The Pandemic is forcing us all to slow down and to appreciate what we have.
At BBPS we have great kids, great parents and a great community. At times like these we call on our collective wisdom. So check out the signs of growth in our front garden. Thanks to our Grade 1 and 2 students who planted 150 daffodil bulbs to replace the sunflowers.
'Trust your children to be good and they will be... If you are too busy judging them or their efforts you will miss what is really there.' ( David Anderson)
Trust their natural curiosity to ask questions and to know more. Let them be your guide... Kids are 'naturals' when it comes to learning. They have been doing it from birth and we know, they are learning all the time without needing to orchestrate 'a learning activity'. Keep track of their questions and respond when you have the time. It does not always have to be in the moment.
Kath Murdoch tells us to appreciate that "Small talk is BIG TALK" .
As a parent: Listening to hear, rather than listening to speak is always a good starting point.
"Children have the right to encounter thoughtful, creative, complex environments and we have a responsibility to be proficient with the materials we offer children, we can do this along side them" ( Kirsty Liljegren 2021)
As we interpret and contextualise the curriculum teachers endeavour to take an inquiry standpoint by asking:
'What is engaging for our students?'
'What has meaning for them?'
During home learning in 2020 one of our students reminded us that sometimes the activities that are planned don't necessarily inspire or connect with all learners so he took poetic license and adapted the topic option to achieve for him a more engaging learning connection and outcome. We all applauded his initiative. So parents do not be hard on yourselves, make the home learning program work for your children by partnering with them and adjusting where necessary to suit your context.
We trust your judgement.
Learning from Home 4.0 program: We would like to thank our teachers for their resilience and passion this week to make the transition into learning from home as smooth as possible for our students and families.
With remote learning set to continue to, and including, Thursday, June 10 you will notice a few minor adjustments to our learning program next week to reflect this extension. Our teachers are committed to a focus on:
Differentiation: offering opportunities for support and extension within learning tasks, as much as is feasible from home.
What this looks like across the year levels will differ, and you many notice options and choice offered within learning tasks; in the form of a help desk / additional optional live sessions; or the re-introduction of small group sessions. Teams will communicate with you via Compass what this looks like for your child.
Maintaining connection: Daily check ins to continue at 10am.
These check ins are part of our legal requirement to mark the roll daily. If your child is unwell or will not be attending, please email your classroom teacher or mark them as absent on Compass. Our focus for these daily check ins is student wellbeing, building positive morale, and involving students in an opportunity for some explicit teaching linked to the learning tasks for that day.
Providing students with learning feedback: learning feedback can be verbal, written or peer-to-peer.
Students will be required to upload learning using Google Drive (Grade 3-6 Google Classroom) as a means for teachers to provide learning feedback. Expectations will vary across grades, and will be communicated via daily learning tasks each day. Teachers may provide feedback in the following ways, dependent on year level and student needs:
written feedback as a ‘comment’ on the document
verbal feedback during class check-ins and small group sessions
sharing of student work during live sessions
Please continue to contact your class teacher via email should you need to. We value your support and feedback as always.
Learning this Week - maintaining connection at a whole school level
In acknowledgement of the learning this week as part of Reconciliation Week, we invite all students to share their best learning and upload photos, evidence and copies of any or all work they have done this week during remote learning around reconciliation.
These will be used for a whole school community project, to be shared in the future.
“Unless [the] meeting of cultures starts in children’s minds , we can never have true reconciliation” Vic Simms, Bidjigal Elder
SRC Art Competition – congratulations to our SRC leaders who continue to prioritise building connection across our school, especially at this time. Please see Aaron and Danielle's message below:
Reconciliation Week Art Competition: As you may already know, this week is Reconciliation Week. The SRCs are hosting an art competition of 'What Reconciliation looks like through your eyes'. There will be a winner for the Senior and Junior school and the prize is getting your masterpiece framed in the front office.
Keep in mind that you must upload your work to this shared drive folder by Friday 4th June. Please don't forget to upload your photo and rename your piece as your name and class. Winners will be announced next week, so get creative and we can't to see what you make!
Stay safe, stay well, stay connected.
