ADVANCE IMPLEMENTATION 2010: SPECIAL SCHOOL AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE SCHOOLS
Note: these are all complete descriptions and do not include the accredited or community
recognised training
Suburb
Advance implementation 2010: Brief description for special school and english
schools
Ascot Vale
Students are enroled in The Duke of Edinburgh's Award and VCAL. The Personal
Development Strand of VCAL is covered under the Awards. Students are involved in a
number physical recreation, fitness and camping activities, fund raising activities catering
for a community group as well as recognised courses. These activities fulfill the
requirements of the Awards and VCAL. Some students also attended recognized training
program off site.
Lake Gardens
Advance has undertaken a range of projects this year. Many of them have related to
activities at our new FARM involving tree planting,maintaining the vegetable garden and
general maintenanceof the campus.The program revolves around developing team work
and improving the social and civic skills of our students. We continue our relationship with
the local police and this has involved using their resources to develop the physical skills
and general fitness of the students.
Moe
Aged Care: assisting with midday meal & cleaning tasks; Meals on Wheels: collecting and
delivering meals; KMART: unpacking & sorting cartons of shoes; Kindergarten: assisting
teachers & students; Hairdressers: general cleaning; Opp Shop: sorting & cleaning;
Baringa School: manual tasks, cleaning & office work
Wodonga
VCAL Personal Development Skills; VCAL WorkRelated Skills; VET Hospitality 1
Kangaroo Flat
Vocational: Student's work on a variety of tasks designed to teach work skills and work
ethics. They are engaged in recycling programs, horticulture skills and livestock. The work
in the school gadren and with the poultry has deveioped a school business selling the
produce to the school community. The Advance Program enabled the Unit to purchase
trolleys to deliver the local weekly newspaper. The school bank has been established to
teach money skills, money management the relationship between work and money.
Voluntary: The students have joined forces with Crusoe College to build bird boxes for the
no. 7 Reservoir here In Kangaroo Flat. This initiative was developed as a result of staff
participation in the Advance PD. Leisure: Advance funding has enabled the continuation of
programs established to foster engagement between our students with disabilities and the
wider community. These programs include hydrotherapy, gymnasium, aerobics and rock
climbing through the local YMCA. Our students have particpated along side the rest of the
community.
Broadmeadows
Advance projects, recognised training and learning modules took place within classroom
programs in which students participated in the following activities - school based and
interschool basketball program, school based enterprise such as setting up and running a
school gift shop and establishing and running a school wide canteen, delivering
newspapers to the local community, establishing and running a schoolwide plant stall, a
senior electives program, a school based catering program and a work experience
program at a supported work program. A school wide chicken program (from incubating
and hatching the chickens to building a chicken run) was set up and run by a group of
senior students and while this program was initiated by a group of senior students it
provided learning opportunities for the whole school. Students undertook various
excursions in Broadmeadows, surrounding suburbs and other venues around Melbourne
in order to transfer and extend skills learnt within the classroom curriculum and to develop
community access skills. Some students were also involved in a work experience program
at a post school placement program.
West Brunswick
Senior students from Brunswick SDS participated in a weekly gardening program at Kevin
Heinze garden centre throughout the year. The students were engaged in a range of
educational and recreational activities such as gardening maintenance, propagating and
harvesting tasks, environmental awareness activities such as recycling, homecraft
program, sensory art program also learned about hygiene and safe work requirements and
practices.The program also provided the students with the opportunity to improve their
social, personal and interpersonal skills as well as working cooperatively as a team.
East Burwood
The focus of the Advance program over the past two years has been on promoting student
self-esteem and their collective and individual understanding of (and sense of
responsibility for) others around them. The 2009 Brain Gym program has been further
developed to promote students self-management of stress where possible and also to
provide guided activities for those students who rely on a facilitator. Several of the
students continued working towards individual Dukes of Edinburgh Awards (Bridge Levels
1 & 2) in timetabled blocks during afternoon Electives sessions each week. New (Dukes)
skills included introducing photography to Year 7 & 8 students by means of small digital
cameras and a basic training course which taught parts of the camera as well as an
introduction to photography as an art-form. The (Dukes) service component was
addressed by introducing a buddy cross-age mentor program between Year 7 and Year 2
students as well as increasing the times when all students were expected to work together
outside normal Year Level and friendship groups. Older students continued their
voluntary work for a local community organisation and took out casual membership in a
local gym, working on fitness
Colac
Occupational Health and Safety. Awareness of safety when working. Awareness of
hazards in the workplace. Women for Women and Education - Narobi -Kibera slum project
- students propergated plants over the school year. These were then sold at a plant and
sale. The money raised went the the Kibera project to educate children and women in the
Kibera slum in Narobi, Africa. Worked with Rob Charity from the Bike shop and learnt how
to fix bikes. Fixed up 2 tandem bikes for the school.
