Eaglehawk Secondary College

Principal: Karen Roberts
Assistant Principal: Noel Claridge

Eaglehawk Secondary College is in an exciting place where students enjoy a range of learning opportunities and have fun! We are always keen to take up new and innovative approaches to education, and to build positive connections with our community.

We are committed to creating a safe and supportive environment for all students and looking after student and staff well-being. The Festival for Healthy Living has provided us with the chance to work closely with two of our primary schools, and take an innovative approach to mental health promotion through the use of the performing arts.

We have had great success with the performing arts previously in our efforts to challenge and support the personal and social empowerment of young people, and to share important health messages about risky behaviours and personal safety. The Theatre of Transformation, Stuff Project and Peer Drug Education Program are a few examples of some of our successful projects.

Through the Festival for Healthy Living our students have had the opportunity to work with a professional artist and use rhythm, music and movement to explore the theme of Connection. There has been a whole school focus on mental health and well-being, and some great activities happening across the college, from artwork to writing, to role play.

The college is also committed to developing student's social competencies to assist them to bring out the best in themselves, to build self esteem and self awareness, positive relationships, better work habits, appropriate behaviours and communication. The You Can Do It Program and STEP program aim to promote the 4 keys to success - Persistence, Getting Along, Confidence and Organization. A major goal is to improve student well-being, and help students strive towards personal excellence. The Festival for Healthy Living really complimented our work in this area. Some of our student's achievements featured in the Festival's combined school's performance, including the Year 9/10 Drama students, and Fire Twirlers. The Bunjii's Drummers and our Circus Skills and Music students performed during the breaks.

We also took part in Mental Health Week activities during Term 4 2003 with the Expo hosted by Eaglehawk North Primary School. We hope to extend the Festival benefits into the future. I wonder what the next opportunity is around the corner to make learning dynamic and real and fun? What other ways to build connections and well-being for schools and communities? Another community lunch? An evening of food and singing? The possibilities are endless!

Eaglehawk SC - What are the Words?

We have taken the students out of their school environment, freed them and challenged their creativity to explore an unknown, imagined environment. They have developed script writing, improvisation technique and role playing into areas of high status/low status. This is a fun way to see how relationships work in social and workplace environments.

Taking as a springboard the age old story of love crossing the enemy lines, we are using music, rhythm and movement to create Eaglehawk Secondary College's contribution to this theatrical exploration of Connection.

Sue Ingleton
Artist in residence

Last Updated 29-Sep-2009. Authorised by: Pam Marland. Enquiries: Harry Gelber.