PARENT INFORMATIONPACKAGE
YEAR 3 2026
WELCOME MESSAGE
MRS TRACEY ROGERS HEAD OF PRIMARY
“You are here, and have come this far, which is a spectacular thing”
The Mole Always Remember Charlie Mackesy
A warm welcome to everyone as we begin our academic year for 2026. As the year commences, we naturally look ahead to what opportunities may arise and new goals that we might wish to achieve. This year, I was reminded by the quote above to think about how far we have come, both as a community and as individuals, and how in appreciating the journey so far, we can build on this in 2026 with a sense of confidence. Confidence that no matter the challenge, we can walk together as a community to overcome it, and confidence that so many opportunities will be taken up and great things achieved. What a wonderful mindset to commence a year with! In 2026, the School enters its final year of the current Strategic Plan and under the wise and kind leadership of our Principal, Mr Tim Russell, we are well-placed to begin collaboration and consultation on the direction of a new Plan.
More detail for parents regarding the current Strategic Plan and other relevant policies and information can be accessed through our school website using the link provided below.
Parents | John Wollaston Anglican Community School
Continuous improvement is a feature of how we work at JWACS. Over the summer break, in addition to all routine cleaning and maintenance, there have been some significant works undertaken. In particular, the final stage of the Kindergarten playground has been completed. This concludes upgrades to play spaces in the Primary areas, with Little Wollies, Kindergarten, Pre-Primary / Year 1 and Years 2-6 playgrounds all improved significantly over the last five years. We extend our gratitude to our Business Manager, Mr Derek Heatherly and the P&F for their support of this work. Last year we successfully completed our Evaluation through the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO). It was affirming that the Evaluation Team highlighted the very same strengths we know exemplify our community.
“A strong culture of community, inclusion, and compassion is evident throughout the school and underpins the work of all members of the John Wollaston community. These values, which are central to nurturing inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people, were consistently highlighted as a key strength by the Chair of the School Council, school leadership, staff, and parents, who collectively value and affirm the quality of education provided.” Evaluation Report, 2025
As we commence this year, we continue to focus on our programs offering a holistic approach, balanced between academia and wellbeing, explicit teaching approaches with inquiry learning to help our students have the very best opportunities to develop not only the skills, knowledge and understanding of the world but also the attributes that will enable them to live a full a meaningful life. I have included links below to some key websites that explain a little more about our approach here at JWACS.
Berry Street Education Model – Learning and Resources | Berry Street
International education - International Baccalaureate®
New Metrics | Melbourne Metrics
I look forward to sharing the year ahead with you!
Take care.
TRACEY ROGERS HEAD OF PRIMARY
WELCOME MESSAGE
MR GLYN TEAPE
DEPUTY HEAD OF PRIMARY
PRIMARY COORDINATORS
MS MELISSA CUMING
EARLY YEARS COORDINATOR
A warm welcome to all our families to the 2026 school year! I am looking forward to getting to know our new families and working with you all over the course of the year We have many events planned that provide opportunities for families to build connections with other families and for us to come together as a community My favourite day on the school calendar is Messy Mud Day because it is a day of fun and joy for the children and adults alike
My role as Early Years Coordinator encompasses pastoral care, curriculum and Early Years’ event organisation. This means I get to work with students, staff and families
each day Through this work, I support children and families as they navigate the beginning of their child’s schooling journey and the ups and downs of learning, friendships and wellbeing I work closely with staff to develop our programs and curriculum implementation through collaboration
I am a passionate advocate for Early Learning and ensuring that we get the best outcomes for our students through developmentally appropriate and evidence-based practices I am proud of the safe, inclusive and connected environment we have here at John Wollaston I love that we honour student agency in a play-based/inquiry-based learning environment where students are supported to take risks, whilst also receiving explicit instruction to develop key skills in literacy, numeracy and social skills
Outside of school, I love spending time with family and friends, supporting the Adelaide Crows during footy season, eating chocolate and drinking coffee. I also love being out in nature, reading and cooking.
