Secondary Swimming Carnival DE Connect
Mr Luke Reifler
Towards the end of week one of Term, we had the exciting opportunity of hosting a DE Connection Day at the Secondary Swimming Carnival. The weather was gorgeous and we got to meet about a dozen families from Distance Education. Most of the students were there to compete in the pool, but it was nice to also have a few that were there purely for social connection.
The opportunity for new DE students to meet some of the existing DE students was wonderful, while also seeing the wider context of how DE is part of on campus classes. I had the pleasure of meeting a new DE student in Year 11 and introducing him to an existing DE student in Year 10. It was very interesting for them to discover that they both live in a similar part of Sydney and it looks like they may have struck up a friendship that will continue into the future. I’d love to introduce you to them below.
Chris in Year 11 is new to DE, and has a passion for social and climate justice. He is actively involved in advocacy groups and his voice has been heard internationally through his involvement as an Australian Youth Ambassador for the United Nations. He will also be featured in an upcoming documentary with Save the Children that involves five youth perspectives on climate change, what they’re doing to help, and how it’s impacting them and their futures. He is currently campaigning to persuade the big banks to divest from fossil fuels and into renewable energy sources.
Damon is in Year 10 and loves the flexibility of managing his own schedule and priorities through DE. He enjoys being able to learn from home, and fills his social calendar through volunteering at his local surf lifesaving club and coming along to our DE Community Events. He loves that he can continue studying even when his family are away from the city and visiting their farm.
We look forward to having more families join us for the upcoming Primary Swimming Carnival, in Week 4, which also has a DE Connection Day open to all ages. These are very limited in-person opportunities, with most of our DE Community Events being virtual for Term One.
