Spotlight on the Creative Industries Faculty - Sparking interest in Year 5 and 6
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Winter 2020
Spotlight on the
Creative Industries Faculty
page 8
Sparking interest Reflecting on Canterbury
in Year 5 and 6 online learning goes solar
From The Principal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Sparking Interest In Year 5 And 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Contents
Reflecting On Online Learning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Spotlight On The Creative Industries . . . . . . . . . . 8
The New Vertical House System. . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Canterbury Goes Solar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Saying Hola To Spanish In Junior School. . . . . . 14
Ensuring Digital Literacy Success
With The 1:1 Surface Device Program . . . . . . . . 16
The Arts = A Powerful Contribution
To Student Wellbeing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Wellbeing Through The Arts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Awarded Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Staff Spotlight: Lisa Dinsdale. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Captains' Interview With Mr Paul Diete . . . . . . . 26
Interview With Jefferson Fern:
Foundation Student . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Staff Spotlight: Tracey Clarke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Coy Family Connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Meet Jill Goold, A Canterbury
Homestay Parent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
2020 Alumni Award Winners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
What makes a great school great? From the
It seems to me that a school measuring its success by
NAPLAN or ATAR scores alone misses the point somewhat.
Although it is tempting to want some ‘hard data’ to use
Principal
as a point of comparison when evaluating schools, my
view is that there is so much more to a school than this. Our formula for success at Canterbury can be described
as follows:
Great schools have a soul, an energy and
sense of purpose. They know what they
stand for and what they don’t. Their central a = [b + c + d] g
values stand the test of time, but they are
also adaptable to new circumstances, achievement = [belonging + challenge + dedication] gratitude
social and technological change. They are
not afraid to say no and they don’t adopt
every fad or popular trend without question. Gratitude is a powerful disposition and we talk about it a lot
in our Wellbeing lessons from K to Year 9. It is a principle of
The soul of a school is informed by the quality of our Canterbury wellbeing curriculum, The Resilience Project
interactions – thousands per day – between teachers and (theresilienceproject.com.au). It is included in this “formula”
students. So many high performing academic schools are as an index number because it makes every other element
soulless places; they are one-dimensional and devoid of fun, more powerful. Gratitude enhances a sense of belonging,
noise and energy. There is no sense of community and little the embracing of challenge and a dedicated mindset.
emphasis on the individual. Respectful human interactions
between students and teachers are what separate the At Canterbury, we encourage our students to “belong” to
average schools from great schools. something bigger than themselves – being part of a team,
group, club or ensemble is one way. Making friends and
Energy is a combination of many things – fun, busyness, getting along with others, celebrating our diversity, showing
joy, friendship, challenge – it is represented by laughter, House and school pride are all examples of belonging.
nervousness, passion, pride, achievement. It is noticeable
in class, but it’s also noticeable in movement between We do not shy away from challenge. We embrace it by
classes, on the sporting field, in the rehearsal room and on taking calculated risks and trying new things. Students
the bus and in the car, to and from school. Without energy and staff look for ways to improve and we feel empowered
in the day, there is very little ‘buy in’ from students and little when we master the unfamiliar. Another part of challenge
to sustain students and teachers in the hard times. Visitors is to confront injustice where we see it and apply our
to a school can quickly gauge the energy in a school by Christian worldview to the plight of the marginalised and
observing these things. the voiceless.
The purpose, vision, mission, ethos of the school must The third part of this formula relates to dedication – our
be lived every day. We have two manifestations of ability to ingrain good habits, stick to routines and aim for
this at Canterbury: firstly, the latin motto “Fortior continuous improvement by setting goals. We also hope
Quo Paratior” – the better prepared the stronger that we remain dedicated to the school, its traditions
and our modern interpretation of this, “World and people.
Ready” which is built on the same premise. It’s a great formula for success. It helps us to confirm what
This motto and vision must be type of school we are and what we hope to be. We are
matched by words and deeds. proud of our vision statement released as part of the 2020-
All of our collective efforts 2023 Strategic Direction:
must be directed towards the
goal of ensuring our students To inspire and nurture confident,
both along the way, and
at the end of Year 12, are
optimistic and compassionate young
ready for the world – socially, people who are ready for the world.
emotionally, spiritually and
academically. When we In the pages which follow, I trust that you will see evidence
design the curriculum of the Canterbury College that is emerging – a school with
and co-curriculum, the a soul, a palpable energy and a sense of purpose. You
system of awards will see evidence of this in our innovation – new subject
and recognition for offerings and programs, our online learning model and
students and staff, wellbeing initiatives. You will also see our connection to
our rules, policies our people - quality staff, fantastic alumni and fabulous
and procedures, Canterbury families.
we do so with I am astonished on a daily basis by the quality of student
the overarching and staff excellence. When we hit turbulent waters, such
goal of making as the recent pandemic crisis, dedicated staff, motivated
students students and supportive parents help to get us through.
genuinely and
authentically
‘world ready.’ Dan Walker, Principal
1
Sparking Interest
in Year 5 and 6
This year our Year 5 and 6 students are involved in an elective-based
hands-on curriculum pathway unique to Canterbury called Spark.
Each semester students choose a subject to study
of their own interest. Like-minded students work in
small class sizes, where they are taught by staff with a
background or professional interest in the area. When
students work in groups or teams and take responsibility
for their learning, it allows them to receive ongoing
feedback, resulting in better academic performance and
promoting a mastery of learning.
