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Parent Information |
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Wesley at Clunes |
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Dr. Helen Drennen
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Introduction
The Clunes experience is an initiative that has the potential to transform middle years education within Wesley College and to lead the revolution in learning elsewhere.
The central focus on developing the whole person, within and by the community, rather than as a separate part of it, to have the community play the central role of interlinking the self to a culture and of providing the key to the spirit of belonging, is rich and rare indeed.
The model of Clunes is enabling Wesley students from across the three Melbourne campuses to experience what they share. This is a major opportunity for the College to develop our understanding of the relationship between campus and College and in defining the new contemporary Wesley. It also supports strongly the view that the human mind is better equipped to gather information about the world by operating within it, rather than by reading about it, hearing lectures on it, or studying abstract models of it.
As Confucius said:
Tell me, and I forget
Show me, and I remember
Let me do, and I understand.
Concepts, which all who have experienced Clunes are at the heart of the Wesley Clunes experience.
Dr. Helen Drennen
Principal |
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| The Aims of Wesley at Clunes
The aim of the Wesley College residential learning village project is the education of the whole person in a community.
Wesley at Clunes aims to provide an environment for all learners, which is, safe, caring, structured, challenging and engaging.
In turn we aim for all learners to be reflective, passionate, enthusiastic and active. |
Important Dates
IMPORTANT DATES GROUP 43 – TERM 3, 2010
IMPORTANT DATES GROUP 44– TERM 4, 2010
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A letter from the Head of Wesley at Clunes
Dear Parents,
The Wesley at Clunes Residential Learning Village promises to be a significant experience in the life of your child. Living away from home for eight weeks in a house with no adults will provide many challenges and opportunities. Deciding what to shop for, what to eat, when and how to cook, cleaning, washing and the myriad of other domestic tasks, will become a major focus of life for each person taking up residence in the village.
There will be other personal challenges with which each student must come to terms. It may be this is the first time they have been separated from their family for an extended period. For parents also, this may be a major experience! Learning to cope in a house with seven housemates and understanding how to live with other people's idiosyncrasies should provide a rich environment in coming to a better understanding of what it means to become more adult and gaining a truer understanding of their own place in the world.
The daily education program will be unlike a school experience we have all been used to. There won't be bells, normal subjects, and teachers being solely responsible for each child's learning. We hope, to a certain extent, students will take control and therefore responsibility for what they do and what they wish to learn. At times the curriculum will be negotiated between students and leaders in a collaborative manner. In doing so, the dominant paradigm of the relationship between student and teacher will be challenged. Students will be encouraged to follow their own directions so they can create the future they want to live in. Questions like who am I?, where have I come from?, how do I fit in? and where am I going?, are very important questions in the lives of your children. Clunes might just help them find the answers.
The vision for Clunes is exciting. I am looking forward to the experiences we shall have together. We all face forks in the road and Clunes is definitely leading us down a road less travelled. It will be a fascinating and wonderful journey for all of us.
With my best wishes
Suzanne Camm,
Head of Wesley at Clunes
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An Introduction to Wesley at Clunes
There has been much discussion in recent times of the need to reinvent initiation. The effect of discarding initiation from the traditional and indigenous societies has had enormous social costs to those communities. On the threshold of adulthood, young people show a great deal more interest in becoming effective adults than they do in studying what we see as central core subjects such as history, mathematics, science and the like. It is interesting to ponder why. Have our school curricula lost connection with the intellectual needs of students? Do they need to be more firmly placed in a rigorous and connected framework:? In the absence of formal initiation a defector process has evolved. It has our young looking to each other for this initiation. American teenage-hood has been exported to our entire planet and supported by the mass media.
The reinvention of initiation is needed to aid the transformation of a young person to an adult, the movement of a young person from isolation into community, the shift from dependence to independence and interdependence. A good initiation process takes dependent people and enables them to grow through a formal educational process into independent people who are able to recognize the central importance of 'rites of passage' for a community of well being. Initiated people understand that community responsibility requires sacrifice in independence for interdependence when necessary. Essentially the initiation process should help young people to understand their culture - what it means to be an Australian, a Victorian, and a Wesley community member. Secondly, it would provide our young people with the skills and capabilities to thrive in their adult world. As I read and thought about initiation, the more I thought this is exactly what is envisaged for Wesley at Clunes, - a formal educative process and experience looking at the growth of individuals and of the community within the context of Australian values.
