Test of iPad App

Am trialling the use of Blogsy. This app seems quite versatile allowing plenty of options for text modification as well as the ability to drag and drop images and video from iPad, Flickr, Picassa, You Tube.

 

A Vision of 21st Century Teachers

I have a strong interest in ICT as a teaching and learning tool. Below are some interesting You Tube videos, some of which I have shared with staff at various professional learning opportunities.

 

 

 

Newsletter Blurb

Below is the latest blurb from the front page of our newsletter:

Our new garden is certainly a busy place with every class actively involved in some aspect of its daily management and maintenance. Earlier this week, over 30 staff members gathered in the school kitchen for breakfast in order to talk about the possibilities that the garden provides for enhancing teaching and learning programs and to sort out any issues or concerns that exist for its proper maintenance. The overwhelming feeling is one of excitement for what this new resource offers our students and our school. Don’t forget that the first episode of Greenfingers will be shown on Channel 7 this Sunday June 3 at 5.30pm with a second episode scheduled for Sunday June 10 at the same time.

We will rely strongly on community assistance in order to keep our garden healthy over weekend and holiday periods. Many thanks go to the parents who have let us know that they are able to participate in our weekend and holiday garden roster. The roster will commence next weekend (June 9 and 10). A copy of the roster will be sent to families who have expressed interest on Tuesday next week. A special breakfast for families that have volunteered to be involved will be held at the school on Friday June 8 at 7.30am. Please RSVP to the office by Tuesday June 5 if you intend coming to the breakfast.

Open and honest communication is an essential part of a happy, healthy school. Parents are always welcome to approach their child’s teacher to arrange a time to meet and discuss their child’s progress or to volunteer to participate in classroom activities. All staff have a school email address which consists of their first name and second name separated by a full stop and followed by @education.wa.edu.au. For example, my email address is Stephen.Bevan@education.wa.edu.au. Email is a quick and easy form of communication which you are welcome to use although proper protocols and etiquette should always apply. Issues and concerns should always be followed up with a face to face meeting. I have a blog which usually contains up to date information about what is happening at school: http://mbevan.blogspot.com.au. If you choose to ‘follow’ the blog you will receive an email every time a new post is uploaded. You can also leave comments on the blog. Links to our school Flickr account and other relevant websites are also available on the blog.

Teacher Exchange 2013

It is official. I will be teaching in Canada next year!!

The application I put in to participate in a teacher exchange program has been successful which means that I will be spending 12 months as a classroom teacher in Canada.

Mr Aaron Hoffman will be joining our staff in 2013. What this means for our staffing is not fully known as there are a number of positions that are yet to be clarified and confirmed. We will know by the end of the year what our final staffing structure will look like for 2013 and will be able to more accurately share this information with the school community then.

I am very excited by the opportunity that this exchange offers me as a professional educator and for my family who will be joining me in Canada. I have informed the School Board and staff of this development and am waiting for advice from the Director General as to how the principal’s position will be temporarily filled next year.

Stirling Times

Our students and school feature in the latest Stirling Times. This is another great promotion of the school and its commitment to sustainable themes (being waterwise).

Congratulations to Ralph, Ashish, Irene and Wandi who feature in the article.

Habitat Magazine

Our students and school feature in today's Habitat lift out in the West Asutralian. Congratulations to Caleb and Aine who look so smart in the photo.

Year 7 Camp

This week our Year 7 students attended their camp at Ern Halliday Sport and recreation campsite at Hillarys.

The students enjoyed a wide range of activities designed to enhance relationships, strengthen team work and build resilience in tackling new challenges and facing fears. The students had a wonderful time. Thanks go to our staff for organising yet another great camp (Mrs Snart, Mrs Dewing and Mr Ralph).

Photos from camp have been placed on the school Flickr photostream.

Greenfingers TV

Another clarification came through today. Greenfingers will show on Channel 7 on Sunday June 3 and 10 at 5.30pm. Sorry for the constantly changing dates but those were the ones that were given.

Thanks go to the parents who have expressed an interest in helping out over the weekends and holidays. We will create a roster over the next week and make contact with you soon.

Greenfingers Day 5

Friday was a very big day with lots of work being done to complete the garden along with plenty of filming. It was great to see so many staff, students, parents and community members at the end of the day for the final handover. I hope everyone who wanted to will get their face on TV.

