As the weeks rolled in and we slowly started to get into a groove at school, the Year 9 students began to choose their electives and also work out what interests them to continue with this Semester and potentially for the rest of the year. From the ‘Launchpad’ program with to the exciting installments at the Farm (Expedition with John, Sien and Jo as well as Free-Form Construction with Ahmed) there is a smorgasbord to choose from on Fridays. During the week the menu features; Drama with Rebecca, Languages with Sien, Photography with Benny, Wood-Working / Music with Matty, Learning Lab with Isabelle, Design & Technology with Jake and Visual Arts with Sammy. There is something for everyone to love!
We also have two new Guardians for the year…introducing Ahmed Mulla and Isabelle Howard-Schorr to the 2024 Year 9 Students and Parent Community. They both have backgrounds in student care, support and leadership inside and outside the school environment; running rights of passage and natural building programs for students and adults alike and a collective of more than a decade of teaching experience. Please make them feel welcome and ask them any questions you may have as the year unfolds. In the meantime, here's a poem to reflect on camp and start the adventure of 2024 together.
Here I go again,
Off to see my friends.
I really don’t know how this trip will go,
Will I get too tired or will I be in my flow.
Embracing the adventure ahead,
I wonder about the condition of tonight's bed.
Oh I hope we’re not going too far,
Gotta zone out, gotta tune into my guiding star.
Hang on its bloody raining,
Maybe I gotta stop this complaining.
And just go into the deep dark cave,
Look at the glowing worm lights; like a micro-doof rave.
Staring into the abyss,
What am I going to miss?
The tropical fruit or the crazy bus ride,
Maybe the ebb and flow of my emotional tide.
I hope that the new teachers are cool; Ahmed, Isabelle, Sien and Jo,
I hope that they help me when I need it; I hope they help me grow.
And just when I want to quit; I'm just going to be here and sit,
Excited for the Identity I have already created, with all my worries and fears abated.
All the best for 2024 Year 9’s!!!
25 January 2024
Dear All,
We are ready to start our new year with some new faces, new subject offerings, new expeditions and new pathways. The focus will be on developing positive and productive relationships, generating kindness and nurturing a love of learning.
I start by, again, by praising Cheryl Stephens for her incredible commitment and leadership: we have great foundations in place on which to build our fifth year of operation: a year of consolidation.
I expect we are all excited (maybe even anxious) about the upcoming year. After our two Staff PD Days, I sat back and felt humble incredulity at the collection of diverse humans we have assembled at Living School.
ORGANISATION
I commend all of our teachers on their commitment – we have a delegated management capacity in play which flattens the organisation to have shared responsibility and expectations, what I call “contributive efficacy”, which adopts aspects of sociocracy, Self Determination Theory and collective efficacy.
DELEGATED ORGANISATION MANAGEMENT ROLES
Academy Director – John Stewart (responsible for managing Academy communication, staffing, pedagogy and curriculum development and management).
Academy Curriculum Standards – Rebecca Balfour (responsible for all NESA HSC requirements and data management).
Academy Behaviour Guide – Jake Parmenter (responsible for all social/learning behaviour guidance. Our focus is to develop student agency based on our values: Respect, Responsibility and positive/productive Relationships).
We welcome new teachers, and I am really excited by the humans we have at Living School across teachers, staff and community.
· Beth Hobbs: English and Society & Culture
· Emma Nichols: Business Studies
· Isabelle Howard-Schorr: learning support and PDH
· Jo Hoy: outdoor education, circus skills, woodwork, pathways
Our teachers have been busy preparing for our term and year ahead. To ensure a smooth transition, we expect all students to arrive at school on Monday by 9:00am. New students will be met and provided with a buddy.
DAY ONE
PLEASE ENSURE YOU/YOUR CHILD ARRIVES AT SCHOOL WITH ALL OF THE RESOURCES/EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO LEARN EFFECTIVELY: folders, pencils/pens/stationery, journal/diary, calculator.
* If the school has to provide any of these basic stationery items, the family’s school account will be billed for the cost.
Please support us by ensuring your child does not arrive on Monday without stationery or the resources needed to start positively and productively.
All students will be reviewing our Code of Conduct – please ensure they understand our collective expectations. Our community’s culture is based on three key values: Respect, Responsibility, (positive/productive) Relationships.
This term’s KeyStone theme is Identity.
SCHOOL CAMP
Our first expedition is compulsory and has been modified in light of the recent cyclone warnings and weather/surf conditions. We are now in cabins with beds, a hall and proper kitchen with cooking facilities. We will be combining Year 9 with Year 10.
THEME – Identity: Get to know each other.
