Book Week Activities

Week Five was such an exciting week for the Primary College.  Our annual Book Week celebrations culminated once again with a fabulous Book Week Parade which is always the highlight of the week.  Every year Mrs McKellar and her wonderful team in the library coordinate a programme of activities which focus on reading and other areas of literacy throughout Book Week.  But we all wait in anticipation for the “Parade” to express our love of books by dressing up in groups or as individuals according to a particular theme.  The photos tell the story.  Parents play an incredible part in this event and we thank you so much for entering into the spirit of Book Week by dressing your children in such fine costumes.  Your support of these activities has a far reaching effect on your child’s love of reading.

Click here to see all the photos.

SHINE Evening

After the disappointment of rain which caused the cancellation of the P – Year 2 Sports Carnival, at least SHINE (our annual celebration of the Arts at GCCC) went ahead as planned. Many students from Year 1 – Year 6 had the opportunity in their performances to demonstrate their commitment to the Arts.  It was a wonderful evening and the feedback from parents, grandparents and friends was heart-warming.  SHINE is expanding every year as extra-curricular opportunities continue to grow. A warm thank you goes to all staff who spent so many hours making SHINE such an incredible success.

P – Year 2 Sports Carnival

But, finally the day for the P – Year 2 Sports Carnival (which had been postponed) came last Friday and the oval was ablaze with colour and the sound of war cries filled the air.   What a fantastic day this is every year – and 2014 was no different.  After the races, the tabloid sports and team games were such fun!  There were tigers, crocodiles and sharks everywhere – dress ups, tent decorations, pom poms, balloons, place ribbons and a great deal of unbridled excitement!  Once again the incredible level of staff and parent support and encouragement made this day a real joy.

Please click here to see more photos.

National Literacy and Numeracy Week 25 – 29 August 2014

There is an excellent online article called ‘Three ways to help your child’s learning at home. Due to copyright legislation, we can’t reproduce the article here you can read it in full by clicking on the following link: Three ways to help your child’s learning at home. The article covers topics such as how to talk and interact with your child more, helping your child extend their language capabilities and how to make the most of readily available reading materials.

Changes to Parent/Teacher Interviews for Term 3    –      Year 3 – 6 Only

At GCCC we report to parents 4 times a year.  In Term 2 and Term 4 we have the formal written report but in the other two terms (Term 1 and Term 3) we believe that a face to face interview has great value and can also provide a forum for a two way dialogue rather than a one way written report.

In view of this, at the end of Term 3 we are introducing an exciting new dimension to the Parent/Teacher interviews for families in Years 3-6.  From now on, students themselves will lead the discussion and will explain some of the work they have been doing and let parents know how they feel they are progressing in their “Learning Journey”.  This student involvement will create what is called “Student Led Conferences” which will provide a context for the student to actively participate in the feedback to parents and at the end, teachers parents and students together will be able to work to set some realistic goals for the end of the following semester.

The rationale for our decision to change the Year 3 – 6 interviews to Student Led Conferences is based on good research.  We believe that involving the students in every aspect of their learning will help them take ownership and support what teachers are doing in the classrooms every day to make learning more visible and intentional.

PARENT/TEACHER INTERVIEWS AT THIS STAGE FOR PREP – YEAR 2 WILL REMAIN THE SAME FOR TERM 3

Legacy Cup Term 3 – Spelling Bee (Prep – Year 6)

The House competition for Legacy Cup for Term 3 will be a Spelling Bee.  More information will come out this week to explain your child’s involvement in this activity.  Legacy Cup House competitions focus on more academic, creative arts and community based activities to give all students an opportunity to shine.

Class Lists for 2015

In Term 4 we will be starting the process of preparing the class lists for 2015.  As you know our school position is that teachers prepare these lists after extensive meetings where they discuss a number of criteria for each student which includes academic progress, friendships, social and emotional aspects and general behaviour.  These discussions are held on a professional level and our aim is always to place students in a class environment where they will have every opportunity to thrive.

If there is some family information or social issues from this year or a previous year which you feel would be helpful for our staff to keep in mind as we prepare these class lists, these must be given in writing to the College Office by Friday 19 September which is the last day of Term 3.

Please place this information in an envelope addressed to Cheryl Bryers (Head of Primary).

Cheryl Bryers, Head of Primary