Since Tamika-Lee came to us in 2022 to start Year 9, she has progressed by leaps and bounds! As she settled into life at NGC, she has begun to recognise her strengths as a curious learner, and a highly observational, perceptive and calming presence amongst her friends.
But before Tamika joined our school, her confidence had hit a low point. At her previous school, she had experienced bullying and self-esteem struggles because of unsupportive peers. Tamika also felt like just one of many young people in the classroom and that she was missing out on the personalised help she needed to stay on track academically. These combined challenges led to her missing out on school for over a year and spending most of her time at home.
However, things started to turn around for Tamika when she was encouraged by some friends - and former NGC students - to see how we do things differently. Given her long absence from an education setting, she did an incredible job to adapt to the rhythms of school life. Tamika immediately benefitted from a smaller, tight-knit student cohort, where it was much easier to get to know people. Similarly, her academic performance started to align with her true capabilities because she felt safe to ask questions and seek out further assistance from teachers she trusted.
"There was a lot going on for me personally at my last school and I didn't feel very supported. I also found that the teachers would give you something to do but then not step in to help. When I came to NGC, I hadn't been to school in about a year and I wasn't a really talkative person at that point, so it took a while to feel comfortable. But I have gotten a lot more confident now.
There aren't as many groups here, so it's easier to make friends and it feels like a more relaxed environment where you don't feel intimidated. It's little things, like calling teachers by their first names so it feels more like you know them as people, or being able to take breaks when you need to. In class, you're able to get so much more one-on-one help from the teachers and from support staff like Lee S. I always liked subjects like Maths but it has been a lot easier to do well here."
As a young Aboriginal woman, Tamika has also appreciated how much our school values First Nations culture and makes learning about Country and community accessible to everyone. She was a keen participant in the Mob Pod program, which was delivered by the fantastic team at The Skill Engineer. This initiative gave our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people the chance to speak on issues that matter to them through researching, developing and recording a podcast episode from start to finish!
One of Tamika's favourite aspects of NGC is our focus on getting students outside as much as possible. With motorbike riding clocking in as one of her top hobbies, she's never one to shy away from physical activities like bushwalking, swimming in a local waterhole or playing a game of footy.
"I love how we go out a lot. The teachers will find ways to bring our work outside and Rick will take us to cool places on the Coast to play sport and explore. Being in nature is really calming, it just makes you feel good and gives your brain time to refresh. I also like doing Cultural Education with Mick and learning more about Aboriginal culture, especially when we go out into the bush."
After some tough experiences with teachers and peers in a mainstream setting, one of Tamika's biggest accomplishments is making connections with our staff and building great friendships that are based on being authentic and non-judgemental. She has resonated with NGC's focus on respectful, two-way communication and celebrating individuality, and we have loved seeing her find a sense of genuine belonging.
"Here, the teachers communicate with you a lot more and there are laughs and jokes as well. They make it feel like they're on your level and there is more choice. You're not forced to talk when you don't want to but everyone is friendly and welcoming to anyone who is new. I would tell someone who was thinking about coming to NGC that it takes a little while to find your groove but you don't have to rush and there's no pressure to be at a different point of your journey. You can just go at your own pace."
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