Learning & Teaching News

Naplan

This last week, our Year 7 and 9 students have been undertaking NAPLAN testing, and in the next few weeks all students will be completing their final assessment tasks for the Semester. Our Year 10, 11 and 12 students are about to undertake their mid-year exams, the first time for both Year 10 and 11 students.  All this assessment and testing can be quite stressful for students.  We know our students want to achieve their best and this can often result in them putting a lot of pressure on themselves. So what can our students do to relieve some of the pressure and cope with the increase in stress? Here are a few ideas:

1. Get enough sleep.  We all know the allure of the next episode on a streaming service, but if you resist and go to sleep instead, you will help decrease your stress;
2. Exercise regularly.  A walk around the block, a bike ride with friends or a kick of the football can all help in relieving stress and help keep our minds healthy and ready for more learning;
3. Mindful meditation.  Apps like Smiling Minds are great for helping us clear our minds, focus on the here and now and de-stress.  It only takes 5 minutes practised regularly to bring about amazing results for our minds and wellbeing;
4. Listen to music.  There are not many of us who don’t enjoy some time listening to our favourite musicians. This is such an easy and highly effective way to decrease our stress;
5. Eat a healthy diet.  The foods we eat can affect our mood.  They can either boost our brain power or sap away our energy.  By eating well, you can not only de-stress, but also help your brain be ready for more study and learning;
6. Organise yourself.  Sometimes our stress comes about because we have so much we need to do.  By organising ourselves and our spaces, we can better manage our long to-do lists, and find the time to fit in our study, part-time jobs, leisure, family and friends.

As our students prepare well, try their best and manage their stress levels, they will be able to perform their best in their final assessment tasks and exams and do so in a way that is good for their mental health.

Student Free Day - Friday 20 May

A reminder that on the student free day this week, teachers are engaging in professional learning.  A good teacher should also be a good learner.  Just as you would want your doctor to stay up to date with the latest developments in medicine, so too teachers must keep abreast of contemporary teaching strategies so that we can maximise student learning outcomes.  It is ultimately addressing a significant school goal - all teachers becoming expert teachers.

On Friday, teachers will be exploring the following topics:

• Whole school approach to positive behaviour support of students
• De-escalation training to ensure those in a heightened emotional state can be supported in a calm manner
• Formative assessment rubrics which are an assessment tool designed to help students know where they are in their learning and what they next need to do to improve
• Considering different assessment models that will best ensure that students, staff, and parents are best informed of an individual’s progress

We ask that you to remind your children that this student free day is not a holiday but an important opportunity for all our students to either catch up or consolidate their schoolwork.  Please join us in reminding them of this.

David Hansen                                                             Andrew Mitchell

Deputy Principal - Learning & Teaching     Senior Years Curriculum Leader - Clyde North

Cross Campus