This year, I am looking forward to continuing to build on the amazing things we have achieved so far
PRIMARY COORDINATORS
MRS SHEREE ZECCA
YEARS 3-6 COORDINATOR
I have had the privilege of working in the John Wollaston community for the last 18 years and am excited to embrace the opportunities that 2026 will bring
I am fortunate to work with the teaching staff within Years 3 to 6 to create a learning environment consistent with current best practice teaching and learning across all domains. A key focus is embedding our concept-based inquiry approach through the Primary Years Programme (PYP), while ensuring alignment with the WA Curriculum and strengthening our literacy and numeracy programs We aim to engage students as active learners and foster curiosity and independence.
Part of my role allows me to oversee the pastoral care and wellbeing of students as they move through the Primary School Collaborating with teachers, Primary Coordinators, and the Deputy Head of Primary, I provide extra care and support to students and families when needed
MRS SHELLY BROWN ACTING PRIMARY INCLUSIVE EDUCATION COORDINATOR
MS GABRIELLA SLATTERY PRIMARY INCLUSIVE EDUCATION COORDINATOR
PRIMARY SPECIALIST TEAM
This is my 11th year teaching as an Art Specialist. When I was at school my favourite learning area was always art and I loved doing extra art classes during school holidays. Nowadays, I love learning about art from different countries and cultures when I travel. It’s very exciting to find inspiration and connect this to what I teach. In my free time, I really enjoy attending art workshops, doing yoga, and spending time with my family and friends. As an artist, I enjoy creating my own drawings, prints and clay artworks inspired by my walks in Australian nature and my travels.
All students from Years 2 to Year 6 participate in Visual Art lessons with me for one hour a week. During this time, students learn how to create 2D and 3D artworks and develop their skills in the areas of drawing, painting, collaging, sewing, and sculpting from clay or wire. As students go through the process of designing and producing artworks, they learn how to problem-solve, remain open minded, and reflect on their ideas and abilities. We love learning about art from different cultures, countries as well as historical and contemporary artists to gain inspiration for our artworks and practice sharing our feelings and opinions. The Art Room is the perfect place to take safe risks, build your self-confidence and discover just how creative you are.
I am really looking forward to participating in the Armadale Arts Festival 2026 and working with a group of students to create an art installation from natural materials. I am also very excited about the annual Art Exhibition because it’s such a wonderful chance to showcase the talent of the John Wollaston students.
Music and Visual Art are my favourite subject areas due to the endless opportunities they provide to develop creativity and curiosity, as well as offering children additional ways for both selfexpression and the communication of their ideas My ‘maker’ spirit extends well beyond the classroom and I spend most of my spare time making jewellery, home décor, toys, clothing or furniture. My favourite artistic canvas, however, is my garden, where I combine the elements of art and design to create beautiful, evolving spaces
PRIMARY SPECIALIST TEAM
MRS HAYLEE GODFREY
Digital Technology Specialist Teacher
Digital Technology Specialist Teacher
MRS LOUISE COOK
PRIMARY SPECIALIST TEAM
MISS HOLLIE BURBAGE Music Specialist Teacher
This is my eighth-year teaching Music at JWACS. I am passionate about all areas of the performing arts, including dance and drama I play piano, violin, guitar and more, however my favourite instrument is my voice! I love to sing In 2026, I am looking forward to sharing more live student performances with the school community, and as always, continuing to foster in my students a love and appreciation of music.
Music at JWACS is a singing-based program inspired by the Kodály approach Each lesson is designed as a holistic experience to develop the whole person by enriching the heart, mind, body and soul Students will develop a range of musical skills including listening, reading, writing, performing, creating, and improvising. Over the course of their Primary years, students will explore a range of musical genres including classical, folk, rock, blues, film, and hip hop They will engage in teamwork through song games, movement routines and folk dances In addition to finding their singing voice, students will learn to play a variety of instruments including percussion, xylophone and ukulele.
Students also have the opportunity to build their ensemble skills through Choir (Years 3-6), Music Theatre Club (Year 5-6), Rock Band (Years 4-6) and string ensemble These groups perform throughout the year at various school and community events
MRS HEIDI CRAWFORD Languages Specialist Teacher
I enjoy watching football and going to Fremantle games, spending time with my family, photography and travelling to new places.
