Orientation Day SPECIAL EVENTS - angliss.edu.au

ISSUE 5, MARCH 2015 IN THIS ISSUE

 Orientation Day
 Coordinator’s message
 Special Group Events
 Trade feature
 Intermediate VCAL
 Senior VCAL
 Appreciation Award
 Reminders

SPECIAL EVENTS Orientation Day

30/3 – 13/4 After a successful 2014 at William
School holidays Angliss Institute, word has spread
like wildfire with 59 students
13/4 joining us in the VCAL program for
First day of term two 2015!

14/4 We began our orientation day with
Youth Week Activity: a round of Speed Dating; students
City Circle Tram spent two minutes each
introducing themselves in a fast-
17/4 paced ice breaker, learning
Hoodies arrive snippets of information about the
people they’d be spending the year with.
21/4
Sports Day Then it was man vs. wild as we
ventured across the treacherous
22 & 29/4 ‘Crocodile River’ using only rubber
Employment Events WAI mats and the power of teamwork,
building interpersonal skills and a
18/5 healthy appetite for the lunchtime
Student Leader Applications sausage sizzle .

18 & 19 /5 Once we’d all had a break to chat,
Speed Networking Event WAI relax and eat our fill, we were sent
on our final mission for the day;
2/6 orientation - exploring the local area, powering through a list of questions and
Differing Abilities Workshop clues about the streets and alleys
of our city neighbourhood.
25/6
Mocktail Party- Parent We’re so thrilled to have such a
Teacher Interview Mid-year vibrant student group joining us
Reports this year and we can’t wait to
share the wonderful experience
William Angliss has to offer.

Coordinator’s Message The
VCAL
WAI

We wish all students and families a very warm welcome to the 2015 WAI VCAL Program.

A special welcome to all of our new students who have settled in very quickly thanks to the
assistance of their teachers and existing students. As our students adjust to the world of tertiary
education we are mindful that the start of a new year is a time of transition which presents new
friendships and exciting challenges.

We have based our curriculum so that students participate in a number of whole group events to
help foster team work and to allow the students to display leadership skills and guidance.

Our teaching staff aim to be available and approachable and create a welcoming environment with a
strong sense of community, encouraging students to develop their talents and approach all activities
with confidence, in the hope that each individual reaches their full potential.

For students above all else; discipline, commitment, willingness to learn and enjoyment are the
fundamental keys to having a positive year.

Special Group Events

BULLYING AND CHARACTER STRENGTHS SESSION:
On the 10th of February, Lydia Brnovic and Pandeli Laskaris held an information session about
bullying, and what constitutes a healthy relationship compared to a toxic relationship. We watched a
short film called ‘Tagged,’ which shows bullying through social media and the consequences of these
actions. Our second workshop focused on identifying our own strengths and weaknesses as
individuals where we all participated in an online survey which identified our best personal traits.
We investigated the resilience donut, which identifies the different aspects of our lives such as
peers, family, money, work, education and community. The workshop focused on helping us with
resilience skills through helping us realise that although we may not be achieving strongly in one
area of our life the other areas may be flourishing.

The workshops were extremely helpful as it gave us the time to reflect on ourselves. We thought
about things that we might want to change or improve to become happier. It gave us the chance to
really look back and appreciate what and who we have in our lives.

COMMONWEALTH BANK AND LEGAL AID SESSION:
The WAI VCAL program has always done an excellent job of keeping its students informed and
preparing them for the big wide world. This term, we’ve had both Legal Aid and Commonwealth
Bank sending over their best and brightest to provide financial and legal advice for our Intermediate
and Senior students. Erin, Kent, and Mark from Legal Aid informed our class about the laws that
have been passed regarding sexually explicit content online and how these laws apply to minors.
They talked about the issues of Third-Party Distribution, and consequences of such actions. It was
informative and fun with a very hip and funky role play scenario featuring 50 Cent’s ‘In Da Club’ that
engaged all students.

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The
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Brody and Jade from the Commonwealth Bank came in to discuss personal finances, smart spending,
saving, credit reports and suggested strategies to ensure our own financial future by avoiding
unnecessary and costly debt.