Yr 9/10 Springbrook Camp
Camp: Sien, Jo, Benny 2days, Isabelle, John, Ahmed
Camp
| Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-12.30 | Bags: Check items Travel | Breakfast Group A Waterfall Walk | Breakfast C Bump out Walk |
| 12.30 pm | Lunch (brought from home) | Lunch Group A | Lunch Group C |
| 1.30 pm | John Bonding – Welcome/logistics, Sit spot (Ahmed) Sharing Circle (Isabelle) | Intro: John Identity Photo ID Benny Teamwork ID Circuit of activities: Identity craft – Sien/Ahmed Vision board – John Write a letter to yourself – Isabelle 4.00 – 6:00 Supervised Free time. | Short Walk possible game? |
| 3:00 | Break | Travel Tropical Fruit World Closing Circle Return to school at 2.30pm (THURSDAY) | |
| 3:30 | Gondwana Walk – Antarctic Beach Walk | ||
| 6:00 | Dinner Group B | Dinner Group B | |
| 7:00pm | Trust walk My place in the universe. Astronomy – Indigenous Film | Glow worms Film | |
| 9:00pm | Bedtime ritual | Bedtime ritual |
Trust Walk: Jo/Sien
Sharing Circle: Isabelle
Astro Travel Night Ahmed
CULTURE AND COMMUNITY
All learners have rights. With these rights come responsibilities. To function collectively, we all must accept and strive to excel in our relationships. Our behaviour, our values, and our acceptance of the following responsibilities nurture our supportive, caring and safe culture.
| To be treated with dignity and respect. | To treat staff, students and visitors with consideration and respect. To respect the rights of others to work free of distractions. To move around the school in an appropriate manner. To dress safely, casually and individually without offending others. To display behaviour which, at the school and in public, bring credit to oneself and the school. |
|---|---|
| To feel secure in an environment free from negative actions from others and from harmful substances and objects. | Not to bring to school substances which are harmful to health and items which have the potential to cause injury. To empower rather than put down others. Not to hurt or cause harm to others. To share with others a compelling desire to give of one’s best. |
| To study, work and pursue activities in pleasant, well-kept surroundings with a focus on green. | To strive for excellence by giving my personal best efforts. To respect our food guidelines. To remain within the boundaries of our schoolís allocated areas. To recycle any waste appropriately. To not bring any plastic bottles onto campus unless for recycling. To minimise any single-use plastic packaging. |
| To have belongings treated with care. | To respect the property and belongings of others. To treat school property with respect, and to care for our resources. To ensure property is labelled and named. |
| To be communicated with clearly, politely and respectfully. | To communicate with others clearly, politely and respectfully. To welcome guests to our school with appropriate and engaging manners. To treat the viewpoints of others with respect and openness. |
Students have a right to expect Living School will provide a safe, nurturing environment.
The School has a responsibility to provide this. This is best summed up as a love of learning and kindness.
Our staff will discuss our expectations with the students in the first week to seek their understanding and support, but we have collectively as teachers concerned ourselves with areas we feel undermine our program as follows. As a parent of a student enrolled at Living School, your support of our school’s culture is vital.
The First Week – CHALLENGE week (EQ, IQ, PQ, XQ learning lens)
Focus is to settle into our routines and settle into each other.
Emphasising: class expectations, rights/responsibilities, empowering learning, goal setting, camps and learning assessments.
| Monday 29 Jan. | Tuesday 30 Jan. | Wed. 31 Jan | Thurs. 1 Feb. | Friday 2 Feb. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Years 9/10 | Years 11/12 | Years 9/10 CAMP | Years 11/12 | Years 9/10 CAMP | Years 11/12 | Years 9/10 CAMP | Years 11/12 CAMP | Years 9/10 (NO onland) | Years 11/12 CAMP |
| Guardian Assembly Routines Expectations English writing stimulus assessment HSIE/Science Guardian close | Guardian Assembly Routines Expectations Normal timetabled lessons Guardian close | Arrive at school 9:00am Camp – Springbrook Log Cabins with John, Sien, Jo, Isabelle, Benny, Ahmed | Normal timetabled lessons Guardian close | Camp – Springbrook Log Cabins with John, Sien, Jo, Isabelle, Benny, Ahmed | Normal timetabled lessons Guardian close | Camp – Springbrook Log Cabins with John, Sien, Jo, Isabelle, Benny, Ahmed Return to School 2:45pm | Camp – Brunswick Heads with Sammy, Rebecca, David | LaunchPad and Electives PAT assessments in Reading and Maths. | Camp – Brunswick Heads with Sammy, Rebecca, David |
Dress Code – safe, casual but respectful. We love allowing our students to dress how they feel safe. But please assist us to ensure your child is not wearing anything offensive (statements/logos), or wearing clothes that are too scant, not sun-smart or disrespectful of body or school. Hoodies are not to be worn in class. HATS, please! In some learning activities, there will be dress requirements for safety.
