Assistant Principal Update

Hello everyone,

Welcome to Term 4 Week 5.  It has been an amazing week with a definite energy in the spring air. This week there has been lots of extra activity outside of school with Year 2 out yesterday at the zoo, Year 3 students on an excursion today and the P/1 Concert tomorrow evening.

Year 6 Legacy Art Mural Project

David ‘Meggs’ Hooke

Over the next 5 weeks our Year 6 students are going to be working in their visual arts lessons on the development of a mural projecting collaboration with David ‘Meggs’ Hooke. David is a renowned local artist who has art installations around the world. His murals are particularly striking. I encourage you to view his website to get an understanding of his work. David 'MEGGS' Hooke (davidmeggshooke.com)

Our Year 6 students, using the four school houses and the surrounding natural environment, are going to work with David to develop a design for two of the blades located on the main administration building. 

In addition to the mural design students will also create their own individual canvas which will reflect and align to the mural project. These canvases will then be installed throughout, creating a connection between the external mural and internal canvas picture. 

Finally, students will work in small groups to support David as he paints the final mural on the blades. We are so excited about this project and the value it will add to our school. We believe it typifies the learner disposition of collaboration. Over 50 people working towards a shared goal and learning together.

Learning Dispositions – Collaboration

This week we open our learner disposition toolbox and get out ’collaboration’. While defining this disposition is rather easy, developing the skills to do it well, both as an adult and with children can be more challenging. Collaboration is about empowering all the members of a team to contribute effectively to work towards a shared goal that adds value to us as learners. 

Sticking with the basketball analogy… Collaboration works so well in this space. 

The goal of the team is to win the game, to make finals, to win the competition. But importantly, do it while improving and having fun. So, while the setting of the goals may seem like the easy part, having a shared understanding of what that goal looks like can be more important, yet harder to define.

As a basketball team everyone must contribute by working collaboratively. Each player does this by adding their strengths and supporting the weaknesses of others. I can contribute great passing and three-point shooting, but I rely on my taller players to get the rebounds and score down low under the basket. It takes time to learn as a team where and when our skills come together to be the best team. On the fast break the left-handed player is the best choice for that lay-up. Learning who should have the ball when the team is in the penalty as the best free throw shooter. Collaborating for the best outcome so the team can achieve their goals.

Semester 2 Reports

To meet the Foundation to Year 10 (F-10) student reporting requirements for Semester 2 Alphington will provide a written report in digital format for parents or carers.  We will also provide families the opportunity to discuss the school report with teachers, consistent with each school’s usual end-of-year approach. The below explanation outlines what a student’s semester 2 academic report will contain.

For English, Mathematics and Personal & Social capability reporting teachers will:

• provide a short description of what was taught
• report achievement by making a teacher judgement against the Victorian Curriculum F-10 achievement standards (including Towards Foundation Levels A-D)
• report progress since the last time the curriculum area was reported on 

For all other curriculum areas delivered the school will provide:

•  a short description of what was taught,
• a short comment on progress and achievement in their learning across the semester,
• report achievement by making a teacher judgement against the Victorian Curriculum F-10 achievement standards for key learning areas as appropriate.

World Teachers’ Day

Last Friday 27 October schools across Australia celebrated and recognised the contributions of our dedicated teachers. We recognised all our teachers at our Friday morning assembly and had a lovely morning tea. Thank you to all the class liaisons and various parents who led the efforts.

Thanks to our wonderful APS teachers.

Curriculum Day – Monday 7 Nov

We will hold our annual before Cup Day Student Free Day on Monday 7 November. As Melissa mentioned, on this day staff will be meeting to review the targets set in our 2023-2027 School Strategic Plan and ‘Putting Faces on the Data’.  Staff will also spend time on this day reviewing assessment data and commencing the development of semester two student progression reports.

Enjoy your week.

Shane Wilkie

Assistant Principal