Dear members of the MLMC community

I hope you are all well and thriving in these most interesting times. In the last newsletter I indicated that operationally here on the Hill thus far in 2022 we have been able to maintain our core programs while keeping all the students on campus. However, it has been necessary to cancel some Staff Professional Development and some College excursions. You may have seen or heard on the news that other schools, both Catholic and government, have found it necessary to have school closure days or have some year levels stay at home. Thankfully we have not yet found that necessary, although some days it has been close. It is only the dedication of the staff at the College that has prevented this scenario and to them I owe my thanks. Please understand that some days we have up to 20 staff absent with either COVID-19 or influenza and when sick they are often away for two weeks at a time. We have advertised extensively for more teaching staff and casual relief teachers, but to no avail. It would appear that a teacher shortage is on us.

I also thank the students for their flexibility and understanding. I understand when you have different teachers every day and often your work has been set for you on a Google Classroom page, that every lesson might not be as engaging as normal. Understanding that often up to a third of the class might be absent, we all simply must persist.

These times require us to think laterally, creatively and to be solution focused. Recently I came across a small article which was reported to be written by Jacquie Sewell in 2001, but I do not know where it was published. It is called ‘Learning about life from a jigsaw puzzle’ and it reminded me of the importance of always remembering the big picture and always persevering in being solution focused.

Most of us have grown up working with jigsaw puzzles and have experienced the frustration of looking for that difficult to find piece. Then of course, there is the satisfaction that comes from successfully completing the puzzle. There are many things to learn from considering the process of doing a jigsaw puzzle and how it compares to the decisions and tasks we encounter each day. Consider these:

1. don’t force a fit. If something is meant to be, it will come together naturally
2. when things aren’t going so well, take a break. Everything will look different when you return
3. be sure to look at the big picture. Getting hung up on the little pieces only leads to frustration
4. perseverance pays off. Every important puzzle went together bit by bit, piece by piece
5. when one spot stops working, move to another. But be sure to come back later (see #4)
6. the Creator of the puzzle gave you the picture as a guidebook. Refer to the creator’s guidebook often
7. variety is the spice of life. It’s the different colours and patterns that make the puzzle interesting
8. working together with friends and family makes any task fun
9. establish the border first. Boundaries give a sense of security and order
10. don’t be afraid to try different combinations. Some matches are surprising
11. take time often to celebrate your successes—even little ones
12. anything worth doing takes time and effort. A great puzzle can’t be rushed
13. when you finally reach the last piece, don’t be sad. Rejoice in the masterpiece you’ve made and enjoy a well-deserved rest.

In reflecting on the above, I tried to consider which was my favourite or which was the most important. I know I refer to the creator’s handbook often and I understand the importance of patience and not rushing. I certainly believe in the importance of establishing boundaries and that boundaries provide a sense of security and order. I also believe in the routine provided by boundaries and how routine helps to build resilience. Every sports person knows that.

As has been the case over the last two years, I know in time when we reflect back we will see this period as a time of growth and resilience building. Our persistence to the task of education within genuine community is unwavering and it is the things we do as community that makes us strong.

Let us continue to work together in our supportive community, knowing that we are all doing our best to maintain the dynamic learning community that is Mount Lilydale Mercy College.

Similarly, we are all spending more and more time online and this too may come at a risk. Often parents are unaware of the risks or simply do not know what or how to deal with them. Parents may not be aware of the useful resources and support available through the eSafety Commissioner website. The eSafety Commissioner is Australia’s independent regulator for online safety and the world’s first government agency dedicated to keeping people safer online. The Commission started operations in 2015 and has one goal — a safer and more positive online experience for all Australians.

There is a wealth of accurate and up-to-date information available through the website for parents trying to ensure online safety for themselves and their children. The website is well-designed and the parent pages have clear sections dealing what the Commission identifies as the ‘big issues’ — cyberbullying, online pornography, nudes and sexting, online gaming, online grooming and time online. There are links to skills and advice to ensure that parents know the best strategies to help their children develop good online habits and practices and also to support parents when issues occur. There are also ways to report online harm, if needed.

