Our Visible Learning Journey

Teaching and Learning is still our core business at Northern Christian School. We also acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord over our school and we are reminded in the Bible of His instruction and guidance. As educators, we are convinced that He is the greatest educator for life.

In 2017, Northern Christian School commenced a journey to implement an in-depth system-wide model of professional learning and classroom teaching practices. This model is based on the principles of visible Learning, developed from Professor John Hattie’s unprecedented meta-analysis of research studies on student achievement, the largest global research base into what actually works best in schools to improve student learning outcomes.

Visible Learning is based around the belief that every student should experience at least one years’ growth in any given school year. Professor Hattie found that the most effective method for improving achievement was Collective Teacher Efficacy (CTE). CTE is a shared belief that through collective action, teachers can positively influence student outcomes.This means an enhanced role for teachers as they become evaluators of their own teaching. Visible Teaching and Learning occurs when teachers see learning through the eyes of students and help them become their own teachers. (Hattie, 2017). 

This term our Visible Learning Focus is to have students understand and use learning intentions and success criteria to help them articulate their learning and progress. At Northern Christian School, we refer to learning intentions and success criteria as WALT and WILF.

A WALT (We are learning to) is a statement of learning intention. Learning Intentions are descriptions of what learners should know, understand and be able to do by the end of a lesson or a unit of work. Learning intentions are the basis for tracking student progress, providing feedback and assessing achievement.

A WILF (What I’m looking for) is a statement of success criteria. Success criteria are the measures used to determine whether, and how well, learners have met the learning intentions.

A past student, Sam Tylutki, designed characters to represent WALT and WILF, making their use more meaningful and appropriate for students. For example, a learning intention in Year 1 may look like this:

Learning intention (WALT):
We are learning to write sentences with describing words.

Success criteria (WILF):
My sentence makes sense.

• I have a capital letter at the start of my sentence.

• I use describing words.

• My sentence ends with a full-stop.

Why are we using learning intentions and success criteria?

• Ensure all students know what they are going to learn and where they are heading.

• Provide guidance to teachers on what their chosen teaching and learning activities are seeking to achieve.

• Provide the basis for feedback and reduce discrepancies between current student understanding and intended learning.

• Assist students and teachers in tracking and assessing student progress.

• Help teachers to understand the impact of their teaching and learning activities, and when they may need to adapt or change these.

• Help students understand what improved performance looks like .

By using learning intentions (WALT) and success criterias (WILF) we are seeking to support students in being able to articulate what they are learning.  We believe by using WALT and WILF teachers are explicitly supporting students to focus on the learning/understanding/skill, rather than the ‘doing’ of the task or activity. To find out more, be sure to speak with your classroom teacher.

Miss Bethany Armstrong - Principal

Mobile Phones

If there is a need for a mobile phone to be brought to school it must be handed into the office for safekeeping.

Students found using their mobile phone (texting, calling or receiving a call during school hours on campus) will have the phone confiscated and parents will be asked to collect at a convenient time.

Parking

A friendly reminder that our top area is our “Kiss and Drop Zone”. Please proceed around the turning circle. There is strictly no parking in this area between 8.30am - 9.15am and 2.30pm - 3.30pm. It is needed for the school buses as a drop off zone.

The disabled carpark is only for holders of a disabled parking permit (which must be displayed). If you have any queries or require special consideration for a health or medical issue, please see the Principal.

Upper and lower car parks may be used by parents. Parents must ensure their children use designated pathways and crossings and all children must be supervised in the car park areas.

Please remember to give way to traffic on Cobbs Hill Road when leaving the school grounds.

Miss Bethany Armstrong - Principal

School Times

Please note that our starting time for school is 9.00am and we expect all students to be school by 8.55am.

Classes finish at 3.00pm and Parents and Caregivers are expected to wait outside the classrooms, no earlier than 2.55pm.

Hats

A friendly reminder that students are to wear school hats at recess and lunchtime this term. Hats can be purchased at the office or ordered on Qkr! for $10.00.

Subway School Lunch Order Program

Subway lunches are now available on Fridays.

