DEPUTY PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

Teaching, Learning and Innovation

Good Luck IB class of 2021!

On Monday the inaugural TRAC IB class had their first examination, Business Management. As with the HSC journey, the pathway to these exams is an arduous one, filled with academic rigour and hours of sheer hard work. We wish them all the very best with their examinations and thank their ‘IB Mum’ Mrs Patricia Humble for her care and support over the course of the journey. To their teachers too, we say a huge thank you and good luck!

Year 11 Academic Workshop

On Thursday the 21st of September the College held an academic wellbeing day that was designed to kick off the next phase of HSC and IB studies. The day covered a range of NESA, IB and College processes, as well as providing information about early entry, ATAR, employment pathways and service learning. Workshops were also held by Mrs Kira Lough and Mr Luke Richardson regarding stress, anxiety and mental health strategies and learning, study and maximising time management.

It was a real reminder of the core need to manage the logistical and administrative elements of Year 12 studies with building a wellbeing and learning toolbox that provides the skills, resources and support that underpin success. One of the key points in my presentation was the need to make the HSC their own, with a focus on engaging with feedback and measuring success against prior achievement. I know Mr Trevor Howard also reinforced the idea that in many ways these qualifications are a grind, and that sheer hard work and determination are the keys to success. We will not measure that success in Band 6 results or high ATAR scores, although there will be much to celebrate there I am sure. Rather we measure success in the degree to which our students reached their potential and became all they could be. 

I’d like to thank Mr Trevor Howard, Mrs Patricia Humble, Mrs Jane Lister, Mrs Marie Knight, Mrs Kira Lough, Mr Luke Richardson and Mr Christopher Ingold for presenting on the day. The day in its entirety was coordinated by Mr John Petts and Mrs Jennifer Jenkins and I thank them for their organisation and vision in making it happen.

International Teacher’s Day is Today

Teachers are ‘people’ people and by their nature pretty humble. We don’t generally wax lyrical about how much work we do or how busy and important our job is to any functioning and progressive society. We really do prefer our actions to speak louder than words, because our cause is the students and families we are privileged to serve. 

Some data I’ve collected over the course of the year really does highlight, though, the degree to which teaching at TRAC is more a calling than a vocation. To date, the College has provided 816 events over the course of 2021. This is a remarkable figure in a covid impacted year. Many of these events included multiple planning phases due to the pandemic; plans A, B and C often turned back into A, or at times a frantic plan D. The simple thing would have been to just call it off, but staff have moved heaven and earth to provide as many opportunities for our students as possible. It isn’t a career or a job to us, but a calling.  

Today is International Teacher’s Day and I urge our school community to reach out to the educators that make so much possible for your children. So many kind and supportive messages already filled mailboxes and inboxes over the course of this year, so thanks for your ongoing support of our incredibly fulfilling profession. Thank you for entrusting your most precious people to us and happy International Teacher’s Day! 

Anthony Heffer | Deputy Principal - Teaching, Learning and Innovation