Junior School
Rights, Resilience and Respectful Relationships Program (RRRR) 2018
Each year since 2015, students in Years 8 and 9 have participated in the ‘Challenge Week’, incorporating the Rights, Resilience and Respectful Relationships Program (RRRR) curriculum and a range of challenge activities that in the past have included cartoon drawing, rock climbing, bubble soccer and Bollywood dancing.
This year the program will take place over four separate days in Term 3 and 4 to continue to support its integration into the health curriculum and the development of the whole school approach.
The dates for 2018 are;
Wednesday 25 July
Wednesday 15 August
Wednesday 24 October
Wednesday 28 November
Shortly students will receive a letter and permission, please keep a look out for this and ensure that this is returned by the due date to ensure your child’s participation in the program.
If you have any questions regarding the RRRR or the activities taking place, please contact the college on 9765 4100.
Semester 1 Reports
On the last day of Term 2, students receive their reports for Semester 1 outlining their achievements and areas for improvement in each of their subjects. The purpose of reports is to provide both parents/guardians and students a snapshot with how they have progressed throughout the first semester and areas in which they need to continue to develop. We encourage parent/guardians to use this opportunity to have open discussions with their child about their progress and possible strategies they could implement to support their learning growth and overall success.
Elevate Education- Study Skills
Elevate Education is Australia’s largest provider of study skills workshops to high school students across Australia and the United Kingdom.
Scoresby Secondary College has partnered with Elevate for many years with a particular focus on harnessing the skills of our senior students in preparation for their exams. However, earlier in this term Elevate presented individual workshops for Years 7, 8 and 9.
These workshops provided students with the skills which are easily transferable and which can be implemented across all study areas immediately. In the next few editions of our newsletter, we will share with you the specific skill taught at each year level and provide tips on how to encourage your child to continue to practise these skills.
In Year 7, students learnt the skill of ‘Dynamic Reading’. Dynamic reading involves the process of reading a piece of text and identifying the key points according to its purpose. When students read a text they will, most of the time, simply summarise every sentence or every idea, with the result that they include key ideas or facts as well as a range of descriptive language that is irrelevant. However, this results in students having a limited understanding of the key ideas/points within the piece of text.
Dynamic Reading provides a step by step process to teach students how to differentiate between the key facts or ideas within a piece of text, and the interesting, but less useful facts.
This study skill is a great introductory lesson which can be easily implemented at home. For example, next time your child is reading a piece of text, whether it be informative, persuasive or imaginative, ask them the following questions:
- Why are you reading this/ how is this relevant to what you are currently learning?
- What does the author of this piece want to convey?
Following this, ask your child to identify the key points within the piece of text. If they are struggling, suggest to them to look at any accompanying illustrations or subheadings.
Finally the last step in ensuring comprehension is to ask your child to identify why the key points are important. This is where they need to find evidence from within the text to support the key points/ subheadings.
In the next edition of the newsletter, we will share the skill of note- taking which was the focus for our Year 8 students.
Writer’s Workshop
On Wednesday 22 May, students in Years 7- 9 were provided the opportunity to attend an intimate workshop with children’s author Michael Panckridge.
As the son of an author, librarian and English teacher, Michael grew up in a household filled with books and stories. His passion for writing developed through his desire to get reluctant readers engaged in books. He understands his audience and knows that often it is the content of the book which determines whether a child will keep turning the pages. As a result, Michael aimed to create a series of engaging fast-paced sporty books. His collection of books explores a range of sports including AFL, Cricket, Netball and Tennis.
During the workshop, Michael discussed with our students the elements of what makes an engaging story. Students discussed the use of figurative language, dynamic dialogue and literary techniques such as onomatopoeia and similes. Students also learned about the various ways in which they can seek inspiration for writing a creative story. In the workshop, they were presented with a variety of images aimed to illicit a range of imaginative ideas. Students were then provided with an opportunity to begin writing their creative piece based on their selected image.
It was great to see our students engaged, demonstrating exemplary behaviour and representing our College with pride. It was a fantastic opportunity and we must thank Ms Linda Duncan for organising this event.
Below is a testimony from Michael Panckridge expressing his delight in working with students at Scoresby Secondary College.
“It was an absolute pleasure working with the Year 7, 8 and 9 students from Scoresby Secondary College. The students were attentive, responsive and engaged. It was a treat to work with such well-mannered groups of students and I was really quite impressed with the quality of their ideas and willingness to engage with the ideas presented. I was also impressed with the way they listened, collaborated and supported each other. I’d be delighted to return anytime!”
For those students who feel inspired following the writing workshop, there is an opportunity to enter the ‘Insight Creative Writing Competition’. This competition which is available to students of all year levels aims to ignite passion for creative writing and inspire the voices of the future.
Stories must explore the theme that corresponds with the student’s year level, as outlined below.
Year 7: Truth and Lies (400- 800 words)
Year 8: Fantasy and Reality (400- 800 words)
Year 9: Love and Forgiveness (600- 1100 words)
Stories must also be accompanied with a 100- word statement that addresses at least one of the following:
- Your motivation for writing
- Your creative inspiration
- Your aspirations for future writing
Applications close on 15 July 2018.
For more information, visit
https://www.insightpublications.com.au/writingcompetition2018
We wish our students and their families a safe and refreshing holiday break and look forward to their return in Term 3.
Emma Morris Emily Phibbs
Head of Junior School Year 7 Coordinator
Jake Barnett Casey Lawson
Year 8 Coordinator Year 9 Coordinator