03 May 2018
Gonski 2.0 - A Response
The recommendations of Gonski 2.0 are welcome. They strike at the essential challenges that prevent stronger learning outcomes for all Australian children. These challenges include but are not limi...
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Featured Articles
23 March 2018
What can we learn from successful education systems?
I have been reading Pasi Sahlberg’s “Finnish Lessons 2.0 “ (updated in 2015 from the first edition of 2011). In this book, Sahlberg (who is now a visiting Professor at the University of NSW) argues...
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02 March 2018
Mental Health is a Growing Issue
The Report card on Australian Children and Youth was released this week and it revealed a mixed bag of results, including an increase of high or very high psychological stress levels amongst Austra...
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16 January 2018
Some thoughts on preparing for the new school year – mostly for the students
I hope you are enjoying a wonderful January break. There are still a few days left. Enjoy them! It is almost impossible to avoid the “Back to School” TV advertisements carefully placed during endl...
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07 December 2017
Blessings and Prayerful thanks at this Christmas Season
This is my final blog greeting of the year. I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to re...
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02 November 2017
5 Simple Tips for Exam Preparation
Amidst the busy events of fourth term, our Middle School and Year 10 students will be sitting the...
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18 October 2017
What do we do about those statues and monuments?
I asked Philip Mundy, Head of History at Barker College, to offer some comments on the current de...
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13 October 2017
Future Learning, Future Schools
“The modern world does not reward you for what you know, but for what you can do with what you kn...
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21 September 2017
"Life will become a thing made of holes"
“There is a time in life when you expect the world to be always full of new things. And then come...
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09 September 2017
Minimum Standards or Minimum Trip Wires
Amongst the many debates presently swirling around the marketplace of ideas in education is the r...
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14 August 2017
Are Smartphones Changing Everything?
The author, Jean Twenge, argues that the world of our children and adolescents is dramatically an...
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04 August 2017
The Importance of Outdoor Education
We place a high value on Outdoor Education, and on the opportunities that a carefully planned and...
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21 July 2017
Reflections on Gratitude and Joy
During the break, I was able to travel to the South Coast for a week, enjoying the magnificent se...
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26 June 2017
Time for Reflection - A Gift Not to be Wasted
We need to take the little moments in our lives as special gifts not to be wasted. The end of sem...
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09 June 2017
A Matrix of Decisions
How do we take the countless good things that are happening and make those (small) adjustments to...
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02 June 2017
Reconciliation Week
Our own Darkinjung Barker project allows us, in a small way, to create a new space – one where we...
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24 May 2017
Is it possible to look into the future?
If it is possible to imagine the future, it will make planning a great deal easier. Where are thi...
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19 May 2017
Wellbeing - not always what it seems
The mental health and wellbeing of our students does not occur in a vacuum. Barker students are s...
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10 March 2017
Hump week and what to do about it
As the apostle Paul wrote to the Christian community in Philippi, “Do not be anxious about anythi...
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24 February 2017
On the Right Track
Over the past few years, we have been steadily developing our strategies to ensure that the Schoo...
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10 February 2017
In Defence of Schools - 10 Reasons Why Australia Should be Confident
As we build the momentum in our schools in a new academic year, for the sake of all teachers and ...
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11 January 2017
Commencement is more than visiting the stationery shop
Some thoughts offered to students as they commence the new year.
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