2020 Conscientia

/ k o: n . s k i’e n .t i . a / n . 1 . k n o w l e dg e s h a r e d w it h o t h e r s

S t

C a t h e r i n e ’ s

S c h o o l

2 02 0

volume seven

C O N SC I E N T I A

3

Mr Robert Marshall

Critical inquiry, intelligent learning

5

Ms Karen McArdle

Improving teaching practices with cognitive sciences

9

Mr Tim Collins

Psychoacoustics & the harmonic series

13

Miss Emily Sutherland

Finally… time to do those things you ‘don’t have time for’

15

Ms Jennifer Scott

Four actions for war-time leaders

19

Ms Amelia King

Supporting students through COVID-19

23

Sophie Boyce

Year 12 Co-Captain final assembly speech 2020

25

Alexandra Shergold

Year 12 Co-Captain final assembly speech 2020

29

Ms Karen McArdle

Junior School NAPLAN success builds academic excellence and reputation

33

Ms Sarah Bethune

Inspiring learning spaces for young children

35

Mr John Toulantas

In chaos we reign

39

Mrs Angela Klancic

Inspiring independent Mathematics learners to explore problem solving

41

Miss Kristy Forrest

Learning in lockdown – teachers as designers

45

Mrs Ceri Lloyd

The secret of getting ahead is getting started

47

Mrs Angela Klancic

Sofya Kovalevskaya – a woman pioneer

51

Mrs Michelle Carroll

The value of the Humanities programs

55

Mrs Michelle Carroll

The essential element of education

59

Ms Karen McArdle

Good girl syndrome in co-educational classes

63

Mr Robert Marshall

Future-Proofing students

65

Ms Merran O’Connor

Together while apart – gratitude, joy and connection

67

Ms Sarah Bethune

The importance of the early years

69

Ms Karen McArdle

Benefits of a personalised learning approach

71

Mrs Courtney O’Brien

The view from my window

73

Alexandra Shergold & Sophie Boyce

Class of 2020 – an extraordinary year

75

Ms Pauline van der Poel

How do we prepare young people for jobs that don’t exist yet?

77

Ms Liv Cher

Developing each musician’s personal voice

81

Mrs Gina Peele

Developing a toolbox of skills

3

Welcome

St Catherine’s School enhances student learning experiences through the employment of exceptional staff. The School is committed to ensuring effective recruitment and the development of dedicated and well-qualified educators who are passionate about the field of education, girls’ wellbeing, and advances in technology and educational practice.

The significance of establishing a strong and dedicated community to support our students can never be underestimated.

This year, it has been a privilege to witness the growth and development of every St Catherine’s student, all of whom have experienced the opportunity to discover their individual passions, interests and talents in the classroom and Co-curricular pursuits, due to the commitment, enthusiasm and skills of our teaching staff.

The articles published within this edition of Conscientia showcase the inspiring efforts of our teachers. Their wisdom, dedication and passion for education allows St Catherine’s to remain enduringly steady and strong to its mission of empowering and nurturing women of the future.

Please enjoy the 2020 edition of Conscientia.

Mrs Michelle Carroll Principal

13

Name: Mr Robert Marshall Title: Deputy Principal – Teaching and Learning Date: 29 April 2020

C R I T I C A L I N Q U I R Y, I N T E L L I G E N T L E A R N I N G

At St Catherine’s, every teacher’s primary focus is to deliver the best education for the girls they teach every day. Despite our very high standards of practice, there is a strong belief that we can improve.

Peter Ellerton has developed a pedagogical schema which is focused on the content knowledge of intellectual inquiry. Three imperatives or principles of action are to:

Of particular interest, and a growing concern amongst teachers, is that students are too often focused on learning facts to obtain grades. A more sophisticated approach to their learning is required.

• Think and plan in the language of student cognition; and

The School has commenced a collaborative relationship with the University of Queensland and Peter Ellerton who is a lecturer in critical thinking and the founding director of the University of Queensland Critical Thinking Project.

Peter argues that: “Schools need to better prepare young people for an increasingly complex world. Of paramount importance is the ability to think critically and work with others to approach complex problems in novel ways. These are becoming ever more important for all young people to acquire in order to thrive in a world increasingly globalised and augmented by technology.

There are, therefore, more frequent calls for students to have stronger capacities in critical and analytical thinking so that they might identify biases in news, data and in their own interpretations, develop deeper understanding of complex ideas and empathy for different perspectives.”

This project aims to improve teacher capacity to teach for thinking, not just for learning. At the heart of the project we are evolving the best ways to develop student understanding by focusing on their thinking.

Teachers are concerned about the passivity students can demonstrate in the face of intellectual challenge.

• Shift the focus from knowledge to inquiry; • Work collaboratively when thinking can be shared.

The schema outlines a relationship between cognitive skills, intellectual values and intellectual dispositions, which will be the focus of our teaching and learning across the School.

Teachers will develop their skills and knowledge in ensuring all classes emphasise three critical aspects of intellectual inquiry.

• COGNITIVE SKILLS such as Evaluating, Analysing, Interpreting, Synthesising and Problem-solving.

• VALUES (provide feedback on the acquisition of the cognitive skills) such as Clarity, Precision, Accuracy, Coherence and Tolerance of ambiguity.

• DISPOSITIONS (habits that come from mastery of the values) such as Independence, Persistence, Resilience, Integrity, Curiosity, Empathy and Global responsiveness.

We aim to grow our learning culture at St Catherine’s so that teachers and students have common language, common understanding and common approaches to high quality intellectual endeavour.

John Dewey the prominent educational reformer in the first half of the twentieth century, whose ideas have been influential in education and social reform commented that “Thinking is the method of intelligent learning”. Our goal is to make sure intelligent learning is in every classroom, every day.

Mr Robert Marshall Deputy Principal – Teaching and Learning

3

Name: Ms Karen McArdle Title: Head of Junior School Date: 29 April 2020

IMPROVING TEACHING PRACTICES WITH COGNITIVE SCIENCES

At Barbreck, our objective is to ensure that all our students are thriving academically, socially, and emotionally.

During these important junior years, developing an environment that nurtures and provides opportunity for learning and development is our highest focus. The emphasis on improving teaching practices is fundamental.

We pride ourselves on being at the forefront of utilising the most innovative and forward-thinking teaching practices.

With this in mind, the cognitive science space offers many opportunities for developing how we educate students.

Drawing on psychology, artificial intelligence, linguistics, and philosophy, cognitive science is advancing theories on thinking, awareness and learning (Merriam & Webster). One theory underpinning our teaching practices is the Cognitive Load theory which examines the load on the brain when it processes information therefore impacting the design of lessons.

Studies have identified two beliefs: “(1) the human brain has a limited capacity to how much new knowledge can be processed at one time and (2) there is no limit to how much stored information the brain can process at on time.”

(NSW Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation, 2017).

Our teachers at Barbreck consider the cognitive load limit for the age level of their class dependent on their level of development and brain maturity.

This then enables our teachers to design lessons for the optimal learning of students.

The Explicit Teaching Model has been implemented as best practice in our Barbreck classrooms. This model introduces new knowledge by taking individual pieces of information (Chunks) and grouping them into larger units.

The process of Chunking enables students to process the information more effectively as they retain the new knowledge in their working memory for longer. (Good and Brophy, 2003, as cited in Marzano, 2017, page 41).

Teacher Responsibility Focus Instruction

Explicit Instruction: Gradual Release of Responsibility

I do

Guided Instruction

We do Collaborative Practice Independent Practice

Student Responsibility

You do

5

The use of the chunking method provides opportunities to engage students in processing activities to deepen and broaden their understanding of new knowledge. The time allocated for processing is important as it assists students to actively engage with content and their learning. Examples of chunking and processing exercises in the classroom include: 1. A lesson on Insects and Arachnids – Students begin by examining the physical structures of insects and arachnids, looking for similarities and differences, organise the new information and then refine their understanding of the new knowledge.

2. Learning a phone number sequence by separating individual elements into larger blocks, the number becomes easier to retain and recall.

3. Improving literacy skills by encouraging students to break words into manageable ‘chunks’ to sound out, rather than sounding out each individual letter.

The chunking and processing model represents best practice when teaching new content, allowing students the opportunity to understand and internalise the knowledge before moving onto the next chunk of new learning.

Barbreck staff actively seek professional development and current research to refine their professional practices and ensure they are working to provide the best outcomes for the students they teach. This research, together with a number of Harvard courses currently being undertaken, ensures our teachers are continually refining and improving professional practices in response to current research.

Ms Karen McArdle Head of Junior School Reference https://www.cese.nsw.gov.au/publications-filter/cognitive-loadtheory-research-that-teachers-really-need-to-understand Marzano, R. (2017), The New Art and Science of Teaching, ASCD, USA. Marzano, R. & Sahadeo-Turner, T. (2015), Processing New Information: Classroom Techniques to Help Students Engage with Content, Learning Sciences International, USA. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cognitive%20science

7

Name: Mr Tim Collins Title: Head of Music Date: 29 April 2020

PSYCHOACOUSTICS & THE HARMONIC SERIES

Before music hits our ears it exists in the air as an intricate series of pressure waves. What is fascinating is the incredibly complex decoding that our brains perform in order to perceive this jumble as music.

Simply being able to recognise an instrument from its tone (timbre) requires incredible computing power.

TROMBONE VS VIOLIN

HARMONIC SERIES

When a Violin plays ‘A’ at 220Hz this is the loudest and is the ‘note name’ we assign to this sound. This is called the fundamental. The 2nd harmonic (1st overtone) an octave above (A 440Hz) is 1/2 as loud as the fundamental (A 220Hz).

The 3rd harmonic ‘E’ (2nd overtone) is a 1/3 as loud, and the 4th (‘A’ two octaves above) is 1/4 as loud. This forms a timbral ‘profile’ for violin that we have stored away somewhere.

How is it that most of us can instantly distinguish whether we are listening to a trombone or a violin even if they are playing simultaneously, or buried deep within a symphony orchestra? When any physical instrument (not a synthesiser) ‘plays a note’, it also generates a number of other notes.

When a trombone plays an ‘A’ at 220 Hertz, it also produces the note ‘A’ (440Hz) an octave above, the ‘E’ (660Hz) above that, the ‘A’ (880Hz) above that, then C# (1.1kHz), E (1.32kHz), G (1.54kz), A again (1.76kHz), B, C, C#.

This pattern continues ad Infinium but the frequencies get so close together that they no longer correlate notes on the piano. This is the harmonic series and was well known to Pythagoras in the 6th Century BCE. The harmonic series occurs in nature and contains within it a pentatonic scale (A, C#, D, E, G, A in the above example).

Possibly, this is why most cultures share the pentatonic scale as the basis of their traditional melodies. All of our students in Year 8 will be familiar with the pentatonic scale as it forms the basis of our aural training in Years 7 and 8. The harmonic series is the reason the bugle can play the Last Past without any valves at all.

When a trombone plays an ‘A’ and a violin plays an ‘A’ the same harmonic series is present in both. It is the relative volume of each one of these ‘overtones’ that is specific to the instrument.

It is different for the Trombone. The 3rd harmonic (E an octave and a 5th above) is the loudest. This is apparent when we tune the trombones in Senior Concert Band.

The 2nd harmonic (‘F’ when we tune) is very prominent (reinforced by multiple instruments), however, it is the (softer) fundamental (Bb) that we think we hear.

It seems that we have developed some form of builtin harmonic template that guides us to only hear the lowest frequency and identify that as the ‘note’. It is only after I point out the 2nd harmonic, by (singing it) that students appreciate its presence in the room. Even then, not everyone can hear it. It is one of those things that is impossible to communicate with words. Students are often unsure that they have heard the right sound but it is easy to tell from their faces when they discover it.

9

Once you have heard it, it’s impossible to unhear.

This ‘frequency template’ that we store for the trombone and can apply, no matter what note the trombone is playing.

Even more amazingly, when listening to an orchestra, our brains can ‘recognise’ the trombone profile, from amongst all the other instruments that are playing.

A trained musician can even transcribe the trombone melody into notation. This requires the incredible, parallel computing power of a brain. We currently do not have a computer powerful enough to emulate this skill.

MISSING FUNDAMENTAL This harmonic series generates some interesting anomalies and artefacts, two of which are described here. Even though I may no longer be able to hear 27Hz in a hearing test, I can quite clearly perceive the lowest note on the piano which is A (27Hz). This is because hearing tests are conducted using pure sine waves but the low ‘A’ on the piano is rich in harmonics. The upper harmonics of this note, which I can still hear, generate a waveform that has the same period as the fundamental, so I still perceive this note, loud and clear.

The landline telephone system can only carry frequencies as low as 300Hz but we can still hear a male voice as low as 100Hz because of the same phenomenon.

Mp3 files and tiny speakers also make use of this.

HARMONIC SINGING When we sing or speak we are constantly modulating the timbre (harmonic spectrum) of our voice. Sing the vowel sound (as in Yip) then ‘or’ as in (more) both on the same note. The first sound is rich in upper harmonics and sounds ‘bright’ and piercing. The ‘or’ sound is warm and dark, because its upper harmonics are suppressed. This is what happens when you turn down the tone knob on a stereo system. Students in Years 7-12 music are used to describing timbre in this way. With a knowledge of harmonics, we can do things with our voice that instruments cannot. By changing tongue position and mouth shape it is possible to isolate and amplify a single upper harmonic and suppress the others (harmonic singing) thus giving the impression that you are singing two notes simultaneously. This article is simply about the harmonic series of a single note. Really interesting and complex things start to happen when you combine more than one note but that is for another time.

