Volume 30 Issue 32 29 Oct 2021 23 Heshvan 5782

Primary News

Katie Brody – Director of Students K-6

Teaching and learning without a screen – remember that?

Returning to the classroom after such a long period creating and conducting lesson sequences online, is like finally being able to breathe again. We have now revolutionised our purposeful use of technology and will certainly continue to use some of the best practices we have developed as they have been so impactful for student learning, but there is nothing that compares to the in-person educational context to restore our joy. Now that we are back in the classroom, the opportunities to reconnect socially are paramount.

Aside from the range of social opportunities prepared by the teachers for these final weeks of the school year, here are five of the offline practices our teachers will be returning to now that we are back at school:

 

 

 

  1. Think, Pair Share – Teacher poses an essential question and students jot down ideas, suggestions and responses on their own. They then pair with another student to discuss responses (both students refine or build on their ideas) and then the whole class takes turns offering their ideas.
  2. Turn and talk – Teacher poses a question or a topic and asks students to turn and talk to a partner or a small group to discuss the content, drawing out their knowledge. Partners then share what others mentioned in the discussion.
  3. Chat stations – Around the classroom (pinned on the wall) are prompts for discussion in the form of images or questions or statements. Students are in small groups and have a pad of post-it notes and a pencil in hand. They remain at their station, discussing, reading, planning and writing based on the specific prompt. They leave the post-it notes on the wall for the next group. Groups then rotate to the next prompt to do the next part of the exploration. Responses are shared.
  4. Silent discussion – six large pieces of paper spread out on desks in the classroom. A discussion point or topic is written in the centre of each page. Students meander around the room silently, with a coloured pen in hand, writing responses onto each page (in mind map form) and adding further comments or elaborations to the responses of others.
  5. Socratic Circles – Students sit on chairs in two concentric circles. The inner circle are to be the ‘talkers’ and the outer circle provide ideas to those in the inner circle. A topic is raised for debate. The students in the inner circle prepare responses and begin the debate. The students in the outer circle listen without speaking and they write ideas on post-it notes and hand it to those in the inner circle to use in the discussion. Students then swap places and a new debate begins.

ICAS competitions schedule

For those in Year 3- 6 who opted in for these academic competitions, please find the ICAS schedule below:

Discipline

Date

Period

Duration

Digital Tech

Friday 12 November 2021 

Period 2 – 3

Years 3 and 4 have 30 minutes

Years 5 and 6 have 35 minutes

English

Monday 15 November 2021 

Period 1 – 2

Years 3 and 4: 45 minutes

Years 5 and 6: 50 minutes

Science

Tuesday 16 November 2021

Period 1 – 2

Years 3 and 4: 45 minutes

Years 5 and 6: 55 minutes

Maths 

Years 3 and 4

Wednesday 17 November 2021

Periods 5 – 6

Years 3 and 4: 45 minutes

Maths 

Years 5 and 6

Thursday 18 November 2021

Periods 1 – 2

Year 5: 45 minutes

Year 6: 60 minutes