Learning & Teaching 

TEACHING & LEARNING - Vira Pirrotta

Inquiry Learning at St. Fidelis – Term 1, 2025

At St. Fidelis, inquiry learning is a dynamic and responsive approach that encourages students to explore, question, and connect their learning to real-world contexts. Inquiry allows students to develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills while engaging in topics that are both meaningful and relevant to their lives.

Student Voice Shapes Our Learning

We have worked with Kath Murdoch, a leader in inquiry-based learning, to plan a two-year cycle of Inquiry concepts. Teachers will use student voices to prepare for big questions that spark their curiosity and suggest ideas for exploration in the coming year. Teachers and leaders then used this valuable input and curriculum requirements to create a 2025 Map of Shared Inquiries. This map ensures student learning aligns with the Victorian Curriculum while integrating scripture, English, numeracy, and key school events.

By embedding student voice in our curriculum planning, we aim to create meaningful and personalised learning experiences that foster curiosity, deep thinking, and a love of learning.

To begin the year, students will inquire about what is essential to building a learning culture at St. Fidelis. Teachers will establish routines and involve students in decision-making about the learning spaces. Students and teachers will build an understanding of each other as learners and explore the learning assets needed to create a learner-centred learning environment.

We look forward to an exciting year of inquiry-based learning where students are empowered to explore the world around them! 

Curriculum Overviews at St. Fidelis

At St. Fidelis, we value strong partnerships between home and school. Parents will receive a Curriculum Overview each term as part of our ongoing commitment to keeping families informed. These overviews provide insight into the key learning outcomes for each year level, helping parents stay connected with their child’s education.

While the overviews serve as a guide for the term’s learning, teachers will tailor instruction to meet the diverse needs of all students. They highlight the essential topics, skills, and understandings that students will explore, ensuring a rich and engaging learning experience.

We aim to support open communication and collaboration by sharing these overviews and empowering parents to engage in their child’s learning journey.

Please find the curriculum overviews for each year level below. 

LITERACY NEWS - Bernadette Parnis

Assessment

As we begin the new school year, it's important for teachers to get to know their students. The ‘Parent/Carer Meet & Greet’ held last week provided an opportunity for parents and caregivers to share valuable insights and guidance, helping teachers better support each student. In addition, teachers conduct assessments for students from Foundation to Year 6, gathering important information about their skills in reading, spelling, writing, and mathematics. These assessments are administered without prior teaching, as we aim to understand what students already know in order to determine their current level and identify areas for targeted instruction. The process is not invasive or intimidating, and students are familiar with the fact that these are pre-assessments designed to help teachers gauge their understanding.

To measure the accuracy of spelling knowledge in students from Year 1 to Year 6, a spelling assessment was completed. This helped identify the types of words, letter patterns, and how accurately students can attempt to spell unfamiliar words, including longer words with multiple syllables.

To assess students’ writing skills and understanding of genre, teachers set a writing task to collect a sample of student writing. Doing this at the beginning of a writing unit helps identify what students are already capable of, enabling teachers to target and focus instruction to improve their writing.

For students in Foundation, teachers have gathered information on their knowledge of letter names, common letter sounds, their ability to write their name and other words, as well as basic reading skills.

In mathematics, teachers administer an assessment that measures students’ understanding of whole numbers and place value. Teachers have gathered insights into students’ abilities to name, record, count, represent, calculate, compare, order, and rename numbers. This information will continue to guide instruction and support student progress.

All of the gathered information helps teachers focus on teaching the specific skills and strategies needed to continue improving literacy and numeracy outcomes for all students.

Reading Homework

Reading a take-home reader is part of the home learning routine at St. Fidelis, and it is a very important routine for various reasons. As part of their home learning, students in Years 1 to 6 have commenced borrowing readers. Students are expected to read 4 to 5 days a week. This can extend into the weekend if preferable, rather than reading on a Friday afternoon, allowing flexibility.

Students bring home a book each day and are given the responsibility to choose the text they would like to read from boxes organised specifically for them by their classroom teacher. Sometimes your child may bring home the same book or one they have had previously. This is perfectly fine, as the intention is not to learn anything new at home, but rather to allow students to practice and rehearse skills taught at school.

Texts are leveled. Leveled texts are designed to support reading growth. Teachers match texts to the students' ability, and students choose their text from within the range provided. Allowing them to do this gives them the opportunity to select books based on their interest. The teachers have sorted the books according to level, providing texts usually 2 levels lower than what the students are reading instructionally in class. This ensures that the students can read texts easily at home.

For our Year 3 to 6 students, leveled readers are available to support their reading development. We have a well-resourced library, offering a wide variety of titles, from fiction to nonfiction, to cater to many different interests. Don’t forget to also take advantage of the local library.

If students find that books are not accessible or available for reading at home, please let me know, and I will be happy to assist in resolving this.

Make reading at home a routine.

Find a quiet, comfortable spot that will be the go-to reading space with your child, whether it be before dinner, just before they go to bed, or first thing in the morning. Do what works for you. Reading is meant to be a fun and enjoyable time with your child.