The first episode of Greenfingers will be shown on Channel 7 at 5.30pm on Sunday June 3 and the second will be on June 10. I will send a reminder letter home in the week prior to this so that no one misses seeing the episdodes.

Our thanks go to the Greenfingers crew for all their work and the wonderful way that they interacted with our staff and students throughout the whole production process. Many thanks also go to our staff for being so flexible, supplying students for filming with very little notice.

Now it is up to us as a community to manage our new garden. We will need parent help to do this on weekends and holidays so please let me know if you are available. A note will be sent out this week asking for volunteers.

Parents are welcome to come and look through the garden.

For more photos visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tuarthillprimaryschool/

Greenfingers Day 4

Today was a really big day for Greenfingers. The yabbies, fish and chickens have all now been added to our outdoor classroom. The students were so excited and loved being involved in the filming of these segments.

Many of the new plants are now ready for planting and the grassed area around the seating has been layed.

Don't forget to check your phone some time tomorrow as we will be sending out an invitation for you to come and see the garden and watch the final handover segment being filmed. This could be as late as 4.30pm

For photos of some of today's activities go to our Flickr page Flickr Photostream

Greenfingers Day 3

The garden is really starting to take shape today. The aquaponics have been installed and the greenhouse and chicken coop are well on the way to being complete. A lot of seedlings and plants have appeared and will be planted over the next 24 hours.

A group of students have been photographed for next Tuesday's Stirling Times and some more will be filmed this afternoon for a 'throw to news' and aquaponics installation segment.

The attached link will take you to our Tuart Hill Primary School Flickr photostream which has lots of photos. http://www.flickr.com/photos/tuarthillprimaryschool/

Todd and some kids having a photo taken

Shooting the greenhouse construction

A tank full of water, ready for some fish!!

More Greenfingers photos Day 2

Greenhouse filming

Herbs ready for planting

Chicken coop

Leaf shaped garden bed

Greenfingers Garden Plan

Here is a plan of what our new Waterwise sustainable garden will look like.

The garden will be able to operate as an outdoor garden classroom.

Walk Safely to School Day

Last Friday we held our annual Walk Safely to School Day by conducting a 'walking school bus' followed by a breakfast. This was a fantastic success with over 200 students participating as well as many parents and family members. Many thanks go to Mr Ioannou and the staff who helped set up and run the various activities.

The key messages for students included:

1. Always remember to stop, look and listen before crossing a road.
2. To look and listen as you cross the road and until you are safe on the other side.
3. To walk on paths, if there are no paths then to walk off the road, facing on-coming traffic
4. Make eye contact with on-coming driver to check they have seen you
5. Never to approach a stopped vehicle or lean into a window of someone they do not know
6. Use the cross walk and overpass if you can

Please remind your child about these safety messages.

Greenfingers TV

The episodes of Greenfingers currently being filmed at our school will go to air on Sunday June 3 and 10 on Channel 7 at 5.30pm. You can go to the Greenfingers site and view previous episodes. Some of our students will also appear in the West Australian and local paper some time in the next couple of weeks.

Greenfingers Stage 2



Crew hard at work


Day 2 started early with lots of construction. The rain came down but the crew kept working. Our chicken coop and greenhouse are taking shape and the paths can be clearly seen.

We have attempted to ensure that at least a few students from each classroom appear in each segment.

Can you see a chicken coop?

Earth paths

Busy, busy, busy!!

New water tank

Up goes the roof

Greenhouse

Our Tuart Hill leaf is being used to shape the garden bed

Greenfingers Stage 1

The Greenfingers crew have been hard at work constructing our water wise garden. On day 1 they prepared the site while a group of students visited Herbs-R-Us in Henley Brook. Todd Johnston, the host of the show talked to the students at our mini- assembly. Small groups of students filmed some 'throw to breaks'. It was a  very busy day with so much excitement!

Herbs-R-Us filming

Herb specialists

Herb stars

Soil delivery

Todd at assembly

Throw to Break stars

Filming in progress

Our chicken coop has started

The garden beds are taking shape

Student Enrolments for 2013

Applications for enrolment of children entering Kindergarten, Pre-primary, Year 1 or Year 8 and for children changing schools for the 2013 school year should be made by Friday, 3 August 2012. An advertisement will be placed in the public notices section of The West Australian on Wednesday 20 June 2012 with a reminder placed in The West Australian on Monday 18 July 2012.

