Junior School

It has not just been members of our PLC community, but citizens all over the world, who have been forced to step out of their comfort zone during the 2020 global pandemic. When our Strategic Plan was written, I’m not sure our Principal and Chairman of Council anticipated that one particular statement would be so relevant to our lives today. ‘Our scholars will need to be young women who not only gain knowledge, but also develop the skills that come from applying emotional and social intelligences to problem solve situations, as they navigate the potentials of the 21st century VUCA environment (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous)’.

Yes, we are all definitely out of our comfort zone and in a VUCA environment at the moment, but I am extremely heartened by the way our staff, students and parents have supported each other so positively to navigate this difficult time.

I’m so very proud of our girls who are rising to the challenges they face and are achieving the aim of our Strategic Plan when it states, they will “not only gain knowledge but will also develop skills that will allow them to cope in our ever-changing world”.

So, for students and staff, what are some of those skills that will allow them to cope in our ever-changing world? What have we learnt from our recent experience?

The parents’ survey responses indicated that their daughters have developed some valuable skills such as showing initiative, independence, self-motivation, resilience and organisation. Parents also reported how pleased they were to see their daughters adapt to and embrace a new mode of learning while remaining focused and motivated.

Stepping Out of our Comfort Zone – Stepping Forward in our Learning

Similarly, the staff survey indicated how our teachers have been flexibly applying their newly-acquired technological skills to student learning. It has been pleasing to see the teamwork and collaboration amongst the staff as they continually support each other through the challenges of distance learning.

Staff have also expressed how proud they are of the students for being so diligent, flexible and adaptable in learning new skills despite the challenges.

The world has certainly changed rapidly in recent times and this trend will continue in the future, although hopefully not as intensely as it has in 2020. Nevertheless, our students will need to continue to develop the skills that enable them to adapt. The experience for our girls as they have stepped out of their comfort zone this year will help them realise that real-life situations do not always go as expected. There is not always just one correct answer to a problem and they will often need to make intelligent choices. To be successful in the future they must be willing to be creative and be open to different ideas and ways of doing things.

In conclusion, I am reminded by Maria in the Sound of Music that the face-to-face contact with students, staff and parents is certainly one of my favourite things!

When the dog bites, when the bee stings or when you’re feeling sad, try to think of your favourite things and maybe, just maybe, you won’t feel so bad.

Mr John Law Head of Junior School