Middle SS News

Week 4 already! Where has time gone?! I don’t know about you but it has both flown by and felt like an eternity. Students are so settled, and it feels like they’ve always been in their corresponding classrooms, whilst at the same time, it was just 5 minutes ago we were just starting the school year.

Playground 1-1 Support Review

A reminder to communicate any necessary changes to the playground roster particularly in regards to students requiring 1-1 support.

Data Collection

A gentle reminder that data collection to varying degrees is an ongoing and fluid process, and part of being in a classroom with lots of complex, diverse and unique students with varying levels of need. You might collect data on a student because you simply want to revisit your work program and include opportunities for breaks at time your students need it. You may to collect data to identify when a specific behaviour is occurring, where a specific behaviour is occurring or even how often it is occurring. This data can help to inform your work program including scheduling of academic tasks, breaks, 1-1 supports etc. Alternatively, it may be used a a comparison from day to day.

Data is essential for the creation of behaviour support documentation (BRP’s and BSP’s) as this information is provided to our wonderful learning specialists and other leaders to assist in forming a plan forward to support students requiring tier 2 and 3 interventions.

Data, both formal (written, documented and intentional) and informal (general observations, incidental notes and day to day ‘moments’) help to form what we do.

In the event you require support, or simply would like some clarity on the how of data collection, please reach out to either myself or a learning specialist who would be more than happy to assist. 

SSG’s

SSG’s are off to a roaring start. A reminder to send through your minutes upon completion of these, whilst also saving them to SharePoint.

Work Programs

Now that we are well and truly in the swing of 2024, work programs should begin to reflect more of an academic focus, as goals start to be developed or considered. Please ensure work programs are clearly labelled on a weekly basis by Monday morning. This allows ample time for it to be accounted for, printed off and distributed to all classroom staff. I know many of you prefer to upload it earlier, and this is absolutely okay too! 

Maintenance Programs

Keep in mind that these are evolving documents. They are in no way ‘set’, rather a starting point. Please ensure they are always readily available both on display in your classroom as well as on SharePoint. These must include reference to your classroom playground duties within the program. 

Tier 1 Checklists

These checklists provide us with the opportunity to audit and evaluate supports currently in place and supports that still need to be embedded and/or considered. These were due at the end of last week- please ensure if you have not already done so that you make time alongside your team to action this.

Excursions

A reminder to begin to consider what excursions you may like to take your students on through the year, and begin to input this into your annual excursion planner, already saved on SharePoint, ready to be edited. No excursions will be taking place in Term 1 with the exception of ADVANCE and VPC. All documentation for future excursions is due this week, to allow for adequate preparation time at both classroom, sub school and admin level. Thank you in advance for adhering to this timeline. As you can imagine, late submission of documentation has a knock on affect, and does not provide ample time for suitable measures to be put in place.

Please ensure you follow the below processes when planning for an excursion:

Excursions/Incursions Approval and Planning

Pre-Approval

1. Make a tentative booking for the excursion at the venue.  Check availability – cost, dates and time.

2. If applicable, make a tentative bus booking (SharePoint).  Classes with 2 teachers please see Finance / Transport Officer for information regarding arrangements for bus transport.  

3. Complete template Template Risk Assessment for Local and Day Excursions (Appendix A-A11 Template Risk Assessment for Local and Day Excursions (DOCX)). 

4. The sub-school leader MUST review and pre-approve the excursion before it is approved by the principal. 

5. (a) Complete an Online Purchase Order (Principal to authorise). The online ordering is completed via eSchools. Please contact the Finance Office if you require a login.

(b) If the funds are required for shopping for a cooking program, The Food Technology budget co-ordinator will authorise the purchase order.

6. Completed Excursion Notification to be placed in tray in the Finance Office.

Have a wonderful week everyone!