HOMELESS WORLD’S LONGEST LUNCH:
On the 27th of February, as part of the Melbourne Food and
Wine Festival the VCAL students teamed up with the HEAT
program and participated in the Homeless World’s Longest
Lunch. The 3&4 cookery students prepared a three course
meal for 139 guests while the remaining students were able to
gain exposure to catering in the Hospitality Industry through
working front of house serving the customers. The meal
consisted of Pasta Con Pomodoro Passata; featuring delicate
shells of pasta in a rich tomato sauce. Second course
showcased a beautiful Spezzatino di Manzo alla Toscana; beef
stew with creamy mashed potato topped with gremolata. The
meal concluded with a delicious dessert of Flourless Chocolate
Cake, served with whipped cream and a tangy Raspberry
Coulis.
By volunteering for this event you come to realise how fortunate you are as there are hundreds of
disadvantaged, less fortunate homeless people within our community who don’t have a home to go
to at the end of the day.
We are proud to have such excellent students volunteering their time and helping to put a smile on
people’s faces.

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The
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CULTURAL DIVERSITY DAY:

Tuesday the 17th March saw all of our VCAL students gathered together for Cultural Diversity Day
with an enormous banquet of unique and flavourful dishes, each representing a student’s family,
culture or home. We feasted on a wonderful buffet, displaying such delicacies as Cannelloni from
Italy, Quiche from France, Dumplings from Asia and good old Aussie Lamingtons.

It was a truly magnificent meal which was followed by the viewing of the 2012 film The Sapphires.
Set in the 60s, the film details the turbulent journey of four young, Indigenous Australian girls as
they form a band and with the help of their manager, find success entertaining the troops in
Vietnam.

The Cultural Diversity Day was an incredible experience, celebrating our unique cultural backgrounds
and sharing an important part of our lives with one another.

Trade Feature

Cookery 2nd year (Units 3+4) – Marisa Marchant

Marisa’s cookery class have been hitting the books. With first term being
all theory, we’ve managed to spice it up a bit with a herb/spice
identification session, some excursions and a couple of product tasting
sessions.

An extensive unit on Purchasing Goods focused on the intricacies of
ordering, and the skills required for minimising cost and maximising
profit. This unit took us to; Brunetti’s in Lygon St to organise a mock 60th
Birthday Party, to the Queen Victoria Market, where we shopped for the
highest quality veggies and purchased exotic fruits which we all enjoyed
tasting back on campus.

Our last session of term had us all don our whites and head into the
kitchen where we prepared enough biscuit dough to make over 800
biscuits for Youth Week.

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Intermediate VCAL The
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CAFÉ COMPARISON:
Our first project was the café comparison, getting our students out and about to venture through
the city of Melbourne. The project had students select three cafés of their choice and spend Friday
afternoons researching the service, tasting coffee and reviewing the venues. The class was divided
into groups of four allowing students to discuss and debate their opinions on each café. Not only did
it help everyone get to know each other, it also showed us the art of being analytical consumers and
gave us the confidence to present our findings in front of the group.
We’ve now started our Cheap Eats project scouring the city for Melbourne’s most affordable and
exquisite restaurant experiences.
SAUSAGE SIZZLE:
The intermediate class organised a BBQ day to get a taste of what Event Management is like, as well
as raise money to go towards the VCAL program. The students had to brainstorm their product for
the day sparking fierce discussion in the classroom; considering Popcorn, Chocolate Truffles, Grilled
Cheese, Shish Kebabs, Fruit Kebabs and Chocolate Fountains. Our students had high hopes before
reaching the true Holy Grail of charity events: the revered Sausage Sizzle. Our VCAL marketing team
pulled out all stops covering the walls of the halls with flyer, after flyer, after flyer! It seems the smell
of an old fashioned Aussie snag is enough to bring in over $250, exceeding all expectations and
providing a successful and valuable experience for everyone involved.

Our Intermediates are proud to say it’s been an incredibly joyous and productive term.
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Senior VCAL The
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PANCAKE DAY:
On the 17th of February which happened to be Shrove Tuesday the Senior VCAL students hosted a
pancake fundraising day for everyone at William Angliss Institute to enjoy.
Event Leader Maddie McCumber tells us about some of the challenges and outcomes of the
fundraiser.

