KEEPING OUR STUDENTS ACTIVE AND ENGAGED DURING LEARNING AT A DISTANCE

Keeping active and engaged during learning at a distance

During 2020, our College community has shown amazing resilience and courage as we have rallied together and adapted to a different way of doing things. This has affected all aspects of our students’ education, including activities outside of the classroom. Congratulations to our innovative staff and students at Genazzano who have continued to find engaging ways for us to connect while at home and to maintain our strong learning culture.

Music

The Music Department has implemented some amazing initiatives during learning at a distance to keep students, staff and our community connected to Genazzano’s rich musical and choral tradition.

In May, the Music Department launched their weekly Music Moments. Each Thursday during the term, performances featuring soloists or ensembles were shared on GenConnect and later posted to the College website. These snapshots share what the Genazzano students have been able to achieve while learning at a distance, along with their talent and commitment to refining their musical interests. The full collection of Music moments can be viewed at genazzano.vic.edu.au/ learning/music. Blankets for the Homeless Our Co-curricular Program also continued during learning at a distance, offering a number of opportunities for students to contribute outside the classroom. During CatholicCare Week and as part of our Social Justice Action, members of the Genazzano community were invited to support Blankets for the Homeless as one of Term Two co-curricular activities. The aim was to knit as many blankets as possible to be donated to charities in time for winter. We received overwhelming support for this initiative from students, parents, College staff and members of the community who saw the call out for squares posted on our Genazzano social media channels. Term Two also saw the introduction of the SmartMusic platform for our music students, in addition to delivering their music lessons via Zoom. This wonderful, web-based suite of music educational tools offered our instrumental and vocal students an extensive library, method books, sight-reading exercises and accompaniments; and has allowed We also received a number of telephone calls from parents to thank us for this opportunity to connect with their daughters, to teach them a new skill, to work together on a project and to be able to give back to the community. Students also mentioned how great it was for them to connect with their extended family and friends, while receiving great knitting tips along the way. The College received hundreds of knitted squares which were turned into beautiful and warm blankets and donated to a women’s shelter in St Kilda just prior the second lockdown. The shelter accommodates approximately five to ten women at any one time who students to receive immediate feedback when learning and practising their music.

SmartMusic allows for home practice and rehearsals to be more in-depth and independent – Sarah Vilo I really like how it is all clearly laid out so you know what you have done and what you need to do – Olive Hamilton Thank you for continuing music lessons. It has been a welcome return to normal. Our daughter needs the routine and outlet that music brings to her life –

Genazzano parent may be experiencing housing difficulties and require support to establish more permanent accommodation; and helps them access health care, work and life skills support.

Thank you to everyone that supported this great College initiative, it was wonderful to see so many people come together from all parts of our community.

Sport

Our Sports Department has ensured sport and fitness have remained top of mind for students and their families throughout learning at a distance.

The 2020 Gen Sport Captains have led the way posting daily workouts on the GenConnect portal along with highlights and motivational quotes to our @genfcjsport Instagram page. The Zoom workouts replicated some of the typical daily fitness sessions available at the College and allowed students the flexibility to complete the workouts in their own time and for members of their family to join in.

Online Run Club and Ride Club groups were formed using the social-fitness network, Strava; to promote and encourage daily physical activity by tracking movement through GPS. Community hubs were also created for swimming and rowing, with various training and fitness programs led by our team of coaches – all which have enabled our Gen students to stay connected and continue to receive encouragement and support from each other.

“The benefits of these communities is that our coaches can still provide real time feedback to our active girls as they complete prescribed weekly sessions”, said Nick Wall, Director of Sport.

“Another positive outcome has been the engagement of girls who have turned to exercise as a source of stress relief as they look to maximise their study efficiency at home”.

“Our staff and captains perform as role models as they set the standard of physical activity and create a sense of belonging— one of the most important benefits of sport and team activities”.

