Teaching and Learning

School Improvement Agenda for 2022 will continue to focus on improving student outcomes:

• Reading
• Writing
• Differentiation

Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting all classes to get to know students and to discuss what they’ve been learning at school. When I visit classrooms, I ask  'What are you learning?’, this question asks children to think more deeply about what they’re learning rather than what they’re doing. 

The focus on learning, gives children the opportunity to demonstrate that they understand what they’re learning and give examples.  Try asking your child/ren ‘What did you learn today?’

Making Thinking Visible: 10 Apps for Parents

These are not ‘apps’ in the ‘download from iTunes’ sense of the word; but rather are approaches for parents wishing to strengthen connections for their children’s learning and understanding. 

1. Name and Notice Thinking. Use the language of thinking to name and notice the thinking your child is using and thus make it more visible. This is especially important when praising and giving feedback: That’s an interesting theory. I like how you have used what you already know to make connections. That’s a perspective I hadn’t thought about.
2. Develop a Growth Mindset. A belief that intelligence and ability grow and develop over time–as opposed to something that is fixed and set–encourages greater risk taking, collaboration, enjoyment of challenge, long-term development, and continuous achievement in all types of learning endeavors (Dweck, 2006). Develop a growth mindset in your child by focusing your praise on process, learning, and effort (You really worked hard on this and have learned a lot. You did a great job of developing a plan and following it through. You’ve really developed as a musician.), as opposed to ability (You’re so clever. Look how smart you are; you did that so fast. You’re good at math. You’ve got a lot of talent.)
3. Challenge but Don’t Rescue. We learn a lot from making mistakes, pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone, and taking risks to try new things. Regularly encountering challenges, mistakes, and failure builds a growth mindset and develops intellectual resilience. When your child encounters difficulties, don’t jump in to solve the problem and rescue him/her. Instead, ask questions that will help him/her to think through the problem, identify, and choose a course of action for moving forward.
4. What Questions Did You Ask Today? Our questions drive us as learners. When Isidor I. Rabi won the Nobel Prize in physics, he was asked, ”Why did you become a scientist, rather than a doctor or lawyer or businessman, like the other immigrant kids in your neighborhood?” He replied, ”My mother made me a scientist without ever intending it. Every other Jewish mother in Brooklyn would ask her child after school: ‘So? Did you learn anything today?’ But not my mother. She always asked me a different question. ‘Izzy,’ she would say, ‘did you ask a good question today?’ That difference–asking good questions–made me become a scientist!”
5. Focus on the Learning Over the Work. It’s easy for parents to focus on the work their child has to do and to monitor the completion of that work. However, the completion of work is never the goal of an assignment. Learning is the goal. Take a moment to ask your child what the purpose of each assignment is, what do they think the teacher wants them to learn and get better at as a result. Then monitor the learning, not the work.
6. Encourage Connections. Students encounter new information constantly. To learn and make sense of this information they must connect it to previous knowledge and integrate it with their experience. Ask questions of connection and encourage the creation of metaphors, similes, comparisons and contrasts when talking about the topics your child is studying or exploring independently.
7. Support Your Child in Arguing Effectively and Persuasively. A recent study in the journal Child Development (J. Allen, 2012) showed that teenagers who argued constructively with their parents by building a case and providing evidence for their position were more able to resist peer pressure to use drugs than were students from more authoritarian households. Researchers found such arguments were training grounds for teens that enabled them to learn to speak up, voice an opinion, and use evidence.
8. Provide Time to Pursue Passions. In the movie Race to Nowhere (2010), producer/director Vicki Abeles documents how the pressure to succeed on tests is too often robbing children of rich learning experiences, causing stress-related problems, disengaging students, disrupting home life, and leading to wide-scale cheating. One argument the film makes is that teens need the time and space to pursue their passions and interests. Parents must make sure these passions, which may turn into life callings, are not squeezed out of their child’s life. Pay attention to your child’s learning and passions outside of school and make time for them.
9. Make Your Own Thinking Visible. The Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky said, “Children grow into the intellectual life around them.” You are a model for your child of what it means to be a thinker and a learner. Model your own interests, passions, curiosity, reflection, learning, and thinking for your child. Make your own thinking visible to them as a model.
10. What Makes You Say That? This simple question is the “killer app” for parents and teachers. By simply asking, “What makes you say that?”, in a curious and non- judgmental tone after someone has given a response, we are able to get a window into the thinking behind that person’s initial response. Teachers in Sweden referred to this as the magic question, because of how much it was able to reveal about students’ thinking. The reasoning behind the response often tells us much more than the response itself.  © Ron Ritchhart, 2012

Learner Profile Focus

The International Baccalaureate (IB) learner profile describes a broad range of human capacities and responsibilities that go beyond academic success.  They imply a commitment to help all members of the school community learn to respect themselves, others and the world around them.

