From the Head of Junior School
Dear Members of the St Gregory’s College Community,
Some weeks come and go so quickly, and the past fortnight has just flown by here at the College. There have been some wonderful events that have taken place that as a community we should all be very proud of. It was great to see the students involved in the Cross Country this week to try out their fitness levels; see the Kindergarten students enjoy their farming experiences and for teachers to touch base with families in regards to Parent/Teacher discussions.
So . . . what is an educated person???
As you consider the concept of an ‘educated person’ a lot of thoughts and images probably come to mind. You may think of a successful business person, a loving parent raising their child, a university graduate, someone interacting successfully with people from across the world, someone finding fulfilment in their work, a musician, someone gaining fitness or something altogether different. Whatever image comes to mind, it seems consistent that the images are based on well-roundedness or balance. They are typically images of people who have an appreciation for the world around them, broad general knowledge and are well equipped with a range of skills.
As our boys and girls grow up in an ever-changing world, the idea of a fixed or definitive base of knowledge or set of skills is quickly evolving. Instead, our boys and girls will require an ability to interpret the world around them, to continue to adapt, to apply their skills to new and varied situations and most importantly continue to learn throughout their life.
As the Junior School work towards becoming an International Baccalaureate Candidate school offering the Primary Years Programme (PYP), we are constantly seeking to support our boys and girls as they develop these qualities. This is perhaps best articulated through the attributes of the IB Learner Profile; inquirers, thinkers, knowledgeable, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers and balanced.
Whilst understanding the big picture is essential, helping our students to develop specific approaches to learning or skills is also very important. Our class teachers play a key role in this area as they provide specific learning opportunities to develop the students’ literacy and mathematical skills. On top of that, we want to ensure that the holistic nature of learning is being employed, this is where the specialist teacher lessons, the co-curricular opportunities and the College events come into play. This is obviously wrapped up in ensuring that our students are developing the values that we instil in them through the Marist Characteristics and the IB Learner Profile.
The Units of Inquiry that our students learn through and from are the final and critical component of the balanced learning program at St Gregory’s College Junior School. These six units of work provide classroom and specialist teachers with a vehicle or context for applying and further exploring the knowledge and skills developed through the other areas of the curriculum. A good way to think about this is to consider the knowledge and skills you use on daily at work or home. Next time you book a holiday or cook a meal, consider the wide variety of skills you use and the knowledge that you draw upon.
I am sure that it won’t be confined to a single school discipline (e.g. Maths, English, Science, etc) but will draw on your ability to think and operate across the disciplines. This is the challenge of creating ‘an educated person’ – helping our students to understand the big picture and being able to apply a variety of specific skills and knowledge to solve real-life problems.
Cease of Operations Drill
Students and Staff across the K-12 College were a part of the ‘Cease of Operations Drill’ on Thursday. This drill was to have a practice of what our procedures would be if there was to be a confirmed COVID-19 case at the College. The purpose of this drill was the same as it would be for a Fire Drill, precautionary.
The students and staff took this very seriously and have evaluated the procedure to make this the most effective and efficient process that is also in line with the recommendations through the NSW Ministry of Health. As parents, you will be given a summary of the plan for the ‘Cease of Operations’ in the coming days so that you are clearly aware of our processes if this was to be enacted.
As our St Gregory’s College motto states, ‘You will reap what you sow"
Joel Weekes
Head of Junior School