Curriculum Newsletter_Term4_Issue4

Curriculum


Newsletter







2018 Term 4 | Issue 4

Welcome to Term 4








Welcome to the Term 4 Curriculum Newsletter

Welcome to the fourth and final term of the school year. As noted in the previous newsletter, all schools should have now
fully implemented the remaining three learning areas in the Western Australian Curriculum: Technologies, The Arts and
Languages – Year 3, with reporting to parents/carers by the end of Semester 2. The Pre-primary to Year 10: Teaching,
Assessing and Reporting Policy and Policy Standards provides advice to schools about reporting on student achievement,
and in particular details related to the essential components of written reports and reporting student achievement in all
learning areas.

The early weeks of Term 4 are the last chance to register for AISWA’s Curriculum Masterclass with Bill Lucas from the
University of Winchester. Don’t miss out, spots are filling fast! - Register HERE

In this issue... Got some news to share?

 Latest news from ACARA Got something to share about Curriculum? If you have any
news, or suggestions for content in future newsletters please
 SCSA Applications for 2019 examining panels let us know.

 SCSA SIRS Training Our subscriber base is 1200+ staff working across the
 AISWA’s Curriculum Masterclass independent sector.

 HASS Week 2018 in Review We would love to hear from you!
 Choosing words wisely—Languages Vs LOTE
Kris Stafford | Manager Curriculum
 Building Cultural Competence in Early Childhood Educators
 [email protected]
 Amplify at Penrhos College  08 9441 1667


 0437 609 791








2018 Term 4 | Issue 4 Page 2

The Curriculum Team




The Curriculum team provides leadership and advice to assist schools implement the Western Australian (WA)
Curriculum. This includes the K-10 Outline and the WACE. Capturing the diverse needs of schools, AISWA Curriculum
Consultants can supports schools through the provision of tailored Professional Learning to assist teachers and schools to
support the development of high quality Teaching, Learning and Assessment Programs that have a genuine impact on
improving outcomes for students. Please contact the team to discuss your Professional Learning needs.
If you have any Curriculum-related queries, please send us an email or call us on (08) 9441 1652.


Kris Stafford Glenda Leslie
Manager Curriculum, HPE and Science
Secondary Maths [email protected]
[email protected] Ph. (08) 9441 1628
Ph. (08) 9441 1667

Kate Reitzenstein Maree Whiteley
Languages Humanities and Social Sciences
[email protected] [email protected]
Ph. (08) 9441 1605 Ph. (08) 9441 1630



Jan Clarke Karen LeRaye

Technologies The Arts
[email protected] [email protected]
Ph. (08) 9441 1627 Ph. (08) 9441 1668




Wade McLeod Ana-Lisa Randall
VET Administrative Support
[email protected] Officer
Ph. (08) 9441 1621 [email protected]
Ph. (08) 9441 1652


Curriculum Areas
news, or suggestions for content in future newsletters please
Click for the latest AISWA news in each area:



Humanities
Health &
The Arts Languages English & Social
PE
Sciences




Future
Mathematics Science Technologies VET
Footprints










2018 Term 4 | Issue 4 Page 3

News





Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) news

National Assessment Program - Science
Across Australia, a sample of 560 schools and 11,200 students will complete the NAP Science literacy testing between
15 October and 2 November. The purpose of this test is to inform schools, educators and the community about the levels of
achievement for science literacy for Years 6-10 students.
Keep up to date with news from ACARA
ACARA provides a monthly update of news via an e-newsletter. To subscribe visit here.



School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) News

2019 ATAR Course examinations—Examining panel applications
The Authority invites applications from current and retired teachers and training and university lecturers to participate in the
development of the 2019 ATAR course examinations. Positions available include Chief examiners, examiners, independent
reviewers and paper checkers. For more information visit here.

th
Applications close 5pm on Friday 19 October.
SIRS Training
Throughout January and February 2019, SCSA are hosting Introduction to SIRS 2019 seminars for secondary schools.
Seminars are aimed at new and existing secondary school users who have not previously attended SIRS training.

For a full list of seminars and to register click here.
Keep up to date with news from SCSA
To keep up to date with the latest information about school curriculum and assessment, standards and certification of
student achievement, schools are reminded to register for the SCSA monthly online Circulars.

Click here for the K to 10 September Circular, and here for the 11 to 12 September Circular.





































Page 4
2018 Term 4 | Issue 4
2018 Term 4 | Issue 4 Page 4

Only a few spaces left!

AISWA presents a Curriculum Masterclass:
Capabilities: why they matter, how to embed them in your school and (possibly) how to assess them
This interactive one day event will draw on research and practices from across the world including work from the Mitchell
Institute, The Capable Country: Cultivating capabilities throughout Australia’s education system (due for publication late 2018).

About the presenter…

Bill Lucas is Director of the Centre for Real-World Learning and Professor of Learning at the University of Winchester.

