Shining Lights Week 6, Term 4
- Becoming Accountable
We live in a world of accountabilities. As adults, we understand that we must pay the bills, make our appointments follow the guidelines, show up on time, and so on. For our children, the bigger picture around why we need to be accountable is not always so clear. Our role as parents and educators is to help our students to see the bigger picture and to fill in the gaps of their understanding.
In our Restorative Practices work with Graeme George this year, College staff considered what this looks like in our context, working with our students. He reminded us of the neurological development that goes on in the physiology of a young person. The reality is, we are working with young people whose brain, with its full range of cognitive and regulatory process is substantially unformed and underdeveloped.
One of the most arresting and interesting things that Graeme said to us was that our role as parents, educators and caring adults is to be for our children, their prefrontal cortex as they develop executive functions, regulation and decision making. In our love, support and guidance, we must be the regulating brain for our children!
Becoming accountable comes with a considerable backstory. Ultimately, we do things because it is the right thing to do. How do we know? – Somebody showed us. Often the showing came in the form of love, patience, and modelling correct responses. Our Pastoral Care Framework directs toward accountabilities, but we understand that the path there must lead through the development of faith in our relationships, a trusting care for one another, and the determination to uphold human dignity as a prized goal.
Our work in restorative practices aims to do just that.
Be the Light of Christ.
.... Something that you do to shirts ..
Busy time of year. Over the last few weeks, for example, we have had the Year 10 Sydney trip, the Stand Tall event and our Year 12 Graduation. No complaints here, good news followed by good news. I am very confident that we have great staff and great kids and never expected anything less. Nevertheless, some of the subtle eternal ironies are not lost on me and reflect aspects of growing and learning and teaching.
The Year 12 Graduation was a really enjoyable evening (and let me thank again Mrs Gough as driving force behind its organization). And you always wish you had more awards.
Irony 1 – When this group was in Year 8, they were very challenging as a whole. But they finished so well, happy and united. Parents keep at it, school keeps at it, they mature. Or at least someone has done something right.
Irony 2 – Who were the first and last young people to have a chat with staff? You know it; the kids who you would tag as having been in the most conflict with school expectations over the years. Call this what you will – burying the hatchet or more likely the maturity of realizing that the expectations were always for their, and wider good.
Irony 3 – Is the most obvious one. Kids who never shaved / polished their shoes / wore too much jewelry / skirts too short / ties never on / blazers in the wash / the dog ate my shoes / thought it was PE day…were immaculate and immaculate in understated classic style.
The Year 10 Sydney trip (and Year 9 shortly) is attributable to the efforts of Mrs Hibbert and her great team, most prominently Mrs Rawlins-Cook and Mrs Heffernan.
Irony – Reports of unqualified wonderful co-operation, conduct, responsibility. Good news; but something that is not always in evidence in every class and the playground. Says something about the maturity to appreciate context and the power of non-classroom learning. As you would expect and demand, immaculate in the Holocaust Museum and the Mosque. I hope the transfer is made to how they universally speak to each other. It will (eventually, mostly).
PS A camp story which amuses me – when parents drop off their first child the first time at 6:00am, both parents shed a tear and wait for the busses to leave. Second child – one parent drops them off. Third child – comes with someone else. Fourth child walks (with pack).
Stand Tall was a wonderful event. Every credit to the organisers and the driving forces behind it such as Angela Farr-Jones. Big NSW gov. money. Incredible logistics for them and a bit to do for us. Wonderful speakers (have a Google) and engaging music (in a doof doof sort of way). Kids tremendous, supervising staff tremendous.
Irony – Year 8 and 9 (boys usually) with concentration spans varying from five seconds to five minutes (I blame technology remember), sit entranced for five fours, bladders and thirst magically not at issue. Now, AGAIN, it’s about transfer. For example two of the speakers spoke about their great good works post being diagnosed with prospective terminal illness. Gives some perspective to our own “problems” I hope. You control stuff rather than let stuff control you, cannot be heard often enough. Also true was the rider “start today.”
Never a dull moment.
(Is irony something you do with shirts or what? Is my signature opening to any lesson on language. Usually followed by I’m here/hear all week on the blackboard/whiteboard and They’re / their / there; little lunch is only 40 mins away). The closest to immortality I’ll ever get.
.... Future Finders
I was fortunate enough to spend a day this week with our Year 6 Students at the Future Finders Day at the University of Wollongong Campus in Bega. It was a great experience for the students who had the opportunity to participate in hands on learning activities, such as engineering challenges and extracting DNA from bananas. As part of the program students are given the chance to investigate what types of opportunities there are for them after school and what types of careers they would like to pursue.
These events provide a wonderful opportunity for students to think big and imagine who they might be when they are older. Students learn that there are a wide variety of occupations and career paths that they might not have even heard of before, let alone contemplated. They are also encouraged to make the connection between the skills they learn at school and the skills that are required as an adult, and to understand they might not be as different as they imagine. Working as a team, leadership, communication, information technology, investigating, experimentation,research, digital media, cooperation, independence, responsibility and creativity are just some of the skills that are highly valued across a wide range of industries and occupations and are embedded across all of the work we do at Lumen.
I believe that we should encourage children and young people to imagine the world around them as a place that they can go and share their talents and gifts, and that you are never too young to dream about what you would like to do when you get older. There is no guarantee that what the future holds is what you imagined you would be doing in grade two. As adults we are well aware that there are occupations now that didn’t exist when we were children, and the same will apply for our children. What is valuable, is for a child to be able to imagine a place for themselves in the future, a place where they are able to develop and share their special talents and abilities.
.... Webinars in November
Pathways to Studying Law | Wed 16 November 4-4:30pm
Did you know, there are many pathways to studying law at the University of Sydney? With graduates ranking 1st in Australia and 4th globally for employability*, students can hear from our panel of current students who have joined the law community at Sydney through alternate pathways, transferring or studying graduate entry law.
Bachelor of Engineering: Biomedical Engineering | Wed 23 November 4-4:30pm
Students can join this webinar to find out more about the University of Sydney’s Bachelor of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering. As the most comprehensive Biomedical Engineering program in Australia, you will have many biomedical-specific opportunities.
Science at Sydney: Agriculture, Food & Animal Biosciences
Wed 30 November 4-4:30pm
Students can join this webinar to find out more about what life in the field of agriculture, food, sustainability, and the environment is like and what jobs are available in these growing sectors. Learn what the sector is about, what an average day of work might be like for an agriculture or food scientist, environmental consultant, conservation, or natural resource management professional, and how students can pursue studies towards working in this sector.
* 2022 QS World University Rankings
.... Webinars in December
What is Economics? | Wed 7 December 5-5:30pm
Students can join this webinar to find out more about the University of Sydney’s Bachelor of Economics, including the level of analytical thinking encouraged in the degree, which will help interpret the world on a deeper level as they study the behaviour of businesses and industries, governments and countries, and the globe as a whole.
Students can join this webinar to learn more about all of the different systems, thinking methodologies and ways in which chemical engineers solve complex problems and lead the way in various industry sectors.
Exercise Sports Science and Exercise Physiology: Fit for Life |
Wed 14 December 4-4:30pm
Did you know you can use exercise to improve health, well-being and fitness and help manage chronic conditions, disability and injuries? This is also in addition to the careers you have probably heard about, such as improving sporting performance and servicing elite sport. Join us for this webinar to hear more about careers in this developing area