As school holidays are from early to mid-July, please remember to submit your application before the end of Term 2.

Information Communication Technology

Our Deputy Principal, Mr Ralph has done an outstanding job at building up and maintaining so many new ICT devices for use by teachers and students around the school. All but one of our classrooms now have an interactive whiteboard. Our Library has had a makeover with new computers being installed along with a complete rearrangement of the furniture which was conducted by Mrs Gabrovec (she gave up many hours of her own time to complete this). We now have a bank of laptop computers, a bank of netbooks (mini-laptops) as well as 15 iPads. As of last week, the Year 7 class also received a bank of desktop computers which are housed in the clasroom and the wet area of the Visual Arts cluster.

Along with this additional hardware, Mr Ralph and Mrs Gabrovec have been working to assist teachers become more confident in using ICT within their classroom. Many of our teachers are now exploring ways of incorporating ICT in their day to day teaching.

Mr Ralph is also conducting some parent information sessions to inform parents of the benefits of using ICT as well as to explore issues related to student safety in cyberspace. For more information please arrange to chat with Mr Ralph or send him an email Ian.Ralph@det.wa.edu.au

Greenfingers TV

Next week, May 14 - 18 will be a very busy week with NAPLAN testing and the Greenfingers TV shoot taking place at Tuart Hill PS. Below is a link to the Greenfingers website which contains video of a similar project conducted at Carey Baptist and Roleystone Community College. http://www.green-fingers.tv/

To view the video, go to the website and click on the video link. In the dropdown menu select episodes 1 - 4, April 8 - 29. These videos will give you an indication of the kinds of activities our students will be engaged in next week.

It is important that all students return the 'talent release' form sent out last week if they wish to appear on the program. Returning the form does not guarantee your child will appear on the program as only limited opportunities will be available.

We are excited by the wonderful opportunities that this program offers our school both in the production of the TV program and in the sustainable, waterwise garden that will be created for ongoing use in the school.

Term 2 WELCOME BACK

Welcome back to school for Term 2.

Last week we held two school development days. On the first day our teaching staff explored elements of the new Australian Curriculum and developed a collaborative team plan to address specific elements of the writing curriculum. The second day focussed on the use of information, communication technology (ICT) within the Australian Curriculum. This day involved staff from a number of local schools exploring the use of things like iPads, wikis and Web 2.0 tools in the classroom. We are excited by the opportunities that ICT resources bring to our classrooms and look forward to learning how to better use them to enhance our teaching and learning programs. Our educational assistants were also involved in training programs over the two days including sessions on classroom management strategies as well as general induction and information on their role within the school.

In Week 4 of this term we have two major activities occurring at our school. The first is NAPLAN testing which will involve students in Years 3, 5 and 7. You may have seen some media reports discussing the positive and negative aspects of NAPLAN testing. The main things you need to remember about these tests include:

• they are important for providing our school with a snapshot of where our students are at in key areas of literacy and numeracy compared to students of a similar age and background
• they provide us with comparative information i.e. we can compare previous tests to see how well our students are developing (the ‘value’ that has been added to their learning)
• you will receive a report which shows how your child went on each test. The school also receives test results which we can use to analyse the effectiveness of our programs and plan for improvement

The second big event in Week 4 is the Greenfingers television program which will be filmed throughout the week and involve the establishment of a fully functioning sustainable and waterwise garden on the school grounds. You should have received an information letter as well as a ‘Talent Release’ form which you need to sign and return to school by Wednesday May 9. We are very excited about this program and the opportunities it offers our school and our students.

Sick Kids

As the winter months arrive we often see sick children arriving at school. Below is an article from The West Australian last week which discusses this issue. I thought that this was worth sharing with the school community.

Article from Western Australian newspaper

How to post a comment

Some parents have reported not knowing how to insert comments on posts within this blog. The way you do this is to locate the small 'comments' link at the bottom of each post. If you click the link a 'comments' box will come up. You simply type your comment and then post it. Comments will be sent to me first. Once I have had a chance to review the comments and respond they will appear on the blog for others to see.

I hope this helps.

Principal's Report to P&C 21 March 2012

Fundraising Plan

I have presented a Fundraising Plan to the P&C Fundraising Committee. I consulted with staff in the production of this plan so as to ensure all fundraising activities are included.