The Team have also shared a range of health tips and physical challenges; and made sure typical College events, like House Athletics Day, have still gone ahead. These sorts of activities have been so important for lifting our spirits and reminding ourselves to stop and have fun. They have demonstrated the holistic approach we have to education at Genazzano and the inclusive and welcoming energy of our community. Students of all ages have participated and staff have also enjoyed the opportunity to join in different types of activities, albeit online.

Principal, Ms Karen Jebb has actively participated in the sports programs from afar and admired the way our staff and student have embraced the challenges of learning at a distance.

“I am so incredibly proud of our Sports Captains and Director of Sport, Mr Nick Wall and his team, who have supported our girls to keep fit at home and maintain good physical and mental health”, she said.

“I supplemented my own running program with the strength and conditioning exercises posted by our Sports Captains – they were certainly challenging and effective”. One of our most successful sporting initiatives was the Gen Virtual Marathon Challenge which involved connecting with our community 1km at a time! The goal was to see as many faces as possible and create that important sense of whole school support and connectivity despite our distance. The challenge was set to start with our House groups and sporting teams and extended to include staff, alumnae and our parent associations. It was wonderful to see so many different people from our community get involved to keep fit and healthy together.

A typical week at Genazzano sees more than 50 sport and fitness sessions being delivered across 26 different sports and seven fitness programs, in addition to the extensive curriculum including Arts, Drama, Languages, Music, Maths, Technology and Science.

Highlights:

Our live morning fitness program has been the mainstay of our sport offerings since March and peaked with over 250 girls regularly involved.

The benefits of physical activity for managing mental and physical health has become a peer inspired education program.

The benefits of our Strava Run Club and Ride Club and the House Active Minutes Challenge have been far greater than the weekly statistics of minutes trained, runs completed, or metres climbed.

The greatest gains have been vertical integration and connection as our senior girls have provided kudos to junior girls and our College leaders have provided weekly motivation, encouragement and inspiration.

A thriving learning community

“A Gen girl is someone who puts her hand up for activities, gives up her seat on the tram without being asked, whose positive attitude can be noticed instantly and the student who tries her best in sporting, musical and academic pursuits”. Sarah Salib | College Captain 2020/2021

Our Vision is ‘to share in a future-oriented and distinctive learning culture guided by reflection, wisdom and service. We empower young women to transform the world with hope and care’.

Our Mission

Genazzano FCJ College lives its vision through embracing the talents, potential and dignity of each person. We achieve this by:

Appreciating the unique giftedness of each other

Confidently innovating and adapting to embrace a changing world

Engaging with others with a positive, loving attitude

Energising ourselves through high expectations. Experience the world of opportunities that a Genazzano education can provide. All Open Mornings include a presentation from the Principal and students and a student guided tour of the College. There are also opportunities to experience our Early Learning Centre environment in action. Register today at genazzano.vic.edu.au Our hope is that through God’s grace working in us all, each young person grows into their best self, with a zest for life and the generosity and confidence to use their talents and gifts in the service of others. About Genazzano

We are an inclusive community that celebrates diversity and delivers a balanced approach to learning and growth, from ELC right through to Year 12.

We confidently innovate and adapt to a changing world by allowing students to grow academically and personally.

We engage with others with a positive and loving attitude, serving a higher purpose through our Catholic faith and social justice programs that take action to benefit society and people in need. Open Mornings Wednesday 3 March Wednesday 24 March Tuesday 18 May Wednesday 2 June Wednesday 21 July Tuesday 3 August Wednesday 6 October We apply distinctive learning approaches based on cross disciplinary, student centred thinking and a commitment to excellence. Our transformational learning experiences focus on soft skill acquisition not just content; and our high performance culture promotes independence, self-belief and professional practice across the entire school.

A Genazzano education is a wonderful gift and we invite you to discover the Genazzano difference for yourself. Visit our website or contact our Enrolments Team to discuss how you can ensure the best start for your child’s future.

registrar@genazzano.vic.edu.au

genazzano.vic.edu.au

Open Mornings 2021

ELC Tours Friday 12 February Friday 26 March Friday 23 April