Teaching and Learning - Planning is...

Our renowned Headstart Program is well underway with staff delivering new coursework and engaging students as they prepare for the 2023 academic year.  Edrolo and Education Perfect accounts have been organised for students. Parents/Carers are reminded that access to Edrolo will temporarily cease if payments are not made by 9th December. Edrolo can be reinstated once payments have been made. 

Please contact the Office if you have any payment queries or concerns.

2022 Curriculum Documentation

Throughout 2022, our teachers have been working tirelessly to ensure that the College has a guaranteed, viable and rigorous curriculum to support our students to improve their learning outcomes. Working in their Professional Learning Communities (PLC) at the end of each Tuesday and Thursday, staff have been discussing, planning, mapping and writing curriculum that is acutely aligned to the Victorian Curriculum and VCAA Study Designs. I truly thank all of our PLCs as well as our Domain Leaders: Ashlee Bate (Math), Maria Curphey (VM & VCAL), Luke Devenish (P.ARTS), Kylie Maltarollo (ADT), Peta Prokopos (ENG), Adam Peterson (HPE), Laura Ritchie (LANG) and Julia Vogel (HUMS) for their work in moving this key initiative forward. With this massive body of work near completion, we move to the next stage which is to review and refine our curriculum via the lens of differentiation. To support the development of our staff as they differentiate curriculum, we have secured the expertise of  Mr Glen Pearsall who, on the 14th December, will deliver a key presentation, provide workshops and offer a range of strategies for staff to implement. 

(Staff PLC Photo here)

Quality Teaching Rounds (QRT) 

After spending two days investigating the Newcastle University based QTR initiative,  we are excited to commence the phased implementation of the evidence-based professional development in 2023. QRT will empower teachers to analyse and refine their practice which, we believe, will improve Sandringham College student outcomes.

Finally, please keep reading because our Masterclasses and the Maths Thinking Day were seriously good - I was lucky enough to attend both!  Also, the huge job that is the end-of-year testing, provides rich data which helps to inform staff as they plan your child's lessons. Thank you to Denholm Pickering and his team; the work your teachers undertake is truly next level!!

And on behalf of the Teaching & Learning Team, wishing everyone a relaxing and safe holiday break. 

Jenni Howard 

Assistant Principal - Teaching & Learning

Masterclasses

In week 4, selected students were invited to participate in another round of Masterclasses. This series of incursions were designed and facilitated by expert teachers for gifted students to enrich and extend literacy and numeracy skills, problem-solving, critical and creative thinking, and foster collaborative learning.

Year 8 English students were busy researching a key historical event and considering audience, purpose, and language features to create multi-modal texts. Meanwhile, Year 9 Maths students were deciphering worded problems, using teamwork and logical thinking to rise to the challenges put to them. We are grateful to our amazing staff for offering these opportunities and congratulate the students who participated in these incursions on the excellent work they produced and the skills they developed.  

Laura Washington 

Learning Specialist - Gifted & Talented Education 

Maths Thinking Day

The maths teachers recently participated in a professional development session around building thinking and problem solving in the classroom.  We explored the framework building thinking classrooms in mathematics by Peter Liljedahl. We worked in small groups on solving problems and worked as a group to come up with a Sandringham College problem solving model. 

 In 2023 students and teachers will be working together on more problem solving tasks to help enhance mathematical thinking and reasoning skills. 

Laura Suckling

Learning Specialist - Practice & Pedagogy

Literacy and Numeracy – Update Term 4

As 2022 wraps up, several of the literacy and numeracy support programs will also arrive at the end of their cycle. Some of the updates to how literacy and numeracy is reported on, especially the support programs, is detailed below. 

The Reading Program has been a success especially with Year 7, as they borrow huge amounts of books, far outstripping the other year levels. Please note that a feedback and goal comment has been included in the reports for Year 7 students – Year 7 students have actually written a reading goal they have set for themselves over the summer, and teachers will check in with them at the beginning of 2023 to see how they have gone in meeting their goal. This has a greater chance of success with parental buy-in, so please have a look at the goal on the report and encourage your child to achieve and exceed their target!

If your child is involved in the MYLNS (Middle Years Literacy and Numeracy Support) or Advance programs, you will be able to view a comment from the teacher on the end of year report. The format will be structured differently to regular classes, with an individualised comment from the teacher. This should give you an indication of the progress your child has made.

For 2023, the MYLNS and tutoring programs are being combined. A overall drop in funding from the Department of Education has resulted in a restructuring of the program, though due to this area being prioritised by the Principal Amy Porter, I am pleased to report that we have been able to effectively cover many areas for support. Literacy support will be offered at Year 7 and 8 through the Advance program, and at Year 10 through tutoring, whereas numeracy support will be offered at Year 7, 8 and 9 through tutoring. 

If you have any questions about Literacy/Numeracy, please do not hesitate to reach out. 

Denholm Pickering - Learning Specialist Middle Years Literacy and Numeracy Support (MYLNS)