07 December 2017

Ms Sands, can we have a goat?

Year 6 students have so many terrific opportunities - but the most amazing of the lot is the chance to travel to Tokyo in October and stay with a Japanese family and attend school there for a week. It is the excursion to end all excursions - and I love it.

For four years I've accompanied a group of bright eyed and bushytailed youngsters, many on their first international travel experience. And this year's group of seven boys and girls were no exception.

We had a fabulous week of fun and learning and making new friends. The trip included visits to Seioji Temple, Asakusa, Meiji Shrine, Harajuku Street, Mirikan, and the Monster Cafe. School days consisted of Lego Mindstorms, Music, English lessons, technology, art and science as well as calligraphy classes and tea ceremony.

All children formed strong bonds with their homestay families and embarked on a few excursions of their own - DisneyLand, Tokyo Sky Tree, Tokyo Tower, and just playing with Japanese kids in the streets.

I love listening to the children during the week as they reflect on their experience and recount funny and unusual stories - some want to go back to live, some are hooked on seeing the rest of the world, some have made friends for life, some have fallen in love with the food, some love the shopping, all are bug eyed at the culture and the friendliness of the people.

But the star of the show is really Vanilla, Sagami Women's University Elementary School's pet goat. She sat out on the oval during the day getting patted and munching on Autumn leave and the kids were besotted with her.

Every year there's someone who says 'Ms Sands, can we get a goat?'








06 December 2017

Why I love my job...

It's not a job, it's actually a calling - a bit sappy maybe, but true. Parts of the job can be mundane, boring even. Things like Strategic Plans, budgets, balancing the books, wet Year 5 and 6 camps, and disgruntled customers isn't what gets me up in the morning.

I love my job because I get to see the wonder of learning on kids' faces and the feeling of pride they show in being part of a group. And then there's the Prep Christmas Songs at the local retirement village...

The sheer exuberance on the faces of our children and the joyful smiles of the residences was a sight to behold. It was so worth 'playing hookey' for an hour and getting away from planning, bills and end of year nonsense. Thank you, Preps - this is why I love my job!









Disclaimer: some classes are not represented in the photos due to media permissions for children

05 December 2017

Reggio Emilia - a city built for its citizens

Reggio Emilia is in Northern Italy. It is beautiful, it is historic, it is cultured, it is another world. It is also the epicenter of some well known and revered educational thinking about child-centered learning.

As an early years teacher, Reggio Emilia is a place I've always wanted to see, a place where an international study tour is the stuff of dreams. But dream we did, and in November I was afforded the opportunity to take two of our Prep teachers to this inspirational city to learn about their work with Reggio children and see what links we could make to our own context back at Peregian Springs SS.

This stunning medieval city opens up its piazzas and squares to the people and children spend a lot of time in the piazzas learning how to map the spaces, know where they've come from, learn to be citizens of the city, help others, study the Literature and Mathematics of the past (amazingly relevant today) and drink in the beauty of their particular context which changes with the seasons. The week was a Journey into the Rights of Children and it was over too soon.

It was inspirational, and there will be a little bit of Reggio coming to our Prep classrooms in the near future.



















04 December 2017

The automation of human activity comes to Peregian Springs SS

The automation of human activity is happening before our eyes. And we're doing our best to keep up with this exciting era in human history.

Recently, two teams (the Peregian Programmers) ably coached by Sandy Neisler and Kent Campbell represented our school at a robotics tournament called First LEGO League. This is a global competition with competitors from over 80 countries.  The teams researched a real-world problem relating to the water cycle and were required to develop an innovative solution.  They also had to design, build and program a robot to autonomously complete various challenges.


Both teams had a lot of fun and learned a lot.  The Year 5 team successfully won the Strategy and Innovation Award.  This award recognises the team that uses solid engineering practices and a well-developed strategy to design and build an innovative, high performing robot.

These sort of challenges are the workplaces of the future. And the fact that our students are picking up first prizes in strategy and innovation means we're on the right track!





Those who can't, teach

'Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.' 'This quote is from George Bernard Shaw’s Man and Superman. Whether intended as a harmless jab or not, it’s still just plain untrue.

Teachers are not simply passionate specialists in one or two chosen fields. Their list of base skills includes many other studies and passions. They require knowledge in educational psychology, interpersonal communications, and classroom management. Often they need emergency response training, depending on where they may work. They know budgeting, technology implementation, pedagogical theory, and the list goes on. This education continues throughout their entire career. They take recertification training, skill upgrades, and continuing professional development courses.

The quote was, of course, meant as an insult. Poor George must have been quite deluded about the skills teachers have - and he quite clearly hasn't met the teachers from Peregian Springs!

