Term 2 is always a busy time in schools and this term has been no exception. You can read about some of the highlights in this post.

Firstly, we would like to acknowledge the staff at Woodend for a productive and enjoyable time of learning for our students throughout the term. We have had a number of staff here for a short time this term and each one has quickly developed positive and productive relationships within our school community. Many thanks to Emily Gray, Jayne Damon, Chris Philpott , Fran Kidd, Trent Harris, Jade Aldred, Loren Harrison and Jess Ottewell for your contributions to the Woodend community this term.

One of our staff committees is a Curriculum Team whose task it is to further our Site Improvement Plan goals.  Goal 1 of our plan is to increase the number of students achieving in the higher bands of NAPLAN in reading. The Curriculum team have been looking at the the science of reading in the light of recent research of the brain and how the brain learns to read. At our  recent student free day all staff worked with a consultant to look at the research and the impact of the research on how we teach reading in the classroom. This was an invaluable day for all staff and you may have already seen some changes implemented in classrooms as staff enact their new learning. Resources for reading teaching and learning programs have been budgeted for and we are beginning to source these to support teachers in this work.

Bike Ed was a highlight for our year 5 classes, with some very excited students having learnt to ride a bike for the first time. It was rewarding for all to see how all students confidence increased as they honed their skills and gained confidence in their abilities to ride a bike on the road. They learnt how to use bike gears, how to give way at T intersections, practiced skills such as how and when to give way at a round about and how to pass parked cars safely. Thank you to the parents and staff who supported this learning experience for year 5 students.

The Partnership Student Voice in Learning project continues to be an exciting journey for all schools in our partnership. This term the students have been learning about effective feedback to move learning forward and have practised giving specific and helpful feedback.  At Woodend our teams have been continuing their work in addressing the problem they have identified, which is that students at Woodend are reluctant to stretch. They have observed learning in classrooms and provided specific feedback to help students stretch their thinking and learning. The teams are considering what opportunities they might create to share their learning with students, staff and parents in our Woodend school community.

2019 was the final year of paper NAPLAN testing for Woodend as we move to online testing in 2020. Many of our year 3, 5 and 7 students have enjoyed the challenge of the test and we are anticipating that as the tests move online there will be even more students who are keen to challenge themselves within this process. NAPLAN results will be available sometime between mid-August and mid-September.

Your child may have been privileged to have had a university student beginning or completing a placement in their class this term. We thank our teachers for their generosity in hosting pre-service teachers as this requires a significant workload for teachers. University students contribute positively to the life of the classroom and our students love to work with them.

Congratulations to the Jump Team for your efforts this term. A huge effort to raise over $1000 for the Heart Foundation once again. This team understand that effort matters and demonstrate this as they practise daily, support other schools and continue to learn and improve throughout the year.

The Marion Coast Partnership of schools has continued to work effectively together to improve learning outcomes for all students. Teachers have shared 2 staff meetings where they have co-planned units of work and moderated students work samples to ensure consistency of teaching, learning, assessment and grading. Term 3 begins with our final Partnership student free day for the year where teachers will hear from a key-note speaker from the Learning Improvement Division, continue the process of collaborative moderation and then hear from a variety of teachers who are presenting their classroom work for others to hear.

We trust you and your family enjoy the 2 weeks break and return on Tuesday 23 July refreshed and ready for another full and productive term.

Kind regards,

Steve Freeman    Jane-Ann Natar        Jarrod Lamshed        Cathie Luke
Principal               Deputy Principal        Senior Leader          Senior Leader