Dear Parents and Caregivers,

I cannot believe we are halfway through the term! It has been wonderful getting to know all the students and families of our community and I look forward to continuing to build relationships with you all.

DIBELS Testing:

This year we have gone through a thorough testing period to identify students who may require further support using a range of standardised testing.  This year, we have introduced DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills).  This test is a series of short, quick assessments that allow educators to determine whether a child may need some additional support with their reading.  These will be carried out at the beginning, middle and end of the year for every child, with progress monitoring available more frequently if required.  DIBELS, along with the rest of the rigorous testing that occurs here allows us to track each child and ensure there is no child left behind. If you are interested for more information, please follow the link below:

https://dibels.uoregon.edu/sites/default/files/2021-06/dibelsparentguide.pdf

Intervention:

Currently, we are building an intervention model that is based on the Response To Intervention (RTI) which focuses on prevention.  The RTI is a multi-step approach to providing interventions to struggling learners at increasing levels of intensity.  RTI allows for early intervention by providing academic and behavioural supports rather than waiting for a child to fail.  This process usually has three tiers which cater for the needs of all students within the classroom. Each tier provides differing levels of support and focus on how to make students more successful.

Tier One: Whole Class

Tier Two: Small Group

Tier Three: 1:1 Intensive Interventions

Using programs that are supported by reliable research evidence is paramount to this approach.  Hence, the use of MiniLit and MacqLit from Macquarie University as our Tier 2 Reading Intervention.  Building a RTI for students who require support as well as those who require extension is essential.  We are currently in the process of building this for our school.

Inclusive Education:

It has been an absolute pleasure meeting with parents to discuss individual learning plans.  As we know, working together as a team will ensure the best possible outcomes for students.  I am beginning to collect all finalised learning plans and will send these to you (if applicable) via email in the coming weeks.  Remember, these plans are a working document and will be updated as the year progresses.  We will continue to meet and inform you of these changes. Again, my door is always open, and I am more than happy to chat at any time.

NAPLAN:

Our Year 3 and Year 5 students will commence NAPLAN testing this week.  We will be carrying out tests during the morning period.  A letter has been sent home via Seesaw informing parents of the schedule. NAPLAN assesses the literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through the school curriculum and allows us to see how the child is progressing against national standards.  It is important to remember that NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process.  It does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers but instead can provide them with additional information. It also allows governments and other authorities to determine the effectiveness of educational programs and how young Australians are faring. 

Leaving with a Literacy Tip: Are you saying your sounds correctly?

Correct pronunciation of phonemes is critical when supporting your child with phonics.  Beginning readers acquire letter sound knowledge by matching their visual memory (letters) with their phonological memory (sounds).  All beginning readers need to know how to produce speech sounds (phonemes) in isolation and how to pronounce these correctly.  It is important to carefully articulate the phonemes of speech in order to facilitate the critical phonemic awareness skills of blending and segmenting (Adapted from Five from Five).

For those interested, check out Alison Clarke’s (Speech Pathologist) video below for a refresher:

What are the 44 sounds of Australian English?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlMDwolcfzU

Until next time…

Vanessa Saccardo

Assistant Principal