Melissa Lucy

Deputy Principal Students provides leadership and support to ensure the holistic wellbeing of the students within their care. The DP Student Leader promotes a sense of belonging, safety and connection within their year group and across the school community. This enables students to reach their potential academically, spiritually and socially.

• Proactively provide wellbeing guidance and support for individual students as well as groups of students
• Coordinate internal process for Behaviour and Wellbeing continuum and staged response for staff
• Actively support the Positive Behaviour for Learning framework within the whole College
• Actively work leadership team regarding student wellbeing issues such as attendance, mental health issues, behaviour concerns and general wellbeing
• Support other staff to effectively manage persistent issues of concern with students and provided guidance with BSP, SSP, attendance plans
• Track wellbeing data from a variety of sources (e.g., SIMON, student notes, behaviour support plans, attendance plans and MACSSIS student survey) to plan interventions
• Attend Wellbeing network meetings, PL and case study workshops
• Seek opportunities to work collaboratively with other Wellbeing staff eg MHiPS, Youth worker, partnershool counsellors
• Plan and organsie whole school activities eg St Dominic's day, Opening assembly, deaf sports day
• Oversee student leaders program and work collaboratively with Student leadership POL
• Actively partner with community organisations such as Melbourne DHoH Melbourne Lions club, VDEN, AATD.

A Deaf facility coordinator's role typically involves supporting deaf and hard-of-hearing students within a mainstream school setting. This includes providing specialized instruction, adapting curriculum, and facilitating communication access. Specific roles may include Teacher of the Deaf (TOD), classroom teacher, educational support staff, and interpreters, all working collaboratively to ensure students' academic, social, and emotional well-being.

• Organised and facilitated termly PSG meetings with students, parents and relevant staff
• Improved team productivity with regular meetings focussing on clear communication and progress updates, fostering a collaborative work environment.
• Enhanced operational workflows by maintaining well-organized documentation systems and updating records accurately as needed eg PLP reports, assessment data.
• Collaborated with leadership team to develop strategic plans aligning with overall College objectives, fostering a unified approach toward shared SIP and AAP goals.
• Assisted in recruitment efforts by coordinating interviews and managing onboarding activities for new hires.

Worked as a Teacher of the Deaf in a Deaf Facility which promoted co-enrolment. Deaf and Hard of Hearing students worked alongside hearing peers with access to spoken and written English and Auslan instructions throughout the day. All students had access to the Victorian Curriculum while targeting their individual learning needs so that they can achieve positive learning outcomes and independence within an inclusive setting. Facility students have the advantages of being integrated into a mainstream environment, surrounded by the language and curriculum of their hearing peers as well as accessing highly individual learning support by specialist Teachers of the Deaf and Educational Support staff as required.

• Used assessments to target Zone of Proximal Development
• Designed Units of Work using evidence based strategies to teach literacy skills, vocabulary, articulation/auditory skills, pragmatics and Auslan skills
• Liaised with parents, Allied health practitioners to create a wrap around approach to education
• managed risk assessments that kept students and staff safe and seen
• Provided specialised support for students to access extra curricular activates eg camps, excursions, sport events

Teacher of the Deaf at Victorian College for the Deaf fostered a bilingual education. Explicit teaching delivered in Auslan and English so children can participate effectively in their learning. Children choose if they wish to use Auslan or speech in class.

Teaching focuses during literacy lessons include:

• Students are explicitly taught vocabulary, grammar, punctuation and handwriting. These skills help them to become successful readers and writers.
• Students learn about different types of writing: information reports, stories (narratives), writing an argument, and retells. This helps students to understand and value written text.
• Students code switch communication skills for listening/watching; organising thoughts, paying attention, and asking questions with confidence.

Teacher of the Deaf at Thomas Pattison School which is a P to 12 bilingual education. CODAs are enrolled in the first two years of the schooling and learn along side their Deaf siblings.

• Developed strong relationships with students, parents, and colleagues by maintaining open lines of communication and fostering a supportive learning environment.
• Managed classroom behavior effectively by establishing clear expectations, modeling appropriate conduct, and consistently enforcing established rules and consequences.
• Enhanced classroom engagement through the use of interactive teaching methods, such as group projects and hands-on activities.
• Maintained accurate records of student progress, attendance, and behavior to facilitate ongoing communication with parents about their child''s educational journey.
• Collaborated with other teachers to plan interdisciplinary units that connected subjects and promoted deeper understanding among students.
• Identified struggling students early on and provided additional support through tutoring sessions and modified lesson plans.
• Continuously pursued professional development opportunities such as workshops or conferences to stay current in educational trends.
• Integrated cultural awareness into lessons by incorporating diverse perspectives and materials into the curriculum.
• Developed and executed formative and summative assessments to monitor student progress, adjusting teaching strategies accordingly.
• Designed and implemented differentiated instruction strategy to meet diverse learning needs, enhancing educational outcomes.