STUDENT REMOTE LEARNING

Year 9 Remote Learning

We have learnt many valuable lessons during this time of remote learning. Teachers will be sure to adopt many of these lessons into their classrooms so that students can capitalise on the evident flexibility of learning. One of the more inspiring lessons during this time has been the recognition of our student’s agency in their own learning, with many student examples of exceptional time management, organisation, meaningful reflection and collaboration coming to mind. This has gelled well with our focus on feedback in Year 9 this term. Teachers have been encouraging students to access and engage with their feedback on a regular basis, supporting students to recognise their strengths as equally as their areas for improvement. This focus will continue as the Year 9 team work towards our careers focus in Term 3. Students will have an opportunity to engage in Morrisby 1:1 interviews, career pathway discussions, and subject selections for 2021.

Jessica Rowbottom

Year 9 Director of Learning

Holly Sexton

‘In times of struggle it’s always important to look for the things in life that make you happy. These are the things that help us to pull through to the other side.’ Holly's movie

Mila Willersdorf

What did you like about the text: The Outsiders?

The part that I loved the most about ‘The Outsiders’ was that the protagonist Ponyboy, a member of a less fortunate gang called ‘the Greasers’, realised that he still watched the same sunsets as the more fortunate gang called ‘the Socs’. He got to experience the same beauty in nature as they did and he actually got time to enjoy the simple things in life.

What do you think the take away message is?

This book is really quite stupefying as when I read the blurb, I didn’t think that there could be so many messages to take away after reading it. The ones that really caught my attention were that ‘things are tough all over’ meaning that every person, no matter rich or poor, has a difficult part of their life. Another big message, and the main part of the outsiders is that conflict is pointless, unwarranted and destructive. These are really important things to take away from the book, because for me anyway, these messages brought an enlightenment onto what other people are going through behind their smiles and what they really have to deal with.

What does the text remind you of?

The text reminded me of Surf Coast Secondary College to be honest. So many people at our school have less fortunate families whilst others have the opposite situation but everyone has their own little struggles. However, what I love about the text to world situation is that in both people choose what they want to be seen by other people. We might be labelled, but in ‘The Outsiders,’ Pony changed his label. This book has the ability to make people show their true selves and not be what they think they need to be and what anyone else is.

Danica Petersen

What did you like about the text: The Outsiders?

As I read the novel “The Outsiders”, I found it extremely engaging when two young Greasers, get involved in a serious murder, however, soon discover themselves through the help of family and friends. It is filled with hardship, grief, but also love. It is also the coming of new relationships between the rivals, greasers and Socs. As well as the hard hitting stereotypes that everyone has for each other, for example, people assume that all greasers are disrespectful, intimidating and criminals.

What do you think the take away message is?

Throughout the entire novel, the author ‘S.E. Hinton’, had provided the audience with more messages than we may realise. This text doesn't only describe life the hard way, but it also informs the audience that no matter what, family will always come around and be there for you in any way they possibly can. Family and friends are your strongest allies; if not, yourself. However, in this case feuds between those you don’t even know properly is unnecessary and certainly uncalled for. Like how the Greasers and Socs have a meaningless conflict, just because they’ve been taught to dread the other. Overall, the takeaway message is that growing up isn’t easy and it shouldn’t be, sometimes the things you face now are the things that make you who you are.

What does the text remind you of?

It is difficult to grow up in a universe where there are two completely different worlds. Ponyboy is experiencing life threatening challenges that most of us don’t usually come across. This novel reminds me of when in the world, many people are currently going through rough patches. As of today, families are suffering from watching the people they deeply care about get consumed by the Coronavirus. Although, within the book it is also explained that it is alright to trust others, whether they may be from another ‘clique’ or you don’t know them. In our society, people are risking their lives to aid those infected; some even without hesitating. Within the novel, this is evident when Ponyboy and Cherry from different worlds collide. They share a connection, which results in a friendship where they are able to trust each other without second guessing themselves.

Alyssa Petersen

What did you like about the text: The Outsiders?

There are many things to adore about The Outsiders. The main motive that has endured the trail of time, is that the characters are so relatable. It’s about family, kinship, misfortune, hopes, and perseverance in the face of adversity. It is with reference to not judge people based on socioeconomic limitations and stereotypes. Above all, it is about relationships. It is tied in with living everyday like it is your last, not confining abroad the love or the support. It's glorious composure gets you and won't let you go. At the point when you read the novel, you can feel the dread and outrage of the protagonist inside you and that reveals to you that The Outsiders is an incredible novel.

What do you think the take away message is?

When engaged with this book, I distinguished that the author has engulfed various takeaway messages. It doesn't make a difference what side of the tracks you're from or how much money you have. What matters is the sort of person you are and the decisions you make that influence your life. Ponyboy and his friends all had choices to make all through the book, and a ton of their choices were the erroneous ones. He didn't need to nod off in the parcel that night. Darry had the decision not to hit Ponyboy, however he let his indignation and disquiet take control and he hit Ponyboy anyway. Dally didn't need to come to Johnny and Ponyboy’s aid and assist them in escaping town. He could have simply taken them home to Darry's. Ponyboy and Johnny didn't have to go to the park. Perceive how the list goes on? It's about duty, fellowship, choices, honesty, and growing up. That everybody's the equivalent and nobody ought to be labelled. Regardless of how much you go into, you will always pull through because your friends are always there with you like the greasers.

