Greetings from Shaun
Maths Reporting Requirements
As communicated earlier in the term, alongside the updates to the Victorian Curriculum, there are also changes to the reporting requirements for government schools who are implementing the new Maths curriculum this year.
In Mathematics, teachers are now required to report against the achievement standards as a whole, providing a single, aggregated score. Therefore, on your child's report this semester, you will only see one mark for "Mathematics", as opposed to three that you will have been used to seeing in previous years. Our teachers have been working together as a whole staff to discuss and moderate students’ progress against the revised achievement standards, to ensure that our students are marked accurately against the new curriculum.
As the achievement standards have changed and this semester is the first time that your child will receive a report against the Maths 2.0 curriculum, this report will only show achievement, not progression or previous results. This is because Maths 2.0 is not considered to be continuous with the current Maths 1.0 curriculum.
All reports after our first time using the Maths 2.0 curriculum will display a students’ progression or previous results as per normal.
Although one of the major changes in the Maths 2.0 curriculum is the uncoupling of previously linked strands (Number & Algebra, Measurement & Geometry, Statistics & Probability), there are some other changes that are impacting student reporting.
One of these is curriculum content shifts – some content descriptors have moved up or down a year level. There are also many new content descriptors, involving skills such as mathematical modelling, computational and algorithmic thinking and the use of digital tools.
The actual wording of many content descriptors has also changed – becoming more specific (and less open to interpretation) and involving more complex skills. Some examples are:
Previous Prep content descriptor: subitise small collections of objects.
Revised Prep content descriptor: recognise and name the number of objects within a collection up to 5 using subitising.
Previous Year 5 content descriptor: compare and order common unit fractions and locate and represent them on a number line.
Revised Year 5 content descriptor: compare and order common unit fractions with the same and related denominators, including mixed numerals, applying knowledge of factors and multiples; represent these fractions on a number line.
During our upcoming curriculum day on Tuesday the 11th of June, teachers will be undertaking professional learning with our numeracy consultant, Carmel O’Beirne, around the Big Idea of Partitioning, which involves understanding and working with fractions.
Reconciliation Week and Sorry Day
Reconciliation Week in Australia is held annually from May the 27th to June the 3rd, and aims to promote understanding and respect between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. It starts with National Sorry Day on May 26 and includes important milestones like the 1967 referendum and the Mabo decision. This week highlights the shared history, contributions of Indigenous Australians, and the importance of acknowledging past injustices to build a unified future.
Kevin Rudd’s moving apology can be viewed here Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apology speech
National Sorry Day, observed on May 26th, remembers the Stolen Generations—Indigenous children forcefully taken from their families by past government policies. It's a day for reflection, healing, and commitment to righting historical wrongs. The day acknowledges the resilience of Indigenous communities and emphasises the ongoing need for reconciliation and justice.
The staff, students and community of Northcote Primary School acknowledge that we live, work, learn and play in Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country.
2024 Attitude to School Survey for Years 4 to 6
Coming up next week, on Wednesday the 12th of June, our students in Year 4 to 6 will be asked to participate in the 2024 Attitude to School Survey. This is an annual survey that the Victorian Department of Education coordinates for every student enrolled in a government school from Year 4 to Year 12. This survey gives our students an opportunity to have a say about life at school here at Northcote PS. While participation is voluntary, it is a great oppurtunity for our older students to provide us with feedback about their school experience and also helps us to target resources and supports.
Parents of those students in Years 4 to 6, should have recieved a compass notification outlining the details, which also had an attachment with further information. Please reach out if you would like to discuss this further.
Furniture Donation- Rotary Donation in Kind
Over the last couple of weeks, we have been working closely with Rotary- Donations in Kind(https://rotarydik.org/), to organise and repurpose some of our old and no longer used classroom furniture. Last Tuesday the furniture was collected by a small team of volunteers and will be stacked into a shipping container to be sent overseas to support schools in developing countries. I believe ours is off to Timor-Leste!
As of December 31st, 2023, DIK West Footscray has shipped 690 containers of equipment and supplies worth $84.5 million to 35 countries, focusing on improving education, medical, and maternal care. They also support disadvantaged Australians.
DIK aims to re-purpose reusable items, including school desks and tables, chairs, teaching resources, library racks and shelves, children's early learning books, and whiteboards. School communities can contribute by donating items, fundraising for transport costs, and building relationships with schools in developing countries to address specific needs and see the impact of their donations.
2025 Prep Enrolments
Do you or someone you know have a child starting school in 2025? We are now accepting enrolments for next year, with school tours being held fortnightly on Tuesday mornings at 9:15am.
Take Care,
Shaun.