Moreland Term 2 Week 4

Hi Everyone!

On Wednesday morning at Oxygen Youth Space, the young people were asked about their start to the week at school and to identify what has been going well. The students were then asked to choose one photo from a pile of journey cards to help visually represent their school/life journey and share with the group. The young people did well at articulating their responses. We debriefed on our hike camp and focused on why using a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset is important. Having a growth mindset is important because it can help people overcome obstacles that are challenging and rather than thinking you cannot do a certain task, you replace your thoughts with a positive mindset so the outcome is more successful. Growth mindsets understand the importance of persistence and determination. By changing the way you think, you can change the way you learn. This activity reminds the young people that this important strategy is one they can also bring back to the classroom.

For the afternoon, we went to Kangan Institute in Broadmedows. We were led on a guided tour around the campus by Michael Ball who educated the young people on what courses are offered at TAFE, the expectations and different pathways that are possible to join at a later stage including VCAL, VET, apprenticeships and traineeships opportunities. The students asked questions and left having a better understanding about TAFE and their future possibilities if they choose.

On Thursday we went canoeing along the Yarra river. The students helped pack and tie the canoes and kayaks to the trailer before leaving Collingwood. There was a safety briefing before heading on the water and then once in their canoes, we did some drills to learn the functional ways to forward and back paddle and how to turn left and right swiftly. The students paired up and we made our way to the Studley Park Boathouse. This day we focused on effective communication, team work and self regulation. We spoke about the importance of working together as a team to move forward and thinking carefully before reacting when times got a little challenging. The students were observed to do at great job at communicating effectively and being respectful towards each other. Once at the boathouse we had a well deserved lunch and then switched partners for the way back. This day was great and we were very impressed by the students efforts and participation.

On Friday we went to the South Melbourne Life Saving Club and spent the morning learning about the organisation and what they do for Australia. Nick was our instructor and he shared many of his experiences which is always so insightful. Nick educated the young people about what to do in an emergency situation, how to effectively perform CPR and how to read and give signals on the water. Each student present on the day will receive a certificate of participation for their CPR introduction which will be great to put on their CVs. After lunch the young people geared up to go into the water where they practiced being on a rescue board, learnt different ways to paddle and industry standard rescue techniques. This was another great day and we are feeling more confident about our Surf Camp this week! :)

Well done crew!