Category: Assistant Principal

Introducing Our Education Support Team: Building a Strong Foundation for Student Success

From time to time we like to highlight various teams/work around the school. 

This week, we are thrilled to feature our dedicated Education Support Team, a group of passionate adults who are committed to nurturing the growth and development of our students both inside and outside the classroom. With the shared goal of fostering a positive and inclusive learning environment, our team works tirelessly to provide invaluable support during classroom instruction and playtime in the yard. We firmly believe that a strong foundation is key to every student’s success, and our team is here to ensure that no child is left behind.

On Monday 10^th July, Professional Practice Day, our ES team undertook learning about ‘High Impact Wellbeing Strategies’, and trauma-informed practice.  The learning, reflections and high-order discussions were impressive.  We have an amazing team here at Beacy!

In the classroom, our Education Support Team collaborates closely with teachers to create a dynamic and engaging learning environment. They assist in various aspects of classroom management, offering personalised attention to students who may require extra support or guidance. Whether it’s reinforcing lessons, facilitating group activities, or providing one-on-one assistance, our team members are committed to ensuring that every student can thrive academically, regardless of their unique learning needs.

During playtime in the yard, our Education Support Team takes on the crucial role of fostering social interaction, promoting inclusiveness, and ensuring the safety of all students. They actively engage with the children, encouraging them to develop essential social skills, resolve conflicts peacefully, and embrace the joy of cooperative play. By actively supervising and participating in recreational activities, our team members create an environment where students feel supported, respected, and empowered to explore their interests and build friendships.

At the heart of our Education Support Team’s work lies a deep belief in the potential of every student. They embrace diversity, recognising the unique strengths and challenges that each child brings to the learning community. With their unwavering dedication and unwavering commitment to student success, our team plays an integral role in creating a nurturing and enriching educational experience for all.

A big thanks to our dedicated ES team!

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Welcome back everyone to Term 3! Time is flying already as we are already two weeks into term. It has been great seeing students switch straight back into their routines and enjoy catching up with peers. Term 3 is a great term, where I find students have established how they work and operate in their classrooms and can really dig deeper into their thinking and learning.

There has been so many things happening already this term, such as celebrating NAIDOC week, HoopTime basketball and the Grade 5/6 attending the Division Winter Lightning Premiership. With lots more events planned for this term and the rest of the year, it is a great opportunity to engage students in a variety of aspects of learning and experiences.

Professional Practice Day

On Monday last week, teachers held their Professional Practice Day. It was an excellent opportunity for teachers to dive deeper into aspects of their teaching. Teams met and had professional conversations around evidence-based strategies to improve their teaching and the learning opportunities for their students. We thank parents and carers for supporting these days as they provide our teachers with invaluable time to work on their craft.

Amazing State Cross Country Achievement

A huge congratulations to Kai C for representing our school at the state level for cross country. Kai’s favourite part was that he got to test himself against the top 100 runners in the state, where he finished in 42^nd place. What an achievement! He found that the hardest part was the course. There was a massive hill and there were sections of the course that was thick sludgy mud so you couldn’t run at full speed. People were slipping over and coming back covered in mud. Well done Kai, we are all very proud of you.

I hope you are all staying warm and dry on these cold wintery days. I’m sure Mrs Inglis is thinking of us all while she is watching cricket in the European heat wave. But I do know she is missing seeing everyone and is looking forward to sharing about all her amazing adventures when she is back in week 4.

Enjoy your weekend and we will see you all ready to roll for week 3!

Mr Buckingham

We have come to the end of another semester and what a success it has been. It’s great to see students excelling in their work and taking risks in their learning. I could say the same for our teachers with their amazing work on developing new Core Literacy routines and procedures as well as some deeper learning into Disability Inclusion.

One of the other pieces of learning being undertaken by a few staff members is a Leading Mathematics course through the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership. This course is getting us to unpack our practices and look for areas for further growth and improvement.

I would like to share with you one of the articles from the course that I feel may assist you helping with mathematics at home. Many parents ask and are looking for ways to help their children with Mathematics but worry about their own confidence and experiences with maths in school.

