Literacy News

Curriculum Day

To complete a busy and exciting week at SKiPPS, the staff were all involved in a fabulous day of learning at The Pride Centre with Riss Leung, the Oz Lit Teacher. 

Riss is a Literacy Consultant who has been working with our staff for 2 years now. She is helping guide us with our writing instruction in classrooms. Last Friday saw Riss narrow down our understanding of the different styles of teaching writing in the classroom and when and why we need to teach each style. 

We honed in on 4 instructional practices and ensured we had a collective and solid understanding of each. Riss worked directly with the staff about the teaching of persuasive writing and guided us through some teaching tips to ensure we are getting the best writing from our students. 

She also worked with us on the trait of conventions (spelling, punctuation and grammar) and enabled us to see ways to upskill the students in one area at a time. To be mindful of not ‘over correcting’ a piece of writing, highlighting to the student all the errors. Rather to praise what has been done well and select one area to improve and strengthen.

As always the SKiPPS teaching staff were fully engaged and enjoyed having an opportunity to work with Riss, sharing our students’ writing and listening to feedback.

It is always a thrill to hear that an external consultant is particularly impressed with our staff and how enthusiastic and dedicated the teachers at St Kilda Park Primary School are. 

We have come away from the day with a belief that what we are doing is correct along with being equipped with strategies to take our teaching to even higher levels.

As a result, I thought it would be a good opportunity to share some pieces of persuasive writing from the Year 5/6 students from Term 1.

Persuasive Writing

By Aurelia 5/6MS

By Leo 5/6A

SMART Spelling

We are one of the lucky schools that Michelle from SMART Spelling dropped in to visit this week. Michelle did a session with all the Foundation students and some of the Year 1/2s. She introduced a 4-sound word to the Foundation students and taught a fun strategy to help them hear all 4 sounds, using the heads and shoulders, knees and toes song to tap all 4 sounds.

With the Year 1/2s, Michelle looked at the word March and listed many words that also had the ‘ar’ digraph. It was so fabulous to see the enthusiasm from our students, wanting to share their BOB words with Michelle. She worked with individual students to help them with ways to remember how to spell their selected BOB words.

I was fairly chuffed to share all of the SMART spelling games and activities that we have made at SKiPPS, Michelle was suitably impressed and keen to take photos of the work we have been doing.

Book Recommendations

Picture Story Book

A Home For Luna by Stef Gemmill and Mel Armstrong 

A heart warming story that is about friendship and adapting to change. Luna washes up on the shore and she is scared and lonely. She soon discovers the good in her new home and makes new and unexpected friends. Will Luna feel like she belongs in a home so different from where she came from? This is a gentle story full of beautiful words and calming illustrations.

Middle Fiction

Mike by Andrew Norriss

Floyd is an up-and-coming tennis champion. Since he was very young, all he has known is tennis and tennis competitions. Who is Mike …? Mike appears in Floyd’s world, but he is the only person who can see Mike. Mike is a beautiful and compassionate story about family expectations being too much for a young champion. This book is a good insight into sports psychology and the impact parents can have when they have very high expectations for their children.

Interview with Ange Golden, 

Year 5/6 Classroom Teacher & Numeracy Leader 

What are you reading at the moment?   

The Tilt by Chris Hammer 

Why did you choose that book?

It is set on the Murray River and that is where I grew up. I was really interested to read a story that had a familiar setting. Who doesn’t love a book with a bit of crime and mystery?!!

What is the story about?

A crime is unearthed when the river deviates off its usual course. A detective returns to their hometown to investigate.

Did you enjoy the book?

I really did enjoy this book, I felt like the setting was a character in the story. The main towns in the book were fictional but were based on towns along the Murray.

Would you recommend the book to others?   

If you are interested in Australian crime and mystery, then yes. I would recommend anything by Chris Hammer in general.

BOOK CONTACTING

Thank you so much to those fabulous parents who have taken home a bag of books to contact. There are still a few bags of books to be contacted if you are interested in taking some home over the school holidays. Come and see me if you are interested.

THANK YOU!!! 

Jac Morphy

Leading Teacher

Literacy