Last week I was most fortunate to be invited to speak at the Celebrating Women – International Womens Day luncheon for the Mornington Peninsula Shire Women in the Workplace and Frankston City Council Women Connect Networking groups, to recognise and celebrate the 215 attendees for their fine efforts to date.
Make the most of it ladies, and here’s to us!
Two students from Community VCAL, Bianca Mitchell and Emily Best, who attended the lunch also got a lot out of it… here is what they have to say about it. The girls put these words together to be included in the SkillsPlus program newsletter. Bianca further commented, when asked if the luncheon had any influence on her future, “I plan on working harder and just to believe in myself” was her reply… And you know what, that’s all she fundamentally needs to do.
As the coordinator of the Skills Plus program told me via email, “these girls were very much disengaged from a traditional school environment. As a result of our more non-traditional approach, we have seen a huge turn around in their self-esteem and educational values”… Based on the girls article, when given the chance to do something different like attending the lunch, they gained a lot more than they expected… just what we like to hear!
Two more students from the Elizabeth Murdoch College, Amy Winchester Yr 11 VCAL Captain and Jasmine Biviano Yr 11 VCAL Vice Captain, had this to say… “Denise Hall said four things that have really stuck in our minds:
“Luck is where opportunity and hard work meet”
“Education is the key to living an alternative (better) life”
“Grow to be the best you can be”
“It’s not about finding yourself but creating yourself”
These four quotes are now part of the Year 11 VCAL girl’s motivational strategies.” and are featured in the College newsletter for March (p5).
Students from another 14 schools also chose to take part in the celebrations.
International Women’s Day… Hhmmmm
Without wanting to put a dampener…. I’m in two minds about this one I have to say. Only because to me it’s a bit like “mothers day”… on one hand, I’m very pleased that a day is set aside where significant women in our lives are idolised (including us!)… but then on the other hand, shouldn’t every day be like that? Shouldn’t continued recognition and celebration and reward be the norm?
Surely, one of our main roles in life is to set sail, strive to ‘do it my way’, be celebrated for that fact and, enjoy the ride!
