Monday 23 February 2015

Camp Information


Camp Information
 
 
With our camp nearly here I have put together a few final reminders. Please remember:
  • The camp will run from Wednesday the 4th March to Friday 6th March
  • Students are to be at school at around 7:30am on Wednesday for an 8:00am departure.
  • Any medication for your child (clearly marked with their name) needs to be handed to me by (Tuesday).
  • Students need to bring morning tea for Wednesday.  No other food is to be brought to camp. 
Packing list:
 
r  Pillow and pillow case
r  2 single sheets (please remember the campsite has requested NO sleeping bags)
r  Toiletries (toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, etc.)
r  Bath towel
r  Beach towel
r  Waterproof jacket
r  Cool casual clothes (not your best clothes) – old jeans, shorts, t-shirts, jumper, tracksuit pants.  Make sure you bring enough clean clothes for 3 days.
r  Bathers
r  Pyjamas
r  Underwear & socks
r  One pair of comfortable, protective shoes / sneakers
r  One pair of sandals / thongs
r  A large garbage bag to put dirty clothes in
r  A book to read (optional)
r  Day pack (this needs to have in it:  your camp booklet, something to write with, your drink bottle, your jumper, and anything else you might need during the day).
r  Hat
r  Sun cream
r  Water bottle
r  Bike helmet
 
 
 
PLEASE REMEMBER TO CONFINE PACKING TO ONE LUGGAGE BAG AND A DAY PACK.

Thursday 19 February 2015

Diana Rigg PD


On Monday the 16th of February, the staff of OLC attended a full day of Professional Development with Diana Rigg from PLD (Promoting Literacy Development). Diana Rigg is an experienced teacher and a qualified Speech Therapist.  She has an Occupational Therapist in her planning team.   Diana presented a structured approach to the implementation of a Whole School Spelling Plan. The decision to adopt PLD on a whole school basis was made after observing the strong progress of children using this programme over the last two years in Years One and Two. 

Below are extracts from the PLD home page which explain the underlying philosophy of this approach.
It outlines not only the importance of the school curriculum but stresses the vital role that parents have in the development of a child’s oral language which in turn effects their overall literacy development.
Literacy involves more than just recognising words on a page. To be truly literate - and to have the capability of excelling in every part of life - students must be able to speak well, interpret what they're hearing and transfer all of this to the written language. It's this three pronged focus that sets PLD Learning Resources apart. Importantly, it's a strategic approach guaranteeing the best results for the children in your care. Only when skills in all three skill set areas have been sufficiently acquired, will a student's literacy-learning based outcomes be maximised.

The three components of the PLD Learning Resources Skills Set Approach to Literacy are:
·       Oral Language Skills
·       Movement and Motor Skills

Skill Set 1 – Oral Language
Oral language refers to the act of speaking and listening. The main components for the oral language skill set include:
·       Word knowledge - vocabulary
·       Sentence structure – grammar
·       Language understanding – semantic and comprehension ability
·       Structured thinking – elaborate, organise and sequence thoughts
The way people speak forms the basis for their written language ability. Limited vocabulary and short, basic sentences are indicators of literacy problems. A student's written language is only as strong as their oral language ability. To maximise literacy potential, oral language skills must be addressed.
Comprehension and narrative skills are critical to the Oral Language skill set. When a student possesses sufficient narrative ability they are able to hear a story, describe what was heard, and retell the story with sufficient detail. In addition, the instruction of narrative ability facilitates children's transition from conversational language to the formal academic form of language required for writing and educational success.
Facts about the importance of oral language skills and literacy
An incredibly strong link between oral language and literacy has been established. Some interesting facts both parents and educators should know:
1.    Children will have difficulty with written tasks if they have difficulty expressing themselves verbally. RESULT: Under performance or, possibly, a learning difficulty
2.    Children will have reduced reading comprehension if they have difficulty following instructions and understanding the deeper themes contained in picture books or stories. RESULT: Under performance, inefficient coping strategies like rereading in order to comprehend a text, or, possibly, a learning difficulty.
  
Summary
While poor oral language skills do not prevent children from reading, the long-term impact is disturbing. By middle primary school, when both the curriculum and reading material increase in difficulty, a significant number of students fail to keep up with the demands of the curriculum because they have poorly developed language skills.
Skill Set 2 – Motor and Movement
Perceptual motor refers to a person's ability to hear something, interpret the meaning, and form an appropriate response. Importantly, the way a child organises their body and uses their muscles to respond to what they hear is a big part of overall literacy. The term perceptual motor has two parts:
·       Perceptual – input or receiving
·       Motor – output or responding
Often the required response is a physical output. A classic example is the ability to take a written test where all the questions are posed verbally by the teacher. Perceptual motor focuses on the physical skills which form the foundation for many classroom activities including:
·       Proper grip on a pencil
·       using scissors properly
·       cutting
·       letter formation
·       handwriting

