Year 3 - Year 5

Assistant Principal's Report

Middle School News

Welcome parents, students and friends to this fortnightly news edition.  Over the last fortnight, all students in Years 4-6 have had the opportunity to voice their thoughts, feelings and opinions about their school in the ‘Attitude to School Survey’.   This is an online survey designed and monitored by Orima Research Canberra and the Department of Education.   We are expecting to access this important information early in July and I look forward to sharing this with the students and their families once available.

NAPLAN has also started this week and I have been extremely proud of our Year 3 and 5 students. The calmness and eagerness in which they have addressed this national assessment is a true credit to themselves and the teaching teams of Years 3 and 5.  Thank you to Mrs Cotterell who has been working behind the scenes to ensure the process runs smoothly. Whilst we had planned and prepared to complete NAPLAN 'online' this year, technical problems and uncertainties outside of our control have prevented this from occurring.  Instead, students are completing the paper version in all areas.  I am sure in 2020, we will again try the online version.

In Numeracy learning, students have been introduced/expanded to algorithms using addition. Having spent previous learning time delving deep into place value, the students now apply their knowledge to algorithms. Whilst algorithms can be simple in a formula, we want our students to picture and really understand what carrying over looks like and means. For our Year 4 and 5 students, algorithms include subtraction with and without borrowing and simple division. The importance in Year 5 is to have alternative strategies to verify, find and fix miscalculations.

Across the school, all students P-6 are learning about narrative writing. This includes the structure of this genre, sizzling starts, and for Year 4 and 5, multiple complications (problems) with multiple resolutions (solutions).  I encourage all parents and friends to visit our Open Afternoon, later in the term, to see the published pieces.

Kindest Regards

Jane King

Assistant Principal in Middle School