Principal's Report

Learning Walks and Talks

In recent weeks, members of the Executive have been regularly visiting classrooms and discussing individual learning progress with one or two students in a class. As a strategy it builds on the research of John Hattie that encourages students to become more reflective and mindful about their learning (note the quote from Hattie at the end of this paragraph). During a learning walk (classroom visit) there are quick conversations (talk) with students. There are five key questions asked of students during this ‘talk’.

Five Key Questions asked of Students:

What are you learning?

How are you doing?

How do you know?

How can you improve?

Where do you go for help?

The purpose is to look for what students are actually ‘thinking’ about their learning so that students change their orientation from having learning ‘done’ to them to having learning shaped ‘for me’. Similarly, the Executive also get a contemporary picture of learning from a student perspective which can help shape and direct how this leadership group needs to respond at a whole school level to modify the support for teachers and students in the classroom. In short, learning walks and talks are about raising expectations: that students ‘touch the gate and switch onto learning’.

Hattie - “Visible Learning is teachers seeing learning through the eyes of their students, and students seeing themselves as their own teacher”

Carpark Safety

As a college we are committed to ensuring the road safety of all of our students, staff, parents and visitors to the property. Consequently, I would like to remind all families of the need to use the service road for student pickups and drop off each day. I have received a number of complaints and reports of vehicles standing both in the main carpark and in the student carpark, waiting to pickup or drop off students, particularly in the afternoon. As many would be aware this practice causes a traffic jam and subsequent impatience which can lead to unsafe driving. In the interests of avoiding an accident or even worse, an injury to a student, could all pickups and drop-offs please occur along the service road behind the hall. I understand that some of our student drivers also exhibit dangerous actions in the carpark and assure you that we will continue to deal with them. Thank you for your support as we work in partnership to keep everyone safe while driving.

Staffing

It is with sadness that I announce the departure of Mrs Ramona Walsh (Science Teacher) from our McCarthy staff early in Term 3. Mrs Walsh has an opportunity to relocate to the UK and I offer our collective thanks for her commitment and dedication to the students in her classes in the short time she has been here. Similarly, I offer thanks and appreciation to Mr Josh Walker who leaves the Student Support role to take on a middle leadership position in Gympie, Queensland. Mr Walker has filled a number of roles in his 7 years at McCarthy and I wish to publicly thank him for his willingness to take on new roles at our College. We wish them both the best in their new endeavours.

Canteen Assistant

I draw your attention to the advertisement at the end of this Newsletter for a Canteen Assistant to join the current team in providing service to our students.

May God go with you.

Mr Geoff McManus

Principal