Mr Tim Collins Head of Music Reference i. 11. The missing fundamental https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0amvhGzeCnQ ii. David Hykes & the Harmonic Choir https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyhXP_wfnz4 ii. polyphonic overtone singing – Anna-Maria Hefele https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vC9Qh709gas iv. Live Performance Bukhchuluun Ganburged TEDxSydney https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa0v0pT9flo

11

Name: Miss Emily Sutherland Title: Class of 2019 Date: 15 April 2020

F I N A L LY… T I M E T O D O T H O S E T H I N G S Y O U “ D O N ’ T H AV E T I M E F O R ”

There is no denying that the disruption of routine and destruction of core events caused by the COVID-19 virus has left us all feeling slightly deflated and unsettled.

As creatures of innate habit, it goes without saying that human beings find comfort in the safety of a routine. With this pandemic causing schools to shut their gates and nonessential services to close down, it is as justly understandable to feel concerned by the severity of the health risks as it is to feel confused by the disruption to normal, daily life.

With nine months of freedom to spend doing whatever I please before heading over to University of California, in Los Angeles in September I was throwing myself into all sorts of new and interesting commitments. I was thoroughly enjoying my first season of club rowing for Mercantile.

I was stoked to have the opportunity to represent my state in the Victorian youth eight, looking forward to the big race at the Sydney International Regatta at the end of March.

After what I hoped would have been a successful week of racing in Penrith, I had planned to live up at my beach house in Point Lonsdale for the month of April. I had a job at the local ice-cream store lined up, and I was ready to start my Certificate III and IV Personal Training course online. As for May, that was my travel month. I had planned to do “The Pipeline Challenge”, a 600km charity bike ride through the red sand that spans between Kalgoorlie and Mundaring, Western Australia. The gruelling ride was scheduled to take place from 2-7 May. All funds raised from this ride go towards a not-for-profit organisation called ‘The Nest’ which provide support for young mums escaping homelessness and domestic violence.

Post ride I had the intention of heading over to Bali for a couple weeks to complete a yoga course with my aunty and uncle, a more relaxing form of exercise that I was super excited for.

Yet, since life will throw you curveballs, the Coronavirus rate suddenly skyrocketed and with it came the avalanche of new protocols and cancellations. The Sydney International regatta was cancelled, depriving all athletes within the rowing community the opportunity to showcase all their hard training. “The Pipeline challenge” was cancelled due to risk of infecting the local outback communities and my much-awaited trip to Bali was no longer a possibility.

However, despite being disappointed and slightly shocked at first about these drastic changes to my plans and aspirations, I am now learning to be appreciative for this quiet time, despite the external chaos. I am thoroughly enjoying the quality time with my family and I am using the break from all commitments as an opportunity for personal growth. I have been investing my time in my Personal training course, tutoring my brother with his online schoolwork, cooking lots of healthy food for my family, keeping my fitness up, reading (HEAPS) and I also hope to start teaching myself some yoga in place of my Bali yoga course.

During this crazy time, I really encourage everyone to try to remain positive and keep to their routine where they can.

If you had plans that couldn’t go ahead, I suggest finding a way to adapt those arrangements so you can do whatever it may be at home. I think everyone has goals and desires that they struggle to make time for in the busy lives we all live.

Yet, now is the perfect opportunity to do all those things you have always dreamt of ‘having time for’; take up an instrument, learn a language, draw, cook, learn to meditate, play with your pets, clear out your wardrobe, spend quality time with your parents and siblings, in essence, do the things you usually ‘don’t have time for’. Finally and most importantly, do what really matters to YOU. Miss Emily Sutherland Class of 2019

13

Name: Ms Jennifer Scott Title: Current Parent Date: 20 April 2020

F O U R A C T I O N S F O R WA R -T I M E L E A D E R S

COVID-19 is undemocratic, quickly forcing some businesses to the brink, providing abundance to others and leaving most dangerously in the middle. We’ve heard a lot about ‘Directly Impacted’ companies, for example airlines, Qantas, American, who have acted fast and cut flights. Quietly, many companies are overwhelmed by ‘Unprecedented Demand’, for example, soaring home deliveries, collaborative communication tools, Skype, Zoom. In the middle ‘Indirectly Impacted’ companies have been hit by plummeting consumer confidence and/or supply chain shortages. For start-ups

and those with tight cash flow, act fast to save your company – see Adir Shiffman’s great article Advice to Founders1.

Indirectly Impacted companies who are well-funded have an opportunity to remake, acquire, divest and come out winning.

I’ve been here twice before: 2008/09 at Expedia, and eBay Europe post corporate hack. We didn’t get it all right. Yet there is no better training ground to spur big decisions and fast action.

COVID-19 Commercial Impact

Direct eg. airlines, hotels

Indirect eg. retail, manufacturing

Unprecedented Demand eg. delivery, collabotative comms

Well-funded

Consider horizontal expension.

Act with integrity.

Need for action.

Opportunity to come out well positioned.

Humbly do well.

Be generous.

Managed Cash Flow

Hold cash – act with care.

Potential for opportunity.

Lean in and do well.

Watch for market change.

Tight Cash Flow

Hold cash – act fast.

Hold cash – Act fast.

Harvest or lean in.

Watch for market change.

15

THERE ARE FOUR KEY ACTIONS TO START NOW: 1. Winning in 2030 – what are the big decisions you can make now?

While everyone is worrying about tactics and next month’s budget – go long. How will your business win in 2030?

What are the horizontal and vertical opportunities? What acquisitions or divestment might you make? How will your competitors respond? Chances are you have been sitting on some critical decisions waiting for the right time to pull the trigger. Governments have incentives to spur you to invest.

Now is the time to think big.

Expedia separated its Affiliates businesses, building a responsive B2B organisation that exists to this day. eBay sold Skype in September 2009 as it was non-core – buyers and sellers don’t video conference after all.

At the very least, use this opportunity to seed one gamechanging opportunity or to divest that which slows you down.

2. Wartime cabinet – encourage divergent points of view, agreement and then action Run-the-business leadership teams build consensus and deliver through process. They spend time weighing up strategic and policy decisions.

Wartime cabinets think big, debate openly and make brave decisions supported by less detail. They act fast.

Now is the time to hear creative ideas and divergent points of view. If you’re not debating the options, roam further. Find your most critical investor. Ask Gen Zs, Millennials, Boomers. Speak to your most outspoken critics. Hear and test all points of view.

Expedia’s leadership team had a pretty healthy debate about the breadth and depth of the 2008/09 economic crisis. Debating openly in the room. Deciding on a path. Walking in lock step to deliver the solution.

3. Data – Create Visibility Let’s assume that COVID-19’s impact could take three or six or 18 months. Now is the time to wire up your data. You are flying the plane into a storm.

At a minimum, everyone ought to see yesterday’s sales on their phone. B2B might have a shared weekly sales view. If you have a spare dime, plug it into visibility.

Ideally build customer lifetime value tools and econometrics models creating dispassionate views of the future. If you have a second spare dime, build the data you need to fly the plane long haul.

When eBay was hacked all of our customers had to reset their passwords – many didn’t come back for a long time resulting in massive instant revenue loss. In Europe we had two days of “new world” data and great tools.

It was bad news – we told it straight. Within a week of the announced hack we had re-forecast sales to profit and within two weeks made organisational decisions.

The re-forecast held to within 1% through to year’s end, providing stability for the recovering business.

4. Take your team with you Once you have charted a course – tell your teams.

Turn up. Be (virtually) visible. Outlining a plan will make everyone calmer. eBay had weekly meetings. Expedia had Friday morning coffee and donuts.

What you do now is career defining.

Think big. Stay safe.

Ms Jennifer Scott Current Parent Reference 1. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/advice-founders-crisis-basedmy-mistakes-2009-adir-shiffman?fbclid=IwAR2OANwjIuUzRe7 4m-x_3aX3yhS032SSCdtGDZ81uncRALWQcmDJ0GQOClg

17

Name: Ms Amelia King Title: School Counsellor Date: 22 April 2020

S U P P O R T I N G S T U D E N T S T H RO U G H C OV I D -1 9

While the whole of society is struggling to manage the changes associated with the Coronavirus (COVID-19), there is no doubt that students doing VCE in particular, are experiencing a level of stress and grief that is unique to them as a group. VCE students are grieving the loss of what they thought their final year of school would look like. In a year that is traditionally highlighted by a sense of connectedness and achieving a common goal, students are dealing with a loss of social interaction and feelings of isolation. Students are experiencing the loss of Co-curricular activities that they may not be part of in the future, and coping with uncertainty around how they will complete the academic requirements of Year 12.

This unusual set of circumstances has equally led to a new level of stress and concern for parents as they attempt to support their children during this time. Parents are dealing with their own stresses – financial, health, relationship and family concerns that are placing an enormous load on already stretched emotional reserves. However, there are things that parents can undertake to guide and nurture their daughter to help alleviate stress and ensure that this year continues to be a positive and successful one.

HOW PARENTS MANAGE STRESS Parents are encouraged to ask themselves how they usually manage stress, and what they have noted about how their children manage stress. They are also urged to be aware of the comments they make. Teenagers are extremely sensitive to the moods of their parents. If the adults around them are frequently expressing concern about COVID-19 or talking about how upset they are that activities have been cancelled, then the distress children feel will be amplified. Acknowledging that these things are sad and frustrating is important, but teenagers need

to see that it will be okay. Implementing strategies at home – meditation and mindfulness, yoga, taking time to relax, exercise breaks – can help the whole family, and modelling positive coping skills to your teenager sends a powerful message that the situation is manageable.

MAKE A PLAN Psychologist Andrew Fuller, when considering how parents can support their children through VCE, writes: “Parents have a vital role in helping students manage time, manage energy, manage stress and manage to get everything in at the right time and in the right place”. Mr Fuller recommends that parents sit with their VCE child at the start of the year to develop a common understanding of how their week will look in terms of study, Co-curricular and social activities. It is now time to go back to that plan, or to make one if necessary, that allows for the changes that are occurring during the remote learning program.

The instability created by COVID-19 means this is a time where parents are recommended to provide as much structure as they can for their VCE student. Having set times for family meals, exercise, and study, while allowing time for online social interaction and time for the family to do other things together can make a huge difference to a student’s feelings of control and ability to manage successfully what is required of them. Any plan is encouraged to be realistic and allow for the things that the teenager wants to do as well as what they need to do. Ensure that the plan supports regular sleeping patterns, and regular breaks between study sessions. Ideally, 40 minutes of study should be followed by a 20-minute break chatting to family, getting a drink or spending some time outside. Such plans are most successful when communicated to, and supported by, the whole family.

19

COMMUNICATION IS KEY

BE THE VOICE OF REASON

While many parents quite rightly feel that they want to respect their VCE student as an emerging adult, and do not want to “push” their children to talk to them, waiting for your teen to ask for help can backfire. Take the first step – but timing is important. If you are going to talk to your teen or make a request, choose a time they are relaxed and not in the middle of something else. Speak somewhere private where they are comfortable, and ask if they have time for a chat. Do not use small talk – teenagers can get anxious when parents suddenly want to talk so be upfront and tell them that you want to check in with how they are coping.

Aim to use open-ended questions and listen without judgment. Validate feelings of grief and loss – things do feel unfair, and problem solve together. It is important that parents do not try to solve the problem for their teen, but instead ask the student what strategies they have used so far. Offer to make suggestions if they are stuck, but if they do not want your ideas, work out together whom they would like to speak to about it. Most importantly, persevere, even if it is just regularly popping your head in to your teen’s room to let them know you are available to them.

Finally, it is vital for parents to be the voice of reason in what can feel like an unreasonable time. Acknowledge that it may not be possible to fix an entire problem, but that there may be aspects of the situation that can improve. Remind students that they are not in this alone, that every student is in the same situation right now and that they have teachers and an entire school system working hard to create successful outcomes.

Encourage them to discuss concerns with their Head of Year.

Most importantly, remind students that this is a temporary situation. Acknowledge that while it can feel never-ending, students will get through it and go on to further study, work or whatever they were planning before the virus emerged, and that there are many people working to support them to do this.

Further information on dealing with stress for students will be available through the Counsellor’s Corner on the student Learn@Home Wellbeing page, and support is always available by emailing counselling@stcatherines.net.au.

Ms Amelia King School Counsellor

21

Y E A R 12 CO - C A P TA IN F I N A L A S S E M B LY S P E E C H E S 2 0 2 0

the last time we had a normal school day. I can’t remember our last game for GSV. I can’t remember our last assembly in the hall. I can’t even remember the last time we didn’t have to get our temperature checked walking into school.

However, as we sit here feeling as though we have been robbed of our lasts, and whilst yes we may have missed out on some, actually many of the experiences that somewhat make up Year 12, we redefined it. Boogying our way through formal and assembling a fairy bread production line may have contributed to what some would call a ‘normal Year 12’, however OUR normally abnormal final year turned into teams meetings and Blue Ribbon spirit time.