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Philosophy for Clunes
The philosophy outlines three aspects, which are equally important:
1. The philosophy of self
2. The interlinking communities
3. The place of spirituality and culture
1. The philosophy of self
The place of self-identity is central to our cultural understanding. This perception of reality by society shapes, sustains and creates the conditions whereby it is possible for people to explore and experience issues of personal communal life. In the case of a community that adheres to a religious and or spiritual interpretation of life, then identity is also fundamental in relationship to transcendence.
The exploration of self-identity is crucial for students at Year 9 and pivotal for them within a communal setting.
The affirmation of self
The residential educational community will take as one of its main undertakings the affirmation of the importance of self identity and its well being, particularly in relationship to community. Due regard will also be given to the relationship of self identity in relationship to spiritual and religious questions.
The well being of self
The well being of self will be supported and sustained through growing self awareness, particularly, in relationship to the community, environment and also through personal engagement with deeper ways of knowing and understanding.
Students will be offered a variety of ways, through which to explore, test and reflect upon their emerging self identity, but always in the knowledge that the human story is a dynamic and unfolding one. It has also a sense of mystery at its core. In order to sustain their sense of well being, students need to:
- Be in harmony with the natural world
- Care deeply for their own spiritual and physical health and the health of others
- Develop an appreciation of beauty
- Understand deeper ways of knowing
- Understand belonging to communities
- Have a capacity to translate their knowledge, their creativity and their own sense of purpose into action
- Have a capacity to manage their social life, and develop skills in play and work.
The reflective self
The reflective self requires structured activities and time if it is to happen. Through reflection students can:
- Be awakened to the source of their deeper human needs
- Explore their own experience
- Explore their own emotions
- Recognize and allow their own spirituality to determine some of the choices they make which determine their quality of life.
The expression of self
Important to the ways in which the self is to be encouraged is through co-operation, collaboration and creativity, all of which affirm the foundation of community and respect for each person. The expression of self requires space, skills, knowledge and time if it is to flourish. The kernel of an idea needs to be nurtured in the being of the student. The birth and development of the idea should be led by the student but may need guidance to find its completeness. To be creative, students need the freedom and desire to take risks.
The co-operative / collaborative self
We are social beings. We learn together. We build ideas together. Through conflict and connection we build resilience in self and in the communities we establish or of which we are a part. The sense of responsibility this engenders gives us purpose and meaning. As participants in communities we need to model kindness and caring for one another. We also need laughter, fun and energy to enable communities to evolve and to be meaningful and healthy places for our actions. It is through the perceptions of others that we can often see ourselves.
Students will have the opportunity to explore urban history and develop an understanding of architecture, and how to develop an environmentally and socially sustainable town or city. The residential program will be mindful of the importance for celebration in the life journey and contexts of its participants. Two important values at the heart of this way of being are gratefulness of heart and compassion of spirit.
2. The interlinking communities
Students live in communities now; they live in families, they belong to the school, they have groups of friends, they commit themselves to secular and religious groups, but they often do not pause to consider how those communities are affected by their presence and how communities affect them. Wesley's residential experience will enable our students to see the way in which they shape and are shaped within and by the interlinking communities in which they live.
By becoming part of this specific community, the students will gain an understanding of the past, the present and future of the region in all its diversity. Through the retreat from their homes, they will be assisted to see more clearly the ways in which they interact with their families - the patterns of behaviour they have established. Living with peers and friends and dealing with the decisions of everyday life will practise them in resilience as they experience conflict, and connection. Linking closely with the pluralism of the Wesley and Clunes Communities will enable students to appreciate diversity in its multiplicity of forms, both national and international. Living within the Wesley Community, but as part of a larger community in Clunes, students will experience the individuality of the community and the reciprocity of relationship demanded by community in order to sustain well-being, both for the individual and the community.