SMART Spelling Homework

Spelling will also be a part of your child’s home learning routine. Each week, students in Years 1 to 6 will bring home a sheet with a list of words and the focus for that week. Students are expected to learn the words by writing them in the column for each day and complete any additional tasks set for homework.

In the coming weeks, I will share ideas on how to support reading and spelling practice at home. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask your child’s teacher or contact me.

Bernadette Parnis 

bparnis@sfmoreland.catholic.edu.au 

Book Club - Issue 1 orders due THIS Wed Feb 12

For your convenience,  Book Club Catalogues are sent home with students twice per term.

NUMERACY NEWS - Colleen Monaghan

Welcome back to another year and I look forward to working with your children in their  classes.

MATHS FOUNDATION PARENTS WORKSHOP

“How to help your child at home with Maths “ (Foundation Parents) 

Tuesday 18th February   9am -10 am  

Assessment

As you are probably aware, teachers have been assessing your children to determine their starting point for teaching and learning this term. (This is not new, and it happens in all schools at this time of the year.) We use this data in our planning to ensure we are differentiating our teaching to accommodate all learners and their needs. This is called Formative Assessment, (assessment for teachers) It informs us what your children know and can do, and what misconceptions they may have, which will assist us in our planning where students need to go next.

During the term as we teach the necessary skills to your children, we will continue to gather information that will inform our day-to-day, week-to-week teachings and groupings. This is assessment as learning (for the students) and then when we assess at the end of a unit, this is Summative assessment, assessment of (assessment for teachers) which shows us what the children have learnt, understood and what we may need to revisit.

These three types of assessment: 

Assessment for

Assessment as

Assessment of

Background to these three approaches

Traditionally the focus of classroom assessment has been on assessment of learning - measuring learning after the fact, using the information to make judgements about students’ performances, and reporting these judgements to others.

During the 1990’s a groundswell of research emphasised the importance of assessment for learning (formative assessment). Teachers were using assessment for learning when they built in diagnostic processes, formative assessment, and feedback at various stages in the teaching and learning process. It was, however, often informal and implicit.

From the noughties onwards, assessment for learning was separated into assessment for learning and assessment as learning, to emphasise the role of the student in the assessment process.

Systematic assessment as learning - where students become critical analysts of their own learning - is an important form of assessment that needs to go beyond incorporating self-assessment into teaching programs. It has become an assessment practice that is systematically used to develop students’ capacity to evaluate and adapt their own learning.

A teacher and his/her students need to know who reaches (and exceeds) important learning targets - thus … assessment of learning, has a place in teaching. Robust learning generally requires robust teaching … and assessments for learning are catalysts for better teaching. In the end, however, when assessment is seen as learning - for students as well as for teachers - it becomes most informative and generative for students and teachers alike. Tomlinson (2008)

Teaching telling the time at home

I have been asked recently about how to help teach the time to students.Here are a few things you may like to do with your child. Telling the time is a tricky skill especially as most clocks in and around our home are digital. Having an analogue clock visible is really important and referring to the hour, on the half hour and quarter hours will help students in Year 1/2 learn these times. When students are good with this, you can move to the 5 minute marks and then onto the minute mark.

Teaching time

Establish that there are 60 minutes in an hour. Each of the numbers on the clock are 5 minutes apart. You can count by 5’s around the clock to see the digital time and help you with the time past the hour.

Looking at where the hour hand is (the shorter and) helps work out, if it is going past or to the next hour.

This is showing the hour hand in the middle of the two hours ( numbers )  so its half past the hour- ( what has it past ? the 2) 

Practice with two hands and determine the half past time.

When confident, move to the quarter past/ quarter to. Again, look at the hour hand. Where is it sitting? Just past or going to the next number?

Make sure they can see how the clock is divided into halves, and quarters. 

On the first clock, the hour hand is just past the 8, and the minute hand is at the 3- quarter of the way around the clock, so its quarter past 8.

The second clock has the hour hand going to the next number the 2 and the minute hand is at the 9- quarter to the next hour. So it’s quarter to 2

Once they understand the quarter past and quarter to times they are ready to read to the 5 minute mark and minute mark.

Where is the hour hand? Past or going to the hour? Now look at how many minutes past the hour, or how many minutes away from the next hour- going to the next hour are there? 

SPORT & PE NEWS - Michael Jennings

HOCKEY VICTORIA ROADSHOW 

We are excited to welcome the Hockey Victoria Roadshow to our school on Friday 14 February 2025. Years 1-4 students will be given the fantastic opportunity to try out the exciting game of hockey! They will learn the skills of the game through exciting game-based activities suited to every year level and ability.

Hockey Victoria will be sending their amazing Participation Officers to our school to provide an engaging, fun, and safe hockey experience for everyone. At Hockey Victoria they pride themselves in providing an enjoyable experience for every student, so keep an eye out and see if you can spot one of their coaches at school on Friday!