They offer individually prepared packs for your students that include a 6-inch sub, an apple juice or water and an (optional) chocolate chip cookie - all for just $6.50. If you prefer a non-confectionary lunch, they also provide the option of a 6-inch sub and a drink for only $6.00.

Students can choose from chicken, ham, veggie delite or beef subs with a choice of cheese, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, carrot and a range of sauces. 

Please ensure you place correct money in the provided envelopes as change is unable to be given. Envelopes are available at the office. If you have any questions contact us.

Library Days 2020

• Mondays Year 3 and Year 4

• Wednesdays Kinder, Prep, Year 1, Year 5

• Thursdays Year 2 and Year 6

Please assist your child/ren in remembering to bring their library bags and books on the allocated days.

Library Parent Help

Book Covering: At various times there is a need for help in covering new books. Volunteers can come into the library on a Wednesday or Thursday afternoon from 2.00pm - 3.00pm to cover books. All materials and training are provided. Please also contact me if you're able to take some books home to cover.

Lunchtime Activities: Thursday lunchtimes (1.00pm - 1.30pm) is library activity day. Volunteer help is needed to help supervise and run the activities as well as pack up. No experience necessary.

If you can help with either of these opportunities, please contact me in the library or by phone and leave a message at the office. 

As with all parent help in the school, a working with vulnerable people card is required and an online registration form can be found here.

Mrs Linda Rowlings - Librarian

Year 6 News

Year 6 have hit the ground running as they start the last year of their learning journey at Northern. It has been wonderful to see so many familiar faces from my time in Year 1 and to get to know the new ones that have been added along the way.

As we put class routines in place, I have been amazed by the maturity and responsibility Year 6 are already displaying towards their learning. This term we will be joining Year 1 in Design and Technology as we look at programming.

We will also be combining with Year 4 for Bounce Back, where we will be looking at core values for wellbeing and resilience. We have begun to look at honesty, fairness and responsibility.

In the Bible, Ephesians 4:29 tells us: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

Our words have weight. Through our time together, it is our goal to become more aware of how our words and actions affect those around us.

Lastly, we will be joining Year 3 for Art, where we will look at Escher and tessellations.

These times will be a great opportunity for Year 6 to not only strengthen their own skills and understanding but also show leadership as they mentor our younger students. One highlight for the first week back has been Forest School: Catching grasshoppers, planting trees, clearing unwanted thistles and creating our own rocky village.

Mr Luke Lamont – Year 6 Teacher

Lego Wanted!

Have any old Lego that you no longer want?

Please help us resource our library by donating any preloved Lego blocks. In Week 5 students will have the opportunity to participate in our new Lego Club at Lunch each week on a Tuesday with our chaplain, Mr Malcolm Lacey.

Through Lego, students explore the possibilities of creativity, problem-solving and challenge-based engineering activities while having fun! Students can choose to work independently or with a partner or group to design and create their Lego inventions.

Whether you have 10, 100 or 1000 blocks to donate, we'll gladly accept them.

You can deliver them to the front office, or bring them directly to the library.

Mr Malcolm Lacey - Chaplain

Music Tuition

There are still several vacant timeslots for music tuition for next year. Tuition is available for the following instruments: piano, guitar, beginner violin, flute and clarinet.

The cost is $25 per half-hour lesson and the lessons are once a week during the school term. Please get in early as spaces fill up quickly. 

In most cases, you will require your own instrument to practice on at home. We may have a clarinet and/or flute available to borrow from the school.

Contact Andrea Marks to book your lessons or if you wish to discuss the possibility of lessons.

Miss Andrea Marks - Music Teacher

School Banking

Northern Christian School is excited to offer the Commonwealth Bank School Banking program to all students.

School Banking is a fun, interactive and engaging way for young Australians to learn about money and develop good savings habits. Children who deposit money into their Youthsaver account through School Banking will earn an exciting reward every time they reach ten deposits.

School Banking day is Monday. Each week your child needs to place their banking wallet into the slot in the front desk, near the office, as soon as they arrive at school.

If you would like to know more about School Banking, please ask for a School Banking program information pack from the office or visit the School Banking website.