Deputy Principals
PETER DICKINSON
Deputy Principal - Operations
A Glimpse Into Our Past As We Shape The Future
Learning about history and the development of cultures over time has always been of interest to me, born no doubt from my travels across many countries and the enjoyment that comes from meeting different people and learning about their backgrounds. I also very much enjoy sharing this passion with students in class. Certainly in one of the schools that I attended as a student, but also where I have worked previously, the importance of understanding history and appreciating their heritage were seen to be very important. The word heritage comes from an old French word meaning ‘something that is passed down from previous generations; a tradition’. It was originally taken to mean property that was handed down by parents to their children, but in more recent times has taken on a much broader definition: ‘Those things from the past which are valued enough today to save for future generations’. A keen sense of your heritage will help you to understand, in part, just who you are as a person, but in our context, also our school and what it values.
I had those lenses on when I sat in Oakleigh Grammar’s 35th Anniversary Founders’ Day Assembly last Friday. Through the words and prayers, both spoken and sung, from images portrayed, and my observations of the warmth of greetings towards our founders or past staff, it was clear much reverence was being given to our school’s history – it was heartening. There was much to be acknowledged and celebrated in such a short period of time. The respectful attention of the student body throughout the assembly was also notable. Being part of this assembly was certainly a privilege.
As a community, we share the responsibility to identify and respect what is important, and pass on these stories to both current and future students so they will understand what came before them, and how we have grown to be where we are now. I also believe that, in a time when young people are seeking to define their own identity, providing them with a sense of unity and belonging is another important responsibility as educators, as we allow them to connect to certain social values, beliefs and customs.
PETER CUMMINS
Deputy Principal - Teaching & Learning
NAPLAN Online Testing In 2019
Currently the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) is preparing for a major NAPLAN online testing trial program for 2019. A large number of schools including Oakleigh Grammar have been selected to take part.
Training and preparation for the online testing is well underway. In the next couple of weeks, our School will be taking part in a School Readiness Test (SRT) designed to ensure that our technology/systems are set-up correctly.
The SRT involves the participation of one class group from each NAPLAN year level (Years 3,5,7&9). These classes will complete an Omnibus test and a Writing test. The Omnibus test includes questions from the Reading, Conventions of Language and Numeracy test domains. The Year 3 class will only complete the Omnibus test, as they will continue to use pen and paper for the Writing test in 2019.
During February and March next year, preparations will involve completing a range of administration tasks and the School taking part in another wider online testing trial.
One new feature of the online tests is ‘tailored testing’. During the test, students are presented with sets of questions based on their performance. Many of these questions are of mid-range complexity for each year level, but some are of higher or lower complexity. For example, students who struggle with questions early in the test are directed to questions that are less complex. Students performing to a higher level in the test will have an opportunity to answer questions that are more complex.
Oakleigh Grammar students will be using class sets of iPads with locked down browsers (so they cannot access unauthorised websites, applications and spell-checking features) to complete the online tests. If a student’s iPad stops working during a test the student will not be disadvantaged. All responses will have been saved and the student can recommence the test with a new device.
ACARA believes that students with limited keyboard skills will not be disadvantaged in the Writing test. The research shows that online writing is similar to handwriting in terms of the quality of writing produced by students at each year level. The writing test is not about handwriting skills and NAPLAN online is not about keyboarding skills. There are variations in how fast and well a student can type, just as there are variations in how fast and well a student can write by hand.
One big advantage with the online testing is that it will significantly reduce the time it takes to provide results and feedback to schools, students and parents.