Page 1
Edition 54 | December 2017
Yiramalay Term 4 has been action packed with all students now at home for the school holidays, for most this looks like a hot and wet Festive Season.
Overall, students have done well and there has been much growth in everyone. When put into context the resilience of students when in Melbourne has been nothing but inspiring as they have continued to adapt into the Learning in Residence daily structures and day to day life at the Glen Waverley campus. They have faced many challenges including; a very different climate, a three hour time difference, homesickness, change of food, and building new relationships with Glen Waverley staff and students. Overall students have enjoyed Term 4 and moving between the locations of the Kimber-ley and Melbourne, (though challenging at times) has created many learning opportunities for all. Students have made the most of openings provided when in Melbourne and have taken time to catch up with their student friends at Glen Waverley and St Kilda Road campuses.
The Yiramalay educational program during Term 4 has been rich in many activities, from learning ‘on country’ in the Kim-berley to academic and industry learning in Melbourne. All students from both locations successfully completed numerous units of competencies throughout the term, and the personal growth, confidence building and resilience of students was a stand out as they took on new challenges.
We currently have five students in the USA as participants in a Wesley College Basketball Experience. To date all is going well and they are all due back just before Christmas. Other highlights of Term 4 have included the Speech Night celebration with five Yiramalay students completing Year 12 and the six successful inductions programs, with Induction Group 31 at Yiramalay during Term 4. The induction programs are very important to the Yiramalay program, as they allow both commu-nities learn side by side, with a focus on cross cultural learning. During this time, all students share their own stories and cultures and languages, as well as studying Aboriginal art, tourism and life in the Kimberley.
With community engagement a focus in 2017, I wish to thank all parents, guardians, staff and students from both communities who have made the time to attend the many exciting events and celebrations that we have held at Yiramalay and in Melbourne.
Wishing you all a happy and safe Festive Season and I look forward to catching up with everyone in 2018.
Ned McCord, Executive Director
Snapshots of the Studio School in Yiramalay and Melbourne
Page 2
Proud to be a part of the team.
What a sensational term for the Yiramalay program with so many highlights and achievements. Our term began with the arrival of almost 30 students to Melbourne, including our graduating Year 12’s and their families. As we prepared our Year 12’s for graduation, we empowered our new Year 10’s with a comprehensive orientation program, including a student led campus tour and welcome from Head of Campus Richard Brenker and Head of Senior School Jill Caple. At the Year 12 final assembly all Yiramalay students were in attendance for the announcement of our 2018 prefects, Mario Rex and Mahalia Lane. This was a fitting and moving start to what would be a busy and productive term.
The 2017 Speech Night signified the formal end of school for our Year 12 students. Staff, students and families were in attendance to watch the Year 12’s take part in this stirring ceremony at the magnificent Melbourne Town Hall. For those leaving it was a night of mixed emotions, farewelling old friends and familiar routines while embracing the joyful uncertain-ty of what the future may hold. For those new to Melbourne it was a glimpse of the rich tradition and history associated with Wesley College. Torey, Tonchi, Darren, Gino and S.B, all did a fabulous job representing the school and their families with pride.
After this auspicious beginning, things picked up pace and the program got into full swing. All students attended the Wel-come to Country ceremony at St Kilda Road Junior School campus, where the Ngurungaeta of the Wurundjeri Tribe, Mu-rundindi, welcomed us to his country. Later in the evening the Year 12 students, families and staff attended the Valedictory service and then dinner at the Grand Hyatt. This was a real celebration and all in attendance enjoyed the occasion.
Our Year 10 students commenced their Melbourne induction traveling to significant sites around the city. Students visited sites such as, the Melbourne Museum – Bunjilaka First Peoples Exhibit, The Koorie Heritage Trust, Birrarung Marr (The Yarra River) and Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary.
In the mid-term break we all headed off to Camp Mallana for a relaxing long weekend. Staff and students had a great time appreciating the beauty of the surrounding bush, waterways and wildlife, and thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company reflecting on our first four weeks together. Shortly after returning from camp we were joined by a further 17 students from Yiramalay bringing our numbers in Melbourne to 44. A highlight was travelling to St Kilda Road Junior School campus with the whole group, this time to participate in the Year 4 Languages and Culture Unit. Yiramalay students worked in groups with Year 4 students providing perspectives on language, land, community and culture. This is a valuable partnership where powerful learning takes place, and all staff and students were grateful for the opportunity to collaborate.
As I write this I am in a hotel room in Albany, New York, USA, on tour with the 2017 Wesley College Basketball Experience. Five lucky Yiramalay Students are traveling with us and we are having an amazing time. It has been a steep learning curve for all students here in the home of basketball with some amazing players. The cultural exchange is invalua-ble and provides another level of deep personal and social learning for our students.
Term 4 2017 in the Melbourne program has been a great success and it wouldn’t be possible without the tireless and dedicated staff of the Yiramalay Program. Their professionalism and commitment to the students shone through this term and I am genuinely proud to be a part of this team.
Wishing you all a happy and safe Festive Season with family and friends.
Matt Watson, Program Coordinator Melbourne
Snapshots from Term 4 in Melbourne
Page 3
Remarkable growth in many areas of the program
Term 4 was full of many highlights for the students at Yiramalay. We welcomed six new students to the school who began their journey with Induction Group 31.