I am passionate about making learning accessible and enjoyable for every student Early Years classes take a play-based learning approach and I enjoy finding new ways to use technology across all year levels. Students are able to use their agency to assist me in setting up our Japanese inquiry for the year and we explore classroom inquiries from a Japanese perspective where an authentic link is possible
I’m looking forward to more opportunities for the Upper Primary and ELC students to learn from each other, as this are always a highlight in our year!
PRIMARY SPECIALIST TEAM
When I’m not at school, you’ll usually find me volunteering, playing volleyball, spending time with my dogs, out at the beach or in the bush I volunteer with my local bushfire brigade, which I absolutely love I struggle to sit still, so I’m always on the go and often hard to track down!
In Physical Education (PE), our focus is on creating lifelong lovers of movement by introducing students to a wide range of sports through the PE program, KIDDO, Clubs, and the Sporting Schools program We aim to provide an inclusive environment where students feel safe to try new things, make mistakes, and celebrate success at their own level
One of the biggest highlights each year is the House reveal after every carnival. I love planning the reveal with Miss Ellis in the most exciting way possible.
In 2026, I’m excited to watch students’ passion for sport continue to grow and to support them as they develop a broad and confident skill set
When I am not teaching sport, I enjoy playing sport My favourite sports are netball, water polo and tennis. In my down time, I enjoy spending time with my family, taking my daughters to the beach or the river, stand up paddle boarding, going for bike rides, anything outdoors!
In Physical Education (PE) we have a strong focus on learning through play All sporting skills are taught in game-based activities where students enjoy playing games and learning skills in a variety of ways. Gone are the days of the old skills drills. This is especially evident in Cross Country Practice where students play a lot of high intensity interval (HIIT) games and activities rather than running laps
The House reveal after each carnival is a huge highlight for me too! Just like Ms Fowler, I too am always in the winning House.
In 2026, I am excited to see students grow in their interactions as individuals, through participation in PE
PRIMARY SPECIALIST TEAM
This is my tenth year at John Wollaston, and I’m thrilled to be a Primary Learning Enrichment Teacher for 2026 I’m passionate about supporting students to achieve their learning goals and I’m excited to continue making a positive impact in our school community
Outside of the classroom, I love staying active whether it’s running along the beach or stand-up paddleboarding. I also enjoy spending time with my teenage son, who has turned me into a proud basketball supporter, Go Wildcats!
I’m looking forward to another year of collaborating with the wonderful team at JWACS, creating new memories and watching students continue to grow in their learning journey.
My name is Karen Ayres and I am one of the Learning Enrichment teachers working in the Primary School I am fortunate to have had a long association with John Wollaston both as an educator and as a parent. Both my children attended John Wollaston from Kindergarten to Year 12 and remember their time at the School with fondness.
In my career I have had a wide variety of teaching and administrative roles, and I am thrilled to be working in the Primary School, teaching literacy support with students from Pre-Primary to Year 3. I am passionate about finding creative ways to support and enhance student learning and am looking forward to working and having fun with the Primary students. In my free time I love reading, watching great movies, going for walks and spending time with my family and friends I also enjoy learning new things and being helpful to others
PRIMARY SPECIALIST TEAM
I enjoy spending time with my family and going to my weekly yoga sessions. I love to cook and bake in my spare time. I grew up on a farm in South Africa so being outdoors and gardening is something I try to do as often as possible
I am passionate about supporting students in their reading journey I believe that every student should have the opportunity to succeed in their learning. I pride myself on making all students feel welcome and respected in my classroom.
I am looking forward to teaching Pre-Primary to Year 3 this year in the Blue Wren classroom and developing some passionate readers
YEAR 3 TEACHERS
MRS FAYE MEDWAY
After majoring in Psychology and Linguistics at UWA, I completed my Graduate Diploma in Education in 2005 and have been part of the John Wollaston community in various roles since 2006. In 2008, I volunteered in a rural South African school an experience that was especially meaningful to me as South Africa is my birthplace and giving back to that community was something important I wanted to do
I am now the proud mum of two boys who also attend John Wollaston and our family feels deeply connected to the School community. I am excited to be returning to Year 3, where I previously taught for seven years before going on maternity leave in 2016
I am passionate about building strong relationships with the students in my care and working closely with their families to support their learning and wellbeing. I’m very much looking forward to a wonderful year ahead back in the Bilby class
This year marks my fourth at John Wollaston, and I feel very fortunate to be teaching Year 3 once again Our school has such a wonderful community, and I’m excited to get to know each of my students and their families as we begin this new journey together.
