Issue 2 / 29 May 2015
From the Principal Fete 2015 - A Wonderful Celebration of Community Congratulations to the P&F on a wonderful College Fete. Despite a little bit of inclement weather the crowds were not deterred, and people continued to enjoy the food, stalls, rides, and entertainment. The 2015 Fete was a wonderful celebration of Community here at St Andrews – as evidenced by what a grandparent of one of our students posted on Facebook- ‘I have had the pleasure of working at several private schools, but I have never experienced the community spirit that this College has. I am so proud that my grandson attends this College and I hope he continues the spirit of this College’.
Proceeds from the Fete will go to various Capital Projects around the College, in particular upgrading of the Multi-purpose Hall. It is through support of events like the Fete that numerous small capital projects can occur. Most recently, permanent shade umbrellas have been installed outside the Tuckshop courtesy of the P&F. Again, well done and thank you to everyone involved with the Fete - from the organising committee, stall convenors, sponsors, cake bakers, entertainers, stall assistants, prize donators, car park attendants, through to people involved in set up/pack up - it was an amazing team effort.
Teaching & Learning in Years 3-6 There is a real richness and depth to teaching and learning at St Andrews - a richness that no NAPLAN Test can capture. The Years 3-6 Program, in the upper Junior School this term alone provides tremendous examples of this. In Year 3 as part of their Unit of Inquiry the students using a special Technology App created and published a book about Body Systems and then used this book to share what they had learnt with students in the ELC during a visit there. This is an excellent example of the use of technology and peer learning to enhance learning. The Year 4s as part of their Science lessons were able to access the Senior School Science Labs and the College’s Lab Manager, Mr Hampshire to investigate Oil Spills as part of a Science experiment. The ability to conduct a hands on experiment in purpose built facilities made the students’ learning all the more real and meaningful. Our Year 5s also made use of the specialist facilities in the Senior School. As part of their How the World Works Unit they spent time in the Design Technology Lab with Mr Wecker, Head of Department – Design Technology learning about electrical circuits, with each student applying what they learnt by making a working torch. The Year 6s have been using social media, notably Edmodo to enrich their learning. The 6s using Edmodo meant that their learning was not restricted to school time or the physical location of the classroom. Tools like Edmodo enable schools to remove the barrier of the four walls of the classroom, and open up a world of possibilities. 2015 is an exciting time to be a learner at St Andrews.