Acknowledgment of Country

Tom V.S attended Cooks Hill Campus and was in Advisory 3 with Lucie. He is currently 17 and completing a Diploma of Dance through the National College of Dance in Lambton.  This course includes both theory and practical work; such as working on turns, jumps and learning about the history of ballet and dance overall. 

Tom started dancing at around 5 years old and has always loved ballet. He loves a challenge, enjoys the athleticism and how hard it is to perfect the style.  Recently he was accepted into Brussels International Ballet School in Belgium and awarded a scholarship! Congratulations Tom!

Brussels focuses on ballet and only accepts 15-20 applicants a year! Tom let us know it is very rare to be awarded a scholarship, as scholarships are not government funded, but self-funded within the industry. This scholarship will decrease the tuition significantly. Tuition is normally 20,000 Euros per year and the course is 3 years. 

The first year will focus on foundations and building core technical skills, strength and discipline. In the second year students will begin to refine their techniques and specific skills for professional auditions. While the third prepares students to enter ballet companies and to transition into the professional ballet world with ease. 

To apply he sent in a video and was accepted in solely off the video. He stated this isn't the norm and usually you would have to go to Belgium to do more to get in. Tom was also accepted into another dance school in Canada, however turned it down as accommodation was too expensive. 

This week we would like to spotlight the Social Action Project Group (SAPG): Childcare! The Childcare SAPG has been running for a couple of years now with the purpose of aiding young kids growth through enriching activities. For this spotlight we chatted with Annalise and Chloe who have been part of the group this semester. 

Social Action

Activities are run by students of the group and link to helping the kids develop fine motor and cognitive skills. Activities in the past have included:

• Boat activity

Kids pair up to build a boat out of tin foil. Which then goes into a tub of water and one by one marbles are placed in the boat to test its strength. The strongest held 108 marbles!

This activity helped the kids build their team work skills as they had to be in a group of 2-3.  It also helped them develop their patience, as they had to wait their turn to put their boat in water and once in, only place one marble in at a time. 

• Matching/ memory activities

Kids had to find someone who had something the same as them. For example hair colour. This activity was paired with a memory game where they had to remember where a certain thing was. This helped them develop their ability to recognise patterns and awareness of others. 

Other activities have included: reading books and mixing paints to understand colour theory. The kids love us reading books aloud to them, and we've noticed through stories concepts really sink in, as opposed to verbal instructions said Chloe. 

Personal Qualities

Taking part in this SAPG has allowed students to develop their leadership skills through running activities. Plus their communication and team work skills. Students often pair up to run the activities. It has also helped them develop their problem solving skills and ability to think on their feet. 

Given the strong connection with the centre, students have also had the opportunity to complete Learning Through Internships here. Plus a past student went on to complete a traineeship here! 

The Cooks Hill Champions Push Up Challenge!

This June, Cooks Hill Campus (CHC) is participating in the Push Up challenge. So far 25 students and staff have signed up, which already is the biggest group CHC has ever had. The enthusiasm speaks volumes! The charity of choice is Lifeline, chosen by Shannon from the Learning & Support Team. 

Why should you join?

Joining would be great for your physical health, it will help improve your fitness levels and push you to do better. It will also build social connection by creating a mini community within the school and create more confidence in yourself and others. If you cannot do the physical aspect for whatever reason, you can still help out with marketing or social media, any help is appreciated! This challenge helps the broader community and will be lots of fun.

What is Lifeline?

Lifeline helps Australians nationally by providing 24/7, free and confidential support for those going through mental health crisis and aids in suicide prevention. 

Heres the link to our Cooks Hill Champions page: https://www.thepushupchallenge.com.au/fundraisers/thechcchampions 

-Ruby

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