Secondary News T3 W8 2021

An Exciting Initiative

I hope I don't offend anyone with my assumptions about age, but I could probably guarantee that when many of the staff and parents reading this went to school the world was a very different place. Computers were probably just coming in or not there, the internet was just something the military used, smart phones weren't even a pipe dream, someone else scanned your shopping, cars only ran on fuel and long-distance air travel didn't really happen (well that kind of is the same in 2021 ☹). As we rapidly approach the end of 2021, we have more processing power than ever before in our pockets, cars are close to driving themselves and Artificial Intelligence is a thing that can actually fill in for humans to a degree. Recent times have pushed people into new ways of working and the world is probably more global than ever, even though it has been shut down for much of the last 18 months as people work remotely. I even heard of a teacher that lives in Noosa and teaches in Europe. They literally work in the evenings, sleep till lunch, enjoy the beaches then work again, amazing.

We don’t have to look too far to see how much the world has changed, but can we say the same about schools and how they deliver learning?

The answer at Faith Lutheran College Redlands is YES!! We are defining an education that will set up our students for success no matter what the future throws at them. We are changing to the meet the needs of an evolving world.

In 2022, the College’s MyPath program will be rolled out across all subjects in the Year 8 – 10 Curriculum with Australian Curriculum mapped content, skills and achievement standard delivered through a series of courses developed with input from staff and students.

As they can in the current MyPath Mathematics and English in the 2022 MyPath students will be able to work above or below their cohort level in the areas they demonstrate strength in and the areas they are passionate about. For instance, a student might be gifted in music but be performing at an expected level in all other subjects. This student would be able to study music at a level a year or above in music and complete their other subjects with their cohort peers. This same student could then potentially complete their ATAR music course early and then go on to study music at university whilst still at school with their peers as they wait to graduate.

With MyPath we hope to open up the Curriculum earlier for students and provide them with a framework to create a more personalised journey through their schooling. I guess you could say it’s THEIR PATH.

If you want to find out more please click here

R U OK?

I want to thank the team, in particular Miss Vetter, for driving the important message of R U OK Day. We have a duty to look after each other and it has been so good to hear our students so maturely deliver this message and respond to this message.

Whilst we are thinking about R U OK?, students and families are reminded that there are several avenues for students to receive pastoral support at the College:

  • Subject teachers
  • Student Reception Staff
  • Pastoral Care Teachers
  • Year Level Coordinators
  • Chaplain
  • Deputy Head of School – Wellbeing
  • Deputy Head of School – Learning
  • Head of School
  • Principal

What a Night

Finally, I wanted to congratulate all the staff and students involved in the Create@Faith evening showcase. I was super impressed by the quality of everything displayed along with the performances. But the thing that stuck out for me was the fun the students were having performing.

It is a special community we are a part of, and this evening was a shining example of this.

Well done to all involved.

Stuart Needham
Head of Secondary School