FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Having a year without the disruption of COVID-19 has been a welcome highlight for our community in 2022. From the outset, the College leadership set plans to focus on reconnection and reengagement on multiple levels, with all stakeholders.

Being able to conduct events and activities where families can gather in person to experience and appreciate our learning programs, has been critical to achieving those outcomes. This year we held many sporting, music and performing arts events, information sessions, learning expos, art exhibitions, camps, excursions, presentation balls, graduations and celebration evenings. They have each contributed to, and richly enhanced, what has been an extraordinarily successful year for our community.

Some years ago, as part of a collaboration conducted with the Harvard Graduate School of Education, our staff contributed to the creation of a strategic framework for our educational program.

My report this year highlights these areas and lists some of the ways that we connect our practice with the strategic framework goals. I hope this allows us to see and appreciate the incredible progress we have made in achieving our educational goals and providing opportunities for our students and staff to flourish.

Strategic Goals For Education

Encouraging, Nurturing and Modelling Christian Faith

• Grappling with global and contemporary issues through a Christian worldview, informed and guided by the life and teaching of Christ as described in the truth of the Scriptures

• Fostering the Christian faith, by encouraging relationships and a variety of experiences based on God’s love and grace

• Leading students and staff in daily devotions to discover more about God’s purposes in our relationship with Him and others through scripture and prayer

• Modelling daily interactions that reflect Christ’s life and reflect His character

• Embedding the Christian College values that are inclusive and respectful of individual differences and diversity

• Guiding our students and staff to find purpose and meaning for their lives in Christ as they negotiate a complex and challenging world

• Engaging with the Christian faith through a variety of experiences and contexts both inside and outside of the classroom

On a daily basis across our College community this goal is best encapsulated in the way we live, treat each other, and foster our care for others.

Students’ interactions with their teachers and their peers are central to their experience of Christianity and God’s love. For students, learning about the life of Jesus Christ in a way that is relevant and purposeful occurs in:

• Devotions

• Classroom experiences in Christian Education

• Services and assemblies

• Special occasions and events

• Conversations and activities in pastoral and wellbeing programs

And for staff in:

• Staff devotions

• Professional development opportunities

• The Annual Staff Retreat

• Worship services

• Faculty reflections and planning

• Curriculum development

• Pastoral support from our Chaplaincy team and the Dean of Christian Culture

Initiatives such as a renewed and revised Wellbeing Framework, work undertaken by a Community of Respect team, and the commencement of a Reconciliation Action Plan will further support the progress of achieving this goal.

Quality Effective Teaching

• Responding to God’s calling to teach from a heart of love, care and concern for all students

• Developing strong intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships, built on trust, integrity and knowledge of students

• Engaging with young people through an inherent desire to see growth in learning and personal character, stemming from the teachers’ professional knowledge, practice and passion

• Seeking to improve one’s teaching craft and develop best practice, acting on feedback and professional growth opportunities

• Actively contributing to collegial relationships and collaborating on the development of curriculum pedagogy and design

• Engineering the learning so that it is engaging, targeted and differentiated to meet the needs of all students

• Setting goals for professional growth and goals for student growth through a process of feedback and self-reflection

• Recognising that all teachers are leaders and as such, should always be aware of their spheres of influence

Our staff are encouraged to have an intrinsic desire to be the best that they can be to provide the best learning experiences and opportunities for their students.

We have a structure that supports our staff in their teaching practice through specific faculty directors, under the leadership of an Executive Director of Teaching and Learning. Having the additional support of a Director of Learning Design and Teacher Development has enhanced and broadened the scope in this area. This enables the provision of specifically curated resources, programs and opportunities for professional growth through personal reflection, feedback, collaboration, action, research and working with external providers.

The College-wide Professional Growth Program for teaching staff continues to gain momentum, allowing individual and team growth in developing quality effective teaching.

