SIX months into her job as relieving principal at the Kandeer School, Nicci Riley is watching a group of students head outside school grounds, accompanied by their teachers, to go out into the community and pick up rubbish.
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It's part of the school's emphasis on 'project learning’ – identifying some of the principles of English and maths classes through active work.
Earlier in the year Kandeer students did a lot of work cleaning up graffiti in Albury – work several of them are keen to continue doing, so much so they've tied it to the ongoing Clean Up Australia campaign.
Students are referred to Kandeer by other primary and secondary schools when they have difficulty managing in mainstream schooling.
The goal, Mrs Riley said, was to bridge the gap between Kandeer students and their peers, and ultimately help them either transition back to their schools or into vocational training.
“The main goal is to make the students aware that they can go from here to somewhere else and be successful, be a part of the community,” she said.
“Each student has goals in English, maths and behaviour, but they have also made transitions goals.
"They have to think about what's next for them – as I like to say, this isn’t their forever home.”
Three students have returned to mainstream schooling during Mrs Riley's time at Kandeer – but sometimes it's about the little wins as well.
“This morning I had a student in here who had gotten into a bit of trouble, and I said to them if they weren’t going to do the right thing I'd call their dad and have them go home,” Mrs Riley said.
“They told me no, they wanted to stay and go to their maths class – they liked maths because they said their teacher was challenging them.
“To hear one of our kids say that is quite remarkable.”
Mrs Riley has instituted a number of changes at the school, chief among them splitting every day into seven periods.
Each student starts the day with a mindfulness session, incorporating meditation and other mental exercises, and at least one period of English and maths.
Other projects, like the Kandeer Café, woodworking classes and the graffiti removal and rubbish pick-up, fill in the rest of their days at school.
“These kids are capable of more,” Mrs Riley said.
“It's about getting everybody to implement that curriculum and have faith in the kids so they have faith in themselves.
“They feel quite proud to be doing this.
“I've seen kids who could barely write their own name a little while ago make huge progress.
“It’s about teaching them a little bit differently.”
