Luminary
2022, Volume 1
Providing expert knowledge and College insights
Your child starting Prep is a special occasion that brings lots of excitement and some anxiety. You will likely have lots of concerns, fears and questions about what the next year will bring for your child, and wonder how you can best prepare them for the school environment.
There is a lot of information floating around the internet about what your child ‘must or should know’ before starting school, however, their Prep year is all about learning and adjusting, so there’s no need to panic.
To the great surprise of many parents, there are only a few things that you child really should know before their first day, and mainly because these things will make their transition into school life so much smoother, not just for themselves but for you as a parent.
Many parents assume their child should grasp as many academic concepts as they can before starting primary school, such as their letters and numbers, however, it is absolutely not expected by Prep teachers. What Prep teachers would really like to see is some independence and confidence in the kind of everyday skills that will enable your child to participate fully in the classroom. So, what are the top 5 things that your child should know before starting Prep? Read on.
Before starting Prep, your child should be able to independently go to the toilet and wash their hands in the basin, with the exception of children with special needs. Most likely, your child will already be familiar with this process, especially if they have been to attending kindergarten, which makes it an easy one to tick off your list.
While Prep teachers are always available to help, especially with tricky things like buttons and zips, your child should be able to take on and off their jumper and
hat, pull up their pants/skirt, and put on their shoes and socks. Velcro shoes can help while your child continues to practice lace tying at home.
3. Eating and drinking independently
It may seem obvious but eating and drinking is more complex than it seems! From opening and closing their lunch boxes and packets of food, to using cutlery, using drink bottles, and having some basic table manners and awareness of hygiene, eating, and drinking independently is composed of lots of smaller and sometimes tricky tasks. Luckily, you can give your child a head start by getting them to practice using their lunch box and water bottles at home.
4. Packing and unpacking
Throughout their school day, your child will do a great deal of unpacking and packing up various items, from colouring in pencils to toy boxes to their school bag. Getting your child familiar with packing and unpacking their backpack, toy box and other common items will give your child a lot of confidence in the classroom – and make getting ready for school much simpler for you, too!
5. Follow the Leader
Prep students will be spending a lot of time listening to their classroom teacher and learning how to follow simple 2- or 3-part instructions (e.g., hang your coat on the rack and then form a circle). While perfection is not expected, you can give your child a head start by making them familiar with listening to and following instructions. Simple games such as ‘Follow the Leader’ and ‘Simon Says’ will put them in good stead to take on the bigger adventure of going to school.
The teaching of literacy is one of the most heavily researched and argued about areas of education today. The decline in Australian literacy standards, as compared to international data, raises concerns about how we teach literacy to young children. Are we teaching literacy skills effectively?
This ongoing debate is known as “the reading wars” and while it is adults who are arguing, it is children who suffer the consequences of poor literacy instruction in their early years. Furthermore, difficulties with the skills of reading can negatively impact all other learning areas, as well as adversely affect general wellbeing and confidence. Parents concerned about their child’s progress will want to understand how their child is being taught and what approach to learning literacy is undertaken at their child’s school.
The primary school years are about giving your child the best start in life, but many schools and teachers still waver between two educational approaches to the teaching of reading: Balanced Literacy and Structured Literacy (you may have heard terms like Science of Reading or Systematic Synthetic Phonics used when describing this approach).
The breakdown of the two
Over the last few decades, Balanced Literacy has been favoured by most Australian primary schools.
– Students are taught to memorise and guess words using a combination of recognising full words and making meaning from them when encountering them in text and a sprinkling of phonics (letter-sounds).
– This method has been popular for many years, as educators believe it builds a love of reading and language whilst loosely embedding phonics.
– Unfortunately, it has also been shown to have serious limitations, especially when children encounter difficulties. Even children who seem to learn to read easily might not know their letter-sound correspondences well enough to spell them and begin struggling midway through primary school when texts become more complicated and feature fewer pictures to help them ‘guess’ words.