Below is an article by Doug Clarke, a professor at Australian Catholic University (Melbourne). Doug has worked in classrooms and has a passion in the mathematics education space, working with students, teachers and parents. In his article, Doug unpacks some general principles about helping your children and provides some practical suggestions of what this might look like.

How to help your children with maths

By Doug Clarke

Unlike secondary school, there’s not much research evidence that “traditional” homework (doing more class work, finishing work set at school) makes much difference to student achievement in primary school. However, where homework is focused on family activities, children do much better at school.

Build on success

Create the impression that learning mathematics well is desirable. Encourage effort and help your children see errors as part of the learning process.

Let them work things out

People learn, not so much by being told things, as by working things out for themselves and linking new ideas to ideas they already have. You can help by asking your children questions, letting them work out answers for themselves, and then discussing their answers and strategies with them.

Be patient

Children need time to think and time to answer. When asking your children questions or talking to them about mathematics, give them time. Be patient. Also, explain to older children that they need to give younger siblings time to answer questions, rather than always answering for them.

Talk about it

Encourage children to talk. Talking about mathematics is an effective way of learning, especially when a mathematical situation arises naturally.

Speak the language

Use mathematical words when you describe things. For example, instead of saying “the big red bucket”, you might say “the 10-litre bucket”. Instead of saying “the large packet of rice”, you might say “the 2-kilogram packet of rice”.

Don’t rush

There is no hurry. Children develop their mathematics skills gradually and there is no urgency about developing any particular skill. It’s necessary to work progressively on helping them to learn mathematics. Start now, but there is no need to accelerate your child’s development.

10 practical ideas to help your children with mathematics

Over the years, I have had the chance to facilitate parent evenings, where parents share the kinds of things they do with their children to support the learning of mathematics, and I share a few of my ideas.

Some of these ideas are more suited to younger children, and others to upper primary. As you read this, you may find you are already doing many of these things.

1. (For younger children) Count steps when you go up or down them. Ask your child to set the table, working out how many knives, forks, cups, chopsticks, etc are needed. Talk about longer and shorter, lighter and heavier. Identify shapes in the environment.

2. When you have a calculation to do, ask your child, “How would you work this out?” (67 per cent of all calculations adults do are in the home, so there are many opportunities for this.)

3. Talk to children about today’s date, find upcoming birthdays on the calendar, and ask them questions about how long till bedtime and how long until their birthday, and encourage them to read both analogue and digital clocks.

4. In the supermarket: when in line at the deli, ask how many more people until it’s your turn. Ask them to collect the 2L milk carton or the 1kg bag of rice. Encourage them to work out which has the better value out of the large and small packets of laundry detergent.

5. Use a height measurer marked in centimetres for children to keep track of their height, and encourage them to measure things at home, like spacing seedlings when planting in the garden and weighing ingredients during cooking.

6. When travelling, encourage children to be in charge of maps; calculate times and distances; and use the language of north and south-west. When out walking, notice the patterns of house numbers and predict the next house number.

7. Use jigsaw puzzles, card games, monopoly, spatial puzzles and so on. These all help to develop mathematical capability.

8. It is helpful for children to get practice at remembering numbers and other information. Encourage them to learn their address, the phone numbers of their parents, your car registration numbers, birth dates of all the family and so on.

9. Give children a pile of loose change and encourage them to count the total, discussing the different ways of doing this, and ask “How much more to make $10?”

10. At big sporting events, ask children to estimate the crowd. When travelling, estimate how much petrol will cost when filling up, or how long to get to a destination.

It’s my hope that you’ll see many of these ideas as easily implemented in everyday situations. Good luck!

Doug Clarke

Hopefully there are a few takeaways from the above article of things that maybe you are already doing or things that you could add to your routines to support your children in developing their mathematical skills and knowledge.

You can find the full article via the below weblink.

https://www.abc.net.au/education/how-to-help-your-children-with-maths/13676330

I wish Mrs Inglis a lovely break over in Europe and I look forward to taking on the Acting Principal role next term for the first 3 weeks. (Not that I’m counting)

Enjoy your break over the Winter holidays. Stay safe and warm and we look forward to seeing everyone back in Term 3.

