Barkly Highway State School - Term 1 Week 8

Deputy's Report

MIDDLE LEADERS AND PRINCIPALS’ PROFESSIONAL LEARNING Days

Recently, Fiona Kropp (Principal), Yvette Wehlow (Head of Department: Curriculum) and I attended the Middle Leaders and Principal’s Professional Learning Days in Townsville. An Online Virtual Address by Grace Grace (Minister for Education, Industrial Relations & Racing) and Tony Cook (Director General – State Schools) and Peter Kelly (Deputy Director General – State Schools) was followed by a panel from the Executive Management Board who responded to principals’ questions. Lyle Giles, Regional Director North Queensland, led a reflection on our North Queensland region’s progress in improving our students learning outcomes.

During the sessions, we developed an understanding of effective teaching & learning so that our school team can use these learnings when collaborating to gain the next lift in our school aligned to our school Annual Improvement Plan. Our students are at the heart of our work; with curriculum, teaching and learning the core elements for consideration. This year we work as a team to: support strong relationships, consolidate quality teaching and learning in reading and strengthen mathematical pedagogy at our school. As leaders and teachers at Barkly Highway State School, we are commited to our whole school strategic improvement to lift the outcomes for students and build teacher capacity at the same time.

CELEBRATING LEARNING IN OUR CLASSROOMS:

As part of our work on strengthening mathematical pedagogy, our teachers participated in our first Professional Book Club last Tuesday as we continue to closely study and discuss Fisher, Frey and Hattie’s text: Visible Learning for Mathematics: What Works Best to Optimize Student Learning (2017). Based on the learnings in this text, our teachers are using Learning Walls in Maths to make the teaching and learning more visible for our students. The information on the learning wall:

• lets our students know what they have to do to be successful in the learning task,
• provides information on how to achieve an A standard and evidence of what students are already achieving through the students’ work samples that are added to the wall,
• is a space teachers use to provide regular feedback to students about the learning task.

This Maths Learning Wall in a Prep classroom highlights this information. Our learning walls are constantly being constructed with our students throughout the unit of learning.

PARENT-TEACHER-STUDENT DISCUSSIONS

Parent-Teacher-Student Discussions are to be held in Week 10 this term. This is one of the two formal opportunities that is scheduled in the school calendar for parents/carers to discuss the individual student’s achievement, effort and behaviour, as well as set student goals for future success. Our teachers will be sending home information about these meetings soon. This will be a wonderful opportunity to share the latest data on your child and an opportunity for some feedback for the next steps.

SAFETY FIRST – STAFF CARPARKS

We ask that you, our parents/caregivers, take the extra few minutes to park or drop off/pick up students in the appropriate areas around the school as this will improve the safety of our students.

Kind regards,
Cheryl Gallagher

Classroom News - 2 Gold

2 Gold created number strings using pipe cleaners and beads. This will give students a manipulative tool to use when solving addition and subtraction problems. The students really enjoyed making bright and colourful patterns with the beads. 

LOTE - 5/6 Green

What a busy start to the school year! In 5/6 Green we have been working hard to learn Japanese. These lessons occur in the library and are delivered through Cairns Distance Education with our LOTE teacher Miki Sensei. So far, we have learnt how to introduce ourselves, write our name, numbers to 20, months of the year and are now learning larger phrases. Throughout our lessons, all students have the opportunity to demonstrate their learning by speaking to Miki Sensei using our online chat or microphones. Our class have demonstrated the Barkly B’s throughout these lessons, in particular our year 5 students who have shown resilience as they tackle an online learning platform that is new to them. I look forward to seeing what we learn next.

Until next time, Sayonara!
Jade Appelkamp

Road Safety

Sadly, children represent 24 per cent of the lives lost on Queensland roads and this represents an opportunity for us to help keep them safe. Here’s a tool for parents to teach their kids about road safety – and it’s even fun! The Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) has developed an interactive online program called Journi.

Journi is aimed at 10 – 12 year olds and uses games to teach kids important road safety messaging. With Easter school holidays just around the corner, it’s a great opportunity to promote this program with parents about to head off on road trips with the kids.

PBL Team Leader News

What is PBL?

Barkly Highway State School uses Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) as the multi-tiered system of support for discipline in the school. 

PBL is a whole-school approach to creating a safe and supportive environment.  It has a strong evidence-base and is used in many Queensland state schools. PBL includes proactive strategies for teaching and supporting appropriate student behaviour, to create and maintain a positive school environment. PBL schools understand that problem behaviour serves a purpose for their students. The fastest way to turn problem behaviour around is by teaching them acceptable and appropriate ways to get what they need.

Each week our school focuses on a new social skill. This week we have been looking at Be Respectful – Speak in a kind and positive manner, use whole body language and accept difference.

Week 9 our focus will Be Responsible – Minimise use during learning time, report problems/breakages. Keep play to the playground and eating to eating areas.

What is the Reflection Zone?

The Reflection Zone is a quiet place for supervised reflection following behaviours not aligned to the Barkly B’s and school expectations. The Reflection Zone is available at first break during play time. Students are referred to the Reflection Zone by staff members on playground duty or by members of Administration via the ‘Referral to Reflection Zone’ slip.  If playground behaviour is major, students can be referred directly to Administration via ‘Referral to Administration’ slip. Student attendance at the Reflection Zone is communicated to parents via the notification form ‘Reflection Zone Attendance Advice’.  Whilst in the Reflection Zone, students reflect on their behaviour choices by having a restorative conversation with the teacher on duty.

BULLYING NO WAY!

Dear Parents/Caregivers,

At Barkly Highway School we aim to build supportive learning environments and find workable solutions for a safe and caring school community for everyone.

That’s why in Week 8, on Friday 19 March 2021, our whole school will be involved with activities to support National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence.  We are inviting all students to wear an orange item of sunsafe clothing to raise awareness around this issue.

Sometimes, it can be difficult for parents or caregivers to know what to do when their child talks to them about bullying.  Schools can be much more effective when parents report bullying and support their efforts to deal with it.

If your child reports that bullying is occurring at school, or the bullying involves students from outside of school, you should let the school know the situation.

Working together with the school is the best way to help your child resolve bullying issues.

Bullying No Way! Has produced a range of handy fact sheets for schools, families and the public to help understand and prevent bullying below:

https://bullyingnoway.gov.au/Resources

Thank you for your support in making our school a great school for everyone.

School Chaplain

Sue Hinds