Outside of school, I’m a proud parent of two children my son is in Year 8 and my daughter is in Year 5 As a family, we love travelling and exploring new places, especially around Western Australia There is always so much to discover, and I look forward to hearing all about the adventures and holiday experiences my students have enjoyed too.
I’m truly excited for the year ahead and all the learning, growth, and fun it will bring
MS SHANNON AKERS
YEAR 3 EDUCATION ASSISTANTS
MISS COURTNEY GREEN
This is my fourth year at John Wollaston, and I absolutely love being part of such a warm, passionate, and enthusiastic school community It is an incredibly inclusive environment, and I value the strong sense of belonging shared by students, staff and families.
I bring nine years of experience as an Early Childhood Educator in a daycare setting, where I developed a deep passion for supporting children in their milestones, learning, wellbeing, and personal growth. I am committed to helping students feel welcomed, included, respected, and supported, both inside and outside the classroom. Seeing students shine in all aspects of their school life and personal life is what motivates me every day.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time outdoors, going on camping adventures, and spending time with my family and friends
MS RACHAEL MAYNE
Along with parenting three children aged 12, 10 and 7, I am a mature age student working towards a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Primary) I can empathise with the students as I draw on my own experience with developing study skills and habits, persevering when things get hard and celebrating little wins
My strengths are showing warmth and enthusiasm to all children and ensuring that they feel valued and included
I am looking forward to working alongside the amazing teaching staff and Education Assistants in Year 3.
IB LEARNER PROFILE
SUPPORTING YOUR LEARNER
YEAR 3 PROGRAMME OF INQUIRY 2026
In 2023, staff were trained in the Concept-Based Inquiry (CBI) model and we began to review our PYP Programme of Inquiry to ensure there was alignment to updated curriculum expectations from the State Curriculum Standards Authority (SCSA) and to updated programs that we use within the Primary School. It is also a wonderful opportunity to ensure that each unit provides a rich learning opportunity in relation to knowledge, skills and understandings. Some units of inquiry will continue to be rewritten over the course of 2025. We are working with Rachel French at Professional Learning International (creator of CBI) to guide our ongoing work in this area.
You will find below an overview of the units of inquiry for this year group. It allows you to see which subjects will be included in each unit of inquiry and when it will be taught over the course of the year. All educators in Primary are contributing to the ongoing programme review across 2025, and as such, some areas will be subject to change. We thank you for your support whilst we do this important work.
Welcome to Year 3 2026. We are very excited to welcome the Bilbys and Kookaburras into our classes and are looking forward to a wonderful and busy year.
SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL CONSIDERATIONS IN YEAR 3
In this age group children want to be independent, but family relationships are still the most important influence on their development.
You can expect sophisticated play, stronger friendships, tricky emotions, improved thinking and physical skills, and more.
A positive relationship with you directly and positively affects your child’s mental health
Here are ideas to promote your child’s mental health and wellbeing through a loving and supportive relationship:
Tell your child that you love them, no matter what. You can also show love through your body language and nonverbal communication – for example, making eye contact, giving a hug or smiling at your child.
Use a positive, constructive and consistent approach to guide your child’s behaviour
This means giving your child praise and attention when they behave well, rather than negative consequences when they behave in challenging ways
Make time each day to talk and listen to your child. If your child wants to talk, try to stop what you’re doing and give them your full attention.
Enjoy time with your child doing activities they like. This could be reading together, kicking a ball, drawing, playing board games and so on.
Have regular family meals Eating together can strengthen your relationship with your child, give your child a sense of stability and connectedness, and have a positive effect on their development It might also encourage your child to eat well too
Work on positive ways to solve problems and manage conflict between you and your partner, with your child and among other family members.
