The past two weeks have been quite busy at Mt Victoria with a focus on learning and achievement. By this point all students in years 7-12 should be coming to school every Monday with a study plan for the week. This allows for better time management through the week. Doing this will also ensure they are self-directing their learning at the required level for success.
They are more likely to have success in booking a Tutorial with a teacher when they need one.
They can account for additional tasks, such as summative tasks.
They can ensure they are ‘paying back’ study periods so each course is having the appropriate amount of time allocated to it.
Students in years 3-6 have immersed themselves in study planning and preparation. It is great to see how well they are using our Secondary Learning Centre on a Friday afternoon!
Earlier this term students began their weekly reflections. Primary students do these with their teachers, and secondary students do this on a form on their own. While some year groups have some areas for improvement for completing the reflections, it is clear there are improvements being made. I’d like to recognise years 7 and 10 in particular for their growth, and year 11 for their continuation of high levels of focus and dedication.
Some common themes coming through in these reflections are:
“I didn’t sit in the right zone”
“I didn’t have a study plan”
“I need to socialise less in lessons and study periods”.
The Student Leadership Team has launched the Peer Coaching Program this week, which is part of our Excellence: Step Up and Stand Out focus for this year. Students can now book peer coaching sessions in several areas, such as editing skills, essay writing skills, time management skills, and Math’s help. I encourage students to make use of this innovative project.
MAP Growth Reports went out last week, and goal setting is completed for all students. Years 11-12 have also completed goal-setting conversations with their subject teachers. Our students are very fortunate to have so much support provided to them to reflect on where they are and seek pathways for continued growth and improvement.
I encourage parents to engage in their child/ren’s learning. There are a number of ways to do this:
Reach out to your child/ren’s teacher when you have questions.
Go to your child/ren’s Canvas course/s and look at the marks and feedback. While OnePortal is great in giving you a snapshot of marked work, it cannot replace the detailed information you gain from going to Canvas. This is also where you can see any missing work!
Book a Parent-Teacher interview for next week! Bring your child to each interview to make it a 3-way learning conversation.
Volunteer at the school! This includes taking advantage of our Community Campus Support Program (CCS).
