Teaching and Learning News
The culture of St Martin de Porres school is determined by the values and actions we place as our highest priority. Our success is when the two are in sync.
Understanding, respect and empathy for all in our school, local and wider community drives our teaching and learning as we educate for a bright and just future.
We concluded our focus on Reconciliation week with a visit from Yorta Yorta man Scott Darlow last week. Scott reinforced the key challenge for us as a community to increase our understanding of our Indigenous people and their story to increase respect and empathy.
He entertained us with stories and music but the underlying purpose was to increase our understanding, respect and empathy.
Here are some reflections from the Year 3/4 students:
Dear Scott,
Thank you for your presentation. I really appreciate you teaching us how to play the didgeridoo/ yidaki. I learnt how to play the didgeridoo and how it works. I found it enjoyable when you sang your song and you showed us the stuff that the Aboriginal people used. Thank you again for coming.
From Charlotte
Dear Scott,
Thank you for your presentation. I really appreciated that you answered our questions so very fast and that you were very kind to perform a song for us.
I learnt not to stop and keep trying like you don’t give up, you just keep trying.
I found it engaging when you played the Yidaki because it was very calming.
Thank you again for coming to SMDP
P.S I loved your jokes. From Dijana
Dear Scott Darlow
Thank you for your presentation it was really cool. I really appreciated you calling all the other football teams garbage except Geelong cats! I learnt how to play the yidaki even though I don’t have one. I found it engaging when you told the story of your dog playing chasey with a kangaroo.
Thankyou for visiting SMDP and singing us that cool song.
From a Geelong cat lover,
Harvey.
Dear Scott
Thank you for your presentation. I enjoyed it because you put a lot of effort into this. I was so entertained by your presentation that I forgot where I was. I really appreciate you coming to our school and singing a song for us all. I learnt about so many things I did not know and about your country Yorta Yorta. If I was there with my laptop I would already have written a doc about it. I found it engaging when you sang sorry and with the words you used in the song to teach us.
Thank you again for coming to SMDP
Regards
Hitansh
Dear Scott
Thank you for your presentation by communicating with us altogether, that meant a lot to me. I really appreciated the songs that you sang and the instruments you played.
From Jonathan
Dear Scott,
Thank you for your presentation. I really enjoyed that you told us about yourself. I really appreciated that you came here because we enjoyed your song. I learnt many things about you like you have explored 39 countries. I found it engaging when you did the intro of the song and it felt really cool.
Thank you again for coming to SMDP
From Louis
Dear Scott,
Thank you for your presentation and I hope the rest of the world likes your songs. I really appreciate you coming to SMDP laverton school because your information was useful for all of us. I learnt a lot about your life and the tools you showed us. I found it engaging that you used a cool tool to repeat yourself in the song. Thank you again for coming to SMDP.
From Ryan
Inquiry
Inquiry learning is a process, and it is ultimately the skills and dispositions of the learner that are as important as the content.
Taking an inquiry approach to learning means you have to be a researcher, a thinker, a self-manager, a communicator and a collaborator.
Teachers plan an Inquiry for their students based on their knowledge of a broad curriculum so they can address as many Victorian Curriculum outcomes as relevant. Some examples of big concepts that drive Inquiry Units include change, future, freedom, identity, sustainability, history, culture, ecosystems and relationships.
Every couple of weeks, on SeeSaw, class teachers provide an overview of learning for the following two or three weeks.
This is so you know the big ideas and key learnings and can support your child's learning and connect their in school learning with real world learning.
You are encouraged to share your own knowledge, help them to access relevant resources like experts, books and videos and discuss your experiences of the topic.
You might take them to places to build their knowledge of the topic and ask probing questions and draw their attention to relevant past experiences.
Term 3 Inquiry Units.
Prep
How can I be the best version of me - for me and my community?
An inquiry into how I can be my healthy best and how my best can be good for the community and the environment.
Year 1/ 2
Who am I? Who are you? Who are we?
An inquiry into understanding, accepting and respecting people's differences. Developing our identity as Australians and our own cultural identity.
Year 3/ 4
How and why do people explore?
An inquiry into how science exploration helps people to understand the world above, around and below them.
Year 5/ 6
Who am I, and who am I becoming?
An inquiry into change and challenge when growing up, developing my awareness of self, and understanding that there are accessible resources which are reliable sources of information.
Finally a big shout out to Marley from 5/6K who finished 20th in the Regional Cross Country Meet at Bundoora. A fantastic effort!
Have a great break from school routines.
Elise Coghlan
Co - Deputy Principal | Literacy & Numeracy Leader | Visible Learning Leader
Denise Kelly
Co - Deputy Principal | Teaching & Learning Leader