There has been a lot of talk lately in education about the fact that schooling serves a dual purpose. It’s not just about the content and knowledge students acquire through their learning journey BUT also about the skills they develop along the way- skills that help them think deeply, socialise with others, research what needs to be found out and self-manage their learning. Skills that help them learn how to learn! World class educator and researcher, Dylan Wiliam (PhD) is quoted as saying

 

 ‘The idea that children should learn how to learn used to be an optional extra; now it is a survival skill.’

 

He also says ‘Science, technology and mathematics will be important in the future, but so will subjects like music, drama, dance, and art, partly because they play a role in helping people live fulfilled lives, but also because these subject emphasize creativity more than other subjects, and creativity is the one thing we know machines can’t do’ (Please contact Frankston High School if you are interested in going to see Dylan Wiliam present mid next week!)

 

At Kunyung we are working together to support our students to learn how to learn (Learner Agency we call it!) and, at a recent Local PYP Meeting of staff from 5 schools, our staff were able to provide many wonderful examples of how this works in our school! Many staff from other schools were interested in finding out more about the ‘Kunyung Way’ after the event……….

 

Part of learning how to learn is to recognise the attributes of a good learner! At Kunyung, we call it the LEARNER PROFILE and it is characterised by the attributes below…..

 

 

IB learners strive to be:

 

INQUIRERSWe nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.	OPEN-MINDEDWe critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.	RISK-TAKERS- COURAGEOUSWe approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.	THINKERSWe use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.	KNOWLEDGEABLEWe develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global signi­ficance.
CARINGWe show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us.	BALANCEDWe understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives—intellectual, physical, and emotional—to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognize our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.	REFLECTIVEWe thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.	COMMUNICATORSWe express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups.	PRINCIPLEDWe act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.

In fact, if you really think about the following attributes wouldn’t you want to display them personally, your work colleagues to display them, your children’s teachers to display them? If you develop these attributes you can learn almost anything, anywhere!

What Learner Profile Attributes can you see being developed in the following photos?

 

 

Now we have a visual of these attributes…..you can see that our classroom programs, specialists’ programs, daily experiences, excursions, camps are all aimed at developing and supporting the growth of these attributes! How can you support the growth and development at home? Try and use this common language at home and discuss what it might look like if you were displaying any of them.

There are many other factors that are involved in the IB PYP but let’s start here and digest this for now!!

 

Cheers

 Kim Jackson

Assistant Principal

Good Day Kunyung Families! 🙂

What’s going on in the classrooms to start Term 2!

In Maths our Preps will continue working on their Numeration skills and the rest of the school move onto Problem Solving using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. All classes from 1-6 will still have one Numeration session per week throughout the whole term.

In Literacy our students will continue to develop their Reading Comprehension strategies and writing skills. Spelling is a BIG focus for Term 2. More information will follow on Level Team Blogs.

Please watch the Level Team Blogs for more information about these continuums and how you can help your children at home.

Our Units of Inquiry look something like this…………………..most of our students are going to look at the world through the eyes of an ‘HISTORIAN’.………………….what does an Historian look like, act like and what skills do they use?

PREPS: ‘Who we are’

CENTRAL IDEA

Personal awareness of self and others helps develop self-identity

AN INQUIRY INTO

Physical, social and emotional characteristics

Similarities and differences between themselves and others

JUNIORS: ‘Where we are in place and time’

CENTRAL IDEA

Remains of the past tell the stories of the present

AN INQUIRY INTO

The aspects of the past that can be seen today and  what they tell us

The remains of the past that are important to the local community and why

How the changes in technology shaped our daily life

MIDDLES: ‘Where we are in time and place’

CENTRAL IDEA

Community identity is created and changed through it’s people and historical events.

AN INQUIRY INTO

How our community has changed

The features that have been lost and retained

Contributions made by different groups and individuals in the community

How and why people choose to remember significant events of the past

SENIORS: ‘Where we are in time and place’

CENTRAL IDEA

Human colonies develop and change due to the impact of significant events and people

AN INQUIRY INTO

Australia’s colonial past

How Australian colonies developed over time and why

How colonial settlement changed the environment.

The significant people and events that shaped Australian colonies.

Please just contact us if you have any questions or you feel you could assist us with any of these inquiries!

7751608-Junior-Recount

Parents often ask about writing genres so they can understand what their child is talking about at home. Many parents weren’t taught how to write like their children are!

Recounts have their own purpose and structure. Your child might talk about connecting words. Do you know what they are?

Follow the above link to an excellent paper on Recount writing for primary students.

This week Mrs Jackson has handed over her Assistant Principal’s Report to us! 