This brings us to the Structured Literacy approach based on the Science of Reading, which some may consider a more contentious approach to learning literacy. MLC’s Head of Junior School, Louise Peyton, explains: “As a movement, the Science of Reading (SoR) has actually been around for about two decades, but it has had a slow implementation across Australian schools.”
– The term ‘SoR’ refers to the body of evidence that has found the most effective way to teach reading is by following an explicit, systematic approach focusing on the five key areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
– Children are taught how their language and spelling system works in a structured sequence. SoR is wellrounded and ensures that a child’s literacy foundations are really strong.
– Children don’t get left behind, either, because formative assessment is incorporated from day one.
“With SoR, essentially, we continuously take a snapshot of where your child is at with their literacy skills and build from there. You, as the parent, are also more informed and can better support your child at home,” Louise explains.
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In NSW, the government has begun to emphasise understandings of literacy aligned to the science and across all public schools will mandate its use in the first three years of primary school. A new version of the Australian curriculum was recently published and has removed any reference to predictable texts and the “threecueing system”, another staple of the whole language and balanced literacy approaches to teaching children to read. However, it is unclear how fully Victorian government education will adopt the new national curriculum. Currently, only a small number of Victorian schools are adopting a Structured Literacy approach based on the Science of Reading.
What to look for
“As parents, it is important to understand these developments and to identify a school that is up to date. It is also important to ask whether the school invests in their teachers with professional development to learn the latest and most effective teaching practices,” says Louise.
“We partner with MultiLit, a research initiative of Macquarie University and use their programs and resources. The educators at MLC have already undertaken professional
development training and put this evidence-based practice into action. It is an excellent fit for our proactive approach to learning support and wellbeing as a College. Learning, like any other speciality, progresses over time. The reading wars are historically based on various theories about how children learn to read but now, the research is comprehensive and cannot be ignored.”
What is exciting is this approach is not just for students who struggle; it benefits all children, including advanced learners. We can already see how this approach provides all of our students with the core skills they require to become successful readers and writers. Throughout MLC Junior School, quality teaching and learning experiences aligned with current research are implemented across all year levels to ensure no student is left behind.
“As parents, it is important to understand these developments and to identify a school that is up to date.”
Every parent wants their child to thrive, but how can you tell if your child is falling behind at school?
Many parents talk about a “gut feeling” that tips them off, while others are unaware that something is wrong until they receive their child’s report. This is more common than not because children express stress in very different and often subtle ways compared to adults. Thankfully, however, knowing what to look out for, and ensuring your child is enrolled in a primary school that takes a proactive approach to their learning and wellbeing, can help address problems early.
Being proactive in this area is something that MLC’s Head of Junior School, Louise Peyton, and Director of Learning Support, Beth Gerondis, are passionate about.
“Primary school is where children develop the key foundations for lifelong learning,” says Louise. “For this reason, when a child is struggling in primary school, it is vital to catch it early and give them the support they need to get back on track.”
Struggling at school can have many causes and should be assessed at the soonest possible opportunity by the school and/or health professionals. Common causes may include learning or developmental disorders and mental health issues like anxiety or depression.
“Physical illness also plays a role in falling behind at school, including difficulty sleeping and fussy eating. Problems at home, such as illness in the family, may also contribute to academic struggles,” adds Beth.
Then there are school-based challenges that can affect learning, such as problems with other students, having a poor relationship with a teacher, or finding the pace of learning too fast or too slow.
“Typically, when your child is struggling in the classroom, they are having trouble understanding the material or concepts being presented, however, in some cases, a student is simply bored and no longer engaged in the classroom because they are working well above their level,” says Beth. “Every child learns differently, and it may be that your child’s needs are not being appropriately met.”
“Catching up or adding support is often the easy part. The challenge is identifying when a child is falling behind and determining the root cause. This is the first step in helping your child overcome their difficulties in the classroom and to helping them enjoy learning again.”
