From the Principal

Dear Killara Families,  

Our ROLE at KHS.

What is my ROLE in the KHS community? What is the ROLE of teachers? What is the ROLE of students? Considering this seemingly basic question asks us to focus on the core drivers to unleash potential and make our school the best school for every student.  

In 2021, we began implementing the Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) framework as a key element of our school’s Strategic Improvement Plan, to clarify and strengthen the explicit focus on core KHS values. These values are encapsulated in the headline ROLE: Respect, Ownership, Learner, Environment.  

Respect 

What does respect look like? What does it sound like? Perhaps more importantly, what does it feel like? We asked Year 9 students this question last year at Summit: 21. A strong theme in their responses was the importance of listening. When students feel listened to, they feel respected. When students listen to other students, they build respect within and across the class. And when students listen to teachers, we create the relational trust that is fundamental for learning. But listening is more than just sound reaching our ears, it is about having regard for others in a shared culture. This is the core of our focus on Respect. We will continue to maintain the highest standards of respectful behaviour by rewarding and recognising students when they meet and exceed these standards, and by actively maintaining boundaries with clear consequences when they do not.  

Ownership 

Consider the analogy of driving a car. As students metaphorically drive through life, we can help them with a map and directions, with advice about braking, cornering, and speed. We can tell them the road-rules, so that others can drive safely too. We can suggest they check the tyre pressure, re-fuel, or carry out regular maintenance. We can tell them not to drive through flood waters. We can order them to pull over if they are driving in a manner unsafe to themselves or others. But, ultimately, students are in the driver’s seat and they need to choose. We work with students to build Ownership for their own learning every day. Sometimes this means difficult conversations about mistakes, choices and consequences. Sometimes it means talking about taking responsibility, or dealing with disappointment, or copping something on the chin. Sometimes it means rising to a challenge, pushing through uncertainty, or striving for improvement. When students have ownership, they actively take steps to build their skills, attempt the work, and ask for help. And when this happens, the benefits are immediate, tangible, visible, and significant.    

Learner

We have the same learning goal for every student: growth to attain personal best. But we know that personal best messaging can sometimes be vexing. I vividly remember a student in an HSC class of mine not long ago who, in response to my urging for improvement in an already excellent essay, said to me: “It’s like we’re never good enough”. This links back to ownership, or agency. When students have agency, they know they are in control over where they are headed, they realise that learning is not about asking others “what did you get” in the test, and they take ownership of their own personal improvement. When this happens, something changes, the pressure changes. Rather than external pressure of “never good enough”, students take internal ownership of striving for growth, and they feel the rewards of good results and more opportunities. That creates a team working together rather than individuals competing against each other. As leaders of the team, we also recognise that we can improve as teachers and leaders. We strive to improve our work every day, in every class, and we work together with students in this challenge. That’s the culture of #WeareteamKHS.   

Environment  

The concept of Environment ties this all together. Our physical environment is better when we take Ownership and put our individual rubbish in the bin. Our learning environment is better when we Respect each other and focus on our personal goals as Learners. It’s tempting to look at the “environment” as just the trees, or the ovals or the buildings, or the rain. But, as my current Year 10 Geography students would hopefully know, understanding the environment requires the complex interconnections that link everything together. For example, by wearing uniform everyday, each individual student contributes to the culture of teamwork, and to the notion that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. Uniform is not about conformity, rather it creates the space to define individuality through thoughts, words and actions, rather than appearance. That’s the learning environment of KHS.  

By specifically articulating our four key values, Respect, Ownership, Learner, Environment (ROLE), we are explicitly teaching students in context, reminding students of standards and boundaries, encouraging students to strive for improvement, and recognising student commitment, effort and attainment through reward and recognition. Focusing on our own ROLE in our learning community helps us see the power of individual action. When we understand our ROLE, when we take that individual responsibility, that’s when we unleash.

COVID continues to have a significant impact on school operations. Specifically, we have seen higher-than-normal rates of staff absence, and lower than normal substitute-teacher availability. Our timetable has a qualified teacher in teaching every class.  We are doing everything we can to manage the impact of staff absences and increase our supply of new and replacement teachers, including accessing the Department of Education supports that you may have heard about in the media. The challenges of COVID come on top of wider challenges in terms of education and teacher recruitment. Consequently, there have been some lessons with where students are supervised to do independent work, but without direct teaching. There will be more as the term deepens. We are incredibly grateful for your understanding and support as our teachers strive to do everything we can to move learning forward. 

International Women’s Day 

On Tuesday 8 March, in the Library, our Year 7 girls enjoyed a presentation from 2 guest speakers exploring careers in science and engineering as part of International Women’s Day. This followed on from events run last Friday celebrating the day for all students. The speakers shared stories of starting their own business, travelling, working with the private sector and government. Both speakers work in the Water infrastructure sector, which was somewhat poetic given the flooding that occurred on sight a few hours later.  

Opportunities to hear authentic voices and diverse experiences are vital in the learning process. We work hard to build this into our programs, and provide extra curricular opportunities as much as we can. Hopefully your Year 7 daughter came home with a few more ideas about what she could be in the future.

David Browne

Principal (Relieving)