JUNIOR SCHOOL FAMILY PICNIC - YEAR LEVEL INFORMATION

2018 JUNIOR SCHOOL STAFF Principal Glen McKeemanVice-Principal Scott EllissHead of Junior School Ann-Marree Weigl Deputy Head Carla Dunlop Chaplain Rowan Thurman Class Name 00B Annie Boseley 00G Violet Novacevski 00R Claire Tucker (Prep Co-ordinator) 1B Katherine Green 1G Jamie-Lee Lobbe 1R Tracey Coffey 2B Louise Ward 2G Reshae Armstrong 2M Anna Daley (Year 1-2 Co-ordinator) 2R Paul Chambers 3B James Johnstone (Year 3 - 4 Co-ordinator) 3G Lisa Johnson 3R Christine Adam 4B Callen Wade 4G Tracy McDonald 4M Melissa Clark 4R Mark Foran Specialists: Health and Physical Education Nick Rice (Y 2-4),

Jo Richardson (Kinder,Prep and Yr 1) Art Jennifer Beck-Carlson (Yr 1,2 and 4))

Tash Cooper (Yr Prep and 3) Litehouse-Lib Deanne Elliss (Yr K-4) Litehouse Lib Support Kate Millichip, Cathy Creati Litehouse ICT Helen Kreeck (Yr Prep-4) Music Kevin Smith (Yr K-3)

Carla Dunlop (Yr 3-4) Japanese Yukiko Valent (Yr Prep-2)

Katya Chaney (Yr 3-4) Learning Support Octavia Rae

Rhonda BrownRowan Thurman

Speech Therapist Jacquie Golden Maintenance Milton Nankervis Coordinator Support Heidi Hearps Computer/I.T. Sascha Veldhuis Administration Ann Begg

Jan BrewsterJess Carpenter

This document contains Year Level information as presented in homerooms at the Family Picnic, February 20th, 2018. You will also find detailed information toward the back of this document outlining College programs, including BLP, MYTERN, Restorative Practice, Visible Thinking, In Time Reporting and The Learning That Matters.

MORNING ARRIVAL The first bell rings at 8.48am, this is the signal for students to line up in their class lines. Students then enter the classroom at 8.50am. *Please note that students and parents are requested not to enter the building prior to line up time.

DAILY ORGANISATION At the beginning of each day, the children are encouraged to bring the following items into the classroom:

-Student organiser (signed each day with the exception of Year 4 who use their device as a form of organisation) -Reader for exchanging (where appropriate) -Fruit Break (please check with individual classroom teacher) -Students are required to wear their hats each day, during Terms 1 and 4 -The children are required to bring their jumpers to school every day -Water Bottle *Year 4 only : Device fully charged

PARENT HELPERS -Parent involvement is an integral part of our Junior School program. -A Parent Helper Information/Training session will be held on Thursday March 1st, 7pm-8pm. This training is a requirement for all parent helpers. (If you are unable to attend but would like to become a parent helper please contact Reception.) -Helpers are required to have a Working with Children Card (nominating Christian College Geelong as a possible place of voluntary employment), have attended a Parent Helper Information session and have signed a Christian College Volunteer Agreement (available at the training session).

PLAY TIME Being SunSmart As a SunSmart school students must wear hats in Terms 1 and 4 and a ‘No hat, no play’ policy is in place. We have sunscreen in the classroom, however, if your child is sensitive to different types we encourage you to supply one that is suitable in their school bag.

Toys We encourage that students leave their toys at home. Any toys that are brought to school are the child’s responsibility.

INTEGRATED STUDIES TOPICS ACROSS THE YEAR LEVELS

YEAR 1 We are family - History Bend, Stretch, Twist – Chemical Sciences It’s Alive – Biological Sciences Let there be light!– Physical Sciences Our wonder world – Earth Sciences Oh, the places we go!- Geography YEAR 2 Living Things Push and Pull Earth’s Natural Resources People are Connected Mixing Materials (Whiz Bang Pop) Our Global and Local Community

GENERAL INFORMATION, COMMON QUERIES

YEAR 3 It’s Alive (Living Things) Living things/ plants and animals Earth’s rotation/day and night. Heating Up Heat, liquids, solids and gases.

