Our MFG Newsletter

Principal's Report

On the school holidays I read a number of journals about how we are using technology. I came across this graph based on the research of an Australian called Adam Alter who is a psychologist at New York University. The infographic shows the use of time by adults over a 24 hour period.

As you can see, over the past 10 years not a lot has changed. We sleep approximately seven-and-a-half to eight hours a day, we work eight-and-a-half to nine hours a day, we engage in survival activities (eating, showering, caring for the family, etc.) about three hours a day.  But our free time, the white space, is incredibly valuable and informative as to how we spend the remaining 4 to 5 hours we have left per day. This white space representing our personal time is space where we do things that make us the individuals that we are; the space where we foster personal relationships, reflect on our lives and what is meaningful to us; the space where we take time to be creative, to play and enjoy our hobbies etc. Of course, many of us get some of that from our work as well. But when I reflect on the things I will be remembered for - they are the moments that occur in my white personal space.

The second graph shows us how we have changed the use of our personal time in the past 10 years.

The red portion of the white space is the time we spend using technology during our free time, and unsurprisingly, it’s becoming an increasingly dominant part of our lives. It was in 2007 that Apple introduced the first iPhone and in 2017, just ten years later, the yellow section represents the time we now spend doing things that are not related to technology.

Like many of you, I use technology time to connect with my family and friends through phone calls, social media, skype, as well as to reflect on and learn new technological things. After seeing this graph, however, I am questioning what am I choosing to do in this technology-filled time and am asking how enriching those activities are for me? Too often I get caught up in Facebook feeds, apps like Pinterest that are designed to hook me in, the latest Netflix series that I can binge watch, and so on.

Now I do not want to withdraw from these things but rather to strike a more healthy balance.

I have introduced “stop cues” into my life, signals that remind me it's time to move on, to do something new, to do something different. In the more distant past these pauses were created for me.  I had to wait a whole week to watch the next episode of Vikings! Some of the stop cues that I have introduced include:

  • I do not have my phone with me at the dinner table (no matter where I am and who I am with).
  • I restrict myself to 2 episodes of a program at a time
  • I set my phone alarm to remind me to stopping perusing apps and social media after ½ hour.
  • I use the “do not disturb” settings on my phone so I do not get texts and emails after a certain time at night (except for emergency ones in my favourites)
  • In my house, the technology stays in the lounge room and kitchen.

My challenge now is to consider how we might introduce stop cues at school in order to create some white space, or personal time, for our students and also to encourage them to create this in their non-school time.

As author Annie Dillard wrote, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives”.

Staff News

We welcome the following staff:

  • Jeremy Dyson is our new Acting Assistant Principal
  • Abby Dangerfield, a past student, is now teaching Maths and Science at Years 7 and 10
  • Rebecca Docherty is teaching Maths, Science, Digital Technologies and PE
  • Melissa Walker, Margaret Macauley, Jenny Gibson, Tanya O’Toole, Marianne Scott and Jenny Eastwood are back from leave

We wish the following staff a fond farewell:

  • Simon Collier, who has been asked to work for ACARA as a Curriculum Officer for 12 months
  • Delphine Pacifique, Anne Halliburton, Karen Cousins and Leanne Goodwin who are on leave
  • Mary Connoley and Margaret Hannan, our two librarians, who have retired. We thank them for their many years of service and support to our students and staff.

Parent Opinion Survey

Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents and carers think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of randomly selected parents at each school.

It is designed to assist our school in gaining an understanding of parents’ perception of school climate, student engagement and relationships with our parent community. Our school will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.

 

A key element of our 2016-2019 strategic plan is to build relationships with parents and carers and the community to encourage greater engagement with our students and their learning

The survey results will be used to inform the specific goals we set for 2018. The data we received last in 2016 was used to inform this year’s Annual Implementation Strategies which include:

  • ACTION 1: Developing and providing parent education programs focused on learning.
  • ACTION 2 Further implementing strategies for improving relationships with parents/carers and the community to encourage greater engagement with our students and their learning.
  • ACTION 4 Continuing work on a MFG communication strategy and an agreed approach to how we communicate as a school community.
  • ACTION -5 Further developing programs in Our Living Garden to promote “earth care, people care and fair share” within the local community and City Of Geelong.

The survey will be conducted online by ORIMA Research Pty Ltd and only takes 15 minutes to complete. The survey can be accessed via desktop computer, laptop, tablet or mobile at any convenient time within the fieldwork period from Monday 7th August to Sunday 27th August.

Approximately  30  per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the survey are anonymous.

We welcome your feedback and thank you in advance for taking the time to complete the survey.

 

For further information, please speak to Ms Marianne Scott the Leader of School Services or visit: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/management/improvement/Pages/performsurveyparent.aspx

 

 

Michelle Crofts

Principal