Attendance – on time for school and classes. The impact of students missing lessons or days at school is huge on their own progress, their peers and their teachers. We do have ‘rules’ for attendance that are legal requirements.
· If your child is absent, please contact [email protected]
· If your child is late, they must sign in at the Office, receive a late note, and then go directly to the lesson.
· No child is to skip a class or leave a class without informing their guardian and/or school Advocate. In all situations, the School must be informed.
· If you are planning for an extended holiday leave (over a week) you need to seek approval from the Conductor, please email [email protected]
· If in Years 11 and 12, there is a personal timetable which allows students to have time to study independently in the SCU library or class learning space, learn to manage their time effectively, and take responsibility for arrivals and departures. In ALL cases, if a student is arriving after 9:00am or leaving before 3:10pm, must sign in/out at the Office. This is important for drills and any unforeseen circumstance.
Eating in Class – whereas we have a policy of no hangry tummy rumbles, we also must ensure our older students learn to take responsibility – as is expected in the ‘real’ world. Teachers are clear on their expectations with food – as outlined below:
1. No food is permitted in Woodwork, Music, Science Lab – or where the teacher informs the students.
2. It is not responsible to come into class straight after a break and start eating food – which should have been consumed during break.
3. No gum
4. No single use plastic
5. Only healthy, natural packaging food is to be consumed in class – if approved by the teacher
6. Year 10 and up are able to access the Quad cafes – in keeping with SCU policy. This is a privilege and relies on our trust regarding behaviour. If there is a lack of responsibility, this privilege may be removed for individual students.
Mobile Phones – the digital addiction of screenagers (and adults)
For all years up to Year 11, mobile phones MUST be handed in first period. They will then be stored in the Office. If a child needs to make a call or check for a message, they can do so by going to the Office and using their phone in the office.
Year 11 and 12: as we are educating people to make wise choices and manage phone use, our Year 11 and 12 students can keep their phones in their bags but must only use them for calls/messages or learning gains. We do not want to see students on social feeds during school where this behaviour removes them from socially engaging with peers.
Subjects on offer are extensive – and our learning groups are small and personal:
Years 11/12
· Guardians: Jake Parmenter Y11; Sammy Robinson/Rebecca Balfour Y12
· English (Advanced/Standard/Studies)/Drama – Rebecca Balfour
· Visual Arts/Ceramics/Design Technology – Sammy Robinson
· Maths (Advanced/Standard) – David Ellemor-Collins, Ahmed Mulla
· Biology – Leo Baker
· Chemistry/Physics – Ahmed Mulla
· Photography and Digital Media – Ben Belle
· Ancient History/Modern History – Jake Parmenter
· Business Studies – Emma Nichols
· Society and Culture – Beth Hobbs
· Music – Matty Green
Years 9/10
· Guardians: Ahmed Mulla Y9; Beth Hobbs Y10
· English – Beth Hobbs
· Drama – Rebecca Balfour
· Visual Arts – Sammy Robinson
· Maths – Leo Baker/David Ellemor-Collins
· Science/LaunchPad – Leo Baker
· HSIE/Agriculture Technology – Jake Parmenter
· Language/Support/Outdoor Education – Sien Tips
· PDH/Learning Support – Isabelle Howard-Schorr
· Music/Woodwork – Matty Green
· Circus, Woodwork, PDH, Outdoor Education – Jo Hoy
SCHOOL ASSEMBLY EVERY MONDAY
There will be a Years 5 – 12 school assembly every Monday. This assembly will follow a guardian group/learning family slot session, which is structured to prepare students for the week ahead. Our focus every Assembly will be to unpack our VAST model of universal qualities.
Guardian sessions will now conclude each day from 3:00-3:10pm. Please be advised, we expect all students where possible to remain in class until 3:00pm. Students needing to leave early for a public bus must have the Conductor’s approval via a form.
We have structured our timetable (and our supports). We offer more opportunities: we now have three elective blocks which includes a choice of
Music (Matty Green),
Visual Arts (Sammy Robinson),
Drama (Rebecca Balfour),
Photography and Digital Design (Ben Belle),
Design Technology (Sammy Robinson)
and now also includes:
Woodwork (Matty Green/Jo Hoy/Jake Parmenter). We have set up a new fully equipped woodwork space with machines and tools for all aspects of woodworking.
