Sr-S Classroom Blog Tuesday, 26th November:SEPEP is well underway, with the class forming five even, fair teams and competing in a Touch Rugby competition. The Year 6s have also been very busy with Graduation rehearsal, and also putting together a whole bunch of different 'items' to prepare for Graduation. The musical revues we are seeing so far this year are a huge step up from previous years and will really impress the parents on Graduation night! Monday, 4th November:It's great to be back at work and see all the kids again! Today was my first day back after a brilliant four weeks off to get to bond with Xander, but I'm very happy to be back because I definitely missed the class and teaching. Looking forward to getting stuck back into what's going to be a very busy last seven weeks with SEPEP starting and Year 6 Graduation coming up fast! Monday, October 7th:Welcome back for term 4! Amazing how quick the year has passed so far, but we've got one more long term ahead... as most of you know, I'm going to be away on paternity leave after the birth of little Xander (who is an absolute little champion!), but the class has been left in capable hands and I'll still be doing a lot of planning for the class to ensure the kids are working on their areas of need.
This term is going to be a busy one with a range of different things going on... incursions, camp, SEPEP, family life, graduation, short film project and movie night... plus the kids favourite - end of year assessments and tests!
Friday, September 20th:We've just finished off a fantastic term 3, and I'm happy to report that all students have put in a consistent high level of effort to their work (most of the time anyway!). I hope everyone enjoys their time off over the school holidays and all of you (students) are ready to attack the last term of the year with great attitudes.
Thursday, August 15th:A whole range of new photos have been added to the 'Media' page showing some of the things we've been getting up to in term 3 so far!
Wednesday, August 14th:Over the past two weeks, the class has been working very hard in a range of areas. There's been a lot of fun and laughs involved with finalising scripts and ideas for our short film project, and the production companies have also been working on props and set designs in art. We'll be wrapping up our pre-production period at the end of this week, and moving into the most exciting (and challenging!) part of the process - production! Next week, filming will begin and not doubt so will the headaches and 'arguments' about which way each group wants to do things!
We will begin looking into natural disasters this week to kick off our unit of focus for the remainder of the term, and in maths the kids have enjoyed the challenge of financial planning and budgeting! They have taken part in an ongoing project over the period of the last 4-5 maths sessions, where they have earned an annual income, have to account for a range of different expenses, work out profits and losses, and solve a range of different, real-life mathematical problems... of course they also got the enjoyment of 'spending' all of their left over money though! It has been a valuable lesson on the real value of money and I feel they have gotten a lot out of it. Friday, August 2nd: We've been so busy at school the first few weeks of the term that I've barely had a spare minute to spend on the wiki! The class has been having fun getting stuck right into the short film project, which will be an ongoing unit for the rest of term 3 and also move into term 4. They have formed small groups of 5 and are currently working hard on their pre-production stages, for example - their scripts, storyboards, settings, ideas, props, etc.
Our reading has focused on scripts, but also current news from around the world to learn more about what is happening around us. In maths, we've explored chance and data, probability, statistics, averages, ratios... and strategies involved in increasing your chances of winning different maths games!
We also had a lot of fun last week at the school sports day, and we'll soon move into a unit focused on natural disasters, which provides opportunities for some great I.L (inquiry learning) and hands-on tasks in a really interesting area.
Monday, 15th July: And we're back! The students have begun the second semester very productively and I was extremely pleased with the level of engagement and effort put into the first few sessions (literacy groups and maths) - after a holiday break sometimes it can take a little while for the students to get back into the swing of things, but that wasn't the case with this great class!
We're looking forward to our I.L. Indigenous Australia expo on Wednesday and then we'll get into our new areas of focus - our movie making project and natural disasters later on. We've also got house athletics day coming up very soon and of course the usual ongoing activities within the school... I'm looking forward to a fantastic second semester with this group!
Monday, 17th June: Hard to believe there's only two weeks left of the second term! This morning the students will be spending time working on their own 'cyber safety' adverts - in literacy groups, they have been working on scripts and ideas for ways that they could share important messages about being safe online. The groups are going to create short videos using their iPads and laptops (great chance to see their expertise with technology!) to show what they've learnt throughout the term with our cyber safety focus. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished products! The parent/teacher interview request system is also live now, so if you haven't already, click here to book an interview (the event code was published in the school newsletter).
Tuesday, 11th June: The students have all enjoyed their long weekends and came back into school today nice and fresh and ready to learn! We'll be beginning our I.L. focus on Indigenous Australia this week. We'll take a look at 'Rabbit Proof Fence' and discuss the problems Indigenous Australians have faced over many years. So far the class has shown a keen interest in this topic!
Wednesday, 5th June: We were lucky enough today to have Tom Mason, from Trend Micro, come back to talk to the senior school students about cyber safety. It was a very informative session and touched on a lot very important and sensitive messages that these students need to know as they head into their teenage years where they will be more susceptible to the dangers of the online world.
Wednesday, 29th May: Yesterday about 60 of our students represented the school at District Cross Country. Eight kids from Sr-S took part, and all of them gave it their all and did their best in their races. Some photos have been added to the Media page. We also had a bit of fun in the last half an hour of the day yesterday - it was Penny's final day at the school as she is moving back to her old school which is closer to home, so with the beautiful weather, we decided to head down to Yarrunga to give her a fun send off! The kids really enjoyed a break from the classroom and a chance to run around and play. It was great to see lots of big smiles to leave Penny with some more good memories - we wish her all the best for the future. There are also some photos of our 'Yarrunga trip' on the Media page. Monday, 27th May: Today we were visited by an Indian principal, Suna, who is out in Australian checking out the Aussie schooling system. Ms Wyatt visited her school in Delhi back in January, so we are looking to build connections between our schools. All of the Senior kids got a chance to take part in a Q&A session with Suna in the afternoon session, and asked some great questions to learn more about Indian customs and culture. It made for very interesting listening! A couple of photos have been added to the Media page. Tomorrow a number of students will be representing the school at District Cross Country, and I wish them all the best!
Thursday, 23rd May: Today the students had a special all-day incursion, where they got a chance to learn all about Indigenous culture and history. They were taught some traditional aboriginal dances, listened to Dreamtime stories (it was very interesting to hear how the 'stars were formed and fighting tribes came together' all thanks to the Yidaki [didgeridoo]), and took part in creating pieces of aboriginal artwork. It was a very valuable learning experience and one that all students appeared very engaged with!
Saturday, 18th May: A whole range of new photos have now been added to the Media page showing everything we've been up to in Term 2! Friday, 17th May: So we haven't had a good update of the wiki for some time now - Year 6 camp followed by a very busy week full of 'NAPLANing' hasn't allowed for much spare time to give any updates of how the class has been going!
The Year 6s had a wonderful time on camp and really showed me what a great group they are. I was very proud of the behaviour shown throughout camp from everyone in our class and we learnt a lot (as well as having fun of course!). I will add some photos of Sr-S students over the weekend and there will also be more to come on the school Facebook page...
