Barbreck Update – Building strong foundations

At Barbreck our goal is to build strong foundations and foster a love of learning across all areas of the curriculum. We acknowledge that children have diverse learning preferences and develop at different rates. As such, our personalised approach to learning supports and caters to these different learning styles.

Improving Vocabulary

One of the key indicators of students’ success in school is their vocabulary. The reason for this is that the knowledge anyone has about a topic is based on the vocabulary of that information (Marzano & Pickering, 2005).

Teachers work hard to develop the vocabulary of students. Each unit of work for each subject introduces new vocabulary for the students to learn. We also encourage girls to include this vocabulary in their writing or when editing.

This year we will be introducing tier words. The idea that there is a hierarchy of words we can use. Tier one words are every day words, Tier two words are better choices than every day words e.g. using relied rather than said and Tier three words are subject-specific e.g. herbivore.

Students have many opportunities throughout the year for oral language development through reading groups, listening and speaking activities and public speaking. Developing a love of literature encourages girls to be curious, to explore and be excited about their own learnings.

How parents can support their children to increase their vocabulary:

  • Read, read, read to your children
  • Read non-fiction books about topics they are interested in
  • Go to museums, science centres… anywhere where they will be exposed to new vocabulary
  • Talk about words, what they mean, how they can be used
  • Speak to children as adults and use adult language – continuing to use simple language does not help them grow and develop great vocabularies
  • Have fun with words – choose a word and make a game of it – e.g. how many times can I use that word properly in sentences in the next hour
  • Show your child how to use a dictionary and thesaurus
  • Show your child how to find synonyms (words that mean the same) on the computer so they can use better words (we call these Tier 2 words)
  • Play crosswords together

Show your child how to find synonyms (words with the same meaning) on the computer, so they can use better words (we call these Tier 2 words)

We aim for every student to feel successful with their learning and that they are progressing and developing. We encourage them to be excited about learning regardless of their starting points, which are as individual as the students.

Out of School Hours Care

St Catherine’s School offers an Out of School Hours Care program to all ELC and Junior School families. The program is implemented by our provider ‘After the Bell’, and operates within the ELC building. Parents are reminded that if you need to use the Before School Care or After School Care service, registrations need to be made in advance with ‘After the Bell’. Please allow up to five business days for your registration to be processed before your child can begin attending the program. Registration is free. All families are encouraged to register so that you can use this service in the event that you are unable to pick up your child.

Before School Care – 7.00am to 8.45am

After School Care – 3.00pm to 6.00pm

Registrations can be completed via the ‘After the Bell’ website https://afterthebell.com.au/register-now/

Please phone 9758 6744 for all enquiries.

 

Ms Karen McArdle, Head of Junior School