Northcote
Community - Connections to the community, understanding of community resources and
assets, exposure to positive role models; Communitcation - Reporting, giving and
receiving feedback, negotiating, problem solving; Project Management - Defining,
planning, doing, evaluating, reporting and celebrating ; All undertaken through activities
in conjunction with South Melbourne Life Saving Club, student camp to Queensland and
school Swimming Sports event.
Bairnsdale
The program targeted stdeunts at risk of leaving school. The year focused on team
building excercises and planning for a five day excursion through the high country in east
Gipplsand.
Frankston
Hamilton
Service: Meals on Wheels - students are trained to collect and deliver hot lunches to
elderly clients every Tuesday. Recycling - paper, cans, plastics + glass are collected
throughout the school twice a week. Assisting 'high needs' students at transport and
playground transition. School gardening/vegie garden and odd jobs. Shopping, cooking
and preparing a 'lunch order service' for the whole school. Skill: Choir performed at a
whole school concert, retirement village + Christmas Lights tour.. Song Club travelled by
train for 5 sessions to the Victorian Arts Centre. Pod Casting interviewed and recorded.
Dance performed items at school concert. Computer videod + role played school rules.
Students cooked their lunch every week. Nintendo Wii, iPods and iPads were played
during lunch times. Physical Recreation:Weekly interschool sports and fitness programs
provided opportunities to play cricket, t-ball, basketball, netball, aussie rules footy, soccer,
bike riding (including 2 bike camps) indoor cricket with past students now attending adult
centres, swimming and gym work at a public gym and 10 pin bowling.
Duke of Edinburgh Bridge Awards
Bendigo
Students were involved in learning first aid skills, with the aim of being able to use them at
school and community events to assist other community groups. Students have also been
enrolled in The Bridge Award and have been learning camping and outdoor skills.
Fire and bike safety programs delivered to primary aged students. Aged care activities
program. Level I First Aid
Traralgon
All students completed a First Aid Course, receiving either a Certificate of participation,
Level 1 or Level 2 First Aid qualification. Projects completed by the students were weekly
participaiton in Meals on Wheels delivery to house-bound residents in the local area (in
conjunciton with Latrobe City Council), tree-planting at Latrobe Special Developmental
School, and maintenance tasks - gardening, cleaning, painting - at Kiama Kindergarten
(Noah's Ark Inc.). An introductory program of exploring the local community - visiting City
Council Offices, Civic places, meeting with Council & Kiama staff - participting in
communiction & conversatoinal skills (including functional social skills) programs and
planning for tree-planting & maintenance/gardening work, were explored before
commencing on the main projects.
Horsham
Lalor
Students were involved in tree planting along the Toolern Creek. Other students were
involved in tree planting and bush conservation at Balckwood. When the VCAL section of
school went to Licola Camp they were actively involved in tree palnting and conservation.
The Life skills group along with some middle section students were active participants in a
Lawn Bowls development of skills this culminated in a competioon between other Special
Schools.
Working in a community garden alongside other students using basic skills to manage and
tend vegetable plots.
Mildura
Students were involved in the propagation of native indigenous trees which we supply to
the Mallee Catchment Management Authority to revegetate salt affected areas in the
region, all as part of the horticulture program conducted by the school.
