Wall, the ideal role model

By Marc McGowan
INNOVATION is proving to be a successful teaching tool at Lyndhurst Secondary College.
The Cranbourne North school’s teachers continue to explore new ways to educate their VCAL students.
Premiership-winning Melbourne Vixens netballer Sarah Wall was the latest guest speaker to attend the school last week.
Ms Wall, 24, spoke to VCAL students about the programs at the Victorian Institute of Sport and goal-setting.
“I have a massive passion for role modelling for young girls to make sure that they see there is something else to life other than socialising and partying,” Ms Wall said.
“Role models are important and these talks are also about giving them an idea of how to achieve their goals and how they have to put plans in place to actually get to that stage,” she said.
Ms Wall’s visit coincided with Lyndhurst’s VCAL sport/fitness unit. Students have had excursions to Scienceworks and the National Sports Museum at the MCG for the unit.
Gary Connor from Wheelchair Sport Victoria also visited the school this month, and students engaged in an impromptu wheelchair basketball game.
Lyndhurst’s senior teaching and learning leader Jeff McMillin said it was about finding a hook to maintain students’ interest.
“We’re always trying new things. You trial a unit and teachers come together and brainstorm and get feedback from the kids,” Mr McMillin said.
“If it works you run it; if it doesn’t you don’t run it again,” he said.
“Our VCAL completion rates are very, very good compared to the rest of the state … and that tells us that what we’re offering is what the kids want.”
Students have also performed charity work with the Salvation Army in recent times and completed a unit called I see dead people, where one of their tasks was to write their own will.