SOPHIE BOYCE Grey’s anatomy. If you know me, you know I am obsessed with it, to the point where I still remember an extremely irrelevant quote that literally went for two seconds. All the way back in season one, following Derek and Meredith’s first break up, Meredith says to Derek: “I can’t remember our last kiss.” Whilst I’m not here to chat about my love life with you, I’m having a bit of a Meredith moment. I can’t remember

Despite six years of high school turning in six months of lockdown, the Class of 2020 did get through this year, a totally unexpected year. No one before us or after us will ever understand what it was like to be a Year 12 in 2020. We walk into the world, stronger, more resilient than anyone before us. But seriously, what else did you expect from this mighty fine cohort of 82 girls. The legacy we leave behind is stronger than the impromptu dancing parties in the common room, some fun newspaper articles, shout out to Susie O’Brien if you’re listening, and the democracy which is the stc2020 Messenger group chat. St Catherine’s has provided us with the stepping stones to a future I am so beyond excited to see. However, we cannot segway into the beyond without first acknowledging the legends who got us through it.

Mrs Carroll and the leadership team, thank you for your continued guidance, always putting the girls of St Catherine’s above all else. Likewise to our teachers, from Prep to VCE. It was somewhat easy for us to sit at home feeling sorry for ourselves, however we will never know what it was like to teach to a class of School photos with cameras off and muted microphones. Your determination to still provide us with the best education this year is beyond admirable.

23

Many girls will sit here today and tell you about their dream career which was all inspired by one of you, the classes you taught and the life lessons you provided us.

I could not stand up here without celebrating our 2020 hero. The one and only James Brown. If someone were to ask me how to describe you, I would say you’re like our cool uncle: hilarious, unique, sometimes overprotective but always by our sides offering a lending hand. You deserve the world JB. We will never be able to thank you enough for what you have done this year. You’re our hero, role model and the leader of our pack, today and always.

As our classroom turned into the dining room table and our Co-curricular turned into endless board games, I could not stand up here without also acknowledging and thanking every family who has stood beside us this year, and for the past 13. To the Boyce clan in particular, whether you’re watching from home or sunny Brisvegas, thank you for your quirky ways of showing your unconditional love this year. You are and have always been my biggest fans and know that I am standing where I am today as a result of growing up with you three legends by my side.

I was actually lucky enough to gain a second sister this year, that is you Alex. I have never laughed so hard then I do with you. And this sounds a little bit like I’m proposing but I’m not sorry. You’re so beyond unique, in the best way possible, and I am so honoured to have shared this experience alongside you. We were gifted a different opportunity to those before us.

For better or for worse, we were able to use our 2020 VISION not to predict a pandemic but rather to lead through one.

On behalf of both of us, I know that Lucy and Cece will make us so proud next year. We leave St Catherine’s in the most capable hands possible, as you are both so deserving of this opportunity.

Now, I apologise that I did no not have any funny, highly personal, Year 7 anecdote to share with you. I do though have three and a half years of being a part of this extremely unique Blue Ribbon family. So, graduating Class of 2020, today, we run out the gates of Heyington Place one last time. It feels as though we have not even had a Year 12, that online school just did not cut it. However, our time has come to an end. As we put a full stop at the end of this chapter in our life, or for metaphorical sake, tie our last Blue Ribbon, we move on to bigger and better things. Your past 13 years of hard work, determination and resilience has not gone unnoticed. They say that you are a collective of your past experiences. This means the decision you have made for the past 13 years collectively make you who you are today, and just because things are a little different right now, does not mean those memories suddenly fade away.

The sheer power of this cohort made it their mission to make sure COVID-19 did not define us, and today I can confirm it hasn’t. We are and will always be individuals who excel at maths, rowing, debating, badminton, art, singing, horse riding, you name it, we do it. I am so thankful to be surrounded by such courageous girls, girls who will go on to do amazing things. The world is simply not ready for the St Catherine’s Class of 2020. So in the wise words of Meredith Grey: We feel a little bit robbed when our expectations aren’t met, but sometimes, our expectations sell us short.

Sometimes, the expected simply pales in comparison to the unexpected. The unexpected is what changes our lives.

Fun fact number one: I have a dog. His name is Bertie; Bert, Bertooshk, Bertooshkie, Tooshk, Tooshkies, schnooks, Flirt, Dirty Bert, Gert; you name it, he gets called it. Bert lives a very simple life, sleeping and walkies and eating and, most importantly, making sure everyone understands that I am his favourite. Sorry Pip, you can’t deny it. He’s a cavoodle, well, that’s what we were told. But we’ve always had our suspicions. His can’t run as fast as the other cavoodles we know … his legs are a bit too short for that, but he doesn’t seem to mind. Bert’s a glass-halffull kinda guy, he’s as chill and content and … unique as everyone aspires to be in life and if I’ve learnt anything this year, it’s that we all need to channel Bert more.

I would equate the way he gets excited when anyone comes to the door to the way we’re going to be excited when life goes back to normal … and real normal, not ‘COVID normal’. Walking through the door to our homes is something that seems trivial to us humans, just like having five friends over used to be. But it’s all about perspective, we don’t realise how lucky we are to have all that we have … until we don’t anymore. Everything is just … normal, until it’s not anymore. But different doesn’t necessarily mean bad, it just means exactly what we make of it.

ALEXANDRA SHERGOLD For those of you that don’t know me very well, my name is Alex, and I wanted to share some fun facts about myself with you today.

The reality is, we haven’t got to do all that the usual graduating class does, or any year level at that, but we’ve made the most out of what we got. Sometimes it is hard to remember all the things we did get to do this year when we get caught up thinking about what wasn’t quite in our reach, but, we got to have our formal (thank you for changing the

25

date Ms Van Der Poel. We’ve always known there was a method to your madness). We stayed at Trinity and got our Year 12 jumpers. We had a sneak peak of the common room kitchenette and the yummy cheese-crusted toastie makers.

We sat in the hall together for the first assembly, and then some more. We made fairy bread, ran out of sprinkles and sent some people into a fit when we proceeded to butter nonetheless and feed it to others; a true reflection of the functional year level we are. We had some class parties, and some year level ones – lest we forget Susie. The Year 12 group chat got fiery over the end of year song and then somehow died down again just when I grabbed out the popcorn. Somewhere along the lines everyone got a licence exemption – still not sure how an exemption works if everyone gets one – and got their Ps: I missed the memo there too.

Then we’ve had some covid-special moments. Spontaneous fancy take-away dinners, especially, of course, for the iso birthdays. And then there’s the extremely testing iso birthday videos which never turn out quite how you want them to, Mr Brown’s birthday renditions for every. Single. Year 12 birthday at home. (I’m sure that ended up being a lot more than you initially thought, so ... thank you for continuing with it.) The ever loved and cherished Blue Ribbon spirit time … maybe more so for the early school finish than the activities themselves.

The wonders of Microsoft Teams; that ringtone will forever haunt me. Han san, han san and more han san. Chats and meditation with regulars at Malvern Oval. Watching a movie from 2005 and catching yourself wondering where their masks are, and then proceeding to wonder what the world

has come to. A cold and a cough and a sneeze becoming a whole intense dramatic ordeal, and Dan’s love of lockdown.

And despite all of that, we’ve made it to this point, we’re still going strong. That in itself is a pretty good effort from everyone.

Fun fact number two: One of my favourite books used to be “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt”. From what I remember, the pages consisted of a family chanting: “we can’t go over it, we can’t go under it, we can’t go around it, we’ll have to go through it” when faced with a mud puddle or a sandstorm.

This might seem wholly boring to anyone older than four, but if you think about it, that quote is the perfect mantra for this year. Each of us together make up a family of bear hunters who throw themselves right through the thick of it.

There have not been any shortcuts or escape routes for us, just us and a pandemic, a worldwide sandstorm.

It goes without saying that none of us could have gotten through this year on our own, and there are so so many people to thank for supporting us and giving us a friendly little nudge here and there when we’ve most needed it. Mr Brown, thank you for being the most legendary, awesome, ripper head of year to ever walk this earth. You have gone above and beyond to keep morale up and help us make the most of this year. You’ve helped us make the bad good and the good better. Thank you for checking in on every single girl whenever you could, and making sure we feel like a year level no matter what. You are really and truly our 2020 hero, I think that in itself sums it all up.

Thank you as well to our Year 12 teachers for your endless support (even through the screen), and to all of our teachers throughout high school at that. Thank you to Mrs Carroll and the student leadership team. Thank you to parents and siblings and pets for putting up with us day in and day out, quite literally in iso, and being a shoulder to cry and rant on.

And to you Sophie Angelina Ballerina Boyce, the definition of ‘big things come in small packages’! Together we’re the organised and the … not-so-organised. The punctual and the …. not-so-punctual. I think people know who’s who. You’ve supported and motivated me and giggled and photo-shooted and brainstormed and danced with me and just … kept me together this whole year, and that’s no easy feat. We’ll forever be the ‘COVID’ captains, a legacy we didn’t quite picture leaving, but at least it’s something. I know you’ll go on to do big big things … but maybe not as momumental as the Co-captain Instagram account. Thank you for staying beside me always in this roller-coaster of a year.

And of course … to the Class of 2020, the best bear hunters out there, the girls who I have more or less grown up with, thank you for everything. And I mean it. The memories, not just from this year but all years, for sticking together in the best and the worst and weirdest times (i.e. 2020 …) and for helping make me who I am today. It’s funny to think that we make an effect on so many people without

ever knowing it, and so I just wanted to let you know that all of you, every single one of you, has made an impact on me, and most likely everyone else in this year level as well, some more than others maybe, and all in different ways, but nonetheless, we’re all now a big part of each other’s teenage-hood, and a big part in the making of the girls who are sitting here at this very moment.

Maybe high school hasn’t ended for us quite how we pictured or wanted, but at least we’ve shown ourselves that even when we’ve finished school, we’ll just pick up where we left off when we come back together again, for that first five-year reunion.

Honestly, if we can get through this year, we can do anything.

High school, as my grandpa says; ‘the best years of your life’; a bear hunt, if you will, that needs the best kind of people in the best kind of community to get you through in one piece, and if you’re lucky enough, even better than before. They say that the ‘the two hardest things in life are hello for the first time and goodbye for the last’. You don’t realise the truth to that until moments like these. Five years ago, shy little me did her best to say hello to you all for the first time, unaware that I would meet some of the best friends I’ll probably ever have from that day on, and now I’m doing my best to say goodbye. I’m not entirely sure where to start or to finish, but what I can say, with all of my heart, is that there’s no one else I would rather have gone on this bear hunt with than all of you.

27

Name: Ms Karen McArdle Title: Head of Junior School Date: 4 May 2020

JUNIOR SCHOOL NAPLAN SUCCESS BUILDS AC A DEM IC E XCEL L ENCE A N D R EPU TAT ION

Schools build reputations over time, and great schools, that have survived the test of time, build long standing reputations. It is every school’s goal to be known as a school with a reputation of excellence across a wide range of areas important to the development of the students they teach. Reputations can be built on great sporting achievements, wonderful music and art programs, pastoral care, academic results and many more.

A school’s academic reputation can generally be defined by the overall impression of excellence or quality created by a number of factors. These factors include the: qualifications, experience, dedication of its staff learning programs and how well they are delivered academic care of and personalised approach taken for each and every student facilities and resources to support learning ways in which it caters to a range of abilities, talents and interests, and drivers of best practice in teaching and learning.

Being a new leader in a school, it is always valuable to do an assessment on how the school compares academically to a range of schools in the district. It is much like a health

check – work out a healthy range or benchmark and then identify the areas we are doing well in and those where we need to develop further. One of the benchmarks that schools use to determine their academic standing against other schools in their district is NAPLAN results.

To work out how healthy we were, I examined a group of eight schools which included competitor schools, two state schools and one boys’ school with an excellent reputation. In this way, I was comparing Barbreck against some all girls’ schools, some co-educational schools and one all boys’ school. I felt that this would provide a realistic snapshot of how we compared academically.

Subsequently, I considered the scores that each of the selected schools achieved for each of the NAPLAN areas (Reading, Writing, Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation, and Numeracy) in both Years 3 and 5. Further, I ranked the schools from the highest score (1st place) to 9th place, and then added all placings for each school for each of the five NAPLAN areas. The school with the lowest total of rankings was then deemed as achieving the best result for the year.

29

In the 2019 NAPLAN, Barbreck girls achieved the best results against the other eight schools in both Years 3 and 5.

(DIAGRAM BELOW)

These results are excellent and are reflective of the hard work of the wonderful Barbreck staff. Congratulations go to both the students and their teachers. A fabulous achievement!

Year 3

Year 5

3rd

527

542

571

547

9

1st

1st

3rd

3rd

4th

4th

Overall Rankings

1st

575

Sum of Placings

2nd

Numeracy

2nd

Grammar

1st

Spelling

Numeracy 478

Writing

Grammar 546

Reading

Spelling 466

Overall Rankings

Writing 477

Sum of Placings

Reading 516

14

1st

As a result of our wonderful NAPLAN results and the high scoring individual results of students in ACER Progressive Assessment Testing (another Benchmark test), we introduced English and Mathematics Extension Programs across the Junior School. Our aim is for each girl to have the opportunity to achieve her best, to pursue her interests and talents, and to feel success.