Experiencing separateness will make obvious aspects of self and community but critical to the residential program will also be the explicit learning of these aspects of community and the individual.
3. The place of spirituality and culture
Spirituality is intrinsic to a relationship with the nature of the land with its geology, topography, and the cultures which have grown out of it, and which in turn have shaped it. These cultures are represented by the indigenous original inhabitants, the early Anglo-Celtic and Chinese miners, the development of the town in the 1800s with the institutions which gave spiritual and temporal life to the community, the exodus from the town during the 1900s, and the desire of the town to regenerate in the last ten years. This cultural change is reflected in the way land has been used over time. It is reflected in the way the land has driven life and given voice but also silenced the voices of different people. This in turn has influenced and continues to influence Australian society. Our interaction with the land then raises the notion of 'spiritual self' and the place of self in a specific historical community.
We believe that Australia is poised at a time when we, as a people, are searching for a spiritual identity which can bring together our sense of 'being' in the natural world with the histories we have created over the centuries - a history which is now recognised to be pluralistic.
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Linking Philosophy with the Curriculum
The philosophy of the residential links into the curriculum in very specific ways:
- Through living in a household with friends and peers and being responsible for their own shopping, cooking, cleaning and caring for animals and gardens our students will learn more about their own families, about rights, responsibilities, independence and interdependence, about action and consequences.
- Through being involved with a student leadership group (TIC - Teenagers in Clunes) and being responsible for determining some of the activities and helping to oversee the program, students will learn about representation in community. They will have a voice in a community and the institutions that give people a voice, about cooperation, individual rights and group identity, social justice and citizenship.
- Through being involved in activities that contribute to a small community such as Clunes, such as land-care, recycling, assisting the elderly or children in the local school or kindergarten, contributing through art, drama and music to the market or festival. Our students will be able to more easily see the relationship between leadership and action, the well-being of self and community, and be able to see the life-cycle and interlinking communities that combine to create a larger community.
- By studying the past and present of a specific small community and the peoples that lived in the area such as the Aborigines, the Anglo-Saxons and the Chinese our students will understand better the growth and shrinking of communities. Also they will understand better how communities change through time and the relationship between agricultural land use and the community that develops.
- Through undertaking a major project that focuses on one of three themes: community, rural Australia or Clunes, students will come to better understand the interlinking communities that make up our world. They will better understand diversity and shared values and behaviour. Through working on projects as part of a team they will learn more about cooperative learning, about shared goals and the role of education in effecting social change.
- Through being able to focus on a curriculum knowledge project of their own choosing, students will be able to find the excitement in existential as well as in functional ways of knowing.
A residential program gives us:
- The opportunity to develop units of study that focus more intensively on particular issues such as personal development including learning how to legitimize feeling, gaining emotional literacy, dilemmas and consequences, de-stressing, anger management, assertion, communicating and conflict resolution.
- A period of time living in the country will enable our students to better understand the different issues that face country people.
- Through involvement with the artistic community in Clunes our students can explore their own creativity and develop new skills.
- By enabling our students to have time and space to explore leisure and their interests we give them time for reflection, time to look inwards and outwards, time to explore the natural world.
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Contact Details for Clunes
Postal Address: |
Wesley at Clunes
14 Service Street
Clunes 3370 |
Telephone (office hours): |
8102 6021 (office) |
Telephone (24 hours): |
When the office is unattended the number will be diverted to the staff member on duty.
Wesley at Clunes can be contacted 24 hours a day. The duty number is 8102 6022 |
E-mail: |
clunes@clunes.wesleycollege.net |
Website: |
www.clunes.wesleycollege.net |
There will be a staff member with direct responsibility for your child (House Leader). You will have the opportunity to make this person your first point of contact regarding the welfare of your child. Students will have the use of 2 public coin operated phones on site. It is recommended a home link account be opened prior to the visit.
Staffing
Clunes staff have a diverse range of qualifications, skills and interests. They are a strong team, which is enthusiastic, passionate and committed to your children and the program in Clunes. They are dedicated to providing the best possible experience for your child.
A profile of the Clunes staff is available on the campus website http://www.clunes.wesleycollege.net.
