Student Learning

Year 1/2MB Hosting our School Assembly

Congratulations to our students in Year 1/2MB who hosted our Friday School Assembly last week! You did such an fabulous job leading the assembly. Well done to Lincoln and Emmy for reading all the names and awards for the week! What superstar readers!

Annual Action Plan 2023

One of the goals from our Annual Action Plan for 2023 around Learning and Teaching at Trinity is:

We are currently working on effective ways of gathering student data to find out what students know and what they need to learn next. This informs teachers when planning, allowing them to make adjustments for students based on their learning needs. We plan learning to enable and support students, and extend those students who need to be challenged and extended. Our lunchtime clubs , and additional learning activities, such as the Bebras Challenge, the Mathematics Competition and Maths Talent Quest are just a few ways we are targeting our highly able students. We also do this daily in our classrooms. This year, we have a particular focus on Mathematics across the school. We are aiming to improve our teaching and student learning outcomes in Mathematics. This is our goal for the year:

Mathematical Learning in Year 5/6

Students in Year 5/6BOC are investigating open ended maths problems. Collaborative group work provides rich opportunites for learning from each other and solving tricky mathematical problems together. Students are given opportunities to explore different strategies, demonstrate their learning and articulate which is the most efficient strategy. Throughout the lesson the teacher highlights the strategies that have emerged from the students and explicitly teaches new strategies in solving maths problems.

Assessment and Reporting

At the moment, teachers are busily working with students to gather assessment data for mid year student reporting. 

Teachers collect a variety of assessment data and triangulate this data to arrive at a Victorian Curriculum score for each learning area. Some types of data collected are students' writing pieces, SMART spelling tests, South Australian Spelling Tests, Letter ID tests, Oral Language assessments, Essential Assessment pre and post assessments, Reading Running Records, teacher observations and anecdotal notes that teachers record about student learning, and of course daily student learning that students record in their workbooks or on Seesaw. 

Student Reports will go home at the end of this term. This will give families information as to how your child is progressing against the Victorian Curriculum. There will be an opportunity to discuss the reports at the Parent/Teacher and Student Led Conversations.

Students will also have the opportunity to share and celebrate their learning goals and progress with families at our Student Led Conversations. This will happen at the end of this term. Student put a lot of effort into these presentations, so please mark these dates on your calendar:

• Reports will be sent home on Monday 19th June
• Student Led Conversations will be held on Thursday 22nd June for all class Prep to 6, except for Year 5/6BOC who have their Student Led Conversations on Wednesday 21st June. (More information next week)

Showcasing Student Writing

Every now and then I love to showcase some wonderful writing that emerges from our students. Ms O'Connor has been working with her students in Year 5/6BOC developing their writing around this year's Shared Stories theme 'Inspire'.  Here is a story that has been written by Amy in Year 6:

Inspire

Amy Year 6 

30/05/23 

Her heart pounded and merriment shone in the minute child’s eyes. Inquisitive as she could be, she frolicked through the meadow, full of rapturous feelings. Her feet soaked in the muddy water, but she didn’t care; nonchalant if she got dirty. Jane endeavoured to meet the new girl; she was titled 'the perfect girl', and had unmatched beauty. She ran, bursting with excitement! She couldn't wait to meet this heaven liked child! Jane wanted to be her classmate, her friend, anything! As her reverie took over her, she fell. And as she cried in excruciating agony, she contemplated a hand. It was her, 'the perfect girl'.

Jane observed Rose, the girl she had been thinking about. She bashfully took Rose’s offering of her hands and cried out. “Oh, this is embarrassing. My name is Jane by the way! Thank you for helping me, I really appreciate it!” Rose gave a weak smile and then looked aghast for a second. Why wasn’t she saying anything to Jane? Did she do something wrong? “My name is Rose, uh....." she hesitated. "You have something on your hair. Do you want me to take it off?” inquired Rose, agitated by this new civilian. Jane didn’t know what to say, she was in a state of confusion. But without a second thought, Rose took a yellow leaf out of Jane’s ginger luscious hair.

Jane was full of butterflies, excited about the possibilites of a new friendship. She wanted to be bosom best friends with this stranger that she just met. Jane’s face turned red and she used her hands to cover her face. Rose stared at Jane, smiling, but then she abruptly broke into laughter. At first, Jane was confused, but decided to join in with the giggling. There.  It was their first memory together.

Over the next few days, and weeks, they ecstatically played together in the almost 'royal like' romantic gardens, where they pretended to be princesses and kings. Everything was perfect, until school started. Rose would constantly get laughed at and they made fun of her. They called her the teacher's pet, and they ridiculed her father, John. Rose's father had inherited an immense amount of money, but the company that John owned came to an end quite abruptly; a bankruptcy. That’s the main reason she had moved to this quiet, new village. And whilst Rose was quietly excited about a new beginning and possibilites of new frienships, life at the new school was not perfect for Rose. A boy in her class always made her cry. Each day, Rose would sob in Jane’s arms and she would always vent about her problems. Life was rough, but that disgusting, frightful boy made it even worse. Jane was there for her. A true friend.

As school continued, the bullying became more and more frequent, and more severe: punching, pulling hair, starting rumours, and exclusions. Jane had enough. She couldn't bare this torture towards her kindred spirit friend anymore. She didn’t care if he would start rumours, or start picking on her too. She was done. “Do you know what James? I’m sick of you! Sick of your nasty comments, sick of your bullying Rose! She has done nothing to you. Why James? Just stop!” 

No one had ever disagreed with James, nor confronted him. Everyone contemplated Jane. Her heart raced. But then something happened. Everyone broke out in a cheer and clapped their hands in support of Jane. The students were intimidated by James. He was loaded with money and always had his way. At this moment, the children were in a state of enigma. What would happen next? As Jane and James stood there, staring at each other, words couldn’t describe how she felt. Then abruptly, something happened. James began to cry and maneuvered his way through the students, leaving behind a group gathered in shock. After the calamity, everyone was inspired to be like Jane. She was resilient, kind and enthralling. 

Rose & Jane continued to be friends, and their friendship grew stronger than ever. James moved schools and was never to be seen again.

Congratulations Amy on working hard to produce a thoughtful piece of writing around the theme 'Inspire'!

If, at any time, you have any questions or concerns about your child's learning, I encourage you to make a time to chat with your child's class teacher, or to come and see me if you would like to chat about any aspect of learning at Trinity.

Kind Regards, 

Annabelle Marinelli 

Deputy Principal - Learning & Teaching Leader

amarinelli@tcs.catholic.edu.au