While Barbreck is a small school, it has much to offer and our reputation is growing. We have a reputation for superb pastoral care and a fabulous Music program.

Over the past two few years, we have consistently

achieved well with our Swimming program, being awarded the Population Trophy twice. We are the National Champions for Junior School Snow Sports, and now we are building a reputation as a leader for academic excellence.

Despite the mode of delivery, the numeracy and literacy programs don’t change and with the willingness of our staff, girls will progress this term in their academic pursuits. I look forward to sharing this further in planned online forums about how this improvement was achieved last year.

Ms Karen McArdle Head of Junior School

31

Name: Ms Sarah Bethune Title: Head of Early Learning Centre Date: 11 May 2020

I NSPI R I NG L E A R N I NG SPAC E S FOR YOUNG CHILDREN

At the heart of St Catherine’s Early Learning Centre (ELC) philosophy is an acknowledgment of the importance that the physical environment plays in a child’s learning and development. Contemporary theories and research informed by the Reggio Emilia approach recognise and value the environment as the ‘third teacher’ and it is seen as an integral element of the learning process.

As the learning spaces have the potential to influence what and how children learn, these spaces support and promote wonder, curiosity, inquiry and research. Authentic artefacts, cultural provocations, and interesting items from the natural world are used extensively throughout the learning environments. They provide both a rich visual stimulus to prompt children’s wonder and questioning, as well as opportunities for hands-on, sensory discovery.

Active participation in the learning environment develops a child’s understanding of concepts, and expands their thinking and inquiry processes. These skills are necessary for lifelong learning. “Children can challenge and extend their own thinking, and that of others, and create new knowledge through collaborative interactions and negotiations.” ACECQA, National Quality Framework, Quality Area 3, 2018 The concept of belonging is linked to a child’s sense of identity, and the physical environment contributes significantly to both identity and belonging. Factors such as the children’s lives, cultural backgrounds and their needs are reflected considerately in the learning spaces through the materials, resources and decorations that are used. This provides a feeling of ‘homeliness’ and leads to a sense of comfort, security and belonging.

The learning environment is inclusive and accessible to all.

Much thought is put into the planning and design of the learning spaces to foster interaction, encourage communication and support relationships. Areas for small

group projects, social interactions and conversation are built into the learning environment. “We place enormous value on the role of the environment as a motivating and animating force in creating spaces for relations, options and emotional and cognitive situations that produce a sense of wellbeing and security.” Loris Malaguzzi, Reggio Emilia Learning spaces are designed to promote each child’s sense of agency where they can be active contributors to and have an influence in their world. Children are invited to contribute resources and items of interest to the classroom environment and engage in discussions regarding changes or modifications to the environment. Experiences and materials are open-ended and offer flexibility. In this way, the environment promotes decision making and choice and demonstrates respect for the children’s emerging skills, competencies and independence. The children are encouraged to take ownership of and responsibility for the learning environment as part of the community.

The concept of beauty is reflected in the learning environment to support self-discovery, exploration and collaboration. As the environment is designed in a calm, well organised and aesthetically beautiful manner, elements such as light, colour, sound and motion are considered. “Being surrounded by these elements can spark children’s imagination, focus their attention and calm their spirits.” Curtis & Carter, 2003.

Our recently refurbished ELC learning spaces were designed with these elements in mind. As a result the spaces are an incredibly calm, light filled, wonderous environment for our young learners to actively play, learn, investigate and discover.

The role that an inspired learning environment plays in a child’s learning, development and wellbeing cannot be underestimated.

Ms Sarah Bethune Head of Early Learning Centre

33

Name: Mr John Toulantas Title: Director of ICT Date: 15 May 2020

IN CHAOS WE REIGN

Perhaps this title is somewhat melodramatic and even a suggestion of self-indulgence, but if we have learnt anything in this crises or pandemic or whatever we label this virus (and I won’t be quoting Trump), it is that technology and those of us who lead it, manage it and use it are suddenly the unsung heroes and needed more than ever.

of a cupboard (away from human sight) did serve a purpose after all. A very significant cog in a complex set of gears and pulleys that keeps the wheel of our organisation turning – steadily, readily and reliably. Perhaps the money we asked the finance managers to invest now in ‘cloud technology’ and ‘hybrids’ and ‘infrastructure as a service’ is paying off.

Under those geeky looking Clark Kent glasses and side parted hairstyle is the superman bursting through the clouds to save the world from Chaos (or at the very least the ability to login from home). And, not just bursting through any cloud, but these days it is actually The Cloud!

Is this a ‘I told you so’ moment? All the convincing and critical planning, business strategies, deployment, procurement and the endless days upon days of staff training has prepared us better than most for this exact situation. I reflect now, having to write reports every month about business continuity for those School Council papers. What better way to report the continuation of our business, our delivery of education than watching first hand all our students learning from home and all our staff, both teaching and non-teaching working remotely?

And not only working but actually thriving in this space.

In the swoop of a few short weeks, technology and IT departments have taken centre stage. Everything, and I mean everything has to be delivered through digital mediums. Our peaceful ballroom dance has been injected with jazz, tap, ballet and hip-hop all within a matter of days. IT departments are expected to know it all – from OneDrive sync issues to video recording and production – I mean it’s technology, right?

“What do you mean you don’t know how to make our Mother’s Day lunch go online with musical performances, live presentations, digital lunch tables, fireworks and an interactive gratitude video? How can this be – you’re the IT guy aren’t you?”

Fortunately, we could do it and we did. With a little help from Google and some sleepless late nights.

I still recall the early network management era convincing the School Executive that overseeing those ‘flashing lights’ and ‘spinning disks’ in our make-shift ‘data-centre’ in the back

The fact is, as an organisation we haven’t skipped a beat.

If anything, turning our lives upside down and shaking us up like a martini (shaken not stirred) has reinvigorated and opened our minds to see so much more potential with the use of technology. This crisis has forced our hand to do things we wouldn’t normally do in our everyday working lives. Why haven’t we had a staff meeting online before reaching out and engaging everyone who can’t be in the same room at the exact same time? Why haven’t we imported worksheets into OneNote and annotated and collaborated in real-time? Why haven’t we ‘live streamed’ an assembly to students on an exchange or who are interstate or overseas? Why aren’t we using a drone for virtual open mornings to potential families that can’t make it on the day?

Why can’t I wear blue jeans and a tee-shirt every day?

35

I am not suggesting that remote learning can and should replace face-to-face class time and personal engagement with students, but I do believe that the lessons we have learnt and the possibilities we thought were pie-in-thesky stuff will become a normal reality after this crisis, and leading inevitably into the next one. If I had the opportunity when I was younger to do my job effectively whilst being home more often to watch my young children grow I would snap up that opportunity. Don’t let this possibility escape you. For many this crisis has realigned our thinking to appreciate what really is important in life. So, there it is. Now your IT people are philosophers as well.

I must say I’m proud of my team as I watch them go about their day helping and assisting the School community with their technical needs. The need for support has increased 10-fold during this time but their attitudes, commitment and desire to provide support has never wavered. I’m grateful that they are received with kindness and appreciation as they are welcomed into homes via computer screens and digital devices alike. Not everything runs seamlessly. If they did we wouldn’t have a job. But sometimes the simplest of problems can cause a major roadblock and as corny as it sounds, a smile and gratitude when we fix it does make it all worthwhile.

Oh, and by the way, there’s a reason why we ask you to reboot your computer – fixes 90% of problems (just saying).

I’m also proud of our staff who have adapted to such substantial changes. It speaks volumes about our culture and leadership. I said earlier that we were prepared better than most but it still requires people to find new ways of doing things, an open mind to be curious and be creative like never before. We ask this of our students, our own children even but how many grownups follow their own advice? I’m thankful the staff have dealt with every challenge I have thrown their way head on. Teachers have had to create virtual classrooms, absent of markers and whiteboards and workbooks – all essential resources. Classroom management has transformed from ‘listen please’, ‘eyes up’ and ‘quiet girls’ to ‘stop muting’, ‘blur your background’ and ‘turn your camera on’. We placed very high expectations on teachers, testing their resilience and comfort zones.

If the IT guy is superman then teachers are the batmen, the spidermen and wonder women of education.

Daniel Andrews has finally given us light at the end of this digital tunnel. We will breathe life back into the corridors and classrooms of our School by the end of the month.

It is almost time to dust off computer labs, turn on the classroom flat screen panels, fire up the Vivi’s and Wi-Fi and program the digital school bell in readiness for Period one. Clark Kent will soon don his full framed glasses, button up his shirt over the bright red ‘S’ and await incognito for the next chaos and once again begin his reign.

Mr John Toulantas Director of ICT

37

Name: Mrs Angela Klancic Title: Head of Mathematics Date: 9 June 2020

I NSPIR I NG I N DEPEN DEN T M AT HEM AT ICS L E A R N E R S T O E X P L O R E P R O B L E M S O LV I N G

There is much conversation and debate about the best way to teach Mathematics in the classroom. We know that a supportive learning environment encourages exploration, and this assists in creating an engaged student who is open to challenge and adopting new ideas. We, as educators, try to inspire through modelling, in the hope that this helps build a resilient, agile and independent learner who embraces risk-taking in their quest for learning and one who most importantly, enjoys Mathematics.

Providing St Catherine’s students with a rich curriculum full of opportunity and focus points for discussion is of paramount importance. This produces moments for discovery, for logical thought, reflection and justification. It is with this, that we engage students in activities that demand them to think, to ‘read between the lines’ just as Charles Dickens intends for us when studying his famous text Great Expectations. At St Catherine’s our students readily engage in problem solving.

This problem solving allows students to ‘read between the lines’ so to speak, giving them mathematical situations where they may be faced with struggle, faced with opened-ended questions and faced with challenge.

Procedural fluency, that is, following and applying the fundamental rules of Mathematics is important but not the only measure when assessing competency and mathematical proficiency in our students.

Leading US Mathematician, Dr Dan Finkel believes that great teaching invites mathematical thinking at every opportunity, even outside the classroom. This provides a fertile ground for developing confidence, flexibility in skills and conceptual understanding but above all else, this also allows students to have fun with Mathematics.

Finkel encourages us to consider the following points both at home and in the classroom.

Play with Maths This allows students to explore and develop perspective, enabling them to look at problems through a mathematical lens.

Ask lots of questions rather than only expecting answers in Maths This values the mathematical process, more than the solution.

Encourage exploration by creating space for conversation and debate This accepts and values ideas. It also allows students to formulate concepts for themselves.

Encourage mathematical risk-taking A student begins to accept that they may experience some set-backs in the learning process but ultimately through perseverance success awaits and innovation is the welcome product.

Most importantly, Finkel encourages us to use every single opportunity to celebrate Mathematics in all its glory, as it allows us to explore and explain our world both physically and numerically. Sometimes, we do this by looking for patterns, at other times, by looking for relationships between structures and quantities. From the beginning of time, we humans have an innate need to quantify what we see and experience. Asking our students to apply logical and mathematical reasoning to a number of different problems brings them one step closer to learning more about our world.

We hope that our students walk away from their school experience yearning for more mathematical challenge.

Mrs Angela Klancic Head of Mathematics

39

Name: Miss Kristy Forrest Title: English Teacher Date: 17 June 2020

LEARNING IN LOCKDOWN – TEACHERS AS DESIGNERS

As educators in Australia return to face-to-face teaching, and schools around the world grapple with new ways of working to provide continuing support to students during the pandemic restrictions, readers have been getting in touch to tell us what’s been happening in their own context. This week, Teacher is sharing some of those stories. In this first instalment, Kristy Forrest – a senior English and Philosophy teacher and instructional coach at St Catherine’s School in Melbourne – discusses how colleagues tackled the design challenges of delivering Geography and PE to students at home.

‘Teachers are designers’. The truth of the simple opening sentence of Wiggin and McTighe’s seminal text Understanding

by Design (2005) has never been more apparent than during the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to remote learning.

As noted in their text, the requirement for teachers to craft learning experiences is a mode of thinking analogous to engineering, architecture and graphic design. Design cognition is crucial to teacher expertise, and requires a precise understanding of desired outcomes (as intellectual standards), as well as the ability to construct the means of achieving these standards. Teachers with highly developed design cognition are not just able to construct numerous pathways to a desired outcome, but to recognise opportunities for alternative outcomes as part of the learning experience.

In our school context, the design-thinking of teachers allowed for ‘learning’ (but not school as per normal) to continue during the pandemic.

DESIGNING UNDER COVID-19 CONDITIONS The rapid shift in conditions for learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic is what is referred to in design thinking as a ‘design challenge’. It requires the harnessing of several cognitive skills: analysis and evaluation of the problem, the proposition and clarification of a solution, followed by the evaluation and justification of the proposed solution (Grubbs, 2019). This type of thinking is best practised collaboratively, in recognition of the value of collective cognitive application when solving problems (Ellerton, 2020).

The design-challenge of COVID-19 was multifaceted.