This has given us the chance to tell the Whole School Community about our Senior School Exhibition and the chance to complete a piece of authentic writing………if you are interested in helping out with our Exhibition please contact Mrs Jackson! jackson.kim.k@edumail.vic.gov.au

The Year 5 and 6’s are 3 weeks into their inquiry, based on ‘How the world works’. This inquiry will include sharing the ‘Exhibition’ with the rest of the school community- Exciting!!!

Central Idea Science provides a lens through which to look at the world. Lines of Inquiry People apply their understanding of science to solve problems and meet needs. Scientific and technological advances have an impact on society and the environment. Theories can be debated- science doesn’t always mean it to be true. Theory/evidence/level of truth. The natural world has systems and laws to maintain balance.

 

 

 

So far, we have picked an area of science of interest to us. To help us choose this area of interest we have been provoked to get our brains up to date with science, such as thinking routines, reading articles, brainstorms on the different branches of science, using our 5 senses and experiments.  We have been turning our daily school routine into a series of different activities that link to the Exhibition, eg. Instead of starting the day with reading about just anything, we have been bringing in articles about how the world works to read and in maths we have been graphing data.

 

EXHIBITION PROCESS 1.       Like any other task, we start the exhibition with planning. 2.       After planning, we will focus and prepare our topic 3.       Third, we will start to find information. 4.       Next, we will use our information 5.       After that, evaluation (assessing) 6.       Next, synthesis- adding new knowledge to what you already know to broaden your mind 7.       Finally, taking action, what can you do to help? We also use the “So what” statement, how can you use this data to help you with research or doing something to help

WHAT OUR PREVIOUS EXHIBITIONS HAVE LOOKED LIKE Every exhibition is different to the previous one in its own way. Last year, it was an oral presentation, based on the inequity throughout the world. In 2013, it was more of a visual presentation, based on how we express our selves.

 

 

This week we have started choosing our topics and these are a few of the steps we had to go through first. We had to pick our own key concepts to give us a guide for our exhibition and our own lines of inquiry as well. All senior students have been working so hard on their personal inquiry. We give them all thumbs up for working well and co-operatively!

By: Poppy, Freya, Holly, Isobelle and Alex

Acting Assistant Principals for this newsletter!

PYP Over view for Parents

START OF THE YEAR!

Classrooms are off and running for 2015! Teachers and students have certainly displayed the skills of self-management and organisation to have themselves so well prepared to learn………..

In most schools the start of the year is calm and smooth………..we are both of these, for sure, BUT what I love about Kunyung at the moment, is the children’s readiness and enthusiasm to learn!! It’s as if they have picked straight back up from where they were at the end of last year! Teachers have commented on how quickly they have been able to settle into class routines and start teaching!!! The students are setting the pace…..gotta love that!

UNITS OF INQUIRY

Each Year level completes 6 Units of Inquiry throughout the year. Each Unit of Inquiry has a focus on a Transdisciplinary Theme. Below is the focus for each Unit of Inquiry to start the year. If you would like to contribute to any of these in any way- please contact me at school!

You may notice below that the SENIORS are undertaking their ‘EXHIBTION’ this term! Please stay tuned for student reporting on their progress in future newsletters! If you have a passion for science please contact me and I know the senior teachers and students would love your input!

Year Level	Theme	Central Idea	An inquiry into
PREPS	‘How we organise ourselves’	People play different roles in the communities to which they belong	What a community isRoles and responsibilities of people in our communitiesHow communities are organised and change to meet people’s needs
JUNIORS	‘Who we are’	People’s relationships with each other can have an impact on wellbeing	How we develop relationshipsHow relationships affect usRoles and behaviours within relationships
MIDDLES	‘Who we are’	Understanding different ways of learning enables people to respond to their own learning needs as well as those of others.	Learning communities/collaborationRelationshipsHow people construct meaningDifferent learning styles
SENIORS	‘How the world works’	THE EXHIBITION

 

PYP EVALUATION

Every 5 years all International Baccalaureate schools undertake an Evaluation process. Our 

Evaluation is August 10-12 this year! We want to involve as many members of our school community as we possibly can…..please stay tuned for parent forums coming up! J

Cheers and have a wonderful week!

SPEAKING OF PYP………..please find attached a parent copy of ‘The Written curriculum’ @ Kunyung…………..this document outlines all of the things we want our children to learn………it supports them to be Internationally minded!