Aside from the online resources, there are also regular free online webinars to assist parents in a range of areas. The next webinar will be on Tuesday 31 May and will deal with setting up parental controls on devices and apps to help keep young people safe online.

The eSafety Commissioner website should be one of the first places you visit when faced with the challenges of helping our children navigate an increasingly complex online world.

eSafety Commissioner website: https://www.esafety.gov.au/

eSafety parent resources: https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents

eSafety parent webinars: https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/webinars

Whether you learn from jigsaws or the eSafety Commissioner website, I wish you every blessing in the weeks to come.

In the spirit of Catherine,

God bless each and every one of you.

Philip A Morison
Principal

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. — Colossians 3:15

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. The dates for NRW are the same each year — 27 May to 3 June. As we begin this important time, let us pray for reconciliation in our nation.

Creator of all things,
both seen and unseen.
Speak to us in your great wisdom.
Make us strong as we seek
your help and guidance.
Teach us to love all people
regardless of race or colour or belief.

May we listen with great care
to the heartbeat of this land
and to its people
who care for it so well
and for so long.

May the peace these people and their land
have always enjoyed
continue to be strengthened and preserved
by all who wish to come and be part of
this country and its 'ancient dreaming'.

— Used with the permission of Elizabeth Pike, 1998

Dates

• Monday 13 June — Queen’s birthday public holiday
• Thursday 16 June — Year 8 Art Focus Day
• Friday 17 June — Student free day (Staff Professional Development)
• Friday 24 June — Last day of Term 2 for students
• Friday 1 July — College Office closes for school holidays at 4.00pm
• Monday 11 July — Staff Formation Day (student free)
• Tuesday 12 July — First day of Term 3

headspace — webinar for parents and carers

headspace is hosting a free online mental health education session for parents and carers of young people to support their mental health. The Lilydale headspace webinar ‘Navigating Uncertainty and Change’ will be held on Monday 13 June, from 7.00pm to 8.00pm.

Please register here:

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/o/headspace-vic-parent-and-carer-sessions-34162830471

The session aims to:

• strengthen understanding of how young people can be affected by change and uncertainty
• build skills and strategies to support young people who are navigating change
• identify signs that young people may need additional support
• build awareness of local, state, and national supports available to young people.

Following the webinar, those who register will be supported by a digital information pack which will be sent via email within five days of the event.

Please note: these webinars are for parents and carers of young people between 12 and 25 years old. This is a live online event and will not be recorded.

Foster families wanted

Key Assets Victoria is a not-for-profit foster care agency operating in the east, south and west of Melbourne. There is currently a great need for new foster families. If you have thought about foster care, please get in touch and ask the questions you have always wanted to.

Phone: Key Assets 1800 932 237 or 1800 WE CARE
Email: info@keyassets.org.au
Website: canifoster.org.au or keyassets.org.au

This week MLMC has celebrated UNESCO’s International Arts Education Week with a series of lunchtime activities exploring the world of art around us. Each lunchtime, students of all year levels were invited to the Sinnott Visual Arts building for an exciting new focused workshop.

Kicking off the week, on Monday 23 May, we worked on a community mural in the style of Japanese-born pop artist Takashi Murakami. This entailed using Copic brush markers to replicate Murakami’s iconic and colourful ‘flowers’ and collaging them together for a final decorative piece.

The next day, we explored the unique line art style of American street artist Keith Haring. Posca paint markers were used to achieve his signature bold lines and bright pops of colour.

Mindfulness was the topic of Wednesday’s workshop, using watercolour paints and pencils to colour the intricate line work of mandala patterns.

