Displaying items by tag: Chevalier College

MSC Education -  Back to school 2025 for our four colleges

At Downlands

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Programs at Monivae

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Principal

and Chaplain at Chevalier

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Daramalan alumni at work in the school

Most of us enjoyed a lovely break, but the Pacific Maintenance crew worked exceptionally hard over the holidays to remodel the Sharpe Wing, install air conditioning, and rebuild the dance studios in time for the first day of term. With nearly everyone on the team being a former student, we can certainly expect their best efforts!

Congratulations.  Chevalier College named as a 5 star innovative school

Letter from Principal, Greg Miller, to the staff.

Dear Colleagues,

Earlier today, Educator Australia revealed Australia’s most innovative schools of 2024.

It is with great pride that I share the news Chevalier College has been recognised as one of those schools for our adoption and implementation of a future-facing approach to education. This recognition is a testament to the dedication, creativity, and perseverance of our teachers and staff.

This journey has not been without its challenges. At times, the work has been tough, requiring deep reserves of energy, adaptability, and commitment. Yet, together, we have demonstrated what might be possible when a community commits towards a vision for the future of education.

While we did not embark on this journey seeking accolades, today’s recognition offers an opportunity to reflect on the impact of our collective efforts, not just within the College, but also beyond our immediate context.

In the coming days, this achievement will be shared with parents and the wider community through social media and other platforms. For now, let us take a moment to appreciate how far we’ve advance ‘future facing learning’. As we look ahead to finishing 2024 well, and step confidently towards 2025 we know there are areas for improvement and advancement.

Congratulations to all of you and thank you for your continued hard work and dedication to nurturing heart-centred graduates who are ready for a rapidly changing world.

Regards and thanks,
Greg.

Across 2024, the college ran a trial of its ‘Best Use of Time’ initiative, involving Flipped Mondays, where students engage with pre-class content in self-directed learning spaces before arriving at their face-to-face lessons throughout the rest of the week, ready for direct connection to deeper learning activities. For the year, the school engaged an action research partner to help assess the project’s viability

“Education today must prepare students for a future in a rapidly changing world, and the current system is falling short,” says Miller. “We believe that an educational approach that is flexible, adaptable and uses time more effectively will maximise engagement and personal growth. This will see students connect more deeply with their learning, acquiring complex capabilities and greater self-awareness, helping them flourish in a rapidly changing world.”

Bob Irwin MSC, the Spirit of Chevalier

John Mulrooney writes:

After the mass Bob Irwin received the ‘Esprit de Chevalier’ medal in recognition of his contribution to education in Australia. This award comes with the significant medal and looks a little like the Order of Australia medal!! This award started some years ago and initiated by the College Board. John Franzmann, Tyson Donnelly and Chris McDermott have been previous recipients.

At the Chev mass we had student and staff representatives from Monivae and Daramalan College. This has become quite a tradition in recent years. We were delighted the Provincial, Stephen Hackett, was able to be with us for the eucharist celebration.

After the mass the students participate in competitive games with their ‘home room’ (the group they start each day with which includes Year 7-12 students) and includes a bar-b-q lunch which is prepared by a number of past students of the College.

Chevalier College experiment, a new educational approach

(School photos from the college Facebook page.)

Last November there was controversy about this plan and we posted,

In 2024, Chevalier College plans to implement a new and innovative educational approach that empowers students and redefines learning. Future Facing will change the way Chevalier students learn, creating a contemporary educational experience with Knowledge, Capabilities and Self-development at its core. By using time more effectively to maximise engagement and personal growth, students connect more deeply with their learning, acquiring complex capabilities and greater self-awareness to help them flourish in a rapidly changing world.

The college report noted:

Recent media has inaccurately reported on the initiatives being implemented at Chevalier College in 2024.

Incorrect: Chevalier is running a 4-day week for Years 10-12. Correction:

Chevalier is not moving to a four-day week for any year group. Students in Years 10-12 will be invited to learn from home on some Mondays and only if they meet certain criteria.

All students in Years 7-12 will be required to complete a detailed and thorough micro-credential course which takes approximately 3-4 hours to complete. Only students in Years 10-12 who complete the course will have the opportunity to learn from home on some Mondays, meaning those students need to earn the right to do so.

The first step will be the attainment of the micro-credential.

The second step will be that their parents attend a workshop on-site at the College to understand how learning from home will work, before they give permission. These sessions will also include information for parents about keeping students safe online in the home environment.

Last week, ABC Radio had a substantial segment on The World Today, which can be downloaded from the ABC site.  The report took a favourable perspective on what has happened so far, acknowledging that last year some parents removed their children from the college. The present report has a story interviewing a student and her parents as well as an Assistant Principal and a teacher.

Some highlights:

Flexible learning showing promise preparing high school students for post-COVID, hybrid working world

• In short: A private high school says surveys of students learning from home one day a week have been positive.
• Chevalier College students say the new timetable is reducing their stress levels and helping them manage their time.
• What's next? The school will consider adopting the flexible model permanently at the end of the year.

Catholic private school Chevalier College has just finished its first term of flexible learning. So far, more than 100 senior students have opted in to the trial which gives students greater flexibility in their timetables.

Chevalier College assistant principal Rebecca Graham said part of the challenge has been explaining the goals of the program. "Schools like ours often have quite a big dropout rate once kids get to university," she said. "[Students] have been spoon fed, and they haven't had to be self-directed."

The school has been conducting surveys of students to learn how they are adapting to the new schedule. The positive responses have helped win over some of the sceptical parents. "The first survey results when we sat down and had a look at it were actually far more positive than what we anticipated," Ms Graham said. "It is not perfect at the moment, but we certainly know that the balance that kids are finding in the day is a positive one.

Acknowledging John Franzmann MSC

John Franzmann turns 85 today. He has been a Missionary of the Sacred Heart for 65 years and a priest for 58 years.

John is a Queenslander and went to secondary school at Downlands College, Toowoomba. He made his first profession on February 26^th 1958. Studies for priesthood took place at the Sacred Heart Monasteries, Croydon, Victoria, and Canberra. He also studied Arts at the Australian National University. He was ordained on July 21^st 1965.

Almost all of his MSC ministry has been in education. His first appointment was to Daramalan College, Canberra. He has taught at Chevalier College, Bowral, and St John’s College, Darwin. He served as Principal at both of these last two colleges. For some years, he was part of the administration of the Diocese of Darwin.

Two tangible results of his work can be seen in his history of Chevalier, This Many Faceted Gem, and history of Monivae College.

John’s education forte is Maths, teaching and coaching students for more than half a century. One of his students is Geordie Williamson, Professor of Mathematics at Sydney University.

In recent decades, John has lived at Chevalier College, continuing his dedication to students and maths.