Junior School News

What will you be doing in 2033? That seems such a long way into the future, but in the Junior School, staff are already thinking that far ahead. That year, 2033, will be the year that our current 2021 Prep girls will be graduating. The Junior School Learning and Wellbeing Framework centres around developing exceptional learners who are strong communicators, effective collaborators, engaged citizens, skilful thinkers and who are of good character. As learning experiences are developed across the year levels, and in all curriculum areas, to align with the framework, the girls will not only develop their academic capacity, but will also foster skills and dispositions that will be built upon each year to enable them to exemplify the PLC Graduate Outcomes – Scholar, Thinker, Citizen, Advocate and Leader.

At present in the Junior School, staff are unpacking the ‘skilful thinker’ section of the framework as part of their professional learning. They are embedding critical thinking activities into their programs to both build the girls’ capabilities and challenge their perspectives.

Dr Michelle Cafini Head of Junior School

Creativity remains in the top 5 job skills needed for the future, according to The World Economic Forum. Also at the top of the list are complex problem solving and analytical thinking and innovation. Scott Belsky, Chief Product Officer at Adobe, states: ‘Half of human work could be taken over by artificial intelligence and automation in 15 years, a timeframe which is being accelerated by the pandemic.’ However, he also acknowledges that ‘creativity is a uniquely human trait that no algorithm can replace’. This means that creativity will continue to be a skill required on a daily basis.

PLC is preparing girls for the future workforce. Drawing on their human senses, problem solving and innovative thinking, girls are asked to creatively transform their ideas into physical reality. This requires a range of skills to be brought together. This semester, Year 6 students were challenged to use their problem solving skills to create a bird feeder that would keep the bird seeds dry from the elements, allow for the replenishment of feed, provide access to the feed by birds and be visually attractive. Using their analytical thinking skills, they observed various species of mushroom whose forms complement the storage of seeds and water; they also analysed features of existing bird-feeding products. They then made connections between the ideas, justified their ideas to their peers and consolidated their learning with their knowledge and skills in clay building to create their own ‘mushroom bird feeder’.

Art at PLC nurtures students’ creativity to prepare them for future success.

Joyce Khor Junior School Art Teacher

Didi 6C

Albert Einstein

‘Teaching for the future’ has been a topic of discussion amongst educators for a number of decades. Among the varied list of essential dispositions that many propose to be crucial factors for success in the 21st century and beyond, skilful thinking tops the list. The Foundation for Young Australians (2017) produced a report detailing the skills and capabilities that will matter most in the workforce of 2030 and beyond. In particular, skilful thinkers of the future will spend ‘100% more time at work solving problems; 41% more time on critical thinking and judgement [and] 17% more time per week using verbal communication and interpersonal skills (like listening, empathy and persuasion).’

The report draws the conclusion that the skills that will matter most in the workplace of the future are, by a wide margin, problem solving, judgment and critical thinking.

We believe that one of the most important hallmarks of exceptional learners is their ability to think skilfully, and a renewed emphasis is being placed on this in the Junior School. A skilful thinking curriculum provides time for students to reflect, make connections and play with ideas, ask well-considered questions, observe and analyse, formulate and justify opinions, consider different viewpoints and respectfully challenge the opinions of others. A curriculum that prioritises skilful thinking not only teaches students the skills involved in critical thinking, but it also teaches them to value these skills and use them willingly and habitually.

Throughout the Junior School, skilful thinking is intentionally developed in a variety of ways.

The journey to becoming a skilful thinker begins in Junior Primary, where the girls learn to verbalise their opinions and give reasons for their thinking. Emphasis is also placed on making connections between ideas from previous learning and personal experiences.

Year 3 students have been focusing on the concept of diversity. They have been using The Three Y’s thinking routine to consider why diversity matters to them, why it matters to those around them and why it matters to the world. Their responses were investigated at a deeper level as they considered the different viewpoints of others and logically justified their own thoughts.

The Year 4 students are becoming skilful thinkers as they learn to design their own questions to drive their learning forward and lead them to new ways of thinking. They particularly enjoyed experimenting with questions that required inquiry at a deeper level. While investigating the topic of Early Explorers, examples of questions created by the girls included, ‘What does it mean to have a pioneering spirit?’, ‘Do you need a pioneering spirit to be an explorer?’ and ‘How can we demonstrate a pioneering spirit in our own lives?’ The students have been seeking answers through means of rich discussion and making connections between their prior knowledge, learning, and life beyond the classroom.