Thursday's workshop was inspired by the story of Catherine McAuley’s ‘comfortable cup of tea’, as decorative tea cup and saucer designs were conceptualised on worksheets. The best of which is to be produced in a high-quality vinyl finish with the College’s Cricut machine.

Bringing a close to the week’s activities, Friday's workshop was a leisurely viewing of Bob Ross’s iconic ‘The Joy of Painting’ series with a side of popcorn, as we finished off any unfinished artworks.

A hit among art lovers across a range of year levels, Studio Art student Trinity Kindness (Year 12 Orange) said:

“During lunchtimes for Art Education Week, I’ve been able to sit down with my peers and relax while having creative freedom to colour and draw; the small but ever-growing community is welcoming and it’s lovely to see people from every year level come together for art. I always love to take some time out of my day to sit and paint and Arts Education Week has helped me to continue that.”

Student Kye Arnot (Year 11 Silver) said:

“I love seeing every year level really get involved in Arts Education Week. I think learning and celebrating art is so important for young creative minds.”

UNESCO’s International Arts Education Week is held in the fourth week of May each year, celebrating “art, in all its diversity, an essential component of a comprehensive education for the full development of the individual”.

Recently we were fortunate to work with FRG Ministry — a not-for-profit Catholic organisation bringing the love of Jesus and His message of hope to people of all ages across the world. 

Father Rob is the founder of FRG Ministry. He has a heart and passion to see others come to encounter the love of Jesus Christ and find a home in his church.

Year 12 Retreat

In the build-up to the Retreat everyone was super excited about the day as we had met Father Rob. Father Rob and his team delivered beyond expectations. From knowing his story, we were able to connect with him in a comfortable way and through his expression of how unlimited God’s love is. Many of us went away building a stronger connection with our own faith and a desire to explore further our own faith journeys. It was a great day and we were able to come closer together as a year level by sharing this experience.
— Ella McNair (Mercy and Justice Prefect) and Perry Leane (Faith and Ministry Prefect)

Year 11 Retreat

The message that I took away was that you could turn your life around regardless of whatever situation you are in, and that there really are people there to support you. 
— Elliot Atkinson (Year 11 Gold)

An important message I learnt from Father Rob was that we are all loved no matter what we do or how alone we may feel.
— Izzy Walliker (Year 11 Purple)

His story is very inspirational for many, his music is also very entertaining. He will teach students that no matter what scenario they’re in, there are always people that love you no matter what. I hope he continues to impact the lives of many, in such a positive way.
— Daniel Macfarlane (Year 11 Jade)

An important message I took away from Father Rob’s presentation was that we all may struggle at points in our life, but there is always another perspective to look at and you realise that you can always turn it around.
— Ela Greentree (Year 11 Green)

On Saturday 21 May, 27 students in the College choir and a number of staff travelled to Federation Square to take part in the celebration of The Long Walk. The Long Walk is a charity which supports reconciliation among all Australians irrespective of race and it raises awareness to improve and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and life opportunities. 

The Long Walk charity was created as a result of Michael Long's 650km walk to Canberra in 2004, to meet personally with Prime Minister John Howard to discuss his concerns about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues and the importance of ensuring these issues were addressed as part of the national agenda.

The MLMC choir was invited to perform at The Long Walk celebration at Federation Square prior to the walk to the MCG, which was such an honour for our students. The choir performed two songs, Ngarra Burra Ferra and Took the Children Away.

For the first time in the College's long history, our students performed at Federation Square and sang in a First Nations' language — in this case, the Yorta Yorta song which tells the story of Moses leading the Israelites from captivity in Egypt.

Aunty Joy Wandin Murphy, a direct descendant of William Barak after which our Barak Campus is named, was a very keen observer of the beautiful harmonies our students produced. The students were also able to witness Aunty Joy's granddaughter Chenile Chandler perform a Call to Country, which was a truly beautiful experience.

The College community were honoured to be involved in this event and proud of the choir's performance.

