Change is possible “If you want something different, do something different”
School Farm
The extensive school farm is located just three minutes walk from classrooms and provides an attractive frame to the school ovals.
The farm enjoys strong support from local farmers and the school has allocated funds to further enhance structures and strengthen the stud breeding programs. The Swanbrook Charolais stud has Palgrove and Boongatti bloodlines with our Murray Grey stud using Yallembie bloodlines.
We also have established a sheep program with Jumbuck, Tattykeel and Baringa White Suffolk bloodlines and recently established the Swanbrook White Suffolk Stud. Rams and bulls are offered for sale annually.
In 2013 we saw further developments to the poultry area and the establishment of breeding pairs. We also lease land where we run the stud breeding herd allowing students greater opportunities.
Debating
Interested students are encouraged to join the school's debate team activites.
By participating on a debate team, students learn the art of persuasion and research has shown that debating can improve students' academic performance.
Typically in a debate two teams are presented a resolution or topic that they will debate and each team is given a set period of time to prepare an argument.
Students also benefit from the experience of public speaking.
Choir
The school choir is a great addition to a student's extra curricular activities as it is an important part of a student's musical development.
The choir in past years has performed at school assemblies and a host of other events as well as being an integral part of the school's musical productions.
Ochre
Macintyre High School as hosts of the Ochre programme recognise the need to assist school students transition from school to community, employment, training or further study.
The purpose for the Ochre programme when linked with an across community support and engagement framework such as Baragana Capacity and Resilience Circles help to underpin more than support for young people in school then onto further study. It begins the ground work to build reconciliation, encourage deeper across cultural and generation engagement, fosters community connections and challenges myths and misconception.
It challenges a community to look more deeply then broadly at barriers to change and participation across the Ecological Model.
At Natjul we have engaged with communities across some of the most challenging issues and as a result of this experience advocate the Engage, Explore, Express approach which is a multi-pronged method that includes:
- Facilitated engagement and tools such as Theatre for Change, story-telling, drama and theatre techniques to raise and discuss challenging issues
Baragana resilience and capacity circles - Mentor and Advocacy initiative working with a Focus Person (group)
- Culture Story Therapy – counselling for non-counsellors; a toolbox of practical tools for mentors and advocates to engage around many of the challenges they will come across when working with a focus person.
At Natjul, our engagement philosophy is that "those who have to live with the outcomes should be the ones making the decisions".
Such a philosophy reminds us that although we bring the framework, tools for change, knowledge and experience from our work across challenging issues in a variety of communities, it will be locals who bring the reasons or desire for change, local perspectives and awareness of local cultural factors that contribute more specifically to causality and then change in their area.
A staggered approach
Natjul advocate the Engage, Explore and Express method for working with community and groups when delivering programmes or engagement. Our aim is to support change driven by a group of committed people locally.
There are five (5) main areas of support to the Ochre Baragana Capacity and Resilience Circles which require discussion and buy-in as follows:
(a) School - Teachers, students
Our focus persons are young people at school. Participants in the Ochre Baragana Capacity and Resilience Circles are provided:
- mentored support and advocacy from people across their community,
- encouragement and support to maintain healthy respectful behaviours and relationships,
- support to explore options for their future aspirations,
- opportunity to cultivate an awareness that positive change and outcomes for their lives are possible.
Schools and teachers are important contributors to this initiative.
Knowledge about the Ochre Baragana Capacity and Resilience Circles, its purpose and linkages should be firmly understood by teachers and the school at an administrative level while also understood as a worthwhile commitment across the broader school community.
(b) Community - Local businesses and people across the community (Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal) generally.
By their nature capacity and resilience circles help to link a person with others, but also links everyone involved with each other. To this end, it is important that an across community awareness initiative is supported about the Ochre Baragana Capacity and Resilience Circles aims which are to assist personal growth and provides pathways for social and community change.
A key element which supports this outcome will be awareness and buy-in by the business sector to support skills development, work experience, socialisation into work and establishing a belief among participants and their networks that positive future change is possible.
(c) Young persons – focus persons
Identify and engage with young people who will participate in the programme. As with many worthwhile undertakings for young people, building a sense occasion around acceptance into and then participation through the programme brings with it a feeling of value and meaning which helps to establish buy-in and commitment by the participants and their family, social and peer circles.
(d) Families of focus persons
Provide opportunity for the focus persons families, social networks and peer group to gain an awareness of the Ochre Baragana Circles of Support prior to and during the programme. Families are one of the key factors for success to ensure positive outcomes from the programme. To this end, keeping families informed prior to, during and at journeys end can encourage a young person’s ongoing participation and help to minimise the impact should unforeseen challenges arise.
(e) Local authorities
Particularly in smaller towns or more tightly connected communities, councils and local authorities can play an important role in assisting the feeling of connection (for participants, families and supporters) by simply being aware of and demonstrating knowledge of a project. Local news, acknowledgement of the undertaking in internal and external literature and web, senior council staff attending events or gatherings can all contribute to a public statement of support to a worthwhile project.
Commitments such as this encourage a sense of inclusion across the community and may contribute further to a broad discussion about our contributions to the type of community we choose.
The aspirations of the Ochre Baragana Capacity and Resilience Circles are really about encouraging people to connect positively for the good of their community, families and individuals in their community.
Participation in the Ochre Baragana Capacity and Resilience Circles should be a positive experience around exploration and growth for everyone involved. Monthly gatherings of a few committed people around a framework for change can bring that change to the lives of a new generation of young people in our community.
Computer Club
The school currently runs computer club during lunch times on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
During this time students can work on class assignments or explore the world of MinecraftEDU where students collaborate, create and build their own minecraft world.
Dance
Dance is offered as a choice through our sport program.
North West Dance is an annual event where students participate in dance in a non-competitive performing situation.
Macintyre High School has been asked to participate every year and has been recognised for the high standard of the performance. Students display their skills and talent in choreography and performance in front of other schools and the community.
Our music and dance students perform widely including performances that are an integral element of “Taste of Macintyre”.