Victorian volunteers came together on Wednesday 26 March to celebrate the end of term 1, at Christies Spaces, Collins Street in the CBD. The day commenced with an opening address from EdConnect Chair Sabine Dejey who reflected on her recent time in Perth attending the WA Awards ceremony. The volunteer stories from the event reinforced how important the work of EdConnect volunteers are in providing protective measures for our students at risk of disengaging and helping to change their future.
EdConnect’s Acting CEO Danie McNeil provided a national and state update which also focused on Ardoch. A special welcome was made to past Ardoch volunteers who were in attendance. Rosalie Brown the Tasmanian North / North West Liaison Officer was introduced and it was great to have her fly in for the event. Buddies Manager Claire Lawson showcased the Buddies program and encouraged volunteers to share the corporate volunteering opportunity with any family members or friends who may be interested.
The first guest speaker for the day was Greg White. Greg is a retired principal and Beyond Blue speaker, who shared his personal story and how he sought help and professional support when he was diagnosed with depression. Greg also shared Beyond Blue information and resources to assist volunteers in supporting students experiencing anxiety or depression, whilst reminding volunteers to always speak to the school if they are concerned about a student.
Next on the agenda was a volunteer activity that lined up attendees based on years of service. It was a fun activity, with Phil (a past Ardoch volunteer) leading the line at 15 years and Glenn at the other end, who is about to apply! We then paired up volunteers to share their experiences and the room was buzzing with discussion.
After morning tea, we reconvened and Jacquie Binns, a Wellbeing Counsellor from Hampton Park Secondary College, joined us remotely and gave an insight into schools and challenges faced by students. Questions from the floor included, what does school refusal look like, how has the demand for support changed over the years and we ended with Jacquie sharing some commonly used words amongst students and their meaning that our volunteers many not have heard before.
The last session for the day was a fun and interactive session on phonics. Drawing from the session facilitated by Truganina South Primary School Literacy team, an overview of phonics was provided and volunteers practiced some sounds together. Thanks to volunteer and past principal Peter Hughes who helped us along the way! We know we won’t always get it right, but it’s important to try and keep on learning!
The day concluded with a group photo and lunch! The end of term event was a great way to learn, connect, meet other local volunteers, share experiences and make new friends!
For more information about the EdConnect Australia volunteer program visit www.edconnectaustralia.org.au, contact edconnect@edconnect.org.au or call 1800 668 550.
