Teachers do not create learning, learners create learning;       

…teachers create the conditions in which students learn.   Professor Dylan William

Teaching and Learning at Sandringham College promotes a positive and dynamic learning partnership between students and teachers.

What's happening in Teaching and Learning? 

Have I introduced you to our fantastic team of Learning Specialist teachers who work tirelessly to support our students and staff everyday as we all seek to improve learning outcomes at Sandringham College? Our Learning Specialist team consists of Denholm Pickering, Laura Suckling, Laura Washington and Joanna Hill who all specialise in identified teaching and learning areas. 

Unit 3 & 4 September Trial Examinations - a great way to practice key elements including; content knowledge, skill application and time management. 

Students who have are sitting a final Unit 3/4 examination have a great opportunity to practice their timing and apply their knowledge and skills. 

Pivot Student Surveys - Cycle 2  

August 29th - September 14th

Students will be completing PIVOT Student Perception Surveys for teachers across classes in Term 3 Week 8 - 10. 

As a school community we are committed to increasing student voice in the curriculum in an effort to improve the effectiveness of our teaching. Teachers are asked to survey two of their classes and will get feedback about their practice in areas such as curriculum delivery, classroom management and student engagement. At the beginning of Term 4, we will look at our collective school ‘heat map’ (a summary of all our data), and individual results will be examined in earning areas. These surveys allow students to provide feedback to teachers that can then be actionable to help teachers improve practice and provide areas of success for teachers to reflect on. Student survey responses are anonymous and class results are confidential and only accessible to the class teacher. Aggregated data for the College, learning areas and year levels also becomes de-identified for further analysis and actionable guidance.  

                                                                                            Laura Suckling 

Learning Specialist

Literacy and Numeracy - Update Term 3

In Semester 2, the MYLNS (Middle Years Literacy and Numeracy Support) and Tutoring programs have continued to involve trained teachers being strategically placed into classes to benefit students. 

The MYLNS program focuses on bridging significant gaps in literacy and numeracy that may have developed for students, and is designed to prepare students to undertake VCE/VET/VCAL subjects with confidence in their abilities. With study designs changing for VCAL and English in the future, it is important we set our young people up for success. On a positive note, some students have displayed significant growth as a result of being enrolled in the MYLNS program to the point where previous gaps have entirely disappeared when compared to their peers. This is exactly what the program was designed to do and such examples are a great reminder of the effect that individualised support can have on the outcomes of students. 

The Tutoring program continues to focus on students whose learning may have been adversely affected by the pandemic. The program has expanded from only English and Maths to include Science and includes a variety of ways in which the tutor is supporting those students, including working 1 on 1, in small groups, and team teaching. Feedback from teachers has been very positive, with the most common view that it is teaching in a pure form – less admin and preparation and simply being in a classroom and helping students to improve. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our MYLNS teachers and Tutor Teachers for their efforts. I would also like to think the students themselves for how they engage with the program, as well as parents for their continued support. If you have any questions about either of these programs, or anything to do with Literacy/Numeracy, please do not hesitate to reach out. 

                                                                                            Denholm Pickering - Learning Specialist            Middle School Literacy and 

Wednesday 7th Sept

Professional Practice Day for all Teaching Staff 

GAT Day - All students  

Staff will be busy undertaking work consistent with department and school priorities - School Strategic Plan (SSP) and Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) -and are selected from the following areas:

• planning
• preparation
• assessment of student learning
• staff collaboration
• curriculum development
• relevant professional development
• peer observation including feedback and reflection.

Please note students will not be required at school on the 7th Sept but all students who have enrolled in a Unit 3 & 4 subject for 2022 must be in attendance to complete the General Assessment Task (GAT). Other students may choose to use this day to consolidate their coursework and prepare for ALTs and school based assessments.