Primary School Newsletter Issue No. 7 25th May 2017

Dear Parents,

Friday’s curriculum day featured discussions with staff concerning the new student grading system implemented by the Department of Education and Training 2016-2017. All

schools are expected to have adapted their reporting system to reflect the newly revised algorithm for student grading.

The algorithm is very similar to the previous grading, put simply the algorithm assigns gradings to year level attainment scores. In the past, if a student attained a score that was 12 months ahead of the expected score for that

OLD ALGORITHM

year level (e.g. Year 1), then the report software would assign an A grade to this student. See sample above.

In the newest algorithm, the student score would need to be 18 months ahead of the score expected for that year level for the software to assign an A grade. See sample above.

Put simply, this means fewer students will be most likely to attain an A grading. It would be very typical in a good school that many students could be working 12 months ahead of the state standard. Logically, less number of students will be working 18 months ahead of the state standard for this time in the reporting cycle.

NEW ALGORITHM

IMPORTANT DATES

2

26 May Curriculum Day(No classes for students)

30 May – 2 JuneScholastic Book Fair(Alamanda Great Space)

31 May - 2 JuneYear 3 Camp (3A, 3B, 3G)

5-7 JuneYear 3 Camp (3C, 3D, 3J)

7-9 JUNEYear 3 Camp (3E, 3F, 3H, 3I)Year 5 Camp

12th JuneQueen’s birthday (public holiday)

30th JuneLast day of Term 2

17th JulyFirst day of Term 3

Alamanda College

Address: 86-100 Alamanda Blvd

Point Cook PO Box 6606, Point Cook

VIC 3030

Telephone: 03-8376 5200

Email: alamanda.k9@edumail.

vic.gov.au

Parents should note this change in grading does mean you child has ‘slipped’ or is not continuing to achieving an excellent standard, the algorithm has changed making it more challenging for students to attain an A grading.

SCALEA = 18 months beyond expected standardParents often equate A = Excellence

In the Victorian Grading System, this is not the meaning attached to the mark A. Please see below:New A = 18+ months ahead of expected year level standardOld A = 12+ months ahead of expected year level standardNew B = 6+ months ahead of expected year level standardOld B = 6 months ahead of expected year level standardNew and old C = at expected standardD = 18+ months behind expected standardE = months behind expected standard

Take a deep breath and read again as this change will not make significant difference unless you do not understand the changes to the grading system.

Bright FutureI have included a sketch from our architects outlining the vision for our next gym complex.

We have asked for a separate entrance and foyer including changing rooms and toilets. Extra storage for sports equipment and space for hirers equipment can also be accommodated. Importantly, a mini gym or specialist occupational therapy space has been added. This space can double as a presentation staged area for future school events.

We are very excited about the possibilities this new build offers to our students. Of course, we are saving our dollars.

School council has also approved enhancement and beautification works for our grounds. This work includes:

1. Prep shade paly area enhanced2. Seating for adults and students throughout the school3. Shade trees planted in the Year 3 area4. Mulching of grounds5. Planting of mounds in back oval for wind protecting

Enjoy the weekend.

RELOC

RELOC

KLM

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20.43 m²STORE

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14.67 m²AMENITIES

4.19 m²CLNR

22.70 m²FOYER

20.92 m²

CHANGEROOM 1

6.77 m²ACC. WC

FHR

EXISTING COVERED WALKWAY

12.55 m²AMENITIES

20.16 m²

CHANGINGROOM 2

26 LOCKERS (2 TIER)

24 LOCKERS (2 TIER)

28 LOCKERS (2 TIER)

18 LOCKERS (2 TIER)

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30.32 m²WEIGHTS

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39 LOCKERS (3 TIER)

36 LOCKERS (3 TIER)

42 LOCKERS (3 TIER)

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27 LOCKERS (3 TIER)

