It is hard to believe that we are now reaching the end of the 2023 school year.
2023 has been a big year at Good Shepherd College. A new principal, a new leadership team structure, a new strategic plan, a new master plan. The theme for 2023 was “Unlimited Possibilities”. Over the course of the year, our college has wholeheartedly embraced our overarching theme, extending our reach toward the stars, and ascending to newfound heights. This deliberate stretch has enabled us to cultivate growth in realms that often lie just beyond the boundaries of our comfort zones.
Our teaching staff have spent several professional learning days and staff meetings exploring contemporary education and the evolution of education that forms our current landscape. These sessions saw the development of our profile of a learner – the skills and attributes that have become a key pillar of our learning philosophy. Our Learner Profile describes a broad range of human capacities and responsibilities that go beyond academic success. They are the attributes that we hope to install in all learners of our community. At Good Shepherd, we believe that these principles not only stand as valuable signposts not only the years of schooling, but for life as a whole.
Our leadership team has demonstrated their commitment to continuous improvement by embarking on contemporary learning tours in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne. Learning from industry professionals has enriched our understanding and allowed us to incorporate cutting-edge practices into our educational approach. 2024 begins the journey of implementation of our new learning philosophy, underpinned by Human Centred Design and a project-based learning approach. We are excited about the many prototypes and iterations that will fill the halls next year.
Our enrolments have soared this year also. We had the greatest turn out to our Senior Campus Open day in the history of the college this year. Enrolments are also coming from a wider scope of primary schools, revealing that GSC is well on its way to becoming the school of choice for the greater Hamilton region.
As a testament to not only enrolment growth but our dedication to middle years learning, we eagerly anticipate the imminent arrival of the Explorer's Hub—a new building that will serve as a beacon for our commitment to excellence in education. This hub will house our Year 7 classes, providing a nurturing environment for our students to explore, discover, and grow. Works have begun and are set to finish mid-January, just in time for our 2024 Year 7s to arrive.
Last week, we unveiled an updated logo and refreshed our values to align with our contemporary learning philosophy. This visual transformation symbolizes our commitment to adaptability and innovation, reflecting the dynamic nature of education and the boundless possibilities it offers. This year we also introduced Our new layout for our newsletter and soon to launch in early 2024 is our new website. All exciting projects in our year of unlimited possibilities.
As we reflect on a year of unlimited possibilities, we acknowledge that the journey has been both exciting and, at times, daunting. However, together, we have reached for the sky and achieved so much. Our school community, our village, has grown stronger together.