Signs of problems
1.    A poor pencil grip, handwriting fatigue along with difficulties forming letters, drawing, cutting and pasting are all signs of poor fine motor skills. CLUE: Slow and reduced work output
2.    Difficulty sitting in a chair properly, trouble with activities involving a ball, and balance problems indicate poor gross motor skills. CLUE: General clumsiness, stumbling, tripping, awkwardness in sporting activities, and limited attention in the classroom
3.    Poor formation of letters, difficulty with spacing of words, reversing letters, or trouble copying words from the board point to perceptual difficulties. CLUE: Difficulty remembering or completing a series of tasks even if they seem to understand the verbal instructions
Summary
It may not seem obvious but how a child moves and organises his physical body is an important part of literacy. Young students with adequate perceptual motor skills have improved coordination, increased body awareness, stronger intellectual skills and a more positive self-image.
Skill Set 3 – Spelling & Decoding or Literacy

The ability to read and write is the hallmark of any literacy program. With respect to PLD Learning Resources, literacy is the 3rd dimension involved in achieving this goal.
By addressing oral language and perceptual motor skills first, all obstacles are removed so your child has the greatest chance of success.
Literacy involves skills related to reading, spelling, phonics and rhyming words.
Why a Skill Set Approach?
Literacy involves more than just recognising words on a page. To be truly literate - and to have the capability of excelling in every part of life - students must be able to speak well, interpret what they're hearing and transfer all of this to the written language. It's this three pronged focus that sets PLD Learning Resources apart. Importantly, it's a strategic approach guaranteeing the best results for the children in your care. Only when all three skill sets are mastered is true academic success achieved.
Advantages to a Skills Set approach to literacy
Sometimes the best way to explain a concept is to give examples. When the three skill sets are viewed in relationship with each other, the strategy becomes clear.
1.    A 5-year-old girl is happy to set at a table and carefully colour-in (Skill Set 2 – Perceptual Motor). She is able to read (Skill Set 3) but she is shy, reluctant to speak up at school and has trouble following instructions. PREDICTION: Even though she read at an early age, she will likely under-perform as she gets older unless her oral language skills are boosted otherwise. Her reading comprehension will suffer and her written output will be average, at best.
2.    A 5-year-old boy speaks very well (Skill Set 1 – Oral Language) but has poor motor skills (Skill Set 2 – Perceptual Motor). PREDICTION: He will have trouble sitting, listening, and with the fine motor demands of learning, particularly in the area of handwriting. Even though he is fully aware of what he would like to write, the motor skills weakness mean his ideas and thoughts will translate poorly into writing.
3.    A student in Year 1 can read (Skill Set 3 – Literacy) and speaks very well (Skill Set 1 – Oral Language) but her letter formation is poor and laboured. She is unable to read back her own attempts at writing. PREDICTION: The student becomes frustrated, resists writing, and produces a reduced quantity of writing in comparison to her peers.
4.    An 8-year-old student has adequate handwriting (Skill Set 2 – Perceptual Motor) and is able to spell (Skill Set 3 – Literacy) but has poor language skills. PREDICTION: He is unable to independently follow instructions, participate in class discussions or organise his ideas for written tasks. The underdeveloped oral language skills result in overall reduced curriculum performance in most subjects.

Summary
Trying to develop literacy skills without the necessary oral language and perceptual motor skills will result in frustration for the child, parents and educators. Early reading is not an indicator of future success in the classroom. As a child matures, more and more skills are required to work in unison. By adopting an integrated Skills Set approach to literacy, not only will the student achieve maximum literacy potential, but everyone involved will have a more positive and productive experience.

PLD website:

Sunday 15 February 2015

Flexible Learning Spaces Guidelines

Our Lady of the Cape
 Flexible Learning Spaces Guidelines
Years 4-6






What is the purpose of having flexible learning spaces?

Our objectives:

1.    Encourage and teach student well-being and body awareness.
2.    Foster cooperative and individualistic teaching and learning approaches.
3.    Enhance opportunities for formative assessment and feedback.
4.    Foster independence and intra-dependence in our students.


1. Student Well-Being and Body awareness
Much of the research comes out of Curtain University via Professor Leon Straker - BAppSc(WAIT), MSc(Lond), PhD(Syd) http://goo.gl/sIJNP9

Professor Straker is a nationally recognised leader in physiotherapy.
He has developed Guidelines for children, particularly when using technology, to encourage appropriate physical development.
At OLC we see this learning of life skills for our students, particularly in the middle to upper grades, as our moral imperative.
In the OLC flexible learning spaces, students learn in a variety of sedentary, standing and active tasks. The students are purposefully changed in positions at the conclusion of tasks to allow for postural variety.
Find these guidelines by Professor Leon Straker at this link:

Hokki stools have been highly recommended by experienced physiotherapists for encouraging good posture and developing core strength. Traditional classroom chairs are also provided in the classrooms
NB: OLC is hoping to develop a partnership with Professor Straker and his team in the near future.



