Banksia House

Banksia House News

In the words of our Year 11 Student Leaders in Banksia House, Term 1 2020 has been focussed on:

• Hard work
• Setting the tone and expectations
• Laying the foundations that will lead to success
• Understanding what success will look like for each individual
• Accessing supportive resources to help us with our learning
• Setting learning goals
• Asking questions to support our learning
• Gaining feedback to improve our understanding
• Celebration, Community Spirit and Togetherness demonstrated at the Swimming Carnival where our students pulled together to fill events and further enacted as our Chorales rehearsals continue to be successful with strong relationships and partnerships being formed between our junior and senior students

As we ‘put our learning into action’ this year, it is clear, as reflected in the words of our students, learning is at the forefront of our work. In classrooms we can hear teachers and students discussing how to improve and support student learning, together. We can see and hear questions such as:

• What are you learning?
• Why are you learning these concepts/skills?
• How will you know you have learnt these concepts and skills?
• What will success look like for you?

Each time students are asked these questions – either by their teachers or by the house leadership team – it is evident students are becoming clearer about the purpose of their learning and how it transfers into the broader world. Students are working together at recess and lunchtime to solve problems, study together and ask questions of each other to support their learning. Attendance remains strong, with over 120 students on 100% for the year! A hive of activity is evident, with a strong sense of purpose.

Our Year 7 students have transitioned incredibly well and are forming strong connections with our Year 9 students in a peer mentoring capacity, as well as with their teachers and with each other. The students have explored how they best learn and have together developed a learning agreement which is leading to a sense of calm and focus. A strong number of our Year 7s contributed to the Swimming Carnival, are involved in Chorales and have signed up for the Athletics. Well done to our Year 7s on such a productive Term.

Congratulations to our student leaders – our SRC and House Captains – who have been elected into office this year. Already they are leading by example, setting the tone for their fellow peers and are exploring how to give back to the broader community through Social Service. In our Term 2 newsletter we will share the thinking of our student leaders and their success thus far.

The tone has been set, the foundations laid. In times of uncertainty, one thing is for sure, we will continue to ‘put our learning into action’ so that every student is growing in their learning and is experiencing success.

Kelly Krieg

Banksia House Leader