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4.12 m²LOCKERS 3

2.35 m²LOCKERS 4

2.77 m²LOCKERS 5

2.67 m²LOCKERS 6

2.69 m²LOCKERS 7

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22/05/2017 5:29:41 PMD:\4900_Alamanda_Sports_16_IgnatiusL.rvt

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86-100 ALAMANDA BLVDPOINT COOK GROUND FLOOR PLAN

A.10 [SD 2

22.05.2017

DESIGNALAMANDA COLLEGE SPORTS HALL

DESCRIPTION DATE REVFloor plan revised. 27.03.17 1

Lockers floor areas shown 08.05.17 2

ROOM AREA ANALYSIS

PROPOSED SPORTS HALL 651.45 m²STORE 20.43 m²AMENITIES 14.67 m²CLNR 4.19 m²FOYER 22.70 m²CHANGE ROOM 1 20.92 m²ACC. WC 6.77 m²FHR 0.76 m²CHANGING ROOM 2 20.16 m²AMENITIES 12.55 m²WEIGHTS 30.32 m²LOCKERS 1 3.61 m²LOCKERS 2 3.74 m²LOCKERS 3 4.12 m²LOCKERS 4 2.35 m²LOCKERS 5 2.77 m²LOCKERS 6 2.67 m²LOCKERS 7 2.69 m²

826.87 m²

Dare to be Wise,

Lyn JobsonPrincipal

3

News from Prep

There have been a lot of exciting things happening in the Prep area over the last two weeks. The students have enjoyed visiting George and Margaret, the Alamanda crossing supervisors. They learned that when the whistle is blown twice it is safe to cross, but there is danger if the whistle is only blown once. The students showed great enthusiasm while crossing the road safely and learning about the important role our crossing supervisors play in the school community. On Wednesday the 24th May, students from Prep F, G, J and K enjoyed a visit from the fire brigade. The students were very excited to see the fire truck and all participated enthusiastically in the fire safety demonstration of ‘get down low and go, go, go.’

Over the last week students from Prep A, C, F, G, I, J and M have enjoyed making rockets with Ms Maryanne Molino. This has been a wonderful experience for all the students and they have enjoyed it tremendously.

In Numeracy, students have been learning about money where they are learning to identify the value of Australian coins. They have been setting up shops and purchasing items using play money. The students

are also starting to learn about measurement. They have been participating in different length activities, including making ‘stick people’ by measuring the length of their arms, legs and torsos with the

help of their buddies.

The Preps are very excited for their very first excursion to the Point Cook Library, which starts next week and continues the following week.

4

PREP ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL’S SUMMARY

Alamanda College

I would like to express a warm and friendly welcome to all our new families that have started at Alamanda K-9 College in Term Two. I wish you all the very best as you begin your learning journey with us.

Inquiry ThreeWe are currently beginning our third inquiry into the Transdisciplinary Theme: Sharing the Planet, with a particular focus on the key concepts of Responsibility (What is our responsibility?) Causation: Why is it like it is? Reflection: How do we know? Related concept: Consequence

Through this inquiry students will develop the enduring understanding (Central Idea) that ‘People interact with the natural environment in different ways’.

We will be exploring the way people impact the natural environment. To guide this inquiry and facilitate deeper thinking the students will be exploring the following lines of inquiry:

• The local natural environment• Humans use of the natural environments• Actions that benefit or harm the environment

In this unit of inquiry, we are encouraging students to become involved in their local natural environment by asking how can we make a difference to our environment. We will be focusing on encouraging students to take action that is driven by their own understandings of our inquiry. Teachers will be assisting students to take action in this early stage of their PYP journey.

Excursions A visit to the local library in Point Cook has been organised for Monday 29th of May and Monday 5th of June, for the prep children to experience. The session will include story time and a tour of the library. The excursion to the local Library supports the unit of inquiry, “Communities depend on people taking on different roles’’. This should prove to be a rich learning experience for all Prep children and should not to be missed. Permission notes have been sent home and need to be returned by Monday 29th May.