Kim Jackson

Assistant Principal

PYP Coordinator

Good Day Kunyung Families! 🙂
Welcome back to school for 2015!! We trust you have had/are having a wonderful time with your families over the holiday break.I’m sure there will be many stories told in classrooms about holiday adventures!
The staff have been working hard (as well as recharging their batteries!) over the break to prepare their classrooms and themselves for the exciting year ahead!
We look forward to seeing our students (Years 1-6) bright eyed and bushy tailed on Thursday 29th January and our gorgeous Preps on Monday 2nd February!
We will NOT be having an Assembly this coming Friday but will commence our communication through Skoolbag App, the newsletter and email during the first week back so everyone feels ‘up to date’ with the hectic start to the year!
Improving and refining our communication is a goal for 2015 so please keep your suggestions coming! 🙂

Let’s work together to make 2015 great! 😉

Good Day Kunyung! 🙂

This fortnight has been another ‘typical’ Kunyung fortnight……………learning, learning, learning and some more learning- and that was just the teachers!!

Through some wonderful life experiences and through some explicit, ‘sense of urgency’ teaching and learning we are ‘humming’ along in more ways than one……………..we also received our Staff School Survey results back (which Elaine has outlined in her report!) and I have outlined two of our most positive areas- even though they were all great!

COLLECTIVE EFFICACY and RESPONSIBILITY………say what?

Our Staff School Survey results showed that our staff strongly believe we have a high amount of collective efficacy at Kunyung- that we all have a responsibility for the planning, teaching and assessment of all students in our teams…..what does that actually look like? Here are some examples…..

• Every week staff bring their class Student Data to our planning meetings- we look at this maths and reading data and discuss what teaching needs to be the focus for the following week, how we can move students further along in their learning and how far are they away from reaching their next benchmark (how can we get them there?). We discuss what direction the students want to take in our Unit of Inquiry and what are we actually looking for in our students to be able to say ‘Yep, they understand that!’

• Teachers have been completing assessments that will inform end of year school reports and part of that process has been ‘moderating’ student work. At our weekly collaborative planning meetings, teachers have brought in samples of student writing to share, ask questions about and decide on a level as a team. We have discussed maths outcomes and reading levels- trying to share our collective experience, understanding and thoughts. Our aim has been to give every student the best possible opportunity to demonstrate their learning before a final assessment is made!

TRUST IN PARENTS & STUDENTS

Another area of high scoring was the trust our staff have in you as parents AND the faith we have in our students’ ability to learn! How positive is that!!! It matches the high result from the Parent Opinion Survey that showed the high level of trust you have in our staff!

We thought that perhaps the work we are putting into opening up communication channels (Skoolbag app, newsletter, blog, diaries) between home and school, in regard to the ‘learning’ and events happening around the school, that parents have more of an idea about what is being learnt at school and how best to support their children. Our Staff have TRUST in you guys….what a compliment to you!!!!

Our staff also have confidence in your children’s ability to learn! Our work on developing a Visible Learning Culture where not only do teachers know What is being learnt, How best will it be learnt and How will we know what has been learnt BUT your children know the answers to these questions as well!!!! Our staff know that not all students are working at the same level (In fact our teachers know EXACTLY where your children are and so do they!!) but they have confidence that your children are al capable of learning and to be the best they can be…………

Just wanted to further reinforce two of the many positive things our staff feel about our school………..

Meanwhile in other news……..

Our Preps have been observing their beans growing and, acting as custodians, as they learn about Sharing our Planet through the eyes of an environmental scientist! Reading and writing is starting to ‘take off’ and the Prep Swimming Program has begun!!!!! Excitement reigns supreme!!!!!!

Over in ‘Junior Land’ our Juniors have also been looking at the world through the eyes of an Environmental Scientist……their focus being on connections and Lifecycles!!! What lifecycles are in motion in our local environment? What needs do these living things have to survive? What human impact (positive and negative) is there? We have had a major focus on maths and reading and our Juniors are gearing up to go swimming next week!

Our Middle Students, not to be outdone, are expanding the Environmental Scientist perspective and are inquiring into Ecosystems and Food Webs through the lens of RELATIONSHIPS. They are creating them and sharing their knowledge with each other……..the provocation being………now you know all about this particular ecosystem (they have chosen their own in one room, worked in pairs in another rom and are doing a collaborative inquiry in another room!) what would happen if an element of your ecosystem was removed? Discuss.

This Term has been a perfect example of how science is taught at Kunyung- you can see the development across the school in science skills and understandings! Watching all age groups in the school walking around and observing, collecting data, working together and sharing evidence has been AMAZING!!

PREPS- Living and Non-lIving things CONCEPT- Custodianship

JUNIORS- Lifecycles CONCEPT- Relationships

MIDDLES- Ecosystems CONCEPT- Relationships

SENIORS- Biodiversity CONCEPT- Responsibility (This Unit of Inquiry is not taking place at the moment!)

