In the Week 2 newsletter I briefly spoke about a program that we have embedded into our student learning programs, a program created by C J Simister that defines intellectual character using 14 Future-Smart® dispositions (Ref., www.future-smart.com ). The fourteen dispositions help students to develop thinking and learning skills so that they understand the dispositions they will need for any particular situation. These 21st Century/Future Smart skills are equally relevant for adults.

“Intelligence is not fixed. We shape our brains with every new experience we encounter, every challenge we overcome and every risk we take.  And given this happens most powerfully during childhood, the message for parents and teachers is this: the difference you can make to young people's lives, to their futures, is extraordinary.  Raising children who can confidently and happily make the very most of their potential in an exciting but unpredictable world is not something we can leave to chance.” CJ Simister

This is exactly why educators love what we do - the extraordinary privilege of helping to prepare children for their future.

The 14 Future@Smart Dispositions to increase intellectual character are:

Whole School:

Resilience
Collaboration
Curiosity
Reflectiveness
Empathy
Risk Taking
Flexibility of Mind

Primary Only:

Initiative
Ambition
Persistence
Focus
Good Judgement
Self Assurance
Originality

At Claremont College we follow a Scope and Sequence that helps to guide when we specifically teach these skills, from Kindergarten to Year 6. This means that the dispositions are built on each year so that a student leaving us in Year 6 has a solid grasp of who they are as a learner and an understanding of the dispositions they need to bring to any occasion. Gone are the days when a person with a particular skill set found their way into a particular job... our students will need to have the full package of skills for any career path they choose in the future. The growth in understanding and use of these dispositions is what develops intellectual character and therefore improves learning capability.

A report from Deakin University says, “if you want to take your career to the next level, you’ll need to showcase your development in two key skill areas: hard and soft skills. A hard skill is essentially your ability to carry out a specific task, while a soft skill is the way you perform that task within a workplace setting. In the past, employers had a tendency to focus on hard skills, but in today’s modern workplace, they are increasingly seeking soft skills as a differentiator. In fact, soft skill-intensive occupations will account for around two-thirds of all jobs in Australia by 2030, Deloitte reports." (Ref., credentials.Deakin.edu.au)

This term our focus has been: Resilience and Collaboration for Kindy to Year 6, with Year 3 to 6 also focussing on Initiative and Ambition.

The activities the students engage in, range from grade to grade but generally include explicit teaching and learning tasks such as:

• Talking about what a particular disposition is, when students have seen it displayed by others, when they have displayed this themselves both at home and at school.
• Discussing people who appear to be natural leaders or learners who show a particular disposition, how they demonstrate this disposition. The examples can come from books, movies, people students know, other students. For example Woody in Toy Story shows Initiative, or in the movie Moana, Moana displays Risk-Taking and Resilience.
• Asking students to rate their own ability to demonstrate a particular disposition in a number of given scenarios and/or Key Learning Areas. They use Consistently/Usually/Sometimes/Seldom scale to determine where they are at a particular point in time.
• Home Learning tasks can involve the use of a disposition, where students are to come up with something they do to demonstrate a disposition, or perhaps when they do not demonstrate the same disposition. For example, they might say ‘I am persistent when I am building with my lego, but I don’t show persistence when I am asked to clean up my room’. 
• The students and teachers may have shout-outs at the end of the day for students who have shown a particular disposition throughout the day.
• We ask students to consider how they will improve their own disposition in certain situations, for example 'I will not walk past things that need to be done that I can do, because I show initiative packing up the learning space and helping others to do this too.' 
• Truly understanding the meanings of the dispositions, word origins, parts of speech, synonyms, antonyms, the skills they need to demonstrate to achieve the disposition...for example, what does being resilient mean, how do I demonstrate resilience, what am I doing when I am not being resilient etc.
• We also use dispositions in the Success Criteria for individual lessons or units of work. For example, ‘collaborate with your team members to solve the problem'. 

And finally, another reason to focus on these extremely important soft skills is because they help to turn children into amazing adults. As Judith Locke reminded us in her talks about The Bonsai Child, we need to consider who our kids will be when they are adults and how they will be perceived by their peers and in their workplaces, will they be good company and will they bring a variety of skills to any situation.

This week at Claremont

This week we held our first parent information session for 2021, Why Co-Teaching? While only a small number of parents attended we believe that every single person who gives their time to come along and learn about our school is deserving of our undivided attention. With the busyness of our lives, giving your time is a gift to others, in this case to us. We did not film our presentation however, it can now be found on the school website or by following this link. I want to thank Mrs Hitchen and Miss Mackay for giving up their time to present this workshop to parents. I love how Brene Brown talks about when people come to hear her speak, they are giving up their time and it doesn’t matter how many there are or how few, she respects the time they are willing to give.

