Highview College

THE FOCUS PROGRAM

Today’s young people face many different kinds of stressors, and one of the periods of highest stress occurs as teenagers enter their senior years of schooling. Apart from coping with significantly more difficult studies in shorter periods of time,  students need to deal with decisions concerning future careers in a world of changing work patterns, serious relationships, breaking away from parents, changing friendship patterns, issues of substance abuse, and questions of “meaning” in a climate of ever changing values. Highview’s F.O.C.U.S. program attempts to assist students in coming to grips with these issues as they move towards and during this time of increased stress.

EXTRA CURRICULA PROGRAMS

Highview is committed to providing students with as rich a program of extra curricula and enrichment activities the College is able to manage within staffing and budget restraints, as well as bearing in mind the extra costs for parents, and the possible disruptions that these activities can create for regular classes. Examples include the Inter-School Sports events, the College musical, participation in the Energy Breakthrough, school socials, the annual Presentation Ball, camps and excursions.
Inter-school sports matches are organized with district schools in a range of “Summer” and “Winter” team sports. The College is also committed to acquiring registration with any sporting bodies necessary to permit talented Highview students to participate at elite levels of sporting competition.
CAMPs AND EXCURSIONs
The College believes there is educational and personal development value in carefully planned camps and excursions. Such experiences can be costly for parents and demanding on College resources. In an attempt to balance these two factors, the following program will operate for Years 7 to 10:
 
Year 7 -a 3 day Orientation Camp at Halls Gap at the start of the year
Year 8 -2 days of pre-planned excursions or events
Year 9 -a 3 day Adventure Camp at a near-by established site during Term 2
Year 10 –a 3 day Melbourne Camp during Term 2.

STUDENT INVOLVEMENT GROUPS

Student Involvement Groups (STING) operate each week for students in Years 10 to 12. The groups provide students with the opportunity to take on leadership positions, display initiative and responsibility, be involved in decision making and demonstrate a concern for the wider community. Students can pursue special interests whilst also gaining confidence, knowledge and self esteem.

The task of each group involves some form of service to either the school community, the local community or the world community. Students are involved in a variety of activities such as preparing radio programs for the school radio station, organizing and practising for a concert for the senior citizens of Maryborough, constructing sets for the school Musical, organizing sporting events (House Captains Group), deciding on fund raising projects, writing letters for Amnesty International, tidying sections of the yard or school storerooms, and assisting with the maintenance of computers.