Positive Climate for Learning
Grade 1 Learning Community
In General Studies this term, our topic is Health. The essential question we are investigating is ‘How can I be healthy, safe and active?’. We have been very busy tuning into our topic by learning what the words ‘strengths’, ‘emotions’ and ‘welcome’ mean.
As we investigate how we can be healthy, safe and active, we have been recognising our personal strengths and attributes. We have learnt that there are different types of personal strengths, including academic skills, physical skills and interpersonal skills and that we all have them! We are also working on identifying strengths in others and how these attributes help us value our family and friends.
Over the next few weeks, we will be learning to recognise and label our emotions and those of people around us. We will also learn about strategies that we can use when we need help with a problem, task or situation.
Grade 5 Learning Community
Within the Grade 5 learning Community our students are producing persuasive writing pieces. We have been looking at social justice issues, such as the endangerment of koalas, poverty, LGBTQI rights, animal rights, bullying, racism, and other issues that our students are passionate about. The students have been very engaged brainstorming these issues and have been writing rhetorical questions, facts and opinions on their chosen issue. Take a look at some of our plans and we look forward to sharing our published pieces with you soon.
Years 10-12 Leaning Community - VETSS Excursion
Senior Secondary at Armstrong Creek School (ACS) has recently established an exciting and unique partnership between The Gordon Tafe and ACS. This partnership ensures that students have access to a VET Delivered to Secondary Schools (VETSS) program which is accessible and inclusive. Each Wednesday we welcome a Gordon teacher to our school to deliver Certificate 1 in Transition Education to a group of Year 10, 11 and 12 students. The participating students gain the opportunity to explore adulthood and future pathways as well as earn credit points to contribute to their Foundation Pathways Certificate (formally VCAL).
On Wednesday 23rd February our VETSS students travelled to The Gordon, Geelong city campus, to have a tour, explore facilities, gain their student cards and be immersed in an adult educational environment. Students learn about the public transportation options available to travel to The Gordon. They made the connection between their current course delivered at school and how it makes them a part-time Gordon student. They also found out about a potential future pathway into a realistic post school course called Certificate 1 in Work Education.
Some highlights identified by staff included:
- “Seeing students show the resilience to travel on public transport on a hot day”.
- “ Students were aware of how to act at TAFE and saw a great possible next step for after school”.
- “It was lovely and showed maturity when they thanked and listened to their host and Gordon Teacher Cathy”.
- “Lots of learning was achieved without the students even realise it”.
- “It was so great to be out on excursion again after the limitations of the past 2 years”.
