Student reporting is once again thrust into the limelight…. It is an

August 18, 2005 Number 25
WEAR YOUR FOOTY COLOURS DAY
SCIENCE NEWS
We are offering the students a fun day where they can wear their fa‐
On Thursday July 28th, Meadowglen celebrated Schools Tree Day vourite footy team’s colours and have a special canteen footy lunch with a mass planting in the are along the creek side, linking in with and go in the draw to win a football! The cost of all this is $5.00. A our Rainforest. Grades 6, 5 and 4 students planted 392 trees and special letter and order form was sent home this week. The footy day shrubs, and another 100 plants have found homes along Meadow Glen is on Friday 9th September. We hope everyone can participate in this Drive fence line this week. Congratulations on a great effort! fun event. Thanks need to go to Melbourne Water and Landcare, which provide Students who do not want to participate in the special lunch can still the school with a grant of $1290 to purchase plants and guards and wear their footy colours and donate a gold coin to the Bone Marrow Arthurs Creek Landcare, which donated 100 plants. We were pleased Donor Institute. to welcome representatives from Melbourne Water, Landcare and City OUT OF UNIFORM DAY ‐ FRIDAY 26TH AUGUST of Whittlesea. Many thanks go to Pat and Gayle Corr, from Cottles For the last few years, we have supported the State Schoolʹs Relief Bridge Landcare, who spent all day helping the students plant. Every‐
Fund. This year, we are having an Out of Uniform Day on Friday the one enjoyed the day immensely and the school and local environment 26th August to raise money for this worthy cause. The organisation will be the beneficiaries in the long‐term. appeals to all schools for students to donate a gold coin to help those National Science Week has been very busy and exciting. Greening needy children who do not have decent school clothes and shoes to Australia gave us a grant of $700, and three workers came out on wear. They provide these items for needy children from money raised Tuesday to help three grade 6 grades plant 230 plants. Our rainforest each year. We hope that everyone will participate on this day and help is almost finished, and we now have a butterfly garden outside the to raise much needed funds. Thankyou. Student Council. Music and Science rooms! Grade 6B and Grade 1J planted an orchard BASKETBALL HOOP TIME
on Wednesday behind the Science room. In a couple of years we will On Friday 12th August, the Grade 6 Boys & Girls took part in a Round be able to pick and eat from our own fruit trees. Robin Basketball tournament at Mill Park Stadium. They trained hard Tomorrow ‐ Friday 19th ‐ is our Term 3 Smogbusters Day. Itʹs always for over a month to get there. Both teams represented the school great to see so many of the children walking, riding bikes, scooters and proudly. The boys were very competitive drawing one game and skateboards or rollerblading to school and back. Many families that losing the 2nd by one point. They did win a consolation match con‐
live a fair distance car‐pool.. What a wonderful way to exercise, vincingly. Well done boys. The girls were very successful winning all socialise with your friends and save the environment at the same their games and unfortunately losing the Grand Final to Epping by 3 time! Please ensure that helmets and safety gear are worn. Bikes will points. Congratulations to both teams. We would also like to thank be stored behind the grade 2 rooms. the Parents who came to support us on the day. A special thank‐you Unfortunately, the weather prevented us from holding our Chicken to Greg Russell and Debbie Morrison who gave up their time to help Dance Disco on Monday. We have rescheduled for next Tuesday at score. The boys team included: Matthew Zammit, Jake Cullen Heath lunchtime and hope that the rain holds off. Entry by gold coin to Campbell, Daniel McGaw, Joshua Totino, Alex Roast, Braedyn fundraise for our chicken shed. McGaw, Brent Howlett, Nathan Holmes & Ross Gibson. The Girls Karin Geradts Science Teacher team included: Renee Russell, Rachel Astorina, Jessica Beninato, Jor‐
TOURNAMENT OF MINDS
dyn Hackney, Sarah Elliot, Alexandra Petrovski, Aliesha Dellevergini, Meadowglen Primary School has entered 2 teams of students into the Elise Cullen, & Chantelle Eccles. Tournament of Minds 2005. The teams are: Coaches: Anthony Boland & Lynda Thompson.
