Assistant Principal Curriculum and Instruction

Dear Parents and Carers,

My first term as APC&I has certainly flown by! It has been such a rewarding experience and I am looking forward to continuing this role in Semester 2.

This year, the NSW Department of Education introduced new K-2 English and Mathematics Syllabuses to be taught in all schools - which are the bibles of teachers! Next year, the 3-6 syllabuses will be implemented. Over the past fortnight, I have been busy working with teaching teams in Teacher Collaborative Planning or TCAP Days where we have been looking at the current and new syllabuses. We have also been backwards mapping where we have been planning teaching, learning and assessment activities for Terms 3 and 4 that meet the needs of all learners in English and mathematics. Although TCAP Day schedules are full (as are our brains at this time of term!), they have been incredibly successful and worthwhile. As we go into the next term, it is with confidence that all teachers have a clear direction for their teaching and for their students’ learning.

Maths Trains Brains

This year at Oak Flats Public School, we have a whole school focus on teaching mathematics and developing student knowledge, skills and confidence in numeracy. A strategy that we are currently looking at is multiple representations. This strategy teaches students how to represent a mathematical concept in pictures, words and symbols, and to relate it to the real world. This fortnight, teachers have been guiding students through multiple representation think boards where they can use pictures, words and concrete materials to represent their thinking about concepts. Look at this amazing work from K/1U and 6H!

Developing Reading Fluency 

I have enjoyed continuing to work with Stage 3 classes on developing reading fluency this fortnight. Next term we will be introducing paired fluency reading in Stage 2 and 3 classes as well as implementing reading fluency activities in English lessons. There are lots of fun ways to do this including reading riddles, rhymes, tongue twisters and silly sentences. What I’m really looking forward to most is teaching fluency by singing songs! Try it yourself with the song below (which us parents have all heard in one way or another before!):

Bedtime Stinks

(Sing to the tune of ‘Three Blind Mice.’)

Bedtimes stink

Bedtimes stink

I’m wide awake

Give me a break

Eight o’clock comes way too soon

Wasn’t it just half past noon?

The sun left and now it’s just the moon

My bedtime stinks. 

Have a safe and relaxing school holiday break! 

Emily Chatterton