Primary School News

Wrapping up the year with a lovely bow by reflecting on the positive outcomes achieved in 2019.

The year started off with a lot of running around. Campbell and I chasing our tails (literally!) working hard to ensure the junior school students played equitably in the compact playground. The building works held back some of the usual soccer, footy and chasey game play. So Campbell and I had a plan and actioned this to ensure all students had the opportunity to continue playing their games with some new rules applied.

This lead Katie M in Reggio 3/4 to find a team of footy stars to come in and teach everyone about skills and fair play. A fantastic initiative that we are happy to say will continue through to 2020. I am proud to say that all students involved in the lunchtime footy club have conducted themselves amazingly well.

We experienced a wondrous Winter Solstice celebration. Our amazing community came together to celebrate with a lantern walk, shared food and continued celebrations even in the rain! The warmth of the classrooms kept our families here for a little longer to chat and enjoy each other’s company. I couldn’t tear myself away from Reggio Class 1! The food and company was extraordinary.

Through the winter we also kicked off an awesome school production which once again successfully celebrated and showcased both Reggio and Steiner streams so effortlessly. Angela worked many hours in consultation with the students who wrote and produced the play. We had the privilege of working with the dynamic team from White Night. The finale of the school production was the highlight with the White Night production team showcasing the students' artwork in full colour projections on the school buildings. What a sight that was. A memory we shall all hold close for many years to come. I’ve also heard a little rumour that they want to come back and work with our incredible students again….so watch this space.

I was fortunate enough to attend a school camp in September. This is something I enjoy participating in. I am a believer in bringing students to the outdoors to experience all that it has to offer with the prospect of building resilience. I am an Outdoor Ed and Physical Education trained teacher. The best kept secret at Collingwood! Campbell and I joined the Reggio teachers to embark on an outdoor adventure camp. The students experienced canoeing, bushwalking, outdoor cooking and an adventurous flying fox. We were amazed at how courageous and resilient our students are. They all came back to school with a new zest for learning. As a continuation of their desire to be a part of an outdoor education program, Meredith in Reggio 5/6 has organised an outdoor ed. experience for the Year 5s of 2020. I have already put my name down to attend.

The wonderful Sormeh returned in Term 4 this year. We are so thrilled to have her back. We envisage that her experience will add another layer to our already diverse leadership team in the primary school. I know I can speak on behalf of Campbell that we are really excited about the leadership team in 2020. Campbell comes with such a breadth of knowledge of the Steiner pedagogy and Sormeh, an expert lens on Reggio Emilia approach at Collingwood College. These are exciting times at Collingwood College. Our focus is on the teaching and learning, student voice and building capacity with our wonderful staff.

So many highlights to recap on! So many wonderful things to look forward to in 2020. The students at Collingwood College are an amazing group. I look forward to the challenges and meeting their needs in 2020 with a dedicated crew of teachers to support them.

Have a safe and restful break. See you all in 2020

Margaret Doucas

Acting Primary Principal

2019 Reflections

They say that a teacher’s best days are the ones when we learn even more than our students, and by that measure I have certainly had lots of great days this year!

One of the things I've appreciated most about moving into the Learning Specialist role has been having the opportunity to observe, support and reflect on all the incredible work that our classroom teachers, specialist teachers and education support staff do, day in and day out, through the year. From working on singing, similes and metaphors with the Grade Fives and Sixes, and fractions, decimals, paragraphs and persuasive writing with the Grade Threes and Fours, to counting, patterns and social stories with the younger students, there is always so much going on. I have been particularly conscious of this when compiling the end of semester reports and reviewing all the rich and diverse learning tasks that staff have designed and delivered, and the progress students have made.

This year we have introduced an ‘Inquiry Cycle’ model into our weekly learning community meetings. Each term’s inquiry cycle brings a student-centred approach to analysing data and sharing ideas and resources to improve teaching and learning outcomes. We have already seen some great results and look forward to further successes next year.

It has also been a pleasure and a privilege to get to know many more students and families- whether it be showing new and prospective families around the grounds or meeting with and supporting staff, students and families when the need arises.

Additionally, this year I have learned a great deal about the many behind-the-scenes systems, issues, services, agencies, programs, etc that keep a school running. I have increased respect and gratitude for the work of our principals and leadership team. There is so much that they do to create and hold space for our students, staff and community that goes unseen.

This year began with the welcome ceremony for our new Prep students and the launch of the Yallabirrang Learning Story Fence on Hoddle Street. It ended with art shows in the new gym and the Grade Six graduation in the refurbished theatre. There were many other fantastic community events, ceremonies, camps and concerts in between.

I would like to thank everyone in the Collingwood College community for your contributions to our school and wish you all a happy and safe holiday. I will look forward to another year of adventure and learning together in 2020.

Campbell Gome

Learning Specialist Primary School