Spark commenced in Semester 1, 2020 with ten subjects,
which include Digital Technologies, Sport Psychology,
Photography, History, Performing Arts, Business and
Economics, Visual Arts, Literature, Philosophy and
Science. Students were asked to nominate three
subjects they were interested in. For some students,
these subjects are new to them and this has
challenged them to think creatively, widening their
understanding in a variety of different subjects.
Students chose subjects based on their interests,
which will help support a secondary pathway, to
further strengthen their understanding in a subject
and to work with a specialist staff member.
These subjects change on a semesterly
basis, with students being exposed to four
different semester units over their two
years in Years 5 and 6.
Our Year 5 and 6 students thoroughly enjoyed studying
Modern History as part of the Spark program.
2
So why Spark? Students are required to pose questions, inquire for
knowledge, and organise and process information. As
Spark is about building curiosity, encouraging students students progress, they need to apply their knowledge, draw
to try something different and providing an exceptional conclusions and design a course of action. These general
opportunity to embark on their own learning journey as capabilities are incredibly important; as students develop
part of their ‘World Ready’ Canterbury education. By these skills they are better prepared for jobs that do not exist
giving students a choice in their learning, it can boost yet and become active collaborators and entrepreneurs.
engagement, encourage students to capitalise on their During Spark, each subject will cover these areas of the
strengths and build student autonomy. Spark also exposes curriculum in a unique way, with a common theme running
students to subjects from the Secondary School, further across each subject, and students are supported in their
strengthening student transition and familiarity with staff. learning by a specialised teacher. All learning that occurs
Spark has a key curriculum link with the Critical and during Spark follows an inquiry model, with a focus on
Creative Thinking learning continuum underpinning all building student inquiry skills in questioning, researching,
student learning. The Australian Curriculum is made up of analysing, evaluating, reflecting and communicating.
three main components; Learning Areas (including subjects
like HASS, The Arts and Science), Cross-curriculum
priorities (for example, sustainability and Australia’s Dispositions such as inquisitiveness,
engagement with Asia) and General Capabilities. The reasonableness, intellectual flexibility, open
General Capabilities are skills that all students are
required to learn and are taught through all subject
and fair mindedness, a readiness to try
areas. These general capabilities new ways of doing things and consider
are incredibly important. alternatives, and persistence promote and are
enhanced by critical and creative thinking.
Australian Curriculum
When it comes to assessing critical and creative
thinking, the learning continuum provides
checkpoints on how this thinking should develop.
The four interrelated elements in the learning
continuum are as follows;
Reflecting on thinking and processes
Analysing, synthesising and evaluating
reasoning and procedures
Inquiring – identifying, exploring and
organising information
Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
These elements are not a taxonomy
of thinking. Rather, each makes
its own contribution to learning
and needs to be explicitly and
simultaneously developed. By
following an inquiry framework,
the end ‘product’ at the
end of a semester is less
important than the learning
that occurs along the way
and may look different
for each student.
3
Here is a snapshot of some of
the learning occurring across the
Spark classrooms this semester:
4
I n Visual Arts students are looking at ‘inspiration’.
They are developing their own artworks based on
their interpretations of experiences and observations
of everyday objects, environments and people.
tudents studying Literature are identifying ‘What
S
makes a good book?’ and are publishing their own text.
I n Sport Psychology students are investigating what
goes into the lead up of a large event or match and
looking deeply at nutrition.
I n Digital Technologies students are learning a
range of skills needed to design 3D objects and 3D
scenes, creating their own 3D scene.
I n Photography students are learning about the
different elements involved in photography including
light, angles and patterns. Students will create a
photography portfolio.
I n Modern History students are looking at a key
historical event, inquiring into, developing curiosity
and respect for places and people, past and present.
I n Performing Arts students are cultivating their
artistic interests by engaging their mind, body and
emotions to create a song, dance or drama piece
that showcases the power of creating. Students are
focusing on building their metacognition skills and
seeing themselves as powerful learners who are
responsive, innovative and empathetic contributors of
the world. Students perform for the class and respond
to their own and others’ creations.
I n Business and Economics students are learning
about financial literacy. Students will be researching
the attributes of successful entrepreneurs and
hearing from local business owners.
I n Philosophy students will be asking the big questions,
is time-travel possible? Do we have free will? And are
we always the same person or do we change over
time? Students will create a portfolio which celebrates
their journey from inception to conclusion.
I n Science students are looking at various scientific
avenues of investigation focusing on chemical,
biological, physical and earth sciences. Students are
working in teams to predict, hypothesise, investigate,
record results and find supporting evidence to back
up claims. Students are working collaboratively to
produce a final piece, outlining their learning amongst
the different areas of investigation.
This is just a snapshot of the learning that occurs. These
unique opportunities allow for every student to have a
different Spark experience.
Spark Photography
5
Reflecting on online learning
Director of Learning and Innovation, Mr James Jenkins, reflects on how Canterbury staff and students had to
quickly adapt to the COVID-19 school shutdown and shift to online learning.
Mr James Jenkins demonstrating a neutralisation
reaction with his Year 9 Science class.
By the middle of March 2020, it was looking likely that learning would move online for the start
of Term 2. A decision was made to convert the last six school days of the term at Canterbury to
Student Free Days and use that time to prepare for a new style of learning. Looking back on that
decision, it was vital to the success of the Canterbury model.
Those six days allowed staff to rewrite the curriculum
delivery plan. During that time, the Faculty areas looked
at what they had planned to do and assessed whether it
would work in an online teaching environment. If it could,
time was then spent creating resources that were best
placed for delivering through Teams or Canvas. However,
if the planned work was not suited to online delivery, a
rewrite of the teaching and learning experiences was
needed. In many subjects, that was the case. Courses
with large practical elements were hit particularly hard.