Agriculture technology (Friday – Jake Parmenter),
Circus skills/PDH (Jo Hoy/Isabelle Howard-Schorr), and
Construction (Friday – Ahmed Mulla).
Friday program – Onland Learning/LaunchPad/Construction – NO ONLAND FOR FIRST FRIDAY
We also have on Fridays compulsory Y10 subjects, LaunchPad, with Leo Baker – but we will appoint students to this course in either Semester 1 or Semester 2, so they have a choice of Expeditionary Learning (onland site), Construction or Agriculture.
Expeditions – we will have our first expedition in the last week of Term 1. This is a 4-5 day canoeing/camping adventure down the Noosa River. This expedition will be open to Years 9 and 10 – but will require the students to apply for the right to attend. As the school will cover all costs, we reserve the right to invite who will and who will not attend, such decisions may be based on (but not limited to) physical ability, behaviour, risk, school fees.
Sport on Wednesdays
For Years 9 and 10, in keeping with our requirements, sport is compulsory and dress code for sport applies (no bare feet, hats and sunsmart clothing, sports kit – ie swimmers, towel, goggles if swimming). We will be offering swimming, touch football, soccer in Term 1, and all of these sports have representative opportunities.
SWIMMING CARNIVAL – MONDAY WEEK 1 (5 February)
Johann has organised for a fun activities-based Swimming Day for the WHOLE SCHOOL K-12. ALL students are expected.
Location – Lismore Memorial Baths
Time – 9:00am start
Equipment – please bring swimmers, towel, goggles, sunsmart clothing, lunch.
I thank you for taking the time to read this first communication of the year. It may seem ‘officious’ but a school is a social-emotional ecosystem with many movable parts. Having clear boundaries and guidelines allows us all to share in our culture’s development. Living School is a unique offering and we have some big plans for our future, which we will discuss in the coming weeks.
Our key goals for this year are:
1. Community – to focus on ‘co-learning’ with parents and the broader community to strengthen our progressive platform of schooling – something that is uniquely Living School but built on world’s best practice.
2. Administration – to ensure our administration and organisation continue to develop to streamline our practises and communication.
3. Pedagogy – to further develop a strong academic pathway, a vocational pathway, and an entrepreneurial pathway.
4. Environment – establishing the buildings and resources for exceptional teaching and learning.
SURVEY – we did put out a survey to all parents last year. It may have been missed so, please, if you haven’t added any information/thoughts, you can access the survey HERE.
YEAR 9 NEWSIt’s that time again, to reflect on yet another term, and what a term it has been. The Year 9’s have been busy with assessments, projects and new programs. We are having a more steady feel for our new home classroom in the daily guardian sessions, sometimes wanting to change the smells and orientation of furniture…we are making it our own!
The students in the Design Technology program (aka DEZTEK) have been busy building and fixing so many things; unearthing 1980’s Arcade games, painting our own mural, resurrecting whipper snipper motors back to life and free-building skateboard ramps from pallets.
It’s all systems go for creativity and flow. We also had some special guests this week with the Year 5’s coming to visit the workshop and build their boxes for a display unit. It was so incredible to see our Deztek students support them and step into leadership roles.
How will the future look when we can create so freely and with inspirational intention? …watch this space!
YEAR 9 NEWS
What a great start to the term we have had. From a change to our homeroom location to a huge week of rain, we have had a mixed bag of experiences. All things considered, the Year 9 student morale is high and we have been up to some incredible things.
First the Sandon River camp with the Expedition Learning crew. The students had an incredible time and enjoyed the rest when they could get it. While this was happening, a handful of students decided to complete their boat license mico-credentials course at school. We are seeing the fruits of our labour come together in their first boating day this friday!
In other news, we have Consent Labs coming this week to talk to our students about healthy relating and informed consent. This is part of our ongoing growth journey and we are maintaining a steady course to becoming adults for change in the world.
We are also announcing a new program for Design Technology this week focussing on practical, hands-on experiential creation.
Watch this space for more Year 9 fun and shenanigans!
YEAR 9 NEWS
Term one has flown by! Year 9 have come together as a group over the last 7 weeks, our guardian circle time has been diverse and interesting – from yoga, to sharing inspirational quotes, qi gong and reflecting on the day. The student forum has started on Wednesdays with Isabelle which has seen lots of year 9 students giving up their lunch time to express themselves and discuss issues, ideas and concerns on how Living School can improve – we have some big ideas in the works!
