GIDGEGANNUP P.S. ANNUAL REPORT

Bunning Road, Gidgegannup WA 6083

Telephone 9574 6344 Facsimile 9574 6406

Email: gidgegannup.ps@det.wa.edu.au

Gidgegannup Primary School aims to enable all students to have the opportunity to acquire the skills necessary to realise their full potential in life – socially, intellectually, emotionally and physically.

Nature of the Community

Gidgegannup is approximately 22.5 kilometres from Midland and is the most eastern district within the City of Swan, covering 35,748 hectares.  It is zoned rural.

Gidgegannup town-site provides a focus for potential growth in the north-eastern hills.  A church has also been built by the community and there is a  fire station supported by volunteer fire brigades.
There is a small shopping centre and a restaurant, a newsagency, operating as a post office. Several other shops including a local ISP. Horses, cattle, goats, sheep, deer, emus, alpacas, donkeys, even cats and dogs are bred. Olives and citrus fruit are grown and a world famous goat cheese produced locally.

A local paper, the Gidgegram is published each month.

Gidgegannup is a thriving community with diverse interests, magnificent scenery and a wonderful lifestyle.

 

The District of Gidgegannup has a total of 1949 people representing 2.4% of the City of Swan population.  Of this number, approximately 240 people reside in the town-site itself.   In the period 1996-2001 the district of Gidgegannup experienced a 36.5% growth.

The majority of residents are of Australian origin, with very few having a multicultural background.  English is the predominant language spoken.

It is estimated that 50-60 percent of Gidgegannup residents commute outside the City of Swan to their place of employment.

There is no public transport either within Gidgegannup, or between the town and other localities, therefore young people are reliant on local facilities and parental transport.

The school is in a very tranquil setting, within the village centre and has a rural outlook. The classroom clusters are built on the contours of a hill using this elevated aspect to advantage.  An attractive garden has been developed and it would be difficult to find a more idyllic position.

Community

The involvement of our school community is actively encouraged.  Parents/caregivers assist in a variety of ways and have the opportunity to be members of the School Council and/or Parents and Citizens Association

P & C

The P & C has continued to play a prime role in the support of students at our school.  Throughout the year meetings were well attended, providing a thoughtful perspective and strong support to initiatives and the acquisition of identified resources. 

School Council

In 2007  the School Council will  welcome Three new members – Ms Nola Cugini as Community Member and Ms Liz Goddard representing the P&C and Mr Murray Duncan, the new staff representative.

 The School Council has met regularly and has, this year, endorsed the 2007 School Plan, initiated the 2007 schedule of Contributions and Charges and reviewed the financial reports.

The group also reviewed the School Dress Code. and endorsed our anti bullying policy.

Curriculum Improvement

The Learning Program

All students participate in activities related to each of the 8 learning areas – English, Mathematics, Health and Physical education, Society and Environment, Science, The Arts (music, drama, visual art), Technology and Enterprise and French (Year 1-7).

Funding

Amount

School Development Grant

$10,378.10

School Grant

$75,512.35

Total

$85,890.45

Professional Engagement Gidgegannup Primary School Staff

Staffing: Professional Development 2006

Staff attendance from Year to Year:

Qualifications:

All teaching staff meet the professional requirements to teach in Western Australian Schools and are registered with the Western Australian College of Teaching.(90% of staff have at least a 4 year degree , 10% with a 5th year qualification such as a Master of Education or equivalent.)

●             Since 2002 the percentages of students achieving the reading, writing and spelling benchmarks has fluctuated with no particular trend of improvement or decline.

●             Steady performance over time is apparent in some aspects of numeracy.

●             Percentage of Year 7 students meeting the benchmark standards is consistently higher than state data in all 3 literacy areas.

●             Percentage of Year 5 & 7 students meeting the benchmark standards in writing is consistently above state data but there are fluctuations.. A possible reason maybe the use of only   one writing form, a narrative, to evaluate students writing skills.

While there are yearly fluctuations the only trend evident is that the Year 7 benchmark performance data is sometimes higher than the state benchmark performance data. The school is developing a “Whole School Approach” to Literacy and Numeracy

Destination of Students

Last year 85% of our Year 7 students will attend Eastern Hills Senior High School with another 2% winning entrance to  specialist courses at other Government Senior High Schools.  Approximately 15% of our students will attend high schools outside the government school system.

Attendance: 95% attendance is comparable to state averages. We have set targets to increase attendance of Year 4 and 6 students with emphasis on the boys.

