Meeting boys at their point of need

Every boy in our school is different. This may seem an obvious statement but it is one that is driving us in our quest for ongoing improvement in our classrooms.

I can vividly remember when I first started teaching. I recall being on a Year 4 class and discussing with my coordinator how to go about programming for the year ahead. At the time there was no consideration by me (or for that matter my coordinator) of the fact that the needs of the students in my class were different and therefore my programming should cater for those differences.

I am pleased to say that isn’t the case at Lindfield. We are very aware of the different learning styles and needs of the boys in our classes. This doesn’t mean that we will always be successful in meeting them but that won’t be from a lack of trying.

Over the course of this term (and continuing for the rest of the year) we have been unpacking the idea of differentiation; in basic terms, the process of adjusting the curriculum to meet the needs of students. To help this development we have designed a model that assists staff in working through the differentiation process. The model works through a series of steps in a cycle. These steps are identification, classification, modification, clarification, satisfaction and notification.

Over the coming weeks in Prep Talk I will unpack each of these steps to assist parents in their understanding of how we are seeking to meet the needs of each of our boys. We hope that this keeps all of our boys (and teachers) in the flow; working to their optimal and achieving success.

International Baccalaureate Asia Pacific Conference

Recently, Mr Weekes and I were extremely privileged to attend the IBAP Conference in Kuala Lumpur. The conference was a fantastic time of learning and networking with other educators from across the Asia Pacific region. It is always great to be challenged and inspired by others who are also seeking to forge ahead with educational innovation and development in their schools.

At the conference Mr Weekes and I had the opportunity to lead a breakout session title, ‘iPads and Inquiry…a recipe for creativity and reflection’. We were inundated by participants who were keen to hear of the success of our 1:1 iPad program in Years 5 and 6. It was a great to be able to share this and to be affirmed that we are leading the way in this area.

Following the conference I travelled to China to lead a PYP Evaluation Visit at an international school. Having sat on the other end of a similar visit at the end of last year when we were authorized as a PYP school, it was great to see the way another school is seeking to implement the PYP. I have returned to school with lots of ideas and feeling very encouraged in the progress we have made as a learning community.

French Parent Classes

On the basis of last year’s popularity and demand, Madame Pixton has agreed to conduct French Parent Classes. These classes will begin in Term 2 and will be run from 2:30 to 3:10pm on Tuesday afternoons during Assembly time. In Term2 the classes will be aimed at beginners while in Term 3 the target group will be intermediate French speakers. To express interest, please complete the additional question on the Term 2 Co-Curricular Selection Google Doc Form which was sent home this week.

Pastoral Positives – Detective DoRight

Last week Detective DoRight visited our Assembly to highlight the positive behaviour of Nilanka Abbey. Nilanka was ‘caught’ being honest and showing integrity when he stumbled upon a very valuable piece of jewellery within the school grounds. To the relief of one of our parents, Nilanka took the item directly to the Office and explained exactly where it had been found. This sort of honesty is what we expect from our all of boys but it is always great to see it in action.

Please continue to join us in celebrating the positives in our boys’ behaviour.