How did the team come up with the fundraising idea?
“We got the idea from brainstorming discussions we’d had as a team during class. We ended up
agreeing on pancakes because of their popularity!”

What were you trying to achieve with this fundraising day?
“We were trying to raise money for our VCAL Program. We plan to use the money to fund our future
activities and learning in VCAL. I like being able to help my learning while being able to participate in
fun days like this!”

What do you think you learnt from the event?
“I found it difficult to lead people in a team environment where everyone has different ideas and
opinions on what we should do. Coming to a final decision is hard because not everyone is going to
be happy.”

What did you enjoy about working with a team?
“I enjoyed the support the team gave each other from the planning right through to the event made
things a lot easier and a lot more fun.”

Tell us about some of the challenges.
“We found setting up the event to be the most challenging part of the day. Making sure we had the
correct equipment, safety gear, stock and flyers. I also found the service challenging. Being efficient
while serving customers is a lot harder than I thought.”

Why do you think events like these are important?
“I think it’s important for us to gain experience working together as a team, stepping out of our
comfort zone and interacting with the public”.

How successful do you think the day was?
“I think it was a big success especially the pancake eating competition that Trent won. The event was
a really great experience and I look forward to the next event.”

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As part of their learning outcomes, the senior students have many projects and PD's to complete:

'Let's get out of here' is where students have to organize in pairs an activity where the class can get
out of the classroom to do an activity. On the 13th of March, Nicole and Michaella organized a
commentated bus tour around Melbourne. The Melbourne Visitor shuttle was a great way for the
students to explore the inner city of Melbourne while riding in comfort and listening to stories about
Melbourne's colourful past and current quirks. We stopped at many iconic places such as the MCG,
Chinatown, Old Melbourne Gaol, Lygon Street and The Queen Victoria Market.

Part of the senior’s personal development this year requires them to organise a lesson to teach to
their fellow classmates. It could be anything from cooking a dish to playing a sport and has to go for
an hour and a half and includes instruction and activities designed by each student.

The group is currently organizing a fundraiser event
to raise money for a charity which also counts
towards their personal development as they learn to
communicate with the broader community and the
organisational and time management skills required
to host events.

“Youth Week” event preparation is underway where
we will promote our youth program on the city circle
tram by running the commentary on Melbourne’s key
attractions whilst offering the public packets of
biscuits and mocktails produced by the students.

Appreciation Award

Our Appreciation Award this term goes to Melissa
Walsh-Daniels whose enthusiasm and willingness to
always lend a hand is immensely appreciated. She’s
showcased these qualities during her time with us as a
waiter at the Homeless World’s Longest Lunch, as well
as trying her hand as a chef during our Intermediate
Sausage Sizzle. We’d like to thank you, Melissa, for
providing a positive example and for presenting your
best self.

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The
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Reminders and important information

As parents we all want the best for our  Beating procrastination
children and hope that they make healthy and  Managing perfectionism
helpful choices as they strive towards their  Settling in to tertiary studies
goals.  Healthy relationships

If for some reason a student is unable to Thank you to all of the teachers and students
attend we expect them to email both their for a very busy and exciting first term.
teacher and the coordinator. Any unexplained
absences will be followed up, out of concern Enjoy the holidays and Happy Easter!
for the wellbeing of our students. If you have
any concerns please don’t hesitate to contact Marisa Marchant
us as we value open communication and look VCAL Coordinator
at the students education as a partnership
with families. Contact Details:
Marisa Marchant
The Counselling and Personal Co-ordinator Youth Learning
Development team offer drop in Check- Up
sessions for students every Friday afternoon Centre for Tourism & Hospitality
1-3pm in C213 and by appointment. William Angliss Institute
555 LaTrobe Street
Also available are a number of helpful tip Melbourne VIC 3000
sheets & resources on topics such as:
 Sleep and healthy lifestyle T: 03 9606 2623
 Time management and balance E: [email protected]
 Keeping organised
 Managing Stress

Disclaimer: This newsletter has been written about the VCAL Program by the
VCAL Coordinator and the Senior VCAL Leadership Team Angus, Nicole and
Chantelle

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