Towards 2030
On Friday 11 August, staff came together for the inaugural Staff Conference, Towards 2030 – Progressing Ourselves and Our Practice. This dedicated professional development day brought all staff from across Ivanhoe’s campuses together. Staff met at the beautiful Plenty Campus to learn together, look towards the future and create a pathway for everyone to achieve the vision for Ivanhoe Grammar School.
The school has held staff professional development days before, but this was different. This inaugural Staff Conference, Towards 2030 – Progressing Ourselves and Our Practice, was delivered by our newly formed Ivanhoe Institute. It began with an Acknowledgement of Country and Diversity in language and a wonderful presentation from Principal Gerard Foley. This was followed by an inspiring presentation from Louka Parry, which involved piano playing and box breathing, and lots of provocations around the role and shape of education in the future. it was wonderful to have Louka begin the day with such energy and enthusiasm.
From there Professional Services staff came together to explore the critical role this group plays in a learning community, understanding how they learn and work in teams, and the important role of a growth mindset. Academic staff and leaders also attended, presented and facilitated workshops throughout the day covering over 30 topics such as:
- Neuroscience and Education
- Poetry in the Primary Classroom
- The Future of AI in Art and Design subjects
- Building Resilience in Learning
- Using Nature as a Teaching Resource
- Unlocking Potential.
Alongside this day of learning, was the building of community and connection, with opportunities to eat, laugh and reflect together. The School’s philosophy is to develop young people of character and this philosophy extends beyond the classroom; learning is an important aspect of life and we honour this not only as educators but as an organisation. Staff thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to come together and learn for the day with the feedback being overwhelmingly positive.
“Well, it’s nearly 10:30pm Friday night and my mind is still buzzing from today’s experience. Thoughts of possibilities, wonder and excitement. What a fantastic day! Thanks for all the hard work and organisation, which made it such a success. The information fed my brain. Being with colleagues fed my soul,” said one staff member.
A special thank you to the Director of Ivanhoe Institute Brayden Stone and Head of Human Resources Phillip Tascone for all their work in organising such a great conference, alongside everyone involved in creating such a wonderful day.
