From our Principal

Dear Parents, Students and Friends,

It has been wonderful to have staff and students back in their rightful place, in the classroom and in our beautiful surrounding outdoor spaces. Whilst energy levels are perhaps not at their optimum, there is a tangible sense of purpose in the air. Our focus upon return has been on the three R's, Reconnect where the priority is on students reconnecting with each other and staff. Re-establish Routines to ensure students are “game ready” when it comes to their learning, and Renewing our students' passion for learning, particularly in creating learning opportunities which take students away from their screens. Remote learning required screens to be utilised as the single most important learning tool. It is now time for students to be excited in their learning through other means.

Our Whole School Approach to Positive Behaviours has been a critical driver of the re-establishment of routines. We call it our ROCKS which proudly stands for Be Respectful, Be Organised, Be Collaborative, Be Kind and Be Safe. It has been, and will continue to be the cornerstone of our work with students as the adjustment period continues.

New Beginnings – Headstart 2022

Whilst a return to face-to-face teaching and learning was an important new beginning to learning and teaching, I’d like to suggest that this was a mini pre-season, training students up for the main event, the main game, which commences next week. Headstart begins on Wednesday, 17 November 2021. Students will enter into their 2022 academic year, with teachers and students that they will be learning with in the year ahead. Courses will commence ensuring students continue to be fully engaged in their learning right up to the final day of classes. 

Headstart provides an opportunity for students to reflect on the year that was and in particular their approach to their learning. I challenge all students to take the necessary time to honestly reflect on their approach to their learning in 2021 as next week provides a golden opportunity for all to recalibrate and set realistic, achievable goals that lead all to maximise their true potential. I encourage students to ask themselves the following questions:

• What have I achieved well at in 2021 and why did I achieve well in this aspect of my learning?
• Where have I fallen short in my expectations and reflect on the reasons why this might have occurred.
• Where do I want to see improvement?
• What does that improvement look like?
• How am I going to achieve that improvement?

Our House system provides the ideal vehicle to support students in reaching their true potential and more specifically, in this instance, the role of the Learning Advisor can be pivotal in providing the forum as well as the necessary support for students individually and collectively to reflect on the questions raised above.

Important: Monday, 15 November 2021 is a student-free day to provide staff with the opportunity to finalise 2021 assessments and plan for Headstart.

A Reflection on Teachers

I am in the privileged position to work with some significantly talented teaching staff. Over the past few weeks I have had the opportunity to listen, together with some of my colleagues, to our emerging teachers. To gain full registration each teacher must complete a folio of requirements culminating in an action research project on an investigation of their choice. It is an intense process which not only provides benefits to the developing teacher but also value-adds to the College as interventions are trialed in the classroom with the results then quantified. In the past few weeks staff seeking full registration have shared their learnings in such areas as: “The importance of teaching subject-specific language within the Arts domain”, “How can subject- specific terminology consolidate understanding in class content knowledge, and demonstrate growth in learning outcomes?” and “How can I use Maths Pathway data to target student learning?” John Hattie, a significant voice in the area of improved educational outcomes for students, states that teachers have a significant impact on student learning. Whilst there should not be any surprise there, I sometimes reflect on whether we really know the level of our impact. John Hattie identified the following qualities for teachers to have, which impact student learning the most (ordered here from 1 to 6 in order of importance):

1. Are passionate about helping their students learn

2. Monitor their impact on students’ learning, and adjust their approaches accordingly

3. Are clear about what they want their students to learn

4. Forge strong relationships with their students

5. Adopt evidence-based teaching strategies (see below)

6. Actively seek to improve their own teaching.

The quality of the conversations I have been privileged to be part of in the past few weeks have left me in no doubt that our students are in safe hands.

Save the Date – Presentation Night

Due to COVID restrictions this year’s Presentation Night will be a virtual event. A link to the event will be provided to all current students and parents on 2 December 2021.

Enjoy the week ahead

Mr Chris Black

Principal