If you have driven down Minerva Road this week you may have noticed the façade of our Oak Centre being installed. This is certainly adding form and beauty to what is already an impressive architectural addition to our College grounds.
I write today with the exciting news that we are ahead of schedule, and we anticipate that we will commence classes in the Oak Centre from the start of Term 4. This is a wonderful testament to the collaborative partnership that the College has created with Rendine Constructions and CHT Architects. I am also extremely grateful to our College Business Manager Helen Wood who has overseen the project. Part B of Stage 1 includes the demolition of Science Labs 4 and 5 and the large metal ramp and stairs that provides access to the Year 10 classrooms above the Nagle Room. This will create coherence between the original College precinct and the Tullow area. We will retain our significant trees and new landscaping in this space will create gathering spaces for our students. A new stairwell and lift will be installed to the west of the current Year 10 classrooms to provide access to the first floor.
Due to the early finish of the building project, we are moving forward with this demolition to optimise the synergies of having the builders already onsite. The demolition will take place over the September school holidays. This will create some temporary changes to access to Year 10 classroom and lockers above the Nagle Room. Our team is working diligently to create the logistics plan that will help us to move into the Oak Centre and relocate classes from D building whilst these works are completed. Our staff have already commenced sorting and packing our current Science Labs in readiness for the move.
Families will receive more detailed correspondence closer to the time with information about the logistics that will be put in place.
What an exciting time for our College!!
Next week Rachael Congues and myself will travel to Kingscliff to undertake the Foundation Training for Big Picture Learning. Through our New Metrics for Success partnership with the University of Melbourne we have been exposed to thought leaders and educational innovators from Australia and across the globe. One of these leaders has been Big Picture Learning Australia. Many of the principles that have been applied to the New Metrics work have been inspired by the success of the Big Picture Learning model. Valerie Hannon’s work ‘Thrive’ has been influential in shaping our thinking about the purpose of education and cites Big Picture Learning as a ‘future fit’ model for education. Our interest in Big Picture Learning has also been motivated through this work.
Big Picture Learning Australia (BPLA) was founded in Australia in 2005 by Viv White and John Hogan based on the work of BPL in the United States.
BPLA is an independent network of schools and agencies, which agree to collaborate in pursuit of a shared vision of establishing a new model of learning focused on better meeting the needs of individual students. BPLA aims to support individual students and promote systemic changes to the education system. A fundamental premise for BPLA is ‘one student at a time in a community of learners’.
Big Picture students learn in an advisory group of no more than 17 students. Where possible they stay with the advisory teacher for consecutive years. The Big Picture Learning Design is created on the following principles:
- Learning is based on each student’s interests and needs – each student forms a personalised plan for each term of work which is signed off by families. This learning is organised under six learning frames.
- Curriculum must be relevant to the students and allow them to do real work outside school to help them create real, complex and meaningful projects for learning.
- Students must connect with adult mentors outside school who share their interests and support their learning through an internship process. This connection can be supported by undertaking further courses, certificates and university units of work.
- Students present work for assessment through an end of term exhibition where their development and abilities are measured by the quality of their work and how this work has changed them. The exhibition is attended by families and mentors.
Following an expression of interest, the College was invited to explore Big Picture Learning by Founder and CEO Viv White. Over the last 12 months we have been reading, researching and visiting Big Picture academies in schools in NSW and Tasmania.
In April the Kildare Education Ministries Board endorsed the College’s proposal to work towards implementing Big Picture Learning, commencing in 2026 with two or three advisory groups (34-51 students). Our initial focus will be Years 8-10.
We look forward to completing this Foundation Training to position us to being the next steps towards our vision of bringing this learning opportunity to our students. We anticipate Information Sessions for families who may be interested in this for their daughters will take place towards the end of Term 1 in 2025.
Following my week of Big Picture training I will be travelling to Santa Teresa in the Northern Territory with some of our Year 10 students to join them in our annual pilgrimage. We are excited to be reconnecting with Br Mark Fordyce, Kellie Maine (Clonard Alumni) and the broader Santa Teresa community and continue our long-standing relationship with this community. We are very fortunate to have this opportunity and I know our students will be wonderful ambassadors for the College.
In my absence Hugh Saunders will be Acting Principal.
I wanted to finish my reflections this week with something that struck me about hope.
Have you ever tried your hand at pottery?
We had a pottery wheel at home for a time however I never mastered the art of creating something that looked quite right. The reading from Thursday told of Jeremiah being sent to the potter’s house where he would encounter God. On arriving at the potter’s house, he noticed the vessel the potter was trying to rework after the first attempt was spoiled. At this point God spoke to Jeremiah reminding him that like the clay in the potter’s hand, we are in God’s hand and God will not give up on us even in our imperfections, brokenness or hopelessness.
I thought this was a beautiful image to reflect upon this week, especially in the light of so many stories of triumph and disappointment as the world’s athletes pursue their dreams in Paris. This is an image of hope and promise, that God’s steadfastness is always present working within us bringing us to the fullness of our own creation.
Blessings
Luci
