Principal's Report
Learning in the STEAM Lab
As I walk around the school during the day, on school tours or just to pop in and see how our classes are going, I have been particularly impressed with the work that has been going on in the STEAM Lab. Our aim in the STEAM Lab is that students' work is creative, collaborative, focuses on solving problems and the work is student-led. I am so happy to report that every time I go in to our STEAM Lab, all of these criteria are being met. When the work is engaging and challenging there is a real buzz in the room - and this is certainly something I have noticed every time I go into the STEAM Lab.
Some of the fantastic STEAM learning I have seen this term includes:
- Foundation students building marble runs (as seen below)
- 1/2 students coding Bee Bots to learn coding and the language of direction
- 3/4 students doing 'unplugged coding' (without the use of technology) and then this will move into 'plugged in' coding with the Sphero robots
- 5/6 students beginning to use Sphero robots to practice their coding skills and deepen their understanding of angles, speed and measurement
On Wednesday 23rd May at 6:00pm we will be having our Open Day for this year. It will begin with an official opening of our STEAM Lab and then you will have the opportunity to participate in STEAM learning activities with your children around the school. I hope you can all make it and enjoy this great learning opportunity as a family.
Digimaker Computer Programming Club
On Friday lunch-times in Term 3 we will have Digimaker providing a Computer Programming Club at lunch-times for all interested Year 3 to 6 students. Please see further information on the Expression of Interest form attached below.
2019 Enrolments
If you have a younger child that you are planning on enroling at Marlborough in 2019 please download an enrolment form from below or collect one from the office. The sooner that we receive enrolments, the easier it is to begin planning for next year.
If you have any friends or family members in the area with children beginning school next year, please let them know that we have tours available at these times:
- Wednesday 23rd May 6:30pm
- Saturday 26th May 11:00am
To book in for one of these tours please contact the school on 9870 3468 or at marlborough.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au
If you are unable to make it to one of these times, please contact the school and we can make an alternative booking.
NAPLAN - just another bit of assessment
Today our Year 3 and 5 students began their NAPLAN testing. Whilst NAPLAN gains a lot of attention in the media, for us it just another piece of assessment.
In order to provide differentiated teaching and learning, assessment is a key part of each teacher's job at Marlborough every single day. Diagnostic assessment is done before each unit of work (such as a two week unit on fractions) to assess where students are at and what gaps they have in their understanding of key concepts. Then assessment is done at the end of the unit to measure growth.
As well as these pre and post tests, the most valuable form of assessment is done whilst our students are learning. Teachers use formative assessment every day to check for understanding, guide what happens next in a lesson and to ascertain where student learning is at in that given moment. Formative assessment happens through conferencing, teacher checklists, verbal and non-verbal feedback from students to teachers and can be also done through the use of technology.
NAPLAN assessment takes a snapshot at one point in time for our student learning. As results take a long time to come back to us, it is not a great diagnostic tool for individual students. However, NAPLAN certainly provides us with feedback about how we going with our teaching, and through deeply analysing results, we can find gaps in the quality of our teaching that we can then focus on improving.
School Uniform
Just a reminder that students need to be in full school uniform at all times.