Year 9

Community coaching

by Beth Alvarez, teacher of Physical & Health Education

For the second year running, our Year 9 students this term have been coaching the five and six-year-olds from Arlington.

The Year 9s completed an online course - Community Coaching General Principles with the Australian Sports Commission - studying concepts such as the importance of constructive feedback, effective communication, leadership skills and coaching styles.

They had to plan and deliver activities to teach a particular fundamental motor skill to the younger students. These skills are the building blocks  for more complex and specialised abilities that children will need throughout their lives to competently participate in different games, sports and recreational activities, such as throwing, catching, kicking, jumping and bouncing.

This program has been a great success, with students across both campuses excited about the weekly sessions. The atmosphere created is abundantly positive, fun and connected and we look forward to continuing this tradition between campuses as part of the MYP Physical and Health Education program in years to come.

Human rights and activism

by Sophie Maxwell, teacher of Individuals & Societies

On a stormy afternoon, students braved the wild weather last Thursday and attended Mandela My Life: The Official Exhibition  at the Melbourne Museum. The excursion was an exciting part of our current unit in Individuals and Societies, which is on 'Human Rights and Activism'. It was a privilege to see this world-class exhibition on Mandela’s extraordinary life, with lots of precious artefacts, many of which have left South Africa for the first time.

The exhibition offered an interesting and heartfelt insight into the world that shaped Mandela’s life and journey. There was a rich selection of rare personal artefacts, film footage and documents to discover. We left the exhibition feeling engaged and inspired, with a new understanding for the hardships Mandela faced and appreciation for his persistence.

As this busy term wraps up, we will be reflecting on Mandela's legacy and the impact of activists on the progression of human rights.