Teaching and Learning

Term 1 2019

Now that we are well and truly settled into the 2019 school year, normal programs have commenced throughout the school in week 4.

In Numeracy our Primary and Secondary 7-10 year levels are currently focusing on Place Value and investigating our base 10 number system. We always start the year with Place Value as it is the foundation of all other areas in Mathematics. Students are exploring different ways to represent numbers using physical materials as well as developing their understanding of the difference between a number and a digit. There are 10 digits in our place value system (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0), which, depending on their place in a number, take on a different value. Eg in the number 253 there are 2 hundreds, 5 tens and 3 ones.

In Literacy sessions the Primary & Secondary 7-10 students are working on different types of recounts in writing and exploring the concepts of print in reading. Concepts of print focuses on an awareness of how print works including what books, print, and written language are, and how they function. We look at the orientation of different texts including the front and back of a book and the difference between an online and printed text.

The Integrated Unit focus for the school this Semester is Identity with each section working on a specific area:

Lower Primary – All About Me

Upper Primary – Growing Older and Wiser

Secondary 7/8 – Body Works

Secondary 9/10 – Australia as a Nation

In VCAL classes have embarked on their learning in the four strands of Literacy & Numeracy, Personal Development, Work Related Skills and Industry Specific Skills. The Year 11 students are settling into their new program and are becoming familiar with the new look to their school week. In Year 12 the students are currently preparing for a school visit from PTV Education Officers to discuss public transport and travelling safely around Melbourne. For all VCAL students VET programs have commenced on Wednesdays and students are working in with Work Related Skills groups on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Supporting learning at home:

There are many things you can do at home to support your child in the learning we are focusing on at school. In each newsletter we will include some tips and tricks for building in incidental learning at home.

Numeracy: Notice the numbers that surround us every day, ask your child to tell you when they notice a number at home, on number plates, house numbers, road signs… Discuss the value of the number and what it means in the context that they see it. What would be 1/10/100 more than that number.

Literacy: Oral language is really important to all aspects of learning in Literacy. Promote a positive discussion at home about your child’s day at school by asking them:

• to tell you the 3 best things that happened at school that day
• did they help anyone that day?
• did they take a risk and try something new?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Acting Assistant Principal

Sam Birrell