The Seeds of Justice conference held on Thursday 19 May was an online event that gave our students the opportunity to connect with other Mercy schools all around Australia and to look at key social justice issues that we face in our society today. The 2022 theme for this day was ‘Together in Mercy: Welcoming the Stranger’.

This year, there was a focus placed on refugees and the difficulty of seeking asylum and settling in Australia. Hearing the first-hand experience of two women from Afghanistan was a real eye opener for us, as they retold some of the hardships and horrific experiences they had experienced. Our students also had the opportunity to work with other schools as they participated in various seminars such as: Advocacy and Action for Individuals, Practical Ways we can help our Schools and Social Justice in the Wider World.

Overall, the conference reinforced to us all just how truly blessed we are. Thank you to the students and Deputy Principal — Mission Ms Elizabeth Keogh and Barak Campus Director Mr Kamahl Russell who participated in the day.

Below are some student reflections of the conference:

“It made me really think about those that have been through so much suffering and how unfair some of the laws and stereotypes are against asylum seekers and refugees.”
— Daniel Macfarlane (Year 11 Jade)

“I gained a sense of awareness about the issues that refugees face. I feel motivated and ready to help out, by participating in charities and events that go towards helping to aid refugees.”
— Jena Schaak (Year 10 White)

“I realised that not everyone gets given the same opportunity as others. Some people get offered more things in a year than someone else might get offered in their lifetime. Having understanding of where you are and where your family is is such an important part of life. Your family are your stabilisers. Not everything that gets said is what really happens, lies can seem so intriguing. They can seem like everything can change your life around, when really they can make it worse. The main thing that I took from the Seeds of Justice conference is not to take anything that you have for granted.”
— Olivia Vandenberg (Year 11 Green)

(1) EISM Champions Carnival

Congratulations to the 34 MLMC athletes who competed at Lakeside Stadium in Albert Park on Tuesday 24 May at the twilight EISM Athletics Champions Carnival. Some of them are pictured in the gallery below.

A big congratulations to our medallists on their results:

• Cheyenne Moore (Year 12 Silver) — gold in Open shot put; gold in Open discus (pictured above)
  
• Jesse McDonald (Year 8 Jade) — silver in Under 14 shot put
• Louisa Inglese (Year 11 Red) — silver in Under 16 400m; bronze in Under 16 200m; bronze in Under 16 800m
• Jeremy Green (Year 10 White) — bronze in Under 16 400m
• Archie Spencer (Year 8 Gold) — bronze in Under 14 100m
• Mawson Sunderland (Year 10 Red) — bronze in Under 15 800m
• Rori Jones (Year 12 White) — bronze in Open 800m
• Megan Schelfhout (Year 10 Green) — bronze in Under 16 shot put; bronze in Under 16 discus

(2) Tintern interschool equestrian

Congratulations to the following students who competed at the Tintern Interschool Horse Trials last weekend: Hayley Young, Imogen Bergin, Ruby Hayes, Audrey Lyons, Ruby Rose, Sophie Dillon, Caitlin Vaughan.

Well done to everyone who competed in dressage, show jumping and cross country events over the weekend.

(3) Golf

Well done to Tom Handasyde (Year 8 Orange), Cooper Smith (Year 9 Silver) and Campbell Cumming (Year 9 Aqua) who represented the College at the EISM golf tournament at Churchill Park Golf Club. The boys represented the College brilliantly and all played really well. Campbell finished in eighth place and Cooper in 13^th — a great effort. Tom also had a brilliant result in finishing fourth, being only one shot off second and third (who were tied). Tom has now progressed to the next round, which will be held on Monday 30 May at Long Island Golf Club. We wish him the best of luck.

(4) Student Achievements

Baseball
Congratulations to Ryder Wilson (Year 10 Bronze, pictured below) who competed in the National Senior Baseball Championships last week. Ryder’s team, Eastern Athletic, won the championship which means they will now travel to the USA and represent Australia in South Carolina in August. Best wishes, Ryder!

