Principal's Message 

In the last newsletter I was welcoming back students after the brief lockdown we had. Now we are two weeks into another challenging and tiring lockdown.  How quickly things change! These lockdowns impact all of us in different ways.  If you need help please reach out and utilise the resources available to you.  Please feel free to start with us as we may be able to link you in with the appropriate supports.

Evolving our remote learning practices

Strategies currently being implemented in 2021

• Remote learning expectations for students, teachers and parents/carers
• Students connect online for every class
• Explicit teaching for 10-15 minutes
• Teacher stays online for the rest of the class in case an individual student requires extra support
• Wellbeing and engagement check-ins of all families. 
• Information booklets to support parents/carers 
• Wellbeing resources for our students

As a school it is important we are constantly evolving our remote learning practices.  We have seen a decline in student engagement and wellbeing within the remote setting. Last week after the extension was announced the School Improvement Team (SIT) and the staff met (online of course...) to discuss ways to enhance student learning and engagement. 

The aim of evolving our practices is to inspire, empower, include and support our students (and parents/carers) in this difficult climate.

Future school-wide remote learning strategies include:

• Increased use of breakout rooms on WebEx.  Which will provide students with an opportunity to connect further with peers
• Utilising different forms of IT e.g. Kahootz 
• Regular feedback to students and families, including fortnightly remote learning progress reports.  The aim of the reports is to provide parents/carers with a snapshot of their child’s learning.  As a parent of teenagers, I understand first hand how they are not always forthcoming with information!
• Reducing the amount of assessment tasks so students don’t feel too overwhelmed
• Uploading Victorian Curriculum guidelines to Compass for parent/carer access.

2022 School Improvement

There are certain preconditions required to ensure school improvement can be successful. 

Please see below:

In 2022 a Supportive and Orderly Learning Environment (SOLE) will be our key focus. 

We will know SOLE has been achieved when all:

Students are:

• actively engaged in the curriculum
• encouraged to persist for success
• provided with interesting ways to learn
• supported with high, clear, and consistent expectations.

Students have:

• a sense of belonging
• positive relationships with staff
• staff who know them well
• staff who genuinely care about them 
• teachers who provide high, clear, and consistent expectations
• teachers who develop their strengths.

2022 SOLE strategies

1.A change to the timetable for 2022.  I want to thank all parent/carers and students who participated in the survey. With careful consideration and consultation, the school will change to a 10-day cycle (two weeks), 5 period day timetable in 2022. 

Students want more variety in the curriculum and this new timetable will certainly provide them with an abundance of opportunities.  For example, a Y10 student may have up to 12 electives to choose from within a block. I am looking forward to seeing the offerings that the teachers will create.  Very exciting!

2. In 2022 the structure of the school will be different.  Currently students do not have designated learning spaces and a specific location to access their teachers.   Teachers are presently located in subject based areas.  This is not ideal for students as they generally only have one teacher of the subject area e.g. maths, in that location.  With the new sub-school structure e.g. Y7-9 & Y10-12 (yet to be finalised), students will cohabitate with teachers in designated learning spaces.  The staff will be able to collaborate on a daily basis to effectively support the needs of each student. The overall aim is for students to develop a deeper sense of belonging as they have more adult advocates at school.

Regards

Ian Van Schie

Principal