Assistant Principal's Report
Learning Intentions
During semester 2 of 2017 teachers began to incorporate Learning Intentions (targets) and Success Criteria into their lessons.
The Learning Intentions are derived from syllabus outcomes whilst the success criteria include aspects of performance necessary for students to know that they have met the standards required by the learning task.
This may not be new pedagogy for many experienced teachers but the practice provides students with a more explicit understanding of where they are heading with their learning and what it means to be successful.
As part of our Annual Improvement plan this year we have set goals around establishing an engaging learning environment, a guaranteed and viable curriculum and differentiated lessons to cater for the different pace at which students learn.
During our recent staff meeting we identified what we want to see happen during each lesson. Critical to any lesson is student performance, where they can demonstrate what the level of attainment of the learning target established at the beginning of the lesson.
Students need to be provided with fast feedback that takes their learning forward.
Each classroom will have the poster for students
to identify the separate parts of the lesson. We intend to survey students toward the end of the term to gain our own feedback on how the process has been working.
Assessment Practice
Teaching and assessment practice has evolved quickly over the past few years. Much of the recent research and literature surrounding best practice and effective learning calls for continuous formative assessment practices. If we do this, then assessment of student learning becomes a daily event. Therefore it may be more appropriate to use the expression learning task or activity rather than assessment.
The word assessment is still linked to testing, the completion of large projects/tasks or assignments that are submitted and marked or graded. Learning activities however become the focus of every lesson and are linked to the intentions or target and success criteria. Feedback is immediate with the aim of improving student learning/performance.
Quality Learning
Teachers are gradually changing their habits around assessment, marking and grading. In the article ‘The New WorkSmarts’, data collected indicates that teachers are now spending less time marking and more time developing quality learning tasks upon which they can direct learning.
We want the work to be done in the classroom. This means that for parents the traditional forms of assessment are being replaced by quality learning activities that happen each day.
As such we aim to place on our website just what students will be learning throughout the year rather than formal tasks.
New Staff 2018
Welcome to our new staff for 2018 Ms Toni Widders (AEA), Mrs Candice Savell (Science), Mrs Natalie Mellowship-Brown, (PDHPE), Mrs Elitia Parry (Literacy & English), Mrs Lorna Ahern (Leader of Learning HSIE) and Mr Brian Allerton. Also joining us this year are Mr Ian Yensch (TAS) and Mr Isaac Selvey (Youth Minister).
Up Coming Events
There are many key upcoming events and parents should look to our live calendar on our web site.
- 12th February – Year 7 Assessment, Reporting and Grading Information evening.
- 14th February – Ash Wednesday – Whole school Mass 9.15 and parents are invited to attend. Year 10 will go to the Cathedral as part of the Parish community.
- 16th February – Fundraiser for Tom Hawthorne at the Bowling Club at 6:00pm.
- 23rd February P&F Parent/ Carer wine and food night - TBC
Newsletter Contributions
If you know of a significant achievement that you would like to share with the O'Connor Community, please email dfleming@oconnor.nsw.edu.au with the details.
The newsletter is emailed out to the O'Connor Community & can also be found on our website oconnor.nsw.edu.au & our Facebook page.
If your email address has changed recently please send us your details to admin@oconnor.nsw.edu.au
Thank you for your support.
Simon Fleming
Curriculum Coordinator/ A.P
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