Year 11 & 12 Coordinator’s Message

Boys education is an area that is being continuously researched and it deservedly needs to be as lifelong learning is essential as we aim to achieve peace and prosperity for humanity. There are new developments on old ideas as well as new ideas emerging on how education needs to change. I recently attended the 9th National Boys Education Conference at the Kings Boys School. The King's School was founded in 1831, Australia's oldest independent school on a 148-hectare (365-acre) campus with about 1,700 students from kindergarten to Year 12 and about 430 boarders with fees ranging from $18,000 to $37,000 not including boarding fees.

The ninth National Boys’ Education Conference featured an exciting range of keynote speakers and workshop presentations. These were designed to support teachers in the facilitation of Sharp Minds and Soft Hearts in the boys and young men they teach. Keynote presenters raised crucial questions about what it is to be a Strong Man in contemporary society and offer research and strategies to underpin teaching and learning. These keynotes were supplemented by a variety of conference workshops, presented by specialists in boys’ schools with emphasis on the themes of resilience, rigour, and relationships.

Resilience in boys is a critical issue that serves to underpin their education as a stressed person cannot learn. Our school addresses this issue by conducting several incursions beginning early in our Boy’s VCE transition. Year 10’s have numerous 1 on 1 career sessions & various excursions and incursions where they begin to make the association with their current educational choices and their post school careers which alleviates the stress of not knowing why they are studying the subjects they undertake. When they transition into year 11, ELEVATE education visits twice a year to conduct time management to proactively head off any stress caused due to procrastination and or poor time management as well as goal setting via positive mental attitude session later on in the year. Similarly in Year 12, our boys receive further 2 such sessions to assist them with their resilience to achieve the consistently higher results our college is renowned for. We are planning additions to this extensive program as a result of the contacts that I have made at the aforementioned conference.

Rigour in boys’ schooling is an integral part of education at Sirius College which operates under strict rules governing both learning and teaching which is under constant review and development. Our students are expected to be a proud participant in the Sirius College mantra of the Golden Generation who “Reach for the stars.” This theme of implied pursuit of excellence is interwoven in our rigorous academic curriculum complemented by professional support & structured activities to allow for our boys to grow in breadth as well as in depth, deep sense of respect for universal humanistic values surrounding faith and knowledge as well as wearing their Uniform with pride in being a part of the emerging Golden Generation that enlightens the heart and minds of those around them in our harmonious modern multicultural Australian society.

Relationship building at our college fostered through the too numerous to mention pastoral care activities, afterschool classes for all major subjects as well as study camps and many clubs that gather boys of similar interests. Our boys are also familiar with former graduates who visit and help tutor them regularly to reciprocate for the many visits they had from their University brothers when they were struggling students at our college themselves. This cyclical circle of former students who are now at university coming back to visit & tutor current students has been at the heart of our colleges proactive approach to relationship building since our inception and we envisage that it will continue well into the careers of all our graduates for years to come.

I am a proud member of the staff here serving our boys and believe our role is not only to teach a subject but to also educate everyone that comes under our sphere of influence.