In many cases, programs for the rest of the year were
altered to allow students to still gain the skills required
from the course. Learning experiences that could work
through online delivery were cleverly crafted to keep the worked through the mid semester break to have things
students on track. ready for the students. It should be recognised that
As many of the tools to be used in online learning were what looked like a smooth and organised system when
already being used to some extent in the College, we students returned in Term 2 was created by many hours
were not starting from scratch with the technology, rather of hard work by dedicated teachers in the lead up.
extending on what we could already do to achieve our Knowing that we would be using Teams for lesson delivery
goal in this new environment. in the Secondary School, many classes had conducted test
In those Student Free Days, staff also attended a range runs in the days leading up to the end of Term 1. Many
of sessions designed and presented by their colleagues. things were learned during that testing period. These trials
These sessions ranged from tips for online learning from also meant that teachers and students were more familiar
staff members that had experience in the area, to sessions with Teams Meetings, taking away some of the anxiety
on specific digital tools and pedagogies that would be around this new way of learning.
useful in the new frontier of online lesson delivery.
The impact that COVID-19 was having on many areas of
In many cases the task of rewriting and creating resources society was evident throughout the break and the advice
for the Term 2 program was bigger than 6 days, and staff for schools was being continually updated. After careful
6
Mr Nick Wong in his home office and teaching space.
consideration, Canterbury made the decision to operate trends. One of the ideas that consistently came through
a hybrid model from the beginning of Term 2. This would from parents in Years 7-12 was that online learning
allow students to either be present in the classroom or was helping build independent learning skills among
log on from home. The learning experiences in Years 7-12 their children. Another positive mentioned by many
would still occur through Teams, meaning that students parents was improved concentration at home due to less
both on and off campus would have a similar experience. distractions. Parents also liked being able to see what their
child was learning.
Week 1 of Term 2 was certainly strange. The school was
very quiet, many classrooms consisted of the teacher and Parent responses were generally very complimentary and
3 or 4 students, and sometimes just the teacher talking expressed a happiness with the way that the Canterbury
to their screen. In many ways that first week was the big model of online learning had worked.
test, to see whether all the planning we had done had
Students also commented on many positive aspects of
sufficiently prepared us for the world of online learning.
online lessons. One of the recurring themes was that they
In my opinion, the second week of online lessons was liked working at their own pace. Another was not needing
when things got much more interesting. The students to be up as early and feeling better rested and nourished
knew what they were doing; they would log in at the when learning from home. Students also noted being
correct time and be ready to go. The teachers were able to get more done with fewer distractions. The survey
generally more confident, and this led to innovative ways results revealed that students were generally happy
of using the technology. Many classes were now using with the way that online lessons were delivered and had
channels in Teams to run group work. Channels were also some recommendations on how to improve them. One
being used as breakout spaces for other purposes. Great thing that students would like to see more of is individual
ideas like the Teacher’s desk were suggested, a dedicated feedback on tasks during online learning. We will continue
channel where students could go to have a more detailed, working on improved ways of doing this.
private conversation with the teacher about their work.
Week 5 saw the return of some year levels and by Week
This innovation continued until the end of our Term 2 6 we were back to full numbers. Although many teachers
remote learning period. I know that some of the great had become very good at facilitating online lessons, they
things that were thought up to meet the demands of were glad to have their classrooms full again. The feeling
online classes will be useful in face to face learning and is that we did a good job under challenging circumstances
will continue in our “new normal”. to keep the learning going, but we missed the ability to be
able to interact the way we do in class. As online learning
Towards the end of the online learning period, a survey
technologies and pedagogies continue to improve, many
was emailed to parents and students. The survey,
of the things that we do in the face to face environment
conducted by MMG Education, was very comprehensive
will be able to be replicated, but it isn’t the same as the
and covered the following areas: Teaching and Learning,
dynamic workings of the classroom, with all the variables
Student Wellbeing, Homebased Learning, Communication
that go with it.
and Resources. We were very pleased with the high
participation rate which allowed us to see some strong We leave this time confident that we can return to
online learning if we should ever need to in the future.
Mr Glen Walker teaching his Our students and staff have the knowledge and skills to
Year 8 Mathematics class online. continue teaching and learning away from the physical
structures of our College. Online learning has reminded
us that school is not just a place, it is a community.
Knowledge, skills, desire and motivation to learn,
relationships and culture are all bigger than the physical
campus. These were challenging times, and many
people went above and beyond what would normally
be expected to allow the teaching and learning at
Canterbury to continue. We are very thankful to our staff,
students and parents for their contribution to making the
Canterbury online learning model the success that it was.
7
SPOTLIGHT ON THE
Head of the new Creative Industries Faculty, Mr Matthew Kopelke, INDUSTRIES
writes about how subjects in his faculty are developing 21st Century
skills for our students for their creative futures.
As we move ever deeper into the 21st Century, almost every aspect of our world is changing.
Social contracts are being rewritten. The structural elements of the world economy are
shifting. New problems are confronting humanity on an almost daily basis. The old rules no
longer apply, and to ensure humanity continues moving forward, the emerging generation
need to be defined not by the knowledge they have acquired, but by the skills and attitudes
they have learnt that will guide them into an uncertain and dynamic future.