The Clunes Term
The duration of Clunes is eight weeks of seven days, 56 days in all. This is approximately the length of a normal school term of ten weeks of five and a half days a week. However, there will be some information days and participation before and after the residential program. In general, there will be some school days when those going to Clunes will not be required either at Clunes or at their campus. Some school terms are shorter than eight weeks, and this would mean that students might spend a day or two of "holiday" time at Clunes. A summary of important dates can be found above.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. Am I allowed to wear a singlet top to Rec/Running?
Students are allowed to wear the Wesley College Sports singlet top to and during Recreation and Running. No other singlet tops are allowed.
2. Am I allowed to wear a singlet top any other time on campus?
Students are allowed to wear singlet tops in their houses. This said - the singlet top must still be considered appropriate in terms of coverage and skin showing and appropriate for who is visiting your house (generally only for PJ's).
3. Do I have to wear a hat during Recreation and Running?
This is weather dependant in Term 3. Always bring a hat to running and then you will be advised if you have to wear it.
4. Am I allowed to wear thongs or sandals on campus?
Some form of footwear must be worn at all times when outside. Students are allowed to wear sandals/thongs whilst on campus, however when they are signing out or leaving campus for any reason they must have closed shoes on.
5. Am I allowed to eat nuts on campus?
For the safety of all, the following foods are not allowed on campus:
- Any foods that may contain nuts.
- Nutella®
- Nut spreads
- Any type of raw nuts
- Satay sauce
- Pesto
- Muesli bars, lollies, cakes, slices, biscuits or chocolate that contain nuts.
- Shellfish
6. Am I allowed to have Gatorade or other isotonic drinks on campus or is this considered soft drink?
Students are allowed to have Gatorade and other isotonic drinks on campus - one or two bottles only at a time, they may not bring them onto campus in bulk.
7. Am I allowed to buy Red Bull/V or other high energy drinks down the street?
Students are not allowed to buy Red Bull or V drinks whilst at Clunes (on or off campus – IGA, etc., have been informed)
8. Am I allowed coffee or soft drink on campus?
No
9. Am I allowed to have fish and chips?
Students are allowed to have fish and chips on the weekends only and not as a main meal.
• Can we play music through loud speakers in our houses?
Yes. It is important, though, that others cannot hear the music outside your house. If this is the case then it is too loud. Please be particularly conscious of this in the mornings and evenings. There should not be music in houses after 9.30pm other than through individual iPods.
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Clothing and Equipment Requirements
The Clunes climate is characterised by hot summers and cold winters. However, even in summer, nights and mornings can be cold. For the winter terms, students should still bring shorts, t-shirts, bathers etc because they will participate regularly, indoor and outdoor, in sporting activity most likely indoors in severe weather.
Although Clunes is not an adventure activity based centre we anticipate many students will participate in some form of outdoor pursuits either for recreational reasons, or for example, an expedition of 2-3 days into the bush as part of their academic program that requires access to this sort of location. Consequently, all students need to bring some equipment for overnight camping. Details are listed below.
Read the list carefully. We do not believe there are any items here that necessitate a massive shopping spree to prepare for Clunes! Please bring everything listed but no more. Please encourage your child to not ‘over pack’ as experience has shown that the more clothes, the harder it is to maintain both them and a tidy room at Clunes. In addition there will not be unlimited space on the buses. Students are in residence for 8 weeks not 8 months!
Storage space in the bedrooms is limited. Students should bring no more than the equivalent of 3 stripy laundry bags (this is to include bedding) plus 1 day pack. Each student will have one wardrobe with hanging space (80 cm wide and four drawers). There is a lockable drawer that occupies one half of the space under the bed. Please bring your own padlock to ensure security (combination lock preferred). Under the bed is a space suitable for shoes, etc. This takes up the other half of the space under the bed.
All personal belongings should be clearly labelled/named.
Spending money
All food, local bus fares, etc., will be provided by the College, therefore spending money need not exceed $20 per week. You may choose to provide it in two amounts, firstly on arrival and the second on Visiting Day.
