Carinity Education Rockhampton Year 8 student Nicholas Schulz recently successfully completed the Veteran’s Mentors Junior Leadership Program.
The program was run by Veteran Mentors, a group of ex-Australian servicemen and women who teach students skills which can help them to achieve success in the most challenging environments.
Nicholas was excited to participate in activities such as obstacle courses, fitness and personal training, healthy eating seminars, high ropes and other team building activities.
He also learned lots of other skills to help him meet his goals with NDIS, and at the end of the program he went indoor skydiving. Nicholas was both excited and scared of this and had a thrilling experience.
Nicholas’s mum Sarah Crewdson says attending Carinity Education Rockhampton allow her son’s individual abilities and wellbeing to be catered for.
“I chose Carinity Education Rockhampton for Nicholas because he wasn’t coping with the teaching strategies taught in the mainstream system he was struggling and falling further behind,” Sarah says.
“He wasn’t happy and hated struggling through his learning and the subjects like drama and music. I knew high school was going to be an even bigger struggle for him.
“I wanted to send him to a school that recognised his unique individual personality and needs, and would support him with his struggles socially and teach him in a way that didn’t confuse him.”
Since Nicholas started attending Carinity Education Rockhampton Sarah has “no longer has to fight with him to go to school”.
“He goes to school with no fuss. It took him a little bit to get used to the new school but he is now thriving and loving it as he feels accepted for who he is by both teachers and his friends,” Sarah says.
Carinity Education Rockhampton understands that building positive and trusting relationships are integral in a young person’s educational journey, and that meeting students also on this journey makes a difference in building resilient, compassionate, and educated young people.
“Community and family are important co-educators in a young person’s life, and it is for this reason that the school works collaboratively with both families and organisations in the community to ensure opportunities like this can be accessed,” Carinity Education Rockhampton Principal Lyn Harland says.