I have never really understood the 3 R’s of education. Let me clarify, more so why someone decided to call Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic the 3 R’s. Which one does a sound ability to spell fit into?

Of course, the importance of the essential outcomes that each of these 3 provide no one would argue against. They form the basis for a lot of life skills. And then some have even argued that for 21st century learning a 4th ‘R’ should be coined for inclusion. Surprise, surprise it doesn’t start with ‘R’ either. Algorithm – computational literacy that teaches young people algorithmic or procedural thinking. This helps to form the basis for computational thinking, programming, writing code, and webcraft.

These ‘R’s are all justified inclusions of a comprehensive elementary school education. However, at Mueller I like to highlight a fifth ‘R’ that gets taught. And you guessed it….it does not start with ‘R’! In fact it can be given a number of different names (none of which start with R); life skills, personal development, personal wellbeing. It falls within a positive wellbeing framework which is taught across the secondary school as the ‘SL@M’ curriculum, and which is known to the Primary school as the ‘Kingdom Culture’ program.

SL@M in the secondary school is a pastoral curriculum that serves to educate students to make positive and constructive choices as they navigate life and the many challenges that come with each stage of development.

Each term of SL@M has a very different topic focus depending on; the year level, time in the year and schooling journey, current societal issues, and the external factors impacting each age group. Year level camps correlate closely to specific outcomes of the SL@M unit covered during that term. SL@M units reinforce the value statements of the college and often, if not always, look to provide students the opportunity to respond through contribution to the school or wider community.

This term students will be working through the following units;

Year 7 – Cyber safety and Positive Body Image

Year 8 – Positive Role Models

Year 9 – Digital Citizenship

Year 10 – Digital Citizenship

Year 11 – Good Men / Resilient Women

Year 12 – Outreach Projects

Year Eight and Year Eleven students venture off to camp in the coming weeks, again to build on and support those SL@M units being looked at this term. Year Eights students will be enjoying three adventurous days at Burleigh beach, while the Year Elevens do it a little tougher – the boys trek Moreton Island, while the girls explore the coastal regions of Lennox Heads.

An exciting term ahead. Please feel free to chat to your child about their SL@M units being covering this term, and every term.

Ben Stiller

Week 3 // News and Updates