PENINSULA ONLINE

Issue 2
Monday, 16 March 2009

Peninsula's first graduates 50 years on

It was 50 years in the making but on Saturday 7 February 2009 the Peninsula campus welcomed back 95 of  it's original 109 alumni to mark the college's jubilee year.

The group of inaugural Frankston Teachers' College alumni met at Struan House, the original and only teaching building during that first year of classes, to celebrate this 50 year milestone.

Tanya O’Brien from Campus Management welcomed the students of '59 back to the campus thanking the group for weaving the very fabric of pride and community that is still very much the essence of the campus 50 years on. 

After a short tour of Struan House and a re-creation of that historic first photo, the group moved to the Seahorse Tavern for lunch and catch up on memories and stories from years gone by. 

"From an outsider privileged to witness this occasion it was obvious that there was a great affection and rekindling of friendships, the non stop chatter and laughter was testament to this very emotional and uplifting experience," Tanya added.

Peninsula enhances teaching and learning experiences for the local community

The Peninsula campus has recently enhanced the learning opportunities for a group of year 11 students as well as local VCE English teachers through two separate and innovative community outreach programs.

Navigating VCE English

In a first for the campus and under the auspice of the Peninsula Education Precinct, Campus Management presented a professional development session for the region’s VCE English Teachers on 'Navigating VCE English'. 

This forum was coordinated by the campus in response to ongoing questions about the assessment criteria for VCE English following changes to the curriculum, and was attended by the State’s Assistant Chief Assessor for English Mr Ross Huggard and David White, an Educational Consultant in VCE English.

The forum covered an exam debrief focussing on answering the questions as well as discussions on curriculum and areas of study, the year ahead and 2009 considerations for school assessed work, and the exam. 

Twenty one of the region's 22 schools attended this informative session and over 85 teachers took part.  The session was a resounding success and allowed for passionate, frank and open discussion on the new VCE English curriculum.  The group indicated a strong desire to form a VCE English networking group and to meet on a more regular basis.

High Achievers Breakfast

A second program also run under the auspices of the Peninsula Education Precinct saw 60  of the region’s highest ability Year 11 students gather for the first of two half day High Achievers’ Breakfast sessions. 

Christopher Shen, a Monash Alumnus and consultant in Leadership and Performance, presented the group with a session on inspirational and passionate high performance.

Acting Assistant Principal from Frankston High School, Ms Lee Anne Smith, together with and Andrew Marks, Manager, HWD, Peninsula Campus, presented sessions on memory techniques and Stress management respectively.   

The program is in its second year and is an important component to inspiring young people from Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula to aspire to greater heights in education by exploring opportunities available to them.

Enhancing the student experience on campus

Staff are encouraged to support and promote to students, where possible, events run by groups on campus such as the 'Midweek Get Together' functions coordinated by Health Wellbeing and Development and the Employment and Career Development Job Seeker seminars.

The Midweek Get togethers are regular, social activities developed to support the student experience and enhance their learning opportunities at the campus. They provide a great opporunity for students to make new friends, learn about different cultures and ask staff members questions about university issues in a friendly, relaxed environment.

The next Midweek Get Together, titled 'Who gives a sausage', will be held on Wednesday 25 March from 12 noon to 2 pm in front of the Library next to the flag poles and will include a sausage sizzle and Hip Hop group.

Further events will be held on the following days:

The objectives of the Employment and Career Development seminars are to meet the needs of students in providing access to career advice and information in a less formal manner. Events still to be run in this program include:

New bus service

The shuttle bus service between the Frankston train station and the Peninsula campus has proved to be extremely popular for students.

Already the bus, that operates during semester and exam periods, has transported 1200 students between the campus and the station to date. The shuttle service between the Peninsula and Clayton campus is also heavily utilised with 3500 passengers using the service in the last three weeks.

The shuttle bus timetables are available online. The bus stop at the station is located in Fletcher Road, Frankston, opposite Chisholm Institute of TAFE.

Footy tipping competition

The time has come for the Monash Peninsula Tipping comp to swing back into action with the kick off of the AFL home and away season commencing on Thursday 26 March with a big match between Richmond and Carlton.

Staff, students, friends and family are welcome to join the competition for $5 for the year. To join, go to www.footytips.com.au and select the Tipping tab at the top of the page. Follow the prompts to join the site the when you are asked to join a competition, find the Monash Peninsula Tipping comp and click 'join this competition'.

Please provide money to Julie Baxter in Campus Administration, Building C, by the commencement of the first round.

Happy tipping!

Wellbeing at Monash Committee

Wellbeing at Monash is seeking staff with an interest in health and wellbeing to join the Wellbeing at Monash committee.

The aim of the committee is to create a range of dynamic and engaging approaches to increasing wellbeing at Monash, with a focus on improving the physical and mental health across the whole university community.

The committee provides broad direction and guidance for the Wellbeing at Monash program of events and services. This is a great opportunity for staff from any campus who are passionate and enthusiastic about improving the wellbeing of Monash staff.

Requirements: Committee members must have an interest in the health and wellbeing of the Monash community and be available to attend at least five (1 hour) meetings per year.

Interested? Register your interest by emailing the Wellbeing at Monash Coordinator Bryley Sadler - including brief details of your current role and your interest in health and wellbeing.

Mental Health First Aid

The 2007 National Survey of Mental Health & Wellbeing revealed that one in four young people (16-24 years) were battling a mental illness ranging from anxiety disorders to depression and substance use.

Young people with mental disorders are at a greater risk of suicide, self-harm and drug addiction because of gaps in treatment. However, early intervention ensures a person gets the required help minimising any further deterioration.

Monash University aims to support people with mental health issues with a two-day Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) workshop to give staff better understanding and awareness of the warning signs of mental health problems while preparing them to  manage incidents that require referrals and consultations with mental health practitioners.

To learn more about the 5 step mental health first aid plan and to improve your mental health literacy, information is available online listing the upcoming courses offered by Monash.

On completion of the course, participants will receive a certificate of attendance. If you would like to know more about the course, please contact Shyama Fuad, MHFA Coordinator, Health Wellbeing & Development on extn 53156.