Roles of people in the CommunityFire Brigade VisitOver the next week your child will attend a thirty-minute free fire safety presentation. This aligns with the unit of inquiry around communities and is being run during school time. Children have had and will have the opportunity to be presented with some important information about fire safety and have the opportunity to view the fire truck and it’s equipment. A valuable component to the student’s learning.

Crossing Supervisors and Road SafetyA big thank you to George and Margaret our crossing supervisors who kindly took the time to allow the prep children to attend an information session at the crossing on Prudence Parade and Alamanda Boulevard. This aligned with our unit of inquiry around communities. Children have had the opportunity to be presented with some important information by our dedicated and friendly crossing supervisors about using the school crossing safely.

Prep AssemblyWe continue to hold prep assemblies on Friday morning at 9:00am in the great space. This is a time for all the prep students and teachers to come together, to celebrate learning and hand out awards to recognise student achievement and effort. Reinforcing effort and providing recognition is one of the McREL high yield strategies, techniques that we know works in improving student achievement.

Parents are most welcome to attend. Need to be justified in writing by letter or email to t

I would like to thank all parents for their valued contributions and for being an active member of our learning community. I look forward to maintaining a close partnership with you and your child.

Partners in Education,

Carmen Sacco Assistant Principal Prep Learning Community

5

News from Year 1

The Year One students have been working really hard as Inquiry Two comes to an end. Classes have begun to take action and develop persuasive posters to save water, both at school and at home, for example ‘Turning off the tap when you brush your teeth’. Students from One D wrote a letter to Ms Welsh asking if we could start to raise money for ‘Waves for Water’ to help buy water filters for people that don’t have access to clean drinking water.

1A presented the Water Cycle Song at this week’s assembly. They were risk takers and did a wonderful job! The other classes on Timetable A were excited to learn about the water cycle.

The Victorian Premiers Reading Challenge is underway. Year One classes have already started reading and entering books to the website. Please add the books that you read with your child at home to their list! We would love every child in Year One to complete the challenge!

We have a very exciting couple of weeks ahead with the Year One Swimming underway from the 29th until 9th June. Please ensure students on Monday come to school with bathers, towel, a plastic bag (for wet clothes) and an extra snack. Students that are swimming are also able to wear their sports uniform.

Inquiry Three begins next week looking into the transdisciplinary theme of ‘Where We Are In Place and Time’ our central idea is ‘Migration is determined by needs and wants.’ Students will be looking into the migration of animals and their friends and family. Children will conducting migration interviews with friends and family a letter will be sent home!

From Year One Students and Teachers.

Hi my name is Saashi and I am in One J. Our current inquiry is all

about water and the Central Idea is ‘Water is essential to life and a limited rescource for many’. My

artefact is all about being a ‘Water Hero’. And I have been trying to

encourage others to do the same. At home I save water by having

short showers and turning the tap off when brushing my teeth. These things make me a ‘Water Hero’, because I am taking action and

saving water. I made necklaces at home with the help of my mum. I now give necklaces to students in the Year One area who also try to

save water.

6

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL’S SUMMARY

Alamanda College

Primary Years Programme, Our Next Inquiry.The Year One classes will shortly be commencing their third Inquiry for Semester 1, exploring the central idea - ‘Migration is determined by needs and wants’, through the Transdisciplinary Theme: Where we

are in place and time.

The transdisciplinary key concepts of Causation, Perspective and Connection will guide the lines of inquiry:

• There are reasons why migration occurs dependent upon needs and wants (Causation)

• People come to Australia for various reasons (Perspective)

• The personal impact of migration (Connection)

Each class will commence this unit with a provocation and the students will be encouraged to share and explore their wonderings and understandings.

During this Inquiry, the students will have the opportunity to listen to the story written by Anh Do, called, “The Little Refugee.” This story is the children’s version of his book, “The Happiest Refugee,” and describes his family’s journey to Australia by boat from Vietnam. This experience may provoke a conversation about needs and wants and the personal impact of migration.