Our College also benefits from the initiatives and professional development programs offered by Independent Schools Victoria (ISV). Some that our staff engaged with this year include but are not limited to, the ‘Teaching Fellowship Program’, pilot programs in ‘Transformational Repair’ and ‘Ideas into Action’. Other staff have completed individual tertiary study to complete Bachelor and Post Graduate studies, including Masters degrees and PhDs.

It was also wonderful to have one of our staff accepted into the Victorian Government’s ‘Teach for Excellence’ program created for teachers of exceptional quality.

Building Capacity to Learn

• Encouraging students to reflect on their place in the world as active global citizens with a call to serve others

• Engaging with curriculum that seeks to make meaningful connections between their learning and the world in which they live

• Acquiring knowledge and skills in all key learning areas, with a thirst to own their own learning, think critically and act on timely feedback

• Linking their personal sense of wellbeing with their competence and purpose as a learner

• Partnering in their learning with teachers of excellence who provide them with deep understanding of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment practices

• Fostering the relationships between home and school, enhancing a partnership that values and nurtures a culture of learning

• Responding to formative and summative feedback from teaching staff, reflecting on assessments and adapting practices that support growth in learning

This focus area is an exciting aspect of the teaching and learning framework with evidence of the positive impact for students already visible. We incorporate key aspects of the global competencies and take an approach to teaching and learning that goes ‘beyond the classroom’ to embrace meaningful and authentic experiences for the students. Teachers create engaging and varied programs curated to support students to take responsibility for their own learning and to make connections with the world around them. Learning occurs in classrooms and in many other settings and environments outside of school.

We continue to explore different ways of learning and it has been wonderful to see it expressed through activism about issues of importance to students – via digital means and in ‘expos’ attended by peers and families. An ‘authentic audience’ is so powerful in the learning process and allows for key questions to be asked and answered.

Our Learning Environments

• Acknowledging that the physical space of a learning environment is a critical variable affecting student engagement, mode of teaching and learning, and the general tone of the classroom

• Creating spaces that support multiple and diverse teaching and learning programs and pedagogies, including current technologies

• Fostering student ownership and involvement in the creation of their learning environment to empower them, inspire them and assist in developing community

• Constructing and re-modelling facilities that support the user and different uses, whilst being flexible, dynamic and reflective of the environment

• Encouraging the creation of spaces that enhance collaboration and social participation

• Providing physical learning spaces that are safe, secure, comfortable and stimulating for students and staff

• Utilising outdoor learning spaces and environments to harness students’ curiosity, support health and wellbeing, and foster the joy and wonder of nature

Christian College sites have historically been repurposed buildings acquired by the College that have been renovated over time to meet changing educational needs.

Reconfigured learning spaces, new contemporary furniture and the upgrade of technology all play an essential part in creating rich learning environments. Our first green site, purpose-built campus on the Surf Coast has followed a different strategy with prefabricated buildings constructed offsite, and then located in situ, which provides learning spaces in a dynamic and economical way.

New facilities for music performance and a state-of-the-art cluster of new classrooms at the Senior School have been exciting new additions to the College facilities. They are designed to meet the future needs of students and more spaces at various campuses are planned. Post COVID-19, the creation of outdoor spaces to provide flexible alternative areas for students to learn have also become part of the College landscape.

Where appropriate, we have continued to harness the benefits of online learning delivery developed during the pandemic during the return onsite in 2022. This has included the introduction of cyber-safety product that supports students and staff to manage distractions for our young people in the digital space and helps minimise their exposure to potential harm.

