College News
Year 9 CFS Class
Guest speakers from Uralla neighbourhood centre, Jo Fletcher and Katherine Gallagher spoke about the difficulties of caring for babies with special needs. Year 9 students heard the journey of a premature baby.
Year 9 Child Studies
Students have been studying “The Newborn”. During this unit we have had a number of visitors to the school. Uralla Neighbourhood Centre showed the class a number of baby dolls. Babies that suffered from Alcohol Foetal Syndrome, a drug addicted baby and one that showed the effects of Shaken Baby Syndrome. Students learnt the importance of caring for babies with special needs.
Year 10 Strive to Survive
Each year O’Connor organises a ‘Strive to Survive’ program to ensure students are informed on issues that young people may face. This program has been running for over 25 years.
On Monday, students in Year 10 had the opportunity to hear from a number of experts in their field. Guest speakers; Patrick Crick, Bruce Winter, Ashryn Oestler, Grant Le Brock and Nicki Scholes Robertson spoke to students on;
- Standard drinks and the Law
- Mental Health
- Organ donation
- Party Drugs
After these informative sessions, students had a recreational afternoon at Sport UNE.
O'Connor Z Club
Birthing Kit Day
The UNWHO estimates about 385,000 women die annually in childbirth, with developing countries accounting for 99% of these deaths. For every women who dies, another 30 suffer injuries and infections, which are often painful, debilitating and lifelong.
What can we do?
At O'Connor Saturday May 13th, fittingly the day before Mother's Day, members of the Z Club, Zonta Armidale and the community gathered to help reduce this devastating figure with our annual 'Birthing Kit' Project.
Students had done a lot of work the previous week to prepare for the day which allowed for a speedy assembling process. On the Saturday, students, parents, teachers and others worked hard to pack the 400 kits. The kit is small and basic but contains the essentials needed for women to give birth in a clean environment and to help reduce the risk of infection. Included is a thick plastic sheet, a small portion of soap, 3 pieces of string, 5 swatches of gauze and a new scalpel. It cost $3 for the club to purchase each kit.
This is the fifth year our Z Club has been involved in this project and we feel proud and humble that we are supporting and empowering women through service and advocacy.
We thank everyone who helped in any way. To Zonta Armidale for their generous $500 donation. Anyone who helped towards the $688 the club made in a Thursday fundraiser and especially, to anyone who helped on the day or in the week leading up to the Saturday.
Glenda Lemon & Vicki Channon