Team 1—Facilitator: Marnie Galea. PARENT ASSOCIATION NEWS
Students: Alex Geary, Theekshana Jaywardene, Jessica Beninato, Jes‐
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If you need more Raffle tickets, there are some at the office. sica Castuera, Joshua Totino, Blake Dadd & Katerina Jovevski. •
Next meeting 13th Sept @ 9.00am Team 2—Facilitator: Reuben Fry. •
Father’s Day Stall Friday 2nd Sept Students: Aidan Jackson, Tayla Spence, Annelii Vann‐Wall, Niharis‐
BEGA—”COLLECT & WIN PROMOTION” han Sathasivam, Samantha Zammit, Matthew Zammit, Ross Gibson. Keep sending Bega Barcodes to school. Thank you for your continued Both teams have been spending a great deal of time working on the support. Challenges presented to them. They have worked during school time FOR SALE
and some after school sessions. Girls 20” Bratz Bike 4mths old Paid $189 Sell $100 & Bratz Helmet Their Presentations will be this Sunday 21st August at La Trobe Uni‐
Bike is like brand new Ph: 9009 0182 versity. LITERACY NUMERACY EXPO
Team 1: Sunday 21st August at 1.40pm Thursday, 1 Sept, 2005, 3.30pm‐6.00pm, Darebin Arts & Entertain‐
Team 2: Sunday 21st August at 1.20pm ment Centre, Cnr. Bell st, & St Georges Rd. Preston. Parking available. We wish both teams good luck and a successful day. Admission is free and part of Literacy & Numeracy Week 2005 T.O.M. Coordinator—Wendy Gray REMINDER—JUMP ROPE AFTERNOON
“MATHS FOR PARENTS”
Whole School Prep—6, Monday 22nd August, 2.20 –3.20pm EVENING AT MEADOWGLEN — TUESDAY 6TH SEPTEMBER Have you ever asked yourself these questions? What is my child learning in mathematics? What’s changed and why? How do children best learn mathematics? Parents of children in Years 3, 4, and 5 will have the opportunity to attend this session with Michael Ymer, an experienced specialist maths consultant, who has a clear and practical approach to issues that con‐
front schools and parents in mathematics. If you are interested in attending notices (with a reply slip for you to return) will be distrib‐
uted to children in Grades 3, 4 & 5 next week.
DATES TO REMEMBER
Term 3:
11 July — 16 September
Term 4:
3 October — 21 December
Swimming Grade 5/6
Thursdays 14/7—1/9
Jump Rope Whole school
Mon 22 August, 2.20-3.20pm.
Gr 2 Queen Vic Market
Tue 23 August
Gr 1 Queen Vic Market
Thu 25 August
Gr 3 Camp Manyung
17 –19 October
Gr 4 Camp Manyung
19—21 October
Big Night Out Whole School
Thu 15 Sept
Parents Assoc Meeting:
Tues 13th Sept @ 9.00am
Visit us on the web at http://www.meadowglenps.vic.edu.au!
You can read all of our previous newsletters, keep up-to-date on school events, and take virtual tours of the school.
August 18, 2005 Number 25
Achievement / Co-operation / Excellence / Friendship / Respect / Responsibility
At Meadowglen Primary School we value achievement. Student reporting is once again thrust into the limelight…. Minister Nelson’s Commonwealth Draft Regulations under the Schools Assistance Act 2004 Section g – Student Reports outline what schools will be doing in 2006. It states: “iv) reports must include, for key learning areas or subjects studied, an assessment against achievement levels or bands as defined by the education authority or school. These achieve‐
ment levels should be labeled as A, B, C, D, E (or equivalent)…….. v) must report for key learning areas or subjects studied, the child’s achievements relative to the achievement of the child’s peer group in the school by at least quartile bands…….” Earlier this year McGregor Tan Research Consultancy surveyed 1200 parents asking them for their views on the current reporting process. This was the result: ♦
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64% of parents believed there was nothing else they required in the way of reporting. 64% felt reports gave an accurate picture of where their child was at with their learning devel‐
opment. 74% felt their child was where they should be in their learning development. 45% said there was nothing that could be improved in the content of their child’s report. Clearly, parents have highlighted many positives about what is currently happening in schools. So what does Minister Nelson’s new Regulations mean for Meadowglen? We all agree that there is room for improvement, but I’m not sure how reporting your child’s achievement at ‘quartile bands’ is going to be helpful. We can only hope …….. Parents wanting a draft copy of the new regulations should contact me.
Loretta Piazza It is an expectation that all students will attend the Big Night Out on 15 September at the Dallas Brooks Hall. Families have until Friday 19 August to purchase up to three tickets. Round two starts Monday 22 August until all tickets are sold out. Continued on back page
The Thinking Curriculum is being implemented
into the schooling of the children at Meadowglen
Primary School.
De Bono’s 6 Thinking Hats
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
It means that the children, from Prep to Grade 6
are using a variety of Thinking Tools to extend
their thinking and planning beyond “the usual!”
These “tools” can be used throughout life, whether
at Primary School, Secondary School, in the workforce or in personal situations. They are learning
aids, which help the children to visualize and
organise their information as well as catering for
the different preferred learning styles of the students within a grade.
Many of you reading this, may be using some of the
“tools” your children are using (to further extend
themselves and the quality of work they are
presenting), in your daily work situations.
This is an exciting time for your children to be at
school as they are working with Thinking Tools
which make learning fun and more meaningful.
Graphic Organisers
Mind Mapping
BORIS
DATT TOOLS
Some of the Thinking Curriculum Tools being
used at Meadowglen Primary School are:
- De Bono’s 6 Thinking Hats,
- Graphic Organisers such as Venn Diagrams, Webs and Attribute Diagrams to name
a few.
- Multiple Intelligences Matrices and associated activities,
- Bloom’s Taxonomy questioning,
- Mind Mapping,
- BORIS
- DATTS such as F.I.P. (First Important
Priorities), (O.P.V. (Other People’s Views), and
many more.
These are being used along with Quality Tools
such as:
- Fishbone Diagrams,
- The 5 Why’s,
- Affinity Diagrams,
- Lotus Diagrams, etc.