Learning Updates
- School of Innovation

Focusing on the positives as we begin Term 4

Welcome back! I have to be honest, this year has flown by, with some major positives: the Year 7 camp, Market Day, a Mount Major trek, swimming and athletics carnivals and our online R U OK? Day was a great success. As a college we were very grateful to have been able to have these moments, as each event is always a good opportunity for students and staff to build on positive relationships that have been fostered from the beginning of the year.

Alongside building relationships, staff have created terrific Inquiry learning experiences for students this term, with students looking at the influence of the past on the future, exploring what we see value in and analysing what the world will look like in the future. ‘The future lies in the past.’ What a powerful statement our Year 7 cohort is exploring this term, focusing on the concepts of connection and change in relation to how our society has developed over the years with the development of new technologies, new leaders and what is to come in the future. One of the greatest skills the teaching team is instilling is that of risk taking, by exploring the risks past influential people took to be successful. They are also looking at how failing is not the end, but can be the beginning of an even better idea.

Year 8 has chosen to focus on building skills in relation to economics and business in their Inquiry ‘Is it worth it?’ Throughout the term students will be immersed in learning about the difference between a ‘need’ and a ‘want’, how to be a smart consumer and evaluating how we measure worth/value as a society. This is such a great topic to continue that journey of developing practical and real-life skills, enabling the students to flourish by making ethical considerations as a consumer.

We are all stewards of the future and the future of our country is in all of our hands; this has been a major issue within our society over the past few years. The Year 9 team are continuing this with their Inquiry ‘We are Stewards of Country’, focusing on the challenges we face in relation to our ever-changing environment and providing focus questions that provoke students to think about sustainability actions around the world and their role in helping with this.

Each Inquiry speaks to our school philosophy of encouraging students to develop critical thinking, creativity and relationships, whilst still providing challenging and enriching learning for each individual student to further develop practical and real-life skills, allowing all to flourish.

In relation to camps, we are yet to receive any further advice that the Year 8 and 9 camps can go ahead. We will communicate with students and families when we know more.

- Pat Noonan, School of Innovation Leader

Art gallery becomes a Virtual Reality

This semester in Digital Technologies, Year 8 students have been looking at the use of technology as a tool to fulfil a need and assist others. Students have been required to analyse a problem, and determine how a digital solution can be used to meet the needs of the clientele and the target audience (end users). Students then design and develop a Virtual Reality product, in this case, an art gallery, that includes elements of coding objects, 3D-modelling, and problem solving. Students have also investigated how this type of technology can be used in other fields. Here is an excellent example from student Dante Sultana.

- Cosimo Rando, Digital Technologies Learning Mentor

Reading leads to writing about people's lives

Year 7 students planned, wrote, edited and submitted a biography based on a person they admire or want to know more about. The students started this unit choosing one of four novels to study that were all autobiographical or biographical in nature. Following this, there was explicit teaching of how to write a biography and the students completed these. Here are a few snippets from some great examples that were submitted.

- Marian Segrave, School of Innovation Learning Mentor

A distance learning perspective from Paul

My day starts like most Learning Mentors' days, with a cup of coffee around 6:15am when I take 20 minutes to gather my thoughts and prioritise my schedule for the day. First cab off the rank is always 'How am I going to make the Pastoral Group online Google Meet class enjoyable, informative and positive for the students?' The Pastoral Group meeting is essential for the kids and myself. It's a place where we connect, have a laugh and keep our spirits elevated. We always pray and are mindful of others less fortunate than ourselves. I remind students of the importance of their daily routine, looking after themselves and others, wellbeing, diet and exercise. To be honest, the kids are pretty good at it now and out of this historical event our children will be more resilient, better self-managers and independent learners. In Pastoral Group I have demonstrated cooking - mainly what my breakfast looks like - played games such as 'What's that sound?' and asked trivia questions and given virtual prizes; mind you I owe a lot of lollipops when I return to school LOL!

The rest of the day consists of meeting with colleagues, responding to students' emails, uploading lessons to the learning platform Google Classroom and attending Google Meets with students. Reaching out to students and parents is an important function of what we do at St Anne's College, so this is a constant process. I have a teenager who is doing distance learning so I check in with her periodically, share some lunch and we discuss our tasks for the day.

At times I need to follow my own advice regarding students' welfare and practise what I preach. Like many parents at home, I have a habit of going to the pantry and fridge a little more often than I should. I take myself off for a stroll to practise some mindfulness and stretch the legs and I go for a run or go kayaking in the evenings. Occasionally I check in with some teaching mates after work on Zoom and respond to the family Messenger group to support my siblings, nieces and nephews. All in all I have the routine down pat, however I will sign off with this: I can’t wait to get back to school and do what we do best and that is teach face to face. See you all soon.

- Paul Howard, School of Innovation Learning Mentor

Be familiar with college's Social Media Policy

All parents/carers are strongly urged to read the St Anne's College Social Media Student Usage Policy (below) and to discuss with their child the college expectations regarding the responsible use of social media.

Social Media - Student Usage Policy.pdf

Carly Ryan Foundation - supporting young people

https://www.carlyryanfoundation.com

Resources created by the Carly Ryan Foundation are valuable and beneficial to regularly revisit - their aim is for all young people to have a positive online experience.

CRF_Online Contract 1.pdf

App fact sheets

Would you like to know more about the following apps?

See the parent booklet below for details on these and other commonly accessed apps.