Our teacher is Miss Demelza Atherton and our classroom is in the New South Wales block.   Watch this space for details about our exciting plans for 2009.

LITERACY

Four days a week students have an uninterrupted 90 minute block of literacy, which includes a 40 minute whole class literacy lesson and one 40 minute literacy group rotation each day. There are around 7 students in each group and they have been grouped with children of similar reading ability.

Here are some of the activities covered in literacy groups:

STARS (Strategies to Achieve Reading Success)

The children spend 40 minutes each week with Mrs. Barrett working on the STARS program. This is a reading comprehension program that explicitly teaches children strategies for solving both literal and inferential comprehension questions.

Readers ’ Theatre

For 40 minutes a week children participate in Readers ’ Theatre, which is facilitated by Suzanna Callan. This is a program that helps build oral fluency and strengthens reading and literacy skills. Students read from scripts and perform the plays using limited costumes and stage props. The task is all about reading, so the stress of memorizing lines is taken away and students can still enjoy the fun of a dramatic performance.

Students come to me for one 40 minute grammar and punctuation lesson. The final 40 minutes is spent on Typequick (a computer-based touch typing program).

Our school has adopted the Soundwaves Spelling Program. Therefore, in whole-class literacy lessons students work in their Soundwaves textbook and the spelling sound/concept is also reinforced in a spelling game or activity in the literacy group rotations.

Additionally, In the whole class literacy lessons, students explicitly learn about different text types and the associated grammar and punctuation for each genre.

RICH TASK

In term two we are focussing on a science rich task, titled 'Chemistry'.

HOMEWORK

There is no doubt that children need to practice concepts learnt at school, within time constraints, but we need to broaden the definition of Home Work . Any work that children do at home needs to be counted and parents and teachers should work together to ensure that children do some work at home, but not a lot of sedentary work.

The Homework Grid is a solution to this old question of getting kids to do something at home and not opt out of family life. It will enable parents to get children to do their share of work in the home including housework, shopping, physical activity such as sport training and family outings such as walking, fishing and exploring the world activities which enhance family life. It also covers areas such as reading, being read to, playing a game with parents, researching on the computer, music practice and many others.

On the homework grid each cell is expected to be worked on for at least 30 minutes over the fortnight, there is an exception for the daily activities such as house work and reading. House work and reading are done each day, but there has been specific time assigned. It is expected that children do something from each cell, however children need only to prove and provide evidence for the shaded boxes. Parents also need to sign each cell to verify they have seen their child participating in the activity.

LEADERSHIP LESSONS

Leadership Sessions are conducted each Friday during middle session. The content is often decided by the children and their questions, worries, fears or quiries.