"The best gift you can ever give someone is your time because you are giving them something that you’ll never get back." Author unknown

Now... don’t forget to sign up for the next two Parent Workshops for this term, your time, your presence and your input are always warmly welcomed.

Also this week at Claremont, it has been Pelan Pelan Week. This is a time to slow down and focus on our core business - teaching and learning. It's also a time to reset and to look after ourselves and the students in our care, so that we all make it to the Easter break (or the next break) with minimal sickness and fatigue. Pelan Pelan in Indonesian means to slow down or go slowly. The concept of a slow down week in the middle of each term is something that is practised in a number of schools to look after the wellbeing of both staff and students. At Claremont we try to minimise meetings, incursions, excursions and events while finding time to stop and have morning tea with our colleagues - something in a busy school that is harder to achieve than you may imagine. If you are reading this and feeling alarmed that your child/ren’s learning has slowed down as well, that is not the case; quality teaching and learning continue in Pelan Pelan Week.

And so to wrap up for this week, I hope that you and your family are able to have a Pelan Pelan weekend.

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens."
Ecclesiastes 3:1

God bless

Janelle Ford
Co-Principal 

Follow us

Website: www.claremont.nsw.edu.au 
Instagram: @claremontcollege
Twitter: @claremont2031

Please read our extensive update that we sent out at the beginning of the week. This is available on our website. Please remember to socially distance when visiting the school, picking up your students or when waiting at the gates. 

Please read about our Grandparents and Special Friends Day in the Upcoming Events section below. 

Also please read more on the Cross country carnival updated arrangements in the Sports section.

Thank you for collaborating with us to be a COVID safe school.

This week, we were excited to interview a number of companies proposing options for our canteen in Term 2. We hope to update you with positive news soon regarding the outcome. For the meantime, we will continue to provide snacks on Fridays thanks to our team of parents who are busy filling little bellies with healthy treats.

Tara Barr
Acting Deputy Principal

I encourage you all to mark in your diaries the evening of 18 March to attend a parent webinar hosted by a leading children’s technology researcher, Dr Kristy Goodwin. The webinar, ‘Raising Your Child in a Digital World’ will begin at 7:30pm and will conclude by 9:00pm. Earlier that day, our Primary students will participate in a ‘Digital Wellbeing’ workshop with Dr Goodwin.

Dr Goodwin aims to help parents to understand healthy, safe and practical ways to use technology in the home. She uses the latest evidence-based research to explain how parents can develop healthy digital habits whilst promoting and safeguarding wellbeing. She will equip us with understanding of what resources are available to assist you. 

A cost of $25 per family will be charged to your Term 2 account. Please note that a link will be sent via email closer to the date of the event. If you are unable to participate in the live webinar and would still like to register and watch the webinar at a later date, you will be given access to the recorded webinar. Registration must be submitted before the event to have this access.

Please CLICK HERE to register for this event.

Larissa Cameron
Co-Principal

Congratulations to Olivia L (Yr 1) and Lauren T (Yr 3), who received their Gold awards on Monday.

When on the playground, don't exclude anyone. Speak kindly, follow the rules of games and be a good sport. When there's a problem, try and sort it out and if you need help, speak up to a teacher on duty.

Larissa Cameron
Co-Principal

Mrs Kesur was admiring the quiet room in Year 1 and commented “What a lovely room this is, it’s quiet, air conditioned and I love the colour of the walls. In fact all we need is some beautiful music.” In response a Year 1 boy replied “Yes, it’s just like a date night.”

Children should not be dropped off at school before 8:15am unless they are attending a sports training session or TeamKids. Should your child arrive between 8:15am and 8:30am they will be supervised in the school playground, however if your child/ren arrive before 8:15am they will be sent to TeamKids and a fee will apply.

Term 1 2021

Term 2 2021

Term 3 2021

Term 4 2021

The P&F will be holding a second-hand uniform sale along with clearance items on Thursday 18 March from 8:00am – 10:00am. All second-hand items will be $5, except blazers ($20). Clearance items will range from $2-$10. Please see the flyer below.

Due to restricted capacity, please book a timeslot via the following link:

https://www.trybooking.com/BPLPK

Grandparents' & Special Friends' Day is an event held each year for students in Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 only.