Amongst us we have
  • multi linguists who have had careers in other places
  • performers, singers and musicians who for the joy of it sing, play and act their hearts out on weekends
  • carpenters
  • tech specialists who can make their way around the back door of a laptop or desktop
  • creative types who can turn a bit of other people's rubbish into something useful
  • historians
  • environmental activists
  • wildlife carers
  • amazing gardeners able to coax fruit and vegetables out of nothing
  • literacy specialists with qualifications in librarianship 
  • staff with high level medical and first aid response knowledge
  • sports people who have achieved very highly in their fields (and still are)
  • life savers
  • robotics experts
  • drone pilots
  • mechanics
They didn't choose to teach because they couldn't get careers using these skills. They chose teaching because they want to use their passions to change and influence the world - and because they love children and can share their skills and knowledge with passion that ignites the future.

The future is here now...

I am often asked after Year 6 Graduation about my speech for the students - much of it has been reprinted here.
There is a common catchcry around these days that goes something like ‘the future is here now’. And when I look at what you are doing in your classrooms I believe this to be true. You have been swiping and typing and coding and creating your way into the future since Prep and Year 1 and are now on the cusp of one of the most revolutionary periods in human history – and that is the automation of much human activity.

This new world will bring innovation and excitement and new possibilities. It will also bring new ways of working and living together as we explore new laws and ethical standards and the impact of this on our environment and developing nations.
This little invention here demonstrated ably by Zara and Millie is set to change your lives in ways you could never have imagined. Zara and Millie have been part of a Drone Squad assisting Mrs Allan introduce this technology into our school curriculum. I’d like to acknowledge these girls as well as Hayley Clarke, Jessica Gavin and Lila McIntyre for the work they have done in this area this year. These cute little things are, of course, drones. And I know many of you have one at home for photography and to play with.
These amazing machines though are about more that passing the time in an entertaining way. They will shape your careers and the way you live your lives – they actually already are – and perhaps you just haven’t noticed yet.
Drones are used for filming movies and many other exciting entertainment. They are, however, extremely useful in the daily lives of our scientists and other professionals. For example
  • a geologist uses drones to hunt for clues in the landscape
  • a marine scientist uses drones to monitor whales and sharks either from the beach or from boats
  • a landscape ecologist uses her aviation skills to look after the environment in NT
  • They assist with pest identification and improving the speed and efficiency of which they can be removed. 
  • They can be programmed to recognise types of sharks – the difference between bull sharks, bronze whalers and nurse sharks on our beaches is significant. In the desert they can be programmed to recognise foxes, feral cats and dogs and wild boar.
  • They can help farmers identify ripe crops
  • Drones in all shapes and sizes are being used to deliver life saving equipment, help out in accidents, to search and rescue, to deliver pizza, for crop dusting and weed spraying. Sending a drone to do the work is cheaper, more efficient and less time consuming than having a person do it    
I’m sure you can see the possibilities of this technology are endless – and so are the possibilities and opportunities for you and your future
The bottom line is that it is all about the choices you make and how your choices apply to all areas of your lives, all our lives. It applies to whether you choose to make the best of your high school years or fritter them away. It applies to how hard you work, the effort you are prepared to put in, how you manage peer pressure. It applies to how you respond when you are harassed by someone or see an injustice affecting someone else. It applies to your stance on violence, and it applies to the value you place on your own and other’s learning.

All these habits of mind have been at the forefront of your education at our school. How you have responded to this is what makes our school so special – that is, the people and the interactions between us. Teaching you about relationships, effort and choice has been at the core of everything we do at Peregian Springs SS. And the ultimate reward for your teachers, teacher aides, Mr Foxover, Mrs Reid, Ms Marszalek, Mr Slocombe, Ms Slattery, Ms Westlake and I is when we see you happy, managing yourselves well, even in trying situations, and achieving your very best.

You have had the benefit of world class teachers in every year you have been at Peregian Springs. I’d like to thank Andrea, Justin, Chris, Sandy, and Kent for the work you have done with our Year 6s. You continue to learn yourselves and teach with such innovation, passion, courage and care – again this year you have challenged your students to learn; you’ve set high expectations; you have tried new strategies and new approaches to learning; kept them on the straight and narrow; cared about each and every one of them; and have worked hard to instil a love of learning they will take with them to high school and beyond. Every child in front of me this evening is a better person for your dedication and commitment.

And this is true of all the teachers and teacher aides you have worked with this year – Mrs Hobson, Mrs Ellison, Mr Rickert, Ms Deady, Mr Huxley, Ms Johnson, Mr Hutchins, Mrs Dean and Toni. Without realising, you have learned an enormous amount from being at this school – not just about English, Maths, Science and History but also about the more important attributes of how to be a better person in this world, in this country, in this community. 
Graduation from Year 6 marks the end of an important chapter in your young lives. We hope that your time here has begun to prepare you for the complex future ahead – a future in which you will realise that you have the power for making something of yourself, and for contributing towards a better community and world.




There's a new kind of learning going on

Much has been made of 'child centered' learning over the years stretching from the teaching of Jerome Bruner in the sixties right through to the recent work of Sugata Mitra. But it's when you see it in action you realise the power of students solving real life problems, using technology to generate possibilities and research what others have done, truly get engaged in high level learning thought to be beyond Year 3s, and producing atefacts and work samples that have quality and lasting value.

