Cumberland

                Ms Karen McArdle

Class Allocations

The staff and I have started to receive a number of requests for students to be either with other students or away from other students. The formation of classes is a very complex process, and much is considered, assessed and incorporated in this process. When forming classes, we work to ensure classes across a year level are fairly and evenly balanced by using the following criteria:

• The academic levels of the students
• The academic care levels of the students
• The pastoral care needs of students
• The behavioural standards of students
• The social, emotional and physical needs of students
• The number of students in each class.

Student friendship groups are also taken into consideration, ensuring all students have at least one of their friends in their new class. For children, making friends is a vital part of growing up and an essential part of their social and emotional development leading to the development of attributes such as social competence, self-esteem and self-confidence. With this in mind, it is expected that children will need to make a few new friends each year.

Your child’s year level teachers, who best know the children and how they work in the classroom and I will be working together on the formation of classes. The school does not take requests from parents for particular teachers or for your child to have a group of friends included and some students excluded in the formation of next year’s classes.

If you feel that we do not have all of your child’s current information (medical, psychological or physical) at our disposal for this process, I ask that you send it to me as soon as possible for inclusion in your child’s file and for our consideration. We hope to notify you of the teachers for 2019 in the last few weeks of the school year.

Nominations for Cumberland Colours Awards

It is that time of the year when I am calling for students to nominate for Cumberland Colours Awards. The Colours Award System is designed and intended to reward and recognise committed effort, service and achievement of excellence from students in various areas of College life.

Students may only receive one colour per category during their time in Cumberland. They can then apply again when in Dunhelen. Academic Colours are decided by the school. 

More information on these awards can be found in the last section of the Student Diary.

Year 5 Fun in the Science Labs

This term, Year 5 students are learning all about 'Light' in the Science labs.  They will be using light boxes to explore the characteristics of light and will be reflecting, refracting and dispersing light. They will also be learning about how to write a Scientific Experiment Report in readiness for their own investigation.

Below is one of the photographs the students took in the lab showing that the Angle of Incidence is the same as the Angle of Reflection. As you can see, the use of technology has really enhanced the learning experiences of our students at Aitken College. Students now photograph their learning and use the photographs as evidence of learning and to enhance their notes and understanding of what they are learning in class.

Photograph courtesy of Lauren P (Year 5)