From the Principal

GOING BEYOND

‘Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them.’ Albert Einstein

The word ‘beyond’ conjures up an array of possibilities. The thought of going beyond something is inherently inspirational, whether it is in the context of an idea, a feeling, an action, or a decision; to go beyond implies largesse and the potential for great things.

The one and only moon landing of 1969, brought the world a truly defining ‘beyond’ moment that was an example of extreme human endeavour and capability. Recently, NASA’s new moon rocket, Artemis, blasted off on its debut flight, bringing the United States closer to its goal of putting astronauts on the lunar surface again by 2025. And yes, Buzz Lightyear’s refrain, ‘To infinity and beyond!’ does spring to mind.

In education, applying the notion of ‘beyond’ is also an exciting concept and the term ‘beyond the classroom’ specifically, provides educators a plethora of ideas and ways to grow the minds of young people. Over decades, Fintona students have been leaving the confines of four walls, as part of the school curriculum, and engaging with the outside world via excursions, field trips, camps, volunteering, and competitions. Pre-pandemic, students were also participants in overseas exchanges and trips, including World Challenge opportunities which we hope, in time, will all be reinstated.

Stepping away from desks, devices and screens, and moving into another environment, creates an opportunity for student-centric learning. This type of learning acknowledges and draws on a broader socio-cultural context and encourages students to think laterally, problem solve and to engage in the world around them. The walls of the institution disappear and in a metaphoric sense the mind can be set free. There is evidence that suggests that through ‘beyond the classroom’ experiences, students become more engaged and motivated to the point where they build greater connections to, and have greater recall of their studies.

Throughout this second semester, students at Fintona have continued to be involved in a wide range of activities: science and mathematics competitions, Ethics Olympiad, DaVinci Decathlon, debating, Tournament of Minds, Projec10, BrainSTEM Innovation Challenge, constitutional convention, consent workshops, visits by Murrundindi, and many other activities to extend and enrich their learning.

Fintona’s Work Experience Program is another example of how we can prepare our students for the future, building on their independence and sense of achievement and empowering them to be engaged moral agents in society. Learning outside or beyond the classroom is experiential and as such offers opportunities for students to be active and to become more interactive. The School’s Connections Program has been extraordinarily successful in terms of the experiences it gifts our Year 9 students which is evident in the following student reflection:

The Connections Program allowed us to gain a greater awareness of people who support our communities and become more aware and open-minded. It encouraged greater responsibility, independence, reasoning and negotiation, open-mindedness, and awareness. It showed us how to be active members of our communities and was overall an incredibly valuable and memorable experience that we will all carry with us throughout our lives.

Further, ‘beyond the classroom’ involvements are imperative to the development and reinforcement of a positive and rewarding teacher/student relationship and allows educators to become mentors and guides for the students in their care. Teachers are there to support, encourage and challenge their students thinking and being.

I am always impressed with the way our students and staff do not subscribe to limits, and go ‘beyond’, in everything they do daily.

Rachael Falloon

Principal