iServi News | 20 November 2020 | Term 4, Week 6
I Choose
As our Year 10 students complete their formal classes at the College this week, it is timely to reflect on what has been their year of ‘choice’.
As mentioned in a recent edition of iServi, our Servite Way focuses on different areas of growth across the years as students progress through the College. This shapes our Learning, Community and Ministry initiatives for students from Year 7 through to Year 12.
We understand that students in Year 10 are soon to be transitioning into their senior years at the College and therefore need support and guidance on quality decision making to set themselves up for future success. We want to give our students the knowledge and the capacity to make decision that best suit their personal skills and interests.
For a Learning perspective, our Year 10 students have experienced the somewhat daunting task of selecting subjects for Year 11 that will assist their transition into their preferred pathways post Servite. Our curriculum offerings in Year 10 are therefore designed to give students a clear understanding of the subjects that are on offer in Year 11 and 12. In Year 10 we increase our focus on metacognition – that is, students’ own understanding of how they best learn, which allows them to make positive choices around study plans and learning techniques that are appropriate for them. We want our students to choose to be personally responsible for their own learning actions.
Additionally, from a Learning perspective, all students complete a Career Education program which focuses on connecting skills and interests to future pathways and subject choices. The program actually begins in Year 9 so the students have built a substantial knowledge base around the process by the time they arrive at the subject selection process in Year 10. We are privileged to have such a proactive and experienced Pathways Team at the College who are passionate about exploring the best possible options for students. They are always available for students to access, should they wish to seek out further advice around subject and career choices and opportunities.
From a Ministry perspective, we want our students to see the needs of others and to choose to step forward to make a difference. Pope Francis says that “sooner or later, we will all encounter a person who is suffering. Today there are more and more of them. Each day we have to decide whether to be Good Samaritans or indifferent bystanders”. All of our students have the wonderful capacity to support others, and we encourage them to develop the courage to step forward and lead through service. We offer a range of faith development opportunities that allow students to make positive personal choices about their own spiritual journey and connection to God.
In choosing to be an active member of our community we encourage our emerging senior students to fully involve themselves in the life of the school. They will soon become leaders in our College community, modelling what it means to be Servite, so we provide encouragement and opportunity for our Year 10 students to develop the necessary skills and mindset.
As our Year 10 students shift into their senior years in 2021, we are confident they are well placed to choose to take responsibility for their development as whole persons. As a College we continue to be present alongside the students to provide full support as they lead their own learning next year.
We congratulate our Year 10 students on a year that has been filled with exciting conversations and planning for their futures. We value the positive way that they have been involved and the growth mindset that they have displayed. We wish our students every success in their exams.
Mr Jeff Allen
Principal