Encourage your child to connect with others in the community – for example, waving and chatting to neighbours, attending local festivals or helping out at a community garden This gives your child a stronger sense of their place in the world and helps them learn how to relate to different people
Students at this age experience all sorts of emotions as part of growing up – fear, disappointment, sadness, anxiety, anger, joy, hope and so on. When children cope with big emotions or calm themselves down in difficult or emotional situations, they’re likely to feel good about themselves.
Here are ways you can help your child learn to manage emotions:
Talk about emotions with your child and encourage them to recognise and label their emotions. You can also let your child know that it’s natural to have all sorts of feelings. For example, ‘It looks like you’re really frustrated that your toy won’t work. I can understand that’.
Role-model a positive outlook for your child – for example, ‘Running all the way around the oval looks hard, but I think I can do it if I take it slow and steady’, or ‘I’m disappointed that my cake didn’t cook properly, but that’s OK – I’ll try it again another time’
Support your child when something is bothering them. For example, if your child is having trouble with friends at school, you could give your child plenty of hugs and reassure them that you’re there for them. And you could work with the teacher on a plan to handle the situation.
Help your child learn to manage small worries so they don’t become big problems. You can do this by gently encouraging your child to do things they’re anxious about instead of avoiding scary situations. For example, ‘Have you thought about trying out for the school choir?
YEAR 3 2026
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Berry Steet Model
The Berry Street model is a whole school initiative used here at JWACS to create safe, engaging learning environments. Some strategies used in the classroom include morning circles for reflection, regular movement / brain breaks and group games
Friendology
Students undertake a series of lessons to help develop positive relationships among their peers. They learn how to better understand the feelings of others and build a range of conflict-resolution strategies. These programs help foster respectful communication.
KIDDO
4 weekly sessions designed to help students keep active and develop their teamwork and gross motor skills in a fun and inclusive way. Activities cater for all student abilities.
ENGLISH
Speaking and Listening
Students interact with others, and listen to and create spoken and/or multimodal texts, including stories. They contribute actively to class and group discussions, asking questions, providing useful feedback and making presentations. They relate ideas; express opinions, preferences and appreciation of texts; and include relevant details from learnt topics, topics of interest or texts They group, logically sequence and link ideas They use language features, including topic-specific vocabulary, and/or visual features and features of voice
Reading and Viewing
Students listen to, read, view and comprehend texts, recognising their purpose and audience They read texts that contain varied sentence structures, a range of punctuation conventions, and images that provide extra information They use phonic, morphemic and grammatical knowledge to read multisyllabic words with more complex letter patterns They read with fluency and phrasing, and use comprehension strategies to build literal and implied meaning, connecting ideas in different parts of a text. They describe how stories are developed through characters, settings and/or events. They identify how texts are structured and presented. They describe the language features of texts, topic specific vocabulary and literary devices, and how visual features extend meaning
Writing and Creating
Students understand how language can be used to express feelings and opinions on topics. They create written and/or multimodal texts, including texts to tell stories, inform, express opinions, explain and present arguments for audiences, relating ideas, including relevant details from learnt topics, topics of interest or texts. They use text structures, including simple paragraphs, and language features, compound sentences, topic-specific vocabulary and literary devices, and/or visual features They spell high frequency words and multisyllabic words with less common letter patterns using phonic and morphemic knowledge
YEAR 3 2026
In Year 3 student develop these skills through the following programs:
Talk 4 Writing
Talk 4 Writing uses speaking, reading, and imitation to build writing skills, helping children internalize language structures and patterns before they write, moving from 'talking the text' to independent writing through stages like Imitation, Innovation, and Invention It's a whole-school approach focused on making students confident readers, writers, speakers, and listeners by connecting oral language with written expression.
Sounds Write
Sounds-Write is a structured, phonics programme based on the Science of Reading It teaches explicitly the essential phonemic awareness skills and code knowledge needed for students to learn to read and spell
MATHEMATICS
By the end of the year:
Students demonstrate the behaviours of the proficiencies of Understanding, Fluency, Problem-solving and Reasoning in conjunction with year level content in routine situations They select from and use content and mathematically model situations to solve real-world problems in familiar contexts.
