These primarily assess a student’s abilities in the area of literacy and numeracy. Recent pedagogical thinking has expanded to an understanding and acceptance that “intelligence” can encompass more than literacy and numeracy. Gardner (a well respected educationalist) proposed a multiple intelligence theory based on an understanding of a wider range of gifts and skills.
Your child’s performance in the big wide world will be based on a far greater range of skills, gifts, talents and abilities than test results depict. Perhaps most importantly their moral character will determine how they proceed in life.
In the Bible there is a story of a great threat to the people of Israel from a neighbouring enemy who were known as the Midianites. A man called Gideon was asked by God to raise up an army to fight them. He said, “Yes God I’ll help Israel to fight the Philistines.” (With great fear and trepidation but that’s another story). And then God asked him to go and find men willing to fight. Gideon asked around the land and a great number turned up. God then said he only wanted a few men and that the amount of men who had turned up was too many. In the end, God helped Gideon whittle down the numbers based on how they drank water from a stream!
This story is really about how God used a strange method to sort out those best suited for fighting. I say strange because he wanted the Israelites to know that no matter what, the battle would be won not based on their fighting skills but because God was with them.
Our focus at GCCC, like most schools, is on many more things then literacy and numeracy. While literacy and numeracy are of high importance, we encourage students to seek God’s will for their lives and to be obedient to that. We want them to know that God is with them.
When we are walking in God’s path, the important things are still important (like literacy and numeracy), but really … there is so much more that counts.
On that note, have you…
- Read about the recent success of our great Cheer Squad?
- Asked your Year 9 child about what they did for their ‘PROJECT’? Or, ‘How they found having a mentor this year’?
- Heard that Year 8 is going on a ‘WALK TO WATER’ to raise funds for water wells for Nigerian villages?
- Booked into your diary the MIDDLE AND SENIOR PRESENTATION NIGHT ON 5 NOVEMBER AT THE CALOUNDRA EVENTS CENTRE – 6.30PM?
- Discovered how much fun your Middle School child had at the Messy Games on Wednesday?
- Continued the Student-Led Conference conversation about how your child is going with the goals and plans they set together with you?
iPad changes. Starting with Year 7 we will be implementing a system where students will only be able to have approved apps on their iPad. This is a significant change to our original stand however, we are trialling this based on feedback from parents and staff around issues related to incorrect use. More information will be given as we roll out this new program.
Jacqualina Vreeling, Head of Middle School