IDEAS

Organisational alignment, where key elements of school operations are aligned as a foundation for enhancing achievement, including:

· developing a cohesive community where parents are actively involved in supporting school vision .

 · contributions are recognised and there is a culture of 'no blame.'  

· reviewing curriculum and the allocation of resources to facilitate school vision.  

· developing pedagogy where teachers have a shared, research-based, understanding of successful pedagogy and assessment, and pedagogical priorities reflect school vision.  

. pedagogy– the way we teach children. 

 The five stage IDEAS process of school revitalisation, and individual and organisational learning:

1. Initiating — resolving to become an IDEAS school and establishing roles.
2. Discovering — identifying school’s most successful practices and key challenges.
3. Envisioning — picturing a preferred future for the school, developing an agreed approach to pedagogy.
4. Actioning — implementing plans to align school practices with school vision.
5. Sustaining — keeping the revitalisation process going by building on success.

Digital Excellence

The Digital Excellence Program works in conjunction with a school’s ICT planning. Teachers continue to plan for using ICT in an integrated manner within the curriculum and use the Digital Excellence Program as an assessment tool.

The Digital Excellence approach allows students to be placed at the centre of their own learning.

Students self-assess their learning in ICT using clear standards-linked statements.

Students conference with a teacher, showing samples of their achievement through a piece of work. Teachers check through the work sample with the student and compare it to the ‘I can’ self assessment statements. If the teacher agrees with the student self assessment they ‘accredit’ the piece of work, which means that they are saying ‘yes, this student has achieved this goal’. 

The software program automatically records the accredited learning and places it into the student’s individual digital portfolio, with links made directly to progression points. Teachers can check the level of learning in any area of ICT for any student or for a whole class. The portfolios are accessible to all teachers, so learning can be accredited by any teacher in any subject area. 

As students gain accreditation for particular areas of ICT, they are awarded badges. There are eighteen different ‘award’ categories in the Digital Excellence Program, each with a Silver and Gold level. Award categories include spreadsheets, databases, word processing, desktop publishing, movie maker, digital camera and printer. When students are accredited with all indicators at Silver or Gold levels in a particular area, they receive a badge for that specific award and are known as ‘Experts’ for that award within the school.  

Badges will be  presented at school assemblies, where the whole school community can celebrate their success.

While the focus of the program is on students taking responsibility for their own assessment there are many other benefits. The program provides a framework for student/teacher communication about learning through ‘conferencing’. The process promotes a high level of engagement in learning through student awareness of achieving standards. Learning is improved as teachers set clear ICT learning goals within their integrated units of work and students are engaging with a range of higher order thinking skills. 

The Digital Excellence Program integrates ICT into the VELS curriculum.

 A key strength of Digital Excellence is that it promotes independent student learning in a ‘user friendly’ manner, enabling teachers to focus on facilitating and extending student learning.

 Learning Walks

At Yarraman Oaks we are constantly working towards raising the capacity of teachers to improve the outcomes for the students. Every Tuesday evening is devoted to learning more about how to be more effective teachers.

Over the last eighteen months we have been developing a process for staff to continually raise their awareness and skills in the best practice for teaching reading. To do this we followed the following steps.

 Step 1. For the first six months we used our own skilled teachers and  invited experts to our school who have specific skills in different areas of teaching literacy. As a staff we completed shared readings on specific topics and discussed key questions in relation to our own practice.

By doing this we raised our awareness of what best practice is. We then employed a facilitator to assist us to develop a framework of what we would agree to be best practice.

Step 2. We went on a visit to a local school who was already implementing Learning Walks as a way of sustaining the understandings and application of the best practice in teaching literacy.

Step 3. We established a process of Learning Walks at our school as a pilot program to see what worked for us and what needed to be altered.

Step 4. The process:

1. As a staff we have a focus for each walkthrough which comes from our agreed best practice.

2. As a staff we watch a video of a teacher using that strategy and then share what we have seen. We also establish a discussion topic in relation to the focus which we will discuss at the feedback session.

3. On a specific day three staff walk through each room during our literacy block with our focus for that walk in mind.

One teacher observing and recording what the children are doing.

One teacher observing and recording what the teacher is doing.

One teacher observing and recording the type of work the students are completing.

4. When the teachers finish in each room they discuss what they have seen      and record the information.

5. On the following Tuesday evening the three staff feedback to the whole staff what they have observed and make use of the discussion topic to develop a professional conversation

What is this accomplishing?

