Newsletter 

PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

SCSC Instructional Model - What is a ‘Do Now’ Task?

You may have heard your child talking about 'Do Now' tasks. This is an instructional strategy that SCSC staff worked on developing a shared understanding of in Term Two as part of our work on the Instructional Model.

 

‘Setting the Scene’ of a lesson involves a teacher making it clear to students what the intentions of the lesson are, how they will know if they are successful and providing a quick and engaging ‘do now’ task that students can commence as soon as they enter the classroom. A ‘Do Now’ task does not require teacher instruction to complete. It should link to prior knowledge from previous lessons and engage the students in the topic of the day. It can often also be used as a formative piece of assessment for the lesson – to help the teacher check for understanding of a skill.

 

‘Do Now’ tasks also set the tone for the start of a lesson. Students are required to enter the classroom and start work straight away without the need to wait for other students or the teacher to complete administrative tasks such as marking the roll. A calm, predictable routine to start a class also helps students to feel comfortable in class.

 

‘Do Now’ tasks do not have to be done each lesson but are an effective tool for capturing student attention, gathering formative feedback and tuning students into a topic. They should not take students long and are designed to be ‘low stakes’ – they are not assessed but do give the teacher an idea of what students can and cannot do so that they know who may need more support that lesson.

 

Ask your child about how ‘Do Now’ tasks work in their classes and ask them to show you some examples at home.

 

Here are a couple of examples of some 'Do Now' tasks being used in Year 10 English classes.

 

Mobile Phone Policy Reminder 

Lately, we have needed to remind students more often about the DET Mobile Phone Policy and have experienced a ‘spike’ in confiscations that result when students are found to be accessing their mobile phone during the school day.

 

Surf Coast Secondary College understands that students may bring a personal mobile phone to school, particularly if they are travelling independently to and from school. In accordance with the Department’s Mobile Phones Policy issued by the Minister for Education, personal mobile phones must not be used at Surf Coast Secondary College during school hours, including lunchtime and recess, unless an exception has been granted.  Exceptions are usually only granted for medical or safety reasons.

 

Mobile phones owned by students at Surf Coast Secondary College are considered valuable items and are brought to school at the owner’s (student’s or parent/carer’s) risk. Students are encouraged not to bring a mobile phone to school unless there is a compelling reason to do so.  Please note that Surf Coast Secondary College does not have accident insurance for accidental property damage or theft.

 

Students and their parents/carers are encouraged to obtain appropriate insurance for valuable items. 

 

At Surf Coast Secondary College:

 

  • Students who choose to bring mobile phones to school must have them switched off and securely stored during school hours – this includes during recess and lunchtime. Phone should remain in the students’ locker during the school day at all times.
  • When emergencies occur, parents or carers should reach their child by calling the school’s office on 03 5261 6633.

Repeated instances of a student being found accessing their mobile phone in school time will result in parents being asked to attend a meeting to make a plan for how the phone will be managed at school moving forward.  We appreciate you working in partnership with us to ensure that the College, and its students, are compliant with this legislative requirement.

Year 12 Student Led Conferences and Practice Exams 

Our Year 12 students have 31 days of school left as this newsletter is published. We look forward to celebrating all that they have accomplished in their VCE and VCAL studies as the year winds to an end.

 

In these last few weeks of their time with us, there are a few important events that are on to support their preparation for the end of schooling.

 

Year 12 Student Led Conferences – these are on Tuesday August 20th from 3:30pm to 5:30pm in the College Humanities building. Having a shared discussion between students, their families and staff is important to ensure that we are all on the same page about what supports are needed in their final weeks and especially as VCE students prepare for exams

 

VCE Practice Exams – these will be held during the first week of the school holidays on site at the College. The timetable will be sent to students and families and we hope to see ALL students here for these practice exams. Getting the ‘feel’ for exams and valuable feedback from your teachers helps students to approach the end of year examination process with more comfort and less stress. If you have any questions about the practice exams, please contact Assistant Principal, Rachel Barney, or Senior Sub School leader, Alex Brown.

 

 

Erin Wright

College Principal