Nurturing future leaders

MORIAH COLLEGE

Moriah College has developed a unique program to foster the growth of students as future leaders. The High School Day 8 program works with a revised timetable, providing pupils with the opportunity to experience a wide range of enriching activities, while staff members engage in professional development. Every second Wednesday regular lessons are condensed to 45 minutes, allowing for an extended 80-minute program in the afternoon. This revolves around the idea of giving students valuable opportunities to learn from each other, while acquiring and applying new skills such as collaboration, communication and problem-solving.

Working together

Deputy Head of High School, Assunta Di Gregorio said: “We have older students working with younger students. So, we have this wonderful, informal, distributed model of leadership, where we have students leading each other, working and learning together, and hopefully one day being prepared so that they have the skills they need when they leave school to ultimately become community leaders. We have had great success with the program, largely thanks to our committed and talented teaching and ancillary staff, who generously lend their support.”

At the start of 2023, the Day 8 offerings were expanded to provide more activities catering for Years 7 to 9.

“We designed tailored activities, such as elite sports, drama festival, band tour rehearsals, Year 10 hadracha, advocacy, the weights gym, bebating, chess, designing car shells, drones, art workshops, fashion drawing and cooking with kindness, that resonated strongly with our students, Di Gregorio said.

“At the end of the day, we want students enjoying school, working together and enjoying being in each other's company, while they're learning more about themselves from each other.”

One of the activities, cooking with kindness involves preparing meals for various community groups.

During Reconciliation Week, the food prepared was delivered to an Indigenous Youth Centre, allowing students to engage in a meaningful learning experience and make a positive impact in others’ lives. This activity is one of many that exemplifies Moriah's commitment to instilling values of kindness, respect and social responsibility.

The staff program: building collective teacher efficacy

The Day 8 program also aims to build collective teacher efficacy, wherein each department is assigned faculty time for one semester and supervision of the student program for the other. During faculty time, educators come together as a professional learning team, allowing them to work on integrating specific areas of focus into their practice and to prepare for changes in the NESA syllabus. It is important that staff members can collaborate and begin the review process early to ensure they are well prepared for any future program adjustments.

Looking ahead

Establishing a sense of belonging is another important aspect of the Day 8 program, as it helps to develop the rapport and relationships within the Moriah family. “We have a few alumni members coming in to work with our students on Day 8 and we would love to see more,” said Di Gregorio. “We want our students to see Moriah as a place where they can learn with and from each other.”

By investing in the growth of students and staff, Moriah is committed to fostering a culture of continuous learning and development. The Day 8 program creates an enriching educational environment that empowers students to become future leaders, while equipping educators with the necessary tools to deliver exceptional education.

WHERE WE’VE COME FROM...

Moriah had humble beginnings in 1943 with a modest 25 students. Moriah was the first of its kind in Sydney, a modern orthodox Zionist school where Jewish children, regardless of academic aptitude or financial standing can access an excellent general and Jewish education. A school where heritage, tradition, culture, and identity are infused into the day-to-day experiences of each student.

WHERE WE ARE TODAY...

Over the last eight decades, Moriah has become a cornerstone of the Sydney Jewish community. Today, the school is home to more than 1700 students across ELC-Year 12. Our students are encouraged to embrace creativity and critical thinking to develop their unique skills and abilities, becoming future-ready, innovative young adults who engage with their culture and heritage, feel a deep connection to their community and are passionate about making a positive contribution around them.

Moriah is as strong as it is today, because of the foresight and tenacity of the pioneers and trailblazers who came before us. Looking back and appreciating our history empowers us to recognise the strength and achievements of the present, while clearly seeing the path ahead. There is so much to be proud of, and together we will build an exciting and bright future for Moriah College.