become the person I wanted to be. I came home as a better version of myself with a new outlook on life. The School for Student Leadership is an incredible opportunity to learn new skills, have fun, make amazing friends and to grow. It is something that I would recommend to everyone.
Tracey Cain
Director of Student Leadership
Year 8 Digital Technology students get creative by making Art with the help of Artificial Intelligence software
Check out the Amazing Art created by our year 8's here: