Effort in the Classroom

Elevation Secondary College is a community of learners who Aim High, Work Hard, and Be Good.

These core behavioral expectations are often repeated, but sometimes it’s good to stop and consider, “What do they really mean?”

Aim High: Being improvement-focused, doing more than the minimum, and pushing yourself to learn every day.
Work Hard: More than just aiming high; it’s about putting in the effort to reach your goals. Students who work hard consistently apply themselves to their studies.
Be Good: Showing kindness by behaving well inside and outside of class, ensuring that everyone can achieve and our school remains a positive place for all.

In Focus: Work Hard

If someone wants to be an elite runner, they need to train. Similarly, if we want to excel in our schoolwork, we need to put in the effort. Training as a runner is exhausting, and “being a student” also requires energy and hard work.

This can sometimes be difficult or even disappointing when students don’t achieve the results they hoped for. That’s why it’s important to focus on the process of learning and ask yourself:

Do I complete the work set in class every time?
Do I finish unfinished work at home?
Do I respond to disappointing results by doing more schoolwork, or less?
Do I ask for extra work if I finish early?

Understanding Student Learning

To support students and their families, teachers at Elevation Secondary College provide regular feedback about student learning. This is a great way to track progress and work toward positive learning outcomes.

Teachers report every 2–3 weeks on students’ learning behaviors. Their feedback focuses on the three core areas: Aim High, Work Hard, Be Good.

This information is available to students and parents in the REPORTS section of Compass.

Teachers rate student behaviors from 0–4:

4 = ALWAYS shows that behavior
3 = Usually
2 = Sometimes
1 = Rarely
0 = NEVER shows that behavior

The overall grade point average shows a student’s progress across the whole year.

Families can use these reports to celebrate and support the hard work that helps students move forward.

Teachers rate students “Aim High, Work Hard and Be Good” behavior from 0-4;

4 = ALWAYS shows that behaviour.

3 = Usually

2 = Sometimes

1 = Rarely

0= NEVER shows that behaviour.

The “overall grade point average” is the students’ progress across the whole year on average.

Families tracking these reports can celebrate progress towards the hard work that helps us move forward.

Matt Williamson
Learning Specialist – Performance, Pedagogy & Academic Emphasis

Humanities

In Week 3, Year 8 students went on a Humanities excursion to Organ Pipes National Park as part of the ‘Landscapes and Landforms’ Geography curriculum. Students were able to study the unique geological formation of the Organ Pipes created by lava cooling into basalt columns. The group explored the National Park, including other lava formations of Rosette Rock and the Tesselated Pavement, as well as Jackson’s Creek. Students completed a case study analysis of how humans have impacted the Organ Pipes which helped inform part of their Assessment Task.

Mark Favaloro
Learning Specialist – Humanities & PLCs

Extension & Enrichment

In only its second year running, the David Williamson Writing Competition is bigger and better than ever!

Talented writers and creatives from all year levels are encouraged to submit a short story, poem, screenplay or monologue in response to the prompt: Past, Present, Future. Since applications opened, original masterpieces have been streaming in from enthusiastic students. We expect a large volume of applicants to participate before the submissions close on August the 22nd.

A special thanks to our benefactor and namesake, David Williamson, for funding the competition. With this support, we are able to foster a school environment that not only values academic achievement, but creativity as well!

In early Term 4, we will announce the winner at a presentation night open to shortlisted applicants and their families. In the meantime, please encourage your child to participate!

Georgia Wheaton
Scholarships, Partnerships and Opportunities Coordinator

Arts

Year 7 Art have been experimenting with soft pastels creating very vibrant artworks. Works shown have been completed by Year 7s Ayaan, Abdulla, Aya, Angelina and David.