As we bid farewell to 2017 we acknowledge the great accomplishments of a very busy and productive school year. The Joseph Centre has been a hive of activity and been a warm and welcoming place for all. Our staff and students have been fully involved in the set up of this fabulous learning setting and reflected on our practices and resources. Applied Learning is dynamic, so there are always new ideas in the pipeline.

Gardens have flourished with physical manpower and the emergence of greenthumbs! Much of what has been cultivated has made its way to our kitchen and meals! Wonderful life skills at work.

Curriculum based around disability awareness, the environment and waste, sugar consumption and health impacts, and current societal and religious debates has opened minds to research and discussion, empowered action through words and initiatives, and engaged our senior learners in life lessons.

Our recycling, upcycling and composting efforts have been a wonderful success. They have certainly brought about attitudinal and behavioural change in students, staff and families. These initiatives will continue to develop in 2018. I am certain all Applied Learners will never forget Ms Mackay’s enthusiasm for ‘hard rubbish’ and her weekly visit to the many opportunity shops that house such treasures. Mrs Murphy soon had her husband on the lookout for reusable goods and many an item was then carefully restored and given new life and purpose in the Joseph Centre.

Fast Start in The Joseph Centre has been a very busy time, involving much teamwork.

The SCOPE Balloon Football Partnership and Chelsea Lifestyle Options Men’s Group have been wonderfully successful components of Applied Learning. Our students have displayed maturity beyond their years and compassion for people who live life with disabilities.

Sponsorship

We would like to acknowledge and thank Marisa Costa, State Manager of DeLorenzo who have provided wall prints for Joseph’s Studio and a great deal on hair products. DeLorenzo’s generous donation of a box of salon quality goods to raffle. Marisa holds fond memories of Nazareth, with her children Bianca and Adrian, Past Nazarenes who have gone on the undertake successful study and establish enjoyable career paths.

Eye to Eye with Ben Campaign

Through the great community spirit of Nazareth, we were able to donate $5285 hard earned dollars in cash to Ben Thompson to help fund his $40,000 Permobil f5 Stand Up Wheelchair. A further $880 was donated by Nazarene’s online. Trident Computer Services, the college’s IT providers donated initially $1000 for this cause, but when Katie Bentley from Trident attended the Final School Assembly and learnt more about Ben, they most generously donated the final remainder to purchase the f5! Ben, his support workers and family were overwhelmed by the overall generosity of Nazarenes. Ben will return to Nazareth early in 2018 to showcase his new set of wheels and independence.

The Giving Tree

It was lovely to see our Giving Tree part of an Advent Display in the entrance of the Wheeler Auditorium. It reminds us of the true meaning of Christmas, with the birth of Jesus, the gathering of family and outreach to the needy in our community. We encourage Nazarenes to ‘give gifts that give twice’ through purchases made through the many charity agencies such as St Vincent De Paul, the Salvos, Caritas and Oxfam.

Farewells

We farewell our Year 12 VCALers, many who joined the Applied Learning Program in Year 10 PreCAL. Their efforts and example have been appreciated and we wish them well in their future pathways. We also farewell Michael Pugliese from 11 VCAL as he commences his traineeship in Sound Engineering with the Victorian College of the Arts.

With much sadness we also farewell staff member Jason Kam. Jason has been absolutely fabulous in leading and inspiring our LEAP Students. Magnificently designed garden beds and a spick and span well organised garden shed will be constant reminders of Kammy’s efforts in 2017. We wish him all the best at his new school and thank him for his professionalism and hard work.

We welcome 10 new LEAPsters to Applied Learning for 2018.

Structured Work placements

A valuable component of Applied Learning sees students work in their industry of choice, to apply their new TAFE VET knowledge and skills. Discovering whether an occupation will suitably engage and inspire young people comes best through a process of hands-on work opportunities.Providing a day a week SWL to a VCAL student requires much effort on behalf of employers and supervisors. Induction, training, supervision, and debriefing take valuable time. Nazareth College acknowledges the following employers and encourages community members to support these local businesses.

Crest Children’s Sanctuary, Rowville

Little Angels Childcare Centre, Mulgrave

Full Throttle Entertainment, North Coburg

Hello Music,

Harvey Norman IT Department, Knox

VCM Performance, Knoxfield

Snap Fitness, Endeavour Hills

Blue Angel Beauty Centre, Scoresby

Keysborough Community Children’s Centre, Keysborough

Irresistible You, Dandenong North

Brazillian Butterfly Beauty, Oakleigh

Euro Motorsport, Clayton

XFC Gym, Narre Warren

God Bless to all for Christmas.

Caitlin Mackay

VCAL Co-ordinator

Around the College

Lunch Time Craft Club