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The Gift of Music at St Andrew’s Cathedral School

At St Andrew’s Cathedral School music is central to the life of our school since our beginnings as a choir school in 1885.

At our school our commitment to developing musical talent works hand in hand with our pursuit of academic excellence in the context of a wholistic education. Our Christian vision of the world sees music as a gift, something that points to the existence of something else: something of profound beauty and transcendence beyond the here and now. We believe music frees us: helping us to look beyond ourselves in serving others who experience our performances.

“Music fires complex and widespread activity in many areas of the brain. It brings joy, enhancing wellbeing. I love that music unites us as we lose ourselves in it, and it brings diverse students together,” said Mr Ben Milis, Acting Head of Music in the Junior School.

But making music is also a challenge.

“There are no shortcuts in the development of genuine expertise,” said Dr Christian Watson, Director of Performing Arts at the School. “In a world where young people can be distracted by numerous devices that offer immediate gratification, music asks for the opposite—hours of deliberate, determined practice to identify challenges and work to correct them. But this asks for courage. Stepping onto the stage isn’t easy. That’s where the teaching of character comes into it.”

Strong relationships are so important. “Our focus is on bringing our students into a community bound to excellence,” Dr Watson said. “Our teachers and tutors have the perfect balance of outstanding educational qualifications as well as professional experience as performers. They’re also committed to investing in long term relationships—we know that the support of a devoted and expert mentor is essential in any successful music programme.”

The school starts early, with a comprehensive Junior music programme. “Our students get to experience the wonder and challenge of learning an instrument for the first time, joining a choral group or band or ensemble, and we tailor our programmes to the needs and interests of our children,” said Mr Milis.

“Our city location also opens up a world of performance possibilities in world class venues,” said Dr Watson. “This ranges from carols in the Queen Victoria building, to recitals in our newly renovated Chapter House or a performance in the beautiful surrounds of St Andrew’s Cathedral or Sydney Town Hall.”

St Andrews students have access to international and national music tours, create musical theatre performances in professional venues, and benefit from working with an inhouse recording engineer. In the senior years the School offers both the IB and HSC as options, and a number of the School’s talented students have gone on to study at the most prestigious national and international tertiary performance programs,

Music and academic scholarship applications are open for students in Years 4-11 in 2023.

Other scholarships include:

• 2023 Academic (Years 5, 6, 7 and 11)

• 2022 Cathedral Choir (Years 3 boys)

• 2023 Indigenous (from Kindergarten)

To find out more about our music program and scholarships visit www.sacs.nsw.edu.au or contact our enrolments department at enrolments@sacs.nsw.edu.au or call 02 9286 9664.

Thriving Online

Barker’s Digital Learning Team, like all teachers and staff around the state, for that matter, commenced Term 3 firmly positioned in survival mode. We had a good set of tools and strategies in place, but nothing can overcome the feeling that we just need to “get through the week”.

Inevitably, we reach a point where we become more comfortable and familiar with our new modus operandi. It is here where we can shift the focus from surviving online to thriving online. Thriving online follows this example, placing wellbeing together with academic virtues.

Thriving Online represents a guide to good teaching and learning in an online context from PreK-12. The framework includes five domains: Wellbeing, Design, Agency, Interaction, and Feedback. Interestingly, these don’t just make for good online teaching; they represent good teaching, period.

Wellbeing

A common phrase in education circles is Maslow before Bloom. This refers to two models prevalent in education and psychology:  Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs and Bloom’s taxonomy of cognitive engagement. Put simply, Maslow before Bloom means that teachers must ensure students’ basic needs are fulfilled before learning can commence. While some students might flourish learning online, for others, it can be isolating and daunting. Having an awareness of this spectrum is vital. To thrive online, teachers help students feel a sense of belonging in their class, establish routines and norms, and emphasise individual goal setting.