Bill is a prolific writer, and has authored more than forty books and many research reports. His latest books, written with Ellen
Spencer, are Developing Tenacity: Teaching learners how to persevere in the face of difficulty and Teaching Creative Thinking:
developing learners who have fresh ideas and think critically. His acclaimed book, Educating Ruby: what our
children really need to learn, written with Guy Claxton, asks challenging questions about the future direction of education.










PROFESSOR BILL LUCAS

Director, Centre for Real-World Learning, Winchester University





















2018 Term 4 | Issue 4 Page 5

HASS Week 2018 in Review





How amazing are HASS students and teachers? The Steering Committee for HASS Week 2019 will continue to
be HASS representatives from the Education sectors:
Thank you to everyone for a most inspiring,
Association of Independent Schools WA (AISWA), Catholic
Inaugural #HASSweek and to everyone who supported the
Education WA (CEWA), the Department of Education (D0E)
idea of HASS Week by attending events and/or creating your
and the University of WA (UWA), in partnership with the
own HASS Week events for your school community. We had
Education Staff from the State Library of WA (SLWA) and
more than 500 registrations for the metro-based PL events,
Seven West Media Education. Teachers Mutual Bank have
so it looks like we're doing it all again next year. There were
once again agreed to sponsor our major Professional Learning
several school-based events at various schools and we are
event in 2019.
hoping the ideas shared this year will inspire more primary
schools and HASS Departments to create a real buzz around We are also hoping to expand our current, small group of
their schools and local communities for HASS Week 2019, school-based teachers (Primary and Secondary) from each
similar to our colleagues celebrating Book Week and Science sector, who wish to be involved in a HASS Week Teachers
Week each year. group, especially in regional areas to assist with our state-
wide planning and promotion. The Facebook group seems to
Our two red hot hashtags during #HASSweek has shown us
be the most widely used form of communication, so please
the power of social media and cross-sector PL events to
join the group and conversations.
connect and collaborate - WA Humanities educators are
certainly global trendsetters and shown the Thank you and let’s keep the Science of being Social
world #whyHASSmatters. The HASS Week WA Facebook (Humanities) in the hearts and minds of all.
group was a particular favourite sharing place for many HASS
Educators, with nearly 400 members sharing ideas and
resources. The HASS Week website had over 6500 views,
2100 visitors from 21 countries and the @HASSweek Twitter
account has nearly 200 followers.
We heard your feedback about launching the week with the
Conference-style PL, then focusing on school-based events
during the week. So to assist with our planning for HASS
Week 2019 (Term 3 Week 3) please head to the HASS Week
WA Facebook group and add your feedback to our poll
question:

When would you most likely attend a full day/s of HASS
Professional Learning?

 (2 DAYS) Fri 2 Aug (Teacher PL - content & skills)
and Sat 3 Aug (Keynote speakers & excursion
workshops)

 Fri 2 Aug only (Teacher PL)

 Sat 3 Aug only (Teacher PL)

 (2 DAYS) Thurs 1 Aug (student presentations &

excursion workshops) and Fri 2 Aug (Teacher

PL - content & skills)








2018 Term 4 | Issue 4 Page 6

Choosing words wisely

























Languages or LOTE? Modern and Foreign? Language A or B or implications.
Language Acquisition? Does it really matter what term we ‘LOTE’ isn’t an ideal name if we want to change
use to describe second language learning in schools? the status of Languages in the curriculum”
(Sen, 2018)
For those who speak, learn and teach language, English and
other, it does matter. Language is central to identity and to In Australia, curriculum policy makers took the positive step
learning. For that reason we need to think more deeply over a decade ago to change the name to the Languages, a
about the labels we give to languages and the impact this will term that is more inclusive, broader and suggestive of
have on our students and communities. When the languages literacy objectives, rather than an object of otherness. It is up
we grow up with are referred to as ‘other’ or ‘foreign’, it to us in schools, to ensure that the name LOTE remains at
fosters a sense of exclusion and difference. For the one bay and to educate staff, students and parents why we insist
million Australians who speak Chinese, the settings of their on calling it Languages.
language use are more
likely to take place in a suburban home of Melbourne or
“Languages” is the current state and nationally
Perth rather than in some faraway land. Notions of language
agreed term for the learning area that was formerly
‘otherness’ and ‘foreignness’ are truly challenged when we
referred to as “LOTE” (Languages Other Than
consider the 250 First Nations languages that have been
English). “Languages” has been in use for over a
spoken on this land for tens of thousands of years. If our
decade and is reflected in state and national
languages are measured against the ‘norm’ of English,
curriculum documents including the 2008
bilingualism is often perceived through a ‘language-as-a-
Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for
problem’ lens (Baker & Wright, 2017). A more recent holistic
Young Australians, the Australian Curriculum and the
orientation on bilingualism, one that
Western Australian Curriculum.
provides evidence of its cognitive, social and health benefits,
is commonly known as the ‘multilingual turn’. Yet the old nomenclature is still being used in many
of our schools. While second language teachers have
While delivering the 2018 Nick Norris Memorial Lecture,
become accustomed to defining their role as an
Professor Krishna Sen cheekily quipped “I grew up speaking
Italian or Japanese Teacher; school timetables, on
LOTE! 95% of the world’s population speak LOTE” to highlight
websites, name tags and other signage still use the
that such naming takes away the complexity and richness of
outdated acronym of LOTE. The term is still widely
all the “great languages of the world”:
used in the USA, while “MFL” (Modern and Foreign
“The way we name something allows us to Languages) is the equivalent acronym used in the
frame how we talk about it. Everything, every UK.
word, every concept we use has political








