The Girton eLink

From the Principal

In today’s issue of eLink, I am delighted to share with you two changes we will be making in our Senior School in 2024. These changes are the result of reviews undertaken this year as part of our 2023 Implementation Plan, which supports our Strategic Plan 2023–2028. Both changes were sparked by feedback we received through last year’s Principal’s Focus Groups, and we believe that both will support our strategic priority of providing exceptional student engagement and wellbeing. As part of these improvement projects, we have undertaken various layers of consultation with members of our Girton community. 

 

First, I am pleased to report that we will be transitioning Year 7 class allocations from a House-based model to mixed-House groups in 2024. This was based on the outcome of a recent survey you may remember completing, which saw the majority of respondents (both parents from Year 6 and above, and school staff) voting in favour of mixed class allocations. As a leadership team, we are confident that giving our Year 7 students the opportunity to complete academic classes with students outside their House Tutor Group will help them form broader social connections, expose them to different perspectives, and provide additional opportunities for academic and social growth. It will also give the School more flexibility to construct classes that are most conducive to effective learning. 

 

Of course, the House system will remain an integral part of Girton’s pastoral care approach, and Year 7 students will continue to meet with their House Tutor Group each morning as well as during Co-connect sessions in the afternoon, which will provide ample opportunity to foster House spirit and a sense of belonging within their House Tutor Group. By combining mixed-House classes with House-based pastoral care, we believe we will be providing the best of both worlds and the best possible outcomes for Year 7 students at Girton. In preparation for the 2024 school year, a dedicated team including our Deputy Principal, Registrar, Head of Senior School, Head of Student Engagement, Head of Student Orientation, Heads of House and myself will now undertake a thoughtful class allocation process in collaboration with Year 6 teachers.

 

The second change that will be implemented from the start of the 2024 school year is an exciting update to our Senior School timetable, with the aim of more effectively harnessing our current assembly time to foster our students’ sense of belonging, wellbeing and engagement. As you can see in the figure below, on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays we will make minor adjustments to our existing timetable to create more time for our newly created Co-connect sessions in the afternoon. This time will be used differently each day, creating an appropriate balance between formal assemblies and activities that foster personal development and relationship building:

  • Monday: Senior School Assembly on rotation – Principal’s, Religious, Student-Led (Prefect and Student Delegate Council), and Performance
  • Tuesday: House Tutor time dedicated to teaching social and emotional learning (SEL) skills
  • Thursday: House Tutor time dedicated to relationship building and academic mentoring
  • Friday: House Assembly led by the Heads of House.

Wednesday will become a special day of the week for our Senior School students, with its own distinct timetable that focuses on nurturing connection and belonging. By allocating an extensive block of Co-connect time at the end of the day, we will provide more opportunities for year levels, House groups and special interest groups to collaborate through a range of activities, as well as creating an engaging point of difference in the middle of the week. This time will be thoughtfully scheduled by our newly appointed Co-connect Coordinator, Ms Barb Fielder. 

 

As a trial in Semester 1, Senior School students will be permitted to wear their PE uniform each Wednesday. In addition to the PE uniform being comfortable and removing the need to change uniforms on Wednesdays, we feel that having all students wearing the same uniform symbolises belonging to a collective, which is what Co-connect is all about. The timetable changes will not impact school start and finish times, meaning drop-off and pick-up routines will be unaffected.

Our new Senior School timetable being implemented at the start of 2024

 

Of course, as with any change, there will be a period of adjustment. We will be carefully monitoring the respective rollouts and considering feedback received so we can make any necessary modifications. That said, we firmly believe both changes will foster an even stronger sense of belonging and connection within our Senior School, and we look forward to seeing positive flow-on effects to enhance our students’ academic, social and emotional development. 

 

Reflecting now on the last couple of weeks, last Saturday I had the pleasure of watching teams of students from our Junior and Senior Schools working together to solve challenges across The Arts, Language Literature, Social Sciences and STEM at the Tournament of Minds Regional Finals at La Trobe in Bendigo. The School is thrilled that six teams will now be progressing through to the State Finals in Melbourne on 10 September – well done to everyone involved! This week’s celebration of Book Week in our Junior School served as a heartening reminder of the timeless magic of books and storytelling. It was wonderful to see our students immerse themselves in their favourite stories and characters at yesterday’s book parade, and today they received a special visit from acclaimed children’s fantasy writer, Isobelle Carmody. Over in Senior School, House Dinners commenced this week, giving students and staff a highly anticipated opportunity to foster that sense of House spirit I wrote about earlier, which is so fundamental to the culture of our School. 

 

We are also eagerly anticipating our Arts Fest in Week 8, which promises to be a vibrant celebration of creativity, culture and community. It will encompass International Day and Grandparents and Special Friends Day in our Junior School, as well as the Art Show, which for the first time will include both the Junior and Senior School. I hope to see you at one of the many events that will be taking place throughout Arts Fest.

 

Wishing you and your family a wonderful weekend.

 

Dr Emma O'Rielly 

Principal