Junior School News
Do you have a positive Mathematics Mindset?
Did you know that our whole school focus for 2021 is Mathematics?
What is your Mathematics mindset? What is your child’s Mathematics mindset?
The Junior School staff participated in Mathematics Professional Learning on January 28, developing their knowledge and understanding of the current Mathematics research and pedagogical processes. Throughout the year, parents will be kept informed of the learning and teaching that takes place in the classrooms. Our first goal - to develop the Mathematical mindset of the whole community!
Tips for Parents: Helping your child succeed with Mathematics
Is there something you, as a parent, can do to help? Relying on teachers alone can’t fix the problem. There are many things parents can do to help their children learn, understand, and appreciate mathematics before they begin school and during the school years. The following is a list of tips for parents that will help them to help their children succeed:
Be positive about maths!
Many people openly claim they don’t like maths or they’re not good at it, unintentionally conveying the message that this is okay. Unfortunately, this can have a detrimental effect on the children who hear these messages. In my research on student engagement, children whose parents made similar comments often used the same comments as mathematics became more challenging during the high school years. These behaviours can lead to children opting to stop trying and drop out of mathematics as soon as they can, ultimately limiting their life choices.
As a parent, be conscious of displaying positive attitudes towards mathematics, even when it’s challenging. Adopting what is referred to as a ‘growth mindset’ allows children (and parents) to acknowledge that mathematics is challenging, but not impossible. Rather than saying “I can’t do it” or “it’s too hard”, encourage statements such as “I can’t do it yet” or “let’s work on this together”.
(Dr Catherine Attard, Western Sydney University)
We look forward to this exciting journey throughout the year. It was wonderful to see some of our Kindergarten students naturally inquiring about Mathematics on Day 2 of the year!
Mrs Diana Ivancic
Assistant Head of Junior School
Why Spanish at St Gregory’s?
Learning languages provides the opportunity for students to engage with the linguistic and cultural diversity of the world and its peoples. Students broaden their horizons in relation to personal, social, cultural and employment opportunities in an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world. Proficiency in languages provides a national resource that serves communities within Australia and enables the nation to engage more effectively with the global community.
Through learning languages, students develop an intercultural capability and an understanding of the role of language and culture in communication and become more accepting of difference and diversity. They develop understanding of global citizenship, and reflect on their own heritage, values, culture and identity.
Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. It is the official language of more than 20 countries. Australia has a significant number of Spanish speaking communities which contribute to the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of Australia.
(NSW Syllabus, Spanish K-10)
As a PYP school, it is a requirement that the students participate in learning a second language.
Spanish was selected because:
- It is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world
- it is the official language of more than 20 countries
- it is one of the easiest languages to learn
- Spanish is spoken across different continents
- it provides opportunities for students to gain insights into the contributions that have been made by Spanish speaking communities to Australian society and to the global community.
We are very fortunate to have Mrs Paula Grados lead the implementation of Spanish across the school from K-6. Mrs Grados has been planning engaging and fun activities incorporating literature, music and immersion in the language. The students will engage in a one-hour lesson each week. Throughout the year Mrs Grados will share experiences with our families through Seesaw.
This week we launched Espanol at the Junior School. The students learnt how to greet their teachers, respond to being asked how they are and what their name is. The students were open-minded and are learning to be multilingual communicators. The Spanish room is colourful and rich with language – a vibrant learning environment!
Ask your child to teach you some of the greetings they have learnt during Spanish this week!
Adiós,
Mrs Diana Ivancic
Assistant Head of Junior School
Parent Forums
Parent Forums provide an opportunity for not only new parents, but also current College parents to come together over the course of the year to hear directly from our Principal, College Leadership Team members, Leaders of Learning, Year Leaders, Academic Care Leaders, Counsellors, and staff. Additionally, the forums provided sneak peeks into what is happening in the classroom and around the College along with insight towards the future vision of the College.
Parent Forums are held once a Term. In Term 1 we will host the Parent Forum at 7pm in the Br Luke Hall. For Term 2 & Term 3, we will meet in an online space allowing parents to join the meeting from the comfort of their own home and ask questions via the chat feature.
All Parent Forums are recorded and shared with the Forum minutes so parents can view at a time that suits them and remain connected to the College.
In addition to the Leadership Team Members, the Year Leaders and Academic Coordinators will be present at the Term One Parent Forums for the Senior School.
If you have any questions regarding the Parent Forums for 2021, please contact our Parent Engagement Coordinator, Mrs Aison Buckley on abuckley@stgregs.nsw.edu.au
We look forward to welcoming you to the College.
Mrs Alison Buckley
Parent Engagement Coordinator
Year 1
Many fun and exciting things have been happening in year one. We have been sharing lots of interesting things about ourselves, learning about the seasons of the year and working hard to recognise the different sounds the letters in the alphabet make. We have had a great start to the year.
Mrs Robyn Bowen and Mrs Julianne Ball
Year 6 Essential Agreements
Each year, classes collaborate to design an essential agreement to follow as they embark on their learning journey for the school year ahead. This year Year 6 read ‘This Moose Belongs to Me’ (Oliver Offers), an engaging picture book about a child who has lots of rules for his friend, the moose. The picture book was a sounding board for how well rules work in any relationship. The students agreed that expectations were needed, but that they needed to be agreed upon for the relationship to work.
To help frame our thinking, each class wrote down their vision for the year.
Year 6 Blue: We want a positive year for all students. A year where everyone feels happy, connected and safe. A year where all students grow in their learning and feel a sense of accomplishment. We want to create many memorable moments and express our gratitude each day.
From here each class wrote a series of points they agreed would help to make their vision a reality, a plan for success.
Miss Jennifer Wheeler
Years 3-6 Team Leader