It has been another fantastic year for the students in Learning Neighbourhood 4. The year started like most others do at Corrigan’s, however, this year has certainly been like no other. By term 2, the Capital Works project had begun and due to the amount of construction to be completed, we moved to Cranbourne West Secondary School who were gracious enough to share their space with us. There was apprehension, excitement, and many other feelings as we moved away from our home and to another school setting. The students did an amazing job transitioning to the new school and represented Marnebek holding strong to the school values of Respect, Resilience, and Responsibility. The students have taken to their new ‘home’ with ease and continued seamlessly with their learning.

Even though we have had to make several changes to the environment, the teachers have made sure that we continue providing all the amazing opportunities that would be available during any school year. The Parks and Gardens team transferred to Cranbourne West as well, completing their Certificate II; they also utilised their skillset to help complete a garden project at Cranbourne West Secondary.

The Horizon TAFE program went from strength to strength, with students accessing more programs than ever.  We expanded the course offerings through Chisholm with many students taking up exciting pathways such as bricklaying, carpentry, and community service. Next year we are very excited to continue building our partnership with Chisholm and local training organisations with students enrolled in fashion and plumbing. Many students at Learning Neighbourhood 4 have put their skills into action through various work experience opportunities. Students had the chance to attend Gumbuya World to assist with various jobs, complete work-related tasks at Waverly Industries, and experience various other work opportunities through personalised pathways.

We have had two camps this year with all Learning Neighbourhood 4 students having the chance to attend a 5-day camp. This is the first ever 5-day camp run at Marnebek designed to develop independence whilst learning new skills in a challenging, unfamiliar environment. It was great to see so many students working outside of their comfort zone and having a great time doing so.

The second camp was our traditional year 12 graduation camp. This camp is designed to challenge students to push past their perceived limitations and that they can achieve great things when they simply give things a go. The challenges the staff picked pushed students to their limits and beyond, some of these were extremely difficult, such as high ropes courses, ladder climbs (5 stories high) mud runs and wall climbs. The students did an amazing job at giving them a go, I’m sure they learned that they can achieve so many things if they only give it a go. 

We have had some great excursions this year with students attending events such as the Casey Technology facility. Students had the chance to engage with robotics, 3D printers, and laser cutters just to name a few. We also had an incursion from Mind Flight with students utilising Virtual Reality headsets for them to access work experience opportunities without leaving the comfort of school. Some students even had the opportunity to attend surf sessions at Urban Surf in Tullamarine. Students learned important aspects of water safety whilst having a blast on the surfboards.

Finally, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the students at Learning Neighbourhood 4 for all their hard work this year. We are very privileged to work alongside you. The efforts of our staff have been phenomenal, and I thank every one of them for their commitment to their students’ wellbeing and learning. Wishing everyone a relaxing summer break. See you next year!

Chris Murray | Assistant Principal | Learning Neighbourhood 4