Rochedale SS is committed to the development of students according to the IB learner profile.  Teachers have an explicit focus on one profile each week.

The profile aims to develop learners who are:

Facilities Update

Rochedale has outstanding facilities and the grounds are beautifully maintained.  As you may have seen, work has started on our new building behind the Administration Building.  It’s anticipated the building will be finished by the end of the year.  Copies of the plans of the new build will be visible on the windows of the Administration Building.

Parents as Learners – Inclusion and Disabilities

The Department of Education's Inclusive education policy (PDF, 329KB)  commits the department to continuing our journey towards a more inclusive system at policy and regional levels, and as part of our everyday practice in schools, educational settings and classrooms.

Our commitment means that children and young people across Queensland, from all social, cultural, community and family backgrounds, and of all identities and all abilities are able to:

attend their local state school or education centre and be welcomed.

access and participate in a high-quality education and fully engage in the curriculum along-side their similar-aged peers.

learn in a safe and supportive environment, free from bullying, discrimination or harassment.

achieve academically and socially with reasonable adjustments and supports tailored to meet their learning needs.

What is inclusive education?

• Inclusive education means that students can access and fully participate in learning, alongside their similar-aged peers, supported by reasonable adjustments and teaching strategies tailored to meet their individual needs. Inclusion is embedded in all aspects of school life, and is supported by culture, policies and every day practices.

What does inclusion look like?

Reminder: COVID Health Advice

If your child is sick/symptomatic

To keep our school community COVID-19 safe, students must not attend school if they are unwell or have COVID- 19 symptoms. Students should attend their local Queensland Health testing clinic  where they will be prioritised to receive a rapid antigen test (RAT).

If the test result is negative and the student is well, they can return to school.

If the test is positive, the student will need to follow Queensland Health quarantine and isolation requirements .

Learning materials if your child is in isolation due to illness or as a close contact

The learning@home website has resources for students in Prep to Year 10. Students are also be able to view quality curriculum-based television programs on three different stations – programming information can be found at Learning@Home TV  

Additional resources are also available at The Learning Place . Students will need their EQ user name and password to access.

Teachers will not be providing online learning materials or printed materials as they will be engaged in full time face to face teaching.

Further information on supporting your child, maintaining healthy learning routines and setting up a learning space at home can be found at

https://education.qld.gov.au/curriculum/learning-at-home/wellbeing-of-students   

Have a great week.
Melissa

Why is “Every child, every night reads” so important? 

The teaching of reading is core business at Rochedale State School.  At Rochedale State School we acknowledge that …

• reading takes place in a positive environment that maximises interest, motivation and confidence.
• all children’s reading competence can improve.
• reading is the process of understanding texts to encourage thinking.
• when reading, students actively engage in the elements of problem solving, seek solutions to inquiry questions, and acquire knowledge through texts.
• reading takes place within an active literacy framework and is integrated across all Learning Areas.

Research tells us that a child struggling to read competently by the end of Year 3 may continue to experience challenges with their learning.  This highlights the importance of reading in the early years and the need to ensure children are provided with enough reading mileage.

We believe that reading at home should foster a positive atmosphere and encourage our children to love reading. 

“May the words be with you”!  At school, to help encourage students to read, we use our own superhero Captain Readit. Captain Readit comes from the planet Vocab and helps to motivate children to read and set goals with their reading.

Students are provided with opportunities to receive a reading award/ticket during the reading lessons in the classroom each week. If received, this ticket is placed in Captain Readit’s box in the library and a winner from each year level is announced on parade each week.

Winners are allowed to choose a book from Captain Readit’s Treasure Chest found in the library. Captain Readit makes the trek from planet Vocab to Rochedale State School each month for our special Student of the Month parade.

Kind regards
Jessica Rigby
Deputy Principal Year 2 / 3

The Australian Curriculum states knowledge, skills and attitudes that are important for students to learn, helping young Australians become successful, confident, active and informed citizens in the future. The curriculum is presented in a developmental sequence of learning from Prep- Year 10 as students progress through their education journey.

The Australian Curriculum has Learning Areas that set out the subject knowledge that children need to learn at the various stages of their education.

