Section 2: Empowering Girls

Empowering Girls

early learning highlights 2020

Sarah Denholm, Director of Early Learning

2020 was an extraordinary year with many opportunities and challenges for our Early Learning Centre.

Through state COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions and alongside colleagues across the School, Early Learning staff pivoted their practice to provide both distance and onsite learning opportunities. This ensured our philosophy and pedagogy remained at the forefront of the programme and our youngest learners received continuity of education and care. Our team also ensured the highest level of compliance, health and safety for our onsite program, participating in COVID-19 infection control training early in the year and implementing regular and thorough COVIDSafe cleaning and hygiene measures each and every day.

As our onsite and at home learning numbers fluctuated across the year, our children, staff and families remained resilient and adapted to each change with grit and strength, showing support, empathy and care for each other through each hurdle and new learning. The wellbeing of our students remained at the forefront and we provided children and parents regular opportunities to connect with class teachers, as well to ensure our families had access to resources to support wellbeing and learning at home. For every change and new government restriction or rule regarding Early Learning operations, we responded quickly with the information at hand. Our staff navigated working between Early Learning, Junior School and being at home and embraced the new normal of different working days, hours, rosters and roles. Throughout the daily life that was lockdown, we ensured our team stayed connected socially through our team’s WhatsApp group, with staff checking in on each other and sending updates regularly. We also enjoyed soul nourishing opportunities for professional learning, with external education consultant Kirsty Liljegren remaining a constant in our pedagogical support throughout the year, along with other opportunities to engage in online webinars, podcasts and training.

We celebrated the year with our online 2020 Celebration of Learning, where the students shared aspects of their learning, knowledge and reflections from the year in a digital format. This was then made available via our Ruyton Intranet for families to view together at home. Even though our goals for 2020 may have shifted, Ruyton Early Learning is proud of the high levels of education and care it was able to provide for our families and we take many new learnings forward into our approach and practice.

junior school highlights 2020

Kate Giles, Head of Junior School

It is fair to say that 2020 was truly an exceptional year that required an unheralded level of strength, teamwork and compassion. It was also a year that fuelled collaboration and creativity. At Ruyton, this included creating a distance learning model, connecting in new ways and reimagining traditional events such as assemblies and productions.

We are extremely proud of the way in which our girls fully immersed themselves (both virtually and face-to-face) in the culture and life of the School and excelled in curricular and co-curricular pursuits throughout 2020.

Highlights • Productions continued to go from strength to strength. Celebrating the culmination of a semester-long collaboration between Music and Drama with two performance days of Dear

Edwina, students in Prep-Year 2 also performed in the play, The Day the Crayons Quit. Both productions were outstanding and testimony to the talents and collaboration of the girls. • Although we certainly missed our students visiting the Library over the lockdown periods, we were pleased to offer a new click and collect service for the duration of distance learning. This enabled families across the School to access a range of online and physical resources.

• The pandemic served as a salient reminder of the importance and power of human connection and the need to stay connected. In the Junior

School, our weekly Wednesday Assemblies became an important time of connection and joy.

Student voice was a strong characteristic of each week, with the introduction of segments such as

Learning Stories, Pawfect Pet, Lego Masters and

Learning Snapshots. All of these were designed to foster connection between home and school.

Class meetings become a crucial time each morning, setting the girls up for the rhythm of their day and providing connection with peers and their teachers. Additionally, JS Connect and the Weekly Wellbeing Note also became important hallmarks of the week.

• In 2020, students in Years 5 and 8 ‘buddied up’ and worked together on a new global citizenship initiative called Our Movement and the Year 6 and 7 students completed a unique blended learning enterprise initiative titled D Store.

• Our Science, Technology, Engineering and

Mathematics (STEM) program continued to evolve with innovations in coding and robotics, as well as engagement in STEM competitions.

The use of the School drones, Lego competitions,

Coding Challenges and the Virtual Water

Conference were enriching addition to the program. One the highlights of the year was

National Science Week.

• A focus on community was fostered through the lockdowns by our year level parent representatives who organised family quiz sessions, dance parties and family movie nights. I take this opportunity to thank all our families for their incredible support in 2020, particularly as they managed the dynamics and pressures of learning, working and living at home. The continued learning and engagement of our girls this year is a tribute to the dedication of parents and teachers and their partnership to support our girls. We are deeply grateful to work with such supportive families – thank you.

