Leadership has never been so important at Rochester Secondary College than in 2023 and the induction of college leaders next week will be a special landmark event for the students.
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Captains and members of the Student Representative Council will be recognised next week and college principal Melissa Gould said they had a major role to play in the functioning of the college.
“We currently have the entire school housed in an area which is half the size of our soccer pitch. The other half of the soccer pitch is taken up by the kindergarten,” she said.
Staff and students at the college are operating from portable buildings and, while they do have their school oval, there is only one temporary shade facility for students.
“It is challenging, but better than expected,” the principal explained, taking a glass-half-full approach.
She said it had been a “really calm’’ start to the school year, which had been highlighted by the fact the college was starting to get some classrooms handed back.
“The bulk of the school won't be available to us until Term 3, but by the end of this week we will be back into the science, art and technology rooms.
"Despite that we have been able to offer the full curriculum, and all subjects, to the students.
“The big thing, particularly with the hot weather, and the approaching winter is the lack of space, shade and shelter.
”We are fairly exposed to the elements,“ she said.
Ms Gould said it had meant, and would continue to demand, more time indoors for the students.
Echuca’s branch of youth mental health organisation, headspace, last week launched its involvement with the college.
“They were on-site for the first time two weeks ago, working with the Year 7-9 students,” Ms Gould said.
She said the organisation was working toward having a constant presence, relieving the pressure on the college’s own wellbeing team.
“We have our own mental health practitioners on board, but the demand is exceeding the time they have available.
“They, and all our staff, are going above and beyond,” she said.
Ms Gould said Term 4 last year and the start of last year had seen staff dealing with “all the normal stuff” associated with a student cohort which had a high concentration of kids living in unfamiliar surrounds.
“The levels of trauma are extreme. Student stamina and their ability to concentrate is suffering as a result.
“We are alternating the way we teach, making adjustments to ensure kids are supported.
“Quite a few students are living at Elmore, who would normally be in town, while eight of our staff are displaced.
"Forty per cent of our kids aren't living in houses,“ Ms Gould said.
She said the education department was, and would continue, working with Emergency Recovery Victoria as the closure of the Elmore temporary accommodation facility loomed in August.
“There are buses coming from Elmore every day,” she said.
Counsellors have also been available to staff through the employees assistance program and there has been a strong take-up from staff for support.
Ms Gould said the induction of school leaders this week would be the first whole school assembly since students had returned post-floods.
She said last year’s graduating class had experienced a really good outcome in regard to their employment and university education pathways.
“Some are taking gap years and are working around town. Others have (enrolled in) university programs.
“They are studying everything from optometry to engineering to business,’’ she said.
Denver Matthews, Declan Pearse, Alex Ingram, Charlotte Gould, Brooklyn Martins, Dana Mussared and Jagger Thomas are among the 33 Year 12 students in college leadership roles.
Declan explained while his house had not been affected, the backyard had borne the brunt of the floods, while Echuca-based Charlotte explained that she had also avoided the flood waters.
Alex, who lives on a farm at Timmering, said the crops of her family farm had been wiped out, but the house was okay.
Dana, who lives at Nanneella, had hosted flood-affected people on the property for the past five months.
Denver is living in a house with no floorboards and said daily life was a bit like walking on egg shells.
Her family was preparing to moving to their “other’’ house, which was in the process of being repaired.
She said the major issue for many students was that they did not have an "escape’’.
“A lot of students are not going home to a nice space,” she said.
In the schoolyard the leaders said life post-floods was not a regular talking point, many students instead choosing to take up the offer of the college to talk to professional service providers about their concerns.
Charlotte said she had so many friends living in caravans that the subject of “home’’ wasn’t a regular topic of discussion.
All the student leaders agreed that being back in regular classrooms had returned them to some semblence of normality.
Alex explained a constant goal was creating positive energy for the kids at school.
“There are so many kids who are stressed, concerned or worried. I see the role of the leader as one of providing some good vibes and positivity,” she said.
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