Good News Story
Reconciliation Week has provided an opportunity for students to build a deeper knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and history, including contemporary history and events. Some of the experiences that I was particularly touched by were:
- Walking into a shared reading of the Mparntwe Education Declaration in Ms Parkes class and hearing of their disbelief when learning about the voting rights of women and Aboriginal people.
- Reading the Sorry Day texts written by Year 1 and 2 students and being amazed by the empathy and understanding that came across in their work.
- Seeing Indie walk around the school yard in her lunch and recess times collecting and recording Sorry messages from staff and students across the school
- Watching Joshua and Anji laying on the cold concrete for much of Thursday painting our flags…an outstanding effort.
Principal’s Update
Welcome to our Week 5 Blog.
Term 2 is always a busy one but it is also a time where we get to reflect on how much learning has happened over the first half of the year. Written reports are completed across the term and sent home on the last day before the July holiday break. At the staff meetings in Week 1 and 2 this term, we spent time discussing the reports and my desire to change the effort wording. The use of the words insufficient and poor have been a source of concern for some families and staff. These words have been removed from our reports now. We have replaced them with:
- Consistently
- Mostly
- Sometimes
- Needs Support
We believe that these terms are appropriate to describe the amount of effort that students show during learning. There is a copy of the Effort Rubric on page 2 of the report document that will assist you in determining what the effort level relates to. This rubric is a work in progress and we will edit it further when time permits. We wanted to get it into the new report template quickly so that it was relevant for this term’s reports.
Another change to the format is on the back page in the Personal and Social Capabilities area. We have changed the layout, the wording and the headings to make them more accessible and connected to our day to day interactions and needs.
The mid-year written reports are modified due to the absences and interruptions that have impacted the learning programs. The Specialist learning programs have been affected as most students have only one 50 minute lesson a week in that learning area. You will see that the comments are written about what has been taught in a number of subjects. There will be reading and maths goals set and commented upon. Some student books and work samples will also be sent home for your reference. We will continue to review our written report processes as we want the reports to be a living document that shares a clear picture of student learning. Ultimately, I would like to see us shift to an online reporting system but that requires more investigation on my part. Watch this space.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags being painted.
Reconciliation Week and Sorry Day are two very important times for our country. We have recognised both at Port Noarlunga Primary School in a number different ways. I am proud of the gains we have made as a school in the depth of understanding and recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, history, and importance in our lives.
You will notice some key additions to our school yard including our huge flags painted near the Early Years Unit and our hibiscus’ planted in the Memorial Garden. More information about both of these will be shared by Josh and Anji soon.
Our Pupil Free Day on Monday in Week 5 focused on the Stronger Smarter Leadership online training. All staff participated in the first 2 modules of the training and it was an affirming and productive experience. There were aspects about the work that were confronting at times and we will continue to work on this important learning across the year. I will share more detailed information in the coming weeks.
Thanks again for trusting us with the important role of providing the best education for your children.
Take care,
Marie
Enquiries: contact the school.
