teaching and learning

Teaching and Learning

Good Shepherd is cementing it's innovative pedagogy based on our Learning Principles, Vision and Values. With clear and strong alignment to our vision and values there is a clear pathway for future focused growth.

We continue to embed a 'culture of thinking' across our school community. The foundation of essential skills such as: critical and creative thinking, personal and social capabilities, empathy, ethical and moral capabilities, communication, collaboration, grit and resilience, leadership and entrepreneurial-ism are essential skills we need to teach. When students have these fundamental skills, and are confident, creative, critical thinking, hard working collaborators, the 'other stuff' comes much easier. As agents of learning, we believe students can articulate and give meaning to the connections they have made when they design ways to share and express this. Innovation in practice and the use of agile spaces is also central to our pedagogical approach at Good Shepherd.

Through the COVID 19 pandemic and Government mandatory lockdown in SA, our teaching and learning focus was on developing and providing learning opportunities for online and remote access. Our teaching teams drew on resilience, grit, communication and collaboration to work together to provide learning grids that covered a week of learning. Communication protocols were developed amongst teams; teachers to families.

Children of essential workers were supported in their learning by a rotation of teaching teams in the school. The lockdown was a week long, after which students then returned to learning at school.

The regulations around COVID meant parents had very limited access to the school site. Communication with the parent body has been vital in developing relationships in 2021.

Parent Partnership Night - a school based approach to invite parents in for a social time to interact with one another and hear from the Stage/individual teachers about the learning in each stage.
Learning Conversations - teacher/parents meet at the end of term 1 to share the progress of children's learning and set goals for the next term.

At Good Shepherd we seek to add value to the educational experiences of our students and the experience of the wider school community. Value is added by extending upon statutory curriculum requirements imposed on schools, by our ethos, culture and environment, and through the experiences provided by the school. Through our stage structure, innovative learning opportunities are delivered.

In 2021 this included:

Curriculum Related Activities:

Learning Support Programs for students: 2021 saw the exciting development of a Learning Support Team. With oversight by the Director Junior Primary, the team is made up of a learning support teacher for each stage. This allows for strategic intervention, support and extension in an age appropriate framework. The program included accessing individual support for students with special needs along with access to a number of other programs. Some of these include Focus reading, Multi-lit, Mini-lit, Nessy Writing. With a new team of 4, the Learning Support teachers spent significant time during the year assessing programs, sourcing and implementing new ones, the collection of data to inform pathways and growth and collaborating with the teachers in their team.
Programs for Gifted students: Students identified with special needs in this area are generally supported with extension and challenging activities in their classes. Differentiated learning has been a focus with significant support in professional learning and resources offered for teaching staff. Other activities offered to these learners, included Connected Schools Enrichment Days. Our Enrichment opportunity across the Connected Schools was in the area of the Science of Decision Making in 2021.
Clubs - Chess (student led and run), STEM Club (SP students, staff led), Lego (JP students, staff led), Mathematics Club (middle primary led), Art Mindfulness Club (staff led), Art Club (SP student led).
Wellbeing Support LSO staff member.
Literacy Pro - Lexiles (reading for comprehension program).
Scholastic Book Club.
Premier’s Reading Challenge.
Science Week which included specialized science activities.
Learning focus across all year levels and various Buddy time and in stage team activities.
Various visiting speakers.
School Entry Assessments (Reception and Year One) assessing basic literacy and numeracy understanding.
Year 1 Phonics check testing program introduced in SA government schools. This data picks up students at risk in phonemic understanding.
ACER PAT Maths and PAT Spelling test. This test is used in term 4 every year to inform teaching and learning for the beginning of the following year.
Writing/Mathematics/Inquiry moderation within year levels as developed through the AISSA Cross-Schools Moderation Project (2017).
Year 10 students from Endeavour College coach our students in various skills associated with sports.
Junior School Musical Showcase - "Farmyard Friends."
Providing a regulated and planned weekly timetable for daily playtimes of ‘Creative Play’ based activities in the yard.
Selected students in various SAPSASA and SAPSA sporting competitions.
Mothers and Father's Day Stalls coordinated by parent volunteers

Excursions/Camps/Incursions:

During 2021 our opportunity to leave the school and have incursions was reduced due to COVID 19 and the restrictions around these gatherings. Students did attend some excursions, school camps and participated in some school incursions.

Stage 1 Tea & Teddies
Stage 2 Camp-in (school)
Stage 3 Camp (Wellington)
Stage 4 Camp Experience – passion project: We continued the Stage 4 Camp, presenting students with a ‘Personalised Experience’ that tapped into the children’s areas of interest as shared through conversation and survey data. Students nominated their 3 day experience from the following: Fishing trip, Our Kitchen Rules, Hygge in the Hills, Adrenaline Adventures, School of Rock, Amazing Animals, All Things Technology, World of Dance, I Like to Move it Move it, Voyage to Victor, Earth Fire Wind and Water, So you think you can play, Candles and Craft, For the lovers of Art.

Excursions included visits to:

Stage 1 Bike Safety
Stage 1 Community Walks
Stage 1 Gorge Wildlife Park
Stage 1 and 2 swimming at Clovercrest
Stage 2 Nature Play SA
Stage 2 Morialta
Stage 2 Heritage Museum
Stage 3Surf Life Saving at Glenelg
Stage 3 Lochiel Park
Stage 3 Planetarium
Connected Schools Worship at endeavour College (year 4's only. Limited numbers due to COVID)
Endeavour Art Excursion (Year 4’s)
Stage Four Experience
Stage 4 Surf Lifesaving Day
Stage 4 Zoo excursion