From all reports the Year 5s survived well without me when we were away, getting in some final minute NAPLAN preparation as well as what sounded like some great experiments and fun with science. We enjoyed receiving the letters they sent to all the Year 6s on camp.
This week has been all about NAPLAN *sigh*
As a teacher, it is a week I personally do not enjoy, however rules are rules and we have to play by them... the tests can cause some unnecessary stress for the students and it's a real shame the way the government (and now some schools) use the results from the tests, but I've spoken to the students about keeping it all in perspective. When the results FINALLY come out, if the students are disappointed by their scores, please remind them that the results that come home on their mid-year and end-year reports are a far more accurate reflection of their academic abilities.
NAPLAN tests are simply a snapshot of what each student did right 'then and there', and I've had many cases in the past where, for example, brilliant writers have received a very low mark. This is because they might have been upset/had an argument with a friend just before the test/even the lack of a good breakfast on the day... if their mindset wasn't on the job RIGHT at the time of testing, of course their results will drop.
Our reporting reflects ongoing assessment done EVERY day over the course of each semester, where we keep results but also track improvements and areas that need additional focus, so it is a much more accurate measure of each student.
With that in mind - I believe most students did a great job this week and handled the 'pressure' of the testing extremely well. Another thing to be proud of them about!
We've also got a new student teacher in our class, Mr Campbell, who will be with us for four weeks. The kids clearly seem to enjoy having him in our class, so it's another welcome addition.
Over the weekend, I will do my best to add new pages of photos of not only the Year 6 camp, but what's been happening for us around the school too.
Now it's almost 6pm on a Friday and I'm still in the classroom, so time to sign off and go home!
Monday, 6th May:
It's about midnight after a very long first day on Year 6 camp. I was hoping to be able to update this wiki with what the kids have been up to each day along with some photos, however unfortunately it turns out we're in a very poor area for reception and I cannot get on the net at all on my laptop. The wiki program doesn't allow me to post photos from my phone (and it had taken about 40 minutes just to type this much, as their program is not setup for a phone at ALL!) so it's going to have to wait until the end of the week to post more info.
In the meantime, keep an eye on the Croydon Hillls Primary School Facebook page, as that CAN be updated with a photo or two from time to time with a phone!
Today was a great day and the kids have settled in well... they enjoyed the dinosaur museum tonight and all are fast asleep now excited about what's to come...
Wednesday, 1st May: Unfortunately due to personal reasons, I've been away from the school for the last two days, but it was great to head in there before home time today to see the kids. I'm very happy to report that the replacement teacher said the kids behaved brilliantly (despite the fact that many times with replacement teachers, classes tend to 'forget' correct and expected behaviours and muck around a bit) so they really have continued on with their great start to the term. It should be a great day tomorrow with Cross Country and rotations, and then Friday will be our last day together for a week as the Year 6s are off to camp next Monday!
Wednesday, 24th April: Over the first few days of this week, the students have continued investigating the life of Ned Kelly, which they have really enjoyed. It has generated some fantastic discussion and culminated in some debates around the topic of "Is Ned Kelly a hero or a villain?"
Mr Kenna, who has been a student teacher in our classroom for a day a week over the past five weeks, also took the class through some very informative lessons focused on ANZAC Day. Obviously the students will all enjoy a day off from school, but we felt it was important that the students gained a deeper understanding of what ANZAC Day is all about. The students researched different aspects of ANZAC Day, such as certain diggers, types of medals, different wars through history, and found out all about the ANZAC Spirit. It was a great lesson and it was very worthwhile taking the students through these topics, especially as the Year 6s will be visiting the War Memorial in Canberra in a couple of weeks. Some examples of the students work will be added to the 'Student Work' page shortly and some photos of our weekly going-ons will be added to the Media page shortly...
Friday, 19th April: Fantastic first week back at school from everyone in the class. I'm really proud of the way the Sr-S students have responded to the 'challenges' we set down towards the end of term 1 regarding improvements in behaviour and attitude; they have all been sensational and all deserve a pat on the back.
Finally... GO CATS!!! :)
Wednesday, 17th April: Welcome back to school for Term 2! The students have had two days to settle back into the swing of things at school, and they have started off really well. We've started looking into our new integrated studies unit, focused on Crime and Punishment. To begin with, we are investigating the life of Ned Kelly, and will look into the way crime and punishment has changed over time. We will also learn about the structure of government before the Year 6s head off to camp (where they will visit Parliament House), and of course everyone's favourite - NAPLAN - is coming up very soon! Photos of the first couple of days back will be added to the Media page soon...
Friday, 29th March: Although it was a short first term, it was a very busy first term in Sr-S. The students have all shown they can get along and work together successfully, and we have classroom rules and expectations firmly set in place that will see us through what should be a fantastic year together. I'd like to wish everyone (whoever is still reading this blog!) a safe and happy Easter break... I'm already looking forward to welcoming the class back on April 16th!
Wednesday, 27th March: What a brilliant day it was today at Lillydale Lake for the conclusion of our Float Your Boat unit! The Sr-S students were all extremely well behaved, they worked well as a team and the reward at the end - a comprehensive race victory in the final! I just wanted to say a big thank you to all the parent helpers - it was wonderful to get such great numbers of you there to support the kids and help out with the BBQ - definitely couldn't have done that without your help. Congratulations Sr-S! :)
Photos have been added to the Media page of our great day together at the lake!
Friday, 22nd March: Over the past week in the classroom, our major focus has been on completing our Float Your Boat activities. The students have been not only working hard together to finish the boat (and now we've almost built two!), but also on songs, chants, posters, flags, logos, props, etc. Literacy and maths learning tasks for the week have centred around the boat building, which has been an interesting process. While working on the boat, the past two days has also been very busy with the recording and filming of our Float Your Boat film clip. On Monday morning in the Indoor Assembly, all Senior classes will show a short video or trailer of what each class has been up to with the Float Your Boat unit, and the Sr-S kids have been putting every effort into becoming music video stars. These sort of tasks are a lot of fun and we've been having a lot of laughs in the classroom, but they also provide an opportunity to assess for design and creativity, inter- and intra-personal development, thinking processes and communication. The film clip has taken a long time to put together behind the scenes, but it's ready to go and the kids have done a wonderful job in it! Photos of our boating unit will be added to the Media page shortly...
