Perfect partners: Kyabam P-12 College’s award-winning partnerships with district industries was recognised at the awards. From left is Mark Herrick (SLTEC), Campaspe shire’s Astrid O’Farrell, Kristen Elliott from Shepparton Industry Training Hub (MEGT), Kyabram P-12 College’s Mitch Coombs, Coprice’s David Brown, Melva Tyson (Murray Dairy), Mark Gerrard from Greenhams and former Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) chair Chris Wardlaw. Andrew Tyler (Tyler Farms) is absent. Photos: Nicole Cleary Photography
If Kyabram P-12 College was a football team it would be the envy of the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) “league”.
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The college is considered among the leading schools in the delivery of the VCAL program and has won eight awards at the VCAL achievement awards in the past four years, since becoming one of the original trial schools for the program more than a decade ago.
There were 80 students from its years 10, 11 and 12 population involved in the program last year and applied learning leading teacher Mitch Coombs had more reason to celebrate last week.
The college was recognised with three awards at the VCAL event celebrating the class of 2022.
Four Year 11 students received the award for intermediate team achievement for their efforts to improve acknowledgement and upport for the LGBTIQ+ community.
Drea Carson, Evelyn Faisst, Chloe Smith and Hazel Walley worked together to create an LGBTIQ+ pride mural and seating area.
The awareness project saw a pride flag painted on a prominent footpath and the opening was attended by two leading figures in the equal opportunity and LGBTIQ communities.
Ro Allen, Victoria’s Equal Opportunity Commissioner and Todd Fernando, the state’s LGBTIQ Commissioner, attended the opening alongside representatives from Goulburn Valley Pride, Campaspe Shire and the school community.
Kyabram P-12 College’s VCAL program has an increased presence through its Year 10 lead in program, designed to re-engage students through the middle years of their secondary school education.
Mitch’s moment: Applied Learning Leading Teacher at Kyabram P-12 College Mitch Coombs with former VCAA chair Chris Wardlaw.
Mr Coombs said the growth of the program (since it started in 2002) had been considerable, students involved in VCAL trebling in the past five years.
“We do it differently to other schools, it is a very integrated program where we mesh the subjects together to provide a real-world learning environment,” Mr Coombs said.
He said the students involved in the mural and seating area development received financial assistance for the initiative after they made relevant authorities aware of their plans.
“The project was much more than a mural, they needed to complete the planning and budgeting process,” he said.
Mr Coombs, who has been in the VCAL lead role for three years, is a former student of the college who graduated in 2006.
He was also an aware recipient, recognised with one of four teacher awards for the integrated program.
He and the staff involved in delivering the college’s VCAL program use community connection and meaningful projects to allow students to focus on areas of interest.
The program has led to several success stories, not only with the completion of VCAL certificates, but also in regard to further training and employment, including apprenticeships.
A third was was made to the college as one of two partner awards, for its work with Tongala’s HW Greenham, CopRice, SLTEC Fertilizers and Tyler Farms businesses, as well as Campaspe Shire, Shepparton’s MEGT Industry Training Hub and Murray Dairy Yorta Yorta Country.
Those organisations were involved in on-site information delivery to students and hosted visits to their sites.
Mr Coombs was accompanied at the awards by college principal Marina Walsh and secondary principal Louise Mellington.
Award-winning team: Hazel Walley, Chloe Smith, Mylo (Evelyn) Faisst and Drea Carson with Chris Wardlaw after accepting the student award.
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