Teaching and Learning

Learning at Concord

We are past the half way point of Term 1 and learning is happening all around the school.

Our PreCAL groups in Secondary 7-10 have worked hard to establish their class processes and have commenced their community experience days with a focus on Team Work in Semester 1. The 7/8 groups have started building their team work skills by focusing on staying together and supporting each other during their shared experience. The 9/10 groups have commenced a circus skills program which will see them work together to create a circus performance which they will share at the end of Term 2.

All of the PreCAL groups are using these experiences as the foundation of the learning they are doing in their classrooms in reading, writing and maths.

In VCAL students are already displaying their growing Work Related Skills. Thursday mornings are always a highlight when the Coffee group delivers their freshly made hot coffee with a special treat, all for $4! Last week they outdid themselves by serving berry pancakes with ice cream. Team work is also a focus during the VCAL Extreme Teams weekly challenge which has students working together in mixed groups to meet the challenges set for them.

Learning doesn’t just occur for our students at Concord School. On Monday night our teaching staff were involved in a professional learning session which focused on evidence based teaching practices in Writing and Oral Language. We unpacked the writing process and the progression of the authorial and secretarial skills used in creating texts. Oral Language is the first part of the development of writers, being able to communicate ideas and contribute even one word to a co-created text is the first stepping stone in the development of writers. We looked at evidence based resources that are available from the Department of Education and Training which support the improvement in teaching and learning in writing, as well as exploring the different teaching approaches to develop our students independence.

Supporting Learning at Home

Numeracy: Many classes are exploring time at the moment. Ask your child questions related to time. Eg. What day is it today? What day will it be tomorrow? What month are we in? How many weeks are in a fortnight?

Literacy: Next week most classes are starting a focus on narratives. You could read a favourite story to your child & talk about the characters in the story. For older students talk to them about different types of characters. How would they describe different characters in the books they read and shows they watch? What makes a character interesting?

Acting Assistant Principal

Sam Birrell 

Discovery Centre

This semester at the Discovery Centre we have a wide range on offer to engage students in the Integrated Unit of Identity.

The MILE Room has been transformed into the Amazing Anatomy Room - complete with interactive, museum style displays. Lower Primary can search for eyes, ears, noses, mouths and hands to learn all about their five senses, while Upper Primary can see how they measure up against the world’s tallest man and woman. Secondary 7/8 is learning how our body works, so for each of the major body systems there is a working model that demonstrates its function, from circulation to respiration. There is also a large focus on the brain, so now when you step into our Sensory Room you can get an insight into being inside your brain.

For Secondary 9/10 it is less about our physical identity, and more about our national one. We have created the Aussie Nation Station where students can find information about our country’s flags and symbols, what democracy means and how it has shaped our history, as well as the levels of government and what they are responsible for. Our official VEC voting booth and ballot box has been particularly popular, with several classes using it to cast their SRC votes.

We also have a display all about our social identity, full of resources to help students with identifying their emotions, resolving conflicts and working together. This has been designed for our Pre-CAL classes, who are focussing on teamwork within the classroom but also within the wider community.