Frankston City Council has officially announced the appointment of the first Youth Mayor, Gerard Felipe.

Gerard graduated from Frankston High School in 2017 where he was a member of the Victorian Student Representative Council (VicSRC). He served on the Student Executive Board as its first Chairman from 2016 to 2017, representing their issues to the Deputy Premier and Education Minister James Merlino MP.

He will meet regularly with the youth council and attend regular council meetings, as well as working with the youth council to address youth disengagement, bullying, mental health and access to support.

“I hope to give a voice to those not so willing to speak up and stand side-by-side with those who can,” he said. He was partly motivated by Gandhi’s famous quote: “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

To young people disengaged from the political process, he has a simple message: “Be informed and don’t be afraid to speak up for what you believe is right.”

But would the criminology and politics student consider standing as a candidate for the regular council? “It’s something I would consider at some stage down the line,” he said.

“I enjoy the idea of service. I enjoy speaking and standing up for others.”

Congratulations to Fiona Yu and Sehra Aladin – Year 12 2017 – Premier’s Award Top of the State

Each year students who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) are recognised at the Premier’s VCE Awards. The award ceremony was held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on 15 May. Fiona Yu and Sehra Aladin were presented with their awards by the Minister of Education, the Hon James Merlino, MP.

These are prestigious awards and to achieve at this level, Fiona and Sehra have performed at the very top of the state. Fiona received her award for her outstanding achievement in Maths Methods and Sehra for her outstanding achievement in Business Management. Both students received a perfect study score of 50.

Congratulations to Shae Latimer of Year 9 who represented Frankston High School at the Interschool Equestrian Championships on 4 April and was awarded Reserve Champion. In achieving such high results, Shae qualified to represent Victoria at the Interschool Nationals in September 2018. Exceptional achievement, Shae!

World Challenge..Where to Next?

In 2017, after 18 months of enormous personal commitment, regular meetings and a pre-departure training camp, 49 Year 10 and 11 students set off on a World Challenge expedition to Thailand, Laos and China. Our three teams determined their own itineraries and took charge of the team budget, transport and accommodation arrangements for the month abroad. Each group participated in the four phases of expedition: acclimatisation, trekking, community engagement, and rest and relaxation.

All groups chose to complete the community project phase in Laos, one of the most underdeveloped countries in South East Asia. In a tribal Khmu village, students participated in homestays with the local people and built a toilet for the kindergarten. This included digging the trenches, laying the pipeline, building and rendering the building, preparing a concrete base for the water tank and completing the fence around the school. The immersion in the community was one of the highlights of the trip for many students.

Each team completed two treks. The tropical jungles of Thailand and the spectacular trails of Tiger Leaping Gorge in China were incredibly rewarding experiences.

Each group chose different recreational adventures. We visited temples and waterfalls; the markets were full of food and opportunities to barter for local items. And, of course, The Great Wall of China was ticked off the bucket list!

Most importantly, all the students achieved incredible personal growth, undertook leadership tasks, participated in team building activities and developed close bonds with their group members. When asked ‘Did the expedition meet your expectations?’ many of the students replied with ‘It exceeded them all!’

On behalf of everyone involved in Frankston High School World Challenge, I would like to thank Mrs Debra Child for coordinating and participating in our previous four expeditions. Her wealth of knowledge and experience made each trip an amazing success. Planning for our next expedition is currently taking place and our next destination will be Northern India! If you are interested in joining us on this incredible adventure, stay tuned for further information.

Ms Cheryl Hodgson
World Challenge Coordinator

Two students from our Year 9 LEAD class were invited to the National Australia Day award ceremonies in Canberra. The reason we were invited was because our LEAD class won a National award: The Inspired Citizens Award. They received this award for developing a project called ‘Stomping out Stereotypes’ whereby they have developed a website and implemented a program to encourage people not to stereotype others.

During the awards ceremony which was televised by the ABC some of our students were featured talking about their ideas about the future of Australia. Such achievements make us all very proud of the very talented forward thinking skills and talents of our students.