Curriculum and Pedagogy

Whether starting at Mount Carmel for the first time this year, or continuing on to the next grade, the start of a any new school year represents a significant transition for all students as they adapt to new expectations, people, environments or routines. Students react differently to change – some find it exciting, some find it stressful, some hardly notice it. For many the start of the new school year brings the excitement of reconnecting with old friends or making new ones, increasing independence and learning new things, while others might feel nervous or overwhelmed.

During these early weeks in secondary classrooms, teachers work with students to support them in their transition to their new learning setting. Initial learning tasks are designed not only for teachers to gather important information about each student as a learner, but to develop a supportive classroom culture where differences are valued, risks can be taken and mistakes made and learnt from.

Goal Setting

This week and next, Clan Teachers will coach secondary students through a goal setting process, to capture that start-of-a-new-year motivation in concrete form, developing personalised learning goals that enable students to set their own measures of success.  These goals will provide the basis for student/parent/Clan Teacher conversations at the Goal Setting conferences on Tuesday 25 February.

Homework

Clan Teachers will also work with students to develop personalised weekly homework schedules that take into account the homework time allocations for each grade, outlined in the College Homework Policy, as well as students’ commitments outside the classroom. If homework becomes a source of constant stress and anxiety it doesn’t contribute to students’ learning progress. Establishing good homework routines, including regular times each week, focused effort, seeking teacher clarification if unsure, and working within the time guidelines, is an important shared responsibility, with students, parents/carers and teachers all playing their part.

SEQTA Engage

The learning management system SEQTA is used in a range ways to support student learning. For secondary students, homework is recorded on SEQTA, along with unit outlines and assessment task instructions, success criteria and due dates.  One of our prime purposes in the use of SEQTA is to involve parents/carers in the learning process by providing regular feedback about your daughter’s learning progress and strategies she can use to continue to improve.  To this end, we encourage parents to check in to SEQTA regularly for timely feedback on completed tasks.

Parents of students new to the College and any parent/carer who has not previously created a SEQTA account, will be sent an email at the end of this week, with a link to create a SEQTA Engage account. The link can be used for a week. If you need any assistance in setting up this account, please contact the College.  There will be an opportunity to ask for assistance with SEQTA accounts at the Goal Setting Conferences in Week 4.

Year 7 Laptops

Year 7 students are eagerly awaiting their new laptops and these will be distributed on Tuesday 18 February, after the Year 7 Camp.  The distribution of these laptops will be accompanied by an explanation of the College’s protocols in relation to the safe, ethical, respectful use of digital devices as learning tools. 

Julia O’Rourke

Co-Director Curriculum and Pedagogy (Secondary)