First up next term will see some Year 9 students heading off on the first Expedition to Sandon River. The students have been working hard to prepare themselves for the adventure. Looks to be an amazing time. Fridays at the farm have also seen some incredible adventures and fruits of labour come to life. The Free-Form Construction students have designed and begun to build a Popcorn Stand that will be moveable and Solar powered. This is taking shape alongside some fishing adventures and foraging for clay and other building materials. The Sky’s the limit with this student cohort!
Lismore Women’s Festival – International Women’s Day Friday March 8th
Last Friday, a group of Year 9 and 10 girls attended the Women’s Festival at SCU. It was a marvelous day of Egyptian dance, trivia, weaving, watching musicians and circus performers, listening to inspiring talks from Mandy Nolan and Ashani Dante, and finally, delivering an impressive debate on the topic, Chivalry is Sexist.’ The six Living School girls involved in the debate did an incredible job researching, writing, and presenting the debate with great passion. The audience were impressed and there were many questions and comments afterwards. An inspiring day!
Welcome back to 2024
People to know:
Guardians – Ahmed Mulla ([email protected])
Conductor – John Stewart
NESA requirements – Rebecca Balfour ([email protected])
Behaviour – Jake Parmenter ([email protected])
COMMUNICATION – https://living.school/year-9-news/
NOTICE BOARD NEWS – https://living.school/notice-board/
CALENDAR – https://living.school/school-calendar/
Year 9 news
The Year 9 cohort has started this year with a bang! They relished the opportunity to go to Springbrook Camp to reintegrate, learn new insights, meet new friends and catch up with old ones. It was great to see the students challenge themselves outside their comfort zone…and it was definitely outside the ordinary 😉 From hiking between rock crevices, under huge waterfalls, a moonlight trust activity, finding magical electric blue lobsters and various trust exercises the Living School Year 9’s braved the elements to be out doing what they love most.
Natural bridge was the perfect place to slowly ease into this year’s expeditionary learning and start our adventure with activities that could cater for all. A night-time glow worm adventure, a mandala making ‘Collective Identity’ focussed altar (see below) and a few bush walks to contemplate the Universe and our own Individual Identities. Let’s also not forget all the yummy food we cooked together and our stop at Tropical Fruit World to round things off. Keep up the initiative, keep up the teamwork and definitely keep up the love of nature and fun with friends!
As the weeks rolled in and we slowly started to get into a groove at school, the Year 9 students began to choose their electives and also work out what interests them to continue with this Semester and potentially for the rest of the year. From the ‘Launchpad’ program with to the exciting installments at the Farm (Expedition with John, Sien and Jo as well as Free-Form Construction with Ahmed) there is a smorgasbord to choose from on Fridays. During the week the menu features; Drama with Rebecca, Languages with Sien, Photography with Benny, Wood-Working / Music with Matty, Learning Lab with Isabelle, Design & Technology with Jake and Visual Arts with Sammy. There is something for everyone to love!
We also have two new Guardians for the year…introducing Ahmed Mulla and Isabelle Howard-Schorr to the 2024 Year 9 Students and Parent Community. They both have backgrounds in student care, support and leadership inside and outside the school environment; running rights of passage and natural building programs for students and adults alike and a collective of more than a decade of teaching experience. Please make them feel welcome and ask them any questions you may have as the year unfolds. In the meantime, here's a poem to reflect on camp and start the adventure of 2024 together.
Here I go again,
Off to see my friends.
I really don’t know how this trip will go,
Will I get too tired or will I be in my flow.
Embracing the adventure ahead,
I wonder about the condition of tonight's bed.
Oh I hope we’re not going too far,
Gotta zone out, gotta tune into my guiding star.
Hang on its bloody raining,
Maybe I gotta stop this complaining.
And just go into the deep dark cave,
Look at the glowing worm lights; like a micro-doof rave.
Staring into the abyss,
What am I going to miss?
The tropical fruit or the crazy bus ride,
Maybe the ebb and flow of my emotional tide.
I hope that the new teachers are cool; Ahmed, Isabelle, Sien and Jo,
I hope that they help me when I need it; I hope they help me grow.
And just when I want to quit; I'm just going to be here and sit,
Excited for the Identity I have already created, with all my worries and fears abated.
All the best for 2024 Year 9’s!!!
25 January 2024
Dear All,
We are ready to start our new year with some new faces, new subject offerings, new expeditions and new pathways. The focus will be on developing positive and productive relationships, generating kindness and nurturing a love of learning.
I start by, again, by praising Cheryl Stephens for her incredible commitment and leadership: we have great foundations in place on which to build our fifth year of operation: a year of consolidation.
I expect we are all excited (maybe even anxious) about the upcoming year. After our two Staff PD Days, I sat back and felt humble incredulity at the collection of diverse humans we have assembled at Living School.
