After two weeks of our new Orientation Program, we have introduced the newest members of our College to:

Deep Learning: teacher framed and student led learning where connecting learning to the real world is key.

The Frameworks for New Metrics for Success and what competencies are…Character, Collaboration, Agency and Quality Thinking.

Their computers – how to use them, where to find stuff, how to keep safe, turning off notifications, security and cyber-safety.

The importance of keeping focus by turning off phones and putting phones and watches in lockers and looking for messages after learning.

The importance of goal setting and reflection in their learning and in assessment. How to use the Journal app for recording their reflections and to share with you and us.

The beauty and value of neurodiversity

The who, what, when, why of Growth Days.

What we are doing on the seven Community Connection days across the year – Careers, Wellbeing and Spirituality.

What it means to be part of our faith tradition in Mass and Liturgy and how they, as a class, will create liturgies throughout the year to share together with you.

The excitement of the Year 7 Encounter (camp) at Lake Dewar Lodge, March 6 – 8.

Their role in caring for the Barwon River as part of their Wellbeing through the year by having a picnic down at Fyansford

The wonder of being together in sharing breakfast out on Tullow.

And Positive Behaviour for Learning – Respect, Resilience and Engagement as the expectations for students in their learning and living at Clonard.

And we have dipped our toes into our subjects.

And this is what your children – our students – thought of the past two weeks:

Now we begin our regular classes.  Some of the key features of the Encounters’ Program include:

  • A Deep Learning approach to learning design, assessment and reporting which includes students are part of the Learning Design Team
  • Teaching, assessing and reporting on the New Metrics’ capabilities of Collaboration, Character, Quality Thinking and Student Agency where parents/carers can become involved in the assessment of student performance during Growth Days
  • A focus on student responsibility for learning (Agency) which involves constant goal setting and reflection
  • Teachers who know them well because they teach them more than one subject
  • Daily Mathematics, Language and Pedagogy of Encounter (Religion) classes
  • A Growth Project for Growth Days (7 across the year) which are asynchronous (at home or at Clonard if supervision is not possible)
  • A Wellbeing focus on a local area project: the Barwon River, where the students decide how they are going to be stewards of the area

More information regarding Growth Days is coming your way.  Please become part of our community by joining us on the 16th for the Welcome evening where we’ll play and learn more about Year 7, 2023.