Our Thriving Community

• Reflecting a nurturing family that cares for and values each member, allowing them to grow and flourish

• Fostering and underpinning all relationships through daily interactions that encapsulate the College values

• Enabling a diverse range of individuals to contribute to a common vision and purpose

• Encouraging students to serve and share resources to impact the lives of others both locally and globally

• Building healthy and cooperative relationships between all educational stakeholders – students, families and staff

• Creating a culture where all community participants feel safe, valued and listened to

• Promoting a positive culture that values learning where students and staff are challenged and engaged

• Celebrating the unique attributes of each individual and supporting them to expand their physical health and mental wellbeing

• Cultivating a community of confident and resilient students, who are able to thrive in all aspects of school life and in life beyond school

I have always considered our College as one big family. Like all families we have many things that we love about each other; we cherish relationships and enjoy shared experiences. We also understand there are times when we will face challenges, perhaps arising through a lack of communication or understanding, disappointing behaviour or unfulfilled expectations. Schools thrive on people and people rely on relationships and shared values to thrive. But no one is perfect, and life presents us all with layers of difficulty and complexity we have to work through.

The creation of the Wellbeing Framework, and the establishment of a College Wellbeing Team to guide the implementation of the framework, has been a positive and proactive initiative. In 2023 the appointment of a Director of Wellbeing will further enhance the action and development of this framework to support our community to flourish.

The emphasis on mental, personal and physical health, as well as programs to support our young people to develop resilience, will continue to be supported by a chaplaincy team and the pastoral structure at each campus. Staff access training and professional development with Mental Health First Aid to support them in a variety of ways in providing student care.

The events and activities mentioned in my introduction have played a major part in working towards our goal to foster a thriving community. I am also grateful to the Major Events team, and our Marketing and Publications team, for sharing our teaching and learning celebrations with our families and the wider College community in a range of ways, including via multiple online media platforms. This helps keep us connected and allows our teaching and learning to be celebrated and acknowledged, both locally and further afield. The much-acclaimed success for our Year 7 students in the national competition ‘Videos for Change’ was just one outstanding example of local and wider communities being created and cultivated around extremely important social issues.

Each of these goals is interconnected and dependent upon each other to successfully realise what we term, ‘The Learning That Matters’. In working towards our goals, alongside our approach to implement the Global Competencies listed below, we are excited to see a renewed and engaging learning landscape at Christian College that benefits all students and staff.

Global Competencies

The Learning that Matters is informed by, and aligns with, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (2030). Beyond functional job skills, we recognise the need to develop competencies that will have the greatest impact on a student’s success in the global workforce, at the same time supporting sustainable development goals.

Skillful communication

This assists students to share and communicate ideas clearly, become better listeners and engage in respectful interactions with people from different cultures and backgrounds.

Problem-solving

This steps students through a dynamic process, often including Design Thinking and/or inquiry-based learning, to create and develop new and innovative outcomes.

Self-direction

This ensures students have the organisational and interpersonal skills to self-manage their time, emotions, resilience, and interactions with others. These ‘soft–skills’ are valued now more than ever.

Digital literacy

A highly necessary life skill. Not only is it essential to enhance learning in just about every subject, it also equips students to safely and ethically navigate their digital world.

Critical and creative thinking

This enables students to uncover complexity, consider different viewpoints, ask questions and reason with evidence.

Collaboration

This prepares students with the skills to interact, work with others and lead in a team environment, identifying their strengths and areas for growth and harnessing the best from their peers.

Literacy and numeracy

These are the foundation skills that underpin all learning areas. They help us to learn, experiment, reason and create throughout the school journey and beyond.

Global connectedness

This enables students to learn from others, with others and for others whilst seeking to make a positive difference. It explores personal and social awareness and contributing to a civil society.

It is my pleasure to present this report to our community. I do so with gratitude to the College Board, Executive, leadership team, the teaching and professional support staff, our students and families for their dedication, support and energy. It has been critical in enabling our community to emerge from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and experience such an outstanding year of progress where we have reconnected and embraced all that Christian College offers.

I thank God for bringing our community together to serve Him and each other as part of the Christian College family.

“The body is a unit, though it is composed of many parts. And although its parts are many, they all form one body. So, it is with Christ.”

1 Corinthians 12:12