S-shaped moulding

News Maffra’s magnificent mural

Maffra Secondary College students focussing on the finer details of the mural.

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“SOME I tapped on shoulders because I know they love their art, and spoke to art teachers about students that they’ve noticed in class that would (like to) be involved in this,” Mrs Raine said. Ms Caple’s role on the project is as a contributor or mentor to Maffra Secondary’s students, assisting them in realising their vision for the mural. She first met with the school’s pupils just over two months ago. “I worked with the students to go through a design process as to what they might want to see on the mural, and we all decided that we wanted to see a reflection of the landscape around us,” Ms Caple said. “The Koori students were able to express that in the ways of their people; we were also able to highlight birds and local plants… and then I went away with all of their ideas and created the final design.” Said design incorporated, among other things, wattle and banksia plants, a kookaburra and a lorikeet. Painting of the mural began in earnest on Thursday, December 8, the most of which was completed over two days. The façade of the Year 9 building was chosen as

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Maffra Secondary College students hard at work painting the mural. Photos: Tom Parry

the location for the mural, providing a colourful backdrop to the school’s outdoor amphitheatre. Students worked with a high-quality, waterbased exterior paint to craft their artwork. “It’s the same paint that you would paint a house with,” Ms Caple explained touting its lifetime guarantee, and resistance to sun and water as reasons for its use. Among those who assisted with painting was Year 11 student Emily Morton, who showed great enthusiasm for the project. “I honestly thought this was a really good idea, getting students involved on this big art project; and I also really love art. “I thought it’d be great to be a part of,” Emily said of her reason to join the project. The young artist was full of praise for Ms Caple, describing her as “the sweetest person ever!” “She’s really kind, she’s very helpful and she’s not bossy. “She’s letting us do what we want, basically, which I think is really sweet,” Emily added. That’s not to say that Ms Caple lets the young artists run amok. Rather, she is guided by their vision and allows them to lead the way. In the words of Emily: “We’re all our own leaders.” Year 8 student April Wolski was another who helped with the painting of the mural. She described the process as “relaxing” and also had praise for Ms Caple. “She’s real bright,” April said of her mentor. “She listens to your ideas and she’s just good to talk to.” Staff at Maffra Secondary, Ms Bye and Ms Caple have all been impressed with the students’ creativity, and their commitment to the project. “It’s been really lovely how much they’ve all risen to the challenge,” Ms Caple said. “The kids are so dedicated to what they’re doing… they get a lot done really quickly. “You see those immediate results, and once it starts coming together, their peers are coming around and telling them how good it looks… “The surface that we’re painting on, the brick, is quite rough, so it takes a lot of dedication and concentration to paint at the scale, and they’ve all just risen to it.” While the students have all worked hard, the mural is not finished yet - Ms Caple will return to Maffra in Term 1 to paint the upper reaches of the wall, and provide some final touch-ups to the students’ work. In the meantime, students are heading into the holidays satisfied and proud of their efforts. The mural is set to become a highlight for the students involved, and also a great endorsement for the school to any prospective students, staff, as well as parents. “Knowing that I’ve been a part of this, I feel like I’ve made a big impact on the school,” Emily said. “I think it’s really cool.” What’s more, that lifetime guarantee on the paint will ensure their legacy remains for decades to come.

Huge lift in Yarram SC results

YARRAM Secondary College has recorded a big lift in its final-year student results, putting the school on par with others across the state. More than three quarters of Yarram Secondary College students achieved an ATAR of 50 or more this year, with 56 per cent of students gaining scores between 50 and 69. Twenty per cent achieved a score of 70 or more. In 2021, 35 per cent of students received ATARs between 50 and 69, and 19 per cent received a score above 70. Principal Lyn Kerrison credited the dramatic improvement in results to a unique literacy program the school started in 2019 to support students in Year 7 to 9. “Three years ago, our median study score for English was 21.7. It is now 26.1, and we have exceeded our strategic targets,” Ms Kerrison said. Before the literacy program was introduced, the school’s median study score for English had remained stubbornly consistent. The school’s median study score for all subjects is 25.6. Last year, it was 23.6. The school is also celebrating six students who graduated from the school’s final Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning program. “This is a phenomenal achievement for them,” said Ms Kerrison. “These are students who, for medical and other reasons, have had interrupted schooling. “So, a huge shout-out to them for sticking with their studies despite the odds, finding a pathway and achieving success.”