Design

Like face-to-face learning, online learning should balance the need for teachers to engage in good direct instruction and the ability for students to learn independently and from each other. In the online environment, teachers can create this balance by conducting targeted video meetings on Teams to explicitly introduce and scaffold ideas, provide worked examples, and check for understanding. However, we also know that students then need opportunities to think and connect their ideas. For this reason, we keep our video meetings under 30-minutes and allow students time in lessons to develop their understanding.

Agency

Feedback from our online learning experience in 2020 revealed that many students valued the ability to work through activities at their own pace. When students are well prepared, we know that they value the ability to pick up where they’ve left off and work through an activity or project at their own pace. Agency can also come from more unexpected places, like the ability to watch, pause or rewind video content or from having the choice of several activities or topics from which to work.

Interaction

Interaction is often seen as one of the most challenging areas to tackle in online learning. We are lucky to be teaching and learning in a time where technology continues to make interaction and communication more accessible. Many teachers use breakout rooms in Teams to provide students with the virtual space to communicate and collaborate. Microsoft Teams has also become a real hub for asynchronous communication with students and teachers communicating over chat. Our focus for thriving online is to continue to look for ways where interaction, collaboration and communication are developed through learning activities.

Feedback

Feedback in online learning takes on new meaning and importance. In a face-to-face classroom, feedback can happen so subtly, almost subconsciously. When working online, students look for different cues from their teacher to make sure they are on the right path. Using tools like OneNote have helped by giving teachers access to student work as it is being completed. In our next phase of online learning, we will continue to develop feedback options by encouraging individual goal setting, peer feedback, self-assessment, and peer feedback.

Conclusions

Teachers and staff learnt a lot from our previous experience of online learning. While we learn more about the nuances of teaching and learning online every day, we are well-positioned to make the most of the challenges that are thrown our way. In 2021, we must set our sights on providing excellent learning opportunities for our students, no matter the context.

Andy Mifsud

Director of Digital Learning – Barker College

A Step Up to Step Out

What differentiates the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at St Leonard’s College?

There is no doubt that the academic requirements of students in year 11 is a step up from year 10 regardless of the tertiary pathway chosen. The trajectory for the final two years of secondary school focuses on both academic achievement and social development to establish a strong platform for success and leadership at university and life beyond.

Renowned for pedagogical innovation, St Leonard’s College was the first Victorian school to introduce the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) in 1982. Our IBDP students graduate with a resumé that speaks to purposeful inquiry, empathy and contribution to community.

Developed over 50 years ago, the IBDP values breadth, depth and critical thinking. Breadth is reflected by the six subjects: Language A (mother tongue, in most cases English), an additional language, mathematics, a science, a humanities, and, a sixth subject which may be an additional science, humanities or language, or, an arts subject: Music, Theatre or Visual Arts. Depth requires three of these subjects to be studied at a higher level (vs standard level), recognising students’ strengths and interests. Critical and compassionate thinking comes through Theory of Knowledge (TOK), the Extended Essay and CAS (Creativity, Activity and Service). Students train across disciplines, building transdisciplinary skills applied to understanding, and acting knowledgably in local and global contexts. Learning extends beyond subjects and seeks to develop the character of young adults.

St Leonard’s IBDP results tell the story of great individual and collective achievements. Having a sense of purpose, confidence, resilience and effort sustained by trust in self, family and teachers are keys to success. What else distinguishes the IBDP experience at St Leonard’s College?

“The IB really forced me not just to care about facts but to understand where ideas come from and how knowledge can change and be used. Every assessment asks us to justify our answers. This has made me a more confident and precise speaker and writer, important strengths whatever field I go into.”

Adelyne S, Class of 2020

“Working with teachers for two years, they really get to know you and we get to know them. Working on individual projects of our own interest and design, we really learn to collaborate with our teachers, taking their feedback on board, organising our time and focus our attention to edit for our final submissions.”

