Nemarluk Principal Virg Hughes on 40 years of the school

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well. Nemluk School in Darwin's Northern suburbs is celebrating forty
years of providing specialist education to territory students with additional needs.
The school, which opened in nineteen eighty six with just
twenty five students, now supports around one hundred and eighty
five primary age children through tailored learning programs and specialist support.

(00:23):
Now joining us on the line is Virghu'es, the Nemeluk principle.
Good morning do your verge? Good morning Katie, lovely to
have you on the show, I mean, verge forty years
that is a significant milestone. What do you reckon? It's
been the biggest change at the school since it first opens.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
Oh, it's been a great school. We've grown very from
very small numbers to quite large numbers. Our students really
have a active engagement in the community, which is really important.
They get to participate in things community events, cultural events,
the Beat Festival, choir performances, they're part of the Anti

(01:06):
Learning Commission, so student voice. Yeah, lots of different sports activities.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
How good and I reckon over the years, like over
forty years, I would imagine not only have the numbers grown,
I mean you've gone from twenty five students to around
one hundred and eighty five. But I would imagine, you know,
some of the different the different things that are delivered,
the different services, different things that the kids are involved in.
I know you touched on some of them then, but
I would imagine it's evolved enormously over that period of time.

Speaker 2 (01:36):
Absolutely things in terms of the curriculum and using the curriculum,
the austraining curriculum. Our kids have the individual programs, so
really trying to meet their needs around whether it's around communication,
they're literacy and numeracy, and it as teaches. Our practice
changes over that period of time as well for how
we deliver those programs.

Speaker 1 (01:55):
What are some of the success stories that you've seen
from students who've come through and gone on, you know,
to further education and employment.

Speaker 2 (02:05):
Yep, so seeing them out in community in different workplaces.
We've had some students who've participated in national and international
sporting events being I guess being leaders in their community,
and I guess that's been a really important part of
our school that they are active participants in the community.

Speaker 1 (02:21):
What's it like for you is the principal? I mean,
you must love getting to see the kids sort of
like grow up and you know, I guess achieve in
different ways.

Speaker 2 (02:32):
Absolutely, it's a very rewarding job. We see our kids
come through in preschool, they transition through into Henbury where
they then move into different community pathways and work. It's
super exciting. Our kids do great at performing arts and
just seeing them, you know, I guess it's a principle.

(02:53):
Getting to see them grow through that journey across six
years is really rewarding.

Speaker 1 (02:58):
And how is it like, I know that of the
name of Luck campus is obviously shared with Alowa Primary School.
Does that provide some benefit as well that arrangement?

Speaker 2 (03:08):
Yes, absolutely, So we've had our students access to the
Aloha farm and we have had a satellite class there before,
so I guess we're really lucky. We have got classes
in lots of primary schools, so we've got students who
attend there for a couple of days a week and
then come back to the main campus, so they get
that experience of working along other peers participating in different

(03:30):
classes in those local schools as well.

Speaker 1 (03:32):
Oh how good? What do you reckon? The next forty
years is going to see.

Speaker 2 (03:37):
Lots of changes I'm sure it's been. Yeah, it's certainly
been a journey. I think it's been amazing to see
the growth of our school. One of the things, I guess,
one of the commemorative things that we've had done for
the fortieth was a mural by Jesse Bell depicting the
school's journey from the original site in them Luck Drive
to where we are now in the campus. I guess

(04:00):
that demonstrates that learning and growth, education supporting one another.
It's certainly a celebration of every student, every family, and
every staff member who is part of our community. And
I guess our journey is still unfolding. And with the mural,
it was really great Jesse having shaped it with some
of our students' work. They redesigned our logo, so for

(04:23):
them it's also manyful to see their work there and
their artwork is part of that. And the other thing
is a permanent timeline which is actually showing our school's
history from even before we were a recognized school, back
when it was a unit to them now where we
are now.

Speaker 1 (04:40):
Oh, that's wonderful and that sounds like it'd be an
incredible mural. Well, how long have you been there?

Speaker 2 (04:45):
Verge I've been here thirteen years, but six years as
a principal.

Speaker 1 (04:50):
Oh, it must be a really rewarding job.

Speaker 2 (04:53):
It certainly is, and I'm really proud to be one
of only six principles who've led this school over forty years.
So I think that dedication, that commitment, the consistency is
really shines through all.

Speaker 1 (05:05):
It's wonderful to talk to you this morning, and a
happy fortieth birthday to the school. Thank you so much,
thank you, thanks so much.