Literacy and Numeracy

Mamma Mia ... here we go again!

The news of lockdowns and Remote Learning did not come as a huge shock to us, but more so, the feeling of groundhog day.  My own children had very different reactions to the news - my Year 7 daughter had tears of sadness running down her cheeks as the thought of being physically isolated from her new friends hit home.  My younger daughter did a happy dance until she made the realisation that mum would be her teacher ...

That mixture of feelings is what most of us would be experiencing I'd imagine.  There's the 'tiger parent' in us wanting to protect our families in this pandemic, but there's also the need and want to get back to our busy, social lives.

As a staff, we have spent many hours reflecting on our previous experiences of Remote Learning.  We thank you and the students for the feedback that was provided, as combined with staff feedback, has enabled us to re-set as we re-launch into Term 3.

At the end of last term I shared some questions as reflection prompts into our experience of Remote Learning.  They may assist you in re-focusing:

• Are there elements of Remote Learning that have become part of our home routine?  What worked for us?  What didn't?
• How can we harness the strengths or child displayed?
• How can we continue to build resilience and independence?
• What did we learn about our relationship with our child?
• What did we learn about ourselves as learners and parents?

Let's move forward into the next phase of Remote Learning with a growth mindset -

'Yes, we can do this!' 

'It is all going to work out.' 

'Some days can be tough but we will get it done.'

This short clip by Psychologist Andrew Fuller may assist you in determining your stance and approach to Remote Learning.  'The Big 3 for parent homeschooling' outlines life skills that Remote Learning can reinforce: Emotional Regulation, Motivation and Academic Self-Efficacy.  Well worth the 3 minutes!   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK5NVakmNbA   

Enjoy the weeks ahead.  Enjoy the learning.  Enjoy the time with your family and most importantly, keep safe.

Two Stars and a Wish

During this period of Remote Learning, feedback to all students will be provided using 'Two Stars and a Wish'.   Each student will receive 2 written pieces of feedback in this format each week.  This strategy is a formative one in that it provides a possible 'next step' for learning.  

Using this model, teachers will identify 'Two Stars': two positive aspects of the work presented. and 'One Wish': what the student could do in future to improve the quality of their work.

The Learning Intentions and Success Criteria shared at the beginning of the lesson provide a focus as to what is expected for each task.  Teachers may use this when writing their feedback.  You and your child may choose to also have a go at using this strategy not only for Remote Learning but also in other tasks - when reading aloud, learning a new skill, completing a writing piece.

Mrs Cathy Dimitrakopoulos

cathy.dimitrakopoulos@sjvermont.catholic.edu.au

MATHS RESOURCES TO ASSIST 

Explaining mathematics tasks can be a challenging experience! What should never be underestimated is the importance of using teaching aids to assist. Although many households have dice and cards, which are excellent resources, there are many teaching aids which can assist your children in learning. 

Some common ones are:

• Spinners
• Stopwatches
• Fractions Walls
• Geoboards
• Numberlines
• Calculators
• Place Value Boards
• Interactive Clocks

Here are a few websites that may be able to assist your child. 

https://toytheater.com/category/teacher-tools/virtual-manipulatives/

https://pcmathoer.wordpress.com/vm/

Good luck with everything. 

Regards

Mr Joshua Crowe

joshua.crowe@sjvermont.catholic.edu.au