Baseball
Congratulations to Zeke Doyle (Year 12 Orange), who competed in the trials for the Under 18 Victorian School Sports baseball squad.

Football
Congratulations to Cameron Nyko (Year 11 Bronze) who has been selected in the Under 18 Vic Metro squad.

Past Student Achievement
Congratulations to Old Collegian Dylan Findley (Class of 2018) and his partner Ava (pictured below) who competed in the Maia Acrobatic Championships over the weekend of 14-16 May. They finished second in their dynamic routine, fifth in balance and second in combined, finishing the competition with an overall silver medal. Well done, Dylan!

If you have any other student achievements, please email them to dwebb@mlmc.vic.edu.au

(5) EISM results

Year 8 (17 May)

Senior (18 May)

Year 9 (19 May) — Semi Finals

Year 8 (24 May)

Senior (26 May)

Year 9 (27 May) — Grand Finals

This week Year 10 Religious Education CSYMA Ministry students, as a practical component of their Ministry studies, raised awareness and money for Catholic Care Victoria’s Family Week initiative.

Catholic Care seeks to empower communities, build strength and resilience, and work to help everyone reach their full potential. From 12 to 18 May, Catholic Care has its Family Week initiative. The charity seeks to celebrate and strengthen family relationships. The theme for this year was ‘Our Family, Our Story, Our Future’.

Along with promoting awareness of this issue, our Year 10 Ministry students put their faith into action by organising a car wash for staff, to raise funds for struggling families in Victoria. The students raised more than $200.

Below is what some of the students said about their experience:

It was great to be able to spend my time by serving God and demonstrating Catholic care to help others. CSYMA is all about charity and helping others. I am so grateful I got the opportunity to put others before me, since we always talk about it in class.
— Jena Schaak (Year 10 White)

I really enjoyed cleaning the teachers’ cars and supporting Catholic Care.
— Amy Wicks (Year 10 Purple)

Doing the car wash fundraiser was a great way to help support the community and raise money for Catholic Care and really give families the help they need.
— Kate Wicks (Year 10 Orange)

I enjoyed going outside and doing something good for the community.
— Sophie Vos (Year 10 Orange)

The car wash was a great opportunity to help out our local schooling community and to put faith into action for those families in need.
— Jordyn Kelly (Year 10 Orange)

It was great to support Catholic Care Week by doing this car wash, to raise money and provide assistance to families in need.
— Holly Fox (Year 10 Bronze)

On Wednesday 18 May our Year 9 students showcased their Compass Passion Projects to their family and friends. Students begin these projects by brainstorming areas of interest, pastimes, future goals and topics of strong interest. Once a topic is decided, students learn the skills behind writing questions that require different levels of thinking. ‘What, where and when’ questions require recalling information while ‘comparing, categorising and specifying’ require the students to analyse and develop their higher-order thinking skills.

The Passion Projects Showcase evening in McAuley Hall was an exciting night for everyone. It was great seeing so many families at the College and students receiving plenty of positive feedback on the projects.

Well done to all of our students who showcased their projects.

Two of our Year 9 students outline their projects below:

My friends and I have created Jumpers Supporting Injuries (JSI) hoodies. The product we developed is for people that have an injury with their arm and need to support it. With our hoodie design they won't have to wear an uncomfortable arm sling. We came up with this idea as one of our team members had a broken arm and was finding it very uncomfortable wearing a sling that had a knot that was digging into her neck. Our design includes a pocket on a hoodie with a zipper that your cast will sit into. This will help keep the arm warm in the winter months and it will help support it. Our design means you could wear a hoodie when you have an injury to your arm, and also as a normal casual jumper as you can just use that pocket as storage. Proceeds not used for making more hoodies will go to the charity Beyond Blue. We came up with that idea as having a broken arm can also affect your mental health.
— Jessica Gould (Year 9 White)

