Year 9 CLC Program

Our Year 9 CLC cohort has gone from strength to strength over a triumphant Weeks 5, 6 and 7 focusing on Empathy, Trust, Teamwork and Community.

First Aid & CPR Training was provided on March 1st by paramedic and long-time CLC supporter Helen Narayan. Helen took the kids through the principles of DRSABC, narrating each topic with true and sometimes horrific tales from her career that had the ears of our kids pinned to the back wall. Critical skills specific to snake bites and anaphylaxis were also demonstrated, with Osten Hasson volunteering his arm to be bandaged in front of an audience. Then out came the Crash Test Dummies, with which all 60 kids had to practice and demonstrate their CPR technique, encouraged and clapped on by their teammates. An extremely informative and rewarding morning which will be topped off by each student being presented with a First Aid Certificate later this term.

Human Foosball was the icing on the cake of that day, with the 55 kids split into two teams in the Sport Centre, tied by Velcro belts onto string spanning the width of the stadium, matching the rod format of a Table Soccer table. Masterminded by CLC legend Andy McLean to encourage teamwork, it is something to witness. Team Yellow emerged victorious, coming from behind and storming to a 7-2 win.

Two Wangaratta mini-excursions have also been a hit in Weeks 6 and 7. Ten Pin Bowling on March 8th saw students teamed into groups of 5, with many experiencing the unique sport for the first time in their lives. Designed to put students out of their comfort zone and “on show” with their peers watching them, it is always one of the CLC highlights, with the disco lights and music blaing, and the kids laughing and celebrating with each other for the best part of an hour. The battle for the Top Score was an epic one, with Naomi Roberts bursting out to an early lead with 121 points and hold off the likes of Harry Hyland (114), Cam Sgarioto (99), Will Simpson (97), Sam Cutler (93), Skelly Manning (93), Fred Lowe (89), Zoi Miliankos-King (87), Will King (84) and Holly Hadley (82). However it was Cooper Hardman who barnstormed home late, with a mammoth total of 142.

Our Main Street Scavenger Hunt took place on March 15th, the 1st occasion our students have been let loose in the community semi-independently. With CLC staff stationed at the 4 corners of the 2 main blocks of the Wangaratta CBD loosely supervising, the kids roam in small groups hunting down 15 items listed, where they prove they can be trusted out in the community in Term 2. The champion team was that of Bethany Tanner, Hannah Dods, Amarina Huggins and Naomi Roberts, followed by the duo of Julian Cox and Cam Sgarioto, with 3rd place being Karlesha Dieckmann, Taylor Ryan and Noah Gambrell.

Both excursions were capped off by our traditional CLC Random Acts Of Kindness where our students approach a random stranger in King George Gardens and give them a bouquet of flowers. First, it was Abby James, Bailey Tanner, Abbey-Rose Turner and Cam Sgarioto’s turn, who found, amazingly, a 6-year-old Chinese girl who had just moved to Wangaratta from China, playing the violin through a mini-amplifier to her violin-teacher over Facetime in China. Her mother was delighted. A week later, Noah Hansen, Sam Cutler, Taylor Ryan, Karlesha Dieckmann and Abbey-Rose Turner got their turn, brightening the day of an elderly lady who had just sat down with her husband, both with an armful of groceries, waiting for the town bus to pick them up. They were huge moments as the rest of the 50 CLC kids watched on, cheered, and were reminded of how being kind to others is one of the best natural ways to lift your own mood.

Further turning the screws on the critical CLC component of Kindness, the CLC Kindness Box was recently introduced, which students fill throughout the day nominating people they have seen do something kind. From the box at the end of each day, Mrs Newman draws 3 cards randomly, and both the nominee, and nominator, roll a dice for a prize. Thanks to Mrs Wilson’s son Darcy, who gave us this idea from the Football Academy.

Various Community Contacts visited on the mornings of March 8th and 15th, presenting to the kids the volunteering opportunities they have to offer in Term 2. Nathan Willoughby from Iloura Aged Care, and then Carolyn Taylor from St John’s Aged Care, both long time CLC supporters, were the first cabs off the rank, both speaking so passionately about how much their elderly residents love visits from the younger generations that CLC staff felt like putting their own hands up to do the same.

Wang West Primary School Principal Kristy Mullins confused our many ex-Wang Westers with her new name, and spoke about the 3 options available there, from the outdoors-and-hands-on “Grounds Crew”, to the P.E Class Assistants, to the Classroom Helpers, which could potentially accommodate a total of approximately 20 of our kids. We are extremely grateful to Kristy and the 8 classroom teachers who have put up their hand keen to host our students.

Another long-time CLC supporter in Di Duursma from the Wangaratta Night Shelter spoke about the many ways in which our kids can be part of the “Compassions Revolution” and help our “homeless, lonely and heartbroken” citizens, something she has been doing for 20 years. Her stories about how some of the people in town have ended up homeless struck a chord with many, including, again, CLC staff.

Along a similar vein, David Still from Anglicare presented another terrific option which will include helping pack up and deliver food and housing necessities to people in need with the organisation Loaves & Fishes. We thank David for coming on board at short notice after we contacted him after seeing a recent article in The Chronicle calling out for volunteers.

Robyn Marklew from the Wang Hospital Emergency Department is again on board with a project where our students will help provide fresh clothes to be used by emergency patients left with bloody, torn or ripped clothing after accidents and operations. Robyn also delivered an inspirational and rousing talk about her time volunteering as a nurse in Papau New Guinea, and becoming a tour guide on the Kokoda Trail treks. 

Jacinta Kubeil, principal at Wangaratta Primary School, has also kindly offered to host our students helping in classrooms, and we will be offering a Make A Wish Foundation opportunity as well as others to be broached next week. We thank each every one of our Community Contacts, without whom the CLC program wouldn’t function. It’s worth mentioning too that more than one of our guest speakers mentioned this was the best CLC cohort they could remember speaking to, in regards to their listening, respect and engagement. Credit to the CLC kids once again.

Special mention to current CLC student and one of the High School’s best examples of a kid pushing himself to be the best he can be, Merlin Tzaros, who is over in Tasmania competing in the National Triathlon Championships. Our kids made up a card for him which they personally signed, and we texted it through to Merlin’s family yesterday in a hope to inspire him.

Speaking of elite sporting talents, our CLC kids have booked in over the next fortnight a return visit from arguably the High School’s greatest ever sporting legend, former Geelong footballer, 3-time AFL Premiership player and Norm Smith Medalist, Stevie J Johnson. 

Jud Mullins

CLC