From the Principal

3 Days to GO!!

On Monday 16th November 2020 our first ever Digital Art Show will go live, showing off all the fabulous art the students have been creating over the year.

To view the Art Show a link will be posted on Monday 16th November on Operoo, the school’s website and on our the St Francis de Sales Facebook page.

I know that browsing through the art pieces will add a smile to your day and fill you with pride and happiness at what our young students have achieved. 2020 certainly tested our metal, but we turned it into a STAR!

St Francis de Sales 1:1 Device Program 2021 Trial!

Over the next few years starting in 2021, St Francis de Sales is proposing to transition to a 1:1 device program for senior students.  For many reasons 2021 is a good time to commence the phasing in of this program at St Francis de Sales, starting with our Year 3 students for 2021. 

Unfortunately however, because of COVID we have not been able to consult and meet with our current Year 2 parents, which is an obstacle we are not likely to overcome with current COVID Stage 4 restrictions in place. In addition, while this is a good time to introduce the program, it is not a good time to introduce a levy for this device and it is now late in the year to add an additional cost for 2021, given the current economic climate in Melbourne.

Thus we are proposing to have a pilot year in 2021. We will be using 2021 to pilot a 1:1 program with just our Year 3 students. There will be no cost for this year to parents. It will give us the time to trial ideas and implement the program. In addition it will give us time to consult with parents.

Towards the end of Semester one, after consultation with parents, students and teachers we will make a decision regarding the phasing in of a 1:1 device program so that all senior students will have access to a personal device to use at school and at home by 2024. 

If we decide not to go ahead, we will return the devices for general use. If we decide to go ahead, we will need  to introduce a levy commencing in 2022.

Having a device is a tool to be used when required and when it is the most appropriate option for the task. A digital device does not replace the skill of using a pencil or pen to write or the joy of a book to hold and read. 

The Benefits of eLearning and 1:1 Technology

• First, technology is often a good motivator for students and can support student engagement. 
• A 1:1 program opens up new possibilities through regular use.  A personal device provides timely, ready access.
• It increases technical skills (as we have seen in 2020 remote learning) and promotes teaching and learning around cyber safety.
• Technology facilitates collaboration amongst students. Teachers can also regularly use tools that encourage deeper thinking.
• When each student has their own device, additional communication opportunities to ask questions and receive personal feedback are possible.
• Teachers can create polling questions so all-pupils can respond. The live data enables instant response to questions and provides insights to student understanding to inform teaching and learning.
• It adds to the array of differentiate instruction opportunities provided to meet the needs of students that has always been a pedagogical strength of our school.
• Access to individual devices allows for flipped learning, a pedagogical approach that can be utilised by teachers to impact how students can learn. This can enhance our current approach to personalised learning and allow for a more interactive learning environment that promotes creative, critical thinking and deeper understanding.
• As we have seen with Google Classrooms during remote learning teachers can include visuals, animations, videos and explanations of the material to meet different learning styles to help students grasp of the content. Children can return to these visual as often as required to review and understand a concept.
• Having a personal device provides readily available immediate access to our Google learning platform and learning resources. This makes us agile to flip to accommodate changes to the learning environment as experienced this year and future advancements.
• New learning opportunities and possibilities open up from improved access.
• In our current world, it is preferable to minimising the need to share a device.
• It positively impacts on student’s continuation of learning and makes learning visible and accessible to all: students; teachers and parents. This can help further promote the partnership between home and school and enable parents to engage with their child in their learning.
• Finally, there is no question that our world is becoming increasingly driven and reliant on technology. The chances are extremely high that our students will need to be proficient with technology for their future careers. Implementing 1:1 technology now will help our students develop many of the skills they'll need to be successful in the future.

The future workforce is expected to innovate again and again, within a given environment. Now, the challenge is to create a learning environment which will nurture creativity, innovation, and learning. The next generation of workers must be tech-savvy for the digital age. We need to encourage students to create and innovate. While technology is not the only way to do this it is part of the resources needed. We need to give our children access to the necessary tools, devices, and best practices to foster these skills.

The Device for 1:1 program at St Francis de Sales

We have decided to use a Dell Chromebook with a touch screen for the following reasons:

• Chromebooks are easy to use as an educational tool.
• They are for learning and not a gaming device.
• Students cannot download programs and it will be configured for school use. 
• Provides access to the Google platform and Goggle tools 
• Loads quickly is web-based, has a touch screen and keyboard 
• Is economical compared to laptops and iPads 
• Light, easily transportable, good battery life 
• Easily managed by technical staff 
• Warranty for 4 years 
• No iTunes accounts needed 

Monitored closely

Go Guardian will be installed on each device and on all school devices from 2021 to provide greater options for monitoring. The goal of the tool is to help keep students on-task and away from inappropriate content. 

Cost of the Program

$475       Dell Chromebook 3100 2 in1  

$34         Licence CS Chrome Education 36 month license/ support term (Authorised Reseller ONLY) - perpetual 

$45         11-12'' ContegoTM 4.0 Armoured Slipcase

$18.60   GoGuardian 

$572.60                 Total

Pilot Program 2021 – No Cost

• 2021 – Introduce a 1:1 device to Year 3 2021 students, as a pilot program.
• There will be no additional costs for 2021 for a Chromebook 3100 2 in 1 device that will be provided to every students in Year 3 who will abide by our SFS safe use agreement.
• Teachers will have a year to implement effective ways to use devices to support learning.
• Students will have opportunities to develop skills in a small group.
• Parents will participate in consultative meetings that have not been possible in 2020.

2022

Option A – we decide not to go ahead with a 1:1 device program. The devices will be returned for general use. 

Option B – We decide to phase in 1:1 devices in senior years. Year 3 and Year 4 in 2022

2022 cost for the use of the Chromebook 3100 2 in 1 device

Parent Meeting 

Please contact me is you wish to clarify any aspect of this information or join us for a ZOOM briefing. We are inviting parents  to participate in a 

ZOOM information session on Monday 23 November at 7 pm.

This will be a chance to hear about this program. A ZOOM link will be emailed to 2021 Yr 3 parents.

At the start of 2021 when restrictions due to COVID-19 are lifted parents and children will be invited to attend the launch of the program and children will receive their device. This date will be announced in early Term 1, 2021.

Permission and Acceptable Use Contract

To participate in this FREE 1:1 trial program in 2021, parents will need to complete the permission for the 2021 trial on Operoo by Monday 30th November 2020.

Planning for 2021 Home Groups

We are also starting to work on our plans for 2021. In the next few weeks, our teachers will be asking children to nominate their three friends to help us determine the grouping of students for our 2021 junior and senior Home Groups. We endeavour to place students with at least one friend in their learning space. The task of organising groups, as you can imagine, is complex and teachers take into account a number of factors. If there is anything you have not raised with the school and believe we are not aware of as we decide your child’s group, please put it in writing to me via email or letter by Friday 13 November 2020. It is, of course, not possible to consider requests for specific teachers.