We arrived back on Monday to find that the diggers had been busy at work over the weekend and the buildings that formerly housed Rooms 9, 10 & 11 were gone and we now had a clear view through to the hall.
I hope that everyone has had a look at the plans for the new building which are posted on the windows on the administration block. As I said last week, there will be opportunities to find out more about what is happening with the building, as well as about the changes in teaching in learning that have been taking place already and that will occur once most of the school moves in to the new learning environment. Cate Dunne, Gulgun Yilmaz and Ramona Elliott have done an amazing job in how they have set up the learning environment on Level One in the St Joseph’s Centre and how effectively the programmes are running already.
There are a lot of “bugs” around at the moment and a high number of children and staff needing to take time off. Children need to be kept at home until they are fully recovered. Sometimes it’s hard to know the difference between a “sore tummy” first thing in the morning, as it may be a strategy rather than reality! However, if there are other signs such as fever, high or low colour, unusual grumpiness, it might be a sign that illness is to blame. Please remind and also demonstrate to your children hygiene practices, e.g. thorough hand washing and drying; blowing the nose; correct disposal of tissues; coughing and sneezing into the arm rather than the hand and so on!
Learning to Learn at St Joseph’s #L2L
BUILDING LEARNING POWER (based on work by Guy Claxton and others from the Centre For Real World Learning in Winchester, England.)
At our school the teachers and learners like to use “learning muscles” to ensure that they work hard in order to achieve success. The way that learning happens in today’s schools differs from what most of the adults in the children’s lives experienced.
In the past, high stakes were put on the “19th century clerk model”:
•Being right and being in trouble if you made an error
•Copying from the board or a book
•Listening to teacher as “sage on the stage”
•Accepting what you’re told without question
•Working alone and being quiet
•Sitting still at a desk and not fidgeting
•Remembering facts
•Showing deference regardless of how you were treated
•Following instructions and not using your initiative
•Being evaluated by a superior
Is our school fit for the 21st century? Are the learning experiences, environment and styles preparing our children for a world in which there is there is a need to be a “21st century explorer”?
•Being adventurous
•Creating ideas
•Discussing with peers
•Questioning things
Knowing what you are learning and why
Being a problem solver
•Working with others
•Being active
•Imagining possible solutions
•Showing initiative
•Taking responsibility
•Self and peer evaluating
I think that, at St Joseph’s,we are well on the journey to providing such a learning environment.
We also recognise that it is a journey and we, along with the children, continue to work on
continual improvement and development.
Have a lovely weekend.
Ka kite ano
Phil