We all flourish

Our whole school goal for 2023 got off to a great start at the Flourish Conference for staff on Tuesday.

Earlier this week, IGS Principal Shauna Colnan launched the academic year for staff with the 2023 theme: We all Flourish.

The theme stems from the aspirational goal of “students striving and flourishing” from the IGS Strategic Plan Into the World 2022-2026.

A woman stands at a lectern, speaking in front of a screen displaying the book Flourish by Martin Seligman and a list about flourishing, well-being, positive emotion, engagement, relationships, and achievement.

Ms Colnan drew on the work of Professor Martin Seligman and Dr Tal Ben Shahar to explore the ingredients of happiness.

A man in a white shirt plays a didgeridoo on stage next to a lectern with International Grammar School written on it, celebrating personal growth and wellbeing through music. The day began with a welcome to Gadigal Country by Brendan Japangardi Kerin who shared an ancient Gadigal story about the whale and the starfish and played the Ilpirra.

An older man in a light shirt and trousers stands on stage, speaking in front of a projected slide titled Flourish: Deeper Learning, which contains text and a black-and-white photo, sharing how we all flourish through deeper learning experiences.

Speakers and panel discussions brought fresh ideas and insights for 2023 as long-term staff met newer ones.

People sit at round tables in a brightly lit room, smiling and applauding. The focus is on two women in the foreground, one in a black blazer and another in a black dress, as they flourish and enjoy the lively event.

Emphasising our students’ voices, autonomy and custodianship of our School were among the ideas explored.

Six people sit on stools in front of a screen during a panel discussion. One woman speaks into a microphone as the screen reads, On Flourishing: Staff Panel Discussion, highlighting insights on personal growth and wellbeing in an indoor stage setting.

“The learning we do is important but the spaces we do it in are important too and we want to empower our students to be proud of our School, our learning spaces and to be the custodians of our school environment,” said Drama and English teacher and Head of House (Kuyal) Megan Sampson during the staff panel discussion.

A group of people sit around several round tables in a large room, actively discussing projects with papers and laptops—a collaborative workshop where ideas are shared so we all flourish.

After a day of thought-provoking discussions, teachers and staff enjoyed a Greek-themed lunch together prepared by Patty, George, Di and the crew from the Canteen, and ended the day with a rousing rendition of the school song, led by our fantastic Music Department.