Teaching and Learning 

Staff Excellence 

 “You can’t be what you can’t see.” – Marian Wright Edelman

At Karoo Primary School, we embrace this philosophy by modelling lifelong learning for our students. We believe that when educators pursue growth, they inspire students to do the same.

To foster this, we actively support all staff to enhancing their teaching practices and leadership skills. By cultivating a culture of continuous improvement and evidence-based practice, we aim to enrich the learning environment for all.

This commitment ensures that every member of our school community benefits from high-quality education and wellbeing support.

Below is a little snap-shot of some of the learning currently happening with staff at Karoo PS…. 

Middle Leaders – PLC Leaders

All year-level Professional Learning Community (PLC) leaders at Karoo PS are participating in an ongoing professional learning program within our network. Karoo has the largest representation, facilitating in-depth discussions our middle leaders to enhance teaching practices across the school.

I'm enjoying how Ryan Dunn's professional development sessions focus on practical strategies for middle leadership, particularly in addressing problems of practice and building the capacity of our teams. I'm looking forward to putting these learnings into action when implementing the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model (VTLM) 2.0 at Karoo

‘The current learning from the Ryan Dunn Middle Leader – Leading Teaching and Learning series has been enjoyable and has deepened my understanding of current Department teaching and learning frameworks. Learning alongside other PLC leaders from Karoo PS has been a valuable experience, providing opportunities to collaborate with a range of colleagues and enhance my own skills and teaching practices.’ In addition..

‘Completing the Leading Mathematics professional learning experience was highly engaging, providing access to current research and theory from academic leaders in the field of mathematics. I enhanced my understanding of best practices and learned alongside teachers from diverse school contexts, gaining valuable insights and fresh perspectives. It is exciting to now apply this knowledge to our teaching practices at Karoo.’

Evolve (Principal Professional Learning)

Mrs. Hoffmann has been accepted into the 'Evolve' program, supporting new principals in building strategic, people, and technical capabilities. This initiative fosters strong leadership and wellbeing practices, positively impacting student outcomes. 

Teaching Excellence Program (TEP)

Five staff members—Joshua Edwards, Gemma Wild, Claire Tilley, Alisa Hardware, and Katie Smith—have been accepted into the 2025 Teaching Excellence Program, a year-long initiative by the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership. This program supports skilled teachers in refining their practices through inquiry-based learning, benefiting our students and aligning with our strategic goals. 

‘Teachers are constantly learning to develop their craft, and I have been lucky enough to be given the opportunity to advance my teaching skills through the Teacher Excellence Program at the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership. I'm excited to continue growing as an educator and bringing new insights and strategies back to my classroom.’ 

‘In TEP I have been enjoying networking with other STEM and Science teachers from across Victoria. I am currently exploring how high achieving science students can be further challenged in the Science/STEM discipline.’ 

'Being part of the Teaching Excellence Program has provided me the opportunity to interact with fellow colleagues across Victoria from all different schools. From government, private, catholic, primary and secondary sectors, it's given me a great insight into their teaching practices and working on an inquiry in small groups.’

I have enjoyed working collaboratively with other teachers by examining teaching practises, listening to the experts in education and creating an action research project.

I have learnt about the dispositions of teaching and have been actively embedding these into my teaching.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Leaders (MHWLs)

Mrs. Robyn Harris and Mrs. Kathryn Bacalja are undergoing comprehensive training through the Victorian Education Department to enhance their skills in implementing whole-school mental health and wellbeing strategies. This includes evidence-based practices, mental health literacy, and capacity building to support student needs.

'As part of my training for the Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader role I have been completing core learning around mental health literacy, embedding mental health practices into our curriculum and community, and creating systems of support. Later this term, myself and Robyn Harris will have the opportunity to spend the day with other MHWL’s in our region to share our story so far, and hear the wonderful things other schools are implementing in this space.'

Facilitator Training: Literacy Practice and Pedagogy

Amy Ellis is collaborating with the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership to become a facilitator for the 'Literacy Practice and Pedagogy' program. Her involvement underscores her expertise in English and literacy, enabling her to lead high-quality professional learning and advance best practices at Karoo PS.

'I recently attended the facilitator training for the Literacy Pedagogy and Practice course and absolutely loved diving deep into evidence-based literacy instruction. It was such a buzz connecting with other English enthusiasts who are just as passionate about great teaching. I’m really excited to share what I’ve learned with other schools and teachers to help improve literacy outcomes for students.'

Math Leaders

In 2024, Mr. Timothy Wilson, Mrs. Simon Vitas, and Ms. Ashley Kuusela completed the 'Leading Mathematics' course by the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership, aimed at enhancing mathematics teaching and leadership. This year, Mrs. Sarah Dobson and Miss Gemma Wild have joined the Maths Leaders team. The team recently attended the Mathematics and Numeracy Symposium to further their expertise and will lead ongoing professional learning with all staff at Karoo PS to improve student outcomes in Mathematics across the school. This initiative aligns with our new Strategic Plan's focus on Mathematics.

'Being a Maths Leader this year has given me the wonderful opportunity to engage in some exciting learning about Maths. Some learning that has stood out to me has been focused on supporting students to progressively grow in their independence with a new topic using the Gradual Release of Responsibility model and using worked examples. I'm excited to share some of this learning with the rest of our staff. '

'This year I am fortunate enough to be developing myself as a teacher through my involvement in the Teaching Excellence Program and as a Maths Leader at Karoo.  Through my participation in the Teaching Excellence Program I am enjoying reflecting on myself as a teacher and my teaching practices, collaborating, and learning from, educators from different schools and exploring strategies to improve student learning and engagement in my classroom. As a Maths Leader I am fortunate enough to be working alongside our Assistant Principal, Maths Learning Specialist and the other Maths Leaders to develop and deliver Professional Learning for the staff at Karoo with the focus on improving teacher and student learning outcomes.' 

Connect (Assistant Principal Professional Learning)

Mrs. Peta Phillips will soon engage with the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership's 'Connect' program to develop her adaptive leadership skills. This training enhances her ability to address complex challenges and contribute effectively to Karoo PS's Principal class team.

Victorian Education Excellence Awards: Outstanding Education Support Staff

Karoo PS's Education Support Staff are being nominated for the Victorian Education Excellence Awards under the 'Outstanding Education Support' category. Their collaborative efforts with teaching staff and specialists have been instrumental in helping students achieve their learning goals through individualised support.

I hope that I have been able to share with you all a little insight on all the ways our staff are committed to ongoing professional growth, whether it be by engaging in professional learning opportunities such as the ones listed above, engaging with current educational research through professional reading and educational podcasts, or by working collaboratively each week within teams. 

Warm regards,

Ashley Kuusela - Assistant Principal (Teaching and Learning)