YEAR 4 My Australian Heritage Beneath Our Feet May The Force Be With You Fair Go Mate Friends or Foes? Our Restless Earth

PREP What is my history and how do I know? How does the weather change? What are the needs of living things? Where do we live? How do different things move? How do we use different materials?

PLAY, INQUIRY AND PROJECT BASED LEARNING Junior School students have the opportunity to learn in a variety of settings through Play Based and inquiry learning programs. In these settings students will explore their learning in a variety of ways and develop independent learning habits and collaborative skills. These programs complement explicit and more formal instruction, allowing students to actively engage in their environment. Learning environments stimulate and provoke children to investigate, explore and experiment through open ended learning opportunities and develop life skills including: problem solving, creativity, resilience, thinking skills, empathy and a strong sense of self.

Prep: Bush Prep and Investigations Year 1 & 2: Genius Hour and Investigations Year 3: STEAM Year 4: Project Based Learning

Strings - Year 2 As a part of the Year 2 program, the students will participate for a term in a Strings Program where they are tutored by music specialists in groups to learn a violin or cello. This program culminates with a performance by the students. Information will be distributed closer to the class concert times during the year.

WALT & WILF These are used in our classroom to aid students’ understanding of important learning intentions and goals. WALT: We are learning to…. WILF: What I am looking for…

CLUBS & SPORT There are a number of clubs/groups for students to participate in at Junior School. These include: Library/ Puzzle club Dance Lego Computer Chess Strings Choir Lunchtime Sport Activities

ASSEMBLY Assembly is held every second Friday morning, 9.00am, in the Junior School Gym.

READING TIPS Pause, Prompt, Praise. Aim for comfortable, fluent reading encouraging students to experiment with expression and tone. Please record reading each night.

MYTERN

MYTERN The premise of MYTERN (MY-Take Emotional Responsibility Now) is that creating emotional intelligence, health and resilience is a skill that can be learnt by anyone at any age. Learning the MYTERN skill is simple, yet very powerful when teachers, families and students share the same understanding and language. What is MYTERN? MYTERN is an extremely powerful skill that teaches students how to take control of their response to everyday stresses and challenges, improving their mental, emotional and physical health. The MYTERN skill is based on a simple metaphor: you are the driver and only you have control of your steering wheel; you can’t control anyone else’s steering wheel; you use your emotions as your GPS; each road you drive down is an emotion; and it is only you who decides which road of emotion you will drive down. The aim is to be in control of your steering wheel no matter what road you are on. What can it do for me? •realise that there is no need to blame people or circumstance for how you feel •recognise that while you might not be able to change the situation, you certainly have control of how you choose to react to it •gain control of your emotional responses to everyday stresses and challenges •learn that you are not failing when you drive on the rougher roads for a short time – you are building your resilience •realise that lifting others off the red road (due to the minor daily stressors) is not helping them to build their resilience

BUILDING LEARNING POWER (BLP) The focus of Building Learning Power is on creating a classroom language and culture that promotes children’s understanding of themselves as learners – the habits and attitudes they bring to each learning activity and the process of learning in general. Through developing a common understanding amongst our children that, just like working to improve our knowledge and skills, we can (and should) also work to improve our learning habits and attitudes in order to achieve better results. Building Learning Power is centred around the explicit teaching and reinforcement of four ‘dispositions’, each of which is made up of a number of specific ‘capacities’. At Junior School, we use our BLP superhero characters to reinforce the four dispositions. The BLP characters are:

 