Mr Buckingham

Promoting Self-Confidence and Wellbeing in Your Child
As your children grow up and navigate the world around them, it’s important to promote their wellbeing and self-confidence. Here are some tips to help you support your primary school-age children:

1. Encourage positive self-talk: Help your children develop a positive inner voice by praising their efforts and accomplishments, and reminding them of their strengths and abilities.
2. Foster healthy habits: Encourage your children to eat a balanced diet, get enough sleep, and engage in regular physical activity. These habits can help improve their mood and overall wellbeing.
3. Teach problem-solving skills: Help your children develop problem-solving skills by encouraging them to think through challenges and come up with solutions on their own. This can help build their confidence and resilience.
4. Nurture their interests: Support your children’s interests and hobbies, and provide opportunities for them to explore new ones. This can help them develop a sense of identity and purpose, and boost their self-esteem.
5. Celebrate their uniqueness: Help your children embrace their individuality by celebrating their differences and encouraging them to be true to themselves. This can help them feel more confident and comfortable in their skin.

By promoting wellbeing and self-confidence in your children, you can help set them on a path to success and happiness. Remember, your support and encouragement can make all the difference!

Leave
Speaking of wellbeing, I have decided to take a 5-week long service leave break to prioritise my personal needs/wants. During this time, I will spend quality time with my loved ones, study, go fishing and unwind. I eagerly anticipate this break and will return at the end of the term. In my absence, Cara Trott will be temporarily taking on some of my responsibilities.

Working in Teams

One of the things we are very proud of at Beaconsfield Primary is the way our students and teachers work in groups and teams to achieve amazing results. We like to work in all different ways at school and students are given opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills through a range of experiences.  

The power of students working in groups is immeasurable. When students collaborate on a task or problem, they bring together their unique strengths and knowledge to create something that builds on from their previous thinking. Group work allows students to develop important communication and social skills such as active listening, compromising, and respectful disagreement. It also fosters creativity and critical thinking as students bounce ideas off of each other and challenge each other’s perspectives. Overall, the power of students working in groups lies in the potential for them to learn from and support each other, while producing high-quality work.

Our teachers benefit from working in the same way. These are called Professional Learning Communities. When teachers work together in Professional Learning Communities, they develop a sense of collective efficacy. They recognize that their individual efforts are part of a larger group that is working towards a common goal. This shared goal can be focused on improving student learning outcomes, increasing teacher effectiveness, or developing new instructional strategies. When teachers have a strong sense of collective efficacy, they are more likely to take risks, share ideas with their colleagues, and collaborate on curriculum development. This approach ultimately results in better student outcomes and a more effective teaching community.

Beaconsfield Primary was recognised by the Department of Education as an exemplar school in Professional Learning Communities. We have spent the last three years sharing our experiences and having schools visit to see our amazing teachers in action. We are very proud of them.

Tyson Buckingham

Assistant Principal

What a fabulous start to school we have had.  Our children seem to have settled so well into their 2023 classes.  Be prepared though, as we get through February, history shows that our children start to get a little tired.  They have been settling into new routines, meeting new friends and adults, and hot weather can also affect sleeping patterns.  For our new Prep students, school days can be exhausting.  Take this into account when organising extra curricula activities this term, and don’t forget to pencil in some down time for your family.

Parenting Ideas
Looking for parenting ideas and help?  Let’s admit it, parenting can be really hard sometimes.  We are here to help or point you in the right direction when things get tough.  Sometimes it helps just to have someone listen.  Our newsletter blog, does house some really helpful articles written by professionals in the field.  Go to the menu and look at the Parenting Ideas there.  Scroll through the articles to see what is of interest.  We also have access from time to time to some really helpful webinars.  Keep your eye on the Sentral Parent app for updates.

Our newsletter blog also has articles about cyber safety.  No matter how young your children are, we strongly encourage all of our families to stay abreast of the latest in cybersafety.  Tara Costello in her Digitech classes, has been discussing some very important issues in regards to cyber safety. She has also sent out links to some excellent webinars for parents. We strongly suggest that you take the time to participate in the webinars. (esafety.gov.au/parents/webinars)

Not all classes will do Digitech this semester.

