With this very busy, full and successful Term at an end, thank you for your support of our Junior School. The dedication of our staff working together with families has ensured that each of our students is well engaged in learning and achieved positive outcomes. I have admired our students’ perseverance, determination and their approach to relationships.

This week we excitedly watched our Reception classes host their first Junior School Assembly, which they did with pride, enthusiasm, and confidence. This milestone comes on the back of several key activities including swimming and athletics carnivals, college sports, an autumn concert, and class celebrations upon completing final tasks for the Term.

With a variety of opportunities to shine at school, it is wonderful to see the diversity of gifts and talents amongst our students. Each child offers something special and unique in terms of their learning, perceptions, understanding, and relationships. As educators we strive to help them flourish and develop their own identities.

The IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) enables every child to take ownership of their learning, and we must recognise, embrace, and celebrate the differences between students so that we don't unwittingly deter the dreamers, pioneers, change makers, future business leaders, adventurers, and discoverers from all the paths that they may choose.

In the Junior School, we celebrate the individual; we look for what enthuses and inspires our students and we work with them, at their pace, to enable them to reach their full potential. Every accomplishment is a miracle and every step is a celebration. Our students are encountering new, exciting, challenging and fascinating activities, and making new discoveries each day. Together, we must celebrate those discoveries and encourage what happens next. Our reactions directly affect how our children perceive the world, and we work to maintain awe and wonder daily to spark curiosity and determination to discover and learn.

Through all of the discoveries our students make over these school holidays, we encourage reflection, time to switch off, and reminders of the miracles in their relationships with family and friends, and the environment around them.

Kellie Osborn
Head of Junior School

'Learner agency' is a term that you may hear from teachers, as it is one of the core elements of the Primary Years Programme (PYP).

This term refers to the power and capacity for students to take ownership of their learning. It involves students being active participants in the learning process, making choices about what and how they learn, and reflecting on their progress. In other words, it is about empowering students to become self-directed learners. 

In the PYP, learner agency is encouraged and developed using inquiry-based learning. By engaging in a process of inquiry, students can identify their own questions and curiosities, investigate them, and construct their own understanding of the world around them. This approach fosters a sense of ownership and autonomy in learners, as they are not simply receiving information, rather actively creating their own knowledge. 

There are several strategies that we implement in the classroom at Mercedes College to facilitate and support learner agency. We:

1. Provide choice and voice: by offering students choices about the topics they want to explore, the materials they want to use, or the methods they want to employ in their learning. We allow them to express thoughts and opinions about their learning process and encourage them to take ownership of their learning journey. 
2. Foster a culture of reflection: by regularly encouraging students to reflect on their learning and progress. This can be done through journals, portfolios, or group discussions and allows students to identify their strengths and areas of growth, and set goals for themselves.
3. Encourage collaboration: learning is a social process and students can benefit from working together to share ideas and perspectives. Collaboration can also help students develop their communication and interpersonal skills. 
4. Provide feedback and support: as educators, we play a critical role in supporting student learning and offer feedback that is timely, specific, and actionable. This support in necessary to help students achieve their goals. 

Learner agency is a key component of the PYP, plus a lifelong skill that will serve students well beyond the classroom.

Simon Munn
PYP Coordinator