We started the idea for our invention while thinking about how Shiloh and Lily were tired of catcalls and the inappropriate behaviour that they have experienced. Then Beau, Lily, Sarah and Shiloh started looking up statistics on kidnapping and attacks, such as hate crimes. We decided to make a line of concealed protective jewellery for our 'Let's invent project' for Compass. While creating the project we learned about financing, the intellectual property laws, how to pitch an idea and we improved on our public speaking skills.
— Lily Lucas (Year 9 Blue)

On Thursday 26 May we got to celebrate the first of our six House celebration days. Through Terms 2 and 3, members of each House will come together one lunchtime to meet their House Prefect and hear about the history of their House and generate some House spirit.

Carr House had the honour of hosting the first celebration of the year and it was a great turnout. Carr House Prefect Nicola Bryce did an amazing job presenting to students about the history of Carr House and its namesake Archbishop Carr and also how she would like to continue that history and win the House Cup this year.

After Nicola's presentation, all Carr House members enjoyed a barbecue.

Well done to Nicola and the staff who attended and helped out.

As part of the Year 10 VET Sport and Recreation program, classes travelled to the Grampians, or Gariwerd as it is known to the Djab Wurrung people, from 11 to 13 May. For three days students were self-sufficient and carried all their camping and hiking needs over 35km. There were strong links to curriculum — work health and safety, organisation of personal work priorities, provision of first aid, responding to emergencies, participation in recreation activities. I would argue the sense of accomplishment, resilience developed and the friendships built supersedes the academic progress. Furthermore, I strongly believe that these experiences hold the participating students in good stead for the future, whatever it holds, and will provide memories that will remain with them for decades to come.

Students faced challenges from the weather to the unstable terrain, including rocky trails and hiking to over 1000m in elevation, as well as the psychological and emotional strain of doubting their ability to successfully complete the journey caused by the physical duress. By the end of the week, students overcame all of these obstacles to become stronger young men and women, physically and psychologically. Thanks to the staff who accompanied us on the hike and who made these experiences possible.

Below are some student reflections of their camp experiences:

Before entering Halls Gap, I was excited but also a little nervous. When I stepped on the track my fears immediately went away. The experience was beautiful with once in a lifetime views. The class made all the difference combined with the amazing feeling of hiking and then the relief of getting up ‘the last hill’ which was pure happiness and joy. 
— Amy Wicks (Year 10 Purple)

Camp was a really different experience to what normal school camps are and I enjoyed the fact that we got to choose our groups and cook and prepare our own food. I highly recommend it to all students.
— Christian Phillips (Year 10 Green)

Before the camp I was really excited but also a bit nervous about all the walking. Once we started it was fun but a bit hard, but by the end it was so good and to look back on what we had done and all the memories we made.
— Sarah Frazzetto (Year 10 Jade)

Year 10

Students have been busy completing their industry specific Safe@Work modules to ensure they are ready to participate in the workforce during Work Experience Week (20-24 June). Students engaged in the white card micro-credential have satisfactorily completed their training assessments and are now the proud recipients of a Certificate of Attainment from Ranges Tech (pictured). Our Careers staff have commenced our pre-site visits to host businesses such as Valyarra in Wandin, Children’s House of Early Learning in Silvan, Wandin North Primary School, Dental Logic in Lilydale and Wandin Vet Clinic. We thank our community for offering this invaluable experience to our students. If you are a local business owner happy to host a Work Experience student, please get in touch with the Careers department.

Years 11 and 12

Over the last fortnight we have further briefed our senior students on applying to tertiary institutions, explaining key details such as the VTAC timeline, early entry offer schemes, Open Days and SEAS applications. Two lucky Year 12 students, Trinity Kindness (pictured) and Ella Preston won a La Trobe University and Deakin University gift bags as the first students to show us their eight VTAC preference shortlists. We encourage all our Year 12s to continue their research to get their own course lists happening.