Please find a link to a registration form below which MUST be completed by Tuesday 16 March should a Grandparent or Special Friend wish to attend our special day in person on Friday 19 March.

Due to the school’s COVID-19 requirement, only ONE Grandparent or Special Friend may attend for each family and for ONE session only.  Each visitor may choose to come to ONE of the sessions below and we can arrange for siblings (in Kindy, Year 1 or Year 2 only) to join that session too.

Kindy: 9:15am – 10:00am

Year 1: 11:15am – 12:00pm

Year 2: 1:45pm – 2:30pm

Each guest will join us on the playground with the students for a bite to eat and drink. There will be no live performance like other years. We will simply be celebrating the opportunity to have our guests visit the school and eat together.

This special gathering will involve sitting outside on the playground in socially distanced groups. Food/drink will be provided in a COVID safe way to our guests only. Students MUST bring their own lunchbox of food as we will not be sharing food.

If your Grandparent or Special Friend can't come, we will arrange for your child to sit with their school friends, with supervision by the teachers.

As mentioned in the alert earlier this week, we will continue with our plan to also provide a virtual performance of singing and poetry that can be accessible to all our special friends (even those that cannot join us at this short notice). This will be available on the afternoon of Friday 19 March. We will email you the link and password. Please consider that this link should be shared carefully with relevant family members only.

We are very excited to be able to update our plans so that we can make this happen. We appreciate the flexibility of all concerned to help connect our loved ones in our community.

Grandparents’ & Special Friends’ Day Registration Form

Thank you

Mrs Tara Barr
Acting Deputy Principal

School Cross Country Spectator Registration Form

Parent Seminar #2 - Digital Wellbeing: Raising Your Child in a Digital World - Dr Kristy Goodwin

Y1 & Y4 Parent Follow Up Presentation & Follow Up from 2020 MMG Survey

Parent Seminar #3 - Home Learning Policy

Year 6 - Young Leaders Day Excursion

Term 2 Morning Skills Registration - register before 9:00am Friday 26 March

The Number & Algebra Stand

The following diagram is an overview of the Mathematics syllabus, showing the scope of the strands and sub-strands, along with the central role of Working Mathematically in teaching and learning. From the diagram you can see how the Number stand fits into the whole scheme of Mathematics.

STRAND OVERVIEW: NUMBER AND ALGEBRA (Ref., Mathematics K-6, NSW Board of Studies, 2012)

The knowledge, skills and understanding developed in the Number and Algebra strand are fundamental to the other strands of this syllabus and are developed across the stages.

Numbers, in their various forms, are used to quantify and describe the world. From Early Stage 1 there is an emphasis on the development of number sense, and confidence and competence in using concrete materials and mental, written and calculator techniques for solving appropriate problems. Algorithms are introduced after students have gained a firm understanding of basic concepts, including place value, and have developed mental strategies for computing with two- and three-digit numbers. Approximation is important and the systematic use of estimation is to be encouraged at all times. Students should always check that their answers ‘make sense’ in the contexts of the problems that they are solving. 

In the early stages, students explore number and pre-algebra concepts by pattern making, and by discussing, generalising and recording their observations. This demonstrates the importance of early number learning in the development of algebraic thinking and the algebra concepts that follow.

The use of mental-computation strategies should be developed in all stages. Information and communication technology (ICT) can be used to investigate number patterns and relationships, and facilitate the solution of real problems involving measurements and quantities not easy to handle with mental or written techniques. 

In Stage 2, students begin to apply their number skills to a variety of situations and practical problems, developing a range of life skills important for numeracy.

Following the development of foundational number skills and pre-algebra concepts through patterning, a concrete approach to algebra is continued when students generalise their understanding of the number system to the algebraic symbol system. They develop an understanding of the notion of a variable, establish the equivalence of expressions, apply algebraic conventions, and graph relationships on the number plane.

Students recognise that graphing is a powerful tool that enables algebraic relationships to be visualised. The use of ICT for graphing provides an opportunity for students to compare and investigate these relationships dynamically.

Algebra has strong links with the other strands in the syllabus, particularly when situations are to be generalised symbolically. 

We hope you enjoy reading and learning about how Number is taught at Claremont College, in the following articles from across the grades.

Janelle Ford
Co-Principal

Maths in Kindergarten

Mathematics knowledge, understanding and reasoning are fundamental skills that we all need to solve problems in our everyday lives. In Kindergarten, students engage in Mathematics learning in the broad areas of:

• Number and Algebra
• Measurement and Geometry
• Statistics

In the Number strand, students develop their understanding of key number concepts and practise fundamental skills in combining, separating, grouping and sharing collections of objects.

