From the PDHPE classroom to history, science and beyond, teachers at Queenwood School are working to raise the bar in discipline-specific writing skills – and an instructional framework is paving the way.
I remember listening to Ms Stone in Assembly in 2018 when she told us about a lifelong Republican and his desire to be heard. His name was David Weissman. Your “typical Twitter troll” who, like many others, felt isolated in the then political climate and was using social media as his platform to vent.
There is complexity and intensity in childhood friendships. The strength of social connection has a profound effect on happiness, and in turn a child’s capacity to learn. Sustaining a culture of kindness in a school provides the foundation for all to flourish.
Term 4 has started with Camp Week for the Senior School and, somewhat miraculously, we seem to have lucked out with five relatively dry days sandwiched between two La Niñas in Sydney’s wettest ever year.
The first guilds can be traced back to the 12th Century. Groups of like-minded individuals came together to maintain high standards in their area of interest, and to refine the skills of their craft through apprenticeships.
This morning, we celebrated the School’s 97th birthday. It is the only occasion in the year when the whole School gathers together and we began by taking a few moments to honour and give thanks for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and her remarkable life of dignity, dedication and service.
This unexpectedly meaningful experience radically changed my perception of what volunteering means.
In a School with a smorgasbord of cocurricular, organised activities known to benefit cognitive, physical, cultural and social development, it may seem incongruous to suggest that it is beneficial for young people to be bored.
As the Director of Well-being, I wish I had a magic wand that would ensure happiness for all, but that is not the reality. The well-being of a child is never one-dimensional.
It is a fact that we can use our voice to create change. This could involve speaking from behind a lectern about an issue which concerns us, or it might mean reflecting the world of the unthinkable in front of our eyes.
I never imagined as a 17-year-old that my own career would be so convoluted. It began with a somewhat disastrous choice of tertiary study but I have landed in the perfect role - one which didn’t exist when I left school.