ISSUE 50
|
SUMMER 2016
3
‘Intelligence plus character – that is the true goal of education’
declared Martin Luther King Jnr and his words have a strong
resonance here at Ravenswood. As a school we pride ourselves
on offering a rich, multifaceted and holistic approach to education.
We are committed to helping our girls reach their potential and
flourish, both academically and in terms of their wellbeing.
Our staff is passionate about recognising and developing the
individual strengths and interests of each girl both within, and
beyond the classroom, and our community has a wonderful
sense of connectedness that the girls describe as “being like
a family” which fosters a keen sense of belonging.
Ravenswood stands true to our Guiding Principles of Excellence,
Courage, Respect and Compassion and these attributes are being
significantly enhanced by our journey towards becoming an
authentic Positive Education school. This approach recognises
that learning and wellbeing are inextricably linked and self-
reinforcing; Positive Education offers effective strategies to
enhance both areas. In this summer issue of
Semper
magazine,
we highlight the exciting work we have undertaken to date as
we develop a meaningful strategy for embedding Positive
Education in the curriculum and the life of the school.
Our approach to Positive Education needs is deeply informed
by our school’s history and culture; we are enhancing what
has gone before, by building on Ravenswood’s rich traditions.
It is our intention to become a lighthouse school for Positive
Education and in this
Semper
, we also bring you a report on the
newly-launched Ravenswood Institute, a vehicle to harness and
share the knowledge and abilities of our high-calibre staff in
every area.
Of course our focus is always on our students and in 2016, they
achieved great success in every domain. As you peruse the
pages of this edition of
Semper
I hope you are inspired by their
tremendous endeavours. A stand-out moment was Tiffany
Thomas Kane’s departure for the Paralympics and her gold
and bronze medal-winning achievement in Rio; another was the
extraordinary production of
Grease
with its superlative music
and dancing and irresistibly joyful energy. Those stories and
much more are covered in this issue of
Semper
. I hope it provides
you with some enjoyable reading as we head towards the
Christmas break.
Mrs Anne Johnstone
Principal
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
Mrs Anne Johnstone and Philippa Carson