ORGANISATION
I commend all of our teachers on their commitment – we have a delegated management capacity in play which flattens the organisation to have shared responsibility and expectations, what I call “contributive efficacy”, which adopts aspects of sociocracy, Self Determination Theory and collective efficacy.
DELEGATED ORGANISATION MANAGEMENT ROLES
Academy Director – John Stewart (responsible for managing Academy communication, staffing, pedagogy and curriculum development and management).
Academy Curriculum Standards – Rebecca Balfour (responsible for all NESA HSC requirements and data management).
Academy Behaviour Guide – Jake Parmenter (responsible for all social/learning behaviour guidance. Our focus is to develop student agency based on our values: Respect, Responsibility and positive/productive Relationships).
We welcome new teachers, and I am really excited by the humans we have at Living School across teachers, staff and community.
· Beth Hobbs: English and Society & Culture
· Emma Nichols: Business Studies
· Isabelle Howard-Schorr: learning support and PDH
· Jo Hoy: outdoor education, circus skills, woodwork, pathways
Our teachers have been busy preparing for our term and year ahead. To ensure a smooth transition, we expect all students to arrive at school on Monday by 9:00am. New students will be met and provided with a buddy.
DAY ONE
PLEASE ENSURE YOU/YOUR CHILD ARRIVES AT SCHOOL WITH ALL OF THE RESOURCES/EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO LEARN EFFECTIVELY: folders, pencils/pens/stationery, journal/diary, calculator.
* If the school has to provide any of these basic stationery items, the family’s school account will be billed for the cost.
Please support us by ensuring your child does not arrive on Monday without stationery or the resources needed to start positively and productively.
All students will be reviewing our Code of Conduct – please ensure they understand our collective expectations. Our community’s culture is based on three key values: Respect, Responsibility, (positive/productive) Relationships.
This term’s KeyStone theme is Identity.
SCHOOL CAMP
Our first expedition is compulsory and has been modified in light of the recent cyclone warnings and weather/surf conditions. We are now in cabins with beds, a hall and proper kitchen with cooking facilities. We will be combining Year 9 with Year 10.
THEME – Identity: Get to know each other.
Yr 9/10 Springbrook Camp
Camp: Sien, Jo, Benny 2days, Isabelle, John, Ahmed
Camp
| Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-12.30 | Bags: Check items Travel | Breakfast Group A Waterfall Walk | Breakfast C Bump out Walk |
| 12.30 pm | Lunch (brought from home) | Lunch Group A | Lunch Group C |
| 1.30 pm | John Bonding – Welcome/logistics, Sit spot (Ahmed) Sharing Circle (Isabelle) | Intro: John Identity Photo ID Benny Teamwork ID Circuit of activities: Identity craft – Sien/Ahmed Vision board – John Write a letter to yourself – Isabelle 4.00 – 6:00 Supervised Free time. | Short Walk possible game? |
| 3:00 | Break | Travel Tropical Fruit World Closing Circle Return to school at 2.30pm (THURSDAY) | |
| 3:30 | Gondwana Walk – Antarctic Beach Walk | ||
| 6:00 | Dinner Group B | Dinner Group B | |
| 7:00pm | Trust walk My place in the universe. Astronomy – Indigenous Film | Glow worms Film | |
| 9:00pm | Bedtime ritual | Bedtime ritual |
Trust Walk: Jo/Sien
Sharing Circle: Isabelle
Astro Travel Night Ahmed
CULTURE AND COMMUNITY
All learners have rights. With these rights come responsibilities. To function collectively, we all must accept and strive to excel in our relationships. Our behaviour, our values, and our acceptance of the following responsibilities nurture our supportive, caring and safe culture.
| To be treated with dignity and respect. | To treat staff, students and visitors with consideration and respect. To respect the rights of others to work free of distractions. To move around the school in an appropriate manner. To dress safely, casually and individually without offending others. To display behaviour which, at the school and in public, bring credit to oneself and the school. |
|---|---|
| To feel secure in an environment free from negative actions from others and from harmful substances and objects. | Not to bring to school substances which are harmful to health and items which have the potential to cause injury. To empower rather than put down others. Not to hurt or cause harm to others. To share with others a compelling desire to give of one’s best. |
| To study, work and pursue activities in pleasant, well-kept surroundings with a focus on green. | To strive for excellence by giving my personal best efforts. To respect our food guidelines. To remain within the boundaries of our schoolís allocated areas. To recycle any waste appropriately. To not bring any plastic bottles onto campus unless for recycling. To minimise any single-use plastic packaging. |
| To have belongings treated with care. | To respect the property and belongings of others. To treat school property with respect, and to care for our resources. To ensure property is labelled and named. |
| To be communicated with clearly, politely and respectfully. | To communicate with others clearly, politely and respectfully. To welcome guests to our school with appropriate and engaging manners. To treat the viewpoints of others with respect and openness. |
Students have a right to expect Living School will provide a safe, nurturing environment.
