LITERACY
Welcome back! we are beyond excited for what this year brings as there are so many wonderful changes and improvements to what was, in many ways, an inaugural year in 2023 for all our literacy related programs. Of course, there is so much to do but here is a snapshot of what has been happening…
Literacy LORE Program
The Literacy LORE Program continues in 2024 where students read independently and reflect on their reading at the start of every lesson and then explore and learn different literacies that help them ‘function’ confidently in and around their world.
Year 7 students have been reading their chosen novels and delving into ways in which they can improve their writing skills via the 6+1 Traits of Writing framework.?Their specific focus this term starts with ‘word choice’ and ‘conventions’ of English, aiming to build on their understanding of what types of decisions they should be making as they write.
Year 8 students have similarly chosen their reading texts and have begun learning about legal and financial literacy where regarding the former, they discuss and critically think about case studies where young people and the law may collide and if so, how rules, regulations and the law can be a protecting force but also something to understand as best as possible. For financial literacy, students delve into strategies inspired by Scott Pape’s “Barefoot Kids’ book, which has received acclaim for the practical ways it provides to be financially intelligent from a young age.
Parents beware** we may be educating your child to negotiate their pocket money, plan and grow their savings and recognise how to budget properly and fairly. Sorry!
Literacy Shield
Congratulations to Biik house who take out the very first Literacy Shield. The award is given to the house whose students throughout years 7-9, contribute the most house points through a selection of CAT results from all subjects (not just English) and participation in literacy related writing and reading competitions throughout the year.
Alongside this is the individual award for our year level ‘Literacy Champion’, which is awarded to the student/s who receive the most individual points related to the shield and we had three winners from our year 7 and 8 cohorts. Congratulations to Bodhi Alfonso and Paisley Ball who are our Year 7 Literacy Champions, and Giselle Leonard who is our Year 8 Literacy Champion of 2023.
The Pseudonym Group
We are seeking more membership to the coveted and elite group of mystery writers, known collectively as ‘The Pseudonym Group’. This is a fast-growing group dedicated to the crafting of and writing of pieces or artwork that can be displayed and promoted in the many different spaces we have available in and around the school. These include our social media pages, a public display in the library and in these newsletters. You do not need to be great at writing, all you need is a motivation to want to create and write for fun and enjoyment. All Pseudonym Group members are excited to see what the year has in store for them. Our first few pieces will be found in the next newsletter.
QuickStart
Our two incredible QS instructors have been tirelessly working to gain valuable data and observe classes towards selecting their list of students who would be best suited for the QuickStart program.
QuickStart focuses on comprehension, vocab and automaticity skills and students who will be selected will engage in 2-3 sessions a cycle for 25 minutes individually gaining support paired with one other student. This year will be focused on our year 7 cohort and sessions will commence Week 6, after the Year 7 camp. Please reach out to us for more details.
Tyrone Ingham-Dowsing
LITERACY LEARNING SPECIALIST