General News
18 October, 2023
Popular Flourish Festival returns
MORTLAKE College students celebrated health and wellbeing this week as part of the school’s second annual Flourish Festival.
MORTLAKE College students celebrated health and wellbeing this week as part of the school’s second annual Flourish Festival.
The Flourish Festival was launched last year in a bid to help reconnect the students and wider school community following years of interrupted learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Flourish Festival became a beloved school event after its first year, with students and staff enjoying a break from traditional learning to focus on the importance of health and wellbeing in a fun and casual setting.
A range of speakers visited the school on Monday as part of the day to share their inspiring stories of overcoming adversity, persistence, creativity and transforming moments of devastation in to catalysts for positive change.
Warrnambool’s Paul Watkins told his story of adventuring through the hurricane force winds of the Artic Circle and traversing the Himalayas.
Gareth Colliton from Warrnambool’s One Day Studios spoke about the creation process of the web series Mabel and Switch, which has been developed locally.
Peterborough’s Ben Harkin shared his inspiring story about overcoming life’s obstacles after he was born without arms.
There was also a presentation from the Pat Cronin Foundation, empowering students to say no to violence after 19-year-old Pat Cronin was killed by a single coward punch in 2016.
Mortlake College school principal Sean Fitzpatrick said the popular bush dancing had been requested to return by students, but the school had also embraced new speakers and activities to keep things fresh.
“There is some really important messages and skills the students are learning about, so we’re not just focusing on health and wellbeing but grit, creativity and putting the pencils down to focus on how we can be better in all the other areas of school,” he said.
“The kids are enjoying it, and it’s all about the kids.
“We create these days to cater to students, to explore how they can be healthier and have an increased wellbeing of themselves and others.
“There is some inspiration from local voices that we’ve all looked forward to and certainly will again next year.”
Speaker Ben Harkin said he enjoyed the opportunity to encourage Mortlake College students to be the best version of themselves.
“It’s always good to inspire and motivate kids to be the best they can and to ultimately flourish,” he said.
“That’s why I’m here; to encourage them to make the most of what they’ve got, take advantage of the opportunities they have in front of them to and to try and be the best they can be.”
Terang and Mortlake Health Service TMHS also hosted an indoor bowls and yoga sessions for students to enjoy on the day.
“The idea was that these may be physical activities that students may not have tried and they are available in Mortlake if they enjoy and want to continue giving them a go,” TMHS health promotion officer Tanya Glossop said.
“We also wanted to showcase that the health promotion team is available to chat with any group in the community that may need ideas or help with health and wellbeing related projects.”
