Principal's Message

The Best Use of Time

“Time is the first technology because it is the most controlling of all the structures which define school,” 

Ira Socol. 

Approximately 12 months ago St Luke's questioned the best use of time to benefit student learning. A review of remote learning during two lockdowns confirmed that learning can, and does, take place away from school and ‘outside’ school hours. Acknowledging this reality, St Luke’s also examined long standing research about teenage sleep patterns, obtained data derived from weekly wellbeing ‘pulse checks’ for secondary students and, sourced examples of Australian Schools providing different learning schedules for students. The outcome resulted in ‘Late Starts’ for Year 9-12 three times a week. This approach featured in national television segments and newspaper articles in February, 2022. Each Monday, Wednesday and Friday, students are empowered to choose one of three options; they being:

• Arrive at usual time to consolidate learning from previous lessons and/or prepare for their next sequence of learning; 
• Stay at home and consolidate or prepare for learning; or,
• Sleep in and transfer that time to another more suitable time during the week or weekend.

Generally speaking, approximately one third of students select each of the options on any given day and use the time wisely. 

Whilst the College has implemented 30 minutes of intentional wellbeing each and every day since the start of 2021, the ‘Late Starts’ initiative Is continually nominated by senior students as the single biggest reason for improved student wellbeing. Data collected via Skodel, the app used for twice weekly ‘check ins’, reflects a 20.83% reduction in tiredness over a 9 month period. Furthermore, the positive feelings of ‘happy, grateful and motivated’ increased by an average of 19% and the negative feelings of ‘angry, sad and worried’ decreased by 31%. Lastly, the College’s ‘net wellbeing score’ rose by 7 points over a 9 month period to sit at 30.1, well above the benchmark of 10.

Another ‘best use of time’ initiative is ‘Friday Half-day’. This sees St Luke’s complete formal learning at midday each Friday for Kindergarten to Year 6 students. All mandatory learning concludes after four and a half days and approximately one third of students leave at midday each Friday. Supervision levels are amended so that each teacher is allocated time to provide specific weekly feedback to parents through the Seesaw App allowing them to better understand their child’s learning progress.

A third ‘best use of time’ initiative sees St Luke’s dual credentialing the New South Wales HSC with a Diploma of Commerce with a Higher Education group. By carefully mapping HSC content to the requirements of the Diploma program, students receive recognition of prior learning for 50% of the Diploma. The direct delivery of four additional units means that students can accrue the 8 required units for a Diploma at the same time as obtaining a full HSC qualification. 

The continued questioning of best use of time at St Luke’s will ensure both the wellbeing of our students and their learning needs remain firmly at the centre of the work done by staff for students.

Yours faithfully

Greg Miller

Principal Leader