Our Senior Students have continued their inquiry into ‘Who we are’ and are spending time deeply thinking about challenges and risks that children all around the world face. It has been a perfect way to approach transition and has allowed students to address some of their concerns, worries, fears, excitements about growing up! A highlight has been the Family Life Program run by Family Life Victoria! Kelli is a wonderful presenter and the Seniors have approached such issues as puberty with maturity and confidence (and Kelli’s humorous approach has certainly supported these discussions!)

Let’s not forget FRENCH DAY………….our students looked amazing!! J

Now……..after reading ALL OF THAT………which Learner Profile attributes do you think our students and teachers have exhibited over the past fortnight????? Have a look below and try to identify some they may have not only used but had the opportunity to develop!!!!

IB LEARNER PROFILE

The aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally minded people who, recognising their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world. The IB learner profi­le represents 10 attributes valued by IB World Schools. We believe these attributes, and others like them, can help individuals and groups become responsible members of local, national and global communities.

IB learners strive to be:

INQUIRERS We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.	OPEN-MINDED We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.	RISK-TAKERS- COURAGEOUS We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.	THINKERS We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.	KNOWLEDGEABLE We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global signi­ficance.
CARING We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us.	BALANCED We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives—intellectual, physical, and emotional—to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognize our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.	REFLECTIVE We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.	COMMUNICATORS We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups.	PRINCIPLED We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.

 

Cheers

Kim Jackson

Assistant Principal

PYP Coordinator

Good Day Kunyung Families! 🙂

This is just an ‘in between’ my normal posts post!!!!!

I came across this short video created by the researchers at Harvard University who concentrate on developing ‘Thinking Routines’.…….their goal is to support people (particularly teachers!) to develop their students ability to be creative and deep thinkers!

At Kunyung we have been using many of these routines this year to really make our students thinking visible! In all classrooms you will see and hear these routines being used and discussed!

We wish to further explore, develop and use these in 2015 and beyond!

Please have a look- you may, not only find them interesting from a parental perspective, but you may also see their use in your jobs!!!!

For further information google Harvard University Thinking Routines or come and see me OR ask your children!!!!!!!

Cheers

Kim 🙂

Assistant Principal

Good Day All! 

PROVOCATION

If we are continually changing our teaching/thinking to prepare our students for the future……what that future will look like is something we need to consider…………BUT………what will it look like?

At the 2015 Prep Transition Parents’ Meeting on Wednesday, it was my role (alongside Jo B- one of our lovely Prep teachers!) to present to new parents our curriculum vision! Well, it’s a little trickier than I thought!! Not because we don’t have one but more because we have such a strong one that we live, breath, discuss, challenge and strive to improve ALL THE TIME…………….problem being how to put that into a simple statement that just ‘ makes sense’ to anyone!!

Well our statement went something like this……………

‘Kunyung Primary is an International Baccalaureate School implementing the Primary Years Program through an Inquiry-based, Concept-driven curriculum that prides itself on having a Visible Learning Culture and actively promotes Personalisation of Learning!!’

Hmmmm…….didn’t really follow the lines ‘making sense’ to anyone…. so we followed it up with……………In parents speak……..

‘Our staff are developing and learning as teachers to be the best we can be to ensure your children have every opportunity to be the best they can be!’

I think that went over a little better!!!!! 🙂

In truth though, we do have common language and a clear vision  in our school of where our curriculum is headed……What makes us so committed, and sure of our direction, is that it is all based on research and ‘best practice’. This allows us to follow up any questions with professional reading, access online support from around the world and participate in local and state networks set up to support each other….

Now we had them sold on our COMMON DIRECTION, we thought we might start to provoke the thinking of our audience!

We asked the parents to take a YES/NO stance on the following statements….what do you think?

Learning is best measured by a letter or a number.

Product is more important than process and progress.

Children need to be protected from any kind of failure.

Teachers know all the answers.

Teachers have to be in control of the class.

Teachers are responsible for the learning.

Students are obliged to respect teachers.

Learners need to sit quietly and listen.

Learning looks the same as when you went to school.

Focus on (and fix) your child’s shortcomings, rather than their successes.

We asked parents to look at the some images of classrooms in the past and classrooms today…….they shared what they saw, thought and wondered about them!! How things have changed……

What can we do in schools to prepare our students?

We CAN develop, support and grow the 21st Century skills, attitudes and learner attributes they will need to function in 2030 through an INQUIRY curriculum

We CAN develop students who take ownership of their learning through creating a Visible Learning Culture. Developing the skills of ‘How to learn! Not just what to learn!’

We CAN personalise student learning to meet their needs through a PERSONALISED program

What can you do to help us?

Just thought I would share some of our presentation as it really is applicable to all of our school community!

Have a lovely weekend everyone! 🙂

Kim Jackson

Assistant Principal