Guling - School Update

Growing Together 

One of the most encouraging things this year has been seeing our students grow in confidence as learners. Behind that growth are the people, relationships and communities who support them every day. 

Recently, I asked a group of students what community means to them. Their answers were thoughtful and varied. They spoke about oceans, cliffs and sunsets. They described community as people who are helpful, supportive, strict and loving. Most importantly, they described community as home and a place where they feel safe. 

When the conversation turned to the MITS community, many of the same themes emerged. Students spoke about respect, support and encouragement. They talked about how family and community teach them things back home, and how people at MITS help them learn here. One student described MITS as "kind of small, with lots of adults and kids working together." Another spoke about the sense of family they find among other MITS students in Melbourne. 

Many of the qualities students value most in their home communities are the same qualities they value at MITS: feeling safe, feeling known and having people around them who want them to succeed. 

I was incredibly proud of Jordan, Mya, Harmony and Krisheena at the recent MITS Gala. Standing in front of hundreds of people, they shared their stories with honesty, courage and pride. Their speeches reflected the importance of family, culture, opportunity and education but also the people who have supported them throughout their journey. 

Those same themes are evident across the school. During a recent school check-in, one of the observations that stood out most was not just the learning taking place in classrooms, but the way students spoke about it. Students could explain what they were learning, why they were learning it and how they knew they were making progress. There was a real sense of ownership and pride in their learning. 

We're seeing that every day. Students are asking thoughtful questions, contributing ideas, persevering when work becomes challenging and reflecting more deeply on their own progress. Whether they are grappling with fractions, developing persuasive writing skills to help them advocate for themselves and their communities, building financial literacy or exploring future careers, students are increasingly willing to have a go and work through challenges. 

The Science learning featured in this newsletter is another example. From exploring the forces that shape our planet to investigating the stars above us, students have been challenged to stay curious, think deeply and make connections between scientific knowledge, culture and Country. Similar connections are being explored in Reading, where students are engaging with language, culture and identity while sharing stories and perspectives from their own communities. 

In the coming weeks, students will complete their end of year assessments. While these assessments are only one measure of learning, they provide an opportunity for students to reflect on how far they have come and recognise the progress they have made throughout the year. 

This newsletter is also being published on World Teachers' Day, which is celebrated in Australia on 30 October. When speaking with students recently about their teachers, one theme came through again and again. Students talked about teachers who make them feel safe, who take the time to get to know them as both young people and learners and who give them the confidence to take risks with their learning. 

Listening to those conversations made me incredibly proud of our teaching team. They understand the trust families place in MITS when they send their children to Melbourne and work hard every day to honour that trust. 

The students summed up community as a place where people care about one another, support one another and help one another succeed. Looking back on the conversations, the Gala, the classrooms and the reflections about teachers, those words feel particularly fitting.  

Michael Barnhoorn 

Head of School