Wheelers Hill
The seven students in group 17 at Monash SDS have been involved in a program that
provides interaction with the residents from Wahroonga, an aged care facility. The
students range in age from 13 to 15 years. The sessions have taken place on Fridays
from 10am - 11.30am. The session usually involves a craft activity or game and then a
morning tea with the residents. The students have learned to talk to the older people and
to extend their social skills by sitting with older people and completing simple projects with
them and by sharing morning tea with then. The residents from Wahroonga have enjoyed
participating in different activities with the students from Monash SDS. They have also
developed relationships with the students from Monash SDS. The transition group
program has included the Brigde and Challenge awards Level 1 and 2 and Bronze and
Silver.
Mt. Evelyn
By completing 'Bridge Award' levels 1 or 2 students completed tasks to: 1. Provide service
to the community-meals on wheels, school canteen, jobs around the school, buddies
program and special events such as Australias Biggest Morning Tea 2.Learnt a new skilltable tennis, work skills, physical skills 3.participated in physical recreation-ti chi,
swimming, trampolining or dancing and 4.Participated in an Adventurous Journey-Garfield
Camp or Werribbee Zoo and Puffing Billy.
Melton
Seaford
NOBLE PARK
Three classes participated in the Duke of Edinburgh Award at various levels up to Bridge
2, one class completed the VCAL certificate as well as their Bridge Awards.
DUKE OF EDINBURGH'S AWARD - BRIDGE LEVEL 2 - SKILL, ADVENTUROUS
JOURNEY, PHYSICAL RECREATION, SERVICE
Dromana
Students were involved in work education at Shoreham Foreshore Reserve, a tour of
Canberra, partnership programs with Dromana Secondary College, community
horticultural projects and the Duke of Edinburgh program. Respect Protect Connect school program on relationships, violence and bullying.
Port Melbourne
Students work with members of staff from St Kilda Youth Services to create a stop
animation movie. Students brainstorm a movie genre and develop a storyline and script.
Students worked with artists from SKYS to develop a scene break down. From there
artists from SKYS drew cartoons, which students then painted. Staff and students cut out
the characters and sets. With the characters and sets, students worked with staff from
SKYS to create a 2D animation. Students worked with Adam from SKYS to develop skills
in taking photos using the computer set up to the camera and animating the 2D drawings.
Students researched sound effects on the internet and downloaded those appropriate to
the script. Students worked with Adam from SKYS to select the music that is appropriate
to the storyline. Students recorded the script in the school music studio.
Sale
This year our school Advance group attempted various 'Awards Victoria' Certificates. The
students chose to participate in this Victorian recognised preparatory certificates and
medals to 'The Duke of Edinburgh' Awards.The awards involved completing designated
hours of:*Physical Recreation, *Service, *Adventurous Journey and *New Skill. We ran
various school and community recognised courses for 'new skill' and the students
completed courses in glass mosiacs, mask making, fingernail decoration, scarf making,
card making, DVD making, photography, gardening, bike maintenance and care and
maintenance of chooks. Several students completed their 'Safe At Work' Certificates from
Melbourne East Group Training at East Gippsland TAFE and several students completed
the 'Prepare and Serve Non Alcoholic Beverages' Certificates
Seymour
A group of VCAL students were trained by Waterwatch and then became River Rangers,
taking samples from local waterways on a regular basis, for testing. The data was then
posted online with the aim of tracking the quality of water in local waterways, and the
impact of adverse conditions such as bushfires. Students were also involved in volunteer
work to improve the environment: weed control, tree planting, revegetation. The students'
curriculum for VCAL Personal Development Skills was built around the environmental
project.
Leongatha
Students have undertaken a Level 1 Computer Course at TAFE. ,Meals On Wheels
Catering Fund Raising for Skene Street School, Cancer Council Victoria, CanTeen,
Deafness Foundation, Gardening and maintenance of courtyard area of Stawell Library,
Assistance at Community Care Luncheons at Uniting Church
Duke of Ed, Bridge & Compass awards, VCAL, Personal Learning Units, VET Cert 2
Horticulture, Cert 2 Hospitality, Ride of Lawn mower licence
Bullengarook
Sunbury
1. Level 1 and 2 in Food Handling 2. Basic First Aid 3. Driver Education 4. Inaugural
Debutante Ball 5. Police Gym 6. School canteen program 7. Partnership with local
recreation reserve.
Community access projects and increased student participation.