Here are a number of ways in which we support, develop and enrich students’ understanding of Mathematics concepts in the Kindergarten Learning Space:

Pre Assessments

A week prior to each topic, students complete a Number pre-assessment, where they can demonstrate what they already know. The pre-assessment enables the Kindergarten team to identify the concepts and skills that need to be explicitly taught and revised, and areas of opportunity for extending student knowledge. The pre-assessment then informs our groupings for the upcoming topic, and informs our planning so that we can support and challenge students appropriately.

Differentiated Groupings

Based on the pre-assessment, students are placed into differentiated groups according to their needs. All Kindergarten students are learning about the same broad topics, for example addition and subtraction, however the strategies they are learning will differ in complexity and the size of the numbers they are working with will be adjusted accordingly.

Number Warm Ups

Before moving off into our differentiated groups each lesson, our students complete a whole grade warm up to consolidate Number skills. This activity supports students to revise key concepts and warm up their minds, ready to learn new knowledge and skills in their differentiated groups.

Post Assessments

At the end of a Number topic, students complete a post-assessment. The post-assessments assess the same skills as the corresponding pre-assessment. This allows us to monitor student growth and evaluate the impact of our teaching and identify areas that still require further focus. Following the post-assessment, the Kindergarten team summarise this information and send home a Number feedback sheet to communicate with parents the knowledge and skills that their child has secured, as well as outlining their next steps in their learning.

It is our goal for students to be curious, challenged and striving to achieve and improve their personal best.

Mr Julian Ko, Miss Abby Carter, Miss Jessica King, Mrs Sally Durek and Mrs Jesse Hitchen
Kindergarten Teaching Team

Kindy News - Term 1 Week 7

Number in Mathematics

This term in Year 1, we have been looking at further developing our number sense and numerical skills by providing opportunities for students to develop their mathematical reasoning through engaging lessons.  Mathematics in Year 1 is explicitly taught through hands-on activities, games and discussion to further develop and challenge the student’s knowledge about numbers. Students are encouraged to ‘have a go’, open their minds and dive into ‘the pit’ to grow as a learner.

In Term 1 we have been consolidating counting forwards and backwards, knowing our double and near double facts, understanding friends of ten and bridging to 10. Students explore different number concepts by using hands-on materials such as hundreds charts, counters, number puzzles, and dice games to further develop their understanding of concepts which include addition and subtraction, multiplication and patterns and algebra. We  emphasise looking at different ways to answer questions and constantly ask students “who came up with something else?”. This demonstrates to students that there is more than one way to come up with a solution and encourages them to explore other options further. The activities we use in mathematics also help students to participate in collaborative learning, problem solving and persistence when we don’t always get the answer straight away!

Each week students complete a pre-test on a new topic and then put into small groups to cater to their achievement levels. Topics are taught and rotated each fortnight and reviewed regularly. Students are supported via scaffolded tasks and guided practice to help them further develop in their mathematical learning journey. At the end of a topic, students will complete a post-test. Individual feedback sheets are stuck in the diary to give you information about what areas of each topic your child achieved and what areas they will continue to work on next with their teacher.

Mrs Nicola Breakspear, Mrs Melanie Stewart, Mrs Fiona Vula, Mr Jake Smith, Mrs Carol Giles and Mrs Nicole Nunn
Year 1 Teaching Team

Mathematics in Year 2

Aspects of Mathematics can raise big questions and be taught in a way that brings them to the surface. Mathematics in the Year 2 learning space involves problem solving, exploring Mathematical concepts, making connections with the real world, and lots of FUN! Here is a snapshot of the different types of activities we do during our Mathematics lessons!

There are three strands that are taught in the syllabus: Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, and Statistics and Probability. At the centre all of these strands is Working Mathematically: Communicating, Problem Solving and Reasoning. In Year 2, the learning progression for each child will vary as our teaching practices are regularly differentiated to meet the needs of each student. 

This week our focus is the Number strand. The table below outlines the expected Year 2 content for Number and Algebra where students will learn in accordance with the NSW Mathematics Syllabus.

Our students complete a pre-test once a new topic is introduced to give them the opportunity to apply their prior knowledge before being placed into differentiated groups. Topics are taught and rotated on a fortnightly basis. These topics are reviewed and revisited throughout the semester. After the end of a fortnight, students are given a feedback form in their diary that contains information about how they went in specific areas of that topic. The Year 2 team places importance on communicating each child’s progress, successes, and further growth areas throughout the term.