Wednesday, 13th March: Happy to report today was another great day in Sr-S! We had our first student teacher for the year, Mr. Kenna, who will be with us one day a week over the next five weeks. He got to know the kids pretty well today and hopefully enjoyed his first day ever involved in a classroom as a 'teacher'! The class also had another team building challenge - re-designing the classroom. I wanted to redo the room to create a bit more floor space in order to help us build our plastic bottle boat, and thought it would be a great idea to see how well everyone could work together to do it... the next thirty minutes were quite funny to watch as the kids discussed, negotiated, yelled, argued, and even pleaded their way through it - but in the end after some guidance they were able to combine some ideas to create a great layout. Following that, we began sorting our bottles and working out what would be best for the design of the boat. We've got a long way to go, but I was very pleased to see everyone working together and generally listening to each other well. Some photos have been added to the Media page for your viewing pleasure! Tuesday, 12th March: What a difference a long weekend can make! I have to say how proud I was of all the Sr-S students today. Despite the extremely hot weather making it harder to concentrate, today was probably the most productive day that we've had all term so far. All of the students have responded wonderfully to the talks we had at the end of last week about their attitude and behaviour, showing me they have really thought about what we (the teachers) have said. The attitudes displayed not just towards teachers and each other have improved already, but also their attitudes towards their work. There was no complaining or arguing today, everyone just got on with their tasks and the work they produced was outstanding. Now I've told the students the challenge is to maintain this level! They've shown me what they are capable of and they have set the standard high, so this is what I will be expecting everyday from now on. Well done to everyone :)
Friday, 8th March: Unfortunately today we had quite a few negatives to run through with the entire Senior School cohort. We had to speak to the whole group as lately, the correct and expected attitudes and behaviours have been severely lacking from a number of students. This was especially directed to the Year 6s. These students have all been at school long enough to know what is expected from them, however at the moment we are really disappointed in how often we are seeing or hearing about our Senior School kids misbehaving. This is having a huge flow-on effect through the school as they are supposed to be school leaders and set an example to all other students, but they are setting the completely wrong sort of example right now. From the beginning of next week onwards, we will be putting in place a 'zero tolerance' approach towards these poor behaviours, and any students who show a lack of respect towards teachers, integration aides, parents and other helpers in the school can expect consequences. It is unfortunate it has gotten to this stage, but we have decided we need to go back to basics and practically 'train' this group up again in what is expected. Each week we will look at new behaviours and expectations, such as lining up in straight lines, returning to class on time from recess and lunch, the way we move around the school, using manners, showing respect, and attitude towards others and our work. I am looking forward to a very fun and happy year in Senior School, however we've put the onus back on to the students now. If they show us they are doing the right thing, we'll have a great year and provide as many opportunities as we can for the kids to enjoy it. If we continue to see inappropriate behaviour, mistreating of others, lack of respect towards adults, etc., then unfortunately the students might find themselves starved of opportunities to have fun and it will be a very long, hard year. On a more positive note - I am happy to say that I personally don't believe many of these issues apply to students from Sr-S. I am very pleased with the start of the year that the high majority of students in this class have had, but I have still asked the class to take onboard what we have spoken about as a group, think about it, and make sure they do all they can to ensure that they are exhibiting the correct behaviours and attitude towards school.
Tuesday, 5th March: We're now halfway through the first term and the work the students are producing is steadily improving. I've been putting the pressure on to ensure each and every member of the class works productively and produces the best they are capable of, and each week with every new task, it is beginning to pay off. Our new literacy program has been up and running for three weeks, with all students now aware of the requirements and their responsibilities to use each session wisely. I'm happy to say the literacy rotation session we had today was by far the best of the year! All students are now simply getting on with their work without distracting others and with the program running smoothly, it makes it a very easy and enjoyable job to teach within this classroom. We're finishing off our narratives before we move on to persuasive writing and debating, and in maths we have started looking into fractions and percentages.
The kids also enjoyed a basketball clinic in PE which was run by E.J. from the Kilsyth Cobras. It's another example of the great opportunities that are provided through the specialist programs in the school.
A whole group of new photos have been added to the 'Media' page.
Wednesday, 27th February: Some pictures of students' work (from different lessons this week in class) have been added to the 'Student Work' page.
Tuesday, 26th February: It is fair to say today was quite a frustrating day for the students in Sr-S! With the storm, it was the first day of the year they were stuck inside the WHOLE day - wet day timetables at both recess and lunch. Combined with the fact it was also very hot, this led to a real lapse in concentration in some lessons - to their credit however, after a dash outside when the rain ceased for a few minutes to do some exercises and stretching, and a couple of games of silent ball to let them move around, they responded really well. Today we looked into long division - and most agreed it is a tricky process to understand. But with practise and some great discussion, after only one lesson many students appeared to understand it! That shows great progress.
We also beat the lack of concentration by having a bit of fun with the iPads (while still learning, much to the shock of the students!). 'Four pics / one word' is obviously a popular app at the moment, but the students didn't realise it could be used for a comprehension, understanding and thinking lesson. After a short time using the app, the students were given a template to try and create their own puzzles. We looked through them on the big screen at the end of the day and there were some very cryptic and well-thought out ideas presented to the class; some of which stumped everyone! Some examples will be added to the 'Student Work' page over the next couple of days.
Monday, 25th February: What a great morning for a large number of our Year 6s today! In our first Indoor Assembly, Chelsea was deservedly awarded the very first Citizen of the Month for the year. Chelsea has made a fantastic start to the year and as I said this morning, she is a real role model to everyone else in the school as she constantly shows how to treat others with respect and use manners. Well done Chelsea! Following that, it was time for all of our Year 6 leaders to go up on stage and receive their badges. We have a large number of leaders in Sr-S, and they set a great example throughout the school. Today we focused a lot on developing our problem solving skills in maths. The students were challenged with a range of difficult questions and after discussing a few as a class, the majority of students instantly showed deeper understanding and an improvement in the answers they were providing. It was great to see an immediate effect and a lot of kids having that 'A-ha!' moment when they realised they could actually solve a problem despite first looking at it and saying they had no idea! It was great to see some attitudes change towards maths and everyone at least have a go and do their best. Thursday, 21st February: School photos day, and it was very nice to see all students arrive at school in perfect school uniform this morning! A few have been pretty slack lately with uniforms, but everyone was looking their best today. A copy of the 'proof' will be added to the Media page shortly to show you our wonderful class. Today in class, we completed our first set of literacy group rotations for the year, which we've been working on throughout the week. You can view some of the tasks the students have been completing in the 'Classroom Work' section. These rotations are designed to help further develop academic skills in a range of areas, as well as promote inter-personal development. We also looked into multiplication and division (and some apps to help) and discussed the process of long division, which was a first for many students. Most students are showing a great work ethic and personal responsibility for their own learning, which is promising to see. This year the students will get a lot of freedom with the work we do in the classroom, as we're trying to develop independent minds that will push and challenge themselves, instead of always having to be told what to do, or take shortcuts and get by with work that 'will just do'. Many students have taken this on board and are pushing to produce their best, while others are taking a little longer to catch on and develop that ability, but we'll keep working together to get the most out of every lesson. More photos from the past few days will be added shortly.
