From the Leadership Team
Matt Brinson, Head of Senior School
Valedictory Day for Year 12 Class of 2022
On Tuesday 18 Oct, we had Valedictory Day for our Year 12 Class of 2022.
It was wonderful to commence the event with a final school assembly the Year 12s put together themselves. This was followed by a House assembly where the students were acknowledged and farewelled by their House.
Parents, families and friends then joined the rest of Senior School for the Valedictory Leavers’ Service in the Sport Centre.
This service is not only an occasion to celebrate and recognise each Year 12 student, but also a chance for everyone to reflect on their time at School.
Hopefully, listening to reflections from the School Captains as well as other students and teachers, prompted all students in the room to reflect on their own school journey.
THE ACT AND SKILL OF REFLECTING FOR LEARNING
Reflection is an important skill for everyone to undertake and can be done at any point in our lives, both in and out of the classroom. We often ask students to reflect on their work or on their learning.
Reflecting helps you to develop your skills and review their effectiveness, rather than just carrying-on doing things as you have always done them. It is about questioning - in a positive way - what, why, when, where and how you do things and then deciding whether there is a better, or more efficient, way of doing it in the future.
THINK-PAIR-SHARE REFLECTION TECHNIQUE
Most students across the School will recognise Think-Pair-Share activities. These are a widely-used and highly effective form of collaborative learning and reflection.
A brief Think-Pair-Share exercise might begin with students having information provided in class through a reading assignment, video, PowerPoint, life experience, or personal opinion.
A single question or problem is then posed and students are asked to reflect (think) on the question and individually note their responses.
Students then turn to a partner and share their responses. This can end the sharing, or the pair may turn to another pair and share again in groups of four or perhaps some pairs may be asked to share with the class.
The image below illustrates some of the ways Think-Pair-Share can be implemented in class.
This is just one example of a reflection technique. The act of reflecting gives the brain an opportunity to pause amidst the busyness, then untangle and sort through observations and experiences, consider multiple possible interpretations and create meaning. This meaning becomes learning, which can then inform future mindsets and actions.
Students are encouraged to reflect often, whether formally in class, or informally in or out of class. Reflection on learning can boost engagement in class and develop critical thinking and coping skills as it improves our ability to solve problems and challenges and search for creative solutions.
Reflection can also enhance motivation to learn, and a motivated student who is successfully learning is more likely to perform better in class.
Staffing News
Lisa Valentine is joining us in 2023 as a VCE Chemistry, Science and Maths teacher. She is currently a Lead VCE Chemistry Teacher and Maths Teacher at Firbank Grammar School.
Lisa has also had previous experience as Head of Science at Maranatha Christian School where she also taught Science and VCE Further Mathematics and VCE Mathematical Methods. Lisa has a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Mathematics and a Masters of Teaching from The University of Melbourne.
Dasha Lepustin is joining us in 2023 as a Commerce and Humanities teacher. She is currently a Deputy Head of House and teacher at Flinders Christian Community College and has previously worked as a Commerce and Humanities teacher at Dandenong High School. Dasha is also a Legal Studies Exam Assessor. She has a Masters of Teaching and Bachelor of Arts from Monash University.
Shaun Hayes is joining us in 2023 as a Commerce and Humanities teacher. He is currently a VCE Accounting and Economics teacher at The Geelong College. He has previously held teaching positions at Sirius College and St Stephens Catholic College and has also worked in Finance. Shaun has a Bachelor of Business and Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education from Victoria University.
Julia Barry is also joining us in 2023 as a Senior Mathematics teacher. She is currently a Year Level Coordinator and Maths and Science teacher at Canterbury Girls' Secondary College.
We will farewell Junior School Teachers Catherine Thomas and Joe Hewitt, and Commerce Teacher, Rob Cavalin, at the end of Term 4. We thank these staff for their wonderful contribution to the School and wish them the very best in their new roles.
We will also farewell Drama and Theatre Studies Teacher, Samantha Kosky, and Junior School Enrichment Teacher, Margie Luxford, at the end of Term 4 as their contracts come to an end. We thank them both for their contributions to the School during their time at Kilvington and wish them the best for the future.