We had a group of 50 students and a small group of Year 12 parents attend our informal lunchtime Careers session with Mr David Plant from Australian Catholic University (pictured). Mr Plant explained MLMC’s partnership with ACU (the five-point adjustment advantage), ACU course and campus offerings and study abroad opportunities to the Rome campus. The ACU Guarantee Early Entry Program was explained in detail and all the students were amazed to hear that successful ACU Guarantee students receive a place prior to Year 12 exams. This means a place is offered based on Year 11 results and community involvement, rather than a set study score of attainment in subjects or ATAR score.

We thank our AFL Trainee Charlotte Vranken and Year 12 VCAL students Sienna Clay, Olivia Byrne and Rebecca Simpson for running the Catherine’s Cafe van and adding a sense of occasion to this informal community event. We are now officially out of ACU course handbooks.

Upcoming Careers session

To further support our senior students (and their parents) this year with the big questions about tertiary study, we will be hosting a number of informal dedicated lunchtime Careers sessions in the MLC building. The next session will see a guest speaker from La Trobe University come to the College on Thursday 16 June, with the session running from 12.45pm. Parents of Year 12 students are welcome to join us.

La Trobe is one of Australia’s leading universities. The La Trobe Future Students Ambassador will focus on course offerings, campus offerings and study abroad opportunities. This is an opportunity for La Trobe to take the time, in person, to explain the La Trobe ASPIRE Early Entry Program, as well as where and when Campus and Faculty Open Sessions are taking place. We do hope to see some Year 12 parents come along.

Parents must register for this Careers session directly with Mrs Nives Gamble via email to careers@mlmc.vic.edu.au by Friday 10 June, and then sign in and out at College Reception on the day of the event.

On Friday 13 May our Year 8 students participated in full-day workshops with organisations The Man Cave (for the boys) and Flourish Girl (for the girls). These programs target the emotional intelligence of our students and create a safe space where they can open up, be supported by their peers and know that they are not alone — in fact, most other people are feeling the same way. The way the students supported each other throughout the day was heart-warming to witness.

The Man Cave workshop explored how gender stereotypes impact attitudes and behaviour, what defines a respectful relationship and how the boys will uniquely contribute to their community and the world. Flourish Girl’s workshop encouraged our girls to develop tools of empathy, trust and gratitude to build healthier and positive relationships with themselves and others.

Anonymous student reflections of the workshops are shared below:

GIRLS:

• It made me think about what others feel and think and that they are similar to me
• It's very important to keep your feelings in check and make sure you know why you're feeling the way you are
• I understood how others feel about themselves and that their judgement is very similar to myself
• (I learnt) that you should love yourself for who you are and that there is always someone to talk to
• (I learnt) how different thoughts can affect your mindset
• (I learnt that) you don't need to meet beauty standards to be pretty.

BOYS:

• I gained a better understanding of the things that my friends and peers are going through
• (I gained) knowledge on how to show emotions in a healthy way
• (I learnt) how to help and support others
• (I learnt) to check in with yourself and others
• (I learnt) that it is OK to share your emotions with others instead of bottling them up
• I was inspired by my peers' bravery, and felt comfortable to express the feelings I had bottled up. It felt incredible to share my feelings, and it brought the group closer together.

Year 10 Exercise Science students recently attended Glitz Gymnastics Academy in Lilydale. The excursion allowed the students to explore a range of learning areas they have covered this semester from a practical perspective.

The excursion enabled students to practice existing skills, as well as to learn and attempt new skills. By doing so they explored biomechanical concepts and skill acquisition principles that they have learned about in their theory classes. This subject is designed to prepare Year 10 students for the rigour of VCE Physical Education.

In the early secondary years PE is largely practical-based learning, but as students transition to the senior years the majority of the content is delivered via theoretical means. Practical activities are still used and are vital to complement learning and allow students to experience first-hand theoretical knowledge.