From the Year 8 Leader
The last two weeks in Year 8 have been filled with anticipation, excitement, and positivity. The Year 8 students participated in the STRIVE Program from Wednesday 7th to Friday 9th. The Year 8 theme for STRIVE was Navigating Transitions and Building Connections. Each activity day consisted of a range of tasks that students completed individually, in small groups, or in their pastoral groups.
Highlights:
On Wednesday, the students had an inspiring presentation with Elevate Education. In each pastoral group, students were challenged and empowered with effective mnemonic techniques to enhance information retention and retrieval. Our College Psychologist, Cate Rushan, and College Counsellor Celina Berzins delivered a powerful session on Growth Mindset, placing an emphasis on the benefits of a growth mindset regarding their learning, behaviour, and wellbeing.
Thursday was an action-packed day, withProactivity providing students with activities that not only enhanced their physical abilities but also strengthened relationships between their peers and teachers. From the inflatable obstacle course to competitive archery, the students' comfort zones were challenged, which promoted problem-solving skills, perseverance, and fostered a resilient mindset. It was fantastic to see the Year 8 students engaged and having fun.
On Friday, the Year 8 students had two sessions delivered by Consent Labs. Growing up in a digital world, Consent Labs emphasised the importance of being safe online across different platforms. The presenters also discussed respectful relationships, creating a space for a deeper understanding of consent in various contexts. In the afternoon, the Year 8 students had the opportunity to write a letter to their Pastoral Leader about themselves. To conclude, the Year 8 cohort participated in a range of team-based activities at Royal Park.
Overall, the STRIVE Program was a huge success. These days provided valuable opportunities for our students to learn, grow, and have fun in a supportive and inclusive environment.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to making the STRIVE Program a memorable and meaningful event for our school community.
Emma Turner
Year 8 Year Level Leader
Last week, a lot of exciting events took place. On Wednesday we started our STRIVE program, which was very fun and interesting. We did activities like a booklet on memory and mnemonics, and we learnt a lot about Growth vs Fixed Mindset. Followed by Thursday, (the funnest day of them all) the whole cohort had a fun day in Royal Park with ProActivity. We participated in things like Archery, a Ninja Warrior Course, Boxing, and a bunch of collaborative exercises with our bodies like a human pyramid and leaning back with a partner and trying not to fall over! Then came Friday where Consent Labs came and talked to us about the different kinds of consent (digital, in the real world etc) and they taught us a lot about how to give consent, scenarios where consent is or is not given, and how to solve situations in the real world regarding consent. To cap off the week, the cohort came back to Royal Park towards the end of the day with some fun activities that we all had fun with.
Jack, 8C
Last week, from Wednesday the 7th to Friday the 9th February, the Year 8s had the pleasure of participating in the STRIVE program. The STRIVE program consisted of multiple incursions and activities in which we learned about things that they don't usually teach at school, and had a lot of fun. On the first day of the program, we were joined by Engage Education, who had travelled cross-state to teach us about using our attention efficiently, and ways to make studying and remembering things a lot easier. Then we were introduced to our new College Psychologist and Counsellor, who taught us about growth mindsets and why they are so important for us to learn new things. The second day was packed with enjoyable activities at Royal Park, including archery, gymnastics, and even a Ninja warrior course. Each activity was taught by a professional working with ProActivity, a group that helps youth enjoy physical activity. On the third day, we were joined by Consent Labs, who taught us about the importance of consent in our everyday lives, and especially within the realms of social media and online interactions with others. Then in the afternoon, we went to Royal Park and did some physical activity of our choice. All of these events helped us learn new things, connect with our friends and peers, and enjoy ourselves.
Noah, 8F
Last week in the STRIVE program, we looked at and participated in a number of different activities. With three days over the course, we went down to Royal Park to do some team bonding, reflected on different ways to memorise facts, and covered the important subject of consent and online safety. It was such a fun experience, and personally I feel a lot more connected to my class than previously in the Step Ahead program last year. I want to thank all the teachers for organising such a fun experience, and the two companies that took us through fun activities over the program.
Annamai, 8E
Last week from Wednesday-Friday, we did many different activities with STRIVE. On Wednesday, we did mindfulness and rotations with different activities in the classrooms. On Thursday, we went to Flemington Park to participate in a range of activities. There was archery, an inflatable ninja warrior course, boxing, acrobatics, workouts and many more. We did the different rotations with our classes and we got to work together and we had to use friendship and sportsmanship. And lastly on Friday, Consent Labs came to our school to teach us about consent and online consent. At the end of the day we went down to Flemington Park again to play sports and participate in different races in our classes. These three days were very fun and entertaining and I really enjoyed it.
Ivy, 8A