Teaching and Learning
Meet and Greet
A huge thankyou to all who attended the Meet and Greet sessions last week. This was an important time for teachers and parents to share information that will support the positive transition into 2023. I know from conversations with staff that the sessions were extremely valuable.
We also send our thanks to all parents and carers who made alternative arrangements for the early finish to the school day. We know this can be an inconvenience, but we appreciate the efforts made.
Sounds Write Training
Over the coming weeks, all Prep - Grade 2 staff will be involved in Sounds Write Training. Sounds Write is a program that will be used as part of teaching foundational spelling and reading skills.
During the training period, staff will be out of the classroom once per week to complete the professional learning that comes with the program. Each teacher and team is putting plans in place to ensure the learning momentum is maintained in the classroom. We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause but hope it will continue to build on the wonderful learning opportunities already in place.
Preps Beginning Full Time Schooling
From next week our fabulous prep students will begin full time learning after a month of having a rest day on Wednesdays. I am sure there will be some exhausted students over the coming weeks and we thank parents and staff in advance for the support that will be required to get the students through the week.
Building Learning Momentum
As we work our way into the term, teachers are beginning to increase the rigour to build the learning momentum within the classroom. This will be met with a range of behaviours from the students including complete compliance through to defiance. Finding the ‘just right’ learning for all students can sometimes take a little while and often relies on the learning behaviours of the students and their sense of connectedness to the school, each other and the teacher.
So what are our learning behaviours?
Buninyong Primary School has developed a set of learning behaviours that are taught explicitly that underpin the academic learning.
The model is broken into 3 parts; Teacher Led Learning, Guided Learning and Student Led Learning.
The skills below are self explanatory but a short definition of each part is as follows:
Teacher Led: This learning is controlled by the teacher and usually occurs at the beginning of the lesson or during the explicit teaching component of the lesson. It will generally involve an explanation, description and/or some modelled teaching. Students are required to actively listen and make connections between what is being explained.
Guided Learning: This learning is usually a shared experience with the teacher and student and most likely happens in small groups during the middle of the lesson. It will require students to work with the teacher or other students to build deeper knowledge. The learning is supported by the teacher and other students.
Student Led: This learning occurs through the middle of the lesson and invites students to practise for mastery. Students work independently to apply their newly acquired knowledge or skills. It relies on the students to show persistence, motivation and self reflection skills.
Bulldogs Read Literacy Program
At the end of last year our school’s application to be part of the Bulldogs Read Literacy Program was accepted and we were in a position to offer 18 students from years 3-6 an opportunity to participate in this wonderful program.
Classroom teachers were asked to nominate students that met the criteria and from there we commenced our school’s participation.
The program runs in partnership with the City of Ballarat, Ballarat Libraries, and the Western Bulldogs AFL team. The aim of the program is to build students’ engagement in reading by interacting with other students from various schools in Ballarat, as well as mentors and role models from Ballarat Libraries and the Western Bulldogs AFL players and coaching staff. As part of the program students will be involved in several engagement days which include literacy workshops, AFL clinics and meet and greets with some of the Bulldogs players. They will also have access to some Western Bulldogs games (free tickets for them and a family member).
The program runs throughout the year and students will be involved in reading and reviewing books that they read and posting them for other students in the program to read and enjoy.
Last Friday, we attended the first engagement day at the Ballarat Regional Soccer Facility. Students were able to meet peers from the 7 other schools participating as well as meeting 2 players from the Western Bulldogs men’s team (Adam Treloar and Taylor Duryea) and two of the AFLW players (Gabi Newton and Eleanor Brown). Students were also given a Western Bulldogs merchandise kit and had an opportunity to ask the players questions and collect autographs.
The participants will be embarking on their first book review in the coming weeks and we look forward to sharing some of those through assemblies and future newsletters.
