Deakin Digest May 21
Dear ADHS community,
Digest Term 2 Week 5 2021
ANZAC Commemoration Assembly
At the end of the first week back this term, on the 23rd April, our school paused for a very poignant ceremony to commemorate Anzac Day. I would like to acknowledge the work of Panthers students in designing and delivering the service under the leadership of Ms. Kirsten Bedggood.
Captain Andrew Willis of the Royal Australian Navy delivered the Commemorative Address. Captain Willis spoke of the values Anzac Day represents and what it means to Australia. He shared with us perspectives from his own active service and that of colleagues. Captain Willis’ operational service includes deployments to the Middle-East and HMAS Parramatta. He is a Member of the Royal Victorian Order and has received a Meritorious Service Medal (US). Captain Willis is also one of our ADHS parents and we thank him for his service and for generously sharing his time and words with us.
Parent Forums term 2
Our first Parent Forum for term 2 took place on the second Wednesday of term on the topic of College Transition. A large crowd of parents and Year 10 students attended, again underscoring the value of the parent forum concept. It was jointly hosted by the Principal of Narrabundah College, Ms. Kerrie Grundy, and acting Principal of Canberra College Mr. Chris Brown. Kerrie and Chris addressed the audience on aspects of their respective colleges, as well as transition to the senior secondary environment in the ACT more broadly. We then moved into a Q & A style format, which enabled parents to delve further into aspects they were uncertain of. We sincerely thank Chris and Kerrie for taking this time to spend with our community.
The forum coincided with the College Roadshow visit for year 10 students earlier in the day. Representatives from all southside colleges shared a brief presentation with students before breaking into smaller groups for an interactive session on transitioning to the senior secondary environment.
Our Parent Support Group for this term met in Week 5 and was facilitated by the Conflict Resolution Service here in Canberra. CRS is a not-for-profit organisation who operate several support programs for families and young people experiencing family conflict. Please see their website for more details.
Parent Focus Group
On Wednesday, June 2nd this term I would like to invite you all to a parent focus group session. The purpose is to provide an opportunity for parent voice into our improvement planning. The session will be organised around parent responses to the annual School Climate and Satisfaction Survey. Our community will have an opportunity to provide further insights from the evidence and suggestions for moving forward. Parents are critical stakeholders in the education process and I, along with my staff, would value your input. It would be great to see lots of you there.
Details
Wednesday 2nd June 5.45-7.00pm ADHS Library
Enrolment Information Night
A large crowd of students and parents attended our Enrolment Information Session last week. Following an address from student representatives in year 7, 10, and 11, guests had the opportunity to be active in the gym, were immersed in culture and food in languages, experimented in science, engaged with history in HASS, became literate in English and numerate in Maths, marveled at CO2 car races, were entertained in the Arts, and were drawn by fabulous smells to the kitchens.
Many of our guests have provided positive comments about the evening, as well as our Student Leaders who acted as guides. Our students are always our best advertisement and they are clearly great ambassadors for our school. Thank you to our student presenters Adhi and Kayra from year 7, Bridget and Joji from year 10, and a special thanks to Sarah and Ronan from year 11 for making the trek back to their old school. Events such as this do not occur without a lot of time, effort, care, and dedication from the staff.
ADHS is currently only able to enroll students living in the priority enrolment area, so it is important that prospective families check the enrolment policy and guidelines on the Education Directorate website.
Student Executive Group & teaching and learning survey
Student voice is a key priority at ADHS and features in the ACT Education Directorate’s Strategic Plan. The first round of Student Executive Group (SEG) consultations for this year are currently underway. Representatives from each Tutor Group collect input from students on a range of topics and met in a forum with SEG to share student perspectives. SEG then work through the findings, and potential solutions with key staff, and will report back through Year assemblies. Thank you to Mr Mc Gillivray for leading this important function in our school.
Teachers have also been collecting information from students on the teaching and learning program. The survey items centre on student perceptions of their connectedness, and opportunities for agency in learning, 2 key planks of our improvement planning. Teachers will use the information to design interventions aimed at addressing student needs in these areas.
Athletics Carnival
After another false start due to the weather, the athletics Carnival was a feature of the term, and another fantastic Deakin community event. The weather was kind to us (this time!) and attendance and participation levels were typically high. Special mention to the entire Lifestyles Ed & Nutrition Faculty for their leadership of the day.
NAPLAN
NAPLAN testing for Years 7 & 9 was back in place this year and has been rolled out over the last week through a range of classes. NAPLAN is designed as a mechanism for providing high-quality diagnostic information on student literacy and numeracy. The information gleaned allows teachers to better personalise learning by targeting areas of strength and areas for further development. Thank you to Mr Josh DeBruyn and Ms Je Nott for their coordination of NAPLAN this year – it is a major undertaking.
Learning Progress
As we reach the midpoint of Term 2 it is very important that all students take stock of where they are and consider how they might best demonstrate their learning by the end of this term. This is particularly so for our Year 9 and 10 students. Behaviour, attendance, and academic performance must all be satisfactory for the award of a Year 10 Certificate. Now is the time to rehearse those skills and habits needed for success beyond the high school environment. And like any skill, they can be improved with the right practice, along with persistence.
Best Regards
David Briggs
Principal
Contact:
Phone:
Email: