Teaching and Learning News
Maths Teacher Professional Learning at SMDP
As Term One and ten weeks of learning draw to a close, we are very proud of our learners and the learning they have achieved.
This term our teachers at SMDP have also been learners. Our Prep to Six teachers have been involved in a variety of professional learning experiences to further develop their knowledge on how to design rich mathematical sessions, so all students can experience challenge in their learning.
The Year Three, Four, Five and Six teaching team heard from Professor Peter Sullivan, lecturer from Monash University, whose key message was that we need to develop learners who can think for themselves, critically and creatively, not students who can only follow recipes they have been given. Therefore in Math lessons, students need to be able to reason, justify, explain and problem solve, not just perform a sum.
The Year One/Two teaching team are part of a year long professional learning series titled "Transforming mathematics engagement in the early years". The key message from our first session was that we need to continually assess our students' understanding in Maths, then use the data collected, to identify key points of mathematics that need to be taught to ensure growth and progress for all learners no matter their starting point.
The Prep teaching team joined Monash University and engaged in a range of activities to learn about how we can support our prep students to develop their knowledge in counting and recognising numerals and representing quantities.
I cannot wait to see the evidence of these professional development days in our classrooms.
Holiday activities
It's that time of the year again, school holidays are upon us, a time to relax, unwind and reset for the next term. Holiday time can be stressful for many parents. Keeping kids busy, avoiding arguments and getting time for yourself can be hard parenting work during holidays. School holidays don’t have to be stressful. It’s a great opportunity to get your family back on track, build strong relationships and set the tone for a positive future. There is a lot happening around Melbourne these holidays. Below are some places you could visit.
Hobsons bay library
The Hobsons Bay library is an excellent resource to access over the holiday period. During the June school holidays the library is running a number of free programs for a variety of ages across different locations in Hobsons Bay. The link below will take you to the different programs.
https://libraries.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/categories/school-holidays
Werribee or Melbourne Zoo
Zoos Victoria is pleased to advise that children under 16 years of age receive free admission to Healesville Sanctuary, Melbourne Zoo and Werribee Open Range Zoo on:
- Weekends
- Victorian Public holidays
- Victorian Government school holidays.
Please note, children under 16 must be accompanied/supervised by an adult. If they are not accompanied by an adult, they will be refused entry.
Retrieved from https://www.zoo.org.au/kids-visit-free/
Melbourne Museum
If you love dinosaurs the Melbourne Museum is offering a Tyrannosaurs exhibition. It has a variety of objects including a selection of striking life-sized skeletons and models. Visitors will walk away knowing more about Dinosaurs particularly Tyrannosaurs.
Discover your local neighbourhood
Local councils will often offer programs for children to attend during the holidays, you can also check out the local park, library or find out if other interesting events are happening near you. If the weather is fine, many areas have fantastic walks that can allow your family to explore nature and get some exercise. Use paper or digital maps to look for places you haven’t been before. A simple internet search will let you know of a variety of suitable events happening where you live.
Most importantly, enjoy the time together, rest, relax and unwind after a busy term.
Elise Coghlan
Co - Deputy Principal | Literacy & Numeracy Leader | Visible Learning Leader