Monday, 18th February: Today saw our first Circles session for the year take place, and I'm happy to report the new Year 6 leaders were absolutely fantastic in their roles. After lunch, they had to collect the new Early Learning students from their classes and bring them to their new Circles group. They have taken on board extra responsibility, and from what I have heard from other teachers is that they all contributed to running the first Circles session extremely well. Well done guys!
On a lighter note, it was also Crazy Hair Day today! Many of our students arrived at school with some wonderful and... 'creative'... hairdo's! A few volunteered for photos, and of course they can be seen on the Media page.
Friday, 15th February: Sr-S welcomed a new class member today! Head to the Media page to see our new addition :) Inter-school sports kicked off this morning as well, in very hot conditions. All of the teams gave it everything they had and most came away with great results. Well done to everyone who took part! Scores from Round 1 have been posted in the 'Sports' section.
Thursday, 14th February: Thank you to those of you who made it to the Senior info/iPad night last night. It was great to have a chat with quite a number of parents and it's wonderful to see the support these students are receiving at home. If you were unable to attend, you can view the iPad information here. Now back on to school matters - yesterday all Senior students participated in a 'Team Building' incursion, as part of our Term 1 focus on improving teamwork within our classes. The students took part in a range of different fun, yet equally challenging, activities, and it was pleasing to see that the teamwork, communication and general attitude towards each other continued to improve right throughout the session. Some photos of the activities have been added to the media page. Following the incursion, for the last ten minutes of the day we went back outside to have another attempt at our own class team building activity mentioned in my previous post - keeping the beach ball in the air. I am happy to report that the class destroyed its best of 12, recording a huge 30 hits in a row without the ball hitting the ground. Much improved teamwork on show! Tuesday, 12th February: Due to the shortened week with the stop work/strike action taking place on Thursday, we've really been putting in the hard yards already over the first two days of the week in the classroom. Luckily we had extra time in this room this week as it is our 'off' week for Art (we have a double session of Art every second week now, then no Art the following week). That has allowed us to at least make up for some of the time we'll miss on Thursday. The students have been working hard on a number of different things. Our main I.L. focus this term is on team building and working together, and we've been discussing key aspects such as teamwork, communication, cooperation, resilience, getting along, accepting each other, etc., and we have taken part in some fun activities based around those themes. The kids had a go at a simple game of keeping a beach ball in the air for as long as they can - sounds easy enough, but they really have to rely on their ability to work together as a class and communicate - and after numerous attempts we set our record at only 12 hits! Not a great score, but we'll discuss how we can work together more efficiently and effectively and see if we can improve on it through the week. We also put together our class puzzle today (except for one piece for a student still away on holiday) and we spoke about the importance of 'fitting in and working together' as a class just like the puzzle pieces do. The students showed a good understanding that the metaphor 'If one piece of the puzzle doesn't fit, the whole puzzle doesn't work' applies to a classroom of students as well. It's important the students know we're all working together this year and are expected to do our best to get along, help each other out and achieve success together. Finally, the class has been challenged with a few maths problem solving games over the last couple of days. One of them is a really simple, but extremely effective, thinking skills game. It is called '31', and despite practising hard and working on 'unbeatable' strategies, not one student has been able to beat the teacher yet ;) They are getting closer though... I have added the '31' template to the 'Student Work' page if you are interested in printing it and playing at home. A whole range of new pictures of the going-ons in the classroom have been added to the media page. Enjoy! Monday, 11th February: Remember to check the Homework page on the Senior School Wiki for this week's tasks. Make it easier on yourself by keeping track of your reading throughout the week instead of trying to recall it all at the end of the week!
Friday, 8th February: One of my lovely Sr-S students sent me an email last night telling me I have to update the Wiki more often! Apparently once every few days isn't enough ;) So here's a quick update - the class has really enjoyed learning more about their iPads and also learning WITH their iPads. We've been busy with inter-school sports training and are working hard in the classroom getting to know each other more. The senior school classes began rotations yesterday, and this year the rotations are I.C.T, Library, L.O.T.E, Science and Maths (problem solving). A few new photos have been added to the Media page for your viewing pleasure!
Tuesday, 5th February: The school year is well and truly underway now as the class started specialist sessions this week. P.E. will be held on Mondays, with both Art and Music on Tuesdays. The early year testing is underway in class, much to the joy of all the students, but it is very important as it will allow me to gain an understanding of each student's capabilities and set learning tasks accordingly throughout the year. Students will take part in goal setting to help them track their own achievements and development over the course of the year. We've also started looking into place value and graphs in maths and we are beginning to trial a new literacy program, the 'Daily 5'. Overall the class has made a great start to the year! More photos will be added to the Media page shortly... Sr-S behaviour agreements went home this afternoon, and I hope you will have the time to read through the agreement as a family. It is important we support each other and you (the parents) know what is going on at school and what is/is not acceptable in the classroom. The final sheet needs to be signed and returned, and thank you to everyone who has already sent back all of the other notices (inter-school sports, Year 6 camp, Yarrunga permission, etc.).
Friday, 1st February: The class took part in the first Inter-school Sports trials for the year this morning, and we also had our first 'official' class photo. The students worked together to brainstorm behaviour expectations for the year and we spoke about 'What makes a good student' and 'What makes a good teacher' to develop our class rules. We also took part in a few other 'Getting to know you' activities, learnt a bit more about the iPads and began working on a class puzzle. Head to the 'Media' section to see the wonderful Sr-S students, and all the Year 6s in their new blue school tops!
Thursday, 31st January: It was an exciting/nervous day for a lot of the new Senior students today as the Year 5s joined the level and the Year 6s became the 'leaders' of the school. We shared about our holidays, attempted to set up all the iPads with some success, and got to know a little bit more about each other. Programs are already up and running as the kids have taken part in their Inter-school Sports sign up for term 1 and Prep Playground Pals have put in their applications. Busy stuff for day 1! Sr-S looks like it will be a fantastic class and I'm very happy with the attitude of all the students to begin the school year.
Tuesday, 29th January: And we're back! Well, not the students yet of course, but the school year officially started today as all the other teachers and I returned to work. Quite a lot of time has already been spent in at the school trying to get the classroom set up and everything ready to go to give the students a welcoming and positive learning environment. I'm really looking forward to seeing the kids on Thursday and finding out a bit about their holidays!
Friday, 14th December: Today was a nerve-wracking day for all CHPS students - they FINALLY got to find out which class they were in for 2013 and who their teacher and classmates would be! It is exciting to now be a Senior School teacher for 2013 and we had a fun session during the 'Meet the Teacher' transition period today. I'm really looking forward to a great year with the Sr-S students and also trying to get my head around the Senior School curriculum (and with all the iPads I'm sure there will be plenty of things that the students will be teaching me!).
Check out the Media page for our first Sr-S 'class' photo and a few others from the transition session...
