Today was the last day full day of classes for our Year 12 students. It is hard to believe we are already at that time of the year.
There are a lot of mixed emotions at this time, with a sense of nostalgia, excitement, relief, and perhaps nervous anticipation of what鈥檚 yet to come. For many of our Year 12 students there are still exams to come and so the hard work is not over yet. I was reflecting on the example of many of our Olympians who competed in Paris earlier this year and how our Year 12 students can draw inspiration from them about how to finish well.
These next weeks are the culmination of 13 years of education, and it is a celebration of the whole support crew who has helped to bring our Year 12 students to this point. When the Olympians came to those final minutes, final metres, final laps, final rounds, they drew on their strength of character, their training, their grit and determination and chose to use everything that had come before to get them over the line or achieve their personal best. This is what we want to remind our Year 12 students – all they need is within them and around them. We believe in them, and we know they are ready to enter the world as young women, young people of strength and kindliness!
We have commenced the rituals to conclude their time at 蘑菇视频 with our Transfer of Leadership Assembly today. Monday we will gather for our Graduation Mass followed by a Year 12 breakfast on Tuesday and their final assembly. We are grateful for all they have done during their time with us, we know they will finish well, and we wish them every blessing for the days, weeks and years ahead.
We offer this prayer as our Year 12 students cross the threshold from Clonrd to the next chapter that awaits them:
God of the Threshold,
you forever reveal to us new doorways in our lives,
powerful crossing-over places filled with possibilities.
Give us courage to stay awake and alert
to all the moments when these portals appear.
Inspire us to dance and sing as we wander
into liminal spaces, where the old is stripped away
and the new is waiting to be born.
Holy midwife, sit with us in the waiting,
bring us guidance in the form of signs and symbols:
a stone, a leaf, the song of the river, a night dream,
and infuse us with the wisdom to pay attention.
Oak Centre
Last Monday we commenced our classes in the new Oak Centre. It has been a relatively seamless transition into the new space with students sharing how excited they are about the opportunities it presents. Some said it felt like being at university, others just loved 鈥榯he new smell鈥�, whilst others loved the new outdoor spaces it has created for them to gather with friends. Our staff have also loved being in the new spaces. As with any new building there are small matters to iron out however overall, we are very impressed with how everything is operating.
The demolition of Labs 4 and 5 was completed over the holidays so a sense of space and scale is beginning to be created with the connection of Tullow and the Oak Centre to the main 蘑菇视频 House area. Stay tuned for the invitation to 鈥榗ome and see鈥� in conjunction with other family events being held at the College before the end of term.
Celebrating our Story
We welcomed members of the Foundation Class of 1956 back for a visit and high tea in our Heritage Room during the week. There was great excitement and a sense of wonder at what had been achieved for 鈥榯heir school鈥�. They had great delight in sharing where the barn had been and where they could and couldn鈥檛 go given 蘑菇视频 House was the convent for the sisters during their time. They ere also gifted with a poem by Sr Jacinta Rice who had been a teacher in the Foundation year.
Our guests at our VCE Art Exhibition were also treated to hearing from Anna Egberts, Class of 2007, who opened this year鈥檚 show. Anna shared how her love of art and design was fostered during her time at 蘑菇视频 and outlined the career path she has taken pursuing that passion since she graduated. We were grateful for the individual encouragement and connection she made with the students on the night who were inspired by her story.
Reimagining the Future of Education
During the break I attended the Australian Council of Educational Leaders conference in Adelaide. The opening address by President Briony Scott spoke about the forces of polarisation and the disruptors to education. Interestingly when she spoke about the implications for us as schools she identified the need to teach:
– Critical thinking
– Communication skills
– Courage
– Human connection and
– Creativity.
These themes were reiterated by further speakers such as Dr Sandra Peters who spoke about the next decade as the 鈥楧ecade of Disorientation鈥�.
Some of the takeaways for leaders and educators captured in the conference artefact from her lecture included:
Embracing change and complexity- need to embrace disruption and work with it; change is inevitable. The world is undergoing rapid changes and involves a lot of complexity. Disruptive change is coming and already here; the importance of new approaches from leaders.
Agility and flexibility – we must be flexible and agile to adapt to the changing landscape of education and leadership. The characteristics of a curious leader include adaptability and the ability to think big and at scale.
Whilst for students and learners:
Adopting a curious mindset – learners should be curious, continuously asking questions and seeking to understand. Curiosity is key to capturing the imagination and fostering growth in a complex world.
Self-directed learning and agency – encouraging learners to take responsibility for their choices and learning paths. The importance of not fearing the changing world but embracing it as an opportunity for growth and discovery.
Navigating complexity – learning to seize opportunities amidst the complexity and challenges of today鈥檚 world. The importance of developing skills necessary to cope with and thrive in a rapidly changing environment.
It was affirming to think that we have been thinking about these shifts with our work with the New Metrics competencies that are being taught, practiced, assessed and reported in Year 7 and 8. Next year this will move to Year 9. During 2024 we worked with our Year 12 VCE VM students to trial the inclusion of the competencies within their program. Yesterday we were able to present them with a profile showing them their strengths that had been observed through heir VCE VM program in relation to the competencies. We are now in the final stages of moving towards this being received as a credential by the end of the year. Our team has received an invitation to speak at the annual New Metrics Conference at the University of Melbourne about how they have implemented this work in the VCE VM this year. Exciting times for our students.
Blessings
Luci
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