Teachers in the Cairns Diocese are providing students personalised learning and support through new student support system, Engage.
Meg Grouhel is the Catholic Education Cairns Education Officer – Inclusive Education.
Education Officer Meg Grouhel is part of the Cairns Catholic Education team training and supporting teachers across the Cairns Diocese.
“My role involves working with schools to build their capacity and confidence with inclusive practices particularly personalised support to ensure we support all our students, including students with diverse needs,” explains Meg.
As part of her role, Meg has been responsible with a team from CES for implementing Engage, the new student support system that provides a student-centered, collaborative, online space for staff in schools to consult, plan, implement and monitor personalised learning and support.
“Engage provides schools with the ideal platform to support students with a focus on our shared responsibility for understanding our learners, and what supports are being enacted to ensure they are engaged in learning and progressing.”
As part of its Catholic mission, Cairns Catholic Education is dedicated to the pursuit of providing all students in its care with the best opportunities to access the Australian curriculum and to learn and grow every day at school. Within Engage, the personalised support feature provides teachers and schools with a platform to monitor the personalised processes for a range of students with additional learning and support needs.
“This feature in Engage provides schools and teachers with a way to consistently and regularly respond to student needs as well as providing a collaborative space so all members of that student’s support team can regularly access and add information about the ongoing support adjustments, plans and consultations that are happening,” explains Meg.
On a recent visit to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School, Meg supported the staff from both the Hammond Island and Thursday Island campuses by building their confidence and capacity with using Engage as well as understanding their responsibilities with supporting students with diverse needs.
Teachers at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart are excited about the use of personalised support.
“The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and the teachers are genuinely excited about progressing their work with Engage in their daily practice and with collaborative conversations and sharing at staff meetings. Teachers are excited about the momentum they are building with their understanding and practical application of the use of personalised support, which is professionally satisfying as a consultant.”
While Meg describes her role as exciting and intense work, she also finds it very rewarding.
“I love my role and the opportunity that I have to travel to different schools and work with such enthusiastic, dedicated and motivated staff. No matter where I go, schools are always so appreciative of the support provided by Catholic Education, but more importantly I am always impressed with how our schools are always working so hard to improve outcomes for students.”
