Third Letter Home to Parents - Pre Visiting Weekend

Hello again from the community of the Alpine School Campus!

What a busy term we have had already. A mixture of sunshine, wintry fog, rain, snow and cool winds has certainly made our expeditions interesting. Some expedition groups have headed-out and hence have returned already. They donned backpacks and winter gear, making their way out along sections of the Brabralung Trail and beyond:
[See: https://www.mthotham.com.au/Portals/0/Hotham/Documents/Summer/Track-Notes-Brabralung-Trail.pdf]
to camp at different locations, known as JB Hut, Brandy Creek campsite or Derricks Hut for a night of camping, before returning back to school. The students were well prepared and full of excitement, apprehension, readiness and worry, all mixed into one! We know, however, that what they will learn through their undertaking and this experience will put them in great stead. One of the concepts we use in designing our type of educational experience is to move from the known to the unknown. In moving to, and living at, the Alpine School Campus, students initially are in an unknown environment (socially, physically, emotionally, geographically and so on), which they soon become comfortable and familiar with. It is a very deliberate part of the process of learning both leadership skills and to be enterprising.

***VISITING WEEKEND***

The visiting weekend is this coming weekend by the time you receive this, and we look forward to seeing you again. Can we stress that it is a family occasion, for parents’ benefit, and should be limited to immediate family members?

Pick-up time is from 9am on Saturday May 28th, and the latest return time is Sunday May 29th by 4pm. *We do ask that you return with your son or daughter and be departed by 4pm.

NOTE - Some families may wish to leave earlier on the Sunday, due to lengthy travel involved or family commitments. The school will be staffed from midday on the Sunday. If any families are unable to attend, or wish to seek alternative arrangements, please let us know as soon as possible and we may be able to assist.

We look forward to seeing you on the visiting weekend and remember to check the Alpine Weather forecast prior to heading up anddrive safely.
- Alpine Forecast: http://www.bom.gov.au/vic/forecasts/mounthotham.shtml
If needed, snow chains can be hired in Myrtleford, Bright and Harrietville or Omeo prior to Dinner Plain.

With every good wish on behalf of the Alpine School Team

• THIRD LETTER | 24 May 2022
  READ the Full Letter: OPEN PDF

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and our Mission is to provide an immersive State-wide residential program for Year 9 Government school students which enables them to grow into better citizens and leaders through increased self-awareness, social engagement, community connection and environmental stewardship.

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A life changing experience for Year 9 students and schools.
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SNAPSHOT: Second Letter Home from The Alpine School Campus (Altitude 1600m), 17 May 2022

Welcome again to the community of the Alpine School Campus. The time has flown by and we are pleased with how things are progressing at our school. The purpose of these letters is to provide you with a perspective of the intended program here at the Alpine School. We will not be writing about individuals, more about the experiences of the community as a whole.

Homesickness can be a normal emotion experienced and at this time within the program, although it does tend to diminish. If you think that your son or daughter is still unreasonably homesick, do call us and we can compare notes, so to speak. None of us can really predict how this anxiety may manifest itself. Our staff members really do make a priority of ensuring students’ wellbeing during these first, more unsettled weeks. Moreover, how are you coping with being “son or daughter sick”?

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Students will be heading out over the coming weeks on their overnight expeditions, carrying their backpacks and all their alpine camping gear. We start locally with an overnight expedition, and after the visiting weekend, we head out on a more ambitious expedition. Please be reassured that all expedition routes are reviewed for safety and access and modifications made as deemed necessary, to ensure that the safety of your sons/daughters remains as paramount.

**PARENTS / GUARDIANS VISITING WEEKEND**

Parents / Guardians visiting weekend is approaching and this time is specifically a weekend about you as a family and about your relationship to you son/daughter, and is an integral part of the whole Alpine School separation and reintegration process. Give them your undivided attention and take the interest in their experience here and their return and reintegration over the Winter period will be so much better for all of you.

If you are not able to make the visiting weekend of Saturday May 28th and Sunday May 29th, 2022 or would like to talk to us about any of the matters raised, please do not hesitate to do so.

• READ THE SECOND LETTER: Letter 2: 17 MAY 2022

The Alpine School Campus at Dinner Plain has welcomed the following Year 9 Schools teams for our Term 2 2022 Alpine School Campus, School for Student Leadership (SSL) program:

Schools teams in attendance at the ALPINE SCHOOL CAMPUS for our SSL program represent the following schools assigned within our four 'Core Groups'

FEATHERTOP

• Altona College
• Kurnai College

HOTHAM

• Footscray High School
• Taylors Lakes Secondary College

LOCH

TABLETOP

Term 2 2022 School for Student Leadership program at the Alpine School Campus commenced on Sunday 1 May 2022 (Student Arrival) and will conclude on Saturday 25 June 2022 (Student Departure.

The Student Program Timetable details the daily program for students participating in the Alpine School Year 9 School for Student Leadership (SSL) Program at Dinner Plain in Term 2 2022.

This has been included to assist liaison teachers, schools, families and the community to stay in touch with what students are doing on a day to day basis. The Term Timetable also highlights how the day unfolds for students.

For more detailed information on daily events, read student articles in Student Life and lesson resources in Alpine Lessons.

Alpine School Campus Term 2 2022: Student Program

Alpine School Term 2 Alpine School Student Program 2022 [XLSX]