Junior School Bulletin Issue 2 / 16 February 2018
Junior School News
to demonstrate the students thinking and learning journey in a more timely manner. Parents will have the opportunity to monitor their child’s learning journey as it happens rather than waiting until the end of the Semester to get a portfolio sent home. Please contact Junior School Administration if you require additional information.
Carly Ryan Foundation Last Tuesday night Sonya Ryan from the Carly Ryan foundation, shared a very powerful presentation on the importance of cyber safety. Some of the key points from Sonya’s presentation were: • • • • • •
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The internet is a great resource, it is the way that some people use it that is bad. Communicate with your children about what they are doing online. Set parental controls. Educate yourself on what your children are doing. Look at what they are writing and who they are writing to. Social media has age restrictions for a reason. Please do not allow your children to use these sites until they are the correct age. They do not have the emotional capacity to deal with some of the adult content that is contained on these sites. Never allow your children to be using technology in their bedrooms. Parents should lead by example. Turn your devices off at a set time and be careful what you post. You’ll be surprised at how much your children are picking up from what you post. https://www.esafety.gov.au/ - The office of eSafety can help to get posts and pictures removed that may contain sensitive information about your family.
Attached to this newsletter is an online safety contract that has been developed by the Carly Ryan Foundation to help manage the cyber world with your family. It is much easier to start when they are younger and it becomes a habit in your home. Making Thinking Visible and Portfolios We are often looking for students to make their thinking visible. While we are happy that the children might get the ‘correct answer’, more often than not we are interested in the thinking that occurs to get that answer. In some cases a child may get an ‘incorrect answer’ but still demonstrate a high level of ability because of the way they have thought through the problem. The teachers also give students different thinking strategies to help them work through a problem and often praise the effort rather than the final result. This helps the students to develop a growth mindset and see that effort is the path to improvement. This year our portfolios are going digital. This will allow the teachers
Information Nights We have just completed the Information Nights where we could share with you some of the initiatives we are working on this year. We truly value the partnership that exists between the College and our families. “Great families make great schools” and this is certainly very true of St Andrews. I remind you to keep us informed about things that are affecting your child and encourage you to check in regularly to Parent Lounge to keep up to date with events occurring at the College. I look forward to the possibilities ahead! Swimming Carnival Friday 23 February is the annual Years 4-6 Swimming Carnival. It is a great opportunity for students to compete in a friendly competition against their peers, develop resilience when things might get a little challenging and show good sportsmanship to the other competitors. Parents are invited to attend this event, which usually proves to be one of the highlights of the school year. In Brief Celebrating the Good Stuff • Congratulations to Iyla King who has been chosen to represent Australia at the World Skipping Championships dedication and hard work have really paid off! • In Week 6, Year 6 students will be going to Canberra • In Week 6, Year 4 students will be going to Lake Ainsworth for their camp. • As this bulletin is going to print, the P & F Picnic in the Park will be in full swing. Thank you to all involved in the set up of this event. Darrin Schumacher Deputy Principal Head of Junior School