Attending the Safe Party Day were, left to right, Shelby, Angela, Narre Warren North MP Luke Donnellan, ambulance officer Wong Chea, Alyssa, Ashleigh with Wendy Fox, Same Sex Attracted Youth project worker.
By Rebecca Fraser
STUDENTS at Eumemmerring College, Gleneagles Campus sure know how to party safely.
Year nine students at the Endeavour Hills school recently took part in a Safe Party Day that aimed to give students the knowledge they need to make the right decisions.
The day-long program was planned and implemented by students completing the Year 9 Advance curriculum program at Gleneagles with all students expected to take part in a community focused project.
Students Angela, Ashley, Alyssa, Cristina and Shelby chose to organise the Party Safe Day.
“It’s been a great experience to be involved in organising this event and working with my friends,” Angela said.
“It was great to see how much all the Year 9s enjoyed the day and we learnt some good ways to party safely.”
The day began with a presentation from the South East Drug and Alcohol Service and students rotated through sessions delivered by the local police, Metropolitan Ambulance Service, Family Planning Victoria and Youth Substance Abuse Service.
Other organisations involved in the event included the South Eastern Centre Against Sexual Assault and Women’s Health in the South East, which focused on the Respect Protect Connect program.
Student welfare coordinator Maxine Foster said the event gave students an opportunity to understand the importance of good decision-making for themselves and their friends and to further their knowledge in line with harm minimisation guidelines.
The Party Safe Day was partially funded by the successful application of funding under the Whole School Sexuality Education Grants.
“One of the key focuses of Gleneagles is to continue to work towards building an inclusive and secure environment, one that supports all young people and develops a culture that fosters understanding and values all members,” Ms Foster said.
“The Safe Party Day provided an ideal opportunity to build on these messages of inclusiveness and community .”
