Deputy Principal Teaching and Learning
As the year draws to a close, it is timely to reflect on the many learning experiences both in and outside the classroom. Just today, I celebrated with the Year 10 students their showcase from the Creative Innovation for Sustainable Futures Bootcamp. In collaboration with UTS, the students presented their final solutions to industry representatives and academics. It was an outstanding achievement where the students also experienced university life. This is just one of the opportunities that has been facilitated by the staff at Santa. As we navigated the post-COVID world, teachers appreciated the benefits of face-to-face learning, incursions and excursions and the importance it plays on learning.
We are lucky at Santa to have dedicated staff who have challenged the students to think critically and creatively, taught them new skills and opened their minds to different points of view. This year I have visited many classrooms as we work with teachers to develop and reflect on their professional practice and it has been exciting to experience the learning first hand. I congratulate the following teachers for achieving their Independent Schools Teacher Accreditation Authority Experienced Teacher accreditation:
Angela Bunquin
Sarah-Jane Cartwright
Alex Connolly
Annette Janssen
Matthew Mountford
Alec Robertson.
This is a rigorous 18-month program where teachers reflect and evaluate their practice based on the professional teaching standards.
Teachers have now reported on the students’ achievements in Semester 2. We will continue to work with the students next year to use this information to reflect on their learning, what they have accomplished and the recommendations for improving. These are now available to parents on Veritas Online.
We look forward to celebrating the achievements of the HSC on 15 December and the IBDP on 3 January.
Opportunities during the holiday break
The summer holidays are an ideal time for students to take the opportunity to rest but for some who might like to find a new passion, these opportunities are available:
Science without Borders® Challenge – International Student Art ContestLiving Oceans Foundation
As I conclude my first year at Santa Sabina, I would like to sincerely thank the students, parents, teachers and leadership team for their support. I have enjoyed working with you all and am looking forward to seeing what 2023 brings. I wish you all a happy and safe Christmas.
Jacqueline Pugh
Deputy Principal Teaching and Learning