Emerson School officially screened an international award-winning documentary Unlocking the Potential: The Vital Role of Specialist Education, leaving its audience deep in emotions.
The work by multi-award-winning filmmaker Amel Tresnji captured the essence and importance of the Dandenong specialist school.
It was the first time the entire 110 minutes of the film was screened.
A shorter 75 minute version had won 13 international awards including Best Educational Film and Best Film on Disability at the Cannes World Film Festival.
The film provided crucial insights into the “miracle” transition of students from being potentially welfare recipients to independent taxpayers as well as their families who became part of the school.
A proud principal John Mooney OAM says they want more people to know that easier pathways through school and beyond can be achieved.
“If you’re experiencing difficulties in your learning, where you may not be motivated or you might be marginalised – well, wouldn’t it be lovely to go to a school where you’ll actually be able to unlock, discard all their worries and fear?”
He has been a long advocate of streamlining enrolments at specialist schools without barriers such as meeting thresholds of entry and scoring certain numbers on a test.
In doing so, he has changed lives of the students and helped families in easing their deep concerns for the future of their child.
The documentary was two years in the making with an extraordinary compilation of interviews of parents, past and present students, Mr Mooney, school council, school staff, the Monash Krongold Clinic, lifelong partners and friends.
The launch at Hoyts Chadstone on Wednesday evening 6 August brought together people from all walks of lives, government departments, professions along with the school’s community including Emerson’s school council, former students, staff and families.
Some of them didn’t shy away to admit they had tears roll down their face.
Retired principal of Dandenong North Primary School, Kevin Mackay OAM also attended on the night, as one half of a longstanding partnership with Mr Mooney in running programs to help families and students in their respective schools.
“I think the most powerful thing about the film was the stories of the parents who would have been devastated without the support of the school.
“John’s just an inspiration. He didn’t want the film to be about him, but it should be about him too because without him, it wouldn’t happen.”
Mr Mackay now works at Emerson School few days a week because he loves it so much.
Mr Tresnjic however, couldn’t have truly portrayed the film without highlighting the incredible leadership of Mr Mooney.
“Part of the film was for me to essentially investigate what makes the school very unique and the first thing I recognise, it’s John – because John is the leader, his philosophies, his kindness, his ability to really see the best in people and cultivate that is really quite unique.
“I thought it was really important being an educational film and essentially a blueprint of how we can replicate something like this to help other schools develop certain strategies and cultures.
“I thought it was really important to recognise where John’s motivation comes from, how that trickles down to the staff, to teachers, the students, how all of that affects everybody as a whole environment and that really is what allows everyone to thrive.”
This is not the first time Mr Tresnjic has worked with the school.
He first met and worked with Mr Mooney in 2015 on the film, ‘SingFest: The Literacy of Music’ which highlighted the importance of music in education earning 18 international awards.
The documentary inspired another three documentaries on Dandenong North Primary School, ‘The Reading Factory at DNPS,’ ‘Talk for Life: English as an Additional Language’ and ‘Giving Back.’
