No doubt many of you are very aware of my new role in Planning and Logistics that started halfway through last term since I’ve bombarded you with plenty of emails about all the events that are happening in our fantastic school!
Being more involved in planning these events and ensuring parents know what is happening has definitely made me aware of just how many opportunities we provide for our kids.
Our staff work very hard in their day-to-day teaching, but I can assure you that they work equally as hard to make sure that students have the opportunity to experience a huge range of activities.
From sporting teams, to performances, excursions and camps, trips around town to various facilities and incursions by performing arts groups, law enforcement and universities – there is a lot going on. When we add in our carnivals, special assemblies, competitions and fundraising days, there are times when people wonder if there is any time for classes!
Well, I can definitely assure you there is still plenty of classwork happening, and our events actually take up a small percentage of our overall school time.
However, I really love how many different opportunities we provide for our students.
I recently spoke to staff about the need to look at how we teach “soft skills” to students.
These are the skills that many workplaces and universities are now far more interested in than pure marks and numbers.
Some university entry applications are even based around getting students to write about specific soft skills.
In doing some research into soft skills, I discovered that the Top 10 that organisations value are:
Time Management, Communicating, Adaptability, Problem Solving, Teamwork, Creativity, Leadership, Interpersonal Skills, Work Ethic and Attention to Detail.
For our school context, I also believe that Acting with Christian Principles should also be included.
I think you would agree that these skills are vital for all aspects of life – school, family life, work, sport, performances, etc – and the events we run help students learn these skills.
We are working hard to ensure that our class activities also include soft skills, but the number one focus of our school, and classrooms, is teaching outcomes.
So our events are very important for providing students with additional opportunities to learn how to be part of a team, develop a strong work ethic, be creative, communicate with different types of people, and the list goes on.
We want our students to leave school and be active members of the community, not just sitting on the sidelines.
By having events for our students to be part of and help organise and run, we are shaping the next generation of church volunteers, local event organisers, sporting coaches, or even Shire Councillors.
So please encourage your kids to get involved and embrace the extra-curricular activities that we do, because they are valuable learning opportunities – and you’ll get more emails from me!
Greg