Healesville Innovation and Excellence Cluster

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

Healesville Cluster principals were initially divided, and cautious about entering into an unknown program that would require collective agreement and commitment from each school. Ultimately they were persuaded to participate by the prospect of a cluster outcome that could be formally evaluated; the opportunity to increase the cluster’s profile with service providers; and the congruence between the cluster’s focus on increasing social competencies and mental health promotion.

How did you set up your School Teams?

School Teams were composed of Middle Years teachers with the support of the Festival for Healthy Living Team and the resident artist. The composition of each team varied from school to school, for example, Assistant Principal, Welfare Officer, Art teacher. These teams arranged their own meeting schedules.

How did you select students for participation?

At Toolangi Primary School all students benefited from working with the artist. For the community performance, the artist generated a student designed performance with the combined class of Grades 3, 4, 5 and 6. The message of their story was about hope, and combined drama and music.

At Chum Creek Primary School, students from Grade 2/3/4 and Grade 5/6 spent time with their artist. The performance piece was constructed by the senior students and focused on team building. Exploring the Jungle eloquently described children’s experiences through percussion and movement.

The Badger Creek Primary School artist conducted sessions with three Grade 5/6 classes. From the senior grades a troupe of performers was selected from volunteers. These students worked intensively to build a dramatic workshop, exploring ways to deal with bullying. Their performance outcome became a learning experience for all grades in the school, and an expert leadership opportunity for the students in the troupe.

At Healesville Primary School, the performing artist initially worked with six grades from Grade 4 to 6. This phase was followed by intensive work with volunteers from Grade 6, selected by audition. The group worked closely with their teachers and the artist to produce a dramatic piece, incorporating song and dance to explore the consequences of bullying. This production was filmed and was then accompanied by advertisements promoting positive mental health messages designed by the rest of the students.

At Healesville High School a trial with a Year 7 class and a Year 9 elective was undertaken. After some volatile experiences, it was decided to reconsider our plan of action. A performing artist worked with a combined group of interested Year 7 and 8 students in partnership with their English teacher. This troupe developed a circus skills performance, supported by the Artistic Coordinator. The challenge here was to build a climate of trust and teamwork.

Healesville High showcased their Martial Arts Therapy group exemplifying courage and persistence and based on their mantra of: Be kind, Be calm, Be strong.

The Festival PD day focused on Indigenous Culture, with Murrundindi, a Wurundjeri Interpreter and Elder delivering a message of awareness and inclusiveness. Following the PD day, Murrundindi met with all Cluster Middle Years students and followed up by meeting groups of Indigenous students. The idea of a dance troupe emerged, and so the Kulcha Boyz was born. The Kulcha Boyz, from Healesville High School, Healesville Primary School and Oonah Learning Pathways collaborated to learn more about their heritage and create their own contemporary dances. The resulting performance piece became integral to the theme of the Festival for Healthy Living community performance.

How did you manage to involve all classes in the cluster?

While the FHL was primarily a Middle Years experience in the Healesville Cluster, the FHL Wellbeing Day was also attended by a Healesville Primary Grade 3 class, Year 9 students, and a Year 11 Psychology class, who integrated this experience with studies on mental health.

How did the cluster create whole school involvement in the Festival?

Most cluster staff participated in the cluster FHL PD. The cluster curriculum day was an inaugural event, and whole school involvement sat uneasily with different groups. The matinee audience included some family and community members and students, especially at the primary level. The Memorial Hall was full for the community performance. The performance was endorsed by a traditional welcome by Uncle Juby Wandin, Headman of the Wurundjeri people.

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

The work of committees at various levels was the key to action. At the same time, communication between various groups was a challenge that was never adequately resolved. However, every challenge is an opportunity. The communication problem was identified as systemic and improvements were implemented.

Were there any particular highlights of the Festival?

Highlights were all about relationships – with teachers, with committee members and service providers, and members of the community, but most joyfully, with students. The very best achievements of students frequently occurred in the wings, changing rooms, rehearsals, and in the middle of problems.

The performing arts group, the Kulcha Boyz, was fabulous. This group formed an intense connection resulting in a dynamic repertoire that inspired an outpouring of support from the local community and beyond. This was action research at its most vital!

Healesville Cluster’s focus recognises the importance of principles underlying social competence:

Wellbeing is intrinsic to learning.
Students’ learning occurs mainly in the context of social relationships.
Cognitive, emotional and behavioural domains are interlinked.
Schools are a major social learning environment.
Students learn best when they experience a sense of belonging and significance.

