VCAL VIBES

Chris Hosie

VCAL Assistant Coordinator

The NGSC VCAL Green Action Project (GAP) is concluding after four successful years of frequently working outside of the school on a number of significant conservation projects around Geelong. 

The GAP was established as a Conservation and Land Management applied learning opportunity for students aged 15-18 who requested to be a part of the class. It incorporated VCAL core subject areas into an integrated year-long program. The teachers, Liz Quick and Chris Hosie, established working partnerships between the school and local not-for-profit organisations and aligned organisational goals to conserve and preserve our coastal environments and associated critical habitats. Due to its effectiveness and merit, the program attracted $30,000 worth of grant funding to roll out the costs involved in facilitating the learning activities. Each year the classes were symbolic of the school’s strong cultural diversity and provided highly engaging, meaningful and current projects for students to learn important employability skills. They were exceptional ambassadors for the school. 

During its time the GAP received praise from their external partners as being unique to Geelong and Victoria in the way it reached out to not-for-profit organisations and established strong working relationships. The program also received recognition from peers at the Victorian Applied Learning Association 2019 Conference as being highly innovative and an example of best practice of the VCAL learning framework.

This year’s final class project has been to create a native garden. Their aim was to learn about and construct an area that promotes biodiversity and a positive mental health environment. Our school grounds have certainly come a long way in the past 5 years in this respect and the class wanted to make a contribution to the overall effort. Thanks to the maintenance crew who gave great advice and support in its development. The students created the garden, in particular, for the Education Support staff to enjoy while on their lunch breaks, though it is not an exclusive place. 

The students are very proud of what they have created. It is designed with an entrance along the oval fence through two conifer trees (yes not native, but they provide a striking entrance!). As you walk around the circle you can note the range of native flowering plants and the boundary hakeas that may grow to form a low level hedge effect with an unusual red flower. The inclusion of a bird bath, bird box and seed feeder is to recognise the urban environment as home to our native animals as well and hope to see them find their way into the space.

“By sitting and gazing at nature you gift yourself a moment to restore and revive your balance and inner harmony.”

Thich Nhat Hanh

The VCAL GAP class 2021

VCAL OES & TEXTILES

Over the last few weeks students have been working on making the Outdoor Education shipping container something better to look at. They have used Indigenous symbols that reflect the importance of celebrating Diversity within NGSC. Paying respect to the past, present and future traditional custodians of the land and the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, is all our responsibility.

A big thank you to Dahler Poneha, Nargis Muradi, Sa Bwa Paw, Tegan Corbett and Gemma Forrester.