Education Support Information and Communication

The art of progress is to preserve order amid change and to preserve change amid order.

(Alfred North Whitehead)

There has certainly been a lot of change in the Education Support Department this year. First of all, at the end of Semester One, Mrs Sue Prior went on extended leave to move to Bangkok to experience working in a British International School. Sue was instrumental in setting up the Mary Rice Centre at Trinity and we look forward to seeing her again and hearing of her exciting experiences when she returns in 2008. With Sue’s departure came more changes. Mrs Marie Zwart was appointed Director for the duration of Sue’s absence and Mr Brendan Chapman bravely stepped into the shoes of Senior Enterprise Coordinator in Semester Two, and performed magnificently. Next year Mr Peter Duckett will take on this challenging role. Responding to, and somewhat energised by these changes the staff of Mary Rice have continued to uphold the Edmund Rice tradition and to “lead from the centre”. At Trinity College, the Education Support team provides a whole of school service. We support Trinity students and teachers from Years 4 to 12 in striving for equity in opportunity and excellence in educational outcomes. We identify actual and potential barriers to individual achievement and tackle these through a suitably planned, targeted approach. This might require developing better means of access to the curriculum, or differentiating its content and delivery to make it more appropriate for the individual’s circumstances. The range of strategies we use encompasses identification of individual learning needs; providing options for extension and enrichment; collaborative planning and support for teachers; individual education plans; and individual case management. Key players in providing this valuable service to the Trinity community extend beyond the Ed Support team to include the School Psychologist, our Aboriginal Liaison Officer and Aboriginal Liaison Assistant and the School Chaplain. Late this year, to bring this network of support for academic and pastoral care on to a more structured footing, we agreed to form a collaborative working group for academic and pastoral care issues. Much time and energy was spent debating our purpose and a suitable title. As “Miscellaneous Workers” is already taken we have decided to name ourselves Collaborative Learning and Development Services (CLADS). We’ve come together because we work with the same boys and on similar issues, so now our aim is to work as one ‘entity’ – to develop effective strategies and support services for all students and staff at Trinity College. In Term Four a topic emerged from CLADS that was

Mrs Marie Zwart taken by members for broad discussion across the Director of Education Support Departments: the need for and viability of a Gifted and Talented Academic Program at Trinity College. This attracted an enthusiastic response and has encouraged much debate and individual research. In 2007 we will be trialling several research-based strategies and using these experiences to inform our view on the best way forward on this proposal. I see this emerging initiative as an exciting development in our mission of effectively addressing the needs of ALL students. So stay tuned! On a personal note, I would like to thank all the people who have supported me in my new role of Director of Education Support. I am indebted to Mrs Gerri Vanpraag and Mrs Karen Tyler (Education Support Assistants extraordinaire) for making the transition as smooth as possible. Also, thanks to the inaugural members of CLADS and to Mr Brendan Chapman for their unerring guidance, support and humour. I look forward to working with you all again in 2007 – it’s sure to be a great year for the wonderful team that is Collaborative Learning and Development Services.

And remember: Good schools, like good societies and good families, celebrate and cherish diversity. (Deborah Meier)

Mrs Marie Zwart

Director of Education Support

Education Support