Learning and Teaching

Director of Learning and Teaching

Anna Robertson

I hope all our families enjoyed some rest together over the break, as we have well and truly jumped feet first into Term Two over the past two weeks. As I shared in Assembly last week, while Term 1 offers us an opportunity to settle into a new school year and possibly new subjects and routines, Term Two allows us to dig deeper into our learning, to consolidate our understanding and knowledge. I asked students to simply aim to build the habit of Focus throughout this term. James Clear, the author of  ‘Atomic Habits’ discusses Focus as ‘the art of knowing what to ignore.’ Many distractions pull us all in different directions throughout our school day, and viewing these as opportunities to choose which direction to take enables and empowers us to choose and focus on our learning. It puts the power with us as learners to be present. I asked students to be present and focused as they walked into every class, engaged with their learning and grappled with challenging moments; to be present when listening to the answer to one of their questions – to really focus and listen. It sounds incredibly simple, but it is deceptive. The challenge of our time is focus and I reminded students not to be disheartened as they failed to focus and needed to reset once again. Viewing this as a habit allows us to build a growth mindset, so we see this as a ‘muscle’ to exercise and improve over time through practice and diligence. As parents, educators, and adults, I'm sure we can see applications for building the habit of focus in our own lives and modelling this for our students and children.

Another busy term awaits us, and we are also looking forward to many fantastic learning opportunities in and out of the classroom. Events such as the Year 9 Experience to Melbourne, excursions across a range of subjects, Mamma Mia rehearsals, and opportunities for community service will all take place this term, to name only a few. As senior students continue their studies this term, they will also begin preparation for their Mid-Year exams, which will take place in Week 8. 

Our Senior School Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews with subject teachers were held in the final week of Term 1, trialling a new format. I appreciated the thoughtful and detailed feedback we received from families about them. Overwhelmingly positive, it was a wonderful opportunity for sharing about learning and discuss next steps for students, ensuring a strong connection between school and home – a significant and important partnership.  A reminder that our Continuous Reporting model allows parents and carers access to ongoing updates about their child/ren’s learning from Prep through to Year 12 and that this can be accessed via PAM at any time. 

We look forward to another busy and productive term.