How do we view children?

It is a simple question that can generate a myriad of responses depending, in part, on when you ask it, the reason you ask it and the audience from whom you seek to answer it. The staff who have the privilege of educating our Kindergarten to Year 6 students have, over the course of Terms 3 and 4, revisited this question through the lens of the St Michael’s vision, ‘Creative, inquiring minds learning from, with and for the world’. Periodically it is important for us to revisit our image of the child. This ensures we have a shared understanding and furthermore, in defining our image of the child, we redefine our image of the educator, and collaboratively reflect on our teaching and learning programs. Longer standing members of the St Michael’s community will understand that our School has been inspired by the tenets of the Reggio Emilia Educational Project over several years. One of those tenets is the ‘image of the child’. Loris Malaguzzi, founder of the Reggio Emilia Educational project, argued that the ‘theory’ you hold of the image of the child shapes your relationships and expectations, it influences how you listen to children and how you view them. In other words, your relationships become a mirror for that image. Reggio educators believe that there is no one universal definition. This stands to reason. Each society constructs its own view of the child and what the child could and should be. The different views are created by different perspectives, contexts and intentions. Hence, it was very important for us to redefine our image of our students, and the hopes and aspirations we have for them. At the conclusion of our collaborative contemplation we re-affirmed the St Michael’s image of the child as curious, capable, creative and unique social beings wishing to make a difference to their own and other’s lives. The next level of work is to ensure that our approaches to teaching, learning and caring work together to foster and develop the skills, attitudes and values that will shape their futures as empowered citizens of the world. At St Michael’s we aim to be a place of exploration and experimentation, allowing for autonomous learning while using explicit instruction to build the key foundational skills that are the basis for higher order thinking. Staff interrogate the data and use this to inform instruction, so that studentcentred authentic learning becomes the focus. Experiences that allow immersion in authentic tasks, while working on problems and issues relevant to children, will bolster foundational literacy and numeracy skills. We cannot hold this image of the child and continue to deliver a heavily contentbased program that relies more on a regurgitation of facts. This will not prepare our students for the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world they will enter at the end of their schooling. As educators, we understand that we must prepare students for a world driven by disruptive, scientific and technological advances. The pandemic has highlighted the need for us to educate our students to move from one-way content dissemination to more personalised, self-directed learning. We believe our children have the dispositions required to not only manage but thrive in an educational model where they will be literate and numerate, develop global competence, where they can reconcile dilemmas and apply critical and creative thinking to take action. With programs that allow for co-construction, a connection to nature, a deeper understanding of our Indigenous people, and allow for research into environmental science, we hope to connect with children and the issues that matter to them. We wish for children to appreciate their agency and capacity to lead in areas of passion in an ever changing world. It will come as no surprise that creativity was high on our list of attributes to be celebrated and developed at St Michael’s. We know our children love to question, challenge, trial and express their ideas and knowledge in many ways using a variety of mediums. By defining our students as creative, we commit to designing opportunities for them to explore new possibilities, adapt to challenging situations and solve complex problems. Providing an environment that allows creative exploration and innovation, challenges children to solve problems using innovative techniques is important. Another essential cognitive skill is the ability to engage with divergent thinking and the opportunity to test multiple ideas to find a best-fit solution. By understanding the research process, we believe our children can unpack a wicked problem and find a range of solutions. Through Professional Learning Teams, every staff member also engages in a research process, where problem-solving and creative thinking is required. We have appointed Learning Leaders in the areas of Literacy, Numeracy, Transdisciplinary Inquiry and Wellbeing. We must engage in the learning experiences we expect our children to undertake, and we value the opportunity to cocreate a relevant, engaging and innovative learning culture.