1. All staff have a clear understating of what best practice is.

2. All staff have an opportunity to learn from other staff.

3. All staff have an opportunity to view and discuss best practice.

4. All staff have an ongoing strategy for reflection on their own practice.

5. Developing consistency in teaching reading across the school.

Parent Teacher Interviews

We now run these early in the year so you can communicate with us and we can communicate with you, the parents.
It's a time for you to meet your child's new teacher.
You can tell the teacher your child's needs and anything special about him/her.
The teacher can tell you about plans for the student's education for that year.

Individual Learning Plans

Each year the class teacher plans an educational program for the whole class.
At Yarraman we also prepare individual learning plans for children who struggle with their work, or for those who are very capable.
If your child is one of these, the class teacher will sit with you at each interview this year and go through the plan with you.
We would like to make sure that we are providing for the education needs of all children!

Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS)

This is the name given to the new curriculum established for all schools. It replaces the previous curriculum which was called the CSF2. It is part of a range of educational changes under the heading of;

THE BLUEPRINT FOR EDUCATION

VELS separates the curriculum into three stages of learning:

* Prep to grade 4 - Early Years (Laying the Foundations)

* Years 5 to 8 - Middle Years (Building Breadth and Depth)

* Years 9 to 10 - Later Years (Developing Pathways)

We are keen to prepare our children for the changing world they will enter! 

School Council

School Council is a group of parents and staff from the school who meet twice a term and have the following role:

Determining the educational policy, goals and priorities within the framework of our Charter and state-wide guidelines.Approve and monitor the school Budgets.

Oversee the buildings and grounds and ensure that they are kept in good order and condition.

Develop the student dress code and code of conduct.

Report annually to the school community and the Department of Education and Training.

Pupil Free Days

These are run three times a year. They are days when the whole staff can meet together to learn about better ways of educating the children.
It is also a time for staff to develop whole school plans in relation to recent educational innovations.
On our pupil free day on the 15th March, all staff will be learning about the following:

1. De Bono's six thinking hats and how to use then to teach children thinking skills.
2. Developing staff performance and development plans.
3. The Essential Learning Standards, standards for the new curriculum developed for all schools.

Excursions

These are usually run at the beginning or the end of a topic that the children are learning about in their studies.
One of the best ways for children to learn is to experience things in real life. Excursions allow children to do this.
The teacher would either plan to do a great deal of work related to the excursion before or after the event.
They may be studying detail about the topic or using it in the children's reading, writing, spelling, mathematics, art or other learning areas.

Attendance & Punctuality

Simply, these are crucial to children's success at school.

If children are late each day, they miss out on the introduction to lessons and so find it difficult to cope with the work.

If they are absent a lot, or go on holidays during the term they:

1. End up with gaps in their learning and understanding.
2. They may never catch up with the other children.
3. They find it difficult making and keeping friends.

Absence and punctuality have a great effect at any level, but especially in the early years!
It sets a poor model of behaviour for their whole life.

New Reports

Key features of the New Student Report Cards, including the new A - E ratings.

What are the key features of the New Student Report Cards?

The New Report Cards will have:

* a chart with an A - E rating, showing your child's current progress against the expected state-wide standard as well as progress they have made since the previous year.

* a chart showing level of effort and class behaviour.

* details about attendance.

* easy to understand comments from teachers outlining what your child knows and can do, any areas in which your child needs to be given further help or extended, and how this will be done.

* suggestions on how you can help at home.

* in primary school, a written comment from your child on their progress and

* a space for you to comment on your child's progress.

We will guide you through all of this on the night of the interview.

Discipline

We aim to provide an environment that is respectful, supportive, caring and consistent.
We encourage the above through staff and student modelling and structured rewards throughout the school and at assemblies.
We encourage students to take responsibility for their own behaviours.
We have a clear set of expectations and consequences for the children across the school, which is set out in our student code of conduct.
Each classroom has a set of rules and consequences established by both the students and the teachers.
We have agreed consequences for behaviour in the classroom and in the yard.

We encourage students to take responsibility for their own behaviours.
FIVE FINGER STRATEGY. 

A.I.M.

Achievement Improvement Monitor

What is AIM?

AIM is a statewide program in English and Mathematics for students in Years 3, 5 and 7.

What does it test?

It is made up of tests in English (Reading, Writing and Spelling) and Mathematics. The tests are based on the curriculum used in Victorian schools from Prep to Year 10.The results of these tests tell you how your child is progressing and where your child could benefit from greater challenges or extra help.

How are tests conducted?

The tests are available as pencil and paper tests. During the tests, students answer a number of questions, solve problems and write responses to show what they know and what they are able to do.

Who assesses my child?

The tests are held at school and supervised by the teachers. The tests are set and marked by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (Education Department).

*They are to be held in August.

Back to Top