Charlotte T, Class of 2020

A key point of difference of the IBDP is Theory of Knowledge. TOK invites students to consider where knowledge comes from and why others think differently; what informs the beliefs and actions of others. Students enquire into questions such as: Why do we seek knowledge? Should some knowledge not be sought on ethical grounds?

While a discrete subject, TOK thinking skills are embedded in all subjects to “encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.” (IBO Mission Statement) The views of parents, teachers and other experts are sought and investigated, valuing equally valid contributions to understanding.

St Leonard’s College year 11 students participate in TOK Camp, culminating in a presentation responding to their learning:

“TOK camp was a great way for us to connect as a cohort. I have learned so much about, and from, my friends. We had great discussions about important issues that interest and affect us now and will affect our future. Engaging in this kind of critical thinking has made me a better listener, more empathetic and more determined to find out what’s right, as well as preparing us really well for our Exhibition assessment.”

Sophie W, Year 11

Another distinguishing feature is the Extended Essay. Researched and written over twelve months, students craft a university class thesis guided by their supervisor. Each year, a number of students use this essay as evidence of serious exploration in their tertiary applications.

“The surprise of the Extended Essay is how much you learn. Not only did I learn how to research and structure a 4,000 word essay but to have really deep and meaningful conversations with my supervisor. They are interested in you, how your research is going, what you have learned and ask you questions that really make you think about the significance of your writing to a wider audience. In my case, I also learned a new software package. I am really happy with my essay. I know I can use it in interviews to show my deep interest in the subject as well as for the quality of my writing and research.”

Noah S, Year 11

Beyond academics, the IBDP promotes and values life balance. ACS sport, the College’s renowned music programs and theatre productions are just some opportunities our students have. Further, we encourage students to seek challenges, to participate in new activities and to take on leadership roles.

“St Leonard’s College makes us aware of how fortunate we are and encourages us to give back to our community. Being part of the food service with Lennie’s Van, coaching a junior team outside school, participating in beach clean-ups and teaching piano to kids within our community are things I feel proud of, which count as CAS and add to my CV when I apply for jobs and uni! My friends and I are looking forward to acting on our learning through the Active Bystander training to teach younger year levels in our school.”

Will M, Year 11

We are confident that with attitudes and capacities like this, that St Leonard’s College IBDP graduates will make their mark on the world while continuing their connection with us

Alphington Grammar School – Top 100

Alphington Grammar School has shown consistent academic improvements over the last 10 years. In 2019 they were featured in the media for their outstanding NAPLAN scores.

In 2020 they won ‘The Age’ award for most improved VCE results in 10 years for the Northern School District and this year they were amongst the Top 100 Schools in Victoria. Their 2021 NAPLAN results again indicated that they had achieved well above the State average in every category at every year level – a remarkable achievement for a truly open entry non selective school.

At Alphington we believe that every child can learn and every child should experience success. At the core of the school’s Teaching and Learning Philosophy is

• Literacy and Numeracy
• Very strong Relationships between staff and students – Excellent Pastoral Care
• Bespoke and targeted Learning Support and Extension Programs
• Staff to be Skilled in – classroom differentiation
• Engaging Lesson design and delivery underpinned by innovative thinking                                                                

“Strong relationships between the students and staff is critical to achieving measurable outcomes, maturity and growth in our students” says Principal, Dr Vivianne Nikou.  “Relationships underpin everything we do at Alphington Grammar School.  Our goal is for every student to ‘Aspire to Excellence’, but in order to achieve this we must deal with any existing social or emotional barriers which may prevent our students from reaching their potential. Our focus on social and emotional well-being means our students feel extremely comfortable and safe here at Alphington to take risks with their learning. It’s not stigmatised to get extra support or go to Homework Club. Smaller open and convivial classroom environments enable our students to gain a level of clarity to their learning, which can only be achieved in a safe and comfortable learning environment”.

Classroom teachers are expected to provide a differentiated curriculum which sees student learning outcomes enhanced. The ALPHA Initiative (Advanced Learning Program for High Achievers) has seen a significant increase in student outcomes for the most advanced learners and, Learning Support staff provide scaffolded learning experiences to cater for all abilities, ensuring success for all learners across the School.