What does the text remind you of?

The Outsiders nudges me of today’s society. When people are young they often experience tough relationships with others, whether it’s with teenagers or family. Many come across misunderstandings, for example Dally and Darry. This is conveyed when they may appear as tough and rude, however inside is loyal, lionhearted, and profound. “I think I like it better when the old man’s hittin’ me.” Johnny sighed. “At least then I know he knows who I am.” Johnny offers this bit of bent rationale trying to comfort Ponyboy who has been hit by Darry. Johnny's acknowledgment of family savagery uncovers how brutality mutilates an individual's existence and perspective on self. Johnny's relationship with his dad has flipped around his perspective on abuse. This is proof of misuse and friendship. Transitioning is the progress everyday teenagers encounter. This change is from adolescence to adulthood. In The Outsiders by S.E Hinton, it explains coming of age. His social class influences that. It has made Ponyboy tolerate childhood in a hazardous domain, just as perilous circumstances. Sometimes in life, everyone has to make decisions regarding their future which can lead to making mistakes. For instance when having the potential to forge choices, today we skip school, smoke, have no intention of listening to parents and so forth. As Johnny kills someone in self-defence, Dally dirty talks to two Soc girls, Cherry and Marcia, etc.

Remote Learning Model Going Strong

It is wonderful to see one of our students in the Surf Coast Times.

Parents supervising their children as they hit the books must remember they’re helping their kids switch to remote learning, not home schooling, says Jan Juc mum Carmen Clifford.

Ms Clifford’s son Noah has comfortably adjusted to what is a new way of delivering education across Victoria, but the Year 11 Surf Coast Secondary College student said he’s missing the classroom and schoolyard.

“Noah did say ‘If I wasn’t in Year 11, it would be a lot easier’. But with Year 11, he’s sitting there all day from 8.45am til 3.30pm,” Ms Clifford said.

Once the school brought in video conferencing last week, it made it a little bit more personalised, which I think helped with just seeing faces.

Clickhereto read the full article.

Literacy and Numeracy Support @ SCSC

Reducing Maths Anxiety

How can families help their children with maths anxiety?

As teachers across a range of year levels, we often notice students displaying maths anxiety. Students' responses to maths are varied, but may manifest in an intense dislike for maths and avoidance of learning.

Research has found that how maths is taught and experienced is a major contributor to the experiences of students in their maths learning. Particular methods of learning that contribute to this anxiety include rote learning of rules and procedures, and timed activities that increase stress of students.

At SCSC we have teaching staff that are passionate about maths and numeracy education, and who provide a learning environment where students feel safe and supported in their exploration of maths and numeracy in their everyday lives. Some key maths messages that are taught across year levels are:

Everyone has the ability to learn maths - With practice and perseverance, students will build the neural pathways in their brains for maths understanding.
Maths is visual - Students are provided with a range of opportunities to build connections between diagrams, models and hands on materials, and their maths understanding.
Maths is not about speed - Quick recall of maths facts will only help when students have an understanding of the numeracy skills behind the problem. Students are engaged in learning that suits their pace, and helps them to develop skills in a supported environment.

Reinforcing these key messages at home will help to reduce students maths anxiety and stress. With families and teachers supporting and encouraging students, we can foster a lifelong enjoyment of numeracy and give our students the skills they need to succeed in work and their everyday life.

For further information on how you can support your student, please refer to the following article:

How can parents & families help children with maths anxiety? Catherine Pearn discusses.

Literacy and Numeracy Activities at Home:

The MYLNs team hope that you and your families have enjoyed some literacy and numeracy activities at home in the past two weeks. Remote learning is an excellent opportunity to engage students in activities that are relevant to their interests. Please find below some suggested literacy and numeracy strategies for home.

LITERACY AT HOME:

News and current affairs: Questions are an effective way to encourage your student to think critically about an event and can help foster empathy. Read several articles together on the same issue to get different opinions. Then discuss the different opinions.
Reading: Read a book together and introduce your student to different genres
Writing: Encourage your student to edit their work for mistakes before they show you. They should also make sure the writing makes sense. Getting your student to read their work out loud is a good technique to find mistakes in writing.
Word games: Look for ‘word wheels’, ‘target puzzles’ or crosswords in the paper. These are available online each day and are a great way to build vocabulary.

NUMERACY AT HOME:

Shopping: Investigate the prices of fresh fruit and vegetables available in the supermarkets compared with market vendors. Discuss the reasoning behind where you shop.
Discounts: Look at catalogues and discuss what the cost of products would be if there are different discounts applied.
Savings: Encourage your student to save a percentage of their money and work out how much this would be. For example, how much money would you have after a year if you saved 40% each week?
Subscriptions: Get your student to investigate how much their own household spends on subscriptions to streaming services each month. How much does this amount to each day? Is the cost worth it for the amount of time spent using the service?

Happy learning!

Claire Power (Numeracy)

Andrea Loving (Numeracy)

Regina Bishop (Literacy)

Andrew Brown (Numeracy and Literacy).