Cranbourne Campus News

NEW STUDENTS TO THE CAMPUS

This week we welcomed a large number of new students to St Peter's College for Head Start at Years 8-12. These new members of our community join us from a range of local schools, some who have relocated from interstate and some who have only recently come to Australia. Regardless of where our new friends have transferred from, it is the warmth and belonging that St Peters pride ourselves on, that these young people are looking for. We welcome these young people and their families warmly to our campus and look forward to the chance to walk alongside them as they settle in, thrive and aim to realize their dreams here at Peter's College.

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

As a College we have placed great emphasis on establishing calm and focus through routines ~ especially at the lower levels. These positive routines also extend to the routine of your child being at tutor group on time and students wearing their uniform correctly to demonstrate respect and pride for their school but also includes standing to greet the teacher upon arrival and following the lesson structure of the teachers.

So then to have a day of limbo where the students have finished all assessment and lessons for the 2023 school year seems almost contradictory. However, it is not and some very valuable learning happened on our New Semester Ever on Tuesday.

7 and 8 Projects Day

The lessons of problem solving with a focus on the skills of group work to complete a series of challenges not only required collaboration but also determination and self discipline from our junior students. A competitive spirit (and I suspect the hope of prizes), drove some excellent thinking to create new jingles for our school wide expectations - the ROCKS, posters about Child Safety of St Peters and entertaining submissions debunking myths like whether the Loch Ness Monster is real. The topics might have been fun and a little off script at times but the team work, problem solving and determination that was called upon for the projects were the real benefit of this day.

Careers and Peer Support

Before changing over to become Year 10's, our Year 9 Students had the opportunity to spend half a day working with our Careers Coordinator Ms Dillon getting some insight into Work Experience for 2024 and our Pathways content. For many, Year 10 is that focus year of school when part time jobs, work placement and a focus on potential pathways begins to enter the fray and take shape. Increasingly the connection to Ms Dillon for you and especially your child, becomes important.

The second half of the day for Year 9 involved Peer Support Training with Pastoral Care leader, Ms Hogan. While students actually need to apply to become a Peer Support Leader or College Ambassador (person with the responsibility to do school tours) all Year 9s experience the program effectively learning about the importance of role modeling to younger students that is expected of them as they pass the halfway mark of their secondary school education at St Peter's.

Exam Feedback

While the final group of students, the Year 10's and l1s, spent the day speaking with their class teachers, analyzing their recent exam results with a sense of self reflection. Teachers don't ask young people to walo in failed attempts or low scores but instead to use exam results to help students to make judgments on their study practice for HeadStart and Beyond ~ what must I keep doing? What should I stop doing ? And what can I start doing~ to achieve future growth as a learner.

New Semester Eve is a day where the classroom routines are compromised little and it can even seem a little chaotic, but the lessons learned are still there even if sometimes our young people fail to see them on the day.

Welcome Head Start- new classes- new teachers and the opportunity to make new friends and connections.

Mr Jeremy Wright

Deputy Principal - Head of Cranbourne Campus