Lysterfield PS Newsletter

Learning and Teaching

Dear LPS families and friends,

 

At LPS, we value student voice as a means to improve student engagement, wellbeing, and quality teaching and learning instruction.  Each year, our year 4 - 6 students are invited to participate in the Attitudes to School Survey (AtoSS) to help us gain an understanding of their perceptions and experiences at LPS. Students are asked about their thoughts and feelings in relation to LPS,  their learning, peer relationships, resilience, bullying, health and wellbeing, physical activity, and life in general. 

 

In line with this, each year, we set targets with the intent and aim to strive to continue to improve all aspects of our students’ school life. We are very pleased to announce that we met and exceeded all of the targets we set.  Below is a snapshot of these.

 

Wellbeing

There are a number of questions our students respond to in regard to their wellbeing.  As we know, wellbeing is fundamental to our health and overall happiness. Having a strong and well-adapted sense of wellbeing can help us overcome difficulties and help us achieve our goals in life and in our students' case, at school.  

 

These are some of the targets we set this year:

  • Emotional awareness and regulation from 73% in 2021 to 76% in 2023

As you can see we exceeded our target with 82% of our students giving this a positive endorsement.  You will also notice that our data for this is higher than Similar schools, schools in our Network as well as the State.

 

  • High resilience from 12% in 2021 to 15% in 2023

This data shows that 16% of our students believe that they have high resilience and 60% of our students have normal resilience.  It is positive to see that the percentage of students who believe they have low resilience is decreasing from 32% in 2021 to 30% in 2022 and 24% this year.

 

We have been very intentional in planning ways to improve these factors for our students.  This year we have introduced the URStrong Friendolgy program across the whole school.  This program aims to empower kids with friendship skills to create communities of kindness in schools.  We have also introduced the Zones of Regulation across the whole school.  Zones of Regulation is an approach to help students develop self-regulation.  The Zones of Regulation support students to:

  • Increase their self-awareness and social and emotional skills;
  • Have a common language for communication, problem-solving, and emotional understanding;
  • Create a more healthier and inclusive school climate. 

Another way we believe we have supported students to improve their resilience is through the introduction of our learning goals and Maths Masters program.  Students are comfortable with working on a particular goal or skill, getting tested, and sometimes not achieving their goal or belt.  Going through this process has equipped students with an understanding of the learning process and also helped them develop resilience as they continue to strive to achieve their goals or belts.  

 

Learning 

The following data sets are in regard to how our students view their learning. 

  • Self-regulation and goal setting from 82% in 2022 to 86% in 2023

This data shows a 90% positive endorsement from our students in relation to this factor.  It is positive to see this improvement in our data due to the work we have been doing with our learning goals and Maths Masters program.  

 

 

 

The next two factors are linked to how students feel about their learning which has a direct impact on their learning and outcomes.  Both of these factors have improved from previous years.  After digging a little deeper and asking students about why they think this is, they responded with the following:

 

“Our teachers and other staff seem to trust us more now that we’re in the Senior School and that motivates us to do our best.”

 

“The teachers know what to do and when to do it, they really understand us.”

 

“The teachers ask us what we’re interested in for Inquiry and we get to choose areas that interest us.”

 

“The teachers plan different ways to make learning fun like using  maths games”

 

“The skills in Maths Masters have helped me become more confident in all maths learning.”

 

“Our teachers really support us with our learning which gives us the confidence with what we’re learning and doing.”

 

“I am really motivated to achieve Maths Masters belts and feel confident when I achieve them.”

 

“Practising and achieving my learning goals gives me confidence with my maths, reading and writing.”

 

  • Motivation & interest from 71% in 2022 to 77% in 2023
  • Sense of confidence from 74% in 2022 to 79% in 2023

 

 

Have a wonderful weekend, 

 

Kristine Roose | Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kristine Roose,  Assistant Principal | Learning and Teaching