While the notion of an educational institution grouping its in one or more creative subjects brings intrinsic benefits
Arts and Technology subjects under the banner of “Creative such as increased self-confidence as well as heightened
Industries” is nothing new in the tertiary education sector, levels of enjoyment and creativity.
it is somewhat rarer in a secondary school. While at first
In 2007, Professor Kate Oakley from the University of
glance you might assume that a subject such as Digital
Glasgow, when writing her report Educating for the Creative
Solutions has little in common with a subject such as
Workforce, acknowledged three interconnected concepts
Dance, upon closer inspection the shared DNA of these
were transforming both education and the workplace of the
subjects suddenly comes into sharp relief. All the subjects
21st Century:
that are housed within the Creative Industries Faculty are
linked by a common set of principles driving the teaching • T
he growth of the cultural and creative
and learning environment: industries provides billions of dollars of
• fostering broad dispositions and skills, especially revenue in all developed nations and
the capacities to think creatively and to make creates millions of jobs worldwide.
connections; • C
reative inputs are part of wider
• teaching artistic skills and techniques without industry practice giving rise to
making these primary; a creative workforce which is no
longer limited to just the Arts
• developing aesthetic awareness;
but is also making inputs to
• p
roviding ways of pursuing an understanding the industries not traditionally
of the world; thought of as creative.
• p
roviding ways for students to engage with • S
kills, aptitudes, and way
community, civic and social issues; of thinking and working
• p
roviding venues and opportunities for students which lie at the centre
to express themselves; of creative and design
practices are increasingly
• helping students develop as individuals. seen as essential skills for
Additionally, many of the subjects within the faculty overlap the 21st century. These
in terms of the expectations of students when completing extend from team-working,
their course work. Dance and Fashion students have communication, and
assessment requirements focused on the creation of presentation skills through to
wearable items for subsequent use; Visual Art and Design the ‘emotional intelligence’
students must possess effective sketching and drawing and reliability that creative
abilities; Drama and Digital Solutions students must economy workers are said to
identify real-world problems in society and offer compelling bring to their practice.
solutions to these issues, and so on. The skills used and
As a result of this, there is a
developed across the whole of Creative Industries are many,
high degree of importance
and it is for this reason that we find very few students study
for creativity and innovation
just one subject within the faculty.
within the classroom, to help
Students who choose to study one or more of the subjects prepare students for today’s
and courses offered within Creative Industries experience increasingly complex life and
benefits that are additional to the core curriculum being work environments. This is
taught. Research has consistently shown that participation reflected in the work of people
8such as neuroscientist Susan Greenfield who, in her 2004 Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds and The Legend of Zelda,
book Tomorrow’s People, argued that education of the future it is another thing entirely to create your own game. The
needs to emphasise context over facts. That future is now. students not only had to devise the game concept from
scratch, but then create a playable version of the game
An excellent example of this can be found within the
inside of the Unity engine. Our students produced a wide
subject of Design. Earlier this year the Year 12 Design
range of game types, from first person shooters through to
students were tasked with investigating the concept of
more traditional role-playing games (RPGs). Working their
human-centred design, which is the process by which
way through character and level design, object collision and
a designer must consider human needs and wants as
scripted character responses were all part of the individual
a high priority of influence throughout their work. They
problems that students had to devise solutions for.
approached this within the context of Canterbury as
community-focussed institution, identifying a key member As we move from a service economy to a knowledge and
of staff they would work with to identify a problem that information based economy, there are increasingly loud calls
needed solving, and then devising a potential solution. for teachers to develop in students the creative thinking
Students began exploring such possible projects as skills which are fundamental to build healthier communities
redesigning the Visual Art classroom, developing a Year and better understandings and tolerances for a more
12 common room, or the creation of a production studio complex global future. It is within the Creative Industries
for Film, Television and New Media. Each of these projects Faculty that you most often find this occurring.
included designs of potential room layouts, internal
furniture designs, as well as detailed analysis of the
outcomes possible if the project was completed.
Digital Solutions students have also been operating
at the cutting-edge of creativity and design. Already Fastest Growing Creative Industries Jobs
this year the students have learnt how to create their
2D and 3D video games, using the industry-standard 1. Design (products, graphics, and fashion)
software package Unity. The students quickly learnt that 2. S
oftware Development
while it is one thing to regularly play video games like (gaming and applications)
3. M
usic, Performance, and Visual Arts
(performers, artists, writers)
4. Advertising and Marketing specialists
5. Architecture
6. F
ilm and TV Production
(such as Directors of
Photography and
Visual Effects)
Mr Warren Musk and his
Year 11 Construction class.
9WELLBEING The New Vertical
House System
Following the introduction of the 6 House System for 2020, each Head of House
reflects on their own individual House successes and highlights so far.
Becket
The introduction of the new House community with the highlight being
System has seen an increase in the Clash of Chants. Students have
student relationships develop expressed enjoyment through a
across year levels in Becket House. flexible year level wellbeing program.
Secondary School students have I am looking forward to watching
adopted the role of mentoring Becket House grow under this new
younger students, promoting House system and as the students
confidence and friendship among become more accustomed to their
peers. Interhouse events have new surroundings.
fostered some fierce, yet friendly
competitive spirit within the College Ms Donna-Marie Forsyth
Cranmer
The Cranmer Wolves have had an have come together to form long-lasting
outstanding start to 2020 under the and supportive friendships. The entire
refreshed House system. The goal House then brought each class identity
for Term 1 was to allow students together to be a part of the larger picture
to grow and develop the Cranmer that is Cranmer. Coming together at
House spirit by increasing their the Clash of Chants illustrated the pride
connection with each other and the and unity that has been forged amongst
College through positive interactions the students. Under the guidance of
during form groups and House supportive and caring staff, student
events. One way this was achieved leaders and families, Cranmer has
was for each form group to take on demonstrated that there is great value
the identity of a type of wolf and in the connections that have been made
developed its own personality under amongst all students.
