Learning and Teaching Update
'We aim to provide a school environment where ‘Every person can flourish and be known’ This means that our teaching program identifies the unique needs of each individual student, and delivers a learning program designed to grow them into the best person that they can be'.
Dear Parents and Carers
In this article, I would like to talk about the new Literacy initiatives that we have started in our school.
In the Foundation to Year 2 classes, we have introduced an explicit and systematic phonics program from the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI, pronounced “you fly”). UFLI is an evidence based program that develops awareness of the segments of sounds in speech and how they link to letters, teaches students to decode words, analyse word parts, and write and recognise words, and lastly, ensures that every student reads connected texts everyday to support reading accuracy, fluency and comprehension.
All our teachers in the F to Year 2 learning spaces have received training in the implementation and delivery of the UFLI Foundations Program.
In the Years 3 - 6, we have introduced a literature study to support the implementation of the Victorian Curriculum 2.0 for English. Each year level will be taught the Language, Literature and Literacy skills as outlined in the new curriculum through a novel study. This will involve students reading a novel with their class, and engaging in spelling, grammar, literature studies, handwriting, vocabulary, sentence and text level writing.
This term, the Year 3 & 4 classes are studying Roald Dahl’s Matilda and the Year 5 and 6 classes are studying War Horse by Michael Morpurgo. Every student has been provided with a copy of the novel which is kept at school.
Students are required to have ten hours of Literacy learning each week at school. For students to engage and benefit from this rigorous learning, regular attendance is required. Students are also required to be punctual at school each day so that they do not miss out on parts of the lesson that has already begun. Please ensure your child is in the classroom by 8:50 am each morning.
If you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact myself, Miss Viola or your child’s teacher.
Kind regards
Glennis Kerr (Teaching & Learning Leader)