The School has a responsibility to provide this. This is best summed up as a love of learning and kindness.
Our staff will discuss our expectations with the students in the first week to seek their understanding and support, but we have collectively as teachers concerned ourselves with areas we feel undermine our program as follows. As a parent of a student enrolled at Living School, your support of our school’s culture is vital.
The First Week – CHALLENGE week (EQ, IQ, PQ, XQ learning lens)
Focus is to settle into our routines and settle into each other.
Emphasising: class expectations, rights/responsibilities, empowering learning, goal setting, camps and learning assessments.
| Monday 29 Jan. | Tuesday 30 Jan. | Wed. 31 Jan | Thurs. 1 Feb. | Friday 2 Feb. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Years 9/10 | Years 11/12 | Years 9/10 CAMP | Years 11/12 | Years 9/10 CAMP | Years 11/12 | Years 9/10 CAMP | Years 11/12 CAMP | Years 9/10 (NO onland) | Years 11/12 CAMP |
| Guardian Assembly Routines Expectations English writing stimulus assessment HSIE/Science Guardian close | Guardian Assembly Routines Expectations Normal timetabled lessons Guardian close | Arrive at school 9:00am Camp – Springbrook Log Cabins with John, Sien, Jo, Isabelle, Benny, Ahmed | Normal timetabled lessons Guardian close | Camp – Springbrook Log Cabins with John, Sien, Jo, Isabelle, Benny, Ahmed | Normal timetabled lessons Guardian close | Camp – Springbrook Log Cabins with John, Sien, Jo, Isabelle, Benny, Ahmed Return to School 2:45pm | Camp – Brunswick Heads with Sammy, Rebecca, David | LaunchPad and Electives PAT assessments in Reading and Maths. | Camp – Brunswick Heads with Sammy, Rebecca, David |
Dress Code – safe, casual but respectful. We love allowing our students to dress how they feel safe. But please assist us to ensure your child is not wearing anything offensive (statements/logos), or wearing clothes that are too scant, not sun-smart or disrespectful of body or school. Hoodies are not to be worn in class. HATS, please! In some learning activities, there will be dress requirements for safety.
Attendance – on time for school and classes. The impact of students missing lessons or days at school is huge on their own progress, their peers and their teachers. We do have ‘rules’ for attendance that are legal requirements.
· If your child is absent, please contact [email protected]
· If your child is late, they must sign in at the Office, receive a late note, and then go directly to the lesson.
· No child is to skip a class or leave a class without informing their guardian and/or school Advocate. In all situations, the School must be informed.
· If you are planning for an extended holiday leave (over a week) you need to seek approval from the Conductor, please email [email protected]
· If in Years 11 and 12, there is a personal timetable which allows students to have time to study independently in the SCU library or class learning space, learn to manage their time effectively, and take responsibility for arrivals and departures. In ALL cases, if a student is arriving after 9:00am or leaving before 3:10pm, must sign in/out at the Office. This is important for drills and any unforeseen circumstance.
Eating in Class – whereas we have a policy of no hangry tummy rumbles, we also must ensure our older students learn to take responsibility – as is expected in the ‘real’ world. Teachers are clear on their expectations with food – as outlined below:
1. No food is permitted in Woodwork, Music, Science Lab – or where the teacher informs the students.
2. It is not responsible to come into class straight after a break and start eating food – which should have been consumed during break.
3. No gum
4. No single use plastic
5. Only healthy, natural packaging food is to be consumed in class – if approved by the teacher
6. Year 10 and up are able to access the Quad cafes – in keeping with SCU policy. This is a privilege and relies on our trust regarding behaviour. If there is a lack of responsibility, this privilege may be removed for individual students.
Mobile Phones – the digital addiction of screenagers (and adults)
For all years up to Year 11, mobile phones MUST be handed in first period. They will then be stored in the Office. If a child needs to make a call or check for a message, they can do so by going to the Office and using their phone in the office.
Year 11 and 12: as we are educating people to make wise choices and manage phone use, our Year 11 and 12 students can keep their phones in their bags but must only use them for calls/messages or learning gains. We do not want to see students on social feeds during school where this behaviour removes them from socially engaging with peers.
