Learning  

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL, Learning & Teaching

Dear Parents /Guardians,

 

Welcome back to all families, in particular I extend a special welcome to new students and their families. As a new staff member, I have received a very warm welcome from staff and students and I hope that all new students, parents and staff are feeling as excited as I am to be part of the Academy Community.

 

As part of the interview process, I was asked to outline a plan to help achieve the Academy becoming a Premier Learning Community that continues to embody the Mercy values. Since starting I can see that the Academy already is a Premier Learning Community; the 2022 VCE results, which were well above the state average, have placed the Academy in the top 10 Catholic Girls schools in Victoria; there is a focus on educating the whole child and it is obvious that at the Academy, every student is known and cared for; the staff here are courageous and innovative educators who are passionate not only about their subjects but also on social justice, equality and equity, student wellbeing and providing young people with many opportunities to flourish. I challenge every young person at the Academy to work with the staff here and take up all opportunities offered to become the best version of themselves.

Courage to Lead

On Wednesday 25th January, all leaders participated in a Courage to Lead session run by Teresa Lincoln from MACS. It was a privilege to be part of this dynamic group to consider what it means to be a courageous and compassionate servant leader in 2023. It was clear to see the passion and expertise in working together to enhance student learning and wellbeing and to hear about all the ways that the Academy community promotes diversity and inclusivity while striving for innovation and growth. The college theme for 2023 is ‘Many voices, one Community’ and learning areas are looking at how they can ensure that their programs support the many voices and needs of each of our students. I look forward to sharing more information about this program in the near future.

Learning Management System: Compass

As part of our commitment to improvement and innovation we have moved to Compass, a new Learning Management system. Much work is happening across the college to ensure a smooth transition to Compass in order to enhance the learning and wellbeing of our students and parents. We will be rolling out its features slowly, starting with using Compass for attendance, communication, Reports and Parent Teacher Interviews. By the end of Term 1 we hope that you will be able to see the results of assessment tasks for each subject. You may find some teachers are experimenting with how to use Compass in their lessons, while others will continue to use the platforms used previously. While the use of platforms may vary, the quality of the lessons and learning that takes place in the classroom will remain at a high standard.

VCE Information Evening

Finally, a reminder to all VCE students and their families that our VCE Information evening is on Thursday 9th February at 7:00pm. This will be held online and a link will be sent via email to parents and students. This is an important/compulsory event where we will go through important matters relating to VCE and beyond and highlight the support that is available to students and their families. It is especially important as there have been several changes to VCE over the last year.


Ms Lucy Neil

Deputy Principal, Learning & Teaching