Nillumbik/Banyule Term 4 Week Three

This week started off a visit to Grey Horse Growth and Learning at Smith's Gully. Although we had a smaller group of students this week, everyone was really actively involved in the activities. Maggie and Hazel spent the morning in the sunshine helping us learn about horses, getting to know and trust them, considering our body language and using the horse relationship as a metaphor for the relationships in our own life. We met and engaged with five different horses, and it was interesting to see the different bonds students gained with each horse.

After our morning session, the group headed to the park for lunch and to catch up on some journal writing. Each term, students are asked to complete a journal about their experiences. This is a great tool for a number of reasons. We ask that the students write not only about what they have done, but how they felt about it. This exercise helps students consider their own emotions, as well as helping us understand how they're feeling about the program and various activities. The regular writing assists in literacy skills and is a great reminder for students to look back on their experiences after the program.

Thursday was a great day of learning experiences. In the morning, we went to Melbourne Polytechnic Tafe at Heidelberg where we had a taster in Engineering. Students learnt the skills to make their own coping saw, which everyone did and were able to take home. There was also an opportunity to make our own dog tags. It was great to see everyone really actively engaged and hands on in this activity, and thanks to Michael for showing us what's on offer at the tafe.

Thursday afternoon was spent back at Nillumbik Health with another session run by Luke. This week we were talking about Drugs and Alcohol. During this session we were joined by a few people who gave their own personal stories, and the students were able to ask any questions about how drugs and alcohol affected their lives, and those around them. We were also joined by Jamie, the local Vic Police Youth Resource Officer, who was able to clearly state the laws around drugs and alcohol for young people and answer any questions.

Friday was spent at South Melbourne Life Saving Club learning first aid and CPR, and basic board safety in the water. Unfortunately we had a very small turn out on the day, but those who attended really got a lot out of the activities and enjoyed the time spent out in the bay.