Schools are such centres of socialisation and collaborative learning. Remote Learning has challenged students, staff and parents in ways we have not experienced before. It has required an even more responsive, explicit and flexible lesson structure to be designed to ensure that our students’ learning isn’t compromised.

There is no doubt that Alphington Grammar School is passionate about Teaching and Learning to have justifiably earnt their place in the Top 100 Schools. Clearly hard work brings its own rewards and Alphington has shown what that can look like for everyone.

For more information

Alphington Grammar School

Report finds Meriden’s online teaching exemplary

When remote learning commenced in 2021, Meriden staff and students eased back into a well-practised routine they had perfected a year earlier. While the Meriden community has celebrated how successfully the School educates and cares for girls during periods of remote learning, the School’s online teaching methods have been recognised as exemplary in a report by researchers at The Evidence Institute and the University of Technology Sydney.

The Digital Learning Practices Case Study identifies the effective and innovative practices of Meriden’s 2020 online learning strategy. The paper aims to provide other schools with evidence-based practices to improve online educational outcomes for all Australian students.

Dr Julie Greenhalgh said she was pleased the School could share the hard work of its Leadership Team, Heads of Department and teaching staff.

“Developing best-practice approaches to educational delivery is collaborative and ever-evolving in a regular teaching year; in a pandemic year, the process of trialling, tweaking, reviewing and sharing methods that worked best online took on an unprecedented pace!” Dr Greenhalgh said.

“Our staff went above and beyond to adapt their teaching methods and strategies for online learning and our School’s collaborative culture ensured these methods, tools and resources were shared for the benefit of our students. Our teaching staff have demonstrated their absolute commitment to the continuation of the girls’ learning and to the maintenance of their general wellbeing and I hope some of the strategies that our experience and this report have shown to be effective can be of use to other educators.”

As part of their study, the researchers interviewed four key members of Meriden’s Leadership Team, conducted focus groups of teachers and students, conducted a survey of 150 Year 8 students and collected artefacts from the 2020 online learning period, including samples of student work and School policies.

In their findings, the authors identified that effective technology support and infrastructure assisted the seamless transition to online learning whilst a number of effective digital practices maintained the girls’ academic development and engagement. These included providing students with choice, ownership and autonomy in learning; using new media for explicit teaching; designing projects to enhance authentic learning; providing timely and purposeful multimodal feedback; and promoting interactions and collaboration through deliberate learning design.

The report points out that the School’s support of student wellbeing was an integral aspect of its online learning success. The authors identified a number of purposeful strategies utilised by staff that positively impacted student health. Some of these strategies included clear expectations regarding start and finish times and student feedback; the implementation of policies to ensure the privacy of both students and educators; formal and informal check-ins by teachers; and the encouragement of physical activity and seeking connections with other students.

Dr Greenhalgh said the magic ingredient in all of these practices was the fabric of Meriden’s community.

“Our pastoral care network ensures that every student is known, and adjustments could be made to meet the needs of each girl.”

She said the online learning experience has revolutionised the ways in which education is delivered in Australia and around the world. Meriden has embraced these changes, even in “normal” school settings.

“When staff and students returned to face-to-face learning last year, Meriden undertook its own audit of the online learning period and found that satisfaction levels about student wellbeing and academic performance were high amongst staff, students and parents,” Dr Greenhalgh said.

“After extensive community consultation, many of the adjustments made for online learning were retained in the regular, face-to-face learning environment because they were so effective at enhancing the student experience. We are proud to be at the forefront of educational design and delivery and we relish the opportunity to continue to reflect on our practices. The Evidence Institute/UTS report is a welcome addition to our reflective process and I am sure there will be many more lessons from the 2021 remote learning period that we will examine in the future.”

Read the Digital Learning Practices Case Study on the Association of Independent Schools website.

