Principals' Report

2016 Time table changes

I hope you have enjoyed a relaxing term break as a family and now look forward to the learning and challenges of Semester Two.

The writer Karen Lamb said, “A year from now you will wish you had started today.”

Melbourne Girls’ College is setting up the change process in 2015 to ensure we move forward in learning and education in 2016. Many of you may have read in last week’s Compass Newsfeed the 2016 time table model which fitted the needs of most is Model Two with the school day beginning at 8.50am.

Staff Briefing will be at 8.30am on Monday mornings and Tuesday Professional Learning will take place from 3.00pm – 4.30pm.

The VCE SAC session will be period 4 Thursday in alternate weeks. When there is not a Year 11 or 12 Level assembly or other activity the VCE girls will be required at school by 10.20am on alternate Mondays.

Professional Learning for staff will centre on the Curiosity and Powerful Learning Framework and Explicit Instructional Model. For the 75 minute period to be used effectively a range of teaching strategies will be incorporated. They include:

·         a Launch to each lesson incorporating the Learning Intention and how students will know they are meeting the learning required (Success Criteria)

·         Engagement – a range of teaching strategies (just some examples are individual work, questioning, discussion; depending on the subject, unit and learning required) to support understanding and enjoyment in building new knowledge

·         Application – how can this knowledge, skill, practice be used in this subject as well as in other areas? Actually using the class time to practice, trial  and problem solve.

·         Review – what is understood? What other questions need to be asked?

·         Reflect and note the key learning of the lesson in order to build study skills and retention of the learning.

Our MGC students have always been aspirational and sophisticated learners becoming our future leaders. The interdisciplinary learning nurtured under Judy Crowe’s leadership has stood the test of time and ensured Melbourne Girls’ College is highly respected. Now it is time to work on the how these great subjects can be delivered ever more expertly. We look forward to the learning and engagement this platform will support in future.

An interesting link to inform why we need to be forward thinking as a school community can be found at: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/support/Pages/deeplearning.aspx and http://www.21stcenturyschools.com/What_is_21st_Century_Education.htm

Karen Money

Principal