The eight Learning Areas include:

• English
• Mathematics
• Science
• Humanities and Social Sciences
• The Arts
• Technologies
• Physical Education
• Languages

At Rochedale State School, the IB-PYP framework (International Baccalaureate- Primary Years Programme) is the learning approach we use to deliver the Australian Curriculum. The IB-PYP is a part of an international education organisation, educating children from 3 – 19 years old in over 100 countries around the world. The programmes facilitated by the IB develop inquiring, knowledgeable, confident and caring young people. The IB educational philosophy and practices are driven by the belief that children construct conceptual understandings by building upon what they already know.

This framework allows students to learn in inquiry-based and student-centred classrooms, enabling students to learn between, across and beyond traditional subject boundaries. Students can then make strong links and deepen their understanding, helping them make connections to the world beyond the classroom. The IB-PYP framework encourages students to take responsibility for their education, asking questioning and building research skills, so they can become life-long learners. Students learn through dynamic cycles of inquiry, action and reflection.

Natasha Floyd
HOD- Curriculum

Due to staffing constraints and the impact on learning time, this year Rochedale State School will not be catering for the ICAS assessment on campus. Instead ICAS will be providing Queensland students with the option of participating in the online tests at one of their JEM sites, outside of school hours.

The website below has more information for parents about the ICAS assessment and JEM sites.

https://www.icasassessments.com/support-icas

Hi Rochedale SS Families,

As you would have read in last week’s newsletter, Chappy Sue has not returned to Rochedale SS this year. Chappy Sue was Rochedale’s school chaplain for the past 5 years and was an integral part of our school community. I know that there are many children, staff and families who were impacted by her work, and her care. Her positive outlook and encouraging nature were an incredible asset to our school.

Chaplaincy is one of the various support services offered at Rochedale SS, and as such, the chaplain is part of our support services team. Chaplains in Queensland provide social, emotional and spiritual support to school communities. They contribute to the overall wellbeing strategies and educational goals of our local schools.

We were very happy to welcome Chappy Greg to the Rochedale SS community last week. He will be with us on Fridays for the next few months, while a recruitment process is undertaken for our next permanent chaplain. Chappy Greg introduced himself to the students during our virtual parade and visited many of the classes throughout the day. You may see him in the drop off zone on Friday mornings, welcoming children to school, so make sure you say hi!

From Andie Eames
RSS Chaplaincy Committee Chairperson

Office Hours

The school office is open each day from 8am to 4pm. 

Student State School Consent

It is the school’s usual practice to take photographs or record images of students and occasionally to publish limited personal information and student materials for the purpose of celebrating student achievement and promoting the school and more broadly celebrating Queensland education. Consent to use your child's name, photograph, voice/video recording or year level is requested at time of enrolment via the "State School Consent Form". If you wish to make changes to consent for your child please request a new State School Consent Form from the school office. 

Religious Instruction at Rochedale SS

Religious instruction (RI) will start in Week 7 for students who are participating. This will be dependent on the school returning to normal operating arrangements from Monday 7 March, further information will come out closer to the date.

Students are allocated to attend religious instruction based on information provided by parents/carers on the completed Application for Student Enrolment unless other written instructions have been provided to the school. Note: This information remains operational unless the parent/carer informs the school otherwise, in writing.

Students who are not participating in religious instruction will remain in their classroom and be provided with other instruction by their class teacher. Other instruction relates to part of a subject area already covered in class and may include, but is not restricted to:

·   Personal research and/or assignments

·   Revision of class work such as literacy and/or numeracy activities.

If you wish to make a change to your child’s participation preference in religious instruction, either to attend or not attend, please email Jane Jeffrey  on jjeff157@eq.edu.au , please included in the subject Religious Instruction. Parents will be advised if there are to be changes to the religious instruction offered and/or other instruction programs conducted at this time to ensure they are able to make informed decision on their child’s participation.

ABSENCE LINE 3340 8388 or

text 0427 890 693 (24 hours)

*******IT IS NOW A REQUIREMENT THAT ALL STUDENT ABSENCES BE REPORTED ON THE DAY OF THE ABSENCE TO THE SCHOOL OFFICE*******

To report a student absence, please call the absence line on 3340 8388 or text our SMS line on 0427 890 693.  These lines are both open 24 hours a day.

When recording an absence on either our phone line or SMS line, please state the following:

1. Your name
2. Student's name
3. Student's class
4. Reason for absence

Please speak clearly and slowly and help us with spelling of names when calling the phone line.