St+Patricks+Milestone+5


 * // The Caring School, The Family School //**
 * // St Patrick’s School, //**// **(established 1878)**//
 * //___________________________________________________________________________________//**


 * Milestone Report # 5 **


 * Acting Principal – Wendy Friel ` Lead Teacher - Joanne Henderson**

We have had a slow start to the year, due to staff change, principal change, and lead teacher change. We have also had a Catholic Review visit and an ERO visit!

However, we have had a success story this year. In term 1, we had a school-wide enquiry unit based on birds. Every 2nd year, our school has an Otago Peninsula trip where we look at an aspect of our local area. This year we went to the Albatross Colony, which introduced our bird study. In term 4 last year, we looked at and taught the research skills the children need for enquiry, and this went a long way towards the success of this unit. De Bono’s Thinking Hats were used in all classes during this unit.

Room 1 - Years 1 and 2. The children in this class are learning to write and publish a sentence on the computer. In topic work, they have been learning to form a question, and research an answer with teacher help.

Room 2 - Years 3 and 4. The children are developing research skills and are learning how to find information using google. Some are able to publish their work independently on the computer, and all can do this with some help. Their questioning skills are developing well.

Room 3 - Years 4, 5 and 6. The Year 6 children are competent when using the computer, with well developed research skills, and can present their findings using the computer in a variety of ways eg power point presentations and posters, with good use of colour, pictures, and a variety of fonts. They are also able to take their own photographs, and insert them into their presentations. The Year 4 and 5 children are developing good computer skills, and are being competently tutored by the Year 6 children. Many are able to create simple power point presentations, and their competency in Publisher is improving.

Staff has not done as much personal training as we would have liked, with our other commitments up until now. The part time teacher in the senior class was not initially confident with ICT in the classroom, but she has worked on her own skills, and is now much more confident to work with the children. A wiki page is being set up, but is not yet up and running. We have all had training on School Master, and have just received approval to take the roll electronically. We will also be using different components of the programme in our classroom planning and assessing.

Our ICT goals for this term are: Take part in more of our contract group’s training, and incorporate this into the classroom. Look at Tony Ryan’s Thinking Keys - we have bought his CD but have not yet looked at it.


 * //110 Melbourne Street//****//, Dunedin//** **//office@stpatrickz.school.nz//**
 * //Phone/Fax (03) 4554702   www.stpatrickz.school.nz //**