Numeracy

Literacy

Highlights

·        Problem Solving Boxes

·        Maths challenge for learning tables

·        Class Books – Puzzles demonstrating understandings

·        Mental Problem Solving Term 3

·        Tried some different activities as outlined in Measurement PD.

·        Order lengths including a curl of stiff wire

·        Order according to mass using small heavier tins and lighter large tins.

·        Collaborative work – moderation, feedback 2006

·        First Steps strategies

·        Improved handover of IEP’s to new teacher (accountability)

·        World of Maths incursion

·        Partner / group work with manipulatives

·        Mentoring – Support a Reader

·        Drama – “Mums the Word” for Mother’s Day Presentation

·        Class Plays- groups presented to Yrs 1-5

·        Class books

·        U.S.S.R. & Home Reading Program

·        Focus on understanding vocab in context within the text

·        Collaboration / Moderation time

·        1^st Steps – Resources

·        Improved handover of IEP’s(Individual Education Plans) to incoming teacher

·        SAER co-ordinator – liaison with parents – psych-teacher

·        Use the 4 roles of the reader eg. Coding, text breaker etc.

·        Use of students, assistants with students requiring help

·        Collaboration with teachers from other schools

Year in Review – How the students performed.

·        Mid year Review by Deputy showed marked improvement by most of the class many moving 2-3 WAMSES.

·        Mental recall, problem solving (simple) showed marked improvement.

·        First Steps Maths in Number and Measurement

·        Numeracy Net

·        WALNA – Analysis → Planning

·        Hands on Maths activities – the use of manipulatives with numeracy.

·        Introduction to First Steps Maths – Measurement

·        Students encouraged to show understanding with the use of open ended tasks.

·        M.C.J. common tasks with numeracy – Dinosaur task.

·        Numeracy Net proforma – students assessed in number

Students performed well.

Review during middle of the year indicated students had improved in general 10-20 WAMES in the first 6 months.

Spelling needs attention – refocus on rules and sound

·        Emphasis on Oral Language

·        Focus on Phonological Awareness

·        Assessment tool used (SPAT – Sutherland Phonological Awareness Tool) with students at risk Yr 1 & 2

·        SPAT test – students at Risk

·        Literacy checkpoints – Literacy Net (At risk students)

·        WALNA

·        G.E.P. for at risk students

·        Extension books provided

·        Literacy Net

Future Directions – Plans for this year major focus.

·        Focus on measurement needed

·        Continue PD First Steps Measurement

·        Continue implementation of First Steps Number strategies

·        Purchase of manipulatives for hands on experiences.

·        Develop familiarity with First Steps Measurement activities and criteria.

·        M.J.C. – common tasks in numeracy and measurement

·        Numeracy Net proforma – assesses students in number and measurement.

·        Develop common assessment tasks in the early childhood

·        Continue focus on vocab – especially in context.

·        Extend students to a wide range of written representations and forms.

·        Spelling in general needs attention.

·        Collaboration

·        Thematic approach – More meaningful literacy activities links to curriculum areas

·        Support for students at risk

·        Individual programme & group programme for children below expectations

·        Collaborative planning of assessment tasks for M.C.J.

·        A need to develop support strategies for children not working to capacity

·        Further develop understanding of the 4 Roles of the Reader

·        Further develop use of different genres in early years

·        Collaborative meeting to discuss Whole School Approach to Literacy and Making Consistent Judgements

Arts - Music

L.O.T.E.

Physical Education

Highlights

There was an emphasis on movement to music, culminating in a variety of dances learnt and enjoyed.  The students were also in groups using tuned and untuned  percussion during which they read the music and also created the music.  These pieces were then performed to their class peers.  The school also had Tatterjack come and perform at the school.  The students learnt about Irish music and learnt the songs and created mime and song. 

Recorder

Year 5 students continued their recorder playing, performing at Assemblies and their own end-of-year concert for parents and peers.

The major focus of LOTE is enabling students to gain the skills necessary to maintain a communication in the target language.

Students enthusiasm and love of sport.

The improvement in the students movement/ball skills, team work and collaboration.  Increased self confidence.  The lets give it a go factor with the element of fun.

Faction swimming, athletics, cross country carnivals.  The fun-run for Yrs 1-3.  Interschool carnivals.  The students really support and encourage each other.  Enthusiasm and support from parents.

T-ball and Cricket clinics.

