From the
Head of Junior School

Mrs Denise Hayward

Parent Engagement and Involvement in Junior School

Over recent weeks it has been wonderful to see many parents on site engaging in different events and activities with their children. As restrictions ease and we all become accustomed to living with COVID there will be more opportunities for parents to become involved in their child’s School experiences. As a school we are bound by school hours and attending on site may not always suit families. Our hope is that as the year continues we can provide a variety of experiences and while parents may not be able to participate in all of these, they are able to attend one or two as a way to connect with their child and the experiences they have at school every day.

The Australian Government Department of Education and Training, 2019 defines parent engagement as an activity that supports children's learning at home, at school and in the community. This is distinct from parental involvement, which is focused on parents attending events or volunteering on committees such as P & F.

Over recent weeks our students have enjoyed having families attend our Year 2-6 Athletics Carnival; Pre-K, Kindergarten and Year 1 Athletics carnival; and Mother’s Day and Significant Women Afternoon. Each of these events have enabled parents to engage with their children and staff in different ways. In some cases, as a spectator and in others as active participant alongside their child.

Each of these events has afforded children with opportunities to engage with families at School in different ways. At our athletics carnivals they demonstrated their skill and readiness to be courageous. In the case of our afternoon to mark Mother’s Day, children entertained with their singing, shared classroom activities and Year 6 students led the whole community in a games afternoon they planned and executed.

Parent involvement is the first step towards parent engagement and our next goal in the Junior School is to build opportunities for more parent engagement. This is what we are most excited about as we know learning is not limited to the classroom. The beliefs, expectations and experience of parents are powerful determinants in students' achievement. We know effective partnerships can help to improve children's learning and wellbeing. Through understanding the school, home, and community contribution we can all work towards creating a holistic learning environment.

As teacher’s we know, parents are a child’s first teacher. We value and respect the relationship between a parent and a child and welcome parents as partners in their child’s education. This is achieved for example through the use of the diary to facilitate effective and helpful communication and feedback between students, parents and teachers. Through using the diary students are kept at the heart of communications. At Kinross Wolaroi the definition of parent engagement is seen in the ways parents and teachers share responsibility to help children learn and meet educational goals.

In Term 2 we are working towards parents becoming more involved in the day-to-day teaching and learning activities in our classrooms. We have asked parents if they would like to be involved in sharing their areas of expertise, assisting in supporting Junior School programs related to reading groups, Wonder Words and Number Smash. As we work towards our productions later in the year, assistance with costumes, props and make-up will be invaluable, as is the expertise on the sporting field. We know parent engagement in these areas mutually benefits not only their own child, but other students in the class, the teacher, and the school.

The role of a school is to reinforce all the social and emotional skills children learn at home as well as teaching children the reading, writing and maths strategies they need to understand in order to master their academic skills. It's the school's role to teach content and knowledge and expose children to sports, music and culture to prepare them for life after school, for further education and to be contributing members of their community.

While parents and schools have separate roles, there are significant overlaps. Schools and parents need to work together to help the other perform their roles effectively. This is the essence of partnership that we constantly need to work on, so our children get the most out of their school. We are looking forward to continuing the development of partnerships in the Junior school, whether it be through parent engagement or parent involvement opportunities.

Opportunities for Students

Rubik's cube competition at Orange Public School on Sunday 19 June 2022.

This competition is now online at the World Cube Association website and entries open on the evening of Thursday 12 May through NSW Central West Winter 2022 | World Cube Association

The competition involves 5 events, including the iconic Rubik's 3x3 cube plus the 2x2, 4x4, pyraminx and skewb cubes.

Kinross Students making their Mark

At Kinross Wolaroi we value and strive for academic rigour. Students have a myriad of opportunities to engage in enriching learning experiences, which in some instances the School provides or facilitates student access to them. Please share with us your child’s interest, passions, and achievements by emailing junioroffice@kws.nsw.edu.au.

Madeleine plays piano and will be sitting her first AMEB exam soon. Over the term break while travelling interstate Madeline took the opportunity to be brave and practice in a different environment. The video is at a hotel in Adelaide. She followed this performance with one in the middle of Adelaide airport!

CIS Hockey Trials

This week two of our Year 6 students travelled to Sydney to trail at Pennant Hills Park for the CIS Hockey team. Both girls played incredibly in a large field of girls who were vying for positions on the team.