It's teaching at it's best when the teacher puts teaching analysis and evaluation at the heart of the work. At the end of the day it isn't about the building, creating or making. It's about the problem solving - doing something useful with paper, technology or a device that can be applied to our lives.

Such is the work of 3T this year. It has been truly inpiring.





I love my white shoes

Developing resilience is such an important part of education and parenting. And when a little ditty that gets stuck in people's heads comes along to cement that idea, it's serendipity!.

Earlier in the year Prep A delighted Assembly with their little song and play from Pete the Cat. Ever since whenever any of us looks tempted to sweat the small stuff someone sings 'I love my white shoes...'

Not sure what I'm talking about? Take a look at this

Me - I actually like red shoes!

Because it's all good...





04 June 2017

Children and art

A friend told me a story the other day about his wife dragging him to the Picasso Museum in Barcelona. This gorgeous place traces the life and times of Picasso, and Simon was aghast at the simplicity of Picasso's 'works of art'. I mean, really, it's just a square for a head! That was until his wife showed him the paintings Picasso was doing at 14 years of age - take a look. Picasso painted Man in a Beret when he was 14! The rest of his career was spent on simplifying and creating some of the most iconic images of the nineteenth century. Picasso famously said 'Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.' (We will just assume he thought girls could be artists too.)

And so for class teachers, the teaching of The Arts is fraught with uncertainty, and for some, anxiety. The curriculum includes skills in all mediums, knowledge about art and artists, self expression, appreciation, creativity and imagination. Underlying all of this is self esteem and children's ideas about themselves as artists, as mathematicians, as scientists, as problem solvers, as creators.

Visual arts at Peregian Springs SS includes all of these aspects - we have talented artists on staff whom balance our focus on maths and technology, we offer Master Classes with working artists for our older students, we have an Artist in Residence who relishes her role two days a week (we'd like more but two days is all she can manage), we've had visiting artists describe their lives and works to children, we've had a 'bigger than Ben Hur' Art Fair, and we have hard working classroom teachers who are maybe not artists themselves (although some of them are) apply the curriculum, encourage creativity, and celebrate children's efforts in art and design.

We've had kids win some competitions too - it's always a treat when the community also recognises children's efforts.

Art is allocated a very small amount of time in the curriculum by the powers that be - inspite of that we absolutely make the most of it.



12 May 2017

Gross National Happiness


I’ve been on long service leave for a few weeks.

Many of you might remember I spent a week in Bhutan on an educational tour with the Asia Education Foundation. As always, when I return from overseas I am astonished at the contrast between our education system and its generosity and quality, and that of countries still developing. However, equally amazing are the similarities. I visited a lovely primary school the same size as ours in Thimphu, the capital – children performed on assembly, the school was focused on recycling and teaching about the environment and growing food, they had a maker space for learning to be creative, teachers spent time every week on social and emotional literacy and measured their progress on student happiness, and even more amazing and quite funny, the school also had car parking problems! I loved it.


A stand out in the developing world is the high value parents and students place on their educational opportunities. Education is viewed as the singularly most important activity in the community and parents commit enormous energy in getting their children to school and providing them with the resources they need for participation. Hardly a day of school is missed for any reason except extreme sickness, and teachers and other staff are held in very high esteem. Australia is certainly the lucky country in comparison with other systems from around the world. Our governments provide fantastic facilities, high quality and highly trained teachers and other staff, and most of the resources Australian children use every day. I walked around our school on Monday morning on my return and marvelled at our beautiful well-maintained school and quietly thanked the lucky stars that have helped us amass the best teachers and teacher aides you will find anywhere in the world.




21 March 2017

Bullying. No way!


Every Thursday I take prospective parents on a tour of our school. It is a wonderful opportunity to walk and talk with new families, put new students’ minds at ease and answer any questions or worries people have. I am often asked ‘do you have bullying here?’

Friday 17 November was National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence. 4W and 3D performed an entertaining assembly item which outlined the issues behind bullying and appropriate responses to it. I really do love how our kids can describe what bullying is and also understand what ‘mean moments’ are, and how the two are different. Teaching children a language they can use to help themselves and their friends is such a powerful way to end this insidious behaviour.

So, at Assembly on that Friday I asked the kids what they thought I said when new families asked me if there was bullying in our school. Overwhelmingly, most thought I said ‘no’. I’m hopeful that this is because so few actually experience bullying in its pure form of repeated negative attention that won’t stop. A few kids piped up that they thought I would say ‘yes’.

And they were right. I do say ‘yes’. And when parents ask this question, I add that any school who says their kids don’t bully others is not being quite truthful, and that bullying, unfortunately, exists everywhere in society – in schools, in sporting clubs or other cultural pursuits, and in the workplace. However, I also tell parents that every single teacher in this school is committed to assisting children who report bullying (and mean moments) or who ask for help – every single one. It’s a commitment we make at the beginning of every year. That commitment leads to every teacher explicitly teaching conflict resolution, assertive behaviours, the language for asking for help and just about any other skill that is developmentally appropriate for a child to grow the strength to take a stand and say ‘Bullying. No Way!’