Students order numbers to at least four-digits. They represent and partition numbers, recall addition and subtraction facts to 20, recognise the relationship between addition and subtraction and use these to add and subtract two- and three-digit numbers Students recall multiplication facts of 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 and represent multiplication and division with arrays They create increasing and decreasing additive patterns Students represent the unit fractions and and recognise equivalent money values.
Students make and classify three-dimensional objects according to key features. They interpret simple maps and identify and compare angles in everyday situations Students measure and order length and capacity in metric units and compare the mass of objects to common benchmark weights They tell the time in minutes using analogue and digital clocks and describe duration in hours, minutes and seconds
Students identify possible outcomes of everyday events and repeated chance experiments. They collect categorical or discrete numerical data through observation or surveys and represent and interpret data in dot plots, tables and column graphs
Oxford Maths and Matific are used in Year 3 to help support our teaching of Mathematic concepts
TIMETABLE AND UNIFORM
BILBY & KOOKABURRA 2026
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
UNIFORM Formal Formal Formal Sport (Red Polo) Sport (House shirt)
SPECIALIST CLASSES Music Japanese Art Digital Technologies Physical Education
LIBRARY: Wednesday (odd weeks)
Please note: students need to provide a long-sleeved art shirt/ smock for their weekly Art lessons. Please make sure this is clearly named.
PRIMARY PHYSICAL EDUCATION 2026
Pre-Primary
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6
JWACS Inter-House Carnivals
Inter-School Carnivals
ENCOUNTERS
At John Wollaston we aim to develop the whole child from the early years. One means by which we do this is through structured Encounter experiences. The Encounter Program is unique to our school and offers important learning experiences for each year level which facilitate character development, resilience building and personal growth. Students enjoy the opportunity to test themselves in contexts outside the classroom in the company of their peers and the staff. For many students, the Encounter is the highlight of their year. This program undergoes ongoing review and is subject to change as we continue to look for areas to improve and refine.
PRE PRIMARY:
Kings Park
Focus: Exploration and risk taking
YEAR 1:
Perth Zoo
Focus: Resilience and sustainability
YEAR 2:
Rottnest
Focus: Independence and grit
YEAR 3:
Woodman Point
Focus: Teamwork and personal challenge
ENCOUNTERS
YEAR 4:
Race around the City
Focus: Navigation, life skills and independence
YEAR 5:
Swan Valley Adventure Camp
Focus: Risk taking, teamwork and relationships
YEAR 6:
Kerem Adventure Camp
Focus: Resilience, wellbeing through nature and conflict resolution
ASSEMBLIES, CHAPEL AND EVENTS
In 2026 we aim to have a balanced approach to gathering together in order to maximise the benefits of connectedness but also to protect valuable instructional time It is important that students can come together for a variety of purposes to build a sense of community, address issues as they arise, and allow for worship and celebration together
This year, Primary students will gather in the following ways: Weekly Chapel Services under the leadership of Rev Ruth. Year Level Meeting – fortnightly, under the leadership of Coordinators, Ms Mel Cuming and Mrs Sheree Zecca
Whole Primary Assemblies – twice a term in Terms 1, 2 and 3 with special end of year events, such as the Nativity, Valedictory and Exhibition and Praise and Thanksgiving. Whole School Services – such as Easter, Founders’ Day, and Gift of a Candle.
Parents are encouraged to attend Chapel Services, Whole Primary Assemblies and special events throughout the year. Please refer to the Whole School Calendar in SEQTA for dates, timing and location of these events.
The calendar is found on the portals page on your SEQTA, under 2026 JWACS Calendar, or on the School website under the Parents tab. Note: All dates correct at time of publishing. Events published in this calendar are subject to change.
