Page 4 - St Edmund's School Yearbook 2014

principal’s message
Mrs Kathy Freeman
We live in a most complex world that challenges us with continuous change. We only have to think of what we have experienced over the past 10 years to see that this is so. Technology has become a critical part of our lives there is little we do that is not enhanced or made more complex by it. Four and five year-old children with or without disabilities are proficient on the iPad; it is not a second language to them. How then does a school respond to the challenge of an unpredictable future where change is the only constant and where much that was in the domain of education is now easily accessible on your iPhone with a tap on the screen?
Traditionally schools are slow to change and much that can be seen in classrooms today may not be that different from what you might have experienced at school. If that is the case, then how are we truly offering a dynamic, contemporary school experience that does consider the future? What can schools do to prepare students for an elusive future?
Eighteen months ago St. Edmund’s embarked on what we call our Liberate model of education. In partnership with, and very much supported by, Waverley College, “Student Wellbeing” has displaced Curriculum on the centre stage. Taking the development of the student as a responsible, thinking, hope-filled person as the paramount outcome as opposed to retention of facts
and processes must future-proof them against both change and complexity.
We have had a very exciting year with much professional development in shaping up an educational experience for our students that hopefully will not resemble your experience. 2015 will see far more opportunities for our students to experience Liberate lessons. The outcome – students who think for themselves, engage fully with their learning, value and enjoy their relationships and who feel confident about being the person they are.
Does it get any better than this – maybe not!
Our ERSES Board on Annual Board Retreat
We thank our wonderful Board for supporting us with their wisdom and guidance in 2014