Classroom Blog - Student Work - Media - Special Stuff
Sr-S Classroom Blog
Tuesday, 26th November:SEPEP is well underway, with the class forming five even, fair teams and competing in a Touch Rugby competition. The Year 6s have also been very busy with Graduation rehearsal, and also putting together a whole bunch of different 'items' to prepare for Graduation. The musical revues we are seeing so far this year are a huge step up from previous years and will really impress the parents on Graduation night!
Monday, 4th November:It's great to be back at work and see all the kids again! Today was my first day back after a brilliant four weeks off to get to bond with Xander, but I'm very happy to be back because I definitely missed the class and teaching. Looking forward to getting stuck back into what's going to be a very busy last seven weeks with SEPEP starting and Year 6 Graduation coming up fast!
Monday, October 7th:Welcome back for term 4! Amazing how quick the year has passed so far, but we've got one more long term ahead... as most of you know, I'm going to be away on paternity leave after the birth of little Xander (who is an absolute little champion!), but the class has been left in capable hands and I'll still be doing a lot of planning for the class to ensure the kids are working on their areas of need.
This term is going to be a busy one with a range of different things going on... incursions, camp, SEPEP, family life, graduation, short film project and movie night... plus the kids favourite - end of year assessments and tests!
Friday, September 20th:We've just finished off a fantastic term 3, and I'm happy to report that all students have put in a consistent high level of effort to their work (most of the time anyway!). I hope everyone enjoys their time off over the school holidays and all of you (students) are ready to attack the last term of the year with great attitudes.
Thursday, August 15th:A whole range of new photos have been added to the 'Media' page showing some of the things we've been getting up to in term 3 so far!
Wednesday, August 14th:Over the past two weeks, the class has been working very hard in a range of areas. There's been a lot of fun and laughs involved with finalising scripts and ideas for our short film project, and the production companies have also been working on props and set designs in art. We'll be wrapping up our pre-production period at the end of this week, and moving into the most exciting (and challenging!) part of the process - production! Next week, filming will begin and not doubt so will the headaches and 'arguments' about which way each group wants to do things!
We will begin looking into natural disasters this week to kick off our unit of focus for the remainder of the term, and in maths the kids have enjoyed the challenge of financial planning and budgeting! They have taken part in an ongoing project over the period of the last 4-5 maths sessions, where they have earned an annual income, have to account for a range of different expenses, work out profits and losses, and solve a range of different, real-life mathematical problems... of course they also got the enjoyment of 'spending' all of their left over money though! It has been a valuable lesson on the real value of money and I feel they have gotten a lot out of it.
Friday, August 2nd:
We've been so busy at school the first few weeks of the term that I've barely had a spare minute to spend on the wiki! The class has been having fun getting stuck right into the short film project, which will be an ongoing unit for the rest of term 3 and also move into term 4. They have formed small groups of 5 and are currently working hard on their pre-production stages, for example - their scripts, storyboards, settings, ideas, props, etc.
Our reading has focused on scripts, but also current news from around the world to learn more about what is happening around us. In maths, we've explored chance and data, probability, statistics, averages, ratios... and strategies involved in increasing your chances of winning different maths games!
We also had a lot of fun last week at the school sports day, and we'll soon move into a unit focused on natural disasters, which provides opportunities for some great I.L (inquiry learning) and hands-on tasks in a really interesting area.
Monday, 15th July:
And we're back! The students have begun the second semester very productively and I was extremely pleased with the level of engagement and effort put into the first few sessions (literacy groups and maths) - after a holiday break sometimes it can take a little while for the students to get back into the swing of things, but that wasn't the case with this great class!
We're looking forward to our I.L. Indigenous Australia expo on Wednesday and then we'll get into our new areas of focus - our movie making project and natural disasters later on. We've also got house athletics day coming up very soon and of course the usual ongoing activities within the school... I'm looking forward to a fantastic second semester with this group!
Monday, 17th June:
Hard to believe there's only two weeks left of the second term! This morning the students will be spending time working on their own 'cyber safety' adverts - in literacy groups, they have been working on scripts and ideas for ways that they could share important messages about being safe online. The groups are going to create short videos using their iPads and laptops (great chance to see their expertise with technology!) to show what they've learnt throughout the term with our cyber safety focus. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished products!
The parent/teacher interview request system is also live now, so if you haven't already, click here to book an interview (the event code was published in the school newsletter).
Tuesday, 11th June:
The students have all enjoyed their long weekends and came back into school today nice and fresh and ready to learn! We'll be beginning our I.L. focus on Indigenous Australia this week. We'll take a look at 'Rabbit Proof Fence' and discuss the problems Indigenous Australians have faced over many years. So far the class has shown a keen interest in this topic!
Wednesday, 5th June:
We were lucky enough today to have Tom Mason, from Trend Micro, come back to talk to the senior school students about cyber safety. It was a very informative session and touched on a lot very important and sensitive messages that these students need to know as they head into their teenage years where they will be more susceptible to the dangers of the online world.
Wednesday, 29th May:
Yesterday about 60 of our students represented the school at District Cross Country. Eight kids from Sr-S took part, and all of them gave it their all and did their best in their races. Some photos have been added to the Media page.
We also had a bit of fun in the last half an hour of the day yesterday - it was Penny's final day at the school as she is moving back to her old school which is closer to home, so with the beautiful weather, we decided to head down to Yarrunga to give her a fun send off! The kids really enjoyed a break from the classroom and a chance to run around and play. It was great to see lots of big smiles to leave Penny with some more good memories - we wish her all the best for the future. There are also some photos of our 'Yarrunga trip' on the Media page.
Monday, 27th May:
Today we were visited by an Indian principal, Suna, who is out in Australian checking out the Aussie schooling system. Ms Wyatt visited her school in Delhi back in January, so we are looking to build connections between our schools. All of the Senior kids got a chance to take part in a Q&A session with Suna in the afternoon session, and asked some great questions to learn more about Indian customs and culture. It made for very interesting listening! A couple of photos have been added to the Media page.
Tomorrow a number of students will be representing the school at District Cross Country, and I wish them all the best!
Thursday, 23rd May:
Today the students had a special all-day incursion, where they got a chance to learn all about Indigenous culture and history. They were taught some traditional aboriginal dances, listened to Dreamtime stories (it was very interesting to hear how the 'stars were formed and fighting tribes came together' all thanks to the Yidaki [didgeridoo]), and took part in creating pieces of aboriginal artwork. It was a very valuable learning experience and one that all students appeared very engaged with!
Saturday, 18th May:
A whole range of new photos have now been added to the Media page showing everything we've been up to in Term 2!
Friday, 17th May:
So we haven't had a good update of the wiki for some time now - Year 6 camp followed by a very busy week full of 'NAPLANing' hasn't allowed for much spare time to give any updates of how the class has been going!
The Year 6s had a wonderful time on camp and really showed me what a great group they are. I was very proud of the behaviour shown throughout camp from everyone in our class and we learnt a lot (as well as having fun of course!). I will add some photos of Sr-S students over the weekend and there will also be more to come on the school Facebook page...