When children struggle in the classroom, the situation tends to follow them home. Typically, younger children will report unexplained physical symptoms when they experience stress or anxiety. Common expressions of emotional distress in young children include headaches and stomach aches, or a general feeling of malaise. Younger children often do not have the language or understanding necessary to describe their emotional states, so they describe symptoms in their body instead.
Among older children, you may notice changes in their behaviour as well as physical complaints. They may refuse to go to school or spend hours on homework. Alternatively, they may avoid their homework altogether or fail to hand assignments in on time. They may exhibit a sudden or drastic attitude shift toward their school or school friends or lose interest in their hobbies. They may call themselves “stupid” or pick fault with their teachers and classmates. Finally, direct feedback from teachers and school reports should provide a clear window into how your child is performing at school.
“Many parents think that a low grade or test result such as NAPLAN is a clear sign of a problem, but this should be viewed in context with your child’s other school reports. All children have strengths and weaknesses and will receive the occasional low-performance result as part of their learning process; what teachers and parents need to look out for is when learning difficulties become a pattern of behaviour, are unexplained, or are impacting your child’s wellbeing,” says Louise.
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“Every child learns differently, and it may be that your child’s needs are not being appropriately met.”
Ideally, the school will know a child’s learning needs. It is important for teachers to use data from regular formative assessments to plan programs that support each child’s individual growth. Formative practice means attaining continuous feedback to evaluate and help a student in their learning journey. It answers three key questions: what is to be learned, how is learning progressing and what will be learned next?
At MLC, our educators focus on continual monitoring as it enables schools and parents to address individual learning needs and provide targeted support.
Look out for:
Attitude shifts
(especially towards school or peers)
Picking fault
(with themselves and/or their school)
Physical symptoms
(stomach aches, headaches, feeling unwell)
Trouble with homework
Behavioural problems
(sudden outbursts, aggression, low mood, withdrawn)
Secrecy
(especially about their school day or what they learned in class)
In co-educational schools across the nation, girls are vying for the same opportunities that male students tend to dominate, such as sporting roles, leadership positions, STEM placements, student clubs and a heard voice in the classroom.
One of the most common criticisms expressed about all girls’ schools is they don’t reflect our current society. However, in those crucial developmental years between Prep and Year 12, the statistics show that this all-girls setting provides an advantage.
Research has confirmed that girls’ schools provide safe spaces where students feel willing to compete, take calculated risks and reject gender stereotypes. One such piece of research is the Mission Australia Youth Survey Report which found that females at single-sex schools obtain higher scores than the female average in critical areas of physical and mental health, overall life satisfaction, educational attainment and career aspirations.
When looking at the benefits of girls attending single-sex schools, the statistics paint a clear picture.1
– Compared to girls at co-ed school girls attending single-sex schools are more likely to report feeling very or extremely confident in their ability to achieve their study or work goals after finishing school (48% vs 45%) and more likely to report feeling positive or very positive about their future (57% vs 53%).
– They are more likely to enter tertiary education after high school. A significantly higher proportion of girls’ school students intend to obtain a university degree (88%) compared with 70% of all females aged 15-19.
– Their mental health concerns are lower, with just over one-third of respondents from girls’ schools (37%) reporting that mental health was a personal concern compared to the female average of 43%.
– Only 9.6% of students at girls’ schools were concerned about bullying, compared with 15.1% of all females. These findings indicate that students from girls’ schools are less likely to experience negative wellbeing and mental health outcomes resulting from bullying and victimisation.
– Girls attending single-sex schools engage in more sport, with 74% playing sport in 2020 compared to 69% of all females.
– Their overall life satisfaction was higher, with 61% reporting feeling happy or very happy with their life compared with 54% of all female respondents.
So, where do girls’ schools sit in providing these opportunities?
All girls’ schools create a supportive environment for females to take the spotlight in the classroom and make the most of the opportunities on offer.
In Mission Australia’s 2021 Youth Survey Report, school students around the nation indicated gender was the leading reason for unfair treatment. Yet the misogyny that underpins this mistreatment does not prevail amongst all girls’ schools in the same way as in co-educational settings — females are not vying for opportunities that males tend to dominate, often through unconscious gender bias.