Blogs
Don’t forget also subscribe to our class blogs to ensure that you are kept up to date on all of the latest news in the classrooms.  Click on the ‘Subscribe Now’ link and enter your email address.  Be sure to check your junk mail, because we have found that for some people the emails end up in there.  If you are having any difficulties, just email the school and we will sort it for you.

Gr Prep https://blogs.beaconsfield.vic.edu.au/Preps/
Gr 1 http://blogs.beaconsfield.vic.edu.au/Grade1
Gr 2 http://blogs.beaconsfield.vic.edu.au/Grade2
Gr 3 http://blogs.beaconsfield.vic.edu.au/Grade3
Gr 4 http://blogs.beaconsfield.vic.edu.au/Grade4
Gr 5 http://blogs.beaconsfield.vic.edu.au/Grade5
Gr 6 http://blogs.beaconsfield.vic.edu.au/Grade6

Talking to your Kids
Ever asked your child what they did at school, and received the reply, “Nothing”?  Often our children can be tired, hungry or simply on ‘information overload,’ and don’t know what to share with you.  Sometimes they just don’t know where to start.

Why not try a new approach, with the following conversation starters.  Try to be more specific with your questions and you may find that you get a different response.  Sometimes thinking about a specific moment in the day, triggers a whole lot of memories that will be more easily shared.  Good luck!

What game did you play at recess?
Who do you remember seeing outside?
What did you read today?
What did you do in maths today?
What did you do well today in PE?
What does your classroom look like?
What is your favourite part of the classroom?  Why?
What did you like the best/least about today?

Remember it’s best not to turn it into an inquisition, just start with one or two questions and see what follows.

Have a great week!

Welcome everyone to 2021.  What an amazing start we have had – which is awesome after last year.  Welcome to all the new families that have joined our Beacy community. I hope everyone has had a smooth transition into or back into school.  If you are experiencing any difficulties with settling in or returning, please contact your child’s teacher to discuss.  We are here to support you and your child.

Whilst being onsite with the students and parents has been fabulous, the staff were so excited that we were able to hold a face-to-face staff meeting onsite.  During 2020, the staff only met on Zoom as a whole staff or in meeting groups.  Last week, we came together (1.5m apart) in the gym to see colleagues and participate in professional development.  Our emphasis will continue to be the wellbeing and engagement of our students and to utilise our Professional Learning Communities to investigate curriculum, student data and teacher practice to ensure the learning growth of all our students.  We will hold our next Curriculum Day on Tuesday 9^th March.  Students will not attend this day as our staff will be participating in professional learning.

Drop off and pick ups

We have had a few days of working within the new guidelines and negotiating the traffic changes.  I just wanted to highlight a couple of items to remember:

• Our school grounds are open from 8:30am.  Please do not bring children before this time.  On the one-off event that you are required to drop them off early, your child is to sit in the office foyer until 8:30am, that is when we have staff out in the yard for duty.  If you require more permanent arrangements before school, OSHClub are open before school from 6:30am.
• At the other end of the day, please do not enter the grounds until 3:15pm.
• The guidelines we emailed out last week are to manage the congestion of adults onsite.  If your child is able to walk into and out of school and meet you at your meeting place, this is encouraged.  If you are coming onsite, please limit it to one parent per family. 

We are appreciative of the efforts that everyone in the community is making to physical distance, not entering classrooms unless invited by the teacher and wearing masks when physical distancing is not possible.

Virtual Information Evening

Every year we hold an information evening for you to have an opportunity to hear from your child’s teacher and ask questions.  Our teams will be hosting a virtual information evening in a couple of weeks time.  The session will run for around 45 minutes.  There will be a presentation and an opportunity for you to ask questions.  We will also record the event and send it out to families.

The times are as follows:

Monday 15^th February

• 5:00pm Prep team
• 6:00pm Grade 1 team
• 7:00pm Grade 2 team

Tuesday 16^th February

• 6:00pm Grade 3/4 team  
• 7:00pm Grade 5/6 team

Information on how to join the event will be sent out in the next couple of days.

Whilst Gary is on leave, I feel very privileged to take on the role of Acting Principal to support our community into settling in 2021.  Linda Amos, Tyson Buckingham and I will continue to work as the leadership team to ensure the best needs of Beaconsfield Primary School community is met.

Have a great day,

Heidi Inglis