What a year we have had in 2014!

It does not seem that long since we were starting the year and getting ourselves organised for Term One. So many fantastic events and achievements for the school this year – the 90th celebration, lots of excursions and camps, the Art Show, NAIDOC Week activities, Education Week and always lots of interesting and purposeful classroom learning! 

Our thanks to our supportive parents and carers and hardworking staff for working together to achieve great outcomes for the students at our school in 2015. Thanks also to our terrific students for their efforts and congratulations and good luck to our Grade Sixes as they move on to Secondary Schools in 2015.

School starts again on Thursday January 29th (Grade 1-6) and Friday January 30th (Foundation students).

We would like to wish you all a happy and safe holiday and we look forward to seeing you all back at school in 2015!

Douglas and Dayle

Earlier this week our 2014 Junior School Councillors, Amy and some parent helpers headed into the Melbourne Botanic Gardens for a special end of year celbration.  Our Junior School Councillors have doen a terrifc job this year representing the students in their class and giving their views about the school and ways we can improve it.  We thank them and Amy and Dubravka for their hard work and commitment to "student voice" at Pender's Grove.

Last night some of our Grade Six parents came along to hear from Ianthe from Family Planning Victoria about the Grade Six sexuality program that will be run over the next three weeks on a Wednesday . Sexuality Education is a part of the Victorian school curriculum and this year we are teaching it in partnership with Family Planning Victoria who are one of the organisations recommended to assist in the implementation of this program by our Department of Education. Please see Amy, Dayle or Douglas for more information about this if it is required.

Please also see below for a link to the Family Planning Victoria (FPV) website:

http://www.fpv.org.au

http://www.fpv.org.au/www.

In the newsletter this week we have announced our grade structure for next year.  We have included the structure below and some of the rationale behind our choice.

4 x Grade F/1/2 classes

3 x Grade 3/4/5 classes

1 x Grade 6 class

The four Early Years classes will be located in our Learning Neighbourhood building. This open learning space will provided for these students and teacher to be fully immersed in the Early Years model of teaching and learning.  Teachers will work towards team teaching and flexible groupings for literacy, numeracy and inquiry whilst maintaining face to face contact with their home group for sections of the day also.  An additional teacher will provided literacy support and intervention for half of the week.  Students will work on Investigations as an F-2 group in the collaborative space in the centre of the LN and will be encouraged to extend their thinking and curiosity as far as possible.

The 4 x 3-6 classes will be located in the main school building and collaborative teamwork across the 4 grades encouraged.   As in the Early Years classrooms teachers will also work using a teaching model that focusses on differentiating their teaching so that students within their class group are catered for at their own level and extended appropriately.   Students in Grade 3 and 5 will be involved in the Peer Support program once a fortnight as has happened in the past and students in Grade 6 will work within the buddies program with our Foundation students.   Students within Grade 5 and 6 will be involved in the interschool sport program. The school camp program will still run as a 3/4 and 5/6 camp during the year. 

Students will attend Specialist programs with their home group and work within these classes will also be differentiated according to ability and need.

We are excited about the structure and think it allows students and teachers to strengthen and build on the models of teaching and learning that we are continually developing. This structure supports social interaction between students and collegiality for teachers. We know that such structures develop and improve motivation, co-operation and attitudes to school. The diversity is an asset to support learning and allows teachers and students to construct meaningful learning in a varied learning context.

The end to the 2014 Arts Festival Week was as successful as the start! 

Around 60 parents and friends and 40 students attended the annual Music soiree on Thursday night.  Students showed off their fantastic musical skills performing instrumental and vocal items for the audience. Our thanks to Warwick, Katie, Fiona and Christine for their efforts in working with students and organising the evening.  Thanks also the the wonderfully supportive families and friends who came along on the night.  

On Friday many families and friends attended the whole school picnic that finished up our Arts Week. We were fortunate to have some great weather which made it a very pleasant day to be socialising together over lunch. 

Thanks to Clare and the organising committee for their great work in organising events for the week.  We look forward to the next Pender's Grove Arts Festival! 

A huge crowd of parents, students, relatives and friends turned out for our opening night of the 2014 Arts Festival tonight.  Over 250 people attended the event where students sang, danced and played before attendees viewed the fantastic work on display in our temporary gallery in the school library.

Thanks to Clare and the students who have worked so hard over many months preparing the art works on show. Thanks also to Warwick and Amy for working with students on dance and music performances as well as the many staff and parents who spent many hours mounting work, decorating the gallery and outdoor spaces and preparing food for the event.  

Everyone is reminded that the gallery can be viewed each day after school this week between 3.30 and 4.00pm.