Many people in our community have lived in all parts of the world. We would like you to talk with your child about the choices made when moving to the Alamanda area. If you would like to share your story, please contact your child’s teacher, as we would value your experience as a Primary Resource.

Every day we celebrate the students as they demonstrate the attributes of the Learner Profile – Inquirer, Thinker, Communicator, Risk Taker, Knowledgeable, Principled, Caring, Open-minded, Balanced and Reflective. These qualities are determined to be most important in creating positive and productive citizens of the world. Sometimes the students at Alamanda receive praise, sometimes a sticker, sometimes a comment about their work and sometimes the students record a reflection on their work using a Learner Profile attribute. Receiving an award at School Assembly is an opportunity to celebrate and have student endeavours recognised by teachers and peers. Our aim is to provide opportunities to develop your child’s Learner Profile. I have included some examples for you.

Inquirers—I am curious and know how to discover answers to many of my questions. I love to learn!

Thinkers—I use my thinking skills to make good choices and solve problems.

Communicators—I try to listen, understand and share ideas.

Dear Miss Welsh, We would like to raise money for water filters. People without water can easily get sick and maybe die. We would like to sell lemonade for 2.10. From Daniel

Dhru from 1J, proudly sharing his diorama of

the water cycle.

Alamanda College

7

Risk Takers—I try new things, love to explore, and confidently share my experiences.

Knowledgeable—I explore big ideas that are important. I know and can do a lot of important things.

Principled—I am fair and honest. I can make good decisions about what is right and wrong for me.

Caring – I am concerned about other people’s needs and feelings. I believe it is important to help others.

Open-minded—I am comfortable with differences. I welcome and respect other people’s points of views and ways of doing things.

Balanced—To be healthy, it is important for me to balance the needs of my mind and body.

Reflective —I think about and can discuss my learning, skills, and examples of my school work.

Ask your child how they demonstrate their understanding of the Learner Profile. For example, ask your child: “How were you a risk taker today?” or “How were you caring today? I’m sure you will be impressed by your child’s response!

Allergies, Anaphylaxis and Nut Free.We do have children within our mini-school who have allergies, which can cause them to experience anaphylactic shock. Although our staff have received first-aid training in use of the Epi-pens, we really do not want to put our students in the position of having an emergency. We are asking that you respect our “nut free” request and check that the food you send with your child for lunch or snack does not contain nuts or nut products, for example, muesli bars or Nutella.

We have also requested parents do not send food to school to celebrate a child’s birthday because of concerns about allergic reaction and the particular dietary needs of some of our students.

Homework:Our students are encouraged to read every night to complement their learning at school. Reading at home provides the practise that developing readers need to ensure fluent and confident reading. The saying the ‘more you practise, the better you get’ really does apply when learning to read. Reading to your child is still a wonderful

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL’S SUMMARY

opportunity for them to learn more about the language used by authors and how books work.

Attendance:While home is the best place for children when they are ill, we are quite concerned that some children are absent frequently. Irregular attendance obviously has an impact upon the continuity of a child’s learning progress and also impacts upon the child’s friendship groups and self-confidence.

Swimming:Approximately 132 Year One students have been registered to attend swimming sessions from Monday 20 May until Friday 9 June. In order to organise the students the following groupings have been made:

•Group1willincludestudentsfrom1A,1B,1K,and1L.Thebuseswillleaveschoolat8:50am.Theirsessionwillbeginat9:30am.

•Group2willincludestudentsfrom1C,1D,1I,and1J.Thebuseswill leaveschoolat9:30am.Thesessionwillbeginat10:15am.

•Group3willincludestudentsfrom1E,1F,1G,and1H.The buses will leave school at

10:20am.Theirsessionwillbeginat11:00am.

