From the Assistant Principal - Teaching, Learning and Wellbeing

THE FOCUS IS ON LEARNING

Today, we gathered to honour the remarkable accomplishments of our 2023 HSC Distinguished Achievers. The HSC examinations mark a significant milestone in the lives of many students, representing the culmination of their educational journey. Abiel Santos, College Dux of 2023, attributed his success to one pivotal element:

“...each of us has to make our own decisions on how we live out our lives within school. Every choice we make - whether to do the bare minimum, or to extend ourselves to do more, going beyond, is a choice entirely up to us, which will have a certain impact on whether we complete our main quest. Every day brings a new lesson - like a side quest, providing you the opportunity to “level up” and learn something unique and interesting you didn’t know before.”

This insight from Abiel underscores the importance of personal agency and engagement in education and reminds both students and parents that the choices made in learning directly impact outcomes. It encourages students to take ownership of their educational journey and I encourage parents to continue to support their children in embracing opportunities for growth and learning beyond the minimum requirements.

The core message for 2024 resonates with the idea that every action holds significance. Each day matters, from our approach and dedication during NAPLAN and PAT testing to our engagement in classwork, homework, and study time. Both informal and formal assessments carry weight, as every stride we make in our educational journey shapes our personal development and contributes to our collective growth as a community of learners.

COMMUNICATION ABOUT LEARNING

The classroom teacher is the first point of contact for students and parents when they have questions about learning within the classroom. Teachers will continue to use Compass to communicate with parents about successes, concerns and feedback about a student's learning. We encourage all parents to check Compass and their emails often so as correspondence from the College is not missed.

We are excited to announce that this year, the College is embarking on the transition to a new Learning Management System known as Canvas. During this transition period, students will utilise both Google Classroom and Canvas; however, the Canvas platform offers the added benefit of real-time access for parents to view students' work and teacher feedback. Throughout the term, we will be providing parents with more information about Canvas and opportunities for both students and parents to familiarise themselves with this exciting change.

I wish you all every success for 2024 academic year.

Ms Josilin Kalifa

Assistant Principal

Teaching, Learning and Wellbeing