IGS Leaders Help Create New Moral Courage Program

Throughout the year, IGS Principal Shauna Colnan has encouraged students to exercise moral courage.

Our Year 12 Leaders have been instrumental in contributing to the development of a Moral Courage Program with the Ethics Centre and Relationships Australia. The aim was to develop a program around supporting young people, to help them better deal with difficulties and challenges in life.

Ethics Centre Director of Innovation John Neil and Relationships Australia CEO and Clinical Psychologist Elisabeth Shaw joined the Year 12 Leaders’ Zoom Morning Tea session to thank them for their contributions.

Shauna said the initiative stemmed from a conversation between her and Elisabeth, where they discussed “the importance of students being given targeted educational experiences to build their capacity to understand the nature and importance of self respect and the exercise of moral courage”.

“The consent issue then emerged strongly in public discourse which gave us more impetus to shape a program with The Ethics Centre that would help young people navigate some of the complexities around relationships as they moved through their formative years.”

John Neil thanked and congratulated the Class of 2021 Student Leaders for their input earlier this year.

The Student Leaders, with IGS Deputy Principal Students and Campus Life Mary Duma, first met with John and Elisabeth in April for a focus group to get the program off the ground.

“We were nervous and excited because this is a new initiative and we were coming to learn from you in that first focus group. Thank you so much, it set an amazing tone for the project,” John told the students.

“We had an idea of what moral courage is but we suspected it might be very different to how you perceive it.

“We learnt a lot from you in that very first session. I think the concept resonates. It’s something we all experience, the ability to know who we are, know what we value and know how to act on those values is primarily what moral courage is all about.

“For me it means knowing what’s important, and knowing how to act on that in the best way possible. We heard examples from you and went on to four other schools who participated in focus groups in a similar process.

“We heard things like, ‘it means having bravery to stand by your values and morals, having conversations with friends, how to stay strong with what you believe in, and learning how to bring things up with people without being attacked’.”

Elisabeth added that the students “have been terrific contributors to our thinking, and that will be a legacy that you leave behind”.

We thank these students for their contributions and wish them well for the years ahead, along with their Class of 2021 classmates.

IGS Head Girl Grace Truman and Head Boy Orlando Read thanked John and Elisabeth for the IGS students’ opportunity to help develop their Moral Courage Program.

Character Education Through Modeling

Humans are hard-wired to learn. All-day, information is being absorbed through all our senses all the time, shaping each of us as we navigate our lives. Learning occurs everywhere. Life is learning.

As adults going through our lives, we are modelling behaviours and attitudes to those around us, whether we are conscious and deliberate about it, or not. Often what we do is more important than what we say. If we want to positively influence others, we need to be conscious of the way in which we conduct ourselves.

Young people learn how to respond to different life lessons through watching the people around them. In this way, all adults model how to treat others, how to apologise, how to be honest, how to ask for help, how to listen, how to do our best, how to deal with frustration, how to navigate conflict, how to show gratitude, how to take care of ourselves and how to learn and grow. Modelling is therefore an important tool for teachers and parents alike, which we should strive to use deliberately and authentically to help young people grow.

In the case of Character Education, modelling is crucial. Character Education is about shaping and positioning young people with the dispositions to thrive in the world. At TKS, we explore three areas of character: performance character – fulfilling potential; moral character – doing what is good and right; and contribution – active citizenship; and the dispositions associated with each. For Character Education to be valuable, it must authentically permeate all aspects of learning inside and outside of the classroom, from underpinning each academic lesson with the character dispositions helpful to maximise the learning, to designing learning experiences and reflection opportunities for individuals to recognise their own values and dispositions for grow. Character is an integral part of ongoing conversations with each individual as they journey through school and life more broadly. To avoid the mixed messages of ‘do as I say not as I do’, it must also be visible for young people to observe.

