E4L (Education for Life)

Education for Life, affectionately known as E4L, is the class in which AHS students in Years 7-10 learn essential skills to help them thrive at school and beyond. This year in E4L, students considered what they want their futures to look like professionally, socially, and emotionally and took active steps to turn these hopes into realities.

Under the guidance of Careers, Pathways and Transitions Manager, Robyn Boardman, our students participated in a range of engaging activities that helped them identify their ideal career and how to get into it, documenting their progress in their Career Action Plans. Our students identified their personal values and character strengths and discovered meaningful careers that align with these. The Year 9s undertook the Morrisby Assessments and met individually with an advisor who took them through their results to identify potential careers. Our students also learned about which industries are likely to grow in the future and discovered the prerequisite skills and qualifications needed for their potential pathways. A highlight was when members of the Hawthorn Rotary Club generously donated their time to conduct mock interviews with the Year 9 and 10 students, giving them feedback on their résumés, cover letters and responses to the interview questions. Before heading off to their work experience placements, our Year 10s learned about their rights in the workplace and how to be financially responsible with their earnings.

Our DARE values of Diversity, Aspiration, Respect and Excellence are core to AHS and they are addressed explicitly in E4L classes. Under the expert guidance of our School Nurse, Emily Dawson and Mental Health Practitioner, Summer Read, students learned important information about how to interact with others. They learnt about what healthy and respectful communication looks like across a range of different types of relationships. Our students also learnt strategies for looking after their own wellbeing through a focus on gratitude, mindfulness, optimism and positive self-talk. These key messages were reinforced in engaging and interactive workshops run by Project Rockit.

Finally, our Auburn Learner Qualities (ALQs) of Creativity, Collaboration, Citizenship, Communication, Critical Thinking and Character were closely considered in E4L classes this year. Our students learnt about the importance of a growth mindset, understanding that resilience, persistence, clearly articulated goals and seeking feedback are essential components of success. Students identified productivity tips including how to avoid procrastination, be organised, find flow and seek intrinsic motivation. They also applied problem-solving strategies to ethical dilemmas and considered how their personal experiences might affect their perspectives. Our students reflected on their learning behaviours and tracked their learning growth, identifying strategies to continually improve. Our Year 9s also participated in the inaugural Citizenship Project, in which they independently planned and implemented an initiative to enhance the AHS community. Some of these incredible projects included making birthday calendars and gratitude buckets for every Year 9 class, creating and displaying posters to raise awareness about mental health, coming up with a peer-support homework help initiative and developing their own E4L lessons for younger year levels.