College Works

Completed Works:

Courtyard

The College continues to look for ways to improve the learning environment for students and staff and to provide a welcoming environment for the entire College community. We are in the process of updating a number of other facilities/amenities around the College:

1. The Design Thinking

and Innovation Centre – creating learning “hubs” within the DTIC designed around the pillars and concepts of Design

Thinking. 2. Student toilet facilities – upgrading some of the more out dated amenities throughout the College.

3. Food Technology

facilities – updating the Food Technology area to enable a more streamlined learning experience

Remote Learning & Teaching

The transition to online learning has had some challenges and it will never be the same as face to face teaching where you can see all your students at a glance, but it’s felt quite seamless in the delivery of courses and content.

Having our comprehensive learning management system, which the students were accustomed to, has enabled this. We also benefited from trialling ‘Microsoft Teams’ with the students towards the end of Term 1. But ultimately it has been our students, who have embraced the changes and have adapted so quickly to online learning and worked together with teachers to resolve the challenges.

As the Year 7 Leader I have really missed seeing the Year 7s and having our morning chats at school, but I have kept the same routine of visiting them daily, now online in their Pastoral ‘Teams Meetings’, even if it’s just to say a quick hello for the day. This has allowed me to stay connected to the students and a reminder that I, along with all their teachers are there to support them during this time.

Being an Arts and Technology teacher has created some challenges, but some changes to initially planned tasks and organising materials and equipment kits towards the end of last term for each student has allowed them to carry on with all their creative subjects. The students have created digital portfolios which has enabled me to see how they’re progressing and to give feedback during their lessons. It’s been lovely to see how students have set themselves up for their practical classes, some even choosing to work outside in their gardens during our Art lessons. I’ve emphasised the need to create a space, to play music and for them to enjoy this time working away from their devices. For their wellbeing, it’s been so important for the students to continue these creative practices, using their hands and having tactile experiences.

Partnerships between our families more than ever have been so important during these challenging times. Both parents and students have provided valuable feedback through this time and we have been able to work together as a community to adapt and change to suit the needs of our students and to deliver meaningful and engaging lessons. I look forward to seeing all our students’ smiling faces back in the classroom.

Daniela Franze

Year 7 Leader & Transition Leader Student working on her art remotely

Remote Learning & Teaching

The online learning experience has been a largely positive experience.

E-Learning as a pedagogical approach, or indeed a necessity at present, has reminded us of the importance of adopting a critical approach towards the learning content. It has really focused the objectives and outcomes of lessons to pinpoint the learning that we want the students to embrace.

Moving forward, the experience has confirmed my thoughts that a blended learning structure is a key pedagogy – with the mix of critical thinking, subject understanding or core knowledge, practical activities and more focused curriculumbased questions to assess as well as reinforce the learning. The use of flipped learning has been powerful; students have received a video to watch the day before the lesson to get an idea, and hopefully an understanding, of the key concepts so that deeper learning occurs, and more questions can be asked during lesson time.

Chris Needle

Learning Leader Health & Physical Education Growing together and staying connected

We are all in an unknown space, and we are trying to find or define what the new normal is. Teaching and learning look different. Connecting with others looks different, but what shines through is that we are all in this together. Teachers and students are learning new and innovative ways to connect with challenging concepts and to flourish in this unique teaching and learning space. I am enjoying finding new ways to deliver content. Redefining connecting with the cohorts as a Year Level Leader has been challenging, but the use of technology has been instrumental in ensuring that connections are not lost. Students are connecting as communities and sharing stories and memes via their Teams messenger to keep that special bond going. Students are still reaching out for support but just in a different way. While I am very much looking forward to returning to the classroom and to that face to face connection, I believe we will all emerge from this stronger more resilient people. In the sage words of Winnie the Pooh, “ You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.”

Siobhian Bloomfield Senior Years Leader