Learning & Teaching @ MFGSC
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR YEAR 12s
Our Year 12s celebrated a wonderful last day which was characterised by safe, fun and respect…and some strange decorations around the schools which included toilet paper and garden gnomes.
We wish them all of the very best with their final exams which start on Wednesday 31st October with the English exam.
EARLY COMMENCEMENT PROGRAM 2018 FOR 2019
In 2013 we introduced an ‘Early Commencement Program’ for all students in Years 7 to 11. An Early Commencement Program (ECP) means that our students transition into the next year level for the final two to three weeks of classes in term 4, 2018. For example, the current Year 7 classes will move into their Year 8 classes and start the Year 8 learning program.
Prior to 2013, the ECP was only for students commencing a VCE subject. This year the ECP will run for 10 days for students moving into Years 8, 9, 10 and 7 days for students moving into Years 11 and 12.
The reasons for having an ECP include:
- to improve learning outcomes for VCE students and go beyond an ‘introduction’ to VCE
- provide engaging, purposeful and meaningful learning programs and transition for Middle Years students until the end of the school year
- to provide a learning program that addresses the ‘wind-down’ usually associated with the end of the school year
- to help our students adjust to changes to their programs and classes and Summer holidays with a positive mindset about the 2019 school year.
The ECP gives every student an opportunity to make a smooth transition into the next level of learning and helps our students adjust to any changes for 2019 including new classes and new subjects. Our ECP includes the completion of at least one main assessment task which gives each student an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding, knowledge and skills developed during the ECP. The feedback we collected from the students in 2015, 2016 and 2017 about their ECP experiences was very positive and students generally felt it was a worthwhile and beneficial program.
In the Parents’ Forward Planner at the beginning of the year we indicated there would be one ECP ‘change-over day’ on Wednesday 28th November. There will be no formal classes and no students will be required at school on this day.
On Thursday 29th November 2018 our students will start the Early Commencement Program (ECP) where they will begin their learning for the 2019 school year. The students will be in their 2019 classes with their 2019 teachers (as best as we can ensure). For the students moving into Years 11 and 12, their ECP ends on Friday 7th December. The ECP ends for the students moving into Years 8, 9 and 10 on Wednesday 12th December. This is followed by an Activities Day for students in Years 8, 9 and 10 on Thursday 13th December.
Ms Freda Wright, Leader of Pathways, will be meeting with any students who are not returning to MFG in 2019 to organise their learning program and arrangements during our ECP.
If your child is not returning to MFG in 2019 then please ask them to let Mrs Wright and our Main Office know as soon as possible.
HUMANITIES 2019 – WOMEN THAT PAVED THE WAY
In 2019 our Year 9 students will enjoy more classroom learning time during in Humanities. 2019 sees an increase in learning time – 2 additional periods per week meaning that Year 9 students will enjoy 5 periods of Humanities each week for the year.
One of the new Units being developed for 2019 is a focus on ‘Australian Women who Paved the way’ – a focus on significant Australian women who helped to set a global agenda for democracy and women’s rights.
One of those women was Muriel Matters - Muriel had dreamed of becoming an actress in Australia, but soon after she moved to London in 1905, her admiration for the stage took an unexpected turn towards activism.
Having grown up in Adelaide — where women had been able to vote and stand for office since 1894 — Muriel was appalled at the lack of women's rights in the United Kingdom. You’ll have to read more about Muriel and her important contribution here:
STUDENT FOCUS GROUPS: 2018 ATTITUDES TO SCHOOL SURVEY
On 30th October, I joined Mr Burgess, Mrs Toone and Mrs Carr and a group of 30 randomly selected students for an afternoon of Student Focus Groups to discuss our students’ responses to the 2018 Attitudes to Schools Survey.
The students were organised into 4 mixed groups and we discussed a range of questions relating to the data that we wanted to dig further into. We asked all of the students the questions below and then asked the Year 9, 10 and 11 students some specific questions about ‘classroom behaviour’.
A few actions will flow from the Student Focus Groups:
- sharing the students’ responses back to our staff
- having the students share their thinking and responses to all students at an assembly
- forming a Student Voice Group with a group of student who will undertake a project in 2019 focused on one specific issue identified in the 2018 Attitudes to Schools Survey.
TEACHING AND LEARNING
- What do you expect a teacher to do or think about at the end of a class?
- How do your teachers make the work different for you depending on your ability?
- What do your teachers do to find out that you don’t understand or that you’re finding the work difficult or challenging?
CLASSROOM BEHAVIOUR
- How do your teachers manage misbehaviour in your classes?
- What sort of positive behaviours do your teachers reward or acknowledge in class?
EFFORT AND RESILIENCE
- What do your teachers do to encourage or promote ‘effort’?
- What do your teachers do to encourage mental toughness when it comes to managing challenges?
- What does ‘full effort’ mean?
RESULTS
- What’s a good result to you? When you don’t get good results, what do you do?