From the School Leadership Team

It’s hard to believe that in 6 weeks it will be the end of the school year. Where has the term and year gone? That means we are only 8 or so weeks until Christmas.

Term 4 is always a busy but fun term, and we look forward to the many great events and activities we still have.

Last Friday it was World Teacher’s Day, and it was an exciting day to recognise our wonderful teaching staff. A big thanks to our Class Carers who provided an amazing spread of food to help celebrate.

This week the Year 5 students shared their learning on Tuesday night which was a wonderful night. The students spoke with passion as they shared their thoughts and beliefs on what we can do to look after our world. The central idea being that creativity allows us to express perspectives on issues and helps us to take action. Well done to all the students for their hard work and dedication. 

Next week the Year 6 students get their turn. Exhibition would have to be one of the most exciting events on the calendar. It is the culmination of all the learning students have achieved over their time at school under the Primary Years Framework. The presentation on Tuesday night is always of such high quality and we certainly look forward to it.

On Wednesday, our choir went off for the first ever ride in our new school bus to rehearse for the Festival of Music. What an amazing event this was with Naomi Ali leading the numerous school choirs that came together for a music extravaganza.

Next week we also look forward to having Endeavour College lead worship. This also includes a band as well in which it will be great to welcome back some former students.

Just a reminder that Friday 15 November is a student free day. Staff will be busy with many activities including some professional learning, planning and report writing.

Every blessing!

Tim Kriewaldt

Deputy Principal

Celebrating and sharing learning 

The Year 6s sharing of their exhibition next week will culminate our formal opportunities for students at all levels of the school to share their learning. Opportunities offered for whole class and cluster sharing are: 

• Student Led Conferences: a time of students leading their parents through their learning across the curriculum (not held in 2024 due to Glow Week sharing) 
• Glow Week sharing – an afternoon of parents engaging with the learning that students had undertaken over the week related to a passion they have chosen. 
• Celebration of Learning: a cluster sharing of learning that takes on a variety of formats to give parents and caregivers an insight to what learning might look like. COL share all the learning within a unit of inquiry including the learning in specialist lessons. 
• Exhibition Sharing: a time for Year 6s to share what they have learnt through inquiring into an issue of their passion and begin given the opportunity to take action.  

In all these experiences, students share work they have completed, engage others in activities they undertake and talk about learning, sharing their knowledge and understanding and responding to questions.  

I love these times of sharing. To be able to discuss your learning is a skill that we focus on in class as students collaborate to learn and learn to colloborate. The Australian Curriculum says that: 

‘Oral language is the foundation of learning and an essential component of exploring ideas, expressing viewpoints, forming arguments and building vocabulary.’ 

Talking, listening, discussing, debating and reflecting about your learning offers the opportunity to: 

• Use and build vocabulary 
• Reflect and take on another point of view 
• Ask questions 
• Respond to questions  
• Clarify thinking by putting it into words 
• Express a point of view 
• Clarify misconceptions by listening to someone else’s response 
• Use the conventions of language to give greater meaning 

One of the privileges of teaching the exhibition students is to hear of the rich and fruitful discussions that students have with their families. These discussions have helped our students move in their thinking as they take on new learning. Discussion makes their learning richer as it takes ideas and gives them credibility in the words used. Personally, I believe that most children can’t write unless they say things out loud.  

All these things add to the value of sharing of learning in all opportunities whether it be between students, teachers and students, families and students. Discussions enhance learning and I can’t wait to hear what the Year 6s share on Tuesday and Wednesday as they present their exhibition learning. 

Jayne Zadow

Director of PYP, Teaching and Learning