Truganina South Primary School Newsletter

Curriculum

A very warm welcome back to the term.  Please read on to discover more around what’s happening at TSPS linked to the curriculum.

 

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Compass

In the previous school newsletter, I stressed about the importance of regularly logging onto COMPASS and viewing your child’s current goals and achievements.  The teaching staff have recently updated both of these and it would be of utmost importance that you view them and unpack these with your child.  The ongoing achievements inform you of your child’s academic and social performance.  Celebrating these motivates them to achieve more and feel good about themselves.  So, log on to COMPASS and take a look.

Curriculum Newsletters

The term two curriculum newsletters will be available to view on COMPASS at the end of week four.  A parent notification alert will be sent out to remind you of this.  Again, I reiterate that the aim of the newsletters is to:

  • share focus points for each curriculum area through the term
  • pinpoint how you can support your child at home in the different curriculum areas
  • provide general information related to Inquiry, Student Wide Positive Behaviours and digital technologies

Inquiry

Students at TSPS are currently deeply embedded into their Inquiry journeys for semester one.  An important part of the Inquiry cycle is the ‘finding out’ phase.  Typically, students at this phase are involved in the process of planning for and researching new information about their compelling questions.  Students may be:

  • working with real people in the community
  • taking part in excursions/incursions
  • conducting experiments
  • using literature to extend experience of the concept
  • creating and conducting surveys
  • using digital means to document research
  • web searches, use of websites etc.

The main aim of the ‘finding out’ phase is to stimulate curiosity through new experiences and information along with recording the information gathered in efficient ways. 

With this in mind, there are various planned experiences across the P-2 area that will allow them to take their thinking deeper. These include:

Year 1/2 – planned excursion to the National Gallery of Victoria, Federation Square and Alexandra Gardens.  The students have been inquiring about personal strengths and passions and are attempting to identify what type of ‘smart’ they are.  At these locations, students will participate in a range of activities to explore the different types of ‘smart’.

Year Foundation – planned incursions which include Science in the Kitchen and Trash Puppets.  The students have been inquiring about innovation and creation using movement and everyday materials.  These incursions will allow students to experiment with materials to create some sort of ‘change’.

We are excited to hear about all they have discovered from the planned events.

Naplan

NAPLAN testing will commence in week five.  The tests provide parents and schools with an understanding of how individual students are performing at the time of the tests.  Please see below which tests will be held on what days.

  • Language Conventions / Writing: Tuesday May 15th
  • Reading: Wednesday May 16th
  • Numeracy: Thursday May 17th

 

Joel Riddle

(Assistant Principal – Curriculum)

 

“The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you”. (BB King)