Shoes
- Normal street footwear will be appropriate much of the time
- Comfortable shoes
- Boots suitable for bushwalking (strong, waterproof, etc.)
- Gumboots
- Running shoes x 2 (1 for indoor use)
- Thongs/ sandals
- Slippers
Clothes
- Sun hats x 3 (1 wide brimmed and 2 baseball style caps)
- Warm hat (beanie or equivalent)
- Wesley College tracksuit and sports uniform (shorts, shirt, etc.)
- Bathers (and rash vest/tshirt for outdoor swimming during term 1 & 4)
- Jumpers x 3
- Shorts x 3
- Pants x 3
- T-shirts x 5 – NOT singlet tops (with the exception of the Wesley College sports singlet)
- Cotton long sleeved shirt x 1
- Underwear x 7
- Socks x 5
- Pyjamas x 2
- Thermal underwear (even for the summer term please)
- (NB Do not bring a rain coat as these are supplied by the campus)
Bedding
- Students will be provided with a bed and mattress protector
- Students need to provide their own doona (or blankets)
- Two complete sets of linen (including top and bottom sheet and doona cover)
- Pillows and pillowslips
- Your favourite teddy or other stuffed animal is most welcome to come to Clunes!
Personal
- Wristwatch (mandatory)
- Laundry bag
- Towels x 3
- Soap, shampoo, toothpaste, brush, comb, nail clippers, etc
- Feminine hygiene products – incl hot pack/wheat pack for period pains
- Deodorant – roll on or pump action, NOT aerosol, as it is a common asthma trigger
- Insect repellent
- Sunscreen
- Personal medical requirements - to be given to the nurse on arrival day
- Small first aid kit (bandaids, etc)
- If you bring an iPod, digital camera, etc., please record serial numbers
- A novel, which will be left in the house when the student leaves
- Writing paper and envelopes
- Day pack
Academic
- Laptop computer, power pack, cables and memory stick – must be brought in working order
- Pens, pencils, scissors, eraser, glue stick, etc.
- 2 lined A4 writing pads
- 2 A4 plain pads
- Clipboard
- Musical instrument if desired
Other
- 2 tea towels (will not be returned to students at end of term)
- 1 green shopping bag
- 2 water bottles
- Torch
- Sleeping bag
- Camping mat
- Gardening gloves
- Small reel of embroidery cotton (black or white)
- Camera – record serial number
- Playing cards and other games (not electronic!)
- Skateboard and skates (helmet and wrist guards are mandatory. Students may not use this equipment if appropriate safety gear is not worn.)
Not permitted
(if any of the following items are brought to Clunes, staff will remove them from the house).
- Bikes (we have a fleet of mountain bikes)
- Portable TVs
- Mobile phones
- Valuable jewellery
- Aerosol cans
- Candles, matches, lighters
- Any item of an illicit or illegal nature (specifically, tobacco, alcohol and drugs!)
PLEASE NOTE: a qualified service provider, before coming to Clunes, must tag ALL electrical items appropriately (See Section 4 for further information).
There are wireless computer connections in all buildings and lockable storage for laptops and other valuables. Wesley College School Insurance Policy covers laptops . However, the majority of home insurance policies may need additional endorsement to cover valuable belongings taken to Clunes.
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Evaluation and Reporting
Evaluation
There will be three main forms of evaluation:
· The student
· The staff
· The community (including parents)
The evaluation process will be continuous with most feedback being immediate and ongoing. Some of the evaluation process will continue long after the student leaves the Clunes Residential Learning Village.
The student will be involved in evaluating his or her own journey and this will be achieved via:
· The Clunes Journal
· Discussions with House Leaders
The Residential Community will be included in providing feedback during the learning processes and, at times, responding to the students presentation. The Village community will:
· Be supportive of the learning process
· Provide guidance
· Evaluate student presentations
During visits the family will be included in providing feedback on the learning processes and respond to the student presentations.
Reporting
The reporting process will be:
· Informal: during visits to Clunes
· Formal: a written report by staff, the student's Self Assessment
The written report will be based upon a Student Profile which aims to document student strength and growth. The profile will have a focus on the whole child.
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