School of Leadership

News from the School of Leadership   

In education circles, the middle school is often referred to as “the engine room.” This is largely due to the significant social, emotional, physical and cognitive changes students at this stage experience and the subsequent expertise required of educators in navigating these challenges. This is a developmental stage that sees 9-14 year olds develop agency, independence and their own individual identity.

Underpinned by a focus on the general capabilities and competencies, the St Luke’s five school model offers students responsive and deliberate learning opportunities at each of the phases of growth and development. Our School of Leadership embodies this philosophy by fostering critical thinking, adaptability, and independence in our students. Multiple studies affirm that middle school students who engage in leadership-oriented education demonstrate enhanced decision-making abilities and a deeper understanding of social dynamics - important qualities for success in senior schooling and beyond. 

The robust SOL curriculum, designed around leadership and futures principles, provides students with experiential learning opportunities that instil confidence and a sense of purpose. At the heart of our School of Leadership is the dedication to holistic development. By encouraging participation in a spectrum of co-curricular activities and community service initiatives, we nurture well-rounded individuals who are capable of leading themselves and others.

Mrs Camilleri and I pride ourselves on the many opportunities that leaders and teachers make available to students in the School of Leadership. Many thanks to the following teachers for their creativity and efforts in supporting our growing learners to learn more about themselves and the world around them and for inspiring them to lead themselves and others.

Thank you for encouraging your sons and daughters to immerse themselves in these opportunities. 

Book Week 2023 - Read, Grow, Inspire!

Book Week is always one of the most anticipated days on the St Luke’s Calendar. This year, School of Leadership students were invited to come dressed in theme or as their favourite book characters. There were several notable costumes and I commend students and staff on their enthusiasm and commitment to showing their love of books. 

Stage 3 students particiap[ted in the Book Parade on Monday

Year 7 students were treated to a visiting author and writers’ workshop

All School of Leadership students were invited to participate in the Write a Book in A Day initiative which saw 50 students from across Years 5 -8 collaborate with students from Years 9 and 10 to form teams and write a book in a day! 

Mrs Kate Kelly - Head of School, School of Leadership

A Note from The SOL Assistant Principal 

We have had a very busy term 3 with many initiatives happening throughout the School of Leadership. In week 4 we saw the SOL Soccer Tournament semi and grand finals. Most students in the SOL were present to cheer on and support their peers in the competition. The spirit, atmosphere and sense of excitement was thrilling to witness and be a part of. I am really proud of all students who participated in the competition. 7 Storms won the competition, leaving W’s Only feeling defeated (including the entire Stage 3 cohort who came to support their friends). Kate Kelly and I are so proud of our students.

In Week 7 we will commence our SOL Spelling Bee. In examining NAPLAN and Allwell data, our students are highly exceptional when it comes to spelling. I am so excited to kick off our inaugural Spelling Bee competition where students will compete in teams of four to represent their respective classes. Some of the words they will be required to spell include such words as acknowledgement, dissemination, haemoglobin, onomatopoeia, and ubiquitous. There will be a competition in each respective year group held in the Hub at lunch on the following dates:

Tuesday 29th August - Year 5 Spelling Bee

Monday 4th September - Year 6 Spelling Bee

Tuesday 5th September - Year 7 Spelling Bee

Wednesday 6th September - Year 8 Spelling Bee 

Mrs Josephine Camilleri - Assistant Principal, School of Leadership

Stage 3 Stories… 

Religious Education

During Religious Education, Stage 3 students have been challenged to refer to Sacred Scripture to help them respond to their Driving Question - How can we use Scripture to inform and inspire hope and joy in me and others?  We have been reading, ‘The Walk to Emmaus’ found in the Book of Luke, to help us to respond to this question.

This passage describes the time after Jesus’ death when he appears to two disciples as they walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus.  In the passage, the disciples are sad and do not recognise the man who has joined them.  It is not until they reach Emmaus and the ‘man’ breaks the bread, that the two disciples recognise Jesus.

As a  way of familiarising ourselves with this lengthy passage, children worked in groups to refer to a list of key words from the passage, to help them retell the story.  Students will continue to unpack this passage to identify:

• The difference between short term pleasures and heartfelt joy
• The difference between having hope in passing fads compared to the hope our faith can bring us.
• Christ’s death and resurrection is not something to be distressed about, as it is a sign of God’s deep love for us all.
• The scriptures are ‘the good news of Jesus’ and teach us how to recognise God in our lives, bringing us joy and hope.

Science

As a part of our learning about the solar system, students have been learning about the phases of the moon.  We read a text that helped us to understand how the different phases got their names.  Students used the understanding from the text to create a labelled diagram of the phases of the moon.  Thanks go to Brayden A for sharing his work.  Students were also shown the weather page of a newspaper.  They were fascinated to discover that it outlines when the moon will rise and set.  This was particularly interesting because on the night of the 16th August, there was a New Moon.  Students could see that the moon actually rose as they were getting out of bed!

From Year 7…

English

In English this term, we have been learning about how poetry helps us understand and represent who we are and where we come from. Year 7 Teal enjoyed a rich lesson sharing and learning about each other's cultures. It was wonderful to see the pride in and knowledge of students’ cultures and the willingness to make their traditions and customs visible to their peers. 

Life Design

Term 3 sees students exploring what matters to them (an individual's values) motivates them. Class activities lead students through what are the types of motivation and how each can be used in a variety of situations. They also explore their Wheel of Life rating categories on how important they are to them at this point in their young lives. There has also been workshops on what different pieces of evidence students can use to demonstrate their progress on the Pillars for this project.

History

On the 11th and 14th of August, students in Year 7 travelled to the Chau Chak museum at Sydney University. Students were amazed to see the university itself, and then had the opportunity to view the museum and to work as archaeologists, analysing the artefacts. Our students were a credit to the College during the Museum visit and have been able to transfer their new found skills back into the classroom. 

From Year 8…

History

In Year 8 this term we are looking at Medieval Europe which the students are looking to the extent the Middle Ages could be considered the ‘Dark Ages.’ As part of our unit of work, we are looking at everyday life and the feudal system. For Year 8 to look at everyday life during this time, they undertook a roleplay where taxation was rife, people of nobility ruled and the impact of a viking invasion. As a class, students were tasked to argue if life was fair or unfair for those that lived during this time with consideration to the different classes of the social hierarchy. Plenty of Smarties were transferred as currency during the course of this task where some ended up with 40 and some even with none. 

As part of our unit on Medieval Europe, Year 8 were invited to an incursion where students were able to be informed about different aspects of medieval weapons, law and order and roles in society. Many weapons and armour were viewed, described and at times were allowed to be wielded and worn by the students. 

Life Design

Students are continuing their exploration of Stretch and Flow by researching inspirational people and characters. Students were asked to find what matters to these people and how that motivates them. Groups provided some feedback on how to improve communication skills. There have been some wonderful videos explaining flow and its impact on an individual's performance highlighting how well Year 8 students can work in groups and their knowledge on this concept.

CAPA: 

Visual Art

Throughout their Year 8 art curriculum, students have been delving into the vibrant world of Pop Art, a movement that emerged in the mid-20th century. Focusing on the iconic artist Roy Lichtenstein, they are discovering how he transformed everyday images into compelling artworks. By drawing inspiration from Lichtenstein's techniques, such as the use of bold colours and comic-style Ben-Day dots, students have engaged in applying this style to their own pieces.