It was not simply shifting rapidly to online learning platforms, but negotiating further limitations such as access to technology, ICT proficiency as well as physical restrictions of a lockdown and quarantine.

In addition, the boundaries of the challenge were different for experiential learning. While the academic subjects lend themselves to the remote learning format, in that students can access content online (in written and video form) and then work with the remote guidance of the teacher through a deeper understanding of that content, experiential subjects are severely impacted by a lack of access to learning spaces. If students cannot leave their homes and access the spaces where their hand-on learning experiences take place, then how does the learning happen?

41

CASE STUDIES: ON-SITE CULTURAL LEARNING AND PE My Geography and Physical Education colleagues at St Catherine’s School were faced with this issue at the end of Term 1 after they no longer had access to crucial physical sites for learning. In the case of Geography, the Year 8 trip to Central Australia (with its focus on geographic formations, ecological systems and Indigenous culture) was postponed, while the PE teachers had to operate without access to their conventional learning spaces and equipment.

YEAR 8 GEOGRAPHY INQUIRY ONLINE TASK Design challenge Develop appreciation of geographic and cultural challenges for Uluru without access to on-site experiences and local Indigenous expertise. While a remote learning task could not seek to replace the qualitative experience of visiting Central Australia, it did provide an opportunity for students to use alternative means to achieve the geographical knowledge and cultural appreciation that was the learning intention of the Year 8 camp.

Online solution Our team of Geography teachers worked together to re-design their core assessment so that the students could work collaboratively in an online environment, using Microsoft Teams and Schoolbox. Created as an inquiry research task, the teachers designed backwards from the

‘big question’ that would also normally frame the learning before and during the camp: What are the challenges facing Uluru both geographically and culturally?

Harnessing the opportunity of remote learning to enable student collaboration, peer to peer teaching and multiple digital formats for organising and presenting information, the assessment was broken into two parts. Part A, where students completed two research tasks as groups (a presentation and a teaching tool) and Part B, where students constructed notes from the presentations of their peers, before using these notes as the basis for writing an essay in response to the big question.

In Part A, students undertook a research role, in addition to a second specific role as project manager, editor, visual designer or problem solver. The equal division of research meant that students could work collaboratively to reach a mutual understanding on content, while the specified role allowed them to work to their specific strengths and technical capacities.

By constructing Part A in this manner, the Geography team were able to achieve the desired outcomes, and their alternative outcome, which was greater student collaboration and independence, as well as the development of ICT skills through the creation of digital materials.

The inquiry process was conducted online over a threeweek period in which teachers were able to assess the students using an online rubric at each stage.

YEAR 7-10 PE LEARNING AT HOME PROGRAM Design challenge Faced with the situation of having no access to sporting facilities for several weeks, in addition to new circumstances where students would be restricted in their capacity to exercise (plus remaining sedentary for more hours of the day) the PE staff saw quarantine as an opportunity to construct a sustained assessment task that enabled them to offer a more differentiated and individualised experience than would be possible in normal classes.

Online solution Understanding new physical limitations on student lives, the teachers designed their unit around a core learning intention: To develop and implement strategies that assist you to achieve Australia’s 24-Hour Movement Guidelines.

• Using the parameters in the guidelines as their basis, students were then tasked with: • Developing a seven-minute muscle and bone strengthening workout.

• Developing a 20-minute aerobic workout targeting a particular area of interest.

• Completing a reflective journal of physical activity levels, including explanation of design choices for their programs, justification for their aims of the session with clear links to curriculum.

The classes conducted online were a mix of theory, student practice and reflective writing. The theoretical element was conveyed via online content and teacher instruction, whilst the practical element was student led. Teachers were able to access student writing and thinking through OneNote. Final assessments of the journals and fitness course design were conducted online, using a rubric.

Over the course of several weeks, the PE staff met online to track the progress of each student (and year level) and were able to make changes as necessary. The technology enabled a more individualised approach, and the opportunity for students to integrate theory with practice. Additionally, by redesigning a program in response to the student’s immediate conditions, the task served to meet the alternative outcomes of assisting students to care for themselves physically during quarantine.

Miss Kristy Forrest English Teacher Reference Ellerton, P. (2020) Teaching for thinking: a pedagogical schema.

Grubbs, M. E. (2019). Design Cognition: Strategies for Teachers in Practice. In P. Williams & D. Barlex (Eds.), Explorations in Technology Education Research (pp. 193-207). Springer, Singapore.

Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005) Understanding by Design. ASCD This article first appeared in Teacher, published by ACER. Reproduced with kind permission. Visit www.teachermagazine.com.au for more.

43

Name: Mrs Ceri Lloyd Title: Head of English & EAL Date: 14 August 2020

THE SECRET OF GETTING AHEAD IS GET T ING STA RT ED

American writer Mark Twain commented: “The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and starting on the first one.”

This quote resonates with me as we embarked on our VCE online journey. The challenges of this year are well documented, and our goal has always been to support our girls in every possible way in a changed landscape. From the beginning, we were responsive and proactive. The VCE English teachers at St Catherine’s moved forward in leaps and bounds as we rewrote and reviewed our curriculum in Units 1 to 4 English, a task that we all took on with purpose and drive.

However, the central question we had was; ‘How will we run our SACs? How can we deliver this assessment online? While many schools rescheduled and delayed these assessments for later in the year, I was determined to find a way to ‘break down this complex overwhelming task’ and find a way forward, and we did.

The Year 12 team took on the epic task of delivering our English SACs online in Term 2. This came after weeks of consultation on the logistics, the technology, the authenticity of the task and making sure every student was comfortable

with this online approach. We tested our approach by running a Practice SAC first which allowed us to review all aspects of this assessment prior to proceeding with the SAC itself. The goal was to ensure equity for all students and an authentic assessment, which we achieved. One student commented, “It went better than I thought it would! It was pretty much the same as to how it would run in class.”

Many schools chose to delay their English SACs moving them into Term 3, a choice I was not prepared to make due to the constant unknown of this VCE year.

It was a decision that paid off as we are now faced with another Term of online for our Year 12 students. This Faculty and our VCE English teachers are confident and well equipped to complete our final SACs online.

We moved ahead and took a risk, a risk that was well planned and implemented. Why? Because at St Catherine’s we will always work to deliver the very best for our students, and in this uncontrollable year we are living through, it is so important to demonstrate that a willingness to take risks is the path to success. Every person engaged in this journey can be very proud with what we are achieving.

Mrs Ceri Lloyd Head of English & EAL

45

Name: Mrs Angela Klancic Title: Head of Mathematics Date: 20 August 2020

S O F YA KO VA L E V S K AYA – A W O M A N P I O N E E R

The name Sofya Kovalevskaya is not one that rolls off the tongue nor one that comes to mind when we look back at women whose stories inspire us. Despite adversity and discrimination from the scholars of her time, Kovalevskaya was eventually recognised for her talent and her pioneering work, and appointed as a professor in Mathematics at the University of Stockholm – the first woman to do so. Her work mainly focussed on the theory of differential equations which led to what is now known as the Cauchy-Kovalevsky theorem for analytic partial differential equations. Kovalevskaya was also a prolific writer and an advocate for women’s rights in the 1800s.

Sofya Krukovsky Kovalevskaya was born in 1850 into an affluent, noble Russian family. Also known as Sonya, she was interested in mathematics from a very young age. She was educated by tutors and governesses at her family estate. Her uncle, Pyotr Krokovsky is credited as being her first mentor and one that fed her curiosity. He relished in the opportunity to discuss many concepts and abstractions with her. Those that would meet Kovalevskaya were impressed with her innate capabilities and her passion for mathematics – it is said that as a young girl she asked her father to paper her bedroom walls with pages of lecture notes on differential and integral calculus!

It soon became apparent to those around Kovalevskaya that she had exhausted all learning avenues at home and that she needed to travel abroad to nurture her talent. Women in 1869 were not to travel out of Russia without being accompanied by a husband or their father. Kovalevskaya’s ambition was to study mathematics and natural sciences in Germany, so she soon entered a marriage of convenience at the age of eighteen with Vladamir Kovalevsky, a young palaeontology student. She and Vladamir moved to Germany in 1869.

Upon arrival, Kovalevskaya was politely informed that she would not be enrolled in courses as University was not a place for young women. Eventually, through great persistence and many requests to the University’s authorities, Kovalevskaya was permitted to attend lectures and seminars in physics and mathematics. Under the watchful eye of Karl Weierstrass, a great mathematician of the time, and the first to truly take her seriously, Kovalevskaya produced three papers in the hopes of being awarded a degree. The first of these, “On the Theory of Partial Differential Equations” was published in Crelle’s journal, a significant honour for an unknown mathematician. The other two publications discussed the dynamics of Saturn’s rings and elliptical integrals.

47

With the support of Weierstrass, Kovalevskaya was granted a Ph.D in 1874 from the University of Gottingen. Despite her brilliance and her qualifications, Kovalevskaya struggled to gain the attention and the respect of other mathematicians and would not be considered in academia; her gender and age were major handicaps. Teaching arithmetic to elementary school girls was the only employment she could secure.

Disillusioned and depressed, Kovalevskaya and her husband returned to Russia. She abandoned her mathematical work for six years, and instead devoted her time to writing fiction, theatre reviews and science articles. In this time, the couple had a daughter and ventured into small business.

In 1880, Vladamir passed. Overcome by grief and financial desperation, Kovalevskaya fell back into the arms of her first love, mathematics. Her new discussion paper on Abelian integrals drew great praise and attention. In 1883, a former acquaintance convinced her to make a submission for a position to lecture at the University of Stockholm. This temporary appointment grew into greater recognition of her brilliance. Within no time, Kovalevskaya was elevated to the position of full professor in mathematics at the University of Stockholm. In addition to this recognition of her talent, Kovalevskaya was enlisted as the editor of Acta Mathematica and appointed the Chair of Mechanics at the University. Showing intellectual dexterity, she also cowrote the aptly named play The Struggle for Happiness.

In 1888, after years of struggling to gain the attention of many, her most important work on “The Rotation of a Solid Body about a Fixed Point” received acknowledgement.

Prior to Kovalevskaya’s publication, the only solutions for motion of a rigid body about a fixed point had only discussed cases where the body in question was symmetric.

However, Kovalevskaya’s work addressed and discussed the implications for a fixed unsymmetrical body. This work, and subsequent periodicals were ground-breaking.

This prompted new discussion amongst her colleagues and provided the impetus for future discoveries. In 1889, Kovalevskaya finally received credit for her extraordinary work in her own country by being elected as a corresponding member of the Imperial Academy of Sciences. Interestingly, the rules for election to this position were amended to allow women to these positions following her appointment.

In 1891, Sofya Kovalevskaya succumbed to illness and died at the age of 41. Kovalevskaya was a courageous and tenacious mathematician who overcame prejudice amongst academic circles. Her pioneering work in an almost exclusively maledominated field was eventually recognised and acclaimed.

Perhaps her greatest legacy, however, is her lasting influence in Mathematics and the Sciences. This story also serves to show us that women do have a place in STEM. Mrs Angela Klancic Head of Mathematics

49

Name: Mrs Michelle Carroll Title: Principal Date: 7 September 2020

T H E VA L U E O F T H E H U M A N I T I E S P R O G R A M S

Recently in the Senior School, we recognised the value of the Humanities programs offered at St Catherine’s and despite not being able to host the numerous events onsite, our Assembly on Wednesday afternoon was an exceptional compilation of the curriculum aspects of our Humanities.

The VCE Humanities at St Catherine’s has always offered a strong and rigorous academic program and with the increasing interest of our graduates to study Economics, International Relations, Politics and Philosophy at universities such as Australian National University (ANU) it is often enthusiastically pursued by our students.

Seven of our current Year 12 students have received ‘Early Offers’ of study at the ANU in 2021, guaranteeing the girls a secured place in their preferred course and residential accommodation upon completion of their VCE this year. This is a wonderful achievement for the girls and provides a degree of confidence about their destination next year, particularly in light of the disruptions throughout 2020. It is also a reflection of the passion for Humanities instilled in students at St Catherine’s School.

Eve Rayner (’19) shares her experience.

“After having a VCE program that was entirely Humanities and Arts based, it only made sense to continue my passion at university level. At the moment I am studying a double degree of Law and Art History at ANU, with my courses built around the ability to analyse, write, and of course read a lot of information. All of these skills were established throughout my undertaking of Humanities subjects throughout school and especially VCE. ANU really encourages their Humanities students to extend themselves and thrive and I love studying here.”

At the recent VCE Parent Webinars for 2021 Subject Selection, I reflected with some apprehension and a level of curiosity of the changes occurring in the tertiary sector; most notably the financial implications brought about by COVID-19 and, more interestingly, the Australian government’s recent announcement pertaining to prospective university students planning to take subjects in the Humanities, Social Sciences and Law. As such, to enrol in courses like History and Philosophy, students would have to pay more than their peers studying the sciences, maths or healthcare. In the case of History, for example, the government proposed that course fees would rise by 113%. The cost of many Science-related courses would fall by 20%, with the biggest drop visible in Mathematics and Agriculture – where fees would drop by 62%.

Announced under the guise of ensuring ‘Job Ready Graduates’, the proposal stirred debate about what courses were seen as more or less vital to the Australian economy and highlighted the tensions around the role of universities; should they be a place of learning or of vocational training?

