Senior School 

MODEL UN Conference 

On Thursday 20 July, one Year 11 and five Year 12 students went to the MODEL UN Conference in North Melbourne. This gathering provided a full day of French immersion and a simulation of the United Nations resolutions process. 

Students represented the republics of the Philippines and Madagascar, and they had to express their country's position in an opening speech on Combating Climate Change: Committing to Global Action in French, which is Goal 13 of the sustainable development goals by the UN. They also debated amendments to clauses and voted resolutions.

This was a fantastic opportunity to practise their French oral, public speaking, debating and negotiating skills on the topic of the environment, which was our Unit 3 Area of study 3 content, as well as gaining insight into UN discussions and voting procedure. We had a fantastic day!

As an avid follower of international affairs and a lover of the French language, attending a Model UN conference in French was AMAZING! It was a great way to apply my French skills outside of the classroom, and it allowed me to see the pathways that learning a language can take you down. I enjoyed meeting French students from across the state, who were still supportive of you, even if you made some grammatical mistakes. Participating in a Model UN, French or otherwise, teaches you valuable skills, such as being analytical when researching, maintaining and building friendships, and how to disagree without causing tension. I had a lot of fun throughout the entire day and I believe it would be an awesome experience for anyone interested. – Alyssa Reid 

The model UN was a great experience to be a part of and was a great opportunity to improve my French. Alongside students from other schools we presented and then debated the solutions to minimise the effects of climate change in our given country. At the end of the day an agreement was reached between all nations in order to optimise the proposed amendment to reduce global warming. The entire day was run and presented in French and was extremely beneficial in extending my French critical thinking and speaking skills. – Dylan Llewellyn 

Representing Madagascar at the Model United Nations was an exhilarating experience. Engaging in diplomatic debates and negotiations in fluent French, I passionately advocated for my country's positions on critical global issues. Amidst the diverse gathering of delegates, I forged meaningful connections and left the conference with a profound sense of accomplishment and appreciation for international cooperation. – Charbel Ghannoum

Nadege Debax 

French Teacher 

Vocational Major 

Vocational Major students planned an excursion to the city. This included going to the Big Issue where students learnt about marginalisation and how people experiencing difficulties in their life supported by their community. During the session there were activities to build students understanding of how people can be marginalised. This session demonstrated the importance of having a close knit community around us, the impact of positive social health and connectedness to our friends, family and broader community. 

During the session we met KJ who is a person Experiencing homelessness. KJ told us about her life in her early years and what the day to day life she leads looks like now. She discussed how the Big issue support her and the programs that the Big Issue offer women to feel safe when they are experiencing homelessness. The Big Issue run a subscription service that women are able to work on without needing to feel vulnerable on the street selling the magazine. This was a change that the big issue made after realising the number of people they supported were predominantly men, but the statistics indicated that there were a large number of women who also experienced homelessness that were not using them as a support. 

This real world experience and learning for our students will be carried into the classroom for our Vocational Major course over the next few weeks across Literacy, Personal Development Skills and Numeracy. Students also developed stronger connections with each other in their groups. They were required to plan out their route through the city to find a range of land marks and venues including the State Library and the Old Melbourne Gaol. Students had to use their phone to navigate the city and cooperate with each other to reach a common goal. We had a great time and are looking forward to the next Excursion! 

Kirby Sens

Year 8 Coordinator | Art and Technology Teacher