The students may wear their sports uniform for the two-week swimming program, as this will make dressing easier. Please ensure all items of clothing and equipment, (towels, goggles etc) are clearly named with your child’s name and class. A separate swimming bag will also be helpful.

Please note, if you have concerns about your child’s school experiences or wish to talk about something that affects your child, we do like you to talk with us. You are always welcome to make time to talk with your child’s class teacher or myself. We are at school beyond the children’s attendance hours and we do make an effort to be available for conversations.

Regards,

Helen WelshAssistant PrincipalYear One Mini-School

8

News from Year 2

Students in year 2 let their curiosity run wild and asked many questions that would lead them to learning about influential people throughout history. Some questions included ‘Who invented cars?’, ‘Who invented electricity?’ and ‘Who invented iPad’s?’

The year 2 cohort are now applying research skills by reading, highlighting main ideas and summarising information about many different influential people. Students have been working in whole class activities, small groups, in pairs and independently, while exploring facts about a variety of people such as Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, Neil Armstrong, Fiona Wood, Martin Luther King and many more. ‘I really like researching because I learn more about people who did things that help me have what I have now. They’ve helped people’s futures.’ – Aditi 2E

In reading sessions over the past fortnight, students have been exploring the key features of informative texts and

have been problem solvers by piecing together reports, labelling their parts and having a go at writing their very own reports.

Students are appreciative of their weekly visit’s from our reading intervention teacher Chantelle Nedelkovski, who is now teaching the reciprocal strategy – clarifying. Inspired by the words of the puppet ‘Clarifying Claire’, students have been searching for deeper meaning within the texts they are reading by collecting lists of words that need clarifying and understanding their meaning.

Students have been hands on while developing new addition and subtraction strategies and have enthusiastically been consolidating their mental math skills through a variety of games. While learning about transformation students have been demonstrating their knowledge creatively by flipping, sliding and turning their bodies while dancing to music.

9

News from Year 3

To conclude our unit of inquiry ‘Population affects sustainability’, students participated in a City West Water Incursion. The incursion was a great learning experience to expand on what students had learnt through-out the unit. It directly linked to our key concept responsibility and students understood that water is essential to life and we must sustain it. Students completed a hands-on water experiment where they compared the consumption of water of two people that completed the same tasks. From this they were able to find ways that they could take action and to reduce the use of water.

This week has been an exciting week for the Grade 3 team. We have started our new unit of inquiry based on the Transdisciplinary Theme ‘Where We Are In Place and Time’. As a provocation, the students discovered a message in a bottle. Inside was a map in which students needed to explore the Alamanda College campus to find the key words of the central idea ‘Exploration leads to discovery and change’. Once they found the words they were able to order them to discover the central idea. All students were enthusiastic towards the provocation and cannot wait to eplore the central idea further. As a class we looked at the lines of inquiry and discussed what questions we had. Some of the wonderings that

students had include: why do people want to explore? Will we ever stop discovering new things? What do explorers do to find something new? How are different explorers alike?

Next Wednesday 31st of May timetable A will kick start the Grade 3’s first ever school camp. The are open-minded to this new experience and are looking forward to the many fun activities that Camp Oasis has to offer.

10

Alamanda College

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL’S SUMMARY

Professional LearningProfessional Learning - CITW presentation at GeelongLast week, a group of teachers from across Alamanda College were given the opportunity to present to some primary schools in Geelong including Roslyn Primary School, Mandama Primary School, Grovedale Primary School and Geelong South Primary School. This visit came about after the leaders from these schools visited Alamanda and were very impressed with the high-levels of consistency and focus on teaching and learning they saw across all Mini-Schools. Alamanda teachers presented and discussed how our school implements the Classroom Instruction That Works (CITW) strategies consistently across the primary and secondary school. Feedback from the other primary schools was very positive. The feedback from teachers and principals was that it was very evident that the education students from Alamanda College receive is very focused, student driven and consistent across the whole school. We should all be very proud of the education our students are receiving.