If we want our students to show integrity, then they need to observe it in us. If we want them to show courage to try new things we need to be open about discussing our own comfort zones. If we want them to know that mistakes are a normal and even necessary part of the learning process, then we need to be open to sharing our own learning process and mistakes with them.

Gone are the days where teachers were seen as either oracles of wisdom or as slave drivers who lurked inside the school gates never to leave their ‘natural habitat’ to have lives of their own. Instead, teachers at TKS strive to demonstrate that we, like our students, share the complexity of being human. We show them every day that we are learning too by trying things and making mistakes, showing resilience during times of struggle and challenge, sharing ups and downs, being open-minded, and reflecting on and projecting goals for continued growth. Modelling is part the TKS approach to Character Education, where teachers as mentors actively demonstrate and discuss their own ongoing growth to promote authentic connection with the students.  From this basis of connection, our mentors support student reflection by steadying the mirror and provoking students to see more clearly their own strengths and opportunities for growth. Modelling and mentoring significantly contribute to our school being a great community in which to learn.

By Melodie Matheson

Melodie Matheson is the project manager for Character, lead mentor for Year 9 and a humanities and senior history teacher at The Knox School in Wantirna South. She has worked to develop and implement skills-based courses for the past five years. As project manager for Character, she workshops professional development with staff and implements initiatives to explicitly underpin all learning with 6Cs and dispositional learning. Melodie is passionate about an education that builds the whole person and develops agency in each learner.

Early Learning Centre Recognised for Excellence

Congratulations to the IGS Early Learning Centre, selected as a finalist for a high-profile education award.

Earlier in Term 3, IGS submitted an application in the high profile

The Excellence in Early Childhood Education Awards provide an opportunity for the Early Learning staff to be recognised by a panel of independent early learning experts as leaders in the early education sector.

“IGS Early Learning is proud to be a finalist in the Multicultural Program Excellence category, with our application highlighting the multi language and intercultural early education programs embedded in the daily curriculum which are and unique to IGS,” Head of Early Learning at IGS, Sarah Herbert said.

“Finalists demonstrate outstanding practice including strong reflection of the Early Years Learning Framework and National Quality Standards.”

COVID-19 has delayed the awards presentation evening to March 2022. We look forward to sharing further news with the IGS community next year.

Xavier Exercise Passport (XEP)

With the current health restrictions and the importance of maintaining an active lifestyle, Xavier has launched the Xavier Exercise Passport (XEP) as a way for students to stay motivated and focus on movement and wellbeing during this challenging time. The exercise passport is designed as a great way to keep students fit and focused.

An individual webpage has been designed to support students in completing exercise/physical activity while at home.

https://sites.google.com/parra.catholic.edu.au/xaviercollegesport/covid-19-exercise-passport/exercise-passport

It provides students with numerous challenges to can complete to improve their health and gain points along the way. Each activity has been allocated a certain amount of points depending on the type of activity and length of time it will take to complete it.

Mr Daniel Whiley, Director of Sport and Wellbeing said this of the initiative;

The task is to try and complete at least one challenge every day with the aim to gain a minimum of 150 points a week. Linked to each activity is a series of Youtube videos or ideas to use.

Prizes are awarded to randomly selected students who have accumulated 150 points each week.

WIN: 1 Year’s FREE Tutoring For Students In Years 2-12

Each month of 2021, one lucky student in Years 2-12 will win a year of expert online tutoring in Maths, English or Chemistry from one of our 1,114+ friendly and patient tutors.

As Australia’s leading personalised tutoring service, we use a customised approach to tutoring. The 12 lucky winners will learn at their own speed – moving ahead in areas they excel at whilst giving the areas they’re struggling with the focus they deserve – so they can build confidence.

The winners will be able to choose either our Private 1-to-1 tutoring program with more attention or Small Group tutoring sessions where they can learn with others.

If you end up booking a trial and/or become a Cluey customer before we draw the winners – don’t worry, you can still win the prize which will be added to your enrolment.

Enter now to be in every draw until the end of the year!