STUDENT LEARNING IN TERM 1
It has been wonderful to watch the Year 7 students engage with their learning in their first term of secondary school. It has been extremely busy with students learning many new skills and although we have noticed tired students, we have also seen lots of excitement. Year 7 students have been busy preparing for their Character Paper Collage Portraits in Art, their Persuasive Speech in English and Lab Safety and Chemistry in Science. They have been learning about Bullying in preparation for CAT 1 in Health and Ancient Civilizations History in Humanities. In Mathematics the Year 7 cohort have learnt about Whole Number and the Cartesian Plan and in Music they have developing their understanding of reading music as well as playing the piano. The first term of Year 7 is often challenging for students as they understand the expectations of a new school and develop maturity required for secondary school. It is pleasing to see, many students starting to settle into the new routines and we ask that families support students struggling with organisation and structure to assist them at home by talking about the day ahead and mentally preparing them about expectations, behaviour and organisation.
We have noticed how most of the Year 8 students have settled quickly into the new school year and have grown in maturity. This maturity is usually reflected in their approach to their work also. The Year 8 students have been debating in English, doing Fitness in HPE and learning how to analyse historical sources in Humanities. In Mathematics they have been learning about Rational and Irrational Number and Financial Maths. In Year 8 our students are introduced to Technology: in Materials Technology they are creating and designing a timber dice and they will do Food Technology in Semester 2. In Media students have been reviewing a blog and in Science, they are studying Cells and Body Systems.
Students have told us this year, how much they have enjoyed having the choice of Languages: Chinese or Italian and the progress in these classes is clear.
HARMONY WEEK – Everyone Belongs – 20th to 26th March
Harmony Week is the celebration that recognises our diversity and brings together Australians from all different backgrounds. It’s about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone. It is an important day in the Greenvale Secondary College calendar as it is central to our values.
To participate in Harmony Week, on Tuesday 21st March we asked students and staff to wear an orange accessory to acknowledge Harmony Week. The SRC collected $1 donations and all proceeds will be donated to Red Cross.
It was great to see a sea of orange in the school as our community celebrated inclusiveness.
THE RESILIENCE PROJECT
Our students do work from The Resilience Project each Monday and Tuesday in Mentor Group designed to teach positive mental health strategies and build capacity to deal with adversity. Each week we engage in activities around the key principles of Gratitude, Emapthy, Mindfulness (GEM) and Emotional Literacy to build resilience.
GRATITUDE
Working on gratitude helps us to be thankful and appreciate what we have in our lives, rather than focusing on what we don’t have or what we want. When we practise being grateful, we start to scan the world to look for positives–this only takes 21 days! Practising gratitude every day increases our levels of energy, helps us to feel happier and more focused, determined and optimistic. It even helps us have a better sleep, lowers levels of anxiety and depression and we are less likely to get sick. So many benefits–let’s all try to be grateful for the things and people in our lives every day!
WHOLE FAMILY ACTIVITY – GRATITUDE
Family Habit Builder: Every night at dinner, ask your children what was the best thing in the day? Encourage everyone to talk about their favourite thing about that day.
