By Julie Cameron
MERCEDES College has opened a unique centre to assist the transition for students with varying disabilities to employment and independent living post-high school.
Mercedes’ 1937 Art Deco building, called Rostrevor, was refurbished with the Federal Government’s $200,000 BER NSP funding, and the centre was renamed the Coolock Centre, after Sisters of Mercy foundress Catherine McAuley’s residence in Dublin.
The Centre, together with the $850,000 refurbished canteen, are two of the College’s recently completed projects funded by the Government’s BER programme.
The Catholic Education Office provided a further $10,000 to furnish the flat with a lounge, bedroom, kitchen, laundry, bathroom and work room. Students chose the furniture, electrical and household goods.
The Centre will form an integral part of learning for the Mercedes College Special Education students. Eleven students with varying disabilities at Mercedes College are part of the Education Support Unit (ESU) which provides a programme aimed at developing independent life skills.
The ESU programme has been running at the school since 1968. In addition to literacy, numeracy and IT skills embedded in real life experiences, it involves the students undertaking a number of learning and practical experiences including budgeting, planning, paying bills, banking and shopping.
On Fridays, students go shopping and buy food, which they will now be able to bring back to the flat, learn to cook and enjoy their meal together.
Sr Vedette Lendich, who leads the programme with a dedicated group of teacher assistants, said the essence of this programme is to provide the girls with the knowledge and skills that we all need every day.
“The Centre provides a setting for the students to learn everyday skills – how to budget and shop, cook, wash and iron clothes and look after a house,” she said. “Every week we take the girls shopping for food, then we come back and they are taught how to cook before they all sit down and enjoy what they have made.”
The programme provides essential knowledge in a home setting and opportunities for them to learn to sew, make a bed, read a recipe, wash and iron clothing and keep safe. Transperth has also provided the girls with “transport training” – learning how to ride the bus and rail transport systems. They recently went by train to Fremantle, visiting stations along the way.
An important part of the programme is the girls’ Enterprise work called Beadazzled where they make their peg dolls and jewellery. The Godly Playpeg People are set in a nativity scene and sold at College functions with funds going to Sisters of Mercy charities.
They also make and sell their own jewellery with bracelets, necklaces, earrings and key chains.
This work is linked in with the Business Management and Enterprise course, which is a Curriculum Council subject.
The girls are integrated into all the options, Homerooms, Pastoral Care, Sport and Health. Year 10, 11 and 12 students complete preliminary units from Senior Secondary Courses in English and Business.
They have a heavy focus on work placement, helping them to make the transition to work and looking at post-school options.
The older students are involved in work placements on a Monday with the Water Corporation and Gattos, the Christian Book Shop.
Another part of the ESU programme is a Therapy Focus, which is school aged intervention therapy group, helping the girls with conversation and personal care. Outside agencies, such as the Cerebral Palsy Association, also come in and work alongside the girls with their Teacher Assistants. In due course, the Coolock Centre will provide an opportunity for other Catholic schools to come and practise similar programmes in an independent setting.
The Mercedes students will provide written instructions which will be placed in the rooms to enable users of the facility knowledge on how to use the facility and equipment. They will also be given the opportunity to develop their leadership skills by providing assistance when visitors are doing their own programmes.
Mercedes College principal Sheena Barber said the Centre will “will provide our Education Support students with another opportunity to further develop their skills by providing assistance when visitors are doing their own programmes”.
Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Foreign Minister Stephen Smith visited the Coolock Centre on 9 June to support what the college did with the government funds.
During the visit, Ms Gillard and Mr Smith also answered questions by senior students of Mercedes College – based near St Mary’s Cathedral in Perth’s central business district – on leadership opportunities for women in business and the community and life in politics.