From all reports the Year 5s survived well without me when we were away, getting in some final minute NAPLAN preparation as well as what sounded like some great experiments and fun with science. We enjoyed receiving the letters they sent to all the Year 6s on camp.
This week has been all about NAPLAN *sigh*
As a teacher, it is a week I personally do not enjoy, however rules are rules and we have to play by them... the tests can cause some unnecessary stress for the students and it's a real shame the way the government (and now some schools) use the results from the tests, but I've spoken to the students about keeping it all in perspective. When the results FINALLY come out, if the students are disappointed by their scores, please remind them that the results that come home on their mid-year and end-year reports are a far more accurate reflection of their academic abilities.
NAPLAN tests are simply a snapshot of what each student did right 'then and there', and I've had many cases in the past where, for example, brilliant writers have received a very low mark. This is because they might have been upset/had an argument with a friend just before the test/even the lack of a good breakfast on the day... if their mindset wasn't on the job RIGHT at the time of testing, of course their results will drop.
Our reporting reflects ongoing assessment done EVERY day over the course of each semester, where we keep results but also track improvements and areas that need additional focus, so it is a much more accurate measure of each student.
With that in mind - I believe most students did a great job this week and handled the 'pressure' of the testing extremely well. Another thing to be proud of them about!
We've also got a new student teacher in our class, Mr Campbell, who will be with us for four weeks. The kids clearly seem to enjoy having him in our class, so it's another welcome addition.
Over the weekend, I will do my best to add new pages of photos of not only the Year 6 camp, but what's been happening for us around the school too.
Now it's almost 6pm on a Friday and I'm still in the classroom, so time to sign off and go home!
Monday, 6th May:
It's about midnight after a very long first day on Year 6 camp. I was hoping to be able to update this wiki with what the kids have been up to each day along with some photos, however unfortunately it turns out we're in a very poor area for reception and I cannot get on the net at all on my laptop. The wiki program doesn't allow me to post photos from my phone (and it had taken about 40 minutes just to type this much, as their program is not setup for a phone at ALL!) so it's going to have to wait until the end of the week to post more info.
In the meantime, keep an eye on the Croydon Hillls Primary School Facebook page, as that CAN be updated with a photo or two from time to time with a phone!
Today was a great day and the kids have settled in well... they enjoyed the dinosaur museum tonight and all are fast asleep now excited about what's to come...
Wednesday, 1st May:
Unfortunately due to personal reasons, I've been away from the school for the last two days, but it was great to head in there before home time today to see the kids. I'm very happy to report that the replacement teacher said the kids behaved brilliantly (despite the fact that many times with replacement teachers, classes tend to 'forget' correct and expected behaviours and muck around a bit) so they really have continued on with their great start to the term.
It should be a great day tomorrow with Cross Country and rotations, and then Friday will be our last day together for a week as the Year 6s are off to camp next Monday!
Wednesday, 24th April:
Over the first few days of this week, the students have continued investigating the life of Ned Kelly, which they have really enjoyed. It has generated some fantastic discussion and culminated in some debates around the topic of "Is Ned Kelly a hero or a villain?"
Mr Kenna, who has been a student teacher in our classroom for a day a week over the past five weeks, also took the class through some very informative lessons focused on ANZAC Day. Obviously the students will all enjoy a day off from school, but we felt it was important that the students gained a deeper understanding of what ANZAC Day is all about. The students researched different aspects of ANZAC Day, such as certain diggers, types of medals, different wars through history, and found out all about the ANZAC Spirit. It was a great lesson and it was very worthwhile taking the students through these topics, especially as the Year 6s will be visiting the War Memorial in Canberra in a couple of weeks.
Some examples of the students work will be added to the 'Student Work' page shortly and some photos of our weekly going-ons will be added to the Media page shortly...
Friday, 19th April:
Fantastic first week back at school from everyone in the class. I'm really proud of the way the Sr-S students have responded to the 'challenges' we set down towards the end of term 1 regarding improvements in behaviour and attitude; they have all been sensational and all deserve a pat on the back.
Finally... GO CATS!!! :)
Wednesday, 17th April:
Welcome back to school for Term 2! The students have had two days to settle back into the swing of things at school, and they have started off really well. We've started looking into our new integrated studies unit, focused on Crime and Punishment. To begin with, we are investigating the life of Ned Kelly, and will look into the way crime and punishment has changed over time. We will also learn about the structure of government before the Year 6s head off to camp (where they will visit Parliament House), and of course everyone's favourite - NAPLAN - is coming up very soon! Photos of the first couple of days back will be added to the Media page soon...
Friday, 29th March:
Although it was a short first term, it was a very busy first term in Sr-S. The students have all shown they can get along and work together successfully, and we have classroom rules and expectations firmly set in place that will see us through what should be a fantastic year together.
I'd like to wish everyone (whoever is still reading this blog!) a safe and happy Easter break... I'm already looking forward to welcoming the class back on April 16th!
Wednesday, 27th March:
What a brilliant day it was today at Lillydale Lake for the conclusion of our Float Your Boat unit! The Sr-S students were all extremely well behaved, they worked well as a team and the reward at the end - a comprehensive race victory in the final! I just wanted to say a big thank you to all the parent helpers - it was wonderful to get such great numbers of you there to support the kids and help out with the BBQ - definitely couldn't have done that without your help. Congratulations Sr-S! :)
Photos have been added to the Media page of our great day together at the lake!
Friday, 22nd March:
Over the past week in the classroom, our major focus has been on completing our Float Your Boat activities. The students have been not only working hard together to finish the boat (and now we've almost built two!), but also on songs, chants, posters, flags, logos, props, etc. Literacy and maths learning tasks for the week have centred around the boat building, which has been an interesting process.
While working on the boat, the past two days has also been very busy with the recording and filming of our Float Your Boat film clip. On Monday morning in the Indoor Assembly, all Senior classes will show a short video or trailer of what each class has been up to with the Float Your Boat unit, and the Sr-S kids have been putting every effort into becoming music video stars. These sort of tasks are a lot of fun and we've been having a lot of laughs in the classroom, but they also provide an opportunity to assess for design and creativity, inter- and intra-personal development, thinking processes and communication.
The film clip has taken a long time to put together behind the scenes, but it's ready to go and the kids have done a wonderful job in it! Photos of our boating unit will be added to the Media page shortly...
Wednesday, 13th March:
Happy to report today was another great day in Sr-S! We had our first student teacher for the year, Mr. Kenna, who will be with us one day a week over the next five weeks. He got to know the kids pretty well today and hopefully enjoyed his first day ever involved in a classroom as a 'teacher'!
