Monday morning marked the beginning of the new term and there was much to be excited about. We have a number of new students, a new prac student, Trisha Velji, a new building, a new teachers’ staffroom, new football staff, new lessons and not least of all, a new relationship with the Central Coast Mariners!
Newness brings excitement as well as challenge. As staff we have a good number of new names to learn and we must identify the individual needs and learning styles of each of our new students.
Learning is a lifelong process. Generally we speak of three specific learning styles: visual, auditory and tactile, which means that each of us uses one of these styles as our primary method of learning. We will, of course, use all three in some way when learning something new. It’s been my experience that boys in particular are hands-on tactile learners; the challenge for teachers today is to be aware of the particular learning style of a student and to design lessons to meet their needs. Not always an easy thing to do and we are working hard at IFS to achieve this.
Our new partnership with the Mariners means our coaching staff require more space. As a result the teachers have moved out of the previously shared coaches/teachers staffroom and into what was the conference room, a space where a number of our students previously enjoyed working quietly. We are very happy in our new space, and have a whole new building to teach in, Building 30, where, for the time being, mostly maths and science will be taught. It’s an excellent quiet working space which will become the learning area for our Stage 6 students next year.
Welcome to our new families and students. To our ‘old’ students remember, all that has gone before is now history, every day is a brand new beginning, a new start, it will become what you choose to make out of it!
Warm greetings,
Rodney
Wow, lots of movement and spreading out – sounds like busy times ahead for everyone, colleges growing, staff is growing and it’s all happening just 6 months into the first year of the opening of the School. Augers well for the success of the first Central Coast Sports College in Australia and that success is due to the dedicated, hard working Teachers, Coaches and Leader. Congratulations Paul on following your dream and hitching the team to help make it a reality.