What is BLP? Helping young people become better learners Equipping our children with the understanding and skill to take more ownership of their own learning practice Preparing young people for a lifetime of learning What is BLP based on? •An extensive body of research into learning and the brain •Recent research into the key dimensions of learning power •Pioneering work of Professor Guy Claxton, internationally recognised 21st Century educator. How does BLP work? •provides a coherent picture of what it takes to be a good learner •capitalises on previous learning-to-learn ideas •explicitly teaches students about how they can practise lifelong skills for learning •grows a student’s learning character and habits •develops the appetite and ability to learn in different ways •shifts responsibility for learning to learn from the teacher to the learner •engages teachers and students creatively as researchers in learning https://www.buildinglearningpower.com/about/what-is-building-learning-power-about/

IN TIME REPORTING Christian College Geelong has implemented the ‘In Time’ reporting process for parents and families. This reporting process is aimed at providing more formatively focused feedback in a timely manner engaging students, parents and teachers in conversations around learning as it is happening. This year our SEQTA Learning management system, accessible through the College portal, will enable us to set tasks across the semester and then communicate assessment, results and feedback in real time rather than having to wait for an end of semester report. Please see the In Time Reporting Tile in the Parent Portal for detailed information.

RESTORATIVE PRACTICE Restorative Practice is based on the philosophy of Restorative Justice. This provides a framework which is underpinned by values and beliefs that ask us to focus on building community, relationships and healing. Restoration of relationships is at the core of Restorative Practice. The Restorative Justice framework is also about real accountability according to people and their needs. Focus: Restore relationships Create opportunity to share perspectives Develop empathy Provide closure Create opportunity to demonstrate forgiveness

A Common Sequence used in Restorative Practice: Students share their perspective (often in a carefully planned and teacher managed group situation) What happened? (Share how you felt) What were you thinking then? What have you been thinking since? Who has been affected? What can you do to put things right? What has been the hardest thing about this?

VISIBLE THINKING ROUTINES Visible Thinking in the classroom encourages students to visually represent their thoughts, questions, reasons and reflections. Visible thinking reveals the learners’ unfolding ideas as they think through an issue, problem or topic. Visible Thinking routines are tools providing students and teachers with deep thinking opportunities. ‘See Think Wonder’, ‘Compass Points’, ‘10x10’ are just some of examples of routines practised at Junior School. (A Harvard University Project Zero .)

THE LEARNING THAT MATTERS (available on the College website)

Our College believes transformative learning happens when you go ‘beyond the curriculum’.

Embracing 21st century learning in every way, our College is constantly challenging how we teach our students – making education less about the teacher at the front of the classroom, and more about our teachers being facilitators for our learners.

Ground-breaking concepts such as ‘Building Learning Power’, where students take ownership of their intellectual development, and

‘MYTERN’, where students take control of their emotional development, give our young people the chance to guide their own personal growth. We not only provide our students with facts and skills, we teach them ‘how to think’.

Whether it is in classrooms, in our local community or through the vast array of field trips, camps or interstate and international tours, our students benefit from real-world, meaningful experiences that enrich their educational journey. Fostering leadership and collaboration in and between students are two key principles of our approach, and these critical qualities are continually promoted and reinforced through the responsibilities given to students and the innovative teaching activities they are exposed to. Our wide choice of VCE, VET and VCAL pathways linked to anticipated tertiary studies, our state-of-the-art Sport and Art facilities, and transformative experiences such as our ‘Back Creek Farm’ Rural Studies and those offered through our renowned Music and Drama programs give our students the chance to explore their God-given gifts and interests to their fullest. Our specialised and dedicated teachers work in a culture, where going ‘above and beyond’ to create the best possible learning environment is the norm, and their caring nature is underpinned by our College values of Faith, Grace, Hope, Love and Truth. Our College celebrates diversity, understanding that every student’s journey is different and they are supported by our trademark pastoral care program, which prepares our young people to meet the challenges of every year level while helping them to explore their Christian faith.