The class also had another team building challenge - re-designing the classroom. I wanted to redo the room to create a bit more floor space in order to help us build our plastic bottle boat, and thought it would be a great idea to see how well everyone could work together to do it... the next thirty minutes were quite funny to watch as the kids discussed, negotiated, yelled, argued, and even pleaded their way through it - but in the end after some guidance they were able to combine some ideas to create a great layout.
Following that, we began sorting our bottles and working out what would be best for the design of the boat. We've got a long way to go, but I was very pleased to see everyone working together and generally listening to each other well. Some photos have been added to the Media page for your viewing pleasure!
Tuesday, 12th March:
What a difference a long weekend can make!
I have to say how proud I was of all the Sr-S students today. Despite the extremely hot weather making it harder to concentrate, today was probably the most productive day that we've had all term so far. All of the students have responded wonderfully to the talks we had at the end of last week about their attitude and behaviour, showing me they have really thought about what we (the teachers) have said. The attitudes displayed not just towards teachers and each other have improved already, but also their attitudes towards their work. There was no complaining or arguing today, everyone just got on with their tasks and the work they produced was outstanding.
Now I've told the students the challenge is to maintain this level! They've shown me what they are capable of and they have set the standard high, so this is what I will be expecting everyday from now on.
Well done to everyone :)
Friday, 8th March:
Unfortunately today we had quite a few negatives to run through with the entire Senior School cohort. We had to speak to the whole group as lately, the correct and expected attitudes and behaviours have been severely lacking from a number of students. This was especially directed to the Year 6s. These students have all been at school long enough to know what is expected from them, however at the moment we are really disappointed in how often we are seeing or hearing about our Senior School kids misbehaving. This is having a huge flow-on effect through the school as they are supposed to be school leaders and set an example to all other students, but they are setting the completely wrong sort of example right now.
From the beginning of next week onwards, we will be putting in place a 'zero tolerance' approach towards these poor behaviours, and any students who show a lack of respect towards teachers, integration aides, parents and other helpers in the school can expect consequences. It is unfortunate it has gotten to this stage, but we have decided we need to go back to basics and practically 'train' this group up again in what is expected. Each week we will look at new behaviours and expectations, such as lining up in straight lines, returning to class on time from recess and lunch, the way we move around the school, using manners, showing respect, and attitude towards others and our work.
I am looking forward to a very fun and happy year in Senior School, however we've put the onus back on to the students now. If they show us they are doing the right thing, we'll have a great year and provide as many opportunities as we can for the kids to enjoy it. If we continue to see inappropriate behaviour, mistreating of others, lack of respect towards adults, etc., then unfortunately the students might find themselves starved of opportunities to have fun and it will be a very long, hard year.
On a more positive note - I am happy to say that I personally don't believe many of these issues apply to students from Sr-S. I am very pleased with the start of the year that the high majority of students in this class have had, but I have still asked the class to take onboard what we have spoken about as a group, think about it, and make sure they do all they can to ensure that they are exhibiting the correct behaviours and attitude towards school.
Tuesday, 5th March:
We're now halfway through the first term and the work the students are producing is steadily improving. I've been putting the pressure on to ensure each and every member of the class works productively and produces the best they are capable of, and each week with every new task, it is beginning to pay off. Our new literacy program has been up and running for three weeks, with all students now aware of the requirements and their responsibilities to use each session wisely. I'm happy to say the literacy rotation session we had today was by far the best of the year! All students are now simply getting on with their work without distracting others and with the program running smoothly, it makes it a very easy and enjoyable job to teach within this classroom. We're finishing off our narratives before we move on to persuasive writing and debating, and in maths we have started looking into fractions and percentages.
The kids also enjoyed a basketball clinic in PE which was run by E.J. from the Kilsyth Cobras. It's another example of the great opportunities that are provided through the specialist programs in the school.
A whole group of new photos have been added to the 'Media' page.
Wednesday, 27th February:
Some pictures of students' work (from different lessons this week in class) have been added to the 'Student Work' page.
Tuesday, 26th February:
It is fair to say today was quite a frustrating day for the students in Sr-S! With the storm, it was the first day of the year they were stuck inside the WHOLE day - wet day timetables at both recess and lunch. Combined with the fact it was also very hot, this led to a real lapse in concentration in some lessons - to their credit however, after a dash outside when the rain ceased for a few minutes to do some exercises and stretching, and a couple of games of silent ball to let them move around, they responded really well. Today we looked into long division - and most agreed it is a tricky process to understand. But with practise and some great discussion, after only one lesson many students appeared to understand it! That shows great progress.
We also beat the lack of concentration by having a bit of fun with the iPads (while still learning, much to the shock of the students!). 'Four pics / one word' is obviously a popular app at the moment, but the students didn't realise it could be used for a comprehension, understanding and thinking lesson. After a short time using the app, the students were given a template to try and create their own puzzles. We looked through them on the big screen at the end of the day and there were some very cryptic and well-thought out ideas presented to the class; some of which stumped everyone! Some examples will be added to the 'Student Work' page over the next couple of days.
Monday, 25th February:
What a great morning for a large number of our Year 6s today! In our first Indoor Assembly, Chelsea was deservedly awarded the very first Citizen of the Month for the year. Chelsea has made a fantastic start to the year and as I said this morning, she is a real role model to everyone else in the school as she constantly shows how to treat others with respect and use manners. Well done Chelsea! Following that, it was time for all of our Year 6 leaders to go up on stage and receive their badges. We have a large number of leaders in Sr-S, and they set a great example throughout the school.
Today we focused a lot on developing our problem solving skills in maths. The students were challenged with a range of difficult questions and after discussing a few as a class, the majority of students instantly showed deeper understanding and an improvement in the answers they were providing. It was great to see an immediate effect and a lot of kids having that 'A-ha!' moment when they realised they could actually solve a problem despite first looking at it and saying they had no idea! It was great to see some attitudes change towards maths and everyone at least have a go and do their best.
Thursday, 21st February:
School photos day, and it was very nice to see all students arrive at school in perfect school uniform this morning! A few have been pretty slack lately with uniforms, but everyone was looking their best today. A copy of the 'proof' will be added to the Media page shortly to show you our wonderful class.
Today in class, we completed our first set of literacy group rotations for the year, which we've been working on throughout the week. You can view some of the tasks the students have been completing in the 'Classroom Work' section. These rotations are designed to help further develop academic skills in a range of areas, as well as promote inter-personal development. We also looked into multiplication and division (and some apps to help) and discussed the process of long division, which was a first for many students.
Most students are showing a great work ethic and personal responsibility for their own learning, which is promising to see. This year the students will get a lot of freedom with the work we do in the classroom, as we're trying to develop independent minds that will push and challenge themselves, instead of always having to be told what to do, or take shortcuts and get by with work that 'will just do'. Many students have taken this on board and are pushing to produce their best, while others are taking a little longer to catch on and develop that ability, but we'll keep working together to get the most out of every lesson.
More photos from the past few days will be added shortly.