If students enjoy the sessions during school, they can continue with their hockey experience by joining a local Hookin2Hockey program www.hookin2hockey.com.au. 

With programs all over the state you can find a local program that will suit your schedule.

Students in Years 1-4 can wear their sports uniform on Friday.

SCHOOL SPORT VICTORIA

St Fidelis Primary School is an affiliated member of School Sport Victoria and competes in various sports within the Coburg District. The Coburg District aims to provide the children with the opportunity to participate in well-organised and enjoyable sporting events that are an extension of school based Sport & Physical Education programs. It is our school’s belief that children benefit greatly from visiting and competing with other schools within the Coburg District.

TERM 1 EVENTS

SSV Coburg District Summer Sport Competitions

Friday February 21 - Friday March 28

ELIGIBILITY

Grade 6 (priority) and Grade 5 students

SPORTS:

Boys/Mixed Softball, 

Girls Softball, 

Boys/Mixed Bat Tennis, 

Girls Bat Tennis, 

Boys/Mixed Basketball & 

Girls Basketball.

SSV Coburg District Swimming Trials

School Sport Victoria conducts swimming competitions at district, division, region and state levels, however, the Coburg District does not conduct swimming championships. Students, however, can progress to the next level of competition (Inner North/Moreland Division) by competing in Coburg District Swimming Trials, to be held on Tuesday 18 February at Elite Swimming, Brunswick.

In order to nominate and to compete at this event, students are required to swim for a club outside of school hours, or be at a very good standard (squad). Students swim in 10, 11 & 12/13 year age groups. Ages are calculated as of December 31st in the year of competition. Therefore, if your child is 9 or 10 years of age this year, he/she will compete in the 10 year age group. Children 11 years of age this year compete in the 11 year age group and children 12 years of age this year compete in the 12 year age group. If your child wishes to nominate for this event, please complete and return the form made available to your child at school.

SSV STATE TEAMS SELECTION PROCESS FOR NOMINATION

SCHOOL SPORT VICTORIA STATE TEAMS 2025

Each year, talented Victorian school students have the opportunity to trial for a place in the School Sport Victoria (SSV) Team Vic state team and participate in annual School Sport Australia (SSA) Championships.  Teams are selected across different sports, involving over nine hundred primary and secondary school students representing 'Team Vic'.

The sports include Australian Football, Baseball, Basketball, Cricket, Cross Country, Diving, Football (Soccer), Golf, Hockey, Netball, Rugby League, Softball, Surfing, Swimming, Tennis, Touch, Track and Field, Triathlon, Volleyball and others.

The School Sport Australian Championships offer gifted and talented students the opportunity to participate in higher levels of sporting competition against students from other Australian states and territories.

Please note: ​The 2025 Team Vic State Team Trial registrations are open. 

Go to https://www.ssv.vic.edu.au/team-vic to view information regarding the nomination process.

You can view trial information regarding the nomination process for each sport (dates, times, venue, age eligibility, nomination closing dates, trial fees and Championship venue and dates) by clicking on the respective links under the Team Vic tab on the SSV website.

Entry closing dates for sports are attached LINKED for your reference. Late entries will not be accepted.

Eligibility

To be eligible for selection, please read the 2025 TeamVic Information sheet on the SSV Website (click on the TeamVic dropdown).

The Team Vic online registration to trial process opens up on a per needs basis - depending on the timing of the trials and the School Sport Australia Championships. 

There is no longer a requirement for Principal's to endorse students at the time of the trials via a printed endorsement form. Instead, Principals are only required to endorse students who are selected for Team Vic teams.

If your child wishes to nominate for a TeamVic sport/s, please follow the steps outlined below:

Step 1: Students must consult with the Principal prior to registering online. Principals may wish to discuss the child’s suitability to trial with the student’s classroom teacher, as well as physical education staff. Schools may elect to run an in-school trial to determine their endorsements. For the following teams each school is only allowed to endorse a maximum of three (3) students to participate in the selection trials: 

• 12 Years & Under Boys Australian Football 
• 12 Years & Under Boys Basketball 
• 12 Years & Under Girls Basketball 
• 12 Years & Under Boys Cricket 
• 12 Years & Under Boys Football (Soccer) 
• 12 Years & Under Girls Netball 

Step 2: The family of the student can then proceed to register online 

Step 3: SSV staff will contact the necessary Principals if more than 3 students are registered. Schools are only allowed to endorse a maximum of three (3) students to participate in the selection trials listed Step 1. The Principal endorsement will be completed via an online form, which will be sent once registrations for the above sports have closed. 

Step 4: After the State Trials are conducted, The Principal of a student who has been selected as a member of a Team Vic team will be asked to endorse the participation of the student as a Team Vic student athlete. Teams will not be announced until this endorsement from Principals is received. Successful students in State Trials will then be announced as team members and receive further documentation in relation to their position on the Team Vic team. 

If your child is nominating for more than one sport, please complete a separate nomination form for each sport.