Principal's Report
ANZAC Day:
Australians recognise the 25th April as a day of national remembrance.
This date is the anniversary of the day Australian and New Zealand soldiers landed on the beaches of Gallipoli in 1915 as part of the Allies’ invasion.
We recognise more than 1.5million men and women who have served Australia in all conflicts, wars and peacekeeping operations. It’s also a time to remember some 103,000 Australians who lost their lives while serving.
During this time commemorative services are held across the nation on April 25 at dawn – the time of the original landing, while later in the day, former servicemen and servicewomen meet to take part in marches through the country’s major cities and in many smaller centres. Commemorative ceremonies are more formal, and are held at war memorials around the country. In these ways, ANZAC Day is a time at which Australians reflect on the many different meanings of war.
Today, our School Captains led the school community in a commemoration assembly with support from Flying Officer Lee, Logistics Officer of the Royal Australian Air Force who gave the commemorative address.
During this assembly we asked students to take some time to reflect on the ANZAC spirit and how this has shaped the culture and character of Australia. Students were asked to think about how they can demonstrate the characteristics/actions within the school and broader community as a way to honour our ANZACs and make the most of the opportunities they have in life.
Here is a link to our assembly yesterday. 2024 ANZAC Day Assembly - Apr 24 - YouTube
Student Forums:
During the last week of Term 2, a team of staff met with students from all year levels to learn more about their experiences at school so that their voice can help shape future improvements and initiatives. The area of focus was student connection, which is a component of the Student Attitudes to School Survey each year.
Whilst the percentage of students who respond positively to the survey factors is higher than like schools and the state average, the responses have been very consistent since 2019 and we are curious about how we might be able to further improve this area.
To measure connection at school the survey asks for student perception on their happiness at school, feelings of belonging, feelings of pride, how much they like school and how much they look forward to going to school.
The most common themes/responses across all year levels included the following:
Relationships – Students discussed how they feel happy when they are with their friends and that in these groups, they feel supported, accepted and a sense of belonging.
Extra-Curricular Activities – This was mentioned many times when students identified moments they feel most happy, connected and pride at school. For example, the recent community day was mentioned; particularly as it celebrated our diverse and multi-cultural community.
Learning and Effort – Students had a strong sense of happiness when they learn something new, have success in class or simply have a ‘good class’. This was also evident when students reflected on moments they feel a sense of pride.
Teachers – Students reflected on the importance of their relationship with their teacher and what they can do to enhance connectedness. Students mentioned that when teachers acknowledged and noticed them learning and their efforts in class this enhanced their connectedness. They also appreciate teachers who check in on their wellbeing and learning.
Collaboration – When students described a ‘connected classroom’ they highlighted that collaborative learning activities help them learn better. Every year level described a classroom where students were talking productively about their learning with each other and their teacher. A feature of a ‘connected classroom’ was where all students were valued equally and were able to share their thoughts without judgement or ridicule.
Toilets & Lockers – Students were frustrated when peers behaved inappropriately around lockers and in the toilets at school.
Assessments – Students are less happy at school and don’t look forward to going to school when there are lots of assessments occurring.
The school leadership team have taken time to reflect on the students’ voice in our ongoing planning and work at the school. It was reaffirming to hear students value the relationships at school between each other and their teacher.
This an area of teacher practice that staff have continued to focus on over the past couple of years with teachers working with educational consultants Glenn Pearsall, Bronwyn Ryrie Jones, The Resilience Project and using resources such as the High Impact Wellbeing Strategies from the Department of Education.
This Friday staff will engage in a full day of professional learning focused on further enhancing the positive learning environment for students in their classrooms.
Similarly, the student feedback reinforced to the leadership team how important teacher recognition is to our students and this an area we will continue to focus on through Green Chronicles and acknowledging students more frequently in class and throughout the school community.
It was heartwarming also to hear students talk about when they feel proud at school and a significant part of this is when the school or their house is successful. Celebrating more student and school achievements is an area that we feel we can continue to enhance over the remainder of 2024.
Whilst students informed us the toilets and locker area of the school have improved, there are still instances of students misbehaving in these areas. This highlighted there is still more work to be done in this area. A key strategy for the school is introducing a School Wide Positive Behaviour Support Framework which is very explicit about student behavioural expectations in all areas of the school.
When we asked students about what they would make our school even better, they have regularly asked for more recreational spaces at the school.
We are very pleased to see the construction of two new outdoor basketball courts starting this week. These courts will be completed by the end of the year (hopefully earlier). In addition, we are in the process of finalising plans for a new locker bay in the K-block courtyard which will help reduce congestion in the locker bays.
Open Night:
On Thursday April 18, we ran our online Open Night which was an opportunity to inform prospective families about Brentwood Secondary College.
It was another smooth production with families interacting live with staff and students as broadcast on YouTube.
Thank you to everyone involved in putting the production together and for their time on the night.
Here is a link to see for your yourself: https://youtu.be/WpmkU61XSyc
John Ballagh
Principal