Our infamous Year 2 motto is, ‘Easy is boring, challenge is interesting!’ (Quote from James Nottingham). There is no doubt that our Year 2 learners have been living up to this motto. We constantly provide students with challenge and enrichment questions for them to transfer and apply their knowledge of certain concepts into unfamiliar situations. 

How can you help your child to work mathematically?                                          

When approaching problem solving tasks, your child will need to engage a range of Working Mathematically skills. Questions that you can ask at home to prompt mathematical thinking and discussion are:                                                                       

• What information do you have? 
• What information do you still need to find out?
• Is there another answer to this problem?
• How many different answers are there to this problem?
• How did you work that out?
• Which strategy did you use?
• Is there an easier way to solve the problem?
• What made you decide to solve the problem that way? 
• Could you show me how to solve this problem using materials? 
• Could you show me how to solve this problem by drawing a diagram?
• How could you check your answer?

Mrs Alanna James, Miss Deborah Tan, Mrs Susan Nicolaides and Mrs Sally Durek
Year 2 Teaching Team

Mathematics in Year 3

Numeracy, alongside Literacy, plays a crucial role in helping students to gain the fundamental skills necessary to thrive in today’s world. Numbers, in their various forms, are used to quantify and describe the world. 

In the Year 3 classroom, we focus on developing and refining the students’ number sense, understandings, fluency, communication and problem-solving skills by working in differentiated groups. Before starting a new topic in the Number strand, we pre-test the students in order to gain an understanding of their current knowledge and skills. The students are then placed into differentiated groups according to their need. The pretest also enables us to identify the specific content that the students require more explicit teaching and practice. These groupings are also fluid and a student may be moved to a different group if it becomes apparent to the teacher that they require further support or extension.

During the term, we have developed our students’ abilities to recognise, model, represent and order numbers to at least 10,000. This included counting forwards and backwards by different intervals, and using the “greater than” (>) and “less than”(<) symbols. Year 3 have also explored a range of strategies to help them to develop more efficient mental computation skills in addition and subtraction. These included the “jump” and “split” strategies. We are currently focusing on strengthening our knowledge of multiplication and division facts by exploring arrays; investigating the link between multiplication and division; and even learning tricks to help us remember more complex multiplication facts such as multiples of three, six and nine. 

We also place a strong emphasis on the area of times tables in our learning space. Just like learning to walk before you can run, learning multiplication and exploring patterns in times tables are important building blocks for other mathematical  topics. The students also practise their times tables on ‘Quia’ every morning and complete a times tables 'test’ every Friday in order to see if they have gained mastery of the times table set that they are working on.

As students complete topics, they will receive a feedback form. This is a great way for you to keep track of your child’s progress. This feedback form contains useful information about prerequisite skills and it can even be used to support or extend your child. The picture below is a sample of our Addition and Subtraction feedback form.

The Year 3 Team is always willing and available to speak to you about your child’s learning in Mathematics. 

Mr Darren Oen, Mrs Adelaide Marquet, Mrs Michelle Parker and Miss Sinead Kelly
Year 3 Teaching Team

NAPLAN Preparation

NAPLAN Online 2021 Letter to Parents

NAPLAN Online - Information for Parents and Carers Flyer

Mathematics in Year 4

The study of Mathematics provides opportunities for students to appreciate the elegance and power of mathematical reasoning and to apply mathematical understanding creatively and efficiently. The study of the subject enables students to develop a positive self-concept as learners of Mathematics, obtain enjoyment from Mathematics, and become self-motivated learners through inquiry and active participation in challenging and engaging experiences. The students in Year 4 are provided with many engaging learning experiences during Mathematics lessons where they use their problem solving skills to navigate their way through the learning pit. 

In Year 4, students are working to consolidate Stage 2 outcomes. There are three strands that are taught in the syllabus: Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry and Statistics and Probability. The table below outlines an overview of the expected content for Number and Algebra that the students will learn in accordance with the NSW Mathematics Syllabus.

Throughout each term, the students engage in a number of mathematical concepts that involve number sense, measurement skills, mathematical thinking and problem solving. The students work in three differentiated groups called ‘Black Widow’, ‘Captain America’ and ‘Hulk’ which link with our lego themed learning space. These groups are frequently changing for each concept based on a pre assessment that indicates which group students should work in. The groups are also fluid during the lessons if the students need to be extended or supported in a different group to what they were originally placed in.        

You would have noticed that the students receive a feedback form in their diary when a topic has been completed. This is a great way for you to keep track of your child’s progress. This feedback form contains useful information and it can be used to support or extend your child.