School Board

The School Board met for the first time last Wednesday (March 14). At the meeting they endorsed the school Delivery and Performance Agreement, School Business Plan (content) and School Operational Plans.

The members of our School Board in 2012 include:

• Julie Hosking – P&C parent representative
• Pierra Sanders – elected parent member
• Sophie Farnan - elected parent member
• Maitland Somers – elected parent member
• Anne Barone – Community member
• David Michael – Community member
• Dianne Mount-Bryson – Staff member
• Tony Raschilla – Staff member
• Stephen Bevan – Staff member

Ian Ralph, Deputy Principal has expressed interest on being a member of the School Board. In order to maintain a parent ration which is greater than staff a new parent position will be advertised.

School Priorities and Planning

The priority areas identified in our Business Plan include:

1. Literacy
2. Numeracy
3. ICT
4. Sustainable Schooling
5. Implementation of the Australian Curriculum
6. Early Years Learning Framework

Request for Funding

ICT is a critical part of our school focus. As a staff we believe that skilled use of ICT greatly enhances the learning environment. Mr Ian Ralph has been employed as a Deputy Principal with the role of establishing our ICT infrastructure and up-skilling our staff in ‘best practice’ teaching and learning techniques. Already this year he has made significant contributions. With the release of the new iPad (3^rd generation) we have been able to source 15 iPad 2’s at a reduced price ($6000). Because this expenditure was not originally catered for in the budget we would like to request that the P&C provide 50% of the cost.

Harmony Day

This event was a great success. On behalf of the staff I would like to thank the P&C for their contribution on the day. The ‘Hungry for Culture’ publication is an outstanding project and I congratulate Julie and her team for making it happen. Copies of the publication have arrived and will be distributed with tomorrow’s newsletter.

The Australian Curriculum

The Australian Curriculum aims to deliver the Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians and develop a world-class, 21st century Australian Curriculum for all young Australians, including those who may move across state and territory boundaries throughout their schooling years.

More information about the shape and design of the Australian Curriculum can be obtained from the ACARA website. 

The Australian Curriculum (version 3.0) can be viewed at here.

Over the next two years our teachers will spend a lot of time becoming familiar with the Australian Curriculum. The first phase of implementation involves the areas of English, Mathematics, Science and History. These curriculum areas must be fully implemented by 2015. 

Duty of Care

At Tuart Hill Primary School we strive to provide the best possible care for all students. However, one area that has concerned me in the past has been the large number of students who have been arriving well before our 8.40am start time. We are not able to provide adequate supervision for students until around 8.15am so it is important that they do not arrive at school before then (the ideal arrival time is 8.30am). On arrival, all students must go to the Hall and sit quietly until dismissed to their classrooms at 8.30am. Once in their classroom, students are not permitted to leave without their teachers’ permission.

Parents are reminded that teaching staff have a duty of care to their child while they are on school grounds. This means that staff can request your child to comply with school requirements e.g. sitting in the Hall before school, even if you are present. We ask that all parents respect the duty of care of our staff and follow any directions that are given to them.

Another concern that I have is with students who remain on school grounds after the siren goes. Once the final siren rings all students are required to vacate the school grounds as quickly as possible. Students who need to wait longer than 5 minutes for their parent’s to pick them up must sit in the office. Students are not permitted to wait outside the school boundary. Parents who like to meet and chat may do so on school grounds but only if they provide direct (line of sight) supervision of their child. Parents must ensure that their child/ren only engage in playing safe games. We do not have teachers on duty after school so no supervision is provided. No other children are permitted to stay on school grounds and no one is permitted to return to school buildings for any reason (e.g. to use toilets).

To ensure that our school is prepared for any emergency that may occur we practised our Evacuation Procedure on Tuesday and our Lock-Down Procedure on Wednesday. I was impressed that we were able to evacuate the school in around 3.5 minutes and achieve lockdown in less than 1 minute. While we are confident that neither of these procedures will ever need to be used it is essential that we are prepared (just in case).

Parents who notice any possible safety issues around the school or have concerns should contact the office immediately so that we can continue to provide the safest possible learning environment for our students. 

Dealing with Bullying

Last week, principal's across the state received a letter from the Director General of Education recalling the sad circumstances of a NSW teenager who tragically took his own life in 2008 after being bullied at school. She reminded us that we need to remain vigilant against bullying and respond seriously in respect of any incident involving the assault of children.