Principal of MLC, Diana Vernon, is a passionate advocate for opportunities for young people. “In all the schools that I have run, I have always emphasised that education enables young people to discover their strengths, talents and worth. There is no reason young women should be exposed to ingrained disadvantage during critical, foundational years, where we can avoid it.”
The benefits of this approach is evident across MLC, not just in high-achieving Year 12 results but in students’ enthusiastic participation in co-curricular activities and the career choices, they make as alumnae. As a large, diverse school, MLC has both the resources and the dedication to enable their students to try everything that interests them – and this pays dividends later in life.
Diana reinforces “Of course first and foremost, parents need to select a good school - there are good and bad co-ed and single-sex schools. Parents should choose a school that aligns with their own family values and a school where their daughters will have every opportunity available to her. However, it is clear the overriding benefit of girls’ schools is being environments in which girls can build their confidence in who they are and in what their interests are, without having to manage any additional challenges of gender stereotyping.”
1. Mission Australia. (2020). Youth Survey Report 2020: Data breakdown for the Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia. Adelaide: Mission Australia.It is no secret, physical exercise benefits adolescent girls. However, the benefits go far beyond just a physical outlet. It’s about overcoming challenges and engraining long term habits, setting young women up to succeed and making physical activity a part of their lives.
Research shows that national participation in sport is low for girls and has been for decades. However, with physical activity proven to assist in academic achievement and cognition, finding alternative pathways to get girls active has never been more critical. As it stands, the current statistics are worrying:
Young males (15-17 years) are three times more likely to engage in one hour of exercise each day than females of the same age1. A major contributing factor to this substantial gap was young women feeling uncomfortable engaging in sports and restricted in traditional female school uniforms.
This is particularly important following the COVID-19 pandemic, which showed children were 73 per cent less likely to meet moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity guidelines compared to pre-pandemic2
Thankfully, the decline in girls’ physical activity can be easily addressed. In 2022, MLC has developed a new health and fitness program that aims to foster a love of keeping fit and active in all students, regardless of their skill level.
The ground-breaking program has been developed in consultation with students after a survey revealed their
appetite for gym-style activities. In particular, noncompetitive activities such as Pilates, spin, yoga, general fitness, and group strength and conditioning classes were highly desired. Off the back of this, each of these classes is now on offer to MLC’s secondary students.
Although the program has just launched this year, the school is seeing significant uptake, with over 350 students attending the classes each week.
According to MLC’s Director of Sport, Michael Jenkins,
1 https://www.vu.edu.au/sites/default/files/girl-sport-uniforms-nationalstudy.pdf
2 https://www.deakin.edu.au/about-deakin/news-and-media-releases/ articles/lockdowns-meant-long-hours-of-screen-time-and-less-activity-forfamilies
“Health and fitness plays a major role in ensuring our students maintain positive wellbeing, so we are thrilled to see the program make such an impact and hope we can inspire other schools to do the same.”
With so many distractions these days, can boarding school help students develop positive study habits?
According to Jane Shone, one of the Directors of the Australian Boarding School Association and MLC Head of Boarding, developing strong study habits is one key benefits of boarding at MLC’s Tiddeman House.
“Structure and routine help students get into the right mindset, not only for school, but for a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
“There are several layers to this – from set mealtimes, scheduled homework sessions after school, and wellbeing activities, such as designated movie nights or cooking classes, all balanced with recreation and leisure time that students can plan themselves,” explains Jane.
“After school hours, our students have dedicated prep time in order to complete their homework, with the support of our highly qualified staff. Furthermore, by holding these sessions in the school library, there is a myriad of resources at their fingertips. This is one of the many perks of having our Boarding House located here on campus.”
To further enhance good study habits, MLC also partners with specialist boarding tutors who come in twice a week. “They teach our boarders revision techniques, essay writing skills, and how to undertake research free from distraction.”
