Mrs Michelle Carroll An Ode to Their Expertise

Name: Ms Karen McArdle Title: Head of Junior School Date: 12 October 2021 Strategic Intent: Academic Achievement

A MODEL OF ACADEMIC CARE

This year, our Barbreck Strategy was released in conjunction with the School’s Towards 2025 Strategic Plan. This Strategy defines a unique and exceptional focus on the journey of the ‘whole child’ within the warmth and care of the Barbreck environment.

This focus encompasses the development of young minds and embraces a carefully crafted academic program and a personalised approach that recognises and nurtures every Barbreck girl’s ability and potential – academically, physically, socially and emotionally. Underpinning this Strategy is the design of the Barbreck Teaching Model that establishes a culture of classroom practice empowering every girl to engage in their own personal learning journey. Understanding that every learning journey is unique, and a ‘one size fits all’ approach does not necessarily capture the strengths and challenges of every classroom member, the Barbreck Teaching Model is designed to, ultimately, recognise differing rates of learning and the varying capabilities of each student. The greatest strength of the Barbreck Teaching Model is a teacher’s knowledge of each students’ learning journey. This Model defines a level of academic care that requires teachers to enhance student learning, wellbeing and resilience and to embed these in every classroom experience. Our Barbreck teachers know how each girl learns, their personality, their pace of work, their concerns, their levels of confidence and importantly, their interests. In shaping the Barbreck Teaching Model, the implementation of the Gradual Release of Responsibility (GRR) has been adopted in every classroom. This pedagogical approach is defined by teacher-led instruction, providing modelling, scaffolding and guidance of students through to independent practice. This approach enables teachers to build every students’ confidence with their learning and at all levels of their academic journey. Through a learning cycle of assessment, targeted differentiation, reflection and timely feedback, each girl is provided a safe and supportive environment to enable them to academically thrive. Defined by a collection of academic data, individual learning plans are tailored to suit each girls’ pathway with the instructional level personalised to enable growth and academic development. St Catherine’s School’s 2021 NAPLAN results again reveal our strengths across our Literacy and Numeracy programs and provide evidence to the success of the Barbreck Teaching Model introduced in 2019. Suffice to say, even with the COVID-19 lockdowns endured, our Barbreck NAPLAN data demonstrates considerable growth in the academic performance of our current Years 3 and 5 students. These results remain similar to 2019, when NAPLAN was last conducted, and when Barbreck students were placed as the top performing school in the region – compared to local independent and government schools. Indeed, our Junior School is an exquisite environment for young girls to build their confidence as learners and to enjoy every day at School – exploring their strengths through our comprehensive academic programs and within the warmth of Barbreck’s pastoral care. Over the course of the past two years, we have learnt much about our capacity to deal with change. We have also understood with a sense of wisdom, the capacity of our students. Indeed, they are significantly more independent, resilient and motivated than we have ever given them recognition for in the past.

Ms Karen McArdle

Head of Junior School

Name: Michelle Carroll Title: Principal Date: 15 October 2021 Strategic Intent: Exemplary Staff

AN ODE TO THEIR EXPERTISE

I have always loved that schools are noisy places, girls laughing, balls bouncing, and the odd squeal of delight when something funny has clearly occurred. I position my desk at the window so I can take in the view of the action normally happening, and the girls often give me a wave as they stroll past. With the return of our VCE girls this week, several teachers have also commented on the change in sounds – like me, they all share a sense of excitement at the re-awakening of our St Catherine’s campus. Further to my anticipation of the full return to campus by all our students, I have been keen to investigate research undertaken more globally about the impact of COVID teaching, and how this knowledge can assist in shaping our response more broadly as a school. Most notably are the stories of angst about the marked effects of the pandemic on the social and emotional health of children and teenagers. The negative and strong emotions of anxiety, frustration, surface motivation (just doing the work) and boredom are clearly referred to on a regular basis in our check-in phone calls with parents. So, to are they reported in the media – with calls to the government on the emerging mental health crisis in a generation of young people and adults. One of the world’s leading educational researchers, Professor John Hattie, has presented his latest research studying the impact of COVID in schools in his paper: An Ode to Expertise: What have we learnt from COVID and how can we apply our new learning. Hattie’s Research Paper highlighted studies into student wellbeing pre, during and post lockdown. Hattie’s meta-analysis of research undertaken from across the world revealed, relative to baseline, the average depression scores in adolescents went up, and wellbeing went down during lockdown. However, on previous occasions, students have ‘snapped’ back to pre-COVID levels when emerging out of lockdown and back to regular schooling. Our Head of Year 12, Mrs Tracey McCallum and Deputy Principal, Ms Merran O’Connor, individually met with every Year 12 girl to ascertain their level of wellness upon their return to School this past week. Our heightened level of academic care and emotional support, together with the quite simple “are you okay?” question, hopes to provide a platform to land as the girls’ step towards the forthcoming exams. In one study highlighted by Hattie, the effects of adolescents’ feelings of isolation pre and during COVID learning, showed results that adolescents were not overly concerned with the impact that COVID-19 was having on their education or their health. Research found students are most concerned about friendship issues during lockdowns. A need to return to Co-curricular activities on campus, and soon, I believe, is necessary for all children and teenagers. It is the joy of the social interactions that occur when playing sport, rehearsing musicals, and singing in choirs that provides a vehicle for creating the feeling that ‘you belong’ and is critical to their social and emotional health. Whilst St Catherine’s holds dear the blue-ribbon connection and our unique student-teacher partnership is held in