School Houses

Students are allocated to one of four house teams on entry to the College. The college operates with smaller teams of teachers working with a particular group of students. Under this approach, a team of approximately 10 staff provide the core subject teaching for each team of students. The coordinator of the team works with the staff to provide for the needs of that group. In addition, this arrangement has the advantage of staff being attached to an area of the school for a large section of their teaching time and so provides them with a clearer view of their position within the school.

To advance this sense of involvement even further, we have students remain within the particular house team for 6 years. This has the clear advantage of both the coordinator and core staff knowing students well, being aware of their progress over time and understanding the particular needs of that student. In addition, our families are more familiar with the people responsible for the student’s progress at the school and therefore feel free to seek any information or to make contact wherever they consider it necessary or desirable to do so. An added bonus of this approach is the interaction of students from all year levels from 7 to 12. We organise various activities that see students operating as a team and thus break down the sense of separation the traditional year level coordination structure displayed.

In the early years of the house team structure, the college has already seen that these changes to the coordination of students has greatly improved both the operation of the school and it has provided students with a stronger sense of place, belonging and connectedness. This is a particularly important outcome for students during what are generally considered the most challenging years of schooling.

All 4 teams have been named by our students and staff, and have taken on historical names of Melton’s past.

The Barak House has been named after William Barak. William was originally a tracker in the Native Police Force, who became a Wurundjeri clan leader. He was a politically skilled leader, skilled mediator and spokesperson for his people. Skilled in the arts of diplomacy and friendship, he became known as the King of the Yarra.

The Lang House has been named after the Lang Family. Both Horace and his brother Thomas served in the AIF in World War One. Horace was originally sent to Gallipoli, and was awarded the Military Cross. He was ultimately killed in action at the Bullecourt (France). Horace and Thomas’s father, also known as Thomas, was the Headteacher at Melton State School. Both sons are commemorated at the Melton Cenotaph.

The Pyke House has been named after the Pyke brothers, whose pastoral station was at Toolern Creek, which was the foundation of the settlement known as Melton. The graves of the brothers can still be found in the Melton Valley Golf Course. They were considered to be the first European settlers to Melton.

The Watts House was named after Hannah Watts. Hannah contributed enormously to the early Melton community and for many years she was Melton’s only nurse & midwife. Hannah also established the first hospital in Melton at “Lynch Cottage” in 1911.

We continue to see our student teams grow and become integral in the way we operate at Kurunjang.