Feb - Dec

How did that happen, a year of learning already done and dusted! That year has to go down in history as the fastest year EVER! February to December already completed. It was a year of incredible growth personally, academically and spiritually. My little people have faced the mountain of learning and scaled its heights with determination, I couldn't be prouder. Every step of the learning journey developing resilience, perseverance, determination and success. 

We are not only growing the brightest minds of the future but also the hearts and souls of tomorrow's generation. How we do that matters! Every word, every decision, every step is forming character, fortitude and significance in the little people sitting before us. Limitless potential sits waiting. We have one year to bring it forth, to speak to its existence, and make it believe that anything is truly possible. At the end of a year we hope that we have given our little people deep roots for learning and strong wings to fly as high as they possibly can.

Two years on and our little campus is experiencing amazing growth. We are bursting at the seams. These last two years have seen us plough tough terrain as we launched our new campus in 2015 as a P-3 school with 5 classes. It has been an honour and privilege to invest my heart and soul into building the future of Christian schooling as Campus Co-ordinator. The vision expanded this year into a P- 4 school and we have stretched our capacity in so many different directions. We have added a new classroom block of 10 classrooms. Next Year we become a P-5 school with the addition of 6 more classes. We have sown into a legacy of hope and purpose and waved the banner of peace over all that we do. We are expectant for this next season and in the years ahead. We know we are investing in the future and paving the way for the plans and purposes of God to be outworked. In 2019 we launch our first high school program. We still have a long way to go but we are well on the way!

And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:18

Sometimes

So here we go, another year sits before us as we delve into curriculum, culture and community. Another year to develop our curriculum, grow our school culture and community, while forging robust resilient character in everyone. 2016 will see our little campus go from five classes to seven. I am so excited for what the future holds. I still pinch myself that I get to do this job and oversee the growth and plans at Pimpama! I thank my lucky stars and am grateful to my heavenly father who has trusted me with this vision.  Sometimes it takes my breath away.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away.

Be who you are

In a world of compromise and comparisons, it is vital that we live above the maddening crowd. 

Stop accepting less than the best, you deserve better. Give yourself permission to shine.You were born for greatness. The seeds of hope and destiny are buried deep within you. 

Remove the limitations that confine you to small minded thinking. Open your heart and soul wide to limitless possibility. The creative genius within you is busting to break free. Don't let it die before it has time to grow.

Be who you are, WHO you were born to be!

Live life being your authentic self, no one can ever be you!

Those who love you will celebrate what makes you unique, the rest doesn't matter at all. May what truly matters - that glorious potential of your heart and soul, you without all the fuss, shine brighter than stars above.

Shine ever brighter!

Limitless Possibility

As we come to the end of another year, I am reminded about my goals at the beginning of the year to

open young minds to limitless possibilities, and to engage the intellect and imagination in daring pursuits of academic rigour and challenge. I want my students to walk away from this year not only with expansive knowledge or newly developed skills but something much deeper. I want them to really truly know that they have what it takes to find their own path and stay their course.  I want them to believe in themselves as learners but also as remarkable individuals with the ability to make their own mark on the world - that they can and SHOULD do this!

I want them to know that they have what it takes, even on the toughest of days, despite the difficulty and despite the upheavals. They really can achieve feats of greatness. I want to show them where to look so they truly see what they are capable of!

Learning is so much deeper than the every day results!

I try to focus on this daily, some days are definitely better than others. It's easy to get caught up in the delivery of well executed lessons and achieving specific outcomes. Good intentions get pushed to the back burner. As I reflect on a year gone by, I analyse critically on how I have gone throughout the year. 

Did I show more or tell more? 

I want my students to look within themselves and see what I see!

Limitless possibility!

Light the way

Light the way with the words you say!

As a teacher we have a responsibility to speak words of hope into the hearts and minds of the littlest people of the earth.