COMMUNICATION
Timely, effective and courteous communication between home and school is most important when fostering positive relationships that support children as they journey through school. At John Wollaston, our key platform for communication is SEQTA. Through SEQTA you can access key information and communicate with staff from across the School as you need
Available on our website is the SEQTA Use and Etiquette Statement for Families, which outlines some of the expectations we have for all users of this platform. Most importantly, there is an expectation that all users have a 48-hour window to respond to any Direqt Message More urgent matters can be addressed by telephone contact I encourage families to read the document available at www jwacs wa edu au/policies
For students in Years 1-4, we utilise Seesaw to share children’s learning through a digital learning portfolio. On this platform, families can view, respond and keep up to date with their child’s learning. We ask that all users of Seesaw refrain from using this as a means of communication Please keep this to SEQTA
In Year 5 and 6, students begin to utilise the SEQTA Learn platform and will begin to develop their skills in accessing Direqt Message and assessment and feedback information. Through developing these skills in Upper Primary, students are then well prepared for the more the advanced use that will follow in the Secondary School
As always, you are welcome to touch base in person with staff Please bear in mind that there are often matters to attend to outside of class time, so a pre-arranged time to meet is always appreciated.
PASTORAL CARE FLOWCHART
Classroom Level
All low-level poor behaviour choices will be managed by class teachers in line with the Essential Agreement established at the commencement of the academic year. Steps will be put in place to support the child/ren as required. Class teachers will communicate any more serious or ongoing issues to parents / guardians.
Behaviours at this level may include, but are not limited to, being disruptive, not following instructions, answering back to staff, not working in alignment with the Essential Agreement.
Primary Coordinators
Ongoing concerns with behaviour are referred to the Early Years Coordinator, Years 3-6 Coordinator or Primary Inclusive Education Coordinator. The context, nature and seriousness of issues is established and the Coordinator will work with class teachers and student using a restorative approach to behaviour management.
Behaviours at this level may include, but are not limited to, persistent poor choices in class, swearing, disrespectful behaviour towards peers, escalating game play, rough conduct and not working in alignment with the Essential Agreement.
Communication with parents / guardians at this level will be maintained through SEQTA, the Student Diary or by telephone.
Deputy Head of Primary
Continuing behavioural concerns and behaviours of a more serious nature will be referred to the Deputy Head of Primary. At this level a meeting is arranged with parents / guardians, the class teacher, and Deputy Head of Primary to establish a restorative plan. If required, a referral to the School Counsellor or Chaplain may be appropriate. These referrals can only be made through the Deputy Head of Primary or Head of Primary.
Behaviours at this level may include ongoing inappropriate behaviour, deliberate physical aggression, theft, damage to property, derogatory or aggressive comments. After School Detentions may be issued as a consequence of these behaviours.
Head of Primary
Serious breaches of the Code of Conduct (e.g., violent behaviour, derogatory, offensives behaviour of sexist, sexual or racist nature, ongoing harassment or bullying) and failure to modify behaviours over time may result in suspension. Parents / guardians meet with the Head of Primary to establish/review the restorative plan. Suspensions can be either internal (student still attends school) or external. External suspensions require the approval of the Principal.
The Principal is the final arbiter on all matters pertaining to School Rules and Regulations.
CERTIFICATES
Valuing, Appreciating and Celebrating Learning – How it works
At JWACS we believe in using every opportunity to encourage students to aspire to be their best self. Our certificates are just one of the tools that members of our learning community can use to support and motivate our learners. Keeping the approach simple allows for great flexibility and adjustment to suit the age and stage of children as they progress.
What do our certificates look like?
Why these certificates?
Gratitude Certificates help promote a grateful mindset, but also actively encourage students to practise gratitude regularly. Gratitude Certificates can be given to any member of our community, from any member of our community, when the person’s efforts to make our school a great place have been noticed. It is anticipated that more Gratitude Certificates will be presented than Personal Best. How wonderful for the giver to be thinking about others in a positive way, and how special to receive a message of gratitude from a peer, teacher or parent!
Personal Best Certificates are to recognise when students have achieved a goal or made significant personal progress in some way. These can also be used for groups of students, such as a class, for working together to achieve a collective goal. The beauty of these certificates is that the goals can be highly personalised for different children. The ideal outcome is that we have students who are self-aware of their goals and can articulate and celebrate their own milestones – and not in comparison with others.
Who can award them?