Subjects on offer are extensive – and our learning groups are small and personal:
Years 11/12
· Guardians: Jake Parmenter Y11; Sammy Robinson/Rebecca Balfour Y12
· English (Advanced/Standard/Studies)/Drama – Rebecca Balfour
· Visual Arts/Ceramics/Design Technology – Sammy Robinson
· Maths (Advanced/Standard) – David Ellemor-Collins, Ahmed Mulla
· Biology – Leo Baker
· Chemistry/Physics – Ahmed Mulla
· Photography and Digital Media – Ben Belle
· Ancient History/Modern History – Jake Parmenter
· Business Studies – Emma Nichols
· Society and Culture – Beth Hobbs
· Music – Matty Green
Years 9/10
· Guardians: Ahmed Mulla Y9; Beth Hobbs Y10
· English – Beth Hobbs
· Drama – Rebecca Balfour
· Visual Arts – Sammy Robinson
· Maths – Leo Baker/David Ellemor-Collins
· Science/LaunchPad – Leo Baker
· HSIE/Agriculture Technology – Jake Parmenter
· Language/Support/Outdoor Education – Sien Tips
· PDH/Learning Support – Isabelle Howard-Schorr
· Music/Woodwork – Matty Green
· Circus, Woodwork, PDH, Outdoor Education – Jo Hoy
SCHOOL ASSEMBLY EVERY MONDAY
There will be a Years 5 – 12 school assembly every Monday. This assembly will follow a guardian group/learning family slot session, which is structured to prepare students for the week ahead. Our focus every Assembly will be to unpack our VAST model of universal qualities.
Guardian sessions will now conclude each day from 3:00-3:10pm. Please be advised, we expect all students where possible to remain in class until 3:00pm. Students needing to leave early for a public bus must have the Conductor’s approval via a form.
We have structured our timetable (and our supports). We offer more opportunities: we now have three elective blocks which includes a choice of
Music (Matty Green),
Visual Arts (Sammy Robinson),
Drama (Rebecca Balfour),
Photography and Digital Design (Ben Belle),
Design Technology (Sammy Robinson)
and now also includes:
Woodwork (Matty Green/Jo Hoy/Jake Parmenter). We have set up a new fully equipped woodwork space with machines and tools for all aspects of woodworking.
Agriculture technology (Friday – Jake Parmenter),
Circus skills/PDH (Jo Hoy/Isabelle Howard-Schorr), and
Construction (Friday – Ahmed Mulla).
Friday program – Onland Learning/LaunchPad/Construction – NO ONLAND FOR FIRST FRIDAY
We also have on Fridays compulsory Y10 subjects, LaunchPad, with Leo Baker – but we will appoint students to this course in either Semester 1 or Semester 2, so they have a choice of Expeditionary Learning (onland site), Construction or Agriculture.
Expeditions – we will have our first expedition in the last week of Term 1. This is a 4-5 day canoeing/camping adventure down the Noosa River. This expedition will be open to Years 9 and 10 – but will require the students to apply for the right to attend. As the school will cover all costs, we reserve the right to invite who will and who will not attend, such decisions may be based on (but not limited to) physical ability, behaviour, risk, school fees.
Sport on Wednesdays
For Years 9 and 10, in keeping with our requirements, sport is compulsory and dress code for sport applies (no bare feet, hats and sunsmart clothing, sports kit – ie swimmers, towel, goggles if swimming). We will be offering swimming, touch football, soccer in Term 1, and all of these sports have representative opportunities.
SWIMMING CARNIVAL – MONDAY WEEK 1 (5 February)
Johann has organised for a fun activities-based Swimming Day for the WHOLE SCHOOL K-12. ALL students are expected.
Location – Lismore Memorial Baths
Time – 9:00am start
Equipment – please bring swimmers, towel, goggles, sunsmart clothing, lunch.
I thank you for taking the time to read this first communication of the year. It may seem ‘officious’ but a school is a social-emotional ecosystem with many movable parts. Having clear boundaries and guidelines allows us all to share in our culture’s development. Living School is a unique offering and we have some big plans for our future, which we will discuss in the coming weeks.
Our key goals for this year are:
1. Community – to focus on ‘co-learning’ with parents and the broader community to strengthen our progressive platform of schooling – something that is uniquely Living School but built on world’s best practice.
2. Administration – to ensure our administration and organisation continue to develop to streamline our practises and communication.
3. Pedagogy – to further develop a strong academic pathway, a vocational pathway, and an entrepreneurial pathway.
4. Environment – establishing the buildings and resources for exceptional teaching and learning.
SURVEY – we did put out a survey to all parents last year. It may have been missed so, please, if you haven’t added any information/thoughts, you can access the survey HERE.