the overarching Cranmer vision of
Unity. Students across year levels Mr Alan Lyle
Goldsworthy
Being one of the two new Houses peer mediation and support. This new
this year, Goldsworthy has been structure has been especially good for
able to work together to create a our new students to the College who
culture reflective of Canterbury and in many cases have linked up with
the Goldsworthy motto “Strength in more senior students to help them
Courage”. The amazing Goldsworthy with all things Canterbury. I am looking
student leadership team have been forward to the future of Goldsworthy
working hard to build a safe, caring as friendships and teamwork continue
and connected community. The vertical to blossom.
form groups have enabled students
to develop friendships across all year Mr Warren Musk
levels allowing for more significant
10Kime
I have enjoyed watching the House youngest of our students. The Clash
identities take shape as each of the Chants was a fantastic way
House creates and fosters a unique to bring the Kime House students
community spirit. As a newly created across the College to stand together,
House, we needed to develop a and ultimately the icing on top was
legacy and House spirit that made being announced as winners of this
students feel included and connected. event for 2020. I am looking forward
I have watched as students have to continuing to foster this unity and
passion in Kime House over the
stood up and taken leadership in
coming years.
their form groups and led activities,
ensuring to include and nurture the Mrs Katrina Kirk
Ramsey
It has been a fantastic start to the of Ramsey students who, while in-
year for Ramsey. As the foundational home isolation, are calling into their
year of the new House system, our online form groups. These students are
students have been slowly but steadily aware they do not need to attend form
establishing a Ramsey Raptor culture. but are actively reaching out to stay
Walking around form groups, I can connected with their fellow Raptors.
see it is a culture of kindness and It is a joy to work with Ramsey
compassion. Students spend time students. I look forward to seeing our
in the morning engaging in a student students continuing to develop deeper
mentor program, checking in on their connections and traditions within the
progress and wellbeing. Perhaps the House over the years.
best indicator of the kind of culture our
Ms Tegan Sutton
students are developing is the number
Temple
The Temple students have embraced and they were strong, proud and loud.
the new House system and settled The banter and enthusiasm amongst
well into their new form group students after this event was thrilling
locations. It was not a surprise to to see. Undoubtedly as we are given
witness the Secondary School more opportunities, Temple House will
students in particular taking on a come back even stronger. We have
nurturing role with younger students. the ideas; we have the motivation, and
It gave them a sense of responsibility we don’t plan to leave anyone behind.
as role models and they have enjoyed Temple House students have proven
the attention. This process has unified to be a united force, and I’m very
the students and created a deeper proud of them.
sense of College spirit. The highlight
Mrs Mafalda Stevenson
so far was the Clash of the Chants.
Temple House was up first on stage
11Canterbury
In the first substantial sustainability
project to commence as part of
the Strategic Direction 2020-2023,
goes Solar
Canterbury earlier this year installed
366 kilowatt (kW) solar systems on
multiple buildings across the campus.
Aiming for optimum clean energy production and bill savings, The rooftop solar system is installed on A Block
the College partnered with Planet Ark Power’s expert (Junior School), K Block (Secondary School
engineers to design and install solar panels across multiple Science), M Block (Arts) and the Trade Training
roofs and electricity meters. Factors such as infrastructure, Centre, and is expected to generate 525,000
energy usage and current grid tariffs were considered to kilowatt hours (kWh) per year.
tailor an optimum solution for the College’s needs.
This translates annually to:
We will aim to reduce our reliance on grid supplied
energy through the integration of clean renewable energy offsetting 420 tonnes of carbon dioxide
that is also, as Dan Walker explains, providing obvious
taking 4071 cars off the road for a year
environmental, educational and financial benefits.
planting 1397 trees.
We spend such a lot of time engendering values of social
responsibility in our students, that to leave the thousands
The College will export excess solar energy
of square metres of rooftops unadorned with solar panels,
back to the power grid, resulting in savings of
would seem a lost opportunity.” Mr Walker said.
around 40% on energy bills. By using the solar
energy, we will continue to reduce our carbon
Whilst we know that our solar footprint over the system’s life of 25 years.
program has very practical economic
As the campus expands in the future, and
and environmental benefits, our buildings such as the new pool and tennis
students knowing that we ‘walk the complex significantly increase the overall
talk’ around sustainability is also energy consumption, there is an opportunity
fundamentally important. to expand on the current systems.
12This equates to:
On average the Operating a
microwave oven for 84, 838 minutes
4 Canterbury
solar systems
charging an
iPhone 6 68, 871 times
each generate 16, 981 loads washing
of
between laptop for 124, 670 hours
Running a
2-3 megawatt Pokemon Go 474, 803 hours
playing
hours (mWh)
of energy 2, 058 days powering
a refrigerator
per week. 13, 979 episodes watching
Game of Thrones
52, 992 times making
a piece of toast
13Saying
to Spanish
in Junior School
On the first day of school for 2020, our Kindy to Year 6 students were very excited to find
out that Spanish had been chosen as the new Junior School language pathway.
In the first week of learning, students brainstormed all they knew about Spain and the
Spanish language. From here students were challenged immediately to learn initial
greetings which has resulted in students greeting each other in the playground and as they
enter the Spanish classroom. After learning common greetings, students progressed to the
core language fundamentals of counting and colour identification. Rapidly our students
have progressed to learning about the Spanish alphabet.
During Term 1 students all learnt to count to 10 and identify students will broaden their oral language skills, consolidating
colours. Year 5 and 6 students have also been learning how the process of communicating further with their peers.
to express their likes and dislikes and how they are feeling.
