Issue 1 / 08 March 2013
From the Principal A Positive Start to 2013 2013 has begun with a flurry of activity, and it is hard to believe that Term 1 is more than half over. I am pleased to report that right from day one our students have settled in, and been focused, engaged and intentional in their studies. Typical of St Andrews students, their endeavours are not just limited to the classroom. There has been fundraising for flood victims, community involvement with the local Lions Club, after school study sessions, Junior School Musical rehearsals, German and Canberra Trip preparations and sports training to name but a few of the myriad of activities and opportunities that is St Andrews. Our students have set the bar high for themselves. Typical of some of the feedback received was a conversation that a parent had with the Drinks Vendor at the recent swimming carnival. He told the St Andrews parent, that our students were ‘some of the best behaved and well-mannered students that he encounters’ and that ‘the family and community spirit was amongst the best he had seen’. He said in his estimation “St Andrews is top notch”.
I can only concur with his final sentiment. Thank you to you the parents of our students for the example that you set your children. Along with St Andrews’ teachers and staff you are instrumental in helping to build a positive culture. Our children and young people are clearly watching, learning and absorbing what is going on around them, and pleasingly, living it out. 2013 Strategic Priorities (Teaching & Learning) Each year as a College we identify a number of strategic priorities to guide and focus our work. This year we have 6 strategic foci in relation to teaching and learning across the College: 1. High Expectations - As a College we are intentionally focusing on holding high expectations of students in terms of achievement, effort, behaviour and dress. A critical part of this is helping students to hold high expectations of themselves, as when students expectations of themselves rises, so to does academic achievement. 2. Know Your Students - Our teachers will be focusing on knowing the students in their care so that they can best enhance their learning. 3. Literacy - Literacy is ‘an every century skill’. It is a key to successful participation in society. Every teacher when they are teaching their classes are encouraged to see themselves as a teacher of literacy, and not just something that is the domain of English teachers. 4. Higher Order Thinking Skills – Higher Order Thinking Skills are a 21st century skill. The best jobs in the ‘knowledge economy’ rely on higher order thinking skills such as decision making, problem solving, analysis, evaluation and synthesis. For our students it is about intentionally teaching them the steps involved in the various higher order thinking skills. 5. ICT for Learning - This strategic focus is about how we use IT to enhance student learning. It is about using the most appropriate tool for the task required. It is not about using IT simply for the sake of it.