A mass launch of hundreds of paper planes ushered in a new era of education at Ballarat Grammar this week when students from years seven to nine became the first to officially enter Middle School.
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“We want to provide them with more access to leadership opportunities, to develop really important skills around communication, collaboration and creative thinking that will prepare them for the future,” said the inaugural head of Middle School Chris Beechey.
“The world is changing and education has to change to prepare students for the world. That’s why we’ve developed the Middle School to enable staff in our school to focus intently on students at that age.”
The 475 Middle School students will also do more service both within the school, local community, nationally and internationally because it will help their overall education and help them learn about themselves.
“You learn a lot about yourself when you serve others, and develop skills for the future,” Mr Beechey said.
But that doesn’t mean there’s less focus on traditional subjects – skills around numeracy, literacy and other 21st century skills will be applied to problem-based learning that applies to real situations beyond the classroom.