Student ReportsTeachers are very busy writing student reports. This semester teachers will be reporting on English, Mathematics and each of the three inquiries covered in Semester One, which will cover areas such as History, Geography and Science. 2017 will be the first year teachers use the new Victorian Curriculum for reporting, and we have been focused on unpacking the curriculum in our teams to ensure we all have a consistent understanding of the new curriculum. The Victorian Curriculum F–10 sets out what every student should learn during their first eleven years of schooling. The curriculum is the common set of knowledge and skills required by students for lifelong learning, social development and active and informed citizenship. The Victorian Curriculum F–10 incorporates the Australian Curriculum and reflects Victorian priorities and standards. You will notice that there are now a set of Capabilities in the curriculum - Ethical, Creative & Critical,

Personal & Social and Intercultural. These capabilities are very important to us an International Baccalaureate school, and strengthen our already rigorous program of inquiry. Reports will be available to parents towards the end of this term.

Grade 3 CampStudents on Timetable A are departing for camp next week on Wednesday 31st May,, and the following week Timetable B and C will be heading off to Oasis Camp in Mount Evelyn. Teachers have been organising cabin groups and activity groups, and finalising all other details. If you have not returned your medical/dietary requirement forms or final payments please do so ASAP as they are due to the camp on Friday 26th May.

Important dates for this term:Friday 26th May: Curriculum Day - students not required at school

Wednesday 31st May to Friday 2nd June: Grade 3 Camp A (3A, 3B, 3G)

Monday 5th to Wednesday 7th June: Grade 3 Camp B (3C. 3D, 3J)

Wednesday 7th to Friday 9th June: Grade 3 Camp C (3E, 3F, 3H and 3I)

Monday 12th June: Queen’s birthday (public holiday)Friday 30th June: Last day of term 2

Dare to be Wise,

Georgia Bell, Jaymee Stigwood and Suzi KoneskiActing Leading Teacherson behalf of the Grade 2/3 Mini School

11

News from Year 4

It is a very exciting time for Year 4’s as camp has been officially booked and all activities finalised! All students have now been given final payment notes outlining the complete list of activities along with payment plan options. We encourage all families to consider sending their children to camp, as it is an excellent chance for your child to develop their independence and step out of their comfort zone. If you haven’t yet paid your deposit, please see the office staff as soon as possible to ensure your child doesn’t miss out.

Year 4 students are drawing a close on their second unit of inquiry for the year. Students have been busy researching and investigating into a natural phenomenon of their choice and are in the final stages of publishing their own explanation texts as their final assessment piece. Next week, students will begin their third unit of inquiry, under the Transdisciplinary Theme, ‘Sharing the Planet’. Within this inquiry, students will be given the opportunity to explore human rights and investigate whether or not they believe everyone in the world is treated equally.

Report writing time is now in full-swing for teachers. This is a time for both teachers and students alike to reflect on their learning and begin to set goals ready for next semester. Students are continuing to show commitment as they put together their portfolios to showcase work they wish to share during 3-way conferences later this term. Please keep an eye out over the coming weeks for more information on dates and times for your child’s 3-way conferences.

12

News from Year 5

The Year 5 students have just begun their third Unit of Inquiry for the semester. Our transdisciplinary theme is ‘Sharing the Planet’ with the Central Idea ‘Conflict Challenges Humankind’. In this unit, our lines of inquiry will be:

• The different types of conflict.• Dealing with conflict - social,

physical, online.

• The positive and negative impacts of conflict.

The unit began with a humorous animation about animals facing conflict when trying to cross a suspension bridge. Along with this, the classes started their Patricia Polacco book study, ‘Bully’ about conflict in a school setting.

The students then unpacked the central idea and lines of inquiry together and the students wrote their first thoughts and wonderings about the unit content.

