Induction Day One

Monday 15th: What a day. Visited two schools in the morning with Di Westbrook the consultant/adviser for the Southern Zone. One was Emmaus which is a newly established school where they have open areas and co-operative/shared teaching. The principal, Brendan Maher was appointed in 2007 and spent the first year planning the school and forming his vision. He was now getting to put it into practice and it was inspiring to see the way the staff and children took to the concept of the 'Learning Street' with areas off it where the pupils were all gainfully and interchangeably employed. Then we visited St. Alyphonsus School where there were 180 pupils in a low socio-econimic area. Here there was more emphasis on literacy and numeracy and the principal Maree Roche had the place running in tip top shape. She finally explained to me what EMU was (Maths Recovery) and I hope to learn more about this in St Patricks where I work. Never knew that that was what it was! Both schools had new buildings and the second one had a total refurbishment, under the BER scheme, whereby the Australian Gov. has invested 40 billion dollars in school buildings to revive the economy. It is working. Everywhere I go I see buildings and extensions. Some schools have the luxury of knocking doen structures that were built in the Seventies just to replace them with more modern structures.
Our induction took place in CEO Ballarat. The diocese caters for around sixty schools including both Primary and Secondary and employs over sixty people. That is on average one person employed per school! The support that Catholic Schools get is nothing short of phonominal. I must phone Eileen Flynn. The induction has helped me understand the system even more and I was amused to hear that 'one day Professional development' (P.D.) does not work and how they are moving to three and four day and also coaching coaches from within the schools to go back and coach their peers. I am in awe.