Cambridge Primary School

Why was your school keen to become involved in the Festival?

Cambridge Primary School has a strong student welfare focus. The school has developed its own school declaration, and its Mission Statement clearly articulates the empowerment of students for a life beyond Cambridge. The school gives them a real sense of community engagement, and encourages respect, resilience and independence. Students and staff are both committed to the physical, social, spiritual and emotional wellbeing of the individual, and many of our curriculum programs reflect this. Values for Life education, personal development programs, student welfare themes and work on Habits of Mind are just a few of the programs the school offers its students in an effort to live its Mission. The FHL therefore seemed like a natural extension of the climate and culture that is created and nurtured within the school.

How did you set up your School Team?

The FHL targeted Years 5 and 6 students. The teachers of these two year levels elected representatives, primarily the Year Level Coordinator, to represent them on the Steering Committee. Together with the Principal, two Assistant Principals and representatives from the Wyndham Youth Focus Group, the group met monthly to discuss the focus for the performance; how to integrate the performance within our curriculum; and plans for Valediction. Each of the coordinators in turn reported back to their departments, and to the rest of the school.

How did you select students for participation?

We encouraged all students to participate. This led to a sense of inclusiveness and proved to be a social teambuilding exercise. Since the students in Years 5 and 6 were working on Habits of Mind, we thought it would be an ideal way to have all students share this unique experience in a creative and personal way. While the students rehearsed the skills such as stilt walking and juggling, the staff took particular note of those children who mastered these skills particularly well, and they were then selected to refine and further develop these skills. Students had the opportunity to demonstrate their skills on the night of the performance. The students learnt a lot about themselves throughout the process, and the teachers discovered talents they did not realise their students possessed.

How did you manage to involve every class in the school?

Every class was either directly or indirectly involved in the Festival. Their involvement was primarily through Staff Welfare. Early in the year the staff had a Professional Development day on Staff Welfare: An Introduction to the Festival for Healthy Living. This day was the catalyst that launched the program in the school. The day provided all staff with an overview of the program and how they could involve students at all levels. It was also a fantastic, fun day for the teachers, nourishing their mental health. From this day, each teacher took away a framework that was developed and added to throughout the year.

How was the whole school community involved in the Festival?

The school community was involved in several ways:

representation on the Steering Committee for Valediction
making stilts for our stilt walkers
supervising children at RCH performances
producing tickets, photocopying programs
participating in the audience.

What were some of the things that helped get the school’s effort off the ground?

I believe the enthusiasm of the staff, both teaching and non-teaching, together with the students’ keen interest in the Festival was testimony to its success. Secondly, having high calibre artists sharing their wealth of talent and expertise with the students helped maintain a high energy level that ultimately resulted in the excellent final product. The teaching staff need recognition and congratulations, since it was their flexibility, commitment and extensive time rehearsing and re-rehearsing the acts that enabled the whole concept to come together.

Were there any particular highlights of the Festival?

The major highlight was seeing our students have the courage and confidence to perform acts so skilful which, had it not been for their involvement in the Festival for Healthy Living, they would not otherwise have succeeded in executing. It was very surprising to see normally quiet and shy students slowly transform into confident and talented performers. Another highlight worth mentioning was the level of creativity that was generated by the Festival. Students actually composed their own songs and performed them on the night!! What an achievement!

What presented difficulties/barriers for the school in its participation in the Festival? What advice would you give regarding areas for caution?

The main difficulty for the school was actually visualising what the production would finally look like, and having that vision articulated to the staff sooner. Perhaps a storyboard could have been produced at one of the earlier meetings, and both artists and staff would have had the opportunity to add their ideas to it. The theme or focus for the production could then have been refined and adjusted early in the process, and in this way the angst felt by some staff towards the end may have been minimised.

Professional development. How did you go about organising this? Has there been any follow-up PD after the Festival?

Staff wellbeing was, and will continue to be, a focus for the school. Two teachers this year were successful in obtaining a month’s professional leave to work on staff wellbeing in the school. The Festival for Healthy Living and the great day we had early in the year, giving the staff an overview of the Festival, was just what the school needed in promoting staff wellbeing. The school is planning another staff wellbeing day for next year in which staff look at pampering themselves either by attending yoga classes, or just going to see a good movie.

What happened at the school after the Festival in terms of mental health promotion?

Students have enjoyed viewing the DVD of the night.
Copies of the DVD have been produced to raise funds to continue with the Artist in Schools program.
We are looking at incorporating stilt walking into the PE curriculum for next year.
We have involved one of our local businesses, Stockdale & Leggo Real Estate, in the production of colour certificates for all our students who performed on the night.
A PD for teachers on staff wellbeing has been organised for next year.
Work on Values for Life program, and a fortnightly focus on values such as resilience, cooperation etc. will continue.

Contact:
Craig Spry
Acting Assistant Principal, Cambridge Primary School
e: spry.craig.s@edumail.vic.gov.au

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