From the Director of Teaching and Learning
It is no secret that excellence in Teaching and Learning is contingent on the partnership between schools and families. It is also no secret that shared values about teaching and learning are the keys to young people succeeding at school and attaining personal excellence – academically, socially, emotionally and indeed in all facets of school life. Current research indicates that a quality, holistic education is a values-based education. Our values at Hume Anglican Grammar are:
- Christianity
- Excellence
- Resilience
- Respect
- Integrity
- Safety
As a new member of this school community, what I have found most heartening and invigorating is the genuine embrace of these values at Hume Anglican Grammar. DeNobile & Hogan (2014) are recognised as prominent figures in the educational research community of Australia and in particular in the field of values-based education. They espouse the merits of a values-based education, particularly in times of social upheaval and change. They refer to the three levels of values education – the community level, the school level and the classroom level. Values parity for these three levels of the school community is one of the keys to equipping our young people for a fulfilling life, both at, and beyond school. This is because an education that is future-focused is one that is also based upon values.
If we look at what has transpired in the world over the last two years, never, more importantly than now, has a values-based education been more important. The Covid-19 pandemic has shown the world the importance of kindness, compassion, strength, empathy and care. Our core values here at Hume Anglican Grammar form the basis of all that we strive for at the school but also of what we hope our graduates will live out when they leave us. Our School Strategic Plan and its goals and pathways aim at explicitly bringing these values to fruition in the school community. In line with 21st century pedagogy “critical reflection” (Lovell et al, 2011) is one of the means through which a values-based education is taught and perpetuated. Here at Hume Anglican Grammar, as we strive to teach and model values, we also strive to attain best practice in 21st century future focused teaching and learning. We do this by encouraging our students to be critical thinkers, creative learners, good collaborators, active and involved citizens and effective communicators. These fundamentals of best practice in 21st century pedagogy are the vehicles through which we teach and live out our core values.
Thank you for your support of our values - Christianity, Excellence, Resilience, Respect, Integrity and Safety. It is through the learning partnership that we, as a unified school community, achieve not just teaching and learning success, but also success at helping to shape our wonderful young people for a happy and fulfilling life.