Focus on...
Year 12 Graduation
Focus on...
Year 12 Graduation
On Saturday night we had a fabulous Graduation for the class of 2024 where we celebrated together as a community of students, staff, families and friends, the achievement of completing Year 12. At this ‘pointy end’ of the schooling journey, there is a natural tendency to pause and reflect. What has the last 13 years of schooling achieved? How has this prepared students for the wide world post-school? What is the value of the hours upon hours of study, lessons and assessments?
Michelle shared in her address to the students at the Graduation about the many things we hope for, and ultimately what we put our hope in. As VCE Coordinator, I am well aware that there are lots of pressures and hopes that students and families feel through the final years of school. There are many questions students are asked about what they hope to do in the future, what scores they hope to achieve etc. Within the VCE system itself and the stigmas and perceptions surrounding it, there are various underlying conceptions of what a ‘successful student’ looks like, as well as what ‘excellence in education’ means.
A learning thread which is embedded into the teaching practice at MECS is the idea of shaping students to become a Purposeful Learner. A purposeful learner wants to grow and make a difference using their skills to shape culture and contribute meaningfully to the world. They overcome setbacks with perseverance and imagine new ideas that align with God’s plans. Understanding their vocation, they unwrap their gifts and talents, using them to serve others.
So as the class of 2024 walks boldly into the next phase of their life journey, this is one of the many things I hope for them. That through their time at MECS, in the rhythms and experiences of the daily practice of school, they will have caught something of this vision of being a purposeful learner. I hope that our students will make their way forward as uniquely created lifelong learners who use their curiosity, skills, abilities, and experiences in transformative, redemptive and surprising ways.
Emma Tresidder
VCE Coordinator & Secondary Teacher