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Mount Barker Community College is an integrated
Kindergarten to Year 12 Government school.

Based two kilometres north of the Mount Barker townsite and surrounded by its own 230 hectare farm, the  Community College now accommodates approximately 750 students.  

Our Motto - "Together We Strive" encapsulates our ethos of:
- staff, students and parents working together
- students supporting each other's learning across year groups
- working very closely with our community.


 

Click to play this Smilebox scrapbook

 

How good was that in 2011?

 

This year saw important developments in taking the greatest educational advantage from being together on one site, Kindergarten to Year 12 – becoming ‘One Community-One College’.  We share a common ethos and motto; we share grounds, services and learning spaces and we share staff and other expertise. This sharing has supported student learning and brought great benefits and improved attendance, grades and results:

There were some terrific highlights:

  • MBCC recognised as a ‘Top Government School’ for the seventh successive year

  • Improved NAPLAN/MSE test results – especially in Numeracy

  • Mrs Jayne Gibson nominated for the Premier’s ‘Early Childhood Teacher of the Year’

  • Mrs Fiona Brown a finalist in the Premier’s ‘Support Staff Member of the Year’

  • UN World Maths Day 2011 – Chloe Polglaze travels to Sydney to represent WA

  • We are the first Mind Matters school in WA – supporting positive mental health for all our students – reinforcing ability to learn and progress.

  • The Youth Empowerment Program and leadership development became more self sustaining

  • The ‘Have a Go’ Community Expo – was organised by students

  • 100% of students achieving Community Service hours.  Our program attracts with financial support from parents.  A 100 and 200 Club develop and one student achieves 500 hours service

  • Sayah Drummond recognised as ‘Plantagenet Young Citizen of the Year’ for this community serrvice

  • Curtin University Cranlana Symposium – Sarah Woodward one of only 18 WA students invited to attend

  • More older students working with younger students – reading, mentoring, coaching, teaching and encouraging

  • Year 6 Camp to Perth and the Prefects Leadership Camp

  • Charitable fundraising by students for State and National causes

  • Australian Dairy Industry ‘Cows Create Careers’ competition Y7 students are State ‘runners up’ with continued support from Ravenhill Dairy and the Mount Barker Veterinary Hospital

  • The Gondwana Arts Project brought artists in residence to extend our students

  • ‘OZ the Musical’ - a wonderful college and community event

  • Rebuilding the numbers in the College Band – Woodwind and Brass

  • ‘Fundamentals are Fun on the Farm’ celebrating Literacy and Numeracy Week

  • Poetry Idol Competitions - Year 4 to Year 12 and staff

  • The visit of Australia’s Chief Scientist and the Sci-tech shows

  • Primary Industry and SPICE Science extension

  • NAIDOC Week and Harmony Day

  • Tree planting programs at the College and with community organisations

  • The College sustainability featured in ‘Australian Sustainable Schools’ – Commonwealth Government Publication

  • The ‘M’ Block garden grows developed by Year 5 students

  • The MB Trade Training Centre is open for use by students

  • The BER John Bush Block opens for classes in Music, Italian and Technology

  • Local Schools Working Together – the future in Video Conference learning

  • Interactive Whiteboards are in use in seven classrooms

  • Geography Camp to Bali – with students supporting an orphanage

  • The Canberra Capital excursion

  • The Royal Agricultural and Regional Shows teams and promotion of our Murray Grey stud cattle

  • Cattle handling course for feeder Primary School students

  • Country Week – with fantastic spirit and team camaraderie shown

  • Interschool Sports and Swimming successes

  • Three staff continue as AFL Ambassadors to promote rural football development

  • The Specialised Football program and Melbourne excursion

  • Work experience and Workplace Learning placements.

  • The highest number of students in School Based Traineeships in the District

  • MBCC joins the Australian Covenant – “P” Plate program

  • The Corner Café re-opened for parents, staff and students with regular dining by community groups

  • The great interest in education shown by the P&C Association and the KP Sub Committee and their tireless work in fundraising to support learning

  • Youth Care Mount Barker – tireless work of the committee.  The wonderful work of Chaplains Deb Smith and Paul Ritchie

  • Volunteer mentors, helpers and workers – 190 invited to afternoon tea!

  • The Mount Barker Cooperative and the Bendigo Bank providing outstanding support and Scholarships

  • The all too realistic mock accident with support from all the Mount Barker Emergency Services.

How good was that? Highlights of MBCC in 2010

Click to play this Smilebox slideshow

Hon. Dr Elizabeth Constable, Minister for Education opened the new buildings and praised the Home Economics students for ‘Best Lunch in a WA School.

Sharyn O’Neill, Director General of Education visited.

His Excellency Dr Ken Michael, AC, Governor of Western Australia visited in September.

First Mind Matters School in WA leaders in mental health and wellbeing.

Mitchell Berliner and Andrew Fraser attended the inaugural MindMatters Recognition event in Canberra.

Recognised as the State winner of  the  ACHPER (Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation) Award  for Excellence in a Secondary Health Initiative.

Nathan Standish was second in the State for his work with younger students in the college and his promotion of an active lifestyle among his peers.

Recognised by the Minister of Education as a ‘Top Government School’ for the 6th year in a row.

Geography teacher Callum Gribble recognised as WA Geography Educator of the Year.

Adam Tetlow our specialist football program coordinator was nominated for AFL Ambassador of the Year.

Strong results in Geography National Competitions

- Melissa Lanigan was one of sixteen WA student’s who attended the ‘Geography’s Big Week Out’ held in Perth trying out for the 2011 Geography Olympiad.

- Lily Backshell was a state finalist and represented Western Australia in a national geography competition in Sydney.

Kaleb Woolhouse was the only West Australian to represent the State in the Murray Grey Youth Ambassador Competition.

Alison Minett was selected to attend the Cranlana Symposium.

Chloe Polglaze selected to participate in World Maths Day 2011.

Signing of the Australian Employment Covenant.

David Bennett and Lashaye Armstrong selected to enter the ‘2010 Young Originals’ .

Featured in the Canberra publication of ‘Australian Sustainable Schools’.

Year 7’s were State Winners of ‘Cows Create Careers’.

We adopted 5 infant orangutan orphans thanks to the work of Madelaine Eatts Year 7.

We hosted the ‘Engineering Science Day’ for the district.

Year 10 students took out 3 of the 4 top prizes in the ‘PICSE awards’.

Local Schools Working Together – extension program for our gifted Maths and Creative Writing students.

Supporting our Aboriginal School Based Traineeship students with Certificates in Hospitality through our Corner Cafe and Certificates in Engineering.

Jacinta Anderson was selected to take part in Netball WA’s State girls’ under-17 academy.

Scholarship for Nathan Standish to participate in the Youth Explorer Voyage Program aboard the Leeuwin from Geraldton to Fremantle.