Middle School

Term 2 Update

As we near the end of Term 2, the Middle School Team would like to wish all students a successful end to the term and a safe and enjoyable break over the holidays.  Good luck to the students and staff who embark on the Central Australia Trip, we know you have an unbelievable experience!  For the Year 10 students not attending this trip, we hope you learn many new skills and enjoy your work experience placements in the final week of term.

Matthew Tucker

Middle School Leader

Year 10 Exams

The Year 10 students have recently completed their first experience of sitting subject exams at the college.  The behaviour students displayed throughout all of their exams was great and we hope students will receive some excellent results.

Students should now have a better understanding of how to best prepare for exams.  We hope students have been able to identify their own effective study and revision strategies, along with and the amount of study required to achieve pleasing results.

Alyce Bailey

Mabo House Coordinator

(Middle School)

Year 9 InterGREAT

During InterGREAT this term we have focussed on ‘Self in the Community’. Students have gained an appreciation of Community and its importance to a healthy society. They have heard from various organisations including YouthWorx, The Salvation Army and Interchange Outer East. In their major assignment students made a documentary about someone who makes a difference in their community. In recent weeks, there has also been a focus on Volunteering. I was astounded by the number of our students already performing volunteer roles with many more enthusiastic about joining in.

Over the past two weeks all of our Year 9s have participated in the InterGREAT Community Engagement Program, striving to make a difference and contribute to their local community.

InterGREAT staff established partnerships with organisations in the Maroondah area to develop ten community projects. Students elected to participate in a community project that interested them. Students, staff and community members all agree that each project was successful and had enormous benefits for all involved.

I have been overwhelmed by the empathy and sense of community responsibility shown by so many of our students.

Virginia Watson

interGREAT Program Coordinator

Student reflections from each of the Community Engagement projects:

Heathmont East Primary School

Our Community Engagement group visited Heathmont Primary School (HEPS) where we helped students across all different year levels and assisted them with their literacy. The first week I helped out the grade 6 students. At first, I found it challenging because they were much older than everyone else in the school and I didn’t know how to approach them. But by the middle of the lesson all the students around me were asking questions and learning about my experience at high school. I was glad I was able to tell them it wasn’t as scary as what it seemed. The second week I was assigned to the foundation students which I was very excited about. I really loved working with the kids and hearing about all the experiences they have had and the things they love to do. Here I was reading with the kids and helping them put words together with pictures. By the end of my time at HEPS I felt so honoured to of been able to make a difference in the little kids learning in our community and to also give back to the community because we were there one day, so it’s great to pass on some of our knowledge.

Ruby D’Arcy

Ringwood Historical Society Community involvement

In our group, we walked around East Ringwood and Ringwood looking for sites of Historical Significance.  We took photos of houses and then dated them using the ‘What house is that’ booklet. We were looking for pre-and post-war homes. We identified many houses in some streets and no houses in others.  We enjoyed walking around the Ringwood area and getting to see more of the area we live in.  A bonus was we got to go to the shops and identify any historically significant buildings at small strip shops; a hot chocolate hit the spot and kept us warm and energised to keep observing.  We all had fun exploring the local area. 

Sam, Mitch, Dylan & Arun

Irabina Autism Services

On June 5th and 12th, my Community Engagement group travelled to Irabina Autism Services. Our focus was to help out in and around the gardens. We achieved tremendous amounts as we removed weeds, planted plants and improved the garden making a safer environment for both children and plants. I believe this experience benefitted both us and the Irabina Autism Services as we were able to help them in the sensory garden and the other gardens around the Autism Service while we got an opportunity to volunteer in a place that really benefitted from our help.  

Stevie-Rose Bell

Regis Aged Care

On the 5th and 12th of June a group of year nine students walked to Regis Aged Care for our InterGREAT Community Engagement Project. Regis aged Care is a nursing home which looks after elderly people with Dementia and Alzheimer’s.  We all got to experience what it is like to know someone who is suffering from memory loss. The elderly really appreciated the communication and talking to them put a smile on their faces which pulled on our heart strings. For us personally, we talked to Sheila who was suffering from dementia. The interaction between the residents and students was great to witness and both thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company.

Tamara Johnson and Emilie Young

Knit For Peace

On Tuesday 5th and 12th of June a group of dedicated and hardworking year 9 students got together to learn to knit, through the help of Knit For Peace volunteers and anyone in the group with previous knowledge on knitting. We each knitted different, coloured squares and eventually sewed them together to create blankets for the homeless and covers for trees around the school. Walking away from this experience we have some new friendships, an extended knowledge of knitting and knowing that we have helped others in the community who are underprivileged. We want to thank Miss Lim and Mr Sorensen for helping us over these two days.

Megan Rennick and Erin Wynne

Lionsbrae Aged Care

On the 5th and 12th of June, everyone in the year nine level was offered an opportunity to participate in the InterGREAT community service program. Twenty-five of us chose to visit the residents at Lionsbrae Aged Care. When we arrived, Trish, one of the carers, led us into a large room, where several residents were relaxing. We engaged in conversation with many of the residents, over games like Scrabble and Headbanz, asking them about their day and learning about their lives within the facility. Trish then invited several of us to visit residents still in their rooms, which is where we met David and Rhoda. They were both very open and easy to approach, willing to share about their families and their lives before their residency at Lionsbrae. It was interesting learning about their lives, as well as listening to the advice they had to give about completing school. We said goodbye to David and Rhoda, and sat down to play Scrabble with Shirley and Rosie, both of whom had a keen eye for words. When it came to pack up, we said goodbye to all the residents, who thanked us for coming and spending time with them. Rosie laughed and said, “Aww, do you have to go?” as we stood to leave the room, and everyone applauded as we walked away. As we made our way back to the school, we discussed all the fun and awkward encounters we’d had, but we all agreed that our visit to Lionsbrae Aged Care was a great experience.