Miss Hannah Mackay, Mrs Bianca Herborn, Miss Sinead Kelly and Miss Yasmin Campbell
Year 4 Teaching Team

Mathematics in Year 5

Mathematics can be a creative activity employing higher order thinking skills such as reasoning, analytical thought and problem solving skills, to describe and apply patterns and relationships. It provides students with knowledge, skills and understanding in Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, Statistics and Probability, as well Working Mathematically skills of communicating, problem solving and reasoning.

Mathematics in Year 5 is as diverse as the wonderful students within our grade. A new learning outcome is introduced every two weeks. Prior to this, students complete pre-testing to enable the teachers to assess their level of knowledge and group students according to their learning needs. These groups are fluid, with students flowing in and out of either the ‘Sun’, ‘Earth’ or ‘Moon’ groups during the year.  

During Mathematics lessons, students work in three teacher led groups. Each group covers the same syllabus outcome, for example; Number and Algebra, Multiplication and Division, however lessons are catered to the students within each group. This allows for support or enrichment as dictated by the needs of the group or an individual within the group. Activities including hands-on experiences, games and puzzles are used to stretch students' problem solving and higher order thinking skills. Students engage in dialogue with teachers throughout the learning process, and end the two week learning cycle with a post test, displaying their growth and accomplishments over that period. 

The use of mental computational strategies is a focus throughout all areas of Mathematics. Providing students with a solid understanding in number provides a firm base from which they can springboard into more abstract algebraic concepts. In Year 5 recalling multiplication facts is an essential skill currently being mastered by all students. Practise has been occurring in a range of forms; written, using technology and even singing! Many students have set knowing these facts as a goal for 2021.  Within lessons a range of real world number problems, using number patterns and relationships, are explored to enable students to make connections which are relevant and meaningful to their lives. 

Inquiry, exploration, problem solving, communication and reasoning are skills that are being developed in all students and teachers are encouraging students to have a growth mindset when faced with challenging learning. We are embracing the power of the word ‘yet’, with students reframing statements such as ‘I can’t do this’, to ‘I can’t do this yet’, as we explore challenging and stimulating learning experiences. 

Ms Rachel Shiels, Miss Louise Ireland, Mrs Nicola Breakspear, Mrs Speranza and Miss Yasmin Campbell
Year 5 Teaching Team

NAPLAN PREPARATION

NAPLAN Online 2021 Letter to Parents

NAPLAN Online - Information for Parents and Carers Flyer

Mathematics in Year 6

The study of Mathematics, specifically in Year 6, begins to expose students to the world of Mathematics beyond their current primary school experiences. Being the second year of consolidating and building on Stage 3 knowledge, Year 6 students focus on applying their Number knowledge to more abstract concepts. They are exposed to the need to make decisions regarding when to use certain mathematical operations to solve problems while often incorporate a number of different operations at once to solve a problem. This decision making process can lead to students finding themselves in the learning pit, knowing how to perform number operations but not knowing which number operation or ‘tool’ to use. In Year 6, we believe this is great! One of our main focus’ areas to start the year has been promoting a culture of making mistakes as being a positive thing, and that if we’re not making mistakes or finding ourselves in the learning pit, we aren’t learning. 

After reflecting on Off Campus Learning and some of the strategies we used during this time, in Year 6 we have moved away from working in specific groups and placed more emphasis on students to take responsibility for their own learning and increase their independence. This has led us toward a more student led ‘workshop’ based approach to learning, where students take responsibility for coming to workshops provided throughout the lesson on skills and number operations needed for that concept. These workshops are teacher led and involve explicitly teaching and revising content to address any gaps or misunderstandings of the topic. Each week, we still use a pre-assessment tool to gauge students prior learning and to allow us to quietly ‘encourage’ students to attend workshops, ensuring that they are still receiving the support they require to extend their learning. This process has seemingly developed a more positive outlook on mathematics for a majority of students, giving them more ownership and confidence to be able to work at their own pace and receive one on one support from teachers who aren’t running workshops at the time. 

Differentiation then occurs throughout the differentiated tasks and workshops that are held within our mathematics lesson, with students having the opportunity to choose from four differentiated tasks based on their confidence and learner level in that specific topic. In some of these topic areas, the enrichment tasks then expose students to Stage 4 content and ‘highschool’ concepts. Workshops within the lessons are held for all four tasks, with different focus areas identified from both the pre-assessment and observations as the students are working. We have found that this approach has totally changed students' attitudes toward their learning and have given all students the opportunity to extend their learning, with the responsibility being in their hands as Year 6 students, albeit with teacher guidance.

