As a proud IB World School and first-mover in the University of Melbourne’s New Metrics for Success project, John Wollaston Anglican Community School (JWACS) continues to explore innovative ways to equip students with the knowledge, skills and dispositions they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
A recent Year 1 inquiry offered a compelling example of these principles in action. As part of the PYP unit ‘How We Organise Ourselves’, students investigated what makes a strong and productive community. In reflecting on challenges within their own classroom, they identified noise as a barrier to concentration and proposed a tangible solution: installing internal doors.
‘What impressed us most was the way the children recognised a problem, worked together to find a solution, and then took action to make it happen,’ said Tracey Rogers, Head of Primary. ‘It’s a powerful example of our young learners demonstrating agency in action.’
The Year 1 students wrote persuasive letters to school leadership, met with staff to share their ideas, and presented their proposal to the School P&F, who generously contributed funding. Keen to contribute further, students initiated and organised two fundraising events: a Lap-a-thon and a Pyjama Day, bringing together the wider school community in support of their initiative.
Their efforts paid off: the new doors were installed to great excitement, marking a tangible outcome of student-led initiative!