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We also defined children as unique individuals who have the capacity to influence and lead. Student agency is rooted in the belief that students have the capability to lead and responsibly effect change. The staff at St Michael’s view our students as social, open minded individuals who wish to work collaboratively with others to exercise their potential to make a difference. Therefore, our job is to allow students to set goals, reflect on them and act responsibly to affect change. Rather than all aspects of their learning being predetermined, we acknowledge that students will have greater motivation to learn when they are able to define some of their own objectives. Co-agency, where teachers and students co-create and co-construct the teaching and learning process, honours the belief we have in children. It also allows educators to co-create and learn from one another, with a focus on peer mentorship across the school to build our own professional expertise. We acknowledge that for students to be able to exercise their agency, students require foundational skills. Therefore, the ability to read and research, write and communicate, collect and analyse data and be financially literate will liberate children to be able to exercise their agency across a range of contexts. Our image of the child as agents of change reinforces our belief that our youngest learners can inquire into ideas, problems and theories that excite and motivate them. They learn from, with and for each other, in collaboration with their peers, teachers and the broader community and from this, they will be empowered to determine the next steps for their learning. With the use of technology and platforms such as Seesaw, we are also able to curate a portfolio of their learning. It is with great excitement that we continue to evolve our programs in line with our image of the St Michael’s student. The future looks very bright and we look forward to an exciting future with and for our children!

Mrs Nicole Armatas, Associate Head K-6

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Junior students on World Kindness Day Prep student Ines with a portrait of her Dad for Father's Day Students with Teddy the therapy dog Year 2 students in the Octavius Brown Kitchen Garden

Tim Roberts

Tim Roberts’ role as Head of Positive Learning sits at the heart of the St Michael’s community. Over his 20 years at the School, Tim has countless memories to share. Many of Tim’s favourite memories have been made on the sporting field. Tim has spent most of his career working in the Victorian Physical Education,

Kate Fitzgerald New to St Michael’s in 2020, Ms Kate Fitzgerald’s commencement at the school was anything but ordinary. With the pandemic keeping us all physically distanced, Kate found new ways to engage with her students and admired their positive and resilient attitude throughout the online learning period. “I’ve loved getting to know my students, which has presented its challenges this year with online learning, however they are all so kind, empathetic and funny!” Kate immediately felt at home with her fellow colleagues and recognised the unique culture at St Michael’s. “It’s been quite the year to start at a new school but I’ve felt really welcomed and supported throughout this period. The collegiality that exists in the Humanities department and across the entire school is really extraordinary. I’m feeling very lucky to be part of this community.” A LEADER OF POSITIVE LEARNING

Health and Personal Development sectors, becoming Head of Faculty in two schools before he arrived at St Michael’s in January 2000. Tim has taught PE and Health at Primary and Secondary Level, as well as Secondary English and Humanities. “The most gratifying part of my job is to witness the milestones that students achieve - whether it’s learning to read or winning a race. I love the way that makes a student feel and I know that that achievement is often the culmination of efforts by a number of people.” Tim also enjoys being active outside of St Michael’s. He enjoys participating in everything from cycling, to golf, lawn bowls, swimming and football. “I love AFL and in particular the St Kilda Football Club.” It’s no wonder that Tim supports St Kilda, growing up with his father Neil Roberts’ Brownlow Medal on the mantlepiece! Over his time at St Michael’s, Tim has helped many students grow and develop into the people they are today. With over a decade of experience, Kate now teaches Years 7 to 10 Humanities and VCE subjects including Business Management, Economics and Accounting. “I love my role as a teacher, especially preparing students for their future beyond St Michael’s by empowering them to tread their own path and excel in the areas of their choice.” Originally from Sydney, Kate moved to Melbourne three years ago but also spent some time living in Canada. “I’m an avid skier so moved to Canada to be closer to the amazing ski resorts. I’m definitely a winter person, so I much prefer the weather here.” In her spare time, Kate also enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, cooking up various types of cuisines. “I love cooking. Any chance I get, I’ll cook! “I love seeing the way our students grow as people. I have seen many students progress from Prep to Year 12 in my time at the School, and the qualities of the individuals at the end of the journey is most pleasing to witness.” Tim has stayed at St Michael’s for the sense of belonging and camaraderie he has found here, as well as the important values upheld by every person in the School community. “I love the way the School carries forward the foundations set by the Community of the Sisters of the Church in everything we do. The School values of Dignity, Respect, Care and Compassion mean a lot to me.” “Additionally, I love the sense of community at St Michael’s and I believe this is enhanced by the fact that we are all on the same campus. I also appreciate the sense of collegiately and care amongst staff. Everyone is important, no matter what your position

FINDING HER PLACE AT ST MICHAEL’S

at the School is.” Particularly Chinese, Japanese and Mexican. I’m not much of a baker but like most people in lockdown, I did try to make my own bread.”