Learning a language is complex and it requires several years
In Term 2 the students will be furthering their knowledge
to learn. Students in Kindy undertake 30 minutes of Spanish
and exploring a variety of topics depending on their year
a week. Students in Prep – Year 4 have a one hour session
level. These include La Casa, Feelings, Getting Around and
per week and students in Years 5 and 6 are taught 2 hours
Describing Ourselves and Others. Moving into Semester 2,
of Spanish per week. In this way, students are ‘spacing out’
their language learning. Spaced Practice is a study technique
where students review material over a long period of time.
This gives students time to form connections between ideas
14and concepts so knowledge can be built upon. This study and thereby develop an intercultural capability in
technique is research based and a proven concept for communication that encourages students to understand
converting knowledge into long term cognitive memory. themselves as communicators.
Stephen Krashen and Tracy Terrell describe the natural It is proven that learning a language broadens the
stages of second language acquisition. All students learning personal, social and cultural understanding of students.
a second language will pass through these stages, some The connectedness of countries and communities means
more quickly than others. These stages are referred to as learning a language supports people from all walks of life
pre-production, early pre-production, speech emergence, to negotiate experiences and meanings across languages
intermediate fluency and advanced fluency. At the pre- and cultures. Learning a language extends the capability
production stages, students comprehend simple words to communicate and extends literacy proficiency in
and move to the speech emergence stage. It is during the English. By understanding the idea of language and
speech emergence stage that students start to verbalise culture, students develop an intercultural understanding of
simple sentences, aiming to move to a fluent level, where different experiences and perspectives across the world.
students have excellent comprehension and understand In turn, this helps a learner to reflect on their own heritage,
figurative language. culture, identity and values.
Parents may ask, why Spanish? Significant research was There are also proven cognitive advantages of learning
done in the lead up to choosing a Junior School language a language. Students become better multi-taskers and
pathway and the advantages of using a European based improve their memory and attention span while learning a
language were clear. There are over 400 million Spanish language. Learning a language also strengthens analytical
speakers worldwide. Spanish is also the third most spoken and reflective capabilities and enhances creative and
language in the world, which will provide students with critical thinking. Learning a second language exposes
great opportunities for local and global employment students to wider future options, in areas such as art,
prospects. As a primarily phonetic language, Spanish is music, dance, travel, philosophy and science.
also easier for students to learn, and directly links in with
The next time you pass one of our Junior School students
the Junior School THRASS approach, allowing students to
in the playground, perhaps it would be worth saying
transfer the skills they have learnt about spelling into their
Buenos días or ¿Cómo estás? You might be surprised by
language learning.
how far our students’ language has progressed.
The Australian curriculum language focus aims to develop
the knowledge, understanding and skills to ensure students
communicate in the target language, that they understand
language, culture and learning and their relationships
nish Greetings
asic Spa
Some B d
- Hello etings an
1. Hola ost basic of the gre ther ones
o
em f the
his is th bined with any o
T buenos
n b e co m can s a y, “Hola,
ca you
low. Now as tardes.”
found be bue n
“Hola,
días,” or
rning
s - G ood mo o
os día it can als
2. Buen ing “good days,”
” is usually
iterally
mean nos días
L
d mo rning.“Bue
o o
mean “g
use d until noon.
d aft ernoon
s tardes - Goo n,” and
3. Buena od afternoo
a y “go
nt to s ou can y
If you wa the day, ed
’c loc k or later in it m ay be us
o n e o S p a in atin
it’s .” In
b u e n as tardes h ile in most L
sa y “ enin g , w , it may
til la te r in the ev d the C aribbean
un ies an
n countr down.
America l th e sun goes
u n ti
be used
vening
o c h e s - Good e lways
Spanish will continue into the 4. Buena
s n
s “ g o o d night.” A
ean be
Secondary School for Year 7 is p h ra s e also m t s in ce you could
Th onte x
l of the c
students in 2021 as one of their be mindfu
oodbye.
three Language elective subjects saying g
alongside French and Japanese.
15Ensuring digital
literacy success
with the 1:1 Surface
Device program
James Jenkins, Director of Learning Innovation,
writes about the success of the 1:1 Surface Device
program that began with our Year 7 students in
Term 1 this year.
Canterbury has been running a Bring
Your Own Device (BYOD) program for
the last 6 years. It was the College’s
first move to students having individual
devices to use for learning. Before this,
we had computer rooms that could be
booked for lessons and trolleys of devices
that could also be booked when needed.
The BYOD program served its purpose and has allowed After regular meetings of the Technology Committee last
us to engage in learning experiences that would not have year, the decision was made to roll out a new Surface Device
been possible previously. However, as our needs continued program in 2020. Considerable time was spent looking for
to change, it became apparent that the range of devices the best device before the Surface Pro 7 was selected.
that we had on campus was hindering the directions we
The features looked at when making the decision included
wanted to pursue. Although we had been recommending
the effectiveness and quality of the stylus for on screen
students bring stylus enabled devices for several years,
interaction, performance over a range of applications, battery
new devices were being purchased that didn’t meet our
life, mass, price, as well as staff and student reviews.
minimum specifications. This caused a variety of problems.
Teachers would regularly decide not to use an effective Before the start of Term 1, the Year 7 teachers came
digital learning experience, because not everyone in the together to discuss how the Surface Device program could
class had a device that would be able to access it. be leveraged for teaching and learning in their subjects.
They looked at how OneNote could be utilised as an
effective notetaking tool. The stylus serves as a pen, pencil,
highlighter and many other tools that students can work
with on paper, but with all the advantages that digital brings.
