What’s happening at Findon High School?

A visit to Tutti, a multi-arts hub for people with a disability marked the end of the year-long ‘Youth Music Night’ Changemaker initiative, led by Intermediate students Rachel Vawser, Karlie Delmenico and Charlotte Corcoran. The girls worked alongside the City of Charles Sturt Council’s Community Youth Development Lead, Cathy O’Loughlin to turn their vision of connecting the young people of The City of Charles Sturt through music, to life. In doing so, they raised money to support the important work of Tutti.

Late in 2019, the trio saw an opportunity to do something unique in partnership with Council; they knew that their love and passion for music was shared by many young people of the west, yet a platform to come together to create and share music just wasn’t available. They wanted to create a night of live music, created by young people, for young people and that’s exactly what they did, overcoming enormous challenge in the process with COVID striking not once, but twice.

As they say in the music industry, the show must go on! Karlie, Rachel and Charlotte worked tirelessly to engage local talent and support their preparation, and to promote the event to the local community. The opportunity to perform and be live-streamed in such a unique and professional space with industry quality sound equipment was inspiring for all involved. The experience offered insight into potential careers in the arts and entertainment industries, event planning and management and publicity and marketing. Most important was the learning that grew from an opportunity to work as an interdependent team led by experts; Council and Findon High School united successfully to harness the enthusiasm of the young people of the west to seize an opportunity to come together through music and make change.

If your child has an innovative idea that will make change for the young people of Findon High School and the City of Charles Sturt, contact Karla Huffa at Karla.Huffa847@schools.sa.edu.au

The face of Findon High School was transformed this year, through the creation of ‘Unity’, a mural that represents a coming together of the City of Charles Sturt Council, artist Nicky Create and the students of Findon High School. As a result of our school’s strong partnership with The Brocas, The City of Charles Sturt Council’s Youth Space, our school received support to create a vibrant example of street art, reflective of the school’s values and identity.

The process was truly collaborative with opportunities for students to reflect upon the advantages of potential design options, their voice central to the decision-making process as they engaged in robust discussion with their peers.

Opportunity for student-led community consultation was offered, with members of the school and broader community voting on the vision for the final design. Through this dialogue, the students learnt that listening is at the heart of the creation of public art as it reflects everyone. The students were engaged to prepare the boards for painting, learning invaluable practical skills and deepening their understanding of art design on a large scale as they worked interdependently, to get the job done. The students contributed to the final design, working with Nicky across the school holidays to bring an idea to life. As the mural took shape the young people of Findon High School’s connection to their school and community grew, as did their understanding of the high level of skill, grit and commitment a mural artist must employ in the creation of their work. 

Students worked closely with professional mural artist Nicky Create throughout the project. Over several weeks, students had the opportunity to reflect upon what was central to their own identities, creating vision boards reflective of the ways their individuality is represented in school culture; how they are an important part of a whole. Two ideas dominated: diversity and unity and these over-arching concepts drove the design that the students, led by Nicky, decided upon.

The mural was officially unveiled at a formal ceremony held on Tuesday 13^th November where all participants were acknowledged for their contribution, including CEO of The City of Charles Sturt Council, Paul Sutton and Mayor, Angela Evans. Martina Rossello and Amira Estefan, both involved in the project, spoke on behalf of the students. Their words reflected their deep personal connection to the mural and a sense of pride stemming from their involvement in the project.

“Being involved in the creation of ‘Unity’ has meant a lot to me. ‘Unity’ means being united; joined as a whole, and I feel more united with my school because I have been a part of it. When I had the chance to create my own vision board and work with Nicky I felt empowered to express what was important to me, in a beautiful way. Seeing the lily that connects me to my Italian heritage on the wall behind me makes me feel like I am truly a part of Findon High School and that who I am matters.” Martina

Learning alongside someone like Nicky has taught me so much about what it means to be creative. She inspired me to take risks, have a go and believe in myself as an artist.  Working with Nicky was an incredible opportunity and one that I will never forget. I hope that this mural unites everyone in our school community and that the people of Findon enjoy it and the story it tells for many years to come.” Amira

Findon High School’s Coffee Caravan is taking shape thanks to the hard work of our students and school community! The year we purchased a 1980 Millard caravan that students, in partnership with staff and a range of school partners who are experts in the advanced manufacturing, design engineering, street art and trade fields, will repair and re-design, enabling food preparation and service standards compliance.

Already this year a partnership with Cutting edge Youth has seen the caravan prepped and ready for a new fit-out in 2021. In the long-term students will take ownership of the facility, planning and catering for school and community events, immersing themselves in real-world entrepreneurial education through a taste of ‘self-employment’. Students will be well prepared to take up this challenge as a result of a partnership with HG Coffee School – experts in barista training – who are upskilling students in this field. They really will be job ready as soon as the Caravan is operational.

Embedded within all stages of the project through SACE aligned programs, are opportunities for students to develop and utilise core skills required for success in the 21^st century context, most importantly literacy, numeracy and critical and creative thinking, ensuring enhanced employability and increased optimism about the future. Through their involvement, students will be well positioned to plan for and work towards ongoing and more far-reaching, entrepreneurial and other career success.

Thanks to the Wyatt Trust for their generous support of the coffee caravan Initiative; this year our school has secured funding through Wyatt, taking us several steps closer to achieving our coffee caravan goals!

Findon High School is committed to ensuring our students develop their understanding of sustainability and build the skills to live more sustainable lives. This year, sustainable development of our school’s garden has been made possible by The Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management (NRM) Board which provides financial assistance to support schools to sustainably manage natural resources.

How is the funding being used?

The primary focus of our project is to establish a series of rainwater irrigated, native arbors as part of Findon High School’s market and flower garden, The Plot.  The project aims to increase levels of biodiversity at Findon High School, subsequently improving the school’s ecosystem. This priority was identified as an area for sustainability development during a student led inquiry project in 2018. Our students predict that in increasing levels of native biodiversity within the garden space through native arbors, the Western Adelaide habitat corridor ecosystem will improve.

The arbor project is also an important part of the expansion of the garden as a learning space for both The Palms Education Centre and students in the mainstream. Palms students will engage in the development of the garden as part of an integrated curriculum, as well as utilising it into the future to develop sensory awareness for therapeutic purposes. Mainstream students will learn and apply real world Science Technology Engineering Arts and Maths (STEAM) skills when planning and constructing the arbor and associated signage