REMINDERS
RATs available from the office, Nasal and Saliva – 20 per box or individual tests
2024 Pre-Primary Applications due for existing Kindy students
ICAS online registration for participating students in Years 2-6
THIS WEEK
Thursday – No Running Club
Friday – NAIDOC Assembly 5GZ
NEXT WEEK
Monday – NAIDOC Week
Tuesday – Orchestra Rehearsal / Smoking Ceremony (Postponed)/ Cubing Club
Wednesday – Choir Rehearsal/ NAIDOC Week
Thursday – NAIDOC Week
Friday – NAIDOC / Fun Friday (lunch)
Friday – Last day for Students
Message from the Relieving Principal
Cross Country
Congratulations to all our students who represented our school today in the Interschool Cross country. It is a great privilege to represent the school and all the students accepted this privilege with responsibility and respect.
Food for thought
‘Positive teacher-student interaction is the most important factor in effective teaching.’
In the West Australian this week there was an article that referenced Prof. Lorraine Hammond. Prof. Hammond is a passionate educator who is friend of mine and has had a huge impact on teaching and learning in this state and beyond. I thought I would take this opportunity to expand a little on the context.
Instructional Quality
Teachers implementing an Effective Teaching Model that supports excellent instructional quality. An effective lesson structure involves: learning intention(s), testing for understanding strategies (exit strategies), strategies that provide guided and independent practice, student reflection, effective feedback strategies that include both formative and summative assessment.
The critical components of an Effective Teaching Model;
- Learning Intentions
A learning intention is a statement that specifically describes what students will learn. Learning intentions tell students what they are going to learn and why they are going to learn it. Research shows that well-constructed learning intentions give students: more focus; more connection; more responsibility for their learning; more motivation; more involvement; and more ownership of their learning. - Success Criteria
Success criteria are statements describing the extent to which a student has met the learning intention. Success criteria help students to: have a clear picture of how they will be assessed; become independent thinkers and create confidence. Success criteria help teachers and students to provide accurate and useful feedback. Success criteria are written in student friendly language to help students engage and understand.
Feedback
Providing students with regular and timely feedback. This feedback can be in many ways. Feedback importantly is focused on instructional that helps our students improve. Feedback to be effective needs to have a balance of positive encouragement and technical instruction. Feedback on the technical is the critical, given in a timely fashion is the most powerful tool for improving student achievement.
Key themes from the Parent Feedback both the Open Meetings and the Survey
Calendar
- user friendly on all devices
- to have the key event dates set for the year to help with family planning
- timing of events to run on the time set in documents sent home to parents.
- Yearly, and termly, overview would be appreciated to allow parents to forward plan for example Christmas Concert, Faction Carnival etc.
- Hyperlinks on dates to personal calendars
Curriculum
Education on the curriculum and the curriculum programs (the why, what and how) in parent friendly language.
- How is ICT integrated into classes by teachers? Is there a policy/structure around this?
- What are the protocols around homework and how this is communicated to parents?
Transition processes
Education for parents on the process of transition between year levels.
Sharing of student information from teacher-to-teacher. How rigorous is this process?
Composite class – education around this would be well-received by parents
- How is the curriculum differentiated?
- Is the curriculum different?
- How will my child adapt? ‘Where do I belong?’
Teaching
- Reduce the variation between classes
- Consistent process for teacher/parent meetings and communication
- Investigate communication processes that are year level specific
Simon Reid
Relieving Principal
Running Club
Sadly, our Running Club has come to an end for another year. Well done to all those dedicated students who have turned up with a smile and ready to run (despite the sometimes inclement weather). It has been a fabulous term of fun running activities with everyone challenging their personal endurance performances. Well done everyone!
Kare Scott
Primary Physical Education Teacher
Dogs on School Site
As much as many of us love seeing dogs, this is not the case for everyone. Our Department’s (and consequently our school’s) position is that ‘animals, including pets, are not allowed on school grounds unless they are part of a school event, or are authorised assistance animals’. If you do bring your dog for a walk when dropping off or picking up your child, please be mindful to leave the dog safely on the public footpath rather than bringing them onto the school grounds.
Community
