Assistant Principal
Tracy Skiba
Assistant Principal
NAPLAN
Well done to our Year 3 and 5 students for completing the 2019 NAPLAN assessments. The results will be available to schools from mid-August to mid-September. All students who participated in the NAPLAN tests will receive an individual report of their results.
In 2018, for the first time, students in some schools across Australia undertook NAPLAN in an online format. The individual report shows whether students completed the assessment online or on paper. As students for both online and paper tests are assessed on the same literacy and numeracy content, results can be reported on the same NAPLAN assessment scale. Kingswood students completed the assessments using the paper format in 2019. We have luckily avoided the issues with the online system by abstaining this year.
“Connected to Community” - Grade 5 and 6 Camp
The Year 6s set off on a bright, sunny Tuesday morning to Lord Somers Camp whilst the Year 5s took over Unit D for the NAPLAN assessments. The grade 6 students were pleased to be going on camp and leaving their grade 5 peers behind to undertake the Language Conventions and Writing assessments!
Thank you to our hard working Year 6 teachers and to our very generous parent volunteers for giving their time to assist the smooth running of camp. Without the support of staff and parents who are willing to give their time camping programs would not run in schools.
The Grade 5 students are looking forward to their upcoming Lord Somers Camp. This will be a great chance to get some sunshine (hopefully) and enjoy some relationship building with their peers and teachers. Thanks again to our volunteer parents and Year 5 teachers for their commitment to running camping programs.
Japan Tours 17/5-5/6
During the past few weeks the staff have been busily preparing for the upcoming tours to Japan. This is a fabulous opportunity for our children to experience another culture and put their Japanese language skills to good use. I am sure we will all be very jealous when we see the photos of their adventures. Bon Voyage!
Kingswood Mathematics
Mathematics is an essential area of learning in our curriculum. It is vitally important that our students develop mathematical skills in order to function effectively in society. Becoming confident and competent with mathematics will ensure our students at Kingswood to be able to reason, solve problems, demonstrate understandings and see the relevance of mathematics in everyday life.
The mathematics program at Kingswood builds on students’ interests and experiences, allows for students to make meaningful connections to real life situations and enables them to see a purpose for all concepts and skills being taught. We encourage students to use their Habits of Mind tools to analyse, compare, explain, reason, justify, estimate and synthesise mathematical problems.
The Importance of Parent and Teacher Perception on Mathematical Mindset
As parents you can have a huge impact on your child’s mindset towards mathematics and the relationship between the school and home is crucial. A great volume of research has found that the role of parents and teachers in the development of a child’s attitude and beliefs towards mathematics is highly significant. As teachers, we hear stories from students along the lines of “My parents weren’t any good at maths, so neither am I”. It is important to consider what these messages are saying to our children about their own ability to engage in challenging Mathematical tasks.
Another thing to consider is how gender bias can impact mathematical engagement. The University of China conducted research into gender stereotypes and mathematical ability, engagement and enjoyment (“I can, but I don’t want to” The Impact of Parents, Interests, and Activities on Gender Differences in Math: Janis E. Jacobs, Pamela Davis-Kean, Martha Bleeker, Jacquelynne S. Eccles, and Oksana Malanchuk) and found that we often subconsciously purchase more maths or science based toys for sons and still hold gender-typed world views about natural talent in mathematics.
It is important that we model positivity, fun and enjoyment in mathematics. Students coming to school with a positive outlook towards maths and an open mind to the classroom makes a huge difference to their learning. Having a willingness to try, a willingness to make mistakes and learn from them, and a willingness to be involved and explore mathematical concepts relies heavily on parental attitudes and beliefs at home. Regardless of your own perceived mathematical ability, modelling a positive attitude to children from a young age and working with the school in supporting a love for learning is vital in building the foundations for students to become independent, lifelong learners, problem solvers and critical thinkers in mathematics.
End of Semester 1 Reports 21st June
End of semester reports will be available for parents to view via Compass from Friday, 21st June. The parent teacher interviews will be held on Tuesday, 25th June. More information will follow shortly regarding booking interview times.
Prep 2020 Information Evening 22nd May 6:30pm Unit D
We welcome all prospective families to join us for the Prep 2020 Information Evening. If you know of any families in the area who are interested in our school it would be a great opportunity to meet the team and hear about our programs and vision moving forward. The presentation will also be available via Facebook Live for those who are unable to make it in person.
