From the Principal
Bonjour à tous, well, I was not expecting to be writing this in this week’s Heard on the Hill. With Country Week cancelled school will resume usual operations for the week. Obviously, there will be many disappointed students, some of whom will exhibit that disappointment in challenging behaviour. Please be mindful of the root cause when managing this behaviour. It is natural to cycle through a wave of emotions when faced with a situation like this.
It is a good lesson for all of us in dealing with disappointment. I’m sure that many will have experienced times when they have been disappointed at work. It is important at these times to accept that you will feel different emotions and that you give yourself time to process that. When this does happen it is healthy to stick to your routines, continue with activities that make you happy and find something to plan and look forward to.
On a more pragmatic note, please monitor the evolving situation. Where I am given information I will update you through allstaff emails.
En Avant
Mike Sinagra
Principal
NUTS AND BOLTS
School Development Day
The 19 July is the first day of Term 3. It is a School Development Day. Lunch will be supplied. The agenda is being reworked after the cancellation of a presenter and will be sent out later this week.
Newsletter
Ellie is finalising the latest edition of the school newsletter. There have been some sensational activities running this term and I would like to capture them all. If you have any late items with photos, please get them to Ellie before Wednesday.
Student Surveys
Please remember that your PC will be finalising the Semester review early next term. Your input including feedback from our students on the teaching program and delivery is important to respond to the needs of the students.
Relief staff
Due to the cancellation of Country Week, Vicki will have surplus relief staff. If there are Learning Area priorities that you would like to address during this time, please ask your PC to put in a request for relief. It would be a great time to do some Peer Observation, plan for the delivery of your projects in 2022 etc.
BUILDING HIGH EXPECTATIONS
Building high expectation is not about authoritatively forcing students to accept a standard but rather helping them to see how their actions reflect a standard of themselves. This week we are reviewing no opt out. One consistency among champion teachers is their vigilance in maintaining the expectation that it’s not okay not to try.
No Opt Out
A sequence that begins with a student unable to answer a question should end with the student answering that question as often as possible. Even if it means that they are repeating after someone else. There are four formats
- Format 1: You provide the answer; the student repeats the answer
- Format 2: Another student provides the answer; the initial student repeats the answer.
- Format 3: You provide a cue; your student uses it to find the answer.
- Format 4: Another student provides a cue; the initial student uses it to find the answer.
Have a go this week and let me know how you go.