t a g n i e b ll e W Korowa We form a Circle… we create a Community… we are Crew! By Kellie Lyneham Deputy Principal Student Wellbeing
Year 7 students Amani Omarjee (left) and Emily Nguyen during Community.
In every Korowa girl’s 2020 School Diary are the words: “At Korowa we believe in the power of kindness and the values of courage, respect, integrity and service. We expect our girls to be brave, respectful, honest, generous and above all, kind.” As we have refined our wellbeing programs in recent years, we have remained steadfast in the view that to succeed, our students require a School culture that will help equip them with the character and values to meet the challenges of the future. In 2020 we introduced a Prep-Year 9 Program with 3 distinct phases: Circle in our Junior Years; Community in the Cripps Years; and, Crew at Year 9. Each phase reflects the developmental needs of that group, underpinned by the belief that while every girl can understand and display our School values, she requires a framework that allows her to develop the understanding and skills to do so.
I have absolutely loved doing Community this year! I love all the exercises we do like Just Dance, 2 Truths and a Lie and lots more. I feel like Community is a time for students to get to know each other better especially the girls who are new this year. I have learnt so much about my peers and continue to look forward to each lesson. Year 7 student
The Program allows for relationship building, academic progress monitoring, and character development. The structured lessons, part of the weekly timetable, enable our girls to build positive connections with peers and their staff leader. Our staff leaders strategically plan their programs and lessons to address and assess these multiple goals. If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that in difficult times, we must prioritise kindness, care and respect for others. Circle, Community and Crew experiences have allowed our girls to not only build connections that have withstood the test of distance learning, but given them skills to begin to make sense of the changing world in which we live. Circle, Community and Crew time has become a valued part of the Korowa experience for girls and staff leaders alike.
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