At Tuart Hill Primary School we have a no tolerance approach to bullying. All reported incidents are taken very seriously and managed in accordance with our Behaviour Management Policy. This policy outlines how we promote a safe, supportive, respectful and positive learning environment in which everyone is free from bullying, harassment, discrimination and violence.

If you would like a copy of our school's behaviour management policy please request one through the office.

Fortunately, we have very few reported instances of bullying at our school. I believe that this is a reflection of the positive way that we deal with student behaviour.

Harmony Day

What a wonderful day we had at school today. Many thanks go to Judy Gabrovec and Julie Growden for organising the event and to all the families who supplied such an amazing amount of food. Thanks also go to the parents and staff who helped with the set up and clean up of the event.

We certainly have a wide range of cultural groups represented at our school which was reflected in the various food that was on offer. A highlight of the day was seeing for the first time the recipe book 'Hungry for Culture' that the P&C created through some Federal Government funding. This publication is absolutely sensational and a credit to all those involved. Well done!

Did You Know 2?

There are various versions of the 'Did you know?' video, most of which are interesting to watch. Below is a link to another that I thought was worth having a look at. What do you think?

http://youtu.be/6ILQrUrEWe8

Did you know?

I came across this video a few months ago and it is worth looking at. The information contained within the video highlights the challenges that we all face in preparing our children for life in the future.
http://youtu.be/jp_oyHY5bug

Shared Community Values Statement

As part of our Business Plan I would like to include a statement on Shared Community Values. These are the things that community members agree to do to support our school. Areas that could be included are:

• respect for staff
• being proactive in support of school policies and procedures
• willingness to communicate
• dealing with problems proactively in order to achieve positive solutions
• maintaining confidentiality
• being courteous and friendly
• being accountable, open and approachable
• willingness to support school activities

Please think about possible Community Value statements that you would like to see included. Posted comments will be discussed at our School Board meeting on March 14.

Business Plan Draft

I would like to include a blurb at the front of our Business Plan which provides some school contextual information as well as a clear statement about how our school is distinctive. Below is a draft which I would like feedback on.

Welcome to Tuart Hill Primary School: Growth in Knowledge

An Independent Public School

The Tuart Hill Primary School community is committed to maintaining a positive heritage and rich history of quality education which has been developed over 100 years. Commencing as an independent public school in 2012, Tuart Hill Primary School has a clear vision and direction for the future with a strong focus on raising the literacy levels of all students. Our goal is for our students to be well prepared for their future, equipped to prosper economically, to be happy and secure in themselves, and ready to contribute positively to the community in which they live.

The staff at Tuart Hill Primary School are dedicated to providing all students with an opportunity to achieve success and reach their full potential. We desire that all our students leave Tuart Hill being well prepared for the future, equipped to succeed in subsequent schooling, to be happy and secure in themselves, and ready to contribute to their community.

At Tuart Hill Primary School we treat students as individuals, providing them with learning experiences that are challenging, motivating and that meet their needs. Teachers use classroom management strategies that build belongingness as well as cooperative learning strategies that enhance engagement and increase the depth of student learning. Our teachers believe that information, communication technology (ICT) is an essential part of a successful teaching and learning environment. The school has an ongoing commitment to developing and sustaining ICT infrastructure as well as providing staff with quality professional learning.

Families from many different cultural groups live and work in the Tuart Hill area which ensures that we enjoy a rich cultural diversity that enhances our school community. We provide an inclusive curriculum that provides for the needs of all students regardless of their background.

The staff at Tuart Hill Primary School genuinely care about every student. We provide strong support programs, processes and procedures that help all students, including those who are at risk, to improve across all areas of the curriculum.

Our school is open and friendly with parent involvement and feedback being actively encouraged. Our P&C is an active group which supports the school through fundraising and promotion. They also run a successful uniform shop and canteen.

Tuart Hill Primary School has a clear vision which focuses on literacy development. We believe that success in literacy will impact across all areas of the curriculum and provide our students with the building blocks for ongoing success in the future.

Our Mission

Tuart Hill Primary School provides a challenging, enjoyable and inclusive learning program that caters for our culturally diverse community. We empower each child to reach their full educational and personal potential in a safe, nurturing environment.

Our Vision

Our vision at Tuart Hill Primary School is to extend the literacy accomplishment of all students.