Junior School

'The Flats'

On Wednesday the 12th September, 7D went on an excursion to 'The Flats.'  'The Flats' is located between Shepparton and Mooroopna and was a space where Aboriginal people lived.  the population increased after the Cummeragunja walk off, where Aboriginal people left due to conditions.  The students were guided by Uncle Ruben, an Aboriginal Elder who gave very informative information about local Aboriginal history.  The students learnt that in 1954, hessian bags were used to cover the area so that the Queen, who at the time was visiting Australia, could not view the living conditions of Aboriginal people.  Both 7D classroom teacher, Nicole Roberts and McGuire College Principal, Claire Kelly attended the excursion.

Ange Barker – Guest Speaker on Domestic Violence

On Friday 7th of September, Year 9 students had the privilege of listening to guest speaker Angela Barker. Angela was the victim of Domestic/Relationship Violence when she was 16 years old and suffered horrific injuries as a result.  Among Angela’s injuries she suffered a brain injury and spent 3 years in hospitals and rehabilitation units and now uses a wheelchair to get around.

Now 16 years on, Angela with the help of her parents Ian and Helen speaks out against violence and the devastating effects it has on people’s lives. The messages were very clear about the warning signs of an unhealthy relationship, power and control in relationships, disrespect in relationships, violence is never acceptable, recognising the need for and getting help.

Angela was very inspirational and motivational, sharing her achievements since her incident. Angela has been nominated as Victorian Young Australian of the Year, represented Australia at the United Nations, travelled to New York, met the Queen and even Sky Diving for the first time last month. Angela now works for the NAB. These are things Angela never would have thought possible after her injuries.

Student feedback was very positive, with many students staying back to talk to Ang and her family after the session and several students still talking out the session later in the week.

Mark Metcalf

School Nursing Program