NEW ACADEMIC YEAR – SENIOR SCHOOL

During the Annual Celebration Evening last Friday night, College Principal, Ms Mandy Connor quoted Ronnie Oldham, “Excellence is the result of caring more than others think is wise, risking more than others think is safe, dreaming more than others think is practical and expecting more than others think is possible”. 

As our Senior School students transition into their New Academic Year this week, it is a timely reminder about the pursuit for excellence. I was recently listening to a podcast that involved Olympic swimmers Cate and Bronte Campbell. Cate Campbell in sharing about the 2016 Olympic campaign, challenged the perception of the general public that as an athlete, success wasn’t measured by place, or medal in a race, but rather her measure of success was the stopwatch. She went on to discuss that when success is a measurement of place, a person’s focus has moved from themselves, to someone else. Whereas, when she competed against a ‘time’, all of her focus was on what she could do to achieve success. 

In pursuing excellence, I want to challenge our Senior School students to focus on caring more than others think is wise, risking more than others think is safe, dreaming more, and expecting more. All of these traits are within ones one control. 

The Bishop’s Mandate for Catholic Education calls students to be agents of change for good in the world: “Students need to learn to challenge, and to work towards changing whatever in Australian society conflicts with the Gospels and its values. (Mandate, 14). In line with our College’s Vision for Learning, students are encouraged to develop in the global competencies for deep learning; character, citizenship, collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking. It is these 21st century learning skills that will equip our students for LIFE beyond school. 

Senior School Parent Night – 5 November 2019

Parents are reminded of the compulsory Parent Information Evening on Tuesday 5 November at 6:30 pm. Important information regarding Senior School courses, OLNA, and Graduation requirements, possible pathways available and expectations for the new academic year will be presented. It is an expectation that every Senior School student attends with at least one parent or guardian. 

Homework 

Revision and long term learning habits are critical to success in Senior School. Students are reminded of the following recommended homework and study times for Senior School:

Year Ten: a minimum of two hours, five times a week.

Year Eleven: a minimum of two and a half hours, five times a week.

Year Twelve: a minimum of three hours, five times a week.

Enrichment

Thursday enrichment periods for students in Year Eleven and Twelve are designed around the end goal of having students working consistently towards long term goals. As students commence this new academic year this is a great opportunity to address the importance of maximising the use of enrichment on Thursdays. 

Careers 

Parents and students are encouraged to access our College’s Careers information which can be found under the link “Careers” on the home page of our College website. 

Learning Advisory Group (LAG)

On Wednesday, Week Four this term, students will commence in their new LAG groups. In Senior School, the students will continued to have one of our College’s Learning Leaders as their LAG teacher. This person will work with the students in maximising their learning journey throughout Senior School. 

Wellness

It is also important to embrace the importance of personal wellbeing for our students. Wellbeing is a critical factor in learning. Students are reminded they should be aiming for eight to nine and a half hours of sleep a night. Prayer, mindfulness, and hobbies are all important practices in regulating the mind for impactful learning. 

I wish all of our Senior School students the best of luck for this new academic year. May they aim high, work hard, and focus on what they can control. As our young people grow, may their learning be illuminated by the light of our faith.

Mr Ryan Shelton

Deputy Principal – Learning