Sunshine West
Students participated in a Choir group which performed at Federation Square as part of
the Song Room and at various other locations including aged care facilities in the local
community and at school. The students also participated in work skills stations which
included hand car washing, gardening, recycling, landscaping, catering and running a
school café and canteen.
Stawell
Swan Hill
We have continued with our Community farm/garden. We now have a machinery Shed
which houses a tractor and implements, this was funded by a local irrigators group. We
have held two Community workshops: Creating a Garden and What to plant now These
workshops were faciltated by the Swan Hill Council Environmental Officer and her
assistant. Students and staff provided refreshments and we had approximately fifty
participants at each workshop. In May this year we had our VCAL camp where students
travelled to Melbourne on the V/Line train and stayed in accommodation in the CBD. We
went to FAME, we went to Travellers Aid, we had a guest speaker from Metlink talk to us
about travelling around Melbourne on public transport. We went on a Yarra River tour and
we went to the zoo. Students were given the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the
CBD. We were nominated for a Keep Australia Beautiful - Sustainable CommunitiesAward
and we were named finalists in the Active Schools category. We also won a NAB Schools
First Award and this money will be used to build an Outdoor Kitchen to be used by
students and our community eg.Hospitality students can cater for meetings.
Wangaratta
Students volunteered for Cancer Council Victoria. They participated in their Australia's
Biggest Morning Tea fundraiser by making invitations and inviting guests to the morning
tea. The students had to shop for the food and drink ingredients. They then made cakes,
scones and sandwiches, and hot and cold drinks for the guests. Some students were
involved in collecting the door money on the day, whilst others recorded the tea by filming
it. Other students served the food and hot and cold drinks. All money raised went to
cancer research. Students passed a recognised course in first aid, certificate 1 and some
also completed certificate 2. Students made wooden push toys at the woodwork
department of the local high school for the sick children staying in the kids ward at the
local base hospital. Students sold Daffodil Day items on behalf of Cancer Council Victoria,
both in the central business area of our town and at school. Students volunteered for the
local Meals On wheels service 20 times over the year.
Warracknabeal
ANZAC Park - Garden Development Project - The students and staff of The
Warracknabeal SDS in conjunction with the Park Trustees and part-time caretaker
undertook to rejuvenate existing garden beds and create a new 3 section landscaped
area. Students assisted with the following components of the project, Layout design.
Consulting with contractors and suppliers. Presenting ideas to Trustee meeting. Selection
and planting of native trees and shrubs. Landscaping including soil sculpting and mulch
spreading. Construction of crushed rock pathways. Installation of a drip irrigation system.
This project will be ongoing in 2011
Warragul
Students and staff have been involved in building relationships with a local home for The
Aged. Students have been attending on a weekly basis and have been involved in
socialising with the residents and getting involved in activities that are held at the home.
eg: indoor bowls, singing Xmas carols, afternoon teas etc. Students have been working on
a partnership with a local Primary School (Drouin West Primary School) to provide a Fresh
Fruit Friday program. This program requires students from our school to prepare 4 large
plattersd of fruit every Friday. The fruit is cut into bite sized pieces, arranged on the
platters and then taken out to the Drouin West Primary School where it is delivered by the
students to Drouin West Primary School students in Grades Prep-Grade 2. Students
participated in an environmental program which chose a local community area. Students
went to this area on a weekly basis to ensure it was kept well maintained and free from
rubbish. Students have been involved in a basketball competition on a Friday which
involved most of the Specialist schools in the Region.
Warrnambool
Students who are in our transition classroom were automatically included in our Advance
program. They were enrolled one day a week at our local TAFE. They are undertaking a
certificate 1 of work education which began this year with 4 modules. This course will
require students to complete 8 modules to satisfy the course requirements. This year
students completed modules of Induction and work safety, hospitality, cabinet making and
equine management. Next year students will complete modules of natural resource
management, multimedia design, visual art and automotive. This program will continue in
following years so that every 2 years students will obtain a certificate 1 of work education
as well as receiving a wide variety of skills and experiences. Students in our Advance
program also undertook the responsibility of maintenance and upkeep of a local park after
being approached by a member of our school community who had helped establish the
park.