Research has shown that sleep health is so important to health, resilience and performance at school, yet Studies have shown that Australian teens are the third most sleepdeprived in the world and that more than 70% of Australian high school students suffer from regular sleep deprivation.
“This is why we reinforce night-time routines and recently had a renowned child psychologist provide students with sleep hygiene advice and practical steps they can take to ensure they get a good night’s rest. This pays dividends in their attention and engagement in the classroom.”
Another key component of boarders’ enhanced study habits is what Jane calls the “network of support.”
Boarding staff include qualified teachers and even past boarders themselves, so students feel well supported across all areas of boarding life, such as wellbeing, dealing with homesickness, and navigating friendships.
says Jane.
“Once a week we have Life Skills sessions, where girls can speak with the Senior Prefects and raise and resolve any issues they may have.”
By the time MLC’s boarders reach their final year of school, they are ready for adult life and the expectations of university. “They have already experienced shared, independent living,” says Jane. “During their time as a boarder, their confidence in themselves and what they can achieve grows and grows.”
Want to learn more about Boarding at MLC? Don’t miss our next Virtual Boarding Information Session on 12 October 2022 and learn about life as a boarder, our community and wellbeing support. Register here.
“Help is always available, and we are proactive in monitoring students’ wellbeing. We understand that health and wellbeing is innately tied to their academic progress,”
Research shows that overall wellbeing enhances motivation, increases achievement, improves satisfaction, and allows individuals to thrive. After all, if we don’t feel good about ourselves, then we don’t achieve as well as we would hope.
Particularly as a large school, many families ask the question of how we can ensure the wellbeing of our students. Our focus on student wellbeing is integrated across all aspects of MLC life – our broad curriculum, specialist programs, and co-curricular activities. We have one of the best-resourced wellbeing programs of any Victorian girls’ school, a program underpinned by the PROSPER framework. PROSPER (Positivity, Relationships, Outcomes, Strengths, Purpose, Engagement, Resilience) integrates the science of wellbeing and the latest research into positive educational experiences with best-practice teaching and learning models in mind. Our focus is to encourage positive mindsets and teach lifelong resilience, respectful relationships, and a sense of purpose.
Within each of our five learning communities (Kindle, Junior School, Junior Secondary School, Middle School and Senior School), our learning and personal development programs have been tailored to meet the unique needs of each age group and stage of growth.
Furthermore, every student has a designated teacher personally responsible for their wellbeing who, together with a team of teachers and support staff, act as a focal point across our larger College support network. We offer a wide range of student services and specialist staff to assist each student with their personal challenges and goals.
The diversity of our student body is also supported; our specialist learning support team work collaboratively with teachers and parent to provide an integrated support network that allows students to learn within the mainstream, and our bespoke Gifted and Talented program includes careful class grouping, flexible timetabling and identifying mentors outside of the College.
The depth and breadth of our wellbeing support can be seen below:
Did you know that at MLC, we host four Community Sports programs onsite? These programs are open to the wider community for both boys and girls, and are a great way to join our community prior to enrolling and commencing at MLC.
With classes held after school and on weekends, our four programs combine specialist coaches and instructors with outstanding purpose-built facilities.
MLC Gymsports
Comprising of Gymnastics (including Kinder Gym), Dance and Cheerleading programs.
MLC Gymsports run more than 150 classes per week for over 900 students, with 50 accredited coaches.
Our competitive arm, MLC Gymnastics Club, is ranked second in Victoria and caters all the way to International Levels Programs.
MLC Swimming
Offers Learn to Swim Programs for all ages and District Squads (non-competitive Junior and Senior squads).
Our competitive squads, as MLC Aquatic, is ranked second in all Victoria’s swimming clubs.
To learn more about our Community Programs, including our Learn-to-Swim Program (LTS), District Squads (non-competitive), the MLC Aquatic Club (competitive), Gymnastics Holiday Programs, Gymnastics, Cheerleading or Dance, please visit the following websites: gym.mlc.vic.edu.au swimming.mlc.vic.edu.au