Here are some examples of what some of the students in 5A produced:

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News from Year 6

New Unit Of InquiryAs we wind down our unit of inquiry into ‘Sharing the Planet’, The Year Six team is shifting its focus away from long-term impacts of environmental, political, social and economic decisions. We are now shifting our focus entirely to look within ourselves for our new unit of inquiry into the transdisciplinary theme, ‘How We Express Ourselves. For this unit, our central idea is, ‘Art is connected to emotion and can be interpreted in many ways’. All Year Six students will be looking at the many forms artistic expression and the way in which they can be used to express relatable emotions. As a provocation for this thinking, the students went to the school theatre to watch ‘Inside Out’. The film helped to prompt students’ thinking about complex emotions and the way in which they affect our thoughts and actions.

Year Six Polo ShirtsThe traditional Year Six polo shirts have arrived and are being worn with pride and school spirit. Students may wear the polo on Tuesdays and Fridays to coincide with Year Six Leadership and 5/6 sport.

Athletics DayOur students will be competing in the senior school athletics day on Wednesday 31st of May. They have been assigned their events and will all earn points for their house.

House CupOur Year Six captains have been facilitating the organization of a ‘capture the flag’ competition at lunch times this week. The winning house will be awarded the house cup at next week’s timetable assemblies.

New Units in Literacy and NumeracyThis week, all Year Six students are beginning to inquire into narrative writing in literacy and three-dimensional measurement and angles in numeracy. This week, students will be setting independent goals for improvements in these areas with the help of their teachers

Robotics and Coding

During Maths workshops this

week, Yara used the Blue-Bots

when adding and subtracting whole

numbers.

During Coding Leadership class, Jack worked cooperatively with Kirtiq to help him understand how to programme the robot.

During Coding Leadership class, Arsh used the Tickle App to programme and code the Dash and Dot to follow a set of instructions.

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL’S SUMMARY

International perspective: A driving force behind the PYP is the philosophy of international mindedness. The IB’s mission statement strives to nurture young people who recognize that they are global citizens and who are motivated to make changes to and in the world.

Integrated: the subject areas of maths, language, science, social studies, information technology, the arts, physical education and library are taught through transdisciplinary themes in order to help students make connections between the subjects, thereby facilitating more effective learning.

Individualised: Teaching and Learning is differentiated for individual student’s needs. Students are asked to make connections between life in school, life at home and life in the world. These connections contribute to the development of the attitudes that contribute to international mindedness.

The PYP fosters the development of thinking, communication, socializing, research and self-management skills. Students are encouraged to put what they have learned into practice through service to the school community, the local community and the global community.

The PYP provides a curriculum framework of 5 essential elements:

Knowledge- content in math, language, social studies, science and the arts

Concepts- important ideas that have universal significance regardless of time or place within and across disciplines. Concepts are presented in the forms of questions that drive the inquiry.

Skills- specific capabilities in thinking, social interactions, communication, self-management, and research

Attitudes- dispositions, values, beliefs and feelings towards learning

Action- Making changes to and in the world.Your child’s journey of understanding the PYP framework will continue, as will your own as supportive and involved parents and guardians. As ever, we are all life-long learners.

NAPLANThis week we have been having a whole school conversation about our vision, ethos, values and beliefs here at Alamanda College. As many of you already know, the school has grown rapidly in size, and therefore

it is sometimes difficult to develop a sense of community around what it means to be an educated IB Learner in our school environment and beyond.

Our College currently has an enrolment of approximately 2100 students from many different nationalities and cultures. With such a diverse population, it is great that we can develop an understanding of the perspectives of children from different backgrounds and learn to function in a multicultural and multi-ethnic environment. Yet, as we become more diverse, demands increase to find the most effective ways to help all students succeed academically, as well as learn to get along with each other. Therefore, as a school community, it is now more important than ever, that we, as adults, lead by example. We need to create a positive environment where we model to our children how to behave in a positive and kind manner, and to be respectful and caring citizens of our community/world, who have empathy and are tolerant of each other’s differences. We need to teach our students to be proactive rather than reactive, and solve problems in a respectful and considerate manner. We embody what we want the next generation to become.