Burwood East
Connections Program involved teams of volunteer students in mainstream schools training
as peer leaders to assist our newly arrived ESL students in the transition from the
language school to mainstream school. Program involved four full days of activities
designed to develop understanding of and confidence about the mainstream school
context.
Caulfield East
A. Developing and using a Multicultural School Garden at the southern corner of the
school grounds: This included composting, soil preparation, mulching, planting, watering,
seed propagation, compost bay building, superadobe construction, soil removal, manure
collection, straw collection, cleaning site and food preparation. B. Introducing students to
the possibilities of community involvement in their new country through organisations such
as Lifesaving Victoria and MFB
Broadmeadows
As all the students are new to the country, any activities undertaken are new for the
students . We therefore decide to undertake projects where students get a sense of
inclusiveness and help the students' bonding process. They are making new friendships
and rebuilding their schooling experiences. Many have had severely disrupted schooling.
The Westside Circus program is very much about working cooperatively but also having
lots of fun. The driver education program was enthusiastically attended by a large group of
older students for whom driving is becoming a key priority.
Hampton Park
The students undertook a community revegetation project in conjunction with Casey
Council. They planted 1500 indigenous plants at Kurll Park, part of the Harkaway
Reserves in Narre Warren North. Students participated in a range of learning modules
including Understanding Community; Writing and Sending Emails; SWOT Analysis
Planning; Drafting and Mapping tasks; Researching Indigenous Plants; Correct Planting
Techniques; Composting and Being Waterwise; Report Writing; Movie Maker and
PowerPoint skills. A selected group of 17 students with higher- level English skills
successfully completed the Red Cross Basic First Aid certificate.
Noble Park
The students' project was to organise and lead excursions to indigenous cultural centres
and then plan an exhibition of student work/artwork involving the whole school. Students
participated in a range of learning modules including Understanding Community; Writing
and Sending Emails; Researching Indigenous Culture and History, Introduction to Koorie
Culture, Report Writing, PowerPoint Presentation skills.
Clayton South
Students participated in a program which covered home fire safety. The program
FLAMES, run by MBF, is specifically aimed at ESL students. This program teaches young
people the dangers of fire by using language specific for new arrivals. Students also
participated in a self-defence course aimed at improving self confidence and personal
safety. Both these activities are relevant to new arrivals. It is a way for such students to
learn more about their new environment whilst building their confidence. A City Experience
unit was developed by teaching staff specifically for new arrivals. The program allowed
students to visit different areas of the city of Melbourne and what they had to offer. This
was done by experiencing the culture of the Victoria Market for example or visiting a site of
great importance, the The Shrine. The City Experience encompassed different acitivities
including written, research, communication and sourcing. Students also worked with the
Variety Club in helping prepare the Exhibition Centre for the annual Christmas celebration.
Braybrook
This is our fifth year of running the Advance program. As part of the Advance program
about 30 students from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds participated in the Student
Representative Council (SRC) to promote the ongoing Advance program. This year we
was involved with two community partner organisations: The Student Youth Network
(SYN) radio and the Western Young People Independent Network (WYPIN). The projects
in which the students participated were: 1. The project with SYN radio involved the
students meeting on a weekly basis to discuss topics for their radio program. Then
students would prepare scripts for speaking on Air about a variety of topics to the wider
community on SYN. The media experience would be suitable for study in either English or
Media studies. 2. The project with WYPIN involved students writing stories for WYPIN's
second publication - X-Pression. The print media would be suitable for study in either
English or Journalism.
Tarneit
This is our second year of running the Advance program. As part of the Advance program
about 60 'new arrival' students from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds participated in
the Song Room to promote the ongoing Advance program. Students took part in two
projects and these ran throughout 2010. One of the projects involved students
partcipating in weekly Song Room sessions. Songs were chosen to support their English
language development and performance skills. The building of our students'
communication skills and self confidence was imperative as they performed at several
public performances at Federation Square. Students were also involved in a healthy
eating initiative where they sourced local fruit produce for distribution amongst students.
Promotion of a healthy diet was considered essential as many new arrivals were not aware
of the produce available in the local area. Access to fresh fruit and vegetables was limited
for some students as their families experience financial hardhsip. Students were also
taught about carbon footprints and ways in which we could reduce ours.