Anne Hastings – Principal

Three-way learning conversations for Years 8 & 9

Research has identified that when students need to exhibit and discuss their learning, they take a greater role in thinking about their learning, and it means more to them. One of our aims is for students to develop more independence in their learning and having students lead conversations with their parents and teachers provides the opportunity for this, since the students are responsible for running the conversations. In addition, we support a growth mindset attitude, and with students identifying what went well and what they need to improve on, this attitude is reinforced.

We anticipate the following outcomes:

• Greater student ownership of their learning
• Promotion of student independence in planning for the conversation
• Enhanced student thinking about their learning
• Clearer development of students’ learning goals
• Student acknowledgement of and pride in their learning
• Greater parent knowledge and understanding of student learning
• Stronger teacher understanding of students’ learning from their perspective
• Information to support the evaluation of teaching programs.

Year 9 students will bring 2 pieces of work from each subject on which to base their conversation and meet with each of their teachers with their parents to discuss their learning in each subject. Their meetings will take place on Monday 5 December between 12 and 3:30 pm. Year 8 students will bring three pieces of work in total from across their subjects on which to base their conversation and meet with their parents and Tutors for up to 10 minutes. Their meetings will take place on Wednesday 7 December, between 12 and 3:30 pm. Meeting times will be arranged with parents in the time leading up to these days.

Questions that might assist the students to prepare for the conversations are:

• What were your learning goals at the beginning of the year?
• Which do you feel that you have achieved?
• Which have you not achieved and why?
• What helped you in achieving your goals and what hindered you in this?
• What are you really proud of this year?
• What do you think you need to put more energy into next year?
• What will be your learning goals for next year?  
• What do your examples show about what you learnt and what you might do to improve on them?

Mentoring with Year 10 students

For the past 6 months some of our Year 10 girls have been working with students from UNSW’s Women in Engineering, who have been coming here one lunchtime per week. Initially the conversations were about engineering and university in general, but more recently they have been focused on a project. For their last session this week, the girls built a small solar car with their mentor Bec. You can see their final product here. We are very grateful to the UNSW students who have been integral to this pilot project – Sepideh Moshrefi, Adriana Maras and Bec Schacht – for their commitment and encouragement of our girls. 

Online ordering of uniform has come to Emanuel School!

Midfords have been developing a system for online ordering of uniform items and it is now ready to go. Last week’s newsletter had an article with the instructions for accessing this.

Visit to Israel

I will be accompanying Year 10 students to Israel for their first week of Chavayah, and so will be away from School from 23 November to 2 December. Margaret Lowe will be accompanying Year 10 for their full time on Chavayah (returning 4 January) and so Adam Majsay will be Acting Deputy Principal till the end of this year and David Camp will be acting Director of Studies for the same period.

Mazal tov to:

• Our Years 7 & 8 Mathematics team who won the HICES Hard Core Mathematics competition this week (Sasha Baskin, Samuel Moliver, Beau Glass, Jessica Lowy), and their teacher Alice Henry
• Zev Hoffman (Year 10), Elia Berelekhis (Year 8) and Jordan Fleischer (Year 7), who played in the AICES Tennis tournament
• The students who rehearsed and played with the Australian Chamber Orchestra at Emanuel Synagogue last week – Sienna Amoils and Matthew Doust (Year 10), Esther Reznikov (Year 9), Rebekah Goldsworthy and Nathaniel Spielman (Year 8)
• Hannah Rubenstein (Year 10), who has won a special award for her poem ‘Puppets’ (printed in this edition under ‘From the Head of English’) from Write4fun. Her poem will be published in the designated Excellence in Writing section in the book Word Zone. Great work Hannah!
• The cast of ‘Legally Blonde’ our 2017 High School production, whose names were announced today.

Coming up

• Year 10 Drama Showcase, 21 November, 7 pm, Millie Phillips Theatre
• Volunteers’ Assembly and Morning Tea, Tuesday 22 November, 8:15 am MPH
• Year 10 Chavayah leave for Israel, Wednesday 23 November
• Primary Musical, Seussical, Sunday 27 November, 4 pm, Monday and Tuesday 28 & 29 November, 6 pm
• Primary Art Exhibition, Spotlight, Sunday 27 November
• Year 9 Three-way learning conversations, Monday 5 December, 12 – 3:30 pm
• Year 8 Three-way learning conversations, Wednesday 7 December, 12 – 3:30 pm

 Quote of the week

‘He who would travel happily must travel light’. [Antoine de Saint-Exupery]

Best wishes for a relaxing weekend.