Foxwell State Secondary College eNewsletter

Deputy Principal Update - Yr 8 The Wonder Years

The term is flying by and our students are busy working on their assessments to provide evidence of their learning before reproting is finalised. The process of learning is just that, a process and it is the engagement in the process, the effort expended, the pride taken and the perseverance shown that is as important, if not more important than the final result for the assessment.

Remember success means different things to different people in terms of academics. To some students success is completing a full assessment for the first time, to other students, success is receiving an A and to others again it may be moving from a D to a D+. Progress is progress, even if it is two steps forward and one step back. Learning is a journey and many believe, including myself that there is more value in the journey than the destination itself.

I wish to remind you of what success at Foxwell means.

I challenge you to consider that progress and not perfection is an admirable goal for any student in their education and in life outside of school. That process of continuous improvement is nurtured at Foxwell State Secondary College and is clearly articulated in the name of our Restaurant, Kaizen. If we expect perfection of ourselves or of our children, we risk setting unachievable goals and when goals are too far outside someone's reach it is easy to give up and do nothing!

Improvement goals and goals to be your personal best are the most effective kind of goals because success in meeting goals provides motivation to set further goals and work toward achieving them. The old adage, success breeds success remains true in education, as in life.

I would just like to leave you with some food for thought:

What does success look like for your child?
Do you have realistic expectations of them?
Do they have realistic expectations of themselves?
What support do they need in their journey of continuous improvment?
How can we work together to support your children, our students, to be the best they can be?

Zana Schroeder

Deputy Principal - Yr 8