Focus Area Four Community Relationships

WHAT WE WILL DO: Actively engage as a member of the Esperance Regional Network

What Occurred in 2022:

Esperance PS offered many schools within the region professional learning and support through its TDS role in leading literacy and numeracy. This was mainly through its work in the Science of Reading, Talk for Writing, EDI and the requests for support with Spelling Mastery.

In working with the network, the school continues to provide rich data that allows for the tracking of students across NAPLAN Years 3 and 5 and determining who may be on track for WACE and ATAR pathways. Our EPS Principal provided support to the new Network Principal, Sasha Vooght-Simpson as she took over the role. Financial advice and a background on the Esperance Network Strategic Plan were the focus on the discussions and support.

Esperance PS led the regional PEAC, TAG and TOM initiatives for the year with Todd McElroy and Karl Gurney utilising the regional PEAC funding for the coordination of the PEAC programs, releasing of staff to provide the programs and resourcing the consumables for the program.

Recommendations for 2023

• Network Strategic plan to influence the Disciplined Dialogue for our staff – NAPLAN bands in Years 3 and 5 – are our students tracking well?

• Focus on supporting retention of our students from primary to secondary in public education.

• In 2023, Karl Gurney has been identified to coordinate the PEAC/TAGs program with a 0.2 funding allocation to the role.

WHAT WE WILL DO: Supporting SAER and TAG students

What Occurred in 2022:

School psychologist, Mrs Jessika Pokucinski together with LSC for 2022, Todd McElroy worked with the Principal to embed the school’s SAER policy. The policy based on the Response to Intervention Model explicitly documents the processes/practices required to access Student Services support and clearly articulates the provisions required for the SAER students.

Staff worked on confirmation of which students were truly an IEP student and those that should be placed on a GEP. This was done through the use of data, chiefly the PAT R and N early year assessments and focusing on students in the bottom 30th percentile.

Critical and creative thinking was once again offered to all students across Year 4-6 and this culminated in the selection of two Tournament of Mind (TOM) groups from our Year 5 and 6 student cohort. Mr Karl Gurney once again led the TOM teams and the Language and Literature team in the competition in Perth in September.

PEAC/TAGS programs contacted to be offered to students in Years 5 and 6 throughout Terms 2 – 4. These opportunities allowed for students to work cooperatively with students from other schools in the Esperance Network to continue to challenge and build their higher order thinking skills.