FEATURES

School-based Apprenticeships – transitioning from school to the workplace

Year 11 student at Moama Anglican Grammar, Adam Pulsoni has a head-start on his career by embarking on a schoolbased apprenticeship with Brady Electrical, Kyabram in January this year.

The School has a strong focus on VET pathways, and schoolbased apprenticeships are one of the many options offered to students. These apprenticeships offer an alternative career option, allowing students to commence vocational training, earn a wage and get hands-on experience, all while completing their secondary education.

When the opportunity to undertake a work experience placement with Brady Electrical in Year 10 arose, Adam soon realised that this was a career track perfectly suited to him. Adam discussed his options with Laura and Billy Brady, owners of Brady Electrical, and together they decided that a schoolbased apprenticeship was the perfect route.

School-based apprentices, like Adam, will normally complete the first two years of their apprenticeship part-time while they study, and then transfer to a fulltime apprenticeship for the final three years. Adam will earn a Certificate III in Electrotechnology on completion of the apprenticeship.

Adam is developing valuable hands-on experience to complement his school studies, “I’m learning skills such as practical problem-solving, planning and communication. Learning from mistakes is one of the most important processes, which goes hand in hand with planning; the better the job can be planned out, the fewer mistakes are made”.

Employer, Laura Brady, believes the school-based apprenticeships are invaluable in shaping relationships with potential employees like Adam who are keen and willing to learn; “It’s a great opportunity for us to connect with the younger generation and provides us with the opportunity to mentor and shape the individuals into future leaders that are in line with our business values”.

In addition to school-based apprenticeships, Moama Anglican Grammar offers school-based traineeships, where Year 10/11/12 students can work part-time with a partner business and complete their formal traineeship training by the end of their HSC year.

Soaring Demand for Quality Education in Echuca-Moama

Enrolments

Whilst our region continues to experience challenges and instability around COVID-19 restrictions, it’s been a very positive year for Moama Anglican Grammar so far with some record achievements in enrolments, especially in the primary school. There has been a record number of enrolment enquiries for 2022 across the board, which demonstrates that local families and families from further afield are looking for an outstanding educational experience for their children, where strong values, impressive facilities and individualised attention are key. There are now several year levels that are nearing capacity, so the School is considering adding extra classes to facilitate the additional numbers as needed.

The growth of both shires – Murray and Campaspe – has not been dampened by health restrictions, continuing to thrive vigorously. With increasing demand from city dwellers wanting to relocate to the country and long term planned development for Echuca West and north-west of Moama, quality schools like Moama Anglican Grammar will play a leading key role in educating future generations of our community.

If you are interested in enrolling a student for 2022/2023, contact our Registrar now! registrar@moamagrammar.nsw.edu.au Scholarships

The School will invite scholarship applications for 2023 for Year 5-12 in December 2021. Scholarships will be open to both new and current students, and places will be subject to availability. Keep a watch on the School website and social media pages for more detailed information later this year. Scholarship applications will close 11 March 2022.

Moama Lights

In Term 1, students in the Primary School were invited to submit an artwork which responded to the theme of ‘why I love living in Echuca Moama’ for the inaugural Moama Lights event, a three-week celebration of art, light and all things Moama!

The festival was an immersive sound and light trail starting at the underside of the Echuca Moama bridge and highlighting the natural beauty through Horseshoe Lagoon before finishing at the Murray River.

Out of the 280 entries received, 90 finalists were selected by a panel of judges, with 63 being from MAG students. Congratulations to everyone who submitted an artwork and a huge congratulations to the students whose artwork was etched into glass and projected onto the Horseshoe Lagoon boardwalk for the duration of the festival.

MAG Sportsperson of the Year

We awarded primary and secondary ‘Sportsperson of the Year’ awards at our Presentation Ceremony in December last year. These awards were generously supported by the Rich River Golf Club. Each student was awarded a trophy and a MAG education voucher in recognition of their continued efforts and excellent sporting outcomes they achieved.

LENNIX KEAM

Male Primary Sportsperson of the Year 2020

Lennix shone on the football field, sports track and swimming pool during 2020. He made it to Sydney for the CIS football tryouts where he was selected for the team, however was unable to travel to Byron Bay for the match due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Lennix won the Year 6 Cross Country at school and was picked for the Primary RAS swimming in Wagga Wagga where he swam well but did not place. LUCY KENNEDY

Female Primary Sportsperson of the Year 2020

Lucy had a great year in swimming, winning age champion in the primary swimming sports and coming in runner-up in her age level at the RAS swimming in Wagga Wagga. Lucy qualified for Sydney but unfortunately it was canceled at the last moment. Lucy also came in second in the House Cross Country event.

JAYMI CLANCY Female Secondary Sportsperson of the Year 2020

Jaymi had a great sporting year in 2020, winning age champion in the cross country and participating in the school swimming sports. Jaymi was also selected for the team who went to the CIS Triathalon in Sydney.

JAKE CLANCY Male Secondary Sportsperson of the Year 2020

Keeping the sporting prowess in the family, Jake Clancy also won age champion in the Cross Country, won age champion at the swimming sports and was selected for the CIS Triathalon in Sydney.

There were many regular sporting events that were cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions. Congratulations to these three students who managed to strive for sporting excellence in the face of adversity!

Angus McKindlay: On Track for Great Things

Many people spend years perfecting their sporting skills and working towards sporting excellence. Year 12 student Angus McKindlay has broken all the rules by rising to the top of his field in athletics after taking up the sport only two years ago!

Angus, who comes from near Bunnaloo, grew up playing soccer and cricket, and decided to give athletics a shot after family friend, Fleur Ferris, suggested he’d be pretty good at it. In 2019 Angus began taking part in track events and hasn’t looked back.

Training Wednesday afternoons in Bendigo with the Eaglehawk Athletics Club, it wasn’t long before he started to excel. In late 2020 Angus represented MAG at the NSW All Schools Athletics Competition in Sydney, where he ran the 100, 200 and 400 metre sprints and 400 metre hurdles. He made the final in all of his events, and placed 3rd in the 400 metre hurdles with a time of 56.78 sec., and placed 4th in the 200 metre sprints with a time of 22.84 sec.

Last year Angus represented Eaglehawk in the under-20s age group at the National Track and Field titles at Sydney Olympic Park where he came in 5th in the 400 metre hurdles – an

impressive feat!

Both COVID-19 restrictions and a hip injury have been obstacles for Angus during 2020-2021. When unable to travel to Bendigo for training, Angus instead trains at the gym and runs at local ovals. With the nearest athletics tracks located at

Bendigo and Shepparton, Angus has to find alternative ways to train and keep fit at home.

With many school athletic events being cancelled in 20202021, Angus is looking forward to competing at the Victorian All Schools Athletics competition at the Victorian Institute of Sport in October, if COVID-19 restrictions allow. Whilst the pandemic has proved an obstacle to his progression in athletics, it has also made him more determined than ever to get on the track and prove himself.

Angus’s dream is to one day win a sports scholarship or be signed up by a team in the USA. Good luck, Angus – you’re well on the way to achieving your goals!