(Ruth Crilly and Helen Spargo, DE&T, Social Competencies Conference 2002.)

The demonstrated success of the Kulcha Boyz experience can be evaluated in terms of performing arts outcomes, increased engagement as measured by attendance and commitment, improved social competencies and increase in cultural awareness of dancers and audiences.

This is a valid but clinical assessment of educational outcomes. The heart of the story is that warm community connections were made possible by the Kulcha Boyz. Their growth through brotherhood has shifted the focus to being proud and respected ambassadors of the Healesville community and Aboriginal cultural awareness.

What presented difficulties/barriers for the cluster in its participation in the Festival?

Communication within and between committees
Variable attendance at meetings
Perception that the FHL, and mental health promotion were extra work in a crowded curriculum
Perception of different agendas from various groups
FHL student groups missing regular classes
Management of student behaviour
Where the FHL revealed existing problems, these problems were sometimes attributed to the FHL
Whole school approach: reality or rhetoric

The Festival was adopted as a collective program that was compatible with our cluster’s focus on improving student engagement and social competencies. Within a collective commitment, it was understood that each school could shape their involvement according to their particular needs. Principals maintained a democratic approach to funds, artist time, and decision-making. There is strong agreement that the cluster has benefited from participating in a joint program that has clearly had a positive effect on the broader community.

What advice would you give regarding areas for caution?

Tolerate, and even welcome, dynamic tension. Disequilibrium is a necessary component of the change process. The Festival for Healthy Living may spotlight problems: this is an opportunity! Be alert for the stories that offer rich evidence of success. Encourage ownership. Be proactive about potential problems: minute all meetings, send meeting reminders, be explicit about budget, acknowledge different agendas, and seek common ground. Deal with challenges; celebrate successes. The starting point may not be where you thought it was, so look deeply when you evaluate outcomes. Get ready for the FHL process to work on you too.

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

The curriculum Professional Development day in March 2005 covered topics including, Destigmatising Mental Health Issues and Referrals, Dealing with Diversity, Aboriginal Issues, and Bullying and Resilience. Since then the cluster has pursued PD in The Hidden Rules: Understanding Generational Poverty with Nairn Walker. Another innovation supported by the FHL is to share PD opportunities across the cluster, with staff attending as a cluster delegation.

Staff feedback for the PD with Helen Cahill (PD Coordinator, Youth Research Centre) was universally positive.

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

Healesville Primary School students completed filming of their anti-bullying production, complete with mental health promotion messages. This was launched with parents as an end-of-year celebration.

The Badger Creek Peace Building Troupe worked with their artist to deliver workshops to each grade in the school. The principal observed that this process was highly successful. Playground interactions reveal the impact of the FHL through a rich toolkit of vocabulary for understanding and handling challenges. The performing troupe has grown in confidence, self-esteem and deep awareness of peace building strategies. Additionally, the FHL has raised the profile of performing arts as having intrinsic merit, as well as being an effective strategy for achieving learning outcomes. This process culminated in a very well received parent and community performance followed by an anti-bullying forum conducted by students.

The school intends to continue their association with the artist with team-building drama workshops in 2006, and an artist in residence program in 2007.

At Healesville High School Year 10 students participated in a Wellbeing Day. Lunchtime activities were planned as a response to encouraging social competencies in the playground. This was a proactive response to addressing concerns about harmoniously sharing a space limited by major building works.

The High School recently held a special school assembly celebrating student achievement. Leaders for 2006 were presented, the school band dazzled, and student groups impressed with original dance routines ranging from classical to hip hop and beyond.

Kulcha Boyz have continued to inspire the interest of the local and wider community. They performed at the Eastern Region Indigenous Service Providers Forum; the Anglicare conference; in Children’s Week at Healesville Sanctuary; and Shire of Yarra Ranges Youth Services requested an appearance at the Healesville Service Providers Network. The final 2005 performance took place at Healesville High School’s Presentation Night.

A valuable outcome of being involved in performing arts with students is enhanced relationships. A measure of this is student perception that the position of Innovation and Excellence Coordinator is now considered a resource and a link to teachers and school leadership. Resulting from the Festival, appropriate help-seeking behaviours have emerged, leading to improved support for students. For teachers there is increased awareness of, and improved capacity to meet student needs.

The Festival for Healthy Living is an ongoing journey that has surpassed expectations.

Contact:
Christine Shiel
Innovation and Excellence Educator, Healesville Cluster
e: shiel.christine.a@edumail.vic.gov.au

Last Updated 06-Jun-2008. Authorised by: Pam Marland. Enquiries: Harry Gelber.