Imagine – Leadership Updates

Are we teaching the “love of” the the, or just the “the”?

faithadmin Apr 24, 2024 0 Comments

In my office, on a small desk covered with Wall•E minifigures, Astro Boy and a minion carrying bananas you will also find my grade four class photo. I'm the smallish blonde boy in the middle row, fourth from the left. At the other end of the row is Mrs. Paterson. She is the reason the photo sits on my desk forty-four years later. I don't really remember much about what I learned in fourth grade. Now, as a primary teacher of many years myself, I can guess what was covered, and while it might be interesting, it's not important. What…

Principal

NAPLAN: A Critique.

faithadmin Mar 22, 2024 0 Comments

  I have written similar pieces to this in the past, so bear with me if you have read this before. At this time of year I begin to become a little frustrated, and perhaps start to feel professionally compromised. What about? Good question. About how our field of service, our industry, education, has become compromised in our country due to the over emphasis on standardised testing and the imminent league tables and articles that will inevitably follow in the papers and online. Don’t get me wrong we will do okay.  As well as expected, probably a little better. Our…

Junior School Learning Whole College

Children as Agents in their own learning.

faithadmin Mar 13, 2024 0 Comments

‘Agency may be the most important factor in human happiness and well-being’ Johnson and Stixrud The Self-Driven Child (2018). We have been fortunate to have had Tonya Gilchrist working with staff, students and parents the past week, and to say we have all learnt a lot would be an understatement. However, for me, this idea of agency has been one of the most powerful reminders I have had in a while. But what do we mean by agency? In education, agency refers to a respectful and more empowered positioning of students to be active agents in their own learning lives.…

Principal Whole College

If they can almost do it … let them.

faithadmin Mar 8, 2024 0 Comments

On Wednesday night this week I was privileged to, once again, sit in the presence of Tonya Gilchrist. Tonya has been visiting our college this week and is working online with our team across the remainder of this year. An international learning strategist and a wonderful teacher she has been taking lessons and demonstrating best practice to our team when it comes to the face to face stuff of our work. The kids have loved it, that staff are being stretched and grown, the outcomes will be better for our learners. One of the amazing quotes Tonya shared on Wednesday…

Learning Secondary School Whole College

Togetherness

faithadmin Feb 28, 2024 0 Comments

In the dynamic landscape of education, fostering a sense of togetherness is not just a lofty ideal; it is the cornerstone of a thriving learning environment. As we embark on this academic journey together, it's essential to delve into what it truly means to be 'together' in a learning community and understand the profound impact it has on our children's educational experience. Togetherness goes beyond mere physical proximity; it is about cultivating a shared vision, fostering collaboration, and creating a supportive network that extends beyond the classroom walls. At Faith, we believe in the transformative power of a unified community,…

Junior School Wellbeing Whole College

Kids these days don’t know how to talk to each other!

faithadmin Feb 14, 2024 0 Comments

It’s normal these days to see a group of children, teenagers or twenty-somethings all sitting with each other in silence, heads down, eyes glued to a screen, captivated by the world within their devices. Simultaneous chats with multiple friends, voice messages, images, text, and videos. Communicating with animated gifs, adding stickers to images to create a message, snapping a short video, or capturing a few seconds of audio. This is the world of communication that our children, teenagers and “millennials” (and increasingly, we all) inhabit. But did you notice what was missing? Talking. There is very little talking! The most…

Secondary School Whole College

Nurturing Future Leaders: Faith Lutheran College’s Approach to Preparing Students for the Evolving Workforce

faithadmin Feb 8, 2024 0 Comments

In an era marked by rapid technological advancement and constant innovation, the landscape of the workforce is undergoing a profound transformation. The skills demanded by employers are evolving at an unprecedented pace, making it imperative for educational institutions to adapt accordingly. At Faith Lutheran College, we recognize the importance of equipping students not just with knowledge but also with the ability to adapt, collaborate, and innovate in an ever-changing world. With a future focused leadership Faith Lutheran College has embarked on a journey to prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of the future. Central to our approach is the…

Principal Whole College

Two’s company but three is even better

faithadmin Jan 25, 2024 0 Comments

Our annual theme for 2024 here at Faith is the word ‘together’. Last week our whole staff met in an opening session where we explored the idea of togetherness. One of the ideas we looked at was that shared in the Bible in the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 4, verses 9 to 12. It reads; Two are better than one, for if one fails the other is there. Two can keep warm when the night is cold. Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not easily broken. We are designed to be…

Learning Secondary School Wellbeing Whole College

Strong Women

faithadmin Nov 29, 2023 0 Comments

I had the pleasure of walking through the Year 7 project-based learning (PBL) expo on ‘Strong Women’ that was open to our parent community for an afternoon. It was no surprise that the vast majority of strong women chosen by students to celebrate during this learning expo were mothers and grandmothers. Of particular interest to me was a handwritten story book in which a student had penned responses from their mum to some pretty hard-hitting questions like “What is your biggest regret” and “What would you do differently”. As I looked around the multiple rooms of displays, I realized there…

Whole College

Hopefulness

faithadmin Nov 22, 2023 0 Comments

Like me, you might have filed away in the back of your brain a few words, phrases or sentences that come from movies or television shows you have seen over the years. ‘Tell him he’s dreaming’. ‘I’ll be back!’ ‘You’re terrible, Muriel’. ‘It’s got to be done.’ In the movie The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, the energetic and ever optimistic hotel manager, Sonny, often responds to tough and challenging circumstances with the words ‘Everything will be alright in the end so if it is not alright it is not yet the end’. Such words of hopefulness and looking forward with…

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