Students to attend Croc Festival

Students from several Peninsula schools will be among 200 students from 28 schools on the Central Coast attending this year's Croc Festival in Kempsey this week.

The Peninsula "cluster" includes Ettalong Public School, Brisbane Waters Secondary College Woy Woy and Umina Campus, Woy Woy Public School, Woy Woy South Public School, Umina Public School and Peninsula Pre-School.

The Peninsula students will be joining almost 6000 students from 120 schools from across the Mid-North Coast, and beyond.

Part of the Global Rock Challenge and now in its eight year, the Croc Festival is a youth program held annually in eight locations in rural and remote Australia, designed to "motivate and inspire young Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians to live healthy lifestyles without tobacco, alcohol and other drugs".

Thirty students from Brisbane Waters Secondary College Woy Woy Campus will be participating in workshops and activities aimed at improving students self esteem, goal setting skills and career aspirations at the event.

The college's liaison teacher Ms Marty Nuku said she believed the festival promised to be an unforgettable experience.

"The Croc Festival offers wonderful extensions to our aims and desires regarding student and community achievements," Ms Nuku said.

"In doing so, the festival provides students with ideas and experiences that can give flight to opportunities they may never thought existed or were beyond their reach."

Ms Nuku said a feature of Brisbane Waters Secondary College was its cultural diversity.

Many of its Indigenous students have come from different areas of the state.

"We will be able to perform a story that reflects this diversity in a harmonious way...a story that speaks of dreams, challenges and celebrations...a story that can be passed down," said Ms Nuku.

The college's preparation for their performance began with gathering a range of ideas from students based on the festivals theme, "From the Desert To the Sea - Australian Stories".

With the assistance of community elder Ms Anita Selwyn and chorographer Mr Reuben Doolah the ideas were transformed into a unique combination of narrative, music and dance.

Ms Clarke said students on the college's senior campus, parents and other helpers had also played a crucial role in the preparations.

Senior students had also been involved in making the props and mothers had organised the performance costumes.

The college is also in the process of planning a fundraising "Koori-oke" night.

"Croc Festival is one way that students can come together, form friendships, receive support in a fun and relaxed environment and possibly see themselves as leaders of the future," Ms Nuku said.

While at the festival, students will have the opportunity to gather information about future job pathways at the Careers Market, attend the Health Expo, have free ear checks from Australian Hearing and eye checks from Luxottica as well as improve their motor skills through sporting clinics.

Students will also have a chance to scale the Department of Human Services Agencies Climbing Wall, and explore career opportunities at the Department of Human Services Agencies "I Want To Be" workshop.

The Croc Festival is supported by the Australian Government, which has committed $3 million to the events.

Press release, September 15 Yvette Clarke, Rock Challenge