Canberra Excursion

In Week 6, Year 6 were lucky enough to visit Canberra and participate in a variety of educational activities, all linked to topics and concepts covered in our History unit this term, “Australia as a Nation”. It was fantastic to be able to visit a wide variety of places in a COVID safe environment and spend valuable time together as a Year 6 family. The students were excellent role models for the school and should all be extremely proud of themselves for their maturity and behaviour on this excursion... they were fantastic! We asked the students to reflect on their time in Canberra and here are some thoughts from Beth G and Ruby M. 

Going to Canberra was certainly a big highlight of the term so far, if not the biggest. I liked learning about the different things and the accommodation was quite nice. There were lots of things to do, such as visiting the War Memorial, Sound and Film Archive, Old and New Parliament House, going to the National Museum of Australia, Telstra Tower, the Australian Mint, Questacon and doing laser tag.

On the bus ride there and back, it was fun and the temperature cooled down, so that was fine. There were stops on the way where you could have morning tea and play in the playground together.

In Canberra, I learnt quite a lot about how we vote in Australia, and what a democracy means to our country in the parliamentary system. In the New Parliament House, we saw the Senate and House of Representatives, and experienced what it was like ourselves when we tried a role-play. It was fun (especially when Ruby kept repeating ‘Order. Address me as Speaker.’).

In the Sound and Film Archive we found out how people in the olden days made film, and we watched the first ‘movie’ ever made, which was about Ned Kelly being arrested. At the Australian Mint, we could see the history of Australian coins, and how they evolved into the coins we use today.

The food and accommodation was quite nice, as the beds were comfortable and there was a movie constantly playing in the common room that you could watch if you woke up early. At one point while we were having lunch, we even saw some old school friends and outside-of-school friends as well, and we had a very brief catch-up, which was nice.

All in all, I’m seriously not sure what my favourite thing to do was, as each activity was super fun and we learnt a lot, and I hope we get to do more things like this in the future!
By Beth G

For three days and two nights, the Year Six class of 2021 went to Canberra. I was on that trip and we did educational activities such as commemorating the Australian soldiers who lost their lives at the Australian War Memorial, learning about the history of sound and videography at the National Film and Sound Archive and much much more. We also went to the Parliament Houses, New and Old and learnt about democracy and bills. I was intrigued by the vast collection of objects and information when we went to the National Museum of Australia. On the last day, we visited the Australian Mint and went up the Telstra Tower. In the evenings, we had fun experiences at Questacon and playing laser tag.

Overall, my favourite part of the trip was hanging out and laughing with my friends.

I was also very interested when we went to the Australian National Film and Sound Archive, it was so much fun learning about the old technology used to capture moments and how far we’ve come since then. It’s amazing how much we have evolved from having explosive, mould growing film tapes. As a whole, this camp was the best one I have been on so far and I will always remember how much I learnt and all the experiences I’ve had.
By Ruby M

Mr Angus Ryan, Miss Sophie Valdeck, Mrs Lisa Speranza and Miss Sinead Kelly
Year 6 Teaching Team

Parliament and Civics Education Rebate (PACER)

Students from Year 6 have undertaken an education tour of the national capital. Students were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy. 

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing funding of $30 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program toward those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion, and has already been factored into the excursion cost.

New Books for the Collection

In recognition of International Women’s Day on Monday 8 March, we have added the following new titles to the collection. Claremont students of all ages, thoroughly enjoy reading this particular series and we will keep adding new titles as they are published.

Little People, Big Dreams

This series covers the lives of outstanding people from designers, authors, scientists, sports people and artists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream. Each book in the series celebrates individual achievement and illustrates that it is possible to make a difference in the world. The Author Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, born in Spain, is a writer and creative director in constant search of new concepts for children’s books.

Dolly Parton grew up singing in Tennessee. She was poor in money but rich in love and talent. Dolly went on to be an international musical superstar, but never forgot where she came from. She now uses her wealth to give back to people in need. Dolly started her Imagination Library to give books to children in need.

Louise was born in Paris and when she was a little girl, her mother died.

Louise was terribly upset and realised that painting was the only way to express her feelings. As an adult she moved to America and became a world famous sculptor. Today, she is remembered for her spider sculpture, ‘Maman’, which stands at more than 30 feet tall. Her bravery and passion for self-expression paved the way for modern artists and art lovers alike.

Little Corazon was a shy, studious child, with a great sense of justice. This is an inspiring story of a mother, politician and the first female president of the Philippines.