Editing an image, drawing in 3D, highlighting a sentence on
a webpage or turning a handwritten entry to text for adding
to an assignment. The teachers also discussed innovative
learning experiences that could be used on the Surface Pro
devices such as Mixed Reality.
With the exception of a few students who had recently
purchased new devices, all Year 7 students were issued
with new Surface Pro 7s on day one of school in January.
16There were 35 students in other year levels across the We are seeing some great results of the program so far.
school who also joined the program. Our Information Many students are keeping their class notes digitally in at
Technology Department spent the days before school least some of their subjects.
started imaging the devices with the programs and apps
Research suggests that handwritten notes are more useful
needed for learning, including the Microsoft Office Suite,
in learning than typed notes. The stylus and OneNote allow
Adobe programs and other subject specific applications.
students to write out notes, maths problems and chemical
Additional software can be and has been deployed
reactions. They can perform calculations and construct
remotely when required.
diagrams in digital notebooks that can be easily accessed,
edited, and backed up to the Cloud. Students are using
One of the great things about students tools like Minecraft to build the designs they imagine. They
having the same device is that the are utilising the camera to photograph textures to then
instructions on how to do specific use as stickers on their 3D creations. They are creating
tasks are the same. On the first day infographics to show their ideas and videos to demonstrate
their knowledge. Teachers can keep an eye on student
of the term the Year 7 students in the progress by viewing individual student sections in class
Auditorium and introduced them to notebooks. As students become even more familiar with
their new devices. Being conscious not their devices, they will develop their own workflows and
build their own toolboxes of digital tools that they find
to overload them on their first day, we
useful in their learning.
tried to ensure that the students had
Next year we will expand the 1:1 Surface Device program
enough knowledge to start using their
to other year levels, and within the next few years, we will
devices in classes. have all students in Years 4-12 enrolled in the program. As
students move through Canterbury they will receive a new
The Year 7 students were surveyed during Term 1 to gauge device to use every 3 years. This will mean that students
their opinions on how they were getting on with their are always working on a device capable of the demands of
devices. They rated their experience with the Surface Pro evolving digital learning opportunities.
7 so far as being 4.22 out of 5. All students considered
themselves confident or quite confident in using the device We believe that our Surface Device program will
as needed for their schoolwork. They also revealed which aid students in the learning process - to help
apps they have been using in each class, with OneNote them to gain understanding, organise
being used in most classes as a notetaking tool by the knowledge and present their ideas.
students. Any concerns that were brought up by survey We also understand that digital
answers were followed up with students, and help provided literacy is a most important
where needed. skill in society and crucially
required of students as
All Year 7 students will complete a subject called Digital they move from school
Design and Media this year. It is one of 8 rotational subjects into tertiary study and
that the students undertake. Digital Design and Media work. The Surface
focusses on teaching students to use the Microsoft suite Device program
of tools on the Surface Pro devices. In the course we cover and the curriculum
OneNote, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Video creation, Paint that we offer
3D and Sway. Each week we teach students the basics our students will
and some of the advanced features of one of the programs. prepare them with
They are then required to complete a task to demonstrate the digital skills
mastery. The purpose of the course is to give students the they need for
skills that they need to use these programs well their future.
in their other subjects, in Year 7 and
over the next 5 years.
The Surface Pro's stylus functionality allows handwriting
development to continue alongside keyboard skills.
17The = Acontribution
powerful
Director of the Canterbury
Arts Academy, Dr Janet
to
Wyvill writes about the
Arts student wellbeing
range of health and
wellbeing outcomes
linked to school students
undertaking Arts programs.
Throughout the past 35+ years I have been involved in Creative Arts and
Education. I have seen firsthand the difference the Arts can make to a young
person’s wellbeing. Social emotional wellbeing and mental health can be
positively affected by involvement in a sustained quality Arts program.
An education rich in quality creative arts maximises DO YOU RECOGNISE A FEELING OF JOY THAT YOU CAN GET WHEN
opportunities for learners to engage with innovative TAKING PART IN CULTURAL ACTIVITIES SUCH AS SINGING OR PLAYING
thinkers and leaders, and to experience the Arts both as MUSIC, ATTENDING A CONCERT, AN ART MUSEUM, A DANCE GROUP
audience members and as artists. Such an education AND THE THEATRE?
enhances students’ success as individuals and as
Getting involved with the Arts can have powerful and lasting
members of society, emphasising not only creativity and
effects on health. The Arts also help at a community level.
imagination, but also the values of cultural understanding
Through getting involved in Arts programs, people can build
and social harmony that the Arts can engender.
their social connections and extend existing support in their
Research shows that the more people engage in the communities. The Arts give the opportunity for getting in touch
Arts in their everyday lives, the better their mental and with others and helps in alleviating loneliness and isolation.
physical health outcomes. There is clear evidence that
the Arts have a range of benefits for health and wellbeing. DO ARTS SUBJECTS MATTER FOR SCHOOL STUDENTS’ WELLBEING?
It has been suggested that the Arts were created to The link between wellbeing and engagement in the Arts has
communicate and understand emotions, passions, been well documented in the literature, however the extent
jealousies and enduring conflicts. to which this relationship exists specifically in adolescents
in the school context is less known. A UK study showed
275 secondary school pupils engaged in performing arts
The Arts have been in existence for as evidenced significantly higher subjective wellbeing than their
long as human civilisation. As a way of counterparts. They suggested a positive relationship exists
human knowing and action, they play a between playfulness, life satisfaction and connectedness
central role in the identities and cultural at school when involved in a quality Arts program.
