It is with a heavy heart that I write this last newsletter as the Defence School Mentor at Ripley Valley SSC as I complete my tenure at the college at the end of this term.

As is the case with nearly all Defence families, the posting cycle will see my family move out of location in the new year, so I will be taking the time between now and then to undertake the logistics that are involved with moving, as well as visiting family on the other side of the ‘Ditch”.

As the unofficial foundation DSM of the College, my role was to create a program that supported Defence students to access school-based social and emotional supports, provide Defence students with age-appropriate, social and emotional support, provide Defence families with information about the school environment and available DMFS supports relevant to their student’s development and to raise awareness and build capacity among school staff to respond to the social and emotional needs of students from Defence families.

Over the past 5 years, I have had the privilege of engaging with our Defence families, parents and students alike, and advocating on their behalf with the school’s executive and teaching staff. Our Defence student numbers have grown from 20 to 95.  From humble beginnings to an established program within the school, we have enjoyed a number of activities such as Defence parent catch ups, ADF support for Military commemorations at the college, the introduction of Amberley, the Defence Student Representative, established Defence Peer Mentors, enjoyed Defence Week activities including an obstacle course and visiting camels, assisting with the development of ANZAC Place, weekly Defence Hub activities for students, community engagements, wellbeing events, regular interactions with the Ipswich RSL Sub Branch and much much more.

I have been able to educate staff about the commitment required from families when supporting their Defence members, and the challenges they face, notably around the impacts the military lifestyle present on the education of their children.

The DSM program has been fully embraced and support by all the amazing staff at the college, which I give the most sincerest of thanks for and I have had the privilege of working with the wonderfully committed Student Support team people. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to be the DSM at RVSSC, and I will always look back at my time here with the fondest of memories.

As the numbers of Defence students grow over these next few years, the level of support from the DSM program will grow too, and I wish the incoming DSM all the very best as they take over the reins in term 3.

To all of my 'Defencies', continue being awesome, goodbye for now and thank you for letting me be a part of your lives.

The flow of poppies for our Poppy Waterfall continues to flow, and I would like to make a special mention to the Toowoomba Women’s Shed for their recent contribution of 100 poppies that will be added to the Poppy Waterfall in time for the college’s Remembrance Day Commemoration.

The red poppy has special significance for Australians as they were among the first to flower in the devastated battlefields of northern France and Belgium in the First World War. In soldiers’ folklore, the vivid red of the poppy came from the blood of their comrades soaking the ground.

Australians wear a red poppy on Remembrance Day for three reasons:

• in memory of the sacred dead who rest in Flanders’ Fields
• to keep alive the memories of the sacred cause for which they laid down their lives
• as a bond of esteem and affection between the soldiers of all Allied nations and in respect for France, our common battleground.