From the Principal
Bonjour à tous.
The second half of Term 3 is definitely the business part of the year. This is a time where, Year 12 teachers are trying to get courses completed and there are probably the least interruptions. This gives teachers the greatest opportunity to get a run at making progress with all students.
We have excellent teachers in our school working sometimes with tricky kids. Our focus is to ensure there is a pathway for everyone and that everyone can access the curriculum. This is a good time of the year to focus on that. Hence it is a great opportunity for the school leaders to provide the conditions for you to do this. It can be very difficult in the leadership role. The job of the school leaders has grown over the years beyond just instructional leadership, to whole school leadership. This requires the ability to effectively allocate resources to lead a team to achieve outcomes. Many of the school leaders are great teachers, often with little business experience. However, our job is to work with our teams to achieve the goals of the school business plan by listening to our staff needs. At your next learning area meeting, please discuss with your PC the needs of the team to increase student outcomes for all students and your needs to advance our school agenda in Peer Observations, the instructional framework and other learning goals.
En Avant
Mike Sinagra
Principal
STAFF SHOUTOUTS!
Thank you to all staff involved in both the ministers visit and the school review validation visit. Particularly; Sharna who scheduled the day for our review team; and Megan and Ellie for the Ministers visit.
Thank you to the Science staff that hosted me watching classes Monday morning. There were many different modes of delivery and students were very engaged in their lesson. There was plenty of opportunity for the development of critical thinking. Well done.
QUESTIONING AND FEEDBACK
Feedback that moves forward
We have already looked at the use of feedback. However, we need to recognise that, in order for feedback to be effective, it needs to be understood, accepted and actionable.
Focus forward
Rather than using feedback to describe past performance focus on describing actions they can take to improve future performance.
Keep it positive and specific
In order to be motivating and actionable, tell students the things that they are succeeding at that they should continue to so more of alongside the things that they need to do differently.
Nurture or Push
Match the feedback to the student. Different students respond in complex ways. Some need careful nurturing and respond badly to perceived criticism. Others need a strong push to lead them to increase their efforts.
Avoid SATNAV
SATNAV guidance gives continuous direction making it possible to travel from A to B but you never learn the route. Give students the capacity to produce excellent work and less on producing a specific exemplary piece.
Reduce feedback over time
As students engage in independent action and gain confidence reduce the detail in the feedback. Train the students to generate self-assessed feedback.
NUTS AND BOLTS
Leave
Like many of you I have found myself under pressure from Central Office to use up long service leave. I will take two week leave starting next week. During Week 8 and Week 9 Greg Slavin will fill in. Greg is a very experienced Principal and will hit the ground running.
Careers Practitioners
As part of the election commitment 70 schools will receive Career Practitioners. Career Practitioners will work with school leadership teams to plan and embed career development and work exposure activities into curricular and co-curricular programs. All 70 career practitioners will be employed as teachers. They will play an integral role in providing information and liaising with students, staff, parents, training providers, employers and industry. I am very happy to announce that we have been selected, to help build and share contemporary career development practices across the public school system.
Student Movement
Usually we pack up just before the end of period 1 and period 3 to allow students to move between classes. All other times students should be gainfully employed right up to the siren. You might not be surprised to know that often there are students out before the siren even goes. Students at the door of class rooms or moving around the school before the end of the period creates a lot of pressure on your colleagues who are trying to summarise, review the lesson or complete journal entries.