Monday, 18th February:
Today saw our first Circles session for the year take place, and I'm happy to report the new Year 6 leaders were absolutely fantastic in their roles. After lunch, they had to collect the new Early Learning students from their classes and bring them to their new Circles group. They have taken on board extra responsibility, and from what I have heard from other teachers is that they all contributed to running the first Circles session extremely well. Well done guys!
On a lighter note, it was also Crazy Hair Day today! Many of our students arrived at school with some wonderful and... 'creative'... hairdo's! A few volunteered for photos, and of course they can be seen on the Media page.
Friday, 15th February:
Sr-S welcomed a new class member today! Head to the Media page to see our new addition :)
Inter-school sports kicked off this morning as well, in very hot conditions. All of the teams gave it everything they had and most came away with great results. Well done to everyone who took part! Scores from Round 1 have been posted in the 'Sports' section.
Thursday, 14th February:
Thank you to those of you who made it to the Senior info/iPad night last night. It was great to have a chat with quite a number of parents and it's wonderful to see the support these students are receiving at home. If you were unable to attend, you can view the iPad information here.
Now back on to school matters - yesterday all Senior students participated in a 'Team Building' incursion, as part of our Term 1 focus on improving teamwork within our classes. The students took part in a range of different fun, yet equally challenging, activities, and it was pleasing to see that the teamwork, communication and general attitude towards each other continued to improve right throughout the session. Some photos of the activities have been added to the media page.
Following the incursion, for the last ten minutes of the day we went back outside to have another attempt at our own class team building activity mentioned in my previous post - keeping the beach ball in the air. I am happy to report that the class destroyed its best of 12, recording a huge 30 hits in a row without the ball hitting the ground. Much improved teamwork on show!
Tuesday, 12th February:
Due to the shortened week with the stop work/strike action taking place on Thursday, we've really been putting in the hard yards already over the first two days of the week in the classroom. Luckily we had extra time in this room this week as it is our 'off' week for Art (we have a double session of Art every second week now, then no Art the following week). That has allowed us to at least make up for some of the time we'll miss on Thursday.
The students have been working hard on a number of different things. Our main I.L. focus this term is on team building and working together, and we've been discussing key aspects such as teamwork, communication, cooperation, resilience, getting along, accepting each other, etc., and we have taken part in some fun activities based around those themes. The kids had a go at a simple game of keeping a beach ball in the air for as long as they can - sounds easy enough, but they really have to rely on their ability to work together as a class and communicate - and after numerous attempts we set our record at only 12 hits! Not a great score, but we'll discuss how we can work together more efficiently and effectively and see if we can improve on it through the week.
We also put together our class puzzle today (except for one piece for a student still away on holiday) and we spoke about the importance of 'fitting in and working together' as a class just like the puzzle pieces do. The students showed a good understanding that the metaphor 'If one piece of the puzzle doesn't fit, the whole puzzle doesn't work' applies to a classroom of students as well. It's important the students know we're all working together this year and are expected to do our best to get along, help each other out and achieve success together.
Finally, the class has been challenged with a few maths problem solving games over the last couple of days. One of them is a really simple, but extremely effective, thinking skills game. It is called '31', and despite practising hard and working on 'unbeatable' strategies, not one student has been able to beat the teacher yet ;) They are getting closer though... I have added the '31' template to the 'Student Work' page if you are interested in printing it and playing at home.
A whole range of new pictures of the going-ons in the classroom have been added to the media page. Enjoy!
Monday, 11th February:
Remember to check the Homework page on the Senior School Wiki for this week's tasks. Make it easier on yourself by keeping track of your reading throughout the week instead of trying to recall it all at the end of the week!
Friday, 8th February:
One of my lovely Sr-S students sent me an email last night telling me I have to update the Wiki more often! Apparently once every few days isn't enough ;)
So here's a quick update - the class has really enjoyed learning more about their iPads and also learning WITH their iPads. We've been busy with inter-school sports training and are working hard in the classroom getting to know each other more. The senior school classes began rotations yesterday, and this year the rotations are I.C.T, Library, L.O.T.E, Science and Maths (problem solving).
A few new photos have been added to the Media page for your viewing pleasure!
Tuesday, 5th February:
The school year is well and truly underway now as the class started specialist sessions this week. P.E. will be held on Mondays, with both Art and Music on Tuesdays. The early year testing is underway in class, much to the joy of all the students, but it is very important as it will allow me to gain an understanding of each student's capabilities and set learning tasks accordingly throughout the year. Students will take part in goal setting to help them track their own achievements and development over the course of the year. We've also started looking into place value and graphs in maths and we are beginning to trial a new literacy program, the 'Daily 5'. Overall the class has made a great start to the year! More photos will be added to the Media page shortly...
Sr-S behaviour agreements went home this afternoon, and I hope you will have the time to read through the agreement as a family. It is important we support each other and you (the parents) know what is going on at school and what is/is not acceptable in the classroom. The final sheet needs to be signed and returned, and thank you to everyone who has already sent back all of the other notices (inter-school sports, Year 6 camp, Yarrunga permission, etc.).
Friday, 1st February:
The class took part in the first Inter-school Sports trials for the year this morning, and we also had our first 'official' class photo. The students worked together to brainstorm behaviour expectations for the year and we spoke about 'What makes a good student' and 'What makes a good teacher' to develop our class rules. We also took part in a few other 'Getting to know you' activities, learnt a bit more about the iPads and began working on a class puzzle. Head to the 'Media' section to see the wonderful Sr-S students, and all the Year 6s in their new blue school tops!
Thursday, 31st January:
It was an exciting/nervous day for a lot of the new Senior students today as the Year 5s joined the level and the Year 6s became the 'leaders' of the school. We shared about our holidays, attempted to set up all the iPads with some success, and got to know a little bit more about each other. Programs are already up and running as the kids have taken part in their Inter-school Sports sign up for term 1 and Prep Playground Pals have put in their applications. Busy stuff for day 1! Sr-S looks like it will be a fantastic class and I'm very happy with the attitude of all the students to begin the school year.
Tuesday, 29th January:
And we're back! Well, not the students yet of course, but the school year officially started today as all the other teachers and I returned to work. Quite a lot of time has already been spent in at the school trying to get the classroom set up and everything ready to go to give the students a welcoming and positive learning environment. I'm really looking forward to seeing the kids on Thursday and finding out a bit about their holidays!
Friday, 14th December:
Today was a nerve-wracking day for all CHPS students - they FINALLY got to find out which class they were in for 2013 and who their teacher and classmates would be! It is exciting to now be a Senior School teacher for 2013 and we had a fun session during the 'Meet the Teacher' transition period today. I'm really looking forward to a great year with the Sr-S students and also trying to get my head around the Senior School curriculum (and with all the iPads I'm sure there will be plenty of things that the students will be teaching me!).
Check out the Media page for our first Sr-S 'class' photo and a few others from the transition session...