It remains to be seen if price will drive course selection across the Australian market. A survey conducted by The University of Melbourne investigated the experiences of first-year students between 1994 and 2014. When students were asked their main reason for enrolling, intrinsic interest in their subject consistently ranked highest, ahead of improving job prospects. In 1994, 94% considered interest in their field as an important reason to study, a figure that went up to 96% in 2014.

51

Understandably, the government wants to fund ‘practical outcomes’ such as helping people secure future employment.

However, as suggested by Dr Simon Longstaff AO FCPA, Executive Director at the Ethics Centre, “there is something deeply irrational about turning one’s back on forms of education and endeavour that emphatically shape the world – but at a pace and by means we cannot easily measure.”

As a well-regarded guest of St Catherine’s in recent years, Dr Longstaff maintains the view that we “underestimate the value of things like philosophy when assessed over the long term”.

Dr Longstaff argues that with the benefit of hindsight, the impact of such philosophers would have been difficult to demonstrate the ‘practical outcomes’ currently sought by the government. Undoubtedly, the benefit of studying both the Humanities and in STEM fields is sound. To achieve a thriving economy and well-functioning society, we need both STEM literate citizens and those well versed in the Humanities. It could be argued that a graduating-student should not have to choose between vocational training, a liberal education, or a STEM education at the expense of the Humanities.

“Nearly every branch of knowledge that we draw on today including science, mathematics, economics, medicine and psychology were thought into existence by philosophers.

People motivated by nothing more than a love of wisdom (philo-sophia) have changed the world. The original concept of the atom came from Democritus. Pythagoras brought us the role of constants in mathematics. The classification of species began from Aristotle. Thomas Hobbes ideated the modern nation state. Adam Smith brought us the free market and Peter Singer animal rights.”

A selection of strong and rigorous academic programs available as equally as possible provides opportunities for students to pursue their interests as much as possible, and create a path forward to what they love and enjoy.

How or if these government decisions will impact our students in the future, and society in general, is unclear.

Mrs Michelle Carroll Principal

53

Name: Mrs Michelle Carroll Title: Principal Date: 15 September 2020

T HE ESSEN T I A L EL EM EN T OF EDUC AT ION

An essential element of education is to prepare and transition students successfully to the next round of their journey, for most graduates, tertiary study and then beyond, to the world of work. Needless to say, a life beyond school is rapidly changing in its structure and formation and one could only suggest the current flexible online and offline approach will endure well beyond this COVID-19 phase.

Changes that many of us predicted would happen over decades are instead taking place in the span of weeks.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, an estimated 2.7 billion people, or more than four out of five workers in the global workforce, have been affected by lockdown and stay-at-home measures. Most organisations’ first priority this year has been a crisis management response as well as emphasising health, safety, essential service and the virtualisation of work and education. Now, as we look to 2021, organisations must begin to emerge and shape their ‘new normal’. Undoubtedly, this will not simply be a return to the old ways of doing business. What has been created is an imperative and an opportunity to reinvent workplaces.

In preparing young people for a changing workforce, schools too must accommodate, balance and embrace these changes to enable the potential of their students and long-term success. It is anticipated that many global organisations will engage in a hybrid model in which people will work remotely much of the time yet come together with team members for specific functions.

The views on how schools need to emerge from the COVID-19 crisis are certainly divergent and capture the demands of new workplace environments, yet acknowledge the very essence of character formation and the transformation of young people at schools. Indeed, we need to guide young people in our care to connect with genuine meaning that empowers them to live a life of purpose.

Andreas Schleicher, OECD was quick off the mark back in April, urging education leaders to use the momentum created by the COVID-19 pandemic to “rethink what and how students should learn to prepare for the needs of an interconnected 21st century”.

“You’re going to have a lot of young people who have experienced different forms of learning in this crisis, learning that was more fun, more empowering,” he said. “They will go back to their teachers and say: can we do things differently?”

The pandemic has also thrown the spotlight on the benefit of schools as public institutions. Glen Savage, Education Policy Lecturer at the University of Western Australia, highlights the critical role schools play in the socialisation of young people and this remains an ongoing theme of discussion for educators.

“Some people talk about not needing a traditional classroom any more. I think that’s rubbish,” he says.

“If anything, COVID has taught us that schools provide much more than a young person’s learning program… they’re where future citizens are created”.

55

Schools are about people, relationships and community.

While online has its advantages and teaching and learning can take place effectively, we cannot replace the physical experience of school. As we enter the final week of Term 3, students are repeatedly telling us they “miss their friends and teachers” yet they have competently demonstrated that they can successfully engage with independent learning, within some boundaries and structures suitable for their age.

The experiences of the St Catherine’s Learn@Home program have been resoundingly positive, albeit the duration for some is now questionable and we look forward to their return next term. The girls have demonstrated remarkable and sustained enthusiasm for a more flexible mode of teaching and learning. Our senior students are, today, asking

for greater independence and options for their learning going forward. There are elements that the girls identify as immensely helpful for their learning; for example, being able to control the pace of learning when teachers pre-film segments in VCE subjects that can be replayed to check for understanding or revision purposes. We look forward to exploring these options further with students, teachers and parents with the aim of capturing the very best aspects of the Learn@Home program by tailoring curriculums and classrooms environments to optimise the opportunity exposed, and embraced, this year by a global pandemic.

Mrs Michelle Carroll Principal

57

Name: Ms Karen McArdle Title: Head of Junior School Date: 30 September 2020

GOOD GIRL SYNDROME I N CO -EDUC AT IONA L CL A SSES

One of the recurring comments made to me from parents after their daughter has been at the School for a few weeks is that she has come out of her shell, is more confident and is loving the work. The common sources of these comments come from parents whose daughters have been in co-educational classes prior to starting at St Catherine’s, a girls’ only school.

Having worked in a number of schools across both private and government sectors, including both single sex and co-educational settings, I have come to the belief that good girls in co-educational settings suffer from what I call the ‘Good Girl Syndrome’.

The syndrome affects good girls who are well behaved, are diligent with their work, can work without support, and work well independently. While it doesn’t look like this is a problem, it most certainly is.

In the classroom, these girls are often overlooked by the demands of other students with behavioural issues, boisterous personalities or learning difficulties. In the course of a lesson, very little time is provided to these girls.

They are doing the work, not making a fuss, and receiving mostly correct work; they are not indicative of needing the teacher’s time or support. In fact, the time and attention they do get is from the teacher rewarding their positive qualities.

Good girls are compliant, want to please and work hard for teacher praise, thus perpetuating and repeating the cycle.

In essence, good girls reinforce the syndrome themselves.

In addition to the fact that good girls would not be rewarded for wanting more attention, Sadker, Sadker and Zittleman (2009) in their book, Still Failing at Fairness: How Gender Bias Cheats Girls and boys in School and What We Can Do About It, state that “starting in grade school, teachers engaged less frequently with female students, asking them fewer questions, while at the same time providing males with more feedback.” This results in girls not obtaining an equal share of attention and, because of their nature and the need for acceptance and reward for good behaviour, good girls have minimal opportunities for changing the dynamics to gain the attention they need in a co-educational class.

The level of attention girls receive in co-educational classes is further exacerbated when disruptive behaviour is a factor within the classroom. The Grattan Institute Report, Engaging Students: Creating classrooms that improve learning, states “there appears to be a tipping point at which the level of disruptive behaviour starts to seriously reduce teaching time. In Australian classes with less than 10 per cent of students with behaviour problems, teachers spend about 10 per cent of class time keeping order. This is on par with the average rate across other countries. However, Australian teachers with more than 10 per cent of students misbehaving spend nearly a quarter of the lesson keeping order (Goss and Stonnemann, 2017).” In classes where behaviour issues are evident, girls are even more disadvantaged, both by reduced teacher attention due to gender bias and by reduced teaching time due to disruptive behaviour.

59

It is challenging for a girl to compete with boys for attention and even harder to shed the good girl behaviour to demand more attention, want more time from the teacher, ask to be challenged, request others to behave or to demand to have a voice in the classroom. The nature of good girls is to be compliant and seek praise from the teacher, not to rock the boat. When there is an imbalance between the number of boys and the number of girls in the class, the syndrome increases in severity; the more boys, the less attention they receive and, if behaviour issues are present, the less teaching time there is.

To explore further, the question is really about, what could happen if good girls received the same time and support as the rest of the class? Could their learning make greater progress? Could they achieve more? Could they become more confident when not competing for time with the teacher or voice within the classroom? Could they learn more if there was more teaching time in a lesson?

When girls attend an all girls’ school, they find themselves in a learning environment “that empowers students to learn” stated Robert Kennedy, an Education Expert, in his article ‘The Benefits of Attending Girls’ Schools’.

“Fitzsimmons, Yates & Callan (2018, p. 54) found that girls educated in single-sex schools are equally as selfconfident as boys educated at single-sex schools.”

(Alliance of Girls’ School Australasia). This demonstrates that when girls transfer to a girls’ school they confidently discover their voice, at least equal to the level of boys, against which they competed in co-educational classes.

Given their voice, in an all girls’ learning environment where there is a ‘culture of achievement’ (NCGS Blog April, 2016), self-belief and confidence thrives. They engage more with their learning, they accept challenges, they become excited about the possibilities learning brings and they emerge out of their shell, like so many parents have said ‘I’ve found my daughter again!”

Ms Karen McArdle Head of Junior School References Alliance of Girls’ School Australasia, Research shows girls benefit from single-sex environments. Viewed 16 September 2020, https://www.agsa.org.au/why-a-girlsschool-the-research/research-shows-girls-benefit-from-single-sex-environments/ Goss, P., Sonnemann, J., and Griffiths, K. (2017). Engaging students: creating classrooms that improve learning. Grattan Institute. ISBN: 978-1-925015-98-0 Kennedy, R. May 30 2019, The Benefits of Attending a Girls’ School. Viewed 16 September 2020, https://www.thoughtco. com/benefits-of-attending-girls-school-2774631 NCGS Blog Raising Girls Voices 14 April 2016, The Girls’ School Advantage: Top Ten Reasons to Attend an All-Girls School. Viewed 16 September 2020, https://ncgsblog.org/2016/04/14/the-girls-schooladvantage-top-ten-reasons-to-attend-an-all-girls-school/ Sadker, D., Sadker, M., & Zittleman, K.R. (2009). Still Failing at Fairness: How Gender Bias Cheats Girls and Boys in School and What We Can Do About It. New York, NY: Scribner.

61

Name: Mr Robert Marshall Title: Deputy Principal – Teaching and Learning Date: 14 October 2020

FUTURE-PROOFING STUDENTS

The coronavirus pandemic is without doubt, a defining moment, the effect of which will be felt for years to come; the impact upon our school, significant.

None the less, schools are optimistic places and are always looking towards the future. With that in mind, St Catherine’s School is thinking about what is next.

Operating our School in the Learn@Home environment has compelled us to consider how we might operate differently in the future. There are major implications in how we might teach, what curriculum we would provide and the organisational structures we will function within.

Even before the pandemic, we had been investigating what learning might look like in the next few years. The recent review of the NSW school curriculum, Nurturing Wonder and Igniting Passion, chaired by Professor Geoff Masters from the Australian Council for Educational Research identified key findings in the report and stated that the curriculum is too dense. The Report strongly recommends: • De-cluttering the curriculum • Learning with understanding • Skills in applying knowledge • Excellent ongoing progress Hot on the heels of this NSW review, is a report from the University of Melbourne, Future-Proofing Students: What they need to know and how educators can assess and credential them, which provides a compelling statement of a positive learning direction for schools.

At the centre of this report is an acknowledgement that the current model of schools with a heavy emphasis on learning and recalling content, and the narrow focus on

achieving a magic ATAR number, are not enabling our students to learn those capabilities which are essential for post school life. The University report argues that, “the school models should also encompass broader social skills of communication, collaboration and ethical behaviour and the ability to perform in an intercultural environment.

Personal skills, such as persistence and the capacity to use feedback and analytical skills, such as computational thinking, creativity and criticality, are also paramount.”

The current work being undertaken at St Catherine’s and an increasing emphasis on learning for understanding and ongoing adjustments of assessments which examine deep understanding of complex concepts and relationships, is reshaping our School. In turn this focus is redefining how we teach. The work we have commenced with the University of Queensland, and the Teaching for Thinking project will accelerate in the second half of 2020.

The University of Melbourne report argues we need to future-proof our students and this means “ensuring that they learn a wide range of skills, or capabilities, that will allow them to thrive in increasingly complex global workplaces.”

Our aim is for all of our students to leave school strong and confident in these capabilities.

Mr Robert Marshall Deputy Principal, Teaching and Learning References: NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA), (2020), Nurturing Wonder and Igniting Passion: https://nswcurriculumreview. nesa.nsw.edu.au/home/homePageContent/view University of Melbourne, (2020), Future-Proofing Students: What they need to know and how educators can assess and credential them: https://education. unimelb.edu.au/mgse-industry-reports/report-2-future-proofing-student

63

Name: Ms Merran O’Connor Title: Deputy Principal – Student Wellbeing Date: 21 October 2020

T O G E T H E R W H I L E A PA RT – GR AT I T U DE , JOY AND CONNECTION

“It is not joy that makes us grateful, it is gratitude that makes us joyful” – Brother David Steindl-Rast Never has this quotation been more apt than in 2020 as our community, our nation and the world face a global pandemic. The challenges of isolation, remote learning and fear of the unknown are not typically conducive to ‘joy’, but our girls found joy through gratitude, care and connection.