Mrs Susan Kesur
Library Assistant

Debating and public speaking are great catalysts for learning invaluable communication skills and developing confidence when speaking in front of others. Although not all students will go on to compete in debating and public speaking competitions, all students need to develop the skills to communicate effectively throughout their lives. 

Facilitated by Masters Academy, students who participate in the coaching program will have the opportunity to practise debating and public speaking activities, learn persuasive language, critical thinking and logical thinking and gain a deeper understanding of key learning areas such as health, economics, history, law, politics and current affairs.

Click HERE to complete the form if your son or daughter would like to register their interest in participating in the Debating Coaching sessions.

Depending on numbers, coaching will be run Thursday morning at 7:45am-8:45am in the school Library for 7 weeks. The cost is $175 per term, starting Term 2 Week 2.

Ms Rachel Shiels
Debating Coordinator

Key Dates

Important Dates for Term 1 

Claremont Cross Country Carnival
Wednesday 17 March

IPSHA Cross Country Carnival
Saturday 27 March

Cross Country Carnival

The Cross Country event was postponed to Wednesday 17 March due to wet weather. As you can imagine, we are already under pressure to plan this again in an even shorter time frame. For this reason, no arrangements will change for our students. The day will look the same for them - drop off and pick ups etc.  Spectators may attend based on the following arrangements:

• One spectator is allowed per student.
• Spectators must pre-register and cannot turn up without booking a spot. Please register by CLICKING HERE.
• On arrival at the event, spectators must check in with staff at the Claremont marque.
• Spectators are there to watch, must stay in one designated area and should not distract students and teachers.
• Spectators must bear personal responsibility for maintaining 1.5m social distancing within the spectator area.

Cross Country Schedule

AFL GALA DAY

On Wednesday,  40 Year 5 and 6 students competed in the Paul Kelly Cup AFL Gala Day. The Paul Kelly Cup is designed to be a competitive event, while at the same time introducing students to the game of AFL in a safe and fun environment. We had a number of students representing Claremont with a wealth of experience and skill in AFL and others whose first experience of AFL was a google search of “what is AFL?” in the days before. The day provided a great opportunity for those experienced students to demonstrate leadership in uniting the team and helping all players to fulfil a role within the team. For other students, the day provided an opportunity for them to develop confidence through positive risk taking as they embraced the challenge of learning a new sport in a competitive environment. All players displayed excellent sportsmanship, encouragement and determination throughout the day. The girls team was successful in making the semi final, however, despite a toughly fought contest were unable to make through to the finals. Thank you to Mrs Shiels and Mrs Nunn for assisting on the day with such enthusiasm and positivity. Well done to everyone involved!

Term 2 Morning Skills

Term 2 Sport information and registration form have been made available on the Claremont app. Please remember to register online for all morning activities as soon as possible to avoid disappointment as some sports have limited positions.

For billing purposes, registrations will close at 9:00am on Friday 26 March.

Programs commence from Week 2, Term 2

Monday: Year 3-6 Tennis (Eastern Suburbs Tennis Centre), K-2 Judo (Claremont Hall@ lunchtime)
Tuesday: Year 1-2 Tennis (Playground)
Wednesday: Year 3-6 Athletics (Grant Reserve)
Thursday: Year K-2 Dance (hip hop), Year 3-6 Basketball (Playground)
Friday: Year K-2 Football (soccer)

The link to register for Morning Skills is contained in the Information booklet available HERE

Mr Joel Geering
Sports Coordinator

School holidays are just around the corner. TeamKids has a wonderful mix of incursions, excursions and in-house days planned that promise to keep the kids happy, engaged and having fun. Download the Autumn Timetable here.

Get Ready for Winter!

School Blazers, track jackets and track pants are now available. 

The Uniform Shop is run by Ranier on the school premises during school terms on the following days: 

Monday: 2:30pm-5:30pm (PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE OF OPENING TIME)

Wednesday: 8:00am-11:00am

Ranier Winter Flyer

Methods of Payment: Cash, EFTPOS, MasterCard and Visa.

For new students, fittings are by appointment. Simply book online at www.shop.ranier.com.au

The Uniform Shop is located within the main body of the School. Please access the Uniform Shop via Coogee Bay Road lower side gate.

CONTACT

Phone: 9213 0720

Email: [email protected]

Responses will be provided during opening hours.

Note: The website can answer most of your questions at www.shop.ranier.com.au

For more immediate assistance, head office details are:

Online: ranier.com.au/contact

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 02 8337 7290