Little people look to us to validate who they are and who they are becoming. Each word spoken will shape a heart, influence a mind and grow a soul. Words take root deep within, weaving themselves into the tight fabric of possibility sitting before us. Our words will awaken a perspective, they will grow a thought and develop a belief. The words we speak should be measured with tenderness - our mission to  nourish the intellect and expand the soul. 

May our words plant possibility so tenderly and lovingly. 
May our  words acknowledge capability and strengthen ability.  
May our words fortify every student to believe anything really is achievable. 
May our words cause a flourishing of boundless creativity that propels children into unknown frontiers.

~ Shape Possibility ~ Nourish Ability ~ Fortify Creativity ~

Cross Grade Grouping

This year we have been in the unique position of implementing cross grade group learning opportunities with our Prep to Year 3 students. At the heart of our school focus lies the belief that by establishing a strong culture of connectedness, we lay the foundations for a compassionate community of purposeful and fully engaged learners. This approach is guided by the understanding that each of us have varying strengths, skill and passion to contribute to our learning community.

Cross grade groups allow students to work with other students of varying abilities, ages and interests. We have found this helpful with students of all ability levels and to be especially useful in developing cross grade friendships with our older students, and particularly valuable for improving the social skills of our younger students. Developing a collaborative school culture that focuses on care, cooperation and consideration requires considerable thought around how students learn best. Learning friendships are a vital element of any school community. Valuing the unique contribution of every learner ensures an embracive approach to learning. This is the journey that we are on.

Multi-level learning opportunities have allowed time for our students who might be struggling to work alongside more able peers in a powerful peer tutoring experience. A student with a strength in reading enjoys the chance to read aloud to a friend while enhancing their own fluency and automaticity. A struggling reader listens to the flow of words, perhaps learns new skills for decoding unfamiliar words (or implements taught strategies with assistance) with both students delving deeper into the comprehension of text through a final discussion at the end. Likewise a struggling reader with strengths in another area is valued for their contribution during the collaboration process at another time. A focus on each students strengths means that every student has something to offer the learning community from their unique perspective. We can all learn from each other, young and old alike. I have learnt a zillion interesting things about the age of the dinosaurs from a very passionate young soul.

The flip side of this is that when we acknowledge those areas that need strengthening, we give ourselves permission to find answers, question thinking, ask for help and allow true learning to take place. Learning should be identifiable by these specific characteristics. On a day to day basis, teachers are always taking into account each students differences in developmental levels and styles and catering for this within the classroom. Collaborating with other teachers and classes extends the parameters of the regular classroom, thus opening new frontiers for learning. This assists in developing wonderfully homogeneous learning contexts.

A collaboration of ability, skill and passion builds strength in every individual.

ipad training in India

What a privilege it was to work with these teachers and help them develop resource and ideas for use in their classrooms with only a single ipad in each class. Last year the ipads were donated to this particular school in Hyderabad through the fundraising efforts of teachers and students at our school on the Gold Coast, Australia. This year we took a team of staff over to train the teachers on the ipads, teach sewing to the young girls and build a much needed playground.

Fun on the new playground

We looked at a variety of different apps for use in the classroom and how teachers could use the ipad as a learning tool with only one ipad in each classroom. My favourite app at the moment is bookcreator. I love this apps ability to integrate learning across various platforms and to record a students learning journey in a meaningful and relevant way. Individual students can create their own ebook and the app allows for multiple users on the one ipad which is helpful when you are restricted with the number of ipads available in the classroom. 

I use this app with my grade two students to document our weekly maths lessons. Each student completes hands on activities before taking photos of their learning. Students then record their learning journey week to week throughout the term. This is a great way to see at a glance how each student is going and if they have mastered new content taught each week. This is a useful tool for ongoing formative assessment. 

Mathematics - Student page (below)

We also use this app for our inquiry based learning tasks (see screenshots below) and to publish our writing. Students can illustrate their work directly on the ipad with the app or they can draw their own illustrations on paper before uploading photographs of their work. 

Inquiry Based Learning Tasks - Student pages

I then save student work via google drive so we can print the ebooks at a later date. At the end of the year students will select their best work to be sent home.

You will love this app!