In the Exploratorium, the Year 5 students have been learning to ask good questions to help them solve real-world problems as part of their Biomimicry unit. Biomimicry is when engineers work to solve design challenges by asking themselves questions about how that problem is solved in nature. They then use those ideas to create something new. Students worked collaboratively to apply this way of thinking. For example, some groups tried to find ways of cooling homes without burning as much fossil fuel for energy. They asked themselves the question, ‘How does nature cool itself down?’. Then they researched ways that animals or plants keep themselves cool, and designed a house using some of these ideas.

The girls in Year 6 have been working in groups to run their own political campaign, thus making connections to their learning about Australia’s system of government. As political party members, they needed to be open to new ideas and prioritise when developing party policies. Debating bills within the class parliament required justification of ideas and a willingness to consider matters carefully and to respectfully challenge the views of the opposition.

The ability to think skilfully is, without doubt, essential not only for academic success, but also for success in life generally. As parents and educators, we must not only equip our young ones with the necessary skills that will enable them to do this well, but we must also develop within them the intrinsic desire to think skilfully. If they come to value skilful thinking, they will be committed and inclined to use those skills regularly – to be inquisitive, reflective, disciplined, openminded, honest and flexible thinkers.

‘Critical thinking is skeptical without being cynical. It is open-minded without being wishy-washy. It is analytical without being nitpicky.

Critical thinking can be decisive without being stubborn, evaluative without being judgemental, and forceful without being opinionated.’

Peter Facione, 2020

Melissa Voce Deputy Head of Junior School Head of Curriculum & Pedagogy

The story of The Jungle Book was one of my childhood favourites and I have fond memories of my mother reading the tale to my siblings and me as a bedtime story. I would often watch the classic Disney movie in the school holidays and I memorised all the lyrics to ‘The Bare Necessities’ song.

The idea of being Mowgli and wondering what it would be like to grow up with talking animals that looked after him like a family sparked my imagination. I loved pretending to be Mowgli during free play at home with dress-ups and soft toys playing supporting roles. As an adult the thought of a huge bear and a black panther being my best friends is inconceivable. Therein lies the beauty of exploring the world through the eyes of a child. The freedom of fearlessness, your imagination constantly taking you to new and exciting places unfettered by plans for tomorrow or what’s for dinner, living in the here and now.

The play the Year 5s performed in Term 1 was adapted from Rudyard Kipling’s 1894 collection of short stories based on ancient Indian fables. It was re-written for the stage by the playwright Vera Morris. The Year 5 students learned the lines on the page but made the story their own. I am in awe of their little triumphs along the way and pleased for those who had the chance to showcase their acting abilities. The 2021 Year 5 class plays were able to be performed live to their families in the Betty Caldwell Hall. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to experience live theatre again. I am sure the girls involved will remember the time they performed The Jungle Book with fond memories in years to come.

Alison Bennett Junior School Drama and Dance teacher

2

Charlotte, Matilda, Vivienne, Simone and Maya were our last remaining members of the SSV Junior School Swim Team as they had all progressed through the District, Division and Regional Swimming competitions. The PLC State Swim Team battled it out at the SSV State Primary Swimming Competition held at Melbourne Sport and Aquatic Centre (MSAC) on Monday, 26 April.

Charlotte had qualified for the 12/13-Year-Old Girls 50m Backstroke event and competed against the top athletes from all around Victoria. After swimming a personal best time of 39.24 at the Regional Competition, Charlotte was in great form. She swam an amazing race in the backstroke with a strong finish. Charlotte finished in sixth place overall – in the entire state of Victoria – which was an excellent achievement.

1. Our 2021 PLC Junior School SSV State Swimming Team. From the left: Maya, Simone, Charlotte, Matilda and Vivienne.

2. The SSV 9/10 Girls 200m LC Freestyle Relay State Champions. From the left: Maya, Simone, Matilda and Vivienne.

Shortly after Charlotte’s race we had the 9/10-Year-Old Girls 200m LC Freestyle Relay. The PLC team included: Matilda, Vivienne, Simone and Maya. They had qualified secondfastest for the State Final, with their personal best time still three seconds slower than the highest ranked team. The girls needed a fast swim to have any chance to finish in first place – and that’s exactly what they delivered. The race was close at the start, but each PLC swimmer executed the skills practised in training to perfection. PLC touched the wall in first place, nearly six seconds ahead of their nearest rival. Well done everyone on a great team effort.

Mr Ashley Newell Head of PE and Sport Junior School