2018 Term 4 | Issue 4 Page 7

School’s in Focus







AMPLIFY: Designing Bright Futures

Penrhos College Junior School

Amplify is a collaborative project between AISWA and the Innovation Unit Australia. It aims to increase the proportion of
students who are deeply engaged in their learning, through the development of teaching, learning and assessment
practices that promote student engagement. A small number of AISWA schools participated in Amplify throughout
2016/7, and recorded their journey towards making learning deeper, more relevant and prevalent for young people, in
the form of a case study.
One participating school, was Penrhos College Junior School. The school sought to embed the use of ‘Information
fluency’ across Years P-6 and their specific challenge was to use the common language of information fluency – ask,
acquire, apply and assess – to promote enquiry based learning across the curriculum.
To read more about their journey, click here

Building Cultural Competence in Early Childhood Educators

In partnership with Early Childhood Australia (ECA) please join us for an afternoon of personal and professional learning
that will showcase the ongoing projects by six AISWA schools, from a range of diverse Early Learning settings community
contexts, building capacity around the EYLF and curriculum links such as the 'Intercultural and Ethical Understanding'
General Capability and the Aboriginal and/or Asia Cross Curriculum Priority. These wonderful Early Childhood Educators
will share their personal stories of building their own cultural awareness and how this is transforming the way they bring
these new insights into their learning environments.

When: Fri 26 Oct 12.00 - 3.30pm
Where: Kings Park Education Centre
Lunch and resources provided

Registrations now open

AISWA and ECA Members: FREE*
Non-Members: $10
*AISWA and Non-members please register via the provided above. ECA members please contact Janelle Dickinson
[email protected] to register your attendance

Attention Arts Teachers
Expressions of Interest

This is a call for generalist Primary teachers who are struggling to find the time to meaningfully teach the Arts, or who are
interested in broadening their capacity in the Arts. If you are interested in being involved in a project on Arts Integration,
contact Karen LeRaye by email [email protected] for further details.











2018 Term 4 | Issue 4 Page 8

Upcoming Professional Learning






Early Bird HOLA Network Fundamental Movement Skills Primary Physical Education
Meeting—Languages Refresher (P—3 teachers) Conference (p—6 teachers)

Fri 19 October Fri 26 October Mon 29 October
7:00am—8:30am 8:30am—3:30pm 8:30am - 3:30pm
Link to register HERE Link to register HERE Link to register HERE





Year 3 & 4 Primary Science Year 5 & 6 Primary Science ATAR Chemistry Workshop
Workshop Workshop Thu 8 November
8:30am—11:30am
Tue 30 October Tue 6 November
3:30pm—5:30pm 3:30pm—5:30pm Link to register HERE

Link to register HERE Link to register HERE
ATAR Physics Workshop
Thu 8 November
12:15pm—3:15pm
Link to register HERE


AISWA HoD Maths Network ATAR Biology Workshop ATAR Psychology Workshop
Meeting—Term 4 Tue 13 November Thu 15 November
8:30am—11:30am 8:30am—11:30am
Tue 13 November Link to register HERE Link to register HERE
12:00pm - 3:30pm

Link to register HERE
ATAR Human Biology Workshop ATAR EESIS Workshop
Tue 13 November Thu 15 November
12:15pm—3:15pm 12:15pm—3:15pm
Link to register HERE Link to register HERE


Rich Tasks in Languages PRIMARY Rich Tasks in Languages PRIMARY Arts Network
Showcase session SECONDARY Morning Tea
Showcase session
Tue 27 November Tue 20 November
3:30pm—5:30pm Wed 28 November 8:30am—11:30am
Link to register HERE 3:30pm—5:30pm Link to register HERE
Link to register HERE





SECONDARY Arts Network
Afternoon Tea

Tue 13 November
12:00pm - 3:30pm
Link to register HERE













2018 Term 4 | Issue 4 Page 9

Suite 3/41 Walters Drive
Osborne Park WA 6017
+61 (08) 9441 1600
[email protected]
www.ais.wa.edu.au