The capacity for gratitude that the students, staff and our families have shown has meant that we have emerged more connected and strengthened through shared adversity.

The Year 12 ‘We’re All in This Together’ Virtual choir, filmed separately but sung in unison, became a joyful Learn@Home anthem of support and resilience. The online Gratitude Lunch connected students and families in a celebration of thanks. In a time when we all needed some reassurance, the positivity associated with gratitude has been the best antidote to isolation.

Savouring the moment becomes increasingly important in times of uncertainty. Mindfulness expert, author Eckhart Tolle expresses this as being ‘at ease in the here and now and at ease with yourself’. Through appreciation of what is good in our lives now, we can avoid the temptation of always looking to future happiness, while forgetting to experience happiness in the present. Students have reflected on some wonderful examples of savouring these moments; walking in the sunshine, playing with a pet, shooting hoops with a sibling, unplugging or lazing over a jigsaw.

The Blue Ribbon Spirit@Home sessions enabled the students to be ‘together’ while ‘apart’ but they also reached out to connect with the broader community.

Girls drew rainbows of hope, wrote positive affirmations in the windows of their homes, wrote letters to children in hospital, or residents in aged care facilities.

The Art Challenge, ‘This is Me’ devised by the Art and Design Captains Isabel Simons and Lara Nattrass, encouraged and invited the girls to create a collage representing themselves, appreciating the small things.

The ability to adopt a positive outlook, irrespective of challenges, is a message we strive to send students in the weThrive: Wellbeing@St Catherine’s Program. Self-reflection and moments of joy have armed the girls with a renewed sense of compassion and appreciation. 2020 will not only be remembered for hardship but for gratitude and resilience.

Ms Merran O’Connor Deputy Principal, Student Wellbeing Reference: Tolle, Eckhart, 2001, The Power of Now, Hodder Headline (Sydney, NSW Australia)

65

Name: Ms Sarah Bethune Title: Head of Early Learning Centre Date: 28 October 2020

T H E I M P O R TA N C E O F T H E E A R LY Y E A R S

It is now recognised that the early years of life are the most important for learning. Neurological research indicates that the early years play a key role in children’s brain development.

This is when the foundations for the future are developed.

The United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child states “that all children have the right to an education that lays a foundation for the rest of their lives, maximises their ability, and respects their family, cultural and other identities and languages.” Early Years Learning Framework 2009 As educators, we acknowledge that the child is first part of their family and cultural group. Children develop a sense of belonging through fostering positive relationships within their family. It is through these relationships that children gain a sense of who they are and where they belong.

When the children make the transition from their home to the Early Learning Centre, they bring with them their own diverse experiences, perspectives and knowledge. At this time, it is important that children begin to develop a sense of belonging within their classroom community where they feel safe, secure and connected. This is fundamental to a child’s early years.

Part of this experience is about discovering themselves, building relationships with others and learning to manage the challenges that may come their way. Children develop their identity through experiences and relationships with others. As children develop their sense of identity, they begin to explore different aspects of it through their play and relationships.

“Children’s early learning influences their life chances.

Wellbeing and a strong sense of connection, optimism and engagement enable children to develop a positive attitude to learning.” Early Years Learning Framework 2009

Early childhood is a time for young children to wonder, explore, discover and make meaning of the world.

The children in the Early Learning Centre are presented these opportunities through our educational program.

It offers the opportunity for children to enjoy the here and now in their lives. We adopt a holistic approach to the children’s learning and development to ensure that they have opportunities to build upon their physical, social, emotional, personal, creative, cognitive and linguistic skills. These experiences gradually expand the children’s knowledge and their understanding of the world.

During the early years, young children develop processes for learning such as exploration, investigation and collaboration. It is valuable that they also develop dispositions such as curiosity, creativity and problem solving. Children foster understandings of themselves and their world through active, hands-on investigation.

Active involvement leads to the children developing understandings of concepts and the creative thinking and inquiry processes necessary for lifelong learning.

As children grow, learn and progress through the childhood years their identities, knowledge, understandings, capacities, skills and relationships evolve. This can be a period of significant growth and change, and supports them to discover how to participate fully and actively in society. Our aim is for the children to become successful learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and informed citizens.

Ms Sarah Bethune Head of Early Learning Centre

67

Name: Ms Karen McArdle Title: Head of Junior School Date: 4 November 2020

BENEFITS OF A PERSONALISED LEARNING APPROACH

We acknowledge and accept that all children are not the same.

They grow and develop at different rates, some take longer to walk and talk than others, some are quite independent, while others require a bit more support. As children do not all develop at the same pace, it would be unreasonable to operate under the premise that once they commence school, they all begin to learn at the same rate and at the same stage.

This becomes more untenable when we consider that there can be over a year’s difference in ages within the one class.

To manage for the various levels of learning, a personalised learning approach is both valuable and beneficial.

A personalised learning approach acknowledges that children learn differently, and that at any given year level, there may be children at different levels of learning (Miliband, Chapter 1, 2006). Some children commence school already reading while some are just starting to understand that there is a correlation between the letter-symbol and its sound.

These differing learning levels need to be catered to differently.

The best practice approach is to personalise learning to meet the needs of each student. In this way, students are progressing at their pace along the learning continuums, which are the typical phases students go through in learning and are different for each of the key subject areas. Continuums set out the usual path learners take to develop knowledge and application skills for each subject area, with the understanding that there are key knowledge and skill factors that need to be developed as prerequisites for the next stage of learning.

Teaching is complex. It involves knowing students well, knowing where they are positioned on their learning continuum and developing plans for the next stage of learning for each student.

This is what transpires in engaging and quality classrooms.

Teachers use a range of formative assessment strategies to continually determine where a student’s learning is positioned

and at which level they are performing within this stage. “The goal of formative assessment is to monitor student learning to provide ongoing feedback that can be used by instructors to improve their teaching…” (Eberly Centre, Carnegie Mellon University). The information gathered through this assessment enables teachers to analyse students’ work for progress made, gaps in understanding or misconceptions which informs planning. This often results in students working in like-ability groups where they are working at their learning level. These groups are fluid and, while all students are progressing within the group, some progress faster and move to the next learning level. Some students require more time to grasp new learning while some students grasp it quickly but need time to consolidate and show application of new learning.

To accommodate those students working above year level expectations, extension lessons in Mathematics (Number and Algebra) and English (Reading and Writing) have been developed where these students progress to the next year level for instruction in these subject areas. In Years 5 and 6, students in Extension groups work with a Senior School Maths Teacher, and for English they work with Mrs Requin and Ms McArdle in the areas of writing and reading respectively.

At St Catherine’s we aim for excellence in all areas of teaching, and a personalised approach delivers best practice for the learning development of all students.

Ms Karen McArdle Head of Junior School References 1. Eberly Centre, Carnegie Mellon University, https://www.cmu. edu/teaching/assessment/basics/formative-summative.html 2. Miliband, D (2006) Schooling for Tomorrow Personalising Education – OECD – Google Books

69

Name: Ms Courtney O’Brien Title: Deputy Head of Junior School Date: 11 November 2020

THE VIEW FROM MY WINDOW

“Children need to know that in the midst of uncertainty there is still happiness and hope”. ­– Professor Carol Mutch In the first few days of the Learn@Home Program, a friend sent me a Facebook page suggestion she thought I would like. The page is called View From My Window. At the time it had a few thousand members. This page aimed to connect people from all over the world during COVID-19 – by sharing a single photo – the view from your window and a brief comment about the photo shared.

I looked forward to seeing the daily post. All corners of the globe starred in the photos, from quaint European towns to the rugged Australian Coast. In comparison, the view from my window seemed pretty bland. A line of Oak trees losing their leaves was the best I could offer. As the weeks of Learn@ Home progressed, so too did the page’s following. It now has over two million members. I am not surprised. I loved the daily connection I felt from people I am never likely to meet.

On the day our girls returned to Barbreck the view from my window topped all the other posts I had seen. The Year 1 classroom was moved to the library to allow us plenty of space to practise social distancing. The Barbreck library window is vast and commands a view to the entrance drive of Barbreck.

During the first few days, most girls were excited and relieved to be back with their friends and teachers. Some however, were understandably nervous and apprehensive.

With parents unable to come onto the campus, drop off arrangements changed considerably. Girls now walked up the drive, carrying their own bags after saying goodbye at the gate. In these moments the view from my window really mattered. Some goodbyes were smooth, others bumpy.

Some girls happily waved, others needed to race back for a final cuddle. There were setbacks, challenges and uncertainly.

But there was also praise, assistance and determination.

Melbourne psychologist, Andrew Fuller in his article From ‘can’t do’ to ‘can do’, suggests ways parents can support young people develop a positive growth orientated mindset. From my window, I saw our parents employing these strategies, as their daughters shifted from Learn@Home back to face-to-face teaching.

When there were setbacks, I saw encouragement and praise, where there was uncertainly I saw parents saying ‘try again’.

As a teacher and parent of two children, I turned to the advice of Professor Carol Mutch, Education Commissioner for UNESCO New Zealand and researcher in disaster response and recovery at the University of Auckland, to learn more about how to best support our students.

“Children will each show different responses to the events that have happened. Some will be well-informed about COVID-19.

The others will have simplistic or even inaccurate understandings.

Some might have found the situation frightening and be quiet and withdrawn, others might be nervy and wriggly. Some might cry, some might get angry and some might even laugh inappropriately.

Your response needs to be calm and even handed.”

Professor Mutch suggested having fun, re-reading favourite stories and playing games to help lift the mood as children return to school after COVID-19 restrictions.

On the first day back, I watched two of my students struggle up the drive with their heavy bags, they were smiling and laughing together, grateful to be in each other’s company once again. There were difficult days when we were apart, but the view from my window at that moment made those hard times seem insignificant.

Mrs Courtney O’Brien Deputy Head of Junior School References: From ‘can’t do’ to ‘can do’ https://andrewfuller.com.au/wp-content/ uploads/2014/08/from-cant-do-to-can-do.pdf ‘When schools partially reopen’ https://www.teritotoi.org/advice-forteachers-and-principals/

71

Name: Alexandra Shergold and Sophie Boyce Title: 2020 Co-Captains Date: 18 November 2020

CLASS OF 2020 – AN EXTRAORDINARY YEAR

Vision. That 2020 Vision. It is a bit ironic when you think about the fact that so-called ‘perfect vision’ couldn’t see the unexpected twists and turns of 2020. The whole world defogged their lenses, defied their cataracts, and looked to this year with new glasses, which will be written into history books. Yet, throughout one of the most remarkable years of our lives so far, the Year 12s remained focused, discovered new found respect for study in what is such a crucial year of our schooling, coupled with a free pair of blinders in order for us to stay on track, and maintain that 2020 vision.

This year has not been all that different. It brought us all the same shenanigans of a ‘normal’ new year – a different locker area, more work, changing friends, different experiences, not to mention the perks of the common room and those snazzy blue Year 12 jumpers.

We started the year with a bang, fulfilling the traditional role of greeting students on the first day of Term, becoming an army of legendary fairy bread makers to share in the newly refurbished clocktower. Term 1 not only established some positive vibes for the rest of the year, it provided Year 12s with something to hold onto as we went into lockdown.

But where 2020 has differed is the universal curveball thrown at us – a global pandemic. If COVID-19 was a person, it would epitomise the phrase ‘big things come in little packages’, because this one non-living, microscopic molecule has somehow managed to change the lives of seven billion people all at once. However, Year 12 picked up those curveballs and ran with them, creating new traditions and memories.

For us, we have had the great realisation that we would all make great surfers, having learnt enough

about waves this year to last us a lifetime. Here is what we can personally recount to you about waves: 1. There are many, many different types: waves of a virus, waves of emotions, waves of homeschooling, waves of unity, waves of isolation and waves of spirit.

2. They come in sets, so when they do throw us off balance, we know there will always be a moment of calmness that awaits us. And that hope keeps us going.

3. Life is almost always described as a ‘roller coaster’, but depicting life as one big, joyous theme park ride does not properly acknowledge life’s challenges. So a new phrase has been coined this year. People are now saying that ‘life is a wave’ (well, we two are, at least).

With new lessons in our back pocket, we feel as though we are finishing Year 12 stronger, more capable, and able to tackle anything that comes our way. We have learnt how important it is to stick together, to stay in touch and to communicate with friends and family.

The world is not ready for St Catherine’s Class of 2020, a sisterhood of undeniably extraordinary young women. We began our first assembly address with the idea that as Year 12s, we had chosen the word Vision in the hope of inspiring every girl to use their own glasses, either imaginary or real, to find their purpose and strive to achieve their goals.

We are proud to say that this year has brought just that.

We know that 2020 vision will follow each and everyone one of us into the future, wherever it may lead us, coupled with the strength of simply being a St Catherine’s girl.