This was a fantastic induction group accompanied by much-loved Yiramalay staff, Kym Adams and Daisy Fotopoulos, along with the wonderful addition of Natalie Kunst, the Head of Art from the Glen Waverley campus. The Melbourne students were certainly enthusiastic and this meant that strong friendships were formed and many contributions were made to the community, creating a really positive atmosphere.
Student engagement was high through-out the term. Yiramalay’s Got Talent was a highlight of the term, with both our local and Melbourne students treating us to a variety of talents, from dance to singing and even some beat-boxing! Friday morning PE became another highlight; the friendly competition between the students, along with lots of fun and laughter despite the increasing heat, was wonderful to note. On-country experiences continued to be rich personal development time and weekends spent swimming, fishing and hunting allowed our students to not only work together, but to also enjoy some mindful quiet reflection in each others’ company.
I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all of our students and staff for another fantastic year, one that has seen remarkable growth in many areas of the program. We now turn our attention towards preparing for 2018, which promises to be filled with even greater opportunities for discovery and transformation.
Felicity Pearson, Acting Deputy Director Kimberley
Hugely impressed by the energy and enthusiasm of the students
It was an honour to be appointed the Chair of the Yiramalay/Wesley Studio School Steering Committee at the 17 October meeting. I have been involved with Wesley as a consultant through a variety of projects and activities over many years, and have been very fortunate to visit the Studio School in the Kimberley on a number of occasions. I have followed the School’s evolution from inception to the vibrant community it has become with great interest.
I have been hugely impressed by the energy and enthusiasm of the students from the Kimberly and Melbourne alike as they grasped new opportunities to learn together, and I have great admiration for the many wonderful staff and thoughtful advisers who have been involved in the school’s successes to date.
I look forward to contributing to the continuing development of the school and to meeting many more of the people involved this exciting venture.
Estelle Bowman, Chair of the Yiramalay/Wesley Studio School Steering Committee
Snapshots from Term 4 in Yiramalay
Estelle Bowman, Chair of the Yiramalay Steering Committee
Page 4
I learnt far more from the students than they learnt from me
I went to Yiramalay as a volunteer expecting to help and support my wife who is a teacher there. I did not expect to enjoy it so much that I am going back again in 2018. My background was in finance, so teaching was a new experience. I am sure I learnt far more from the students than they learnt from me. I now know how to catch and cook goanna, turtle and bush turkeys. You catch them, cook them then eat them — no time wasted.
The scenery here is spectacular and the water holes a great relief on hot days. I was most impressed at the athletic ability of the students — double back flips from rocks or over seven chairs, whatever was handy. I enjoyed seeing students gain respect from their peers for their participation in all Yiramalay had to offer — and the way this gave them confidence and made them feel part of the community.
It took me time and patience to slowly gain acceptance (small steps). The smiles and the ‘thank yous’ were my reward.
Trevor Edwards, VolunteerThe kids at Yiramalay are wonderful young people
I volunteered at Yiramalay in Term 3. Under enormous blue skies and a hot sun, I worked to support the community, as a mentor, friend, assistant teacher, handyman, Kimberley-Uber driver and cup-gatherer.
The kids at Yiramalay are wonderful young people, overflowing with talents, dreams and fears, but Yiramalay is a complex place, full of different cultures, opportunities and challenges. This complexity runs deep and it effects everything.
The Yiramalay team are hard-working, compassionate and resilient, and I am grateful to them for the care and support they showed me throughout. If you ever have a chance to visit Yiramalay I would wholeheartedly recommend it.
Bill Black (OW2010), Volunteer
Kimberley Girl empowers young Aboriginal women
My name is Liz Andrews and I am from Junjuwa community in Fitzroy Crossing.
A few weeks ago, I went to Kimberley Girl with Marte Ur Loevaas, the Kimberley Community Liaisons Officer, to support past and current students Natashka, Tanalia and Nicole. It was an amazing night in Broome with lots of people, and the girls looked so confident and proud on the catwalk.
Kimberley Girl is a great opportunity for girls from the Kimberley to get together to workshop self-confidence, strength and build a connection between the communities. They were telling us how they learned about inner beauty and how they can help other girls develop self-respect and feel confident enough to stand up for themselves. I want to do it next year, and I will get some of the other Yiramalay students to come with me.
Liz Andrews. Year 11
Bill, Cherrese, Vana, Camillia and Natalia, ready to go to Wangkatjungka
Calvin, Trevor, Maxwell and Geronimo at Yiramalay
Thank you!
My name is Mahalia Lane and along with Mario Rex (who is on the USA Basketball Experience at the moment), have been selected as a Yiramalay Studio School Perfect for 2018. Mario and I will both be in Year 12 next year and we are looking forward to the challenge ahead.
Being a Yiramalay prefect is an honour for me; I hope having the younger stu-dents look up to me and having lots of responsibilities, will keep me grounded. I am a great organiser and a good communicator and feel this will help me be a better prefect.
On behalf of all the Yiramalay students, Mario and I would like to say thank you to Dr Helen Drennen, Ned McCord, Matt Watson and Felicity Pearson, as well as all the teachers and staff who work above and beyond to make school a happy place to be. I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I am looking forward to 2018 and my final year!
Mahalia Lane, Year 11 Mahalia Lane with Mario Rex in the Learning in Residence dining room
Nicole Mills (OW2014), Natashka Ozies (OW2016) and Tanalia Kitching during a Kimberley Girl photo shoot