Swimming and Dancing lessons.

Year in Review – How the students performed.

The students gained much self-confidence in their own abilities to create music.  They learnt about the reading of music and the rhythm and beat of music.  Singing to the piano music with the smaller children was very well accomplished and many different songs and movement were learnt by the students.

Recorder

Selected year 4 students commenced recorder lessons at the start of term 3 2006.

Last year French was taught from Yr 1 to Yr 7.  All students had the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to communicate in the target language through Listening, ,Responding and Speaking, Viewing Reading and Responding and Writing. Some classes were very successful in incorporating students’ achievement in LOTE (role-plays, songs, rhymes, greetings, simple skills in front of the whole school community.

The students are all talented in all their different ways and their performance reflects their love for sport and the competitive nature they have.

We did a little better in the athletics interschool bringing home a few trophies.  All the lower school thrived on the organised fun-run.  They used the extra time given for athletics very positively.  The netball and football teams gave all they had with interschool competitions. 

Future Directions – Plans for this year major focus.

To continue with the instrumental work.  The movement to music and the singing of music, to encourage and foster a love of music in all of the students.

Recorder

All year 4 students are learning the recorder this year.

15 year 5 students are continuing

19 year 6 students are continuing plus 5 new students.

This year our major focus is on applying students knowledge of the structure of the target language to make meaning and create text – from brief conversation – Yr 1-3, to lengthy and complex forms of writing Yr 5-7.

To continue to work on movement skills with particular focus on ball skills.  Working up from basic skills to more advanced both individually and as a group/team.  To continue to build on self-esteem, having a go, enjoyment and success.  To give the students the skills they may with to utilize in later years when taking part in sport.

Tabloid sports carnival in March.

Active after School Communities Programme in Term 3 this year.

S.O.S.E.

Science

Technology & Enterprise

Highlights

K-3

The eagerness to know more and more about Australia and the World.

The water sport presentations/talks.

The SCL activities which instil confidence and independence.

The assembly item! WOW

Buddy activities

Road safety talk

4-7

Environmental Area

·        Planting

·        Mulching

·        Set up & irrigation

·        Aboriginal studies

·        Targa Rally

·        Ring-pull collections – community involvement

K-3

The awe and wonder of the students.

The confidence to have a go to predict honestly.

The independence and group collaboration /support.

Growing our kidney beans!

String – web of life.

Electricity talk.

4-7

·        Reptiles

·        Energy & change

·        Hands on Science

·        Science Process

K-3

·        Developing a vehicle which could drive down a gradient & roll a certain distance.

·        Designing and successfully making a boat or floating structure.

·        Designing and making a children’s playground.

4-7

·        Boat Design

·        Desk Tidy

Year in Review – How the students performed.

K-3

·        Commonwealth games

·        Aboriginal studies

·        Transport

They readily ask questions to learn more.

They completed surveys and presentations with increased confidence.

They loved the drama activities and this helped self-esteem.

4-7

·        The requirement or needs to focus on Numeracy & Literacy needs to be incorporated in this area.

K-3

Science tends to be the focus for all learning and throughout our themes we extended our knowledge and performed very well!  Investigating, observing, comparing and describing were all great.  Our themes were:

·        Energy

·        Water

·        Living things

4-7

·        Students showed good understanding of Scientific Process.

Skills, observing, analysis developing well.

K-3

The students rose to the challenge of design, self-reflection, perfecting modification and suitability of final product, learning to co-operate with others, accepting and giving constructive comments, realising the need for careful design and the need to perhaps change ideas.

4-7

Students could follow Design Process to problem solved and alter designs.

Future Directions – Plans for this year major focus.

K-3

Sarah will cover this ara this year but through our themes I am certain we shall have the same focus as mentioned in other areas

Middle Primary

Environmental Project should carry on or be incorporated as whole school focus.

·        Setting up of statues

·        Information boards

·        Aboriginal Area

Environmental Studies

Lake Leschenaultia Studies

- Freshwater

K-3

To keep science as a high profile in the classroom.  To bring in more collaborative work through Primary Investigation mixed with other group and partner activities.  To develop their initiative and analytical skill.  To develop more focussed questions and to plan / write up investigations in more depth.

Hands on, interesting and fun whilst learning and developing scientific thinking and practical skills.

Middle Primary

Focus on Scientific Process and review students work in this area.

Middle Primary

Design, make and appraise needs to be incorporated into and across other learning areas.