Year 9 CLC Program Chronicles

On Wednesday November 30th, an audience of approximately 200 packed into the PAC to witness the 2nd of this year’s CLC Presentation Events. This time it was the Semester 2 Year 9 CLC students who had the stage, presenting what they have achieved in Term 4 volunteering with their chosen community group. 

The event was smoothly opened by CLC emcee Claire Christison, who was one of three CLC students to volunteer handling the important role (Josh Robertson & Ella Fischer joined her). Josh, pulling triple duty on the day, kicked off proceedings as the musical act, performing the 1991 Nirvana song “Polly” solo, handling the guitar and vocals alone and expertly, drawing a round of applause.

Principal Mr Armstrong then spoke, highlighting the concept of “service” and being a positive part of a community, which the CLC program encourages so strongly.

Then it was on to the 11 CLC groups to present, with each group member taking turns at the lectern, with their painstakingly-built Powerpoints behind them on the big screen displaying their achievements, challenges, and what they learned along the way.

For many of the CLC kids, it was their first experience in Public Speaking, and with the entire Year 7 and Year 8 cohorts in the audience, along with a few dozen teachers, parents and community contacts, they executed the task with aplomb. 

Group 1 spoke of their design & painting of a CLC mural. Group 2 showed their efforts in donating a large amount of new and used clothing to the Wangaratta Hospital, to be used by emergency patients in need of clean clothes after accidents and operations. Groups 3 and 4 had terrific stories relating to their work with the elderly residents of both St John’s and Illoura aged care homes. Groups 5 and 6 spoke of their assistance in the classrooms of Wangaratta West and Yarrunga Primary Schools, including anecdotes of the little students clinging to them not wanting them to leave. Group 7 discussed how they had mapped the vegetable gardens across schools in Wangaratta for the Food For All Committee. Group 8 told of the many projects completed on the grounds of Wangaratta West Primary School. Group 9 had an epic rundown of their work planting trees and building and installing a Gabion Seaton campus. Group 10 focused on their work planning and running Basketball Clinics with Grade 6 Physical Education classes at Wangaratta West Primary School. Group 11 highlighted their many “Citizen Scientist” sustainability projects at Mullinmur Billabong, which included building and installing bee hotels and nesting boxes for wildlife, and counting and identifying fish populations. 

One extra highlight was when former Wang High teachers Elaine Mudge and Carol Myles, attending on behalf of Zonta, presented an award to Isabelle Hooper and her Hospital Group, as part of a scholarship which awarded the group $250 with which they bought new clothes to donate to hospital patients as part of their project. Thanks to Zonta and Elaine and Carol for your support, and still being part of the Wangaratta High School family.

We give a monstrous thank you to all of the generous community groups that have hosted and supported our CLC kids this semester: Iloura Residential Aged Care, Myrrhee Primary School, Northeast Health (Wangaratta Hospital), St John’s Respect Aged Care, Wangaratta Landcare & Sustainability at Mullinmur Wetlands, Wangaratta Sustainability Community Garden, Wangaratta West Primary School, Yarrunga Primary School, BIG W and Zonta.

We thank the Year 7 and 8 students, who sat respectfully for 45 minutes while their peers were on stage. We hope you were inspired by your Year 9 peers, and that you have as much success when it’s your turn to be part of the CLC program.

Special thanks of course to all of the CLC who presented on the day, extra thanks to the 3 great emcees, but also to the whole cohort for an outstanding semester in the CLC program. We hope you take with you, into Year 10 and beyond, some of the values and lessons from the CLC program - especially those of Kindness, Gratitude, Empathy and Community. It has been a pleasure seeing you grow across the last two terms. Good luck next year.