In order to promote agency and recognise learning in an holistic way, all members of the school community can award these certificates. Personal Best Certificates have a place for a trusted adult to support the awarding of a certificate by a student. In our system, parents and guardians are empowered to play an active role in valuing, appreciating and celebrating children’s learning. Parents and guardians have great insight into their children’s goals, effort and development. By involving parents and guardians, we are supporting a holistic view of learning, valuing children’s efforts both in and outside the classroom.
To help clarify, I have created some examples : Student, Mary, has been trying to use capital letters in her writing properly for ages. Mary’s Mum has watched her spend a whole week at home editing her narrative until all of the capital letters were in the right place. Mary checks her work with Mum and is elated that she has done it! Mary and her Mum share this success back at school by completing a Personal Best certificate recognising her as principled and a thinker and posting it.
Head of Primary awards the Tadpole Class a Gratitude Certificate for their consistently tidy bag rack. Students, without teacher prompting, maintained this high standard throughout the Term. Through being principled, they have shown respect for the School and their belongings.
CERTIFICATES
Teacher, Mrs Smith, has been learning about fractions with her class. A pre-assessment and conversations with student, Danny have showed that this area of Mathematics is a struggle for him. Danny really wants to master this and over the next few weeks, works diligently and pushes himself to understand fractions better. Mrs Smith notices his willingness to communicate his struggles and take risks to further his learning. The post-assessment shows some growth for Danny in this area, but Danny feels a bit disheartened. Mrs Smith discusses this with Danny and together they celebrate his positive and proactive approach to learning. A Personal Best Certificate is awarded, and Danny begins to see that his attitude and effort are valued in learning as the Learner Profile attributes of risk-taker, communicator and thinker are celebrated. Dad, Peter, has noticed that his daughter Sara is struggling to get organised in the mornings for school and often results in them being late. Together, they put an organisational chart for the morning in place and set a goal to make it to school on time every day for a fortnight. In the first week, they struggle and are late to school a couple of times. They persist and trouble-shoot and after four weeks, they have made it to school on time for 10 days in a row. They celebrate by using a Personal Best Certificate for Sara, for being reflective, open-minded and principled. Sara also wants to thank her Dad for his support, so she completes a Gratitude Certificate for him!
What is the Learner Profile?
A handy one-pager is included in this information package. This explains the attributes of the Learner Profile for you to refer to. Linking these to actions through the certificates will help students' understanding and recognition of how they are developing as learners!
Why post them?
First and foremost, joy. The children enjoy being able to do something special with their certificates. Secondly, as teachers are not the only ones awarding certificates, they are not able to easily collate the Learner Profile attributes being recognised elsewhere. The Learner Profile attributes will be logged so that teachers can see what wonderful qualities are being developed in and out of school. This process will also help Primary Leadership gather some information about the level of engagement with the certificates across the School. Please see the Dos and Don’ts section below for a word on competition
Where do we get certificates from?
Certificates can be obtained from your child’s class teacher, or from Primary or ELC Reception.
Dos and Don'ts
Dos
Do get excited about the certificates and share your enthusiasm with your child. Do encourage your child to ask questions to help clarify how it works. Do engage with your child about what might be meaningful goals or gratitude.
Don’ts
Don’t get competitive. The fastest way to ruin this system is to compare how many certificates a student gets with another, whether in the same family, class or across year levels. This is not a competition. The number of certificates is not important.
Don’t hesitate to have-a-go. The more meaningful the goal for Personal Best Certificates, the more meaningful these will become for your child.
UNIFORM POLICY
In support of good habits, students in Primary School wear their hats to and from school every day, all year.
Clarification on common incorrect items.
Jewellery – The following images show the only acceptable earrings at JWACS.
– black, lace up school shoes are required (not skate shoes, Mary-Jane’s or black sneakers)
Sports shoes – must be predominantly white sports shoes, not boots or skate shoes.
Hair
Hair is expected to be clean, neat and out of the eyes. If the hair is collar length it must be tied back. Conservative styles are required. Razor cut designs and colourful extensions, or colours, are not acceptable. Please save these for the holidays.
Shoes
Formal
START AND END OF DAY