Alexandra Shergold and Sophie Boyce School Co-Captains

73

Name: Ms Pauline van der Poel Title: Director of Planning and Organisation Date: 25 November 2020

HOW D O W E PR E PA R E YOU NG PE OPL E FOR JOBS T H AT DON’T E X IST Y E T?

For many years now, people have been remarking, ‘How do we prepare young people for jobs that don’t exist yet?’ People are questioning if jobs in some industries will become automated or redundant? In preparation, Careers Education in schools has long focused on programs to develop employability skills.

I think we can all agree, that no one was basing such statements on the fact that in 2020 there would be a global pandemic that would have such a significant impact on the world of work and employment rates. Some industries have been hard hit, some mildly; the way we all have had to work has changed. We have been forced indoors and requested to work from home if possible. Some industries will never return in a full-time face-to-face capacity and as such, how will these impact opportunities for the next generation?

Due to Government enforced staged restrictions some occupations have been significantly impacted due to an inability to provide an online alternative. Some industries may never recover. How does a young graduate experience an internship or summer vocational program if more people are working from home?

During my time as an educator, online learning has always existed, but it has centred around providing an education for students living in remote rural communities or being hospitalised and unable to physically attend school.

Distance education has always been an option, but not nearly to the extent that we can now offer learning. Who would ever have thought that classes would be taught with the teacher in one location, and each student in another?

Yet we can and are doing so, as I write this article.

I have just met with Year 11 students who are providing me with some incredible insights on how we can transform the way in which education is delivered at St Catherine’s for future generations. These students know how things

were pre-COVID-19 and in-COVID-19. It is insightful to hear what they would like to see continued and transfer into learning for students post-COVID-19.

These discussions have allowed me to understand how this generation of students will cope in the workforce. They will be the generation that thinks with an agile mind, are more resilient to cope with change, and are futures focused through understanding the now. They will be best placed to deal with the task, how they get there by blocking out the noise and things out of their control to meet deadlines and achieve objectives. They will be successful, more technologically perceptive and will be able to cope with adversity. As such, what employer wouldn’t be grateful to have such an employee in their organisation?

The Careers team in 2020 has seen a new addition.

With Sally Wilkinson on family leave, we welcomed Mrs Kristy Tine to the team. Kristy has reflected on her first term of face-to-face Careers at St Catherine’s: “A strong sense of community is always important in dealing with environmental change such as COVID-19, the St Catherine’s students showcase this with their peer-to-peer interactions.

It has been inspiring to see the resilience of students to meet these changes head on, both individually and collectively in finding a way to succeed this year. It would have been easy to give up, but everyone has remained committed and supportive of those around them. One of the key challenges this year has seen VET (Vocational Education and Training) students studying practical and work-orientated hands on skills from home. These students have navigated an ever-changing learning environment, with a key portion of their curriculum in practical sessions.

They have remained positive and adaptable to the challenges presented. Good luck to all students in the coming months.”

Ms Pauline van der Poel Director of Planning and Organisation, Careers Practitioner

75

Name: Ms Liv Cher Title: Deputy Head of Music Date: 30 November 2020

DEVELOPING EACH MUSICIAN’S PERSONAL VOICE

The core value of music education is to develop the personal voice of each young musician entrusted to our care. This personal growth requires students to broaden their mastery and expertise through experience. This experience or journey to the final destination is key in students unlocking their inner musician. The richness of this results in a musician who can act with independence, understanding their repertoire on a deeper level, experimenting with a variety of techniques and interpretations to make critical decisions about how the final performance will be executed and in turn, received.

In instrumental music, the mastery to expertise model is ever apparent. A teacher of a beginner musician creates the context for students to learn the basics, they go on to study a work which at this stage of the journey is strongly guided by the teacher. As the journey continues, repertoire and skills develop, students take on feedback and their expertise starts to materialise. A pinnacle of this journey for the young musician is when students are able make their own choices about their repertoire, realising the intricacies of the harmony, developing the emotion of a melodic line to reflect the mood or emotion hoping to be created by the composer and ensuring the integrity of the work is realised.

Critical to this is the masterclass. Originally thought to be developed by Hungarian pianist Franz Liszt 1869, as the name suggests, it is led by one who possesses a mastery of a specific discipline, in this case, music. It gives students the opportunity to show their understanding of a work through a performance. The ‘master’ then shares their knowledge and expertise, and both student and master work in concert to explore the work in further depth with different ideas and musical insights. New learnings are developed. From this, our young musicians take on this feedback and start to make their own decisions about their interpretation and how to develop the work further. This creates a rich learning

opportunity for both the performer and observer. Whilst the soloist receives advice towards refining their artistry, the audience is able to learn vicariously through the experience and take on these new ideas in their own playing. Beyond providing technical learning though, it is something much deeper. This close engagement with an expert serves as great inspiration for each student’s future musical endeavours and an increased confidence and level of skill ensues.

It was therefore with great pleasure that St Catherine’s VCE Music students Catherine Chen, Sophie Williams and Isabelle Musson were able to take a masterclass with Amir Farid.

Born and raised in Melbourne and a graduate of the Australian National Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music in London, Amir is currently based in New York where he is a staff pianist at The Juilliard School and rehearsal pianist with the New York Philharmonic. His accolades are renowned amongst the music community. Winner of the 2006 Australian National Piano Award, performances with the Melbourne, Sydney and Western Australian Symphony Orchestras and his award winning chamber group The Benaud Trio are just some of the feathers in his cap. So it was with great excitement that our St Catherine’s community was able to welcome a man whose performance venues stretch from the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne to Carnegie Hall in New York.

It can be daunting to perform for someone of such talent and reputation, and to take on critique can be confronting in that, the musician needs to acknowledge that it could be done differently. It was so pleasing to watch the students approach this experience in their musical journey with open-mindedness, curiosity and honesty. The eloquence and expertise of Amir in partnership with the students to develop their inner musician was a joy to watch.

77

Amir’s expertise not only as a pianist, but musician were on show from the outset. Exploring the work Valley of the Rocks with Catherine, he discussed the portrait of the landscape and development of layers within the work to represent the jagged rocks within the dramatic English landscape. The work was transformed with greater dramatic contrast as the two toyed with tempo and musical line and a tremendous depth of emotion was realised. In working with Sophie on two vocal works Isi Bas and For a Child, Amir’s extensive work with vocalists at Juilliard shone through. Breaking the work into poetry and finding the stresses of the spoken words enabled a smoother navigation of the phrasing terrain. It was pleasing to see Sophie’s own surprise of how different the music felt after going through the process. Amir himself noted how deceptively difficult Isabelle’s chosen Beethoven Sonate, Op. 28 really is. His insight into the Romantic work was evident. Likening each finger on the hand to instruments of the orchestra, they explored the difference that can be made in the repetitive bass lines and approaching each as a single unique note. Choosing different instruments of the orchestra, Isabelle began to discover balance in each individual line to create an orchestra of sound within her finger tips.

Amir asked the students if they would bear it if he performed his ISO project for them, Chopin’s Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52. As Amir noted, their codas are known to be amongst the most difficult repertoire written for the piano. His presence transformed the Ballroom into the most intimate of concert halls, and the students appeared to more than bear the performance, they were in fact captivated by the dramatic emotion, rich melodies and technical dexterity of the performance.

The class aimed to inspire and perhaps it was the dialogue that the students had with Amir where he revealed his sincerity, integrity and humility as a musician that they developed a connection. In describing his journey to Juilliard he spoke of the pressure of that environment, and he pushed for the balance of excellence, passion and enjoyment that he feels exists within the music scene in Australia. In discussing the amateur opportunities that abound and his experience in these circles, it was clear that it is the joy which exists in music on any level that has sustained his career, suggesting that it is this that is pertinent to nourishing each student’s inner musician.

Ms Liv Cher Deputy Head of Music

79

Name: Mrs Gina Peele Title: Director – Student Programs Date: 30 October 2020

DEVELOPING A TOOLBOX OF SKILLS

As our students re-engage with teachers and friends onsite after a period of up to six months Learning@Home, it is an opportune time to reflect on their learning. Whilst their learning was not based on the physical campus, they have learnt new skills and reinforced other skills and attributes.

There is an increasing awareness of students preparing for life after school and creating a toolbox of skills. This toolbox of skills is a culmination of students learning through life in a variety of settings, from the classroom, a commitment to the Music Program, learning the art of Debating and Public Speaking, achieving a goal in a sporting context or pushing themselves outside their comfort zone by learning through our Global Exchange Program. Skills which can be drawn on as they continue on life’s journey. Our students learn each step of the way through their experiences, adding skills in their toolbox and using these skills in their engagement with others and situations they are faced with.

Twenty-first century learning skills are “built on the premise that students need new skills to survive and thrive in a rapidly changing digital world” Metri, 2003. Van Laar et al, 2020, reviews the theory behind 21st Century learning skills, as: “The skills needed for education and the workplace in the current economy have been labelled 21st-century skills. To define and systemise these skills, a number of initiatives have outlined frameworks. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is a joint government–corporate organisation which lists three types of skills: learning skills (creativity and innovation; critical thinking and problemsolving; communication and collaboration), literacy skills (information literacy; media literacy; ICT literacy), and life skills (flexibility and adaptability; initiative and selfdirection; social and cross-cultural skills; productivity and accountability; leadership and responsibility).”

Lamb, Maire & Doecke, (2020) reviewed 21st Century Learning skills and identify the skills considered most important from policy makers, researchers and practitioners: critical thinking, creativity, metacognition, problem solving, collaboration, motivation, self-efficacy conscientiousness, and grit or perseverance.

The Year 2020 has not been a traditional school year, where our students learnt through a variety of mediums in the classroom and through the opportunities provided across boarders and in engaging with others. However, our students have added skills to their toolbox in other ways. Looking further at Grit and Perseverance, our students have displayed this skill time and time again in 2020.

Grit or perseverance; perseverance can be conceptualised as a dimension of conscientiousness. In an academic context, grit can be defined as commitment and perseverance in learning tasks and activities (long-term goals) despite difficulties (or obstacles). Academic perseverance or tenacity generally relies on goal-setting and accepting delayed gratification (Farrington et al., 2012, p. 9). The challenges of 2020 has revealed our students’ Grit and Determination, with differing restrictions for each year level, and students across the school have experienced varied amounts of time at home.

Our students have continued to persevere and maintained their motivation throughout the Learn@Home program.

Last week in the Celebration of Sport evening, we were fortunate to hear from Jacqui Bell, ultra- marathon runner and mental health ambassador. Jacqui grew up as a tennis player and talented young athlete. Jacqui recognised some challenges in her life and had a few experiences that created her to go into a negative cycle. Jacqui started to run to create a change in her life. She ran seven ultramarathons in two years by the age 25. She created a mantra for herself,

81

as she recognised that many of the situations she found herself in were unknown and challenged the ‘why’ in which she was there. Jacqui’s mantra was to just ‘Show up’ and do your best. Why am I retelling Jacqui’s story? All year, our students have followed this mantra, just ‘show up’; show up to class using MS Teams day in day out, show up to do their homework, show up to their sports training sessions, show up to connecting with friends using technology, show up to catch up with one friend for a walk for no more than 1 hour a day, show up to ‘voice gym’, show up to ‘fun with notes’, show up to Debating training and the online competition, show up to Freaky Friday knowing it would be a virtual performance, show up to Junior Joggers on a Wednesday, show up to a Music lesson, show up to Epstein on a Thursday. These are some ways our girls continued to show up, day after day after day. I am sure this sounds familiar to families in Melbourne, “Mum, I can’t wait for school tomorrow. It gives me something to do’. This is an example of our girls’ Grit and Perseverance.

Whilst our students have not been able to participate in the usual activities that keep them busy on campus this year, there have been a significant number of activities that have continued, albeit virtually. Our students have continued to

engage and develop in preparation for when life becomes more ‘normal’ or a COVID-19 normal. Our role as teachers and parents is to continue to guide, support and nurture their development. Whilst the challenges we have faced in 2020 have tested us all, let’s congratulate our students for what they have achieved this year. Although it has not been a traditional year, the opportunities they have sought through the classroom and continued Co-curricular programs have offered our students different ways to engage in their learning and develop essential skills needed for life after school.

Mrs Gina Peele Director of Student Programs References Farrington, C. A., Roderick, M., Allensworth, E., Nagaoka, J., Keyes, T. S., Johnson, D. W., & Beechum, N. O. (2012). Teaching Adolescents To Become Learners. The Role of Noncognitive Factors in Shaping School Performance: A Critical Literature Review. Chicago: University of Chicago Consortium on Chicago School Research.

Lamb, S., Maire, Q., & Doecke, E. (2020). Retrieved 24 October 2020, from http:// vuir.vu.edu.au/35865/1/Key-Skills-for-the-21st-Century-Analytical-Report.pdf van Laar E, van Deursen AJAM, van Dijk JAGM, de Haan J. Determinants of 21st-Century Skills and 21st-Century Digital Skills for Workers: A Systematic Literature Review. SAGE Open. January 2020. doi:10.1177/2158244019900176

83

St Catherine’s School 17 Heyington Place Toorak VIC 3142 Telephone +61 3 9822 1285 Email info@stcatherines.net.au www.stcatherines.net.au CRICOS 00574F ABN 90 004 251 816