They demonstrated that a student's wellbeing through
practices of all indigenous peoples. interpersonal relationships within the Arts program was
They are perhaps one of the defining significant.
elements of humanity for, as George Another study also in 2018 showed that students aged
Bernard Shaw wrote, ‘the Arts are the 11–17 years had positive changes such as increased
window to the soul’. confidence, improved attitudes towards teachers and peers,
feelings of calm, and better communication skills from their
involvement in a quality Arts program. The paper concluded
Engaging in the Arts seems to be growing in popularity by suggesting that the arts and music-making activity may
as a way to improve your wellbeing. The Arts can enable confer significant psycho-social benefits for young people,
people to deal with a wide range of mental health particularly when combined with mentoring support.
conditions. The best part is that it helps people to improve
their mental health through creativity. Creating in the Arts A team of researchers completed an evaluation of Arts
is helping many people express themselves, without programs in Australian schools in three states and one
having to use words. territory. One of the many findings they discovered was
the level of engagement in school and learning from
students involved in an arts-rich program. While most of the
schools did not mention attendance as a problem for their
students, they all did show a significant level of increased
engagement and desire for learning. Figure 1 shows one of
the findings for Key Competencies (KC) of students in an
arts-rich program vs the non-arts-rich program. We
can see in every KC or score area the students
in arts rich programs score higher.
18Figure 1: C
omparisons of Year 4 student
learning in arts-rich and non-
arts-rich programs
Note: Means (denoted by the horizontal line) and
95% confidence intervals (denoted by the vertical
line) for literacy, numeracy, writing scores, and Key
Competencies, comparing Year 4 ‘arts-rich’ (N=19)
versus ‘non-arts-rich’(N=20) programs.
Another area that was seen in the arts-rich program was Attitudinal and behavioural benefits
that the creative classes can help with student wellbeing Attitudinal and behavioural benefits that are grouped
and self-sufficiency. There are also links to improvements together include;
in confidence, motivation, and social skills for students who
• the effects of improved self-discipline and
take art classes throughout their school career. These skill
self-efficacy; and
improvements could be because art offers balanced thinking
and growth mindset. • improved school attendance and reduced
drop-out rates.
Benefits linked to a sustained lso included in this cluster of benefits are the development
A
quality Arts program of life skills;
Intrinsic benefits
• b etter understanding the consequences of one’s
Research has identified the intrinsic benefits of a sustained
behaviour as a result of improved empathy;
quality Arts program include the following:
• the increased ability to work in teams;
• the pleasure and emotional stimulation of a personal, • a greater ability to accept constructive peer
‘felt’ response; critique; and
• captivation by an imaginative experience; • adoption of pro-social behaviours.
• an expanded capacity for empathy leading to
the potential for creating social bonds and shared Health benefits
experiences of art; Health benefits list the therapeutic effects of the Arts
• cognitive growth in being able to make sense as including improved mental and physical health. This
of art; and category is attracting increasing interest in Australia
• the ability to find a voice to express communal and overseas with a range of current projects reporting
meaning through art. successful outcomes.
The ensuing social benefits include the creation of a sense
Cognitive benefits
of community identity, and the building of social capital and
Cognitive benefits include;
organisational capacity.
• the development of learning skills and learning
The wealth of research concurs that a quality sustained
how to learn;
Arts program has numerous benefits for young people,
• Improved academic performance and test scores; especially in the metal health and wellbeing areas. You only
• improved ‘basic skills’ specifically in reading and have to look at social media now with COVID-19 and see
mathematics; and the numerous everyday people, especially the youth of
• improved capacity for creative thinking are all today, filling their day, mind and soul, with the Arts. Whether
grouped under this category. it be a family doing a dance routine together to a popular
song, the community virtual choirs and bands, or even the
late night comedians having to work from home using the
performing arts to brighten their day and assist with their
mental health. We all can do the same.
19Wellbeing
through
the Arts
Wellbeing is an important component of the school day at Canterbury
and incorporating the Arts into our wellbeing activities can be a
beneficial in generating greater physical and emotional wellbeing.
Here are some recent examples of Arts wellbeing initiatives.
During the Easter school holidays, the College community Canterbury staff, students, alumni and their families
joined together and created a virtual music project. Many recorded themselves singing, playing instruments and
professional associations are doing similar projects for dancing at home to the Beatles’ classic All You Need is
the wellbeing of their own performers. London’s West End Love. Led by Arts staff and students but open to the wider
productions as well as orchestras from all over the world College community, the final combined virtual ensemble
are creating virtual performances in order to keep their performance was very well received.
performers’ spirits strong.
20Clash of the Chants
A recent student driven project was the Clash
Kime
of the Chants, organised by Year 12 Arts Prefect
Angela Koranski. This project was held just
before the College implemented social distancing
measures and then moved to online learning.
It brought each House together to create a
new chant to represent and unify the House
community. Every student in Secondary School
as well as upper Junior School were involved in
writing, practicing and performing the chants
onstage at the end of the Foundation Day
assembly. The buzz in the CEC on the day was
incredible, and congratulations to Kime House for
being named overall winning House.
Acoustic
and Loud Lunches
A regular event in the annual Canterbury calendar has concerts. These events greatly enhance the atmosphere
been the Acoustic and Loud Lunches. Arts students at lunchtime and draw big crowds of staff and students.
perform for their peers outside the Canteen, at the Similar to sport and the endorphins released from
Junior School sails area or the Secondary Library. exercise, the students who perform and those in the
Lineups include soloists, small bands just starting audience who clap along and dance all are increasing
out and the senior bands who are regulars at these their physical and emotional wellbeing.
21You can also read
