7
ISSUE 49
|
SUMMER 2015
7
BUILDING ON OUR FOUNDATIONS
Archivist Robbie Robertson kept us enthralled at a
professional development meeting and school assembly
during Term 3 with stories of Ravenswood’s past outstanding
achievers who ‘flourished’ in Positive Education terms.
Her talks covered an array of remarkable women whose lives
have demonstrated the school’s Guiding Principles and VIA
Character Strengths. None have displayed more grit than
Mabel Fidler who founded the school in 1901 with only eight
pupils and the radical goal of pushing girls to achievements far
beyond expectations for women of that time. Grace Cuthbert,
one of the first female medical graduates at Royal North
Shore Hospital, was chosen as an example of compassion and
humanity for her work to dramatically reduce the mortality
rate in newborns. For excellent achievement and wisdom,
Robbie chose Jillian Broadbent whose banking career
culminated in membership of the Board of the Reserve Bank
of Australia, Chair of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation
and Chancellor of the University of Wollongong. To illustrate
courage and tenacity, Robbie told her listeners the story
HOW WILL ITS EFFECT BE MEASURED?
Valid and reliable measurement is essential to ensuring
the success of any Positive Education model. Our first
step is to establish the wellbeing baseline for every student
at Ravenswood from Year 5 to Year 12, with independent
assistance from the University of Melbourne to ensure
objectivity in the administration of measurement instruments,
including a proprietary model for students in Kindergarten
to Year 4 being developed at Ravenswood. Baselines of staff
wellbeing will also be determined, using a workplace profiler
provided by the Universities of Pennsylvania and Melbourne.
Once holistic Positive Education methods are integrated – into
curriculum, teaching methods and pastoral care programs –
the effect on student wellbeing will be measured using
indicators like co-curricular involvement, referrals to the
Health Care Centre and school absences. At the same time,
the impact of Positive Education on student academic
performance will be tracked across Kindergarten to Year 12
to identify any correlations between increases in measures
of wellbeing and in academic performance.
THE RAVENSWOOD WELLBEING TEAM
Wellness is central to the development of all Ravenswood
students. The Ravenswood Wellbeing Team implements
our Positive Education Strategy by overseeing:
• In-depth, in-class Positive Education learning
• Immersive retreats and workshops
• Individual care for students who have been identified with
specific wellbeing needs.
During Mentor Group and Ravo Connect sessions, students are
increasingly learning to apply Positive Education theory and
practice to their academic and social lives. They also benefit
from the care and guidance of the Year Coordinators who
organise events and activities across Year Groups, bonding the
girls as a cohort and strengthening their understanding of and
commitment to our
Guiding Principles
: Excellence, Courage,
Respect and Compassion.
of lawyer become chef, Chui Lee Luk who acquired Claude’s
restaurant in Woollahra and achieved the rare distinction of
scoring three Michelin Hats.
Ravenswood is rare in having two highly-qualified clinical
psychologists on staff to assist those students who have
more significant wellbeing needs. Dawn Russell and Pei Kong
have specialist training in psychological assessment and
are experienced in a range of therapy approaches including
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment
Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy and Solution-Focused and
Narrative Therapies.
Clockwise: Miss Mabel Fidler, Ms Chui Lee Luk, Ms Jillian Broadbent
Melbourne University
