Secondary News
- Mrs A Neale
- Feb 14
- 3 min read
T1, Week 3
Outback Mike
As part of our Invictus Wellbeing Program, MCS had the pleasure of welcoming Michael “Outback Mike” Atkinson, who spoke to our Year 8 and 9 students about resilience, grit, and embracing failure as a stepping stone to success. An adventurer, filmmaker, and former military pilot, Outback Mike is also a survivalist and was a cast member on the first season of Alone Australia—Port Stephens’ very own Bear Grylls!
During his talk, Mike shared his journey of pursuing a career as a fighter pilot in the military. Despite multiple setbacks and failed attempts, he never gave up on his dream. He emphasised that each failure brings growth and development, ultimately leading to success. He also captivated students with stories of his solo ski trek across Iceland in 2006 and his ambitious project of hand-carving a 5 metre canoe over 14 months, which he then sailed 1,500 km along the Queensland coast—both adventures filled with life-threatening moments.
In 2018, Mike embarked on a solo desert expedition in Saudi Arabia, enduring 50-degree heat while using traditional Bedouin survival techniques, including travelling with a mother and baby camel. Through these experiences, he reinforced the importance of perseverance, grit, and determination in overcoming obstacles. He also shared how, in moments of hardship, reflecting on others' struggles helped him push forward.
Encouraging students to seize opportunities and embrace new challenges, Mike left a lasting impression. His inspiring stories resonated with the students, who walked away with valuable life lessons they can apply to their journeys.
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Business StartUp
This week, our Stage 5 and Year 11 students had the opportunity to participate in the school Business StartUp, a program designed to engage students in industry and entrepreneurial ideas.
Visiting the school for this session were guest speakers from the technology industry, who spoke with the students about what their working lives entail and the opportunities that are afforded by 'taking a chance' in the business world.
Our students had the opportunity to hear about how technology has been implemented in various local industries and has offered new opportunities within the local workforce.
MCS kindly thanks the StartUp Program for their wonderful and insightful presentation.
Real Friends Program
Next week, we will see our Year 8 young ladies begin the Real Life: Real Friends Program. The program runs over Term 1 to Term 3 throughout CareGroup, with our young ladies being broken into three groups across this time.
This program is designed to help girls grow in their friendship skills, addressing topics such as making and being a good friend, dealing with gossip, communication styles, conflict resolution, managing emotions, social media and safety, plus assisting girls in identifying their support networks.
We pray this is a meaningful time for our Year 8 students as they strengthen their friendships and support one another.
Thank you to our families who came along to our Meet the Teacher afternoon on Tuesday this week. It was a pleasure to meet new families, connect with teachers and share Afternoon Tea. This event is accompanied with further information about the Secondary School which can be found in the Whole School News.
Please continue contacting your child’s CareGroup teacher at any time throughout the year to answer any questions or queries you may have. We desire to work with our families to ensure our young people are Well Known, Well Loved and Well Taught.
Mrs A Neale
Head of Secondary
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Secondary | Key Dates: |
Wk 3 14th Feb | Kate Washington Student Leader Morning Tea 9:15am - 12:45pm at Tomaree High School |
Wk 4 19th Feb | Swimming Carnival Years 7 - 12 at Stockton Pool |
Wk 4 21st Feb | Real Life: Real Friends Program Year 8 Girls, Fridays during CareGroup with Mrs Kamper |
Wk 5 24th Feb | Stage 6 Encore + Art Express Sydney |