Our staff are an exceptional team of professionals who continue to work tirelessly to ensure the development and care of our girls. I would also like to acknowledge and thank them for their outstanding commitment in 2020.

senior school highlights 2020

Lauren Perfect, Deputy Principal, Head of Senior School

Throughout 2020 the Ruyton Senior School community, along with the rest of the world, faced challenges we never imagined. 2020 was a year that tried and tested individuals and communities in ways we had not experienced before in our lifetime, however, it was also a year that truly revealed the mettle of communities. It was a year where so many missed out on so much: where important milestones, special firsts and lasts, were set aside. It was a heartbreaking time for many, particularly our Year 12 students and families. However, despite this heartbreak, 2020 brought us so much. As the year drew to a close, a palpable collective sense of hope and pride was present in our community: hope for the year ahead and pride for our students, who overcame so much when, at times, the challenges seemed almost insurmountable.

When Ruyton Co-Captains Bella Eames and Mia Waters addressed the School during their first assembly of the year and urged the Class of 2020 to embrace their chosen guiding words of radiance and unity, they could not have known just how important these sentiments would be as the year unfolded. Time and time again the entire School community was asked to draw on these defining words, to find their inner light, unite and move forward together with good grace and humour. Upon reflection, as the Senior School continued to reimagine and reinvent, 2020 revealed a sense of courage, resilience, connection and compassion we never knew possible.

The flexibility demonstrated by our School Leaders and their teams in all areas was inspiring, as they remained committed to preserving Ruyton tradition and motivated to reinvent central Senior School events. The community drew together from a distance in amazing initiatives such as the virtual Community Choir, Qua-run-tine and a reimagined Performing Arts House Festival (PAHF), embracing the rapidly developing technological landscape and a community desire to connect in any way possible. Live streamed events such as the Year 7 and 8 Production and musical soirees entertained our virtual audiences with online productions of professional quality. Student-led groups such as our Culture and Diversity and Community Service teams and the Ruyton Student Council joined together to raise awareness and funds through their annual events such as Girls Night In, IDAHOBIT Week and targeted Red Cross fundraising appeals. Led by our Year 12 students and embraced by the whole Ruyton community, these experiences drew us together and united us with radiance.

Senior School students across every year level can reflect on a year of endeavour and achievement. This was a year where obstacles were overcome, grit and perseverance were on show daily and independence and agility were enhanced. Each and every student deserves to reflect upon all they have achieved with great pride. In addition, the patience and genuine commitment to Ruyton extended by our Ruyton Senior School families throughout the year buoyed the community when encouragement was most needed. Finally, the Ruyton Senior School teaching and support staff deserve heartfelt commendation and thanks for their tireless commitment to our students and families, under the most difficult of circumstances.

Above all, 2020 revealed to our Senior School how truly fortunate we are to live and learn in this wonderful community.

wellbeing highlights 2020

Trish Hatziz, Director of Wellbeing

As Ruyton grappled with logistical and academic challenges, increasing attention was also focused on the holistic wellbeing of our entire community. Our understanding of the importance of achieving and maintaining optimum wellbeing deepened in 2020 and was increasingly reflected in our approaches. Whilst it was important not only to provide an agile and flexible learning environment, we also needed to ensure that we fostered the holistic wellbeing of students. Both endeavours were co-dependent and the success experienced in one would directly impact the success of the other.

Senior School staff took up the challenge to ensure our students remained engaged and connected, despite the physical separation, changed routines and new learning modes. Our student leaders in particular rose to the occasion and organised various wellbeing initiatives; of note was the development of a comprehensive Student Wellbeing website. This website proved invaluable in providing resources, advice and ongoing connections, especially as students moved in and out of a distance learning program. Teachers also continued to look for new and innovative ways to provide access to quality wellbeing resources and experiences for students. The Wellbeing Team ensured our weekly Wellbeing Programme seamlessly pivoted into the virtual world and along with the creation of wellbeing periods, pop-up wellbeing days and weekly tips sheets, student wellbeing remained front and centre in our minds. The creation of virtual morning teas, access to counselling services and staff ‘check ins’ also ensured our staff felt both supported and valued as they carried out this essential work.

In the Junior School we endeavoured to uncover and celebrate ‘unexpected gifts’, and the importance of generating and amplifying the good both within our own community and that of the wider world. Students were encouraged to act with kindness, compassion and curiosity. New rituals and routines to promote strength and stamina were also encouraged. In the main, students adapted with increased independence and confidence.

More intentionally, the Junior School supported the wellbeing of students through the lens of joy and connection. Assemblies provided a forum to educate and respond to the wellbeing needs of students and aimed to promote positive messages and connections. Various Pop-Up days also generated new motivation, experiences and enthusiasm in students.

Ruyton’s already successful use of technology enabled us to continue our strong partnership with parents so that they were kept abreast of the wellbeing needs of their children and were best placed to support them. Our Counsellors led a series of wellbeing focused webinars, we launched our first Total Wellbeing Parent Conference and our Powerful Parenting seminars continued.