We are an AVID school. But what is AVID?

For those of you who have been at our school a while, you are probably very much aware that we are an AVID school. In this newsletter item, I will provide a quick summary of what AVID is and then briefly explain how we are using organisation to enrich your child’s education.

AVID stands for Advancement via Individual Determination and is an educational philosophy that applies best practices in teaching and learning based on research. The AVID philosophy holds to the belief that when students are held accountable to high standards while also being provided with academic and social support, they will rise to the challenge and fulfill their potential by becoming independent, determined, and successful lifelong learners.

The AVID philosophy is applied from Kindergarten through to Year 12 to ensure that students are receiving the same high standard of teaching all the way through their time at South Coast Baptist College.

So, what does it look like, well in this newsletter we are focussing on one of AVIDs key strategies to improve teaching and learning, ORGANISATION, both mental and physical? Here at South Coast Baptist College, we say “Organised people are successful people”. A lack of some of the simplest forms of physical organisation can often lead to a real drop in performance. I can only imagine the amount of time I have lost in my life to not being able to find my keys in the morning. It’s no different for our students, if students miss a deadline or spend too much time looking for that misplaced worksheet, their ability to achieve is diminished.

In the Primary College, teachers use strategies that support student organisation such as the use of visual timetables and in the secondary college students are provided a compendium to keep all their work together, so they don’t spend hours looking for that assignment sheet. However, organisation at South Coast Baptist College goes further than just the physical it also involves the mental organisation of ideas. Students are taught how to organise their thoughts using graphic organisers and using Cornell Notes to take notes.

It is our hope and belief that these organisational skills taught to your child will not only benefit them while they are at school but will also benefit them when they take on life after school.

Mr Oliver Oeij

Dean of Teaching and Learning