It was a deliberate decision to choose the IB’s PYP as a platform to base our work and our culture around. In today’s world, we understand the importance of developing students’ academic, social and emotional wellbeing, focusing on international-mindedness and strong personal values. The PYP nurtures independent learning skills, encouraging every student to take responsibility for their learning. This will encourage them to continue their learning long after they have left our school community, making them productive, successful and kind citizens of our world. The programme incorporates local and global issues into the curriculum, which we know is so important given the easy access we now have to news and information from around the globe.

What is PYP?The IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) is the first curriculum framework for international primary schools, designed for students aged three to ten (grades preschool through five). Through both the curriculum and teaching pedagogy it aims to develop the intellectual, emotional and physical potential of each child, in a secure and stimulating environment.

Alamanda College

Jackie Daniali Assistant Principal for Years 4, 5 & 6

Specialist Subjects

LOTE News

What an exciting last two weeks we have had in LOTE! All of the students have continued their learning with an open mind and an enthusiasm and commitment that has been wonderful to see.

Prep students have been working hard to develop and consolidate their knowledge of family members as they begin to conclude their unit. They have thoroughly enjoyed learning the family song, using the sentence starter ‘我爱我

的’(I love my) to describe their feelings,

Some year levels are beginning to finish our first piece of artwork for this Term, we have been focusing on setting clear of objectives and scaffolding the students knowledge in preparation for the end of the unit. It’s been really great to see the children being able to reflect upon their learning and talk about what they know, understand and are able to do. Using their new knowledge of artists and art styles, students have been able to articulate their learning through the Seesaw app, allowing them to write, record or draw their reflections.

These pieces will be on display during our 3 way conferences at the end of the Term.

Art News

Chinese Zodiac animals. Students can correctly identify the order of the Zodiac animals and have been working hard to practise communicating each of the animals using the correct Chinese pronunciation.

Grade 3 students have shown a high level of curiosity during this term’s unit of Chinese inventions. Having completed their PicCollage about gunpowder, students went on to learn about the compass – another Chinese invention that changed the world. They demonstrated great enthusiasm and cooperation when creating their very own leaf compass during class. Although many students encountered some difficulties during the simple experiment, it was amazing to see their determination and perseverance. As thinkers, they reviewed the steps to create the compass and continued to try for success.

It’s great to see students continuing to develop all aspects of the learner profiles as they continue in their Chinese learning. As always, they have been open-minded to practising and improving their pronunciation of the different Chinese vocabulary associated with their unit, and are involved in all learning tasks.

and adding actions to differentiate between the different family members. Having learnt about ‘家’, they have been busy demonstrating their independence and creativity by decorating the ‘roof’.

In the Grade 1 classrooms, students have been busy creating their Chinese Zodiac wheels. As inquirers, they have identified which animal year they are born in, and are eager to use their Zodiac wheels to help their family members and friends discover their

Specialist SubjectsCongratulations to our very talented and enthusiastic young performers from Timetable B. Select Instrumental Music Students entertained family and friends at our Beethoven & Beyond Concert held in the Theatre on Friday the 12th of May. It was great to see our committed Rockin’ Recorders also opening the event with “Cage Full of Blues”.

Our next event for Timetable C will be coming up soon. Stay tuned for more information.

Happy music making to all of our creative budding musicians.

 

 

 

 

 

   Coming  soon!!!  Closet  Cleanout  Drive…..  

With  Closet  Cleanout  Drive,  not  only  we  will  be  raising  funds  for  our  school,  but  will  also  be  supplying  affordable  clothing  to  those  in  need  and  helping  support  Red  Nose  

to  provide  safe  sleeping  education  and  continue  to  fund  vital  research.  

We  will  also  be  helping  the  environment  by  ensuring  unwanted  items  don’t  end  up  in  landfill.