2. Cooperative and individualistic teaching and learning approaches
Learning to learn with others and individually is a vital part of today’s educational world. Having flexible spaces easily enables teachers to develop cooperative and/or personal learning tasks in a practical and efficient way that keeps the learning objective central to the task.

Professor. John Hattie http://goo.gl/TwSMh0
is a researcher in education. His research interests include performance indicators, models of measurement and evaluation of teaching and learning.

Professor Hattie has developed, through rigorous research and meta-analysis, 138 influences and effect sizes related to education and student achievement.
These can be found at this link:

Both cooperative and individualistic learning approaches are crucial elements to effective learning at OLC.












3. Enhancement of opportunities for formative assessment and feedback


Formative assessment and teacher-to-student as well peer-to-peer feedback rank in John Hattie’s top 10 influences on student achievement

Our flexible learning spaces enable our teachers “ease of access” and enrich the opportunity to give daily student feedback as well as formatively (ongoing, during the learning) assess individual student learning.

Hattie’s Influence ranking:


4. Fostering independence and intra-dependence in our students.
We know that one of the ways children flourish is when they have opportunities for independence and autonomy. The work of Professor Fiona Stanely states this clearly.

We aim to give our students the opportunity to be independent, when appropriate, to choose their learning space.
Our teachers direct and select student learning, whether cooperative or independent depending on the learning task, and also at times allow students to chose the “space” they would like to work at; standing at a hard surface bench, sitting at a table, or gathered around a low level table in a small group. This is always done in a purposeful manner with clearly set expectations.


Some teacher reflections on using flexible learning spaces can be found at the following link.
Other examples of flexible learning spaces can be found here:

We believe that our teachers ultimately have the greatest influence on student learning and achievement in the classroom. The opportunities that flexible learning classrooms provide however enable us to do what we do best: Provide quality education with proven effective strategies.


Flexible Learning Spaces
Years 4-6
Guidelines for OLC Teachers and Students – 2015



1.    The classroom spaces must provide a seated (Hokki stool or traditional classroom chair) place for each student so that all students can be seated comfortably at a hard surface at any given time.
NB – OLC greatly values handwriting in all years. Handwriting lessons and tasks involving significant written responses are practiced regularly and only completed when seated at a hard surface. This includes the middle and upper primary year levels.

2.    Furniture that is only conducive to student well-being is to be used. Bean bags are not used. Classroom couches are included but are to be used for only short periods of time during activities such as individual or small group reading, small group discussion, and teacher-led instructional sessions with a small group. Couches are often used as “caves” or reading corners.

3.    Both cooperative and individual learning strategies are to be utilised.

4.    Both standing and seated learning positions are encouraged and implemented for the students by the teacher when each is appropriate. Teachers are to remain aware of long sedentary periods as well as ensuring postural variety occurs for students throughout the day.

5.    Floor space is utilised during whole class, direct instruction sessions or for short periods during activities such as small group discussions or planning that does not require rigorous written tasks. Sitting upright on the floor is only acceptable; laying on stomachs for reading or when using an iPad is not acceptable. Kneeling at a low table for short periods for activities such as reading or low-level written work is acceptable.

Wednesday 11 February 2015


Good afternoon parents,

One thing that I forgot to discuss at the parent information night was the Year 6 Graduation dinner. The Year 5 parent group are responsible for coordinating the year 6 graduation at the end of this year. A committee will need to be formed for the graduation. With a coordinator elected and this coordinator will need to see Alan for further details. From past years it would advised that getting started is a lot less stress better. For any further information please Mr Morrison.

Thank you,
Ben Danaher

Sunday 8 February 2015

Parent Information Night

Hi everyone,

I hope that your weekend was fantastic, I would just like to remind everyone that the year 5 parent information night will be held tomorrow night, the 9th of February.
It will commence at 7:00pm, in Purple Room.

Thank you again,
Mr Danaher

Tuesday 3 February 2015

Welcome to Purple Room


Welcome to the Purple Room 2015


Dear Parents I would just like to welcome you to the year 5 blog for this year. This blog will be a great avenue for you as parents to see what is happening in the classroom.

This year we have sport on Tuesday and Friday, so please ensure that the appropriate sport uniform is worn on these days. Library and Music will be on a Wednesday, so the children will need to bring their waterproof bags to borrow a book.

Swimming starts next week Monday February 9th. We were the first class to hand in all the swimming notes, which is fantastic. Go us!

Welcome and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me or catch me in person.

Mr Danaher