Learning  

Dear Parents/Guardians,

After two years of interrupted onsite learning, what a pleasure it has been to work onsite with our students for this entire term. Our College has been a buzzing hive of activity, both inside the classroom and out. The return to onsite learning has also allowed for us to commence a number of initiatives to support our students, outlined below. 

Year 7 & 8 Homework Club

This term we are commencing an exciting new initiative here at Academy; Year 7 & 8 Homework Club.  The Club will run in the McAuley Resource Centre (MRC) every Monday and Wednesday afternoon from 3.30pm to 4.30pm, commencing on 16 March 2022.

Read More on Junior School page

This Club will give students the opportunity to:

• Complete homework, knowing there is assistance available from staff;
• Work with other students in their year level;
• Seek assistance with organization and study strategies.

Homework Club will be supervised by members of the McAuley Resource Centre (MRC), our Learning Enhancement team, and volunteering teachers.  As these sessions are voluntary, students will be required to sign in and out of the MRC, on the days they choose to attend. 

Year 9  & 11 Lunchtime Study Room

As well as the Year 7 & 8 Homework Club, a Year 9 and Year 11 Lunchtime Study Room has been established to support students at these year levels.  This Study Session Opportunity will be available one day per week at lunchtime and is a dedicated space for students at this year level to complete homework and revision. 

As always, the MRC continues to be a study hub for our senior students and we encourage them to avail themselves of this space after school. 

Tutor Learning Initiative 

Covid Tutor Program Funding

In the coming weeks, we will recommence our Tutor Learning Initiative here at the College in both Literacy and Numeracy. The Tutor Learning Initiative enables schools across Victoria to engage pre-service and qualified teachers as tutors to work with students in the classroom to support their learning. 

Students are identified, based on achievement data and other measures of learning, which indicate that their expected learning progress may have been impacted by remote and flexible learning due to COVID-19 in 2020 & 2021. The families of students that we have identified as benefiting from this support will be notified through Operoo in the coming weeks and further details can be sought from your daughter’s English and/or Mathematics teachers. 

This tutoring support is being provided by a number of tutors who will be working in some English and Mathematics classes. Their role in the classroom is to work with class teachers and your daughter to provide support in a way that best suits her needs and works within the classroom dynamic. 

At the start of the year, our support is focused on students in Years 8, 9 & 10, and as more support becomes available, we will place tutors in both Year 7 and Year 11 classes, where necessary. 

The Science of Learning 

In a previous newsletter, I referenced the staff professional development focus for this year: the Science of Learning.  In our work with Dr Jared Cooney Horvath (cognitive neuroscientist, researcher and educator), and in accessing other research and resources, we are exploring ways to facilitate optimal learning experiences, based on what neuroscience.

One area of focus for Term 1 is ‘retrieval practice’.   The summary [below] of this strategy can be explored in full from the website.

WHAT IS IT?  Retrieval practice is a strategy in which bringing information to mind enhances and boosts learning. Deliberately recalling information forces us to pull our knowledge “out” and examine what we know

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

1. Retrieval practice helps students ‘use it or lose it’ – When we think about learning, we typically focus on getting information into students’ heads. What if, instead, we focused on getting information out of students’ heads?
2. With Retrieval practice, we teach students that struggling is a good thing for their learning – what scientists call a ‘desirable difficulty’
3. Retrieval practice improves students’ understanding of their own learning process ‘metacognition’

At present, teachers are exploring the use of this strategy in their classroom to boost the learning of students.  As you can see from the details above, this kind of work is effortful and really challenges students.   However, as Frederick Douglass famously said ...

 ‘if there is no struggle, there is no progress’.   

We will keep challenging our students in this vein and hope that you likewise encourage your daughters to embrace both the struggles and joys of learning.  

Ms Fiona Lennon

Deputy Principal, Learning & Teaching