Newport Natter

Parent Survey Results

Please see below the results of our Semester 1 Parent Survey. There is much there for us to reflect on and use to guide our future planning.

Purchase Own Device Through the School (PODS) Project

As communicated at the last P & C Meeting, we are planning to trial a “Purchase Own Device Through the School (PODS) project starting in Term 4 2020. This will allow students to purchase a Chromebook, use it at school, take it home regularly and then keep it when they leave the school. Round 1 of the trial will be limited to a maximum of 200 devices for students in Year 1 (2020) and above. 

A supplier, chosen by the school, will supply a particular model of Chromebook to the school for distribution. The pack will include the touchscreen device and a charger. Optional extras will include a case and insurance. The cost of each pack will be around $380. Students will bring their device each day fully charged. 

The Chromebooks will be configured by the school with the same restrictions and software as the school Chromebooks. Students will not be able to install apps or download Chrome extensions. When the student leaves the school, or if they decide they no longer want to bring the device to school, the school will arrange for the device to be reset to its factory defaults. Families will not be able to supply an alternative device or bring in a previously purchased device. This is to make sure all devices are compatible with the software used at school and to address student equity issues. 

The aim of the PODS trial is to move closer to one-to-one student device allocation while also providing devices for students to use at home. At present, students share devices or wait for a device to become available. Having a greater number of Chromebooks will reduce the need to do this and allow for more productive use of learning time. Using tools such as Google for Education, students can collaborate online, gain access to expanded global resources and content, have the opportunity to take ownership of their learning and facilitate creative problem solving. The PODS project is about learning, not about technology. It isn’t about students using devices all day. Technology will be used when needed in the course of student learning. It doesn’t replace other ways of learning but complements them.  Rest assured pencil/paper and “hands on” experiences will still be valued.

For families not participating in the trial, the school will continue to have devices available which will provide access to technology. These devices will be available to use during school hours however, they will not be sent home with children. Students with their own devices will not be asked to share their device with other students, nor will they spend any longer on a device during school hours than students who are using the school devices. 

If you would like your child to participate in the PODS Chromebook trial please complete the slip below and return it to the office by Thursday 3 September or complete the online EOI also by the same date.  

Kind regards,

Natalie Baldi

Last term, the Years 2-6 students participated in an in-class and at-home Genius Hour project.

So, what exactly is Genius Hour? Check out this link and video for some background information: https://www.teachthought.com/learning/what-is-genius-hour/

The Genius Hour project required students to develop a proposal, which included a ‘thick’ or driving question, as well as a supportive ‘thin’ questions, to guide their research. Students also needed to decide on an end/creative product which would represent the answer their thick question and show what they had discovered.

Below are some of the Genius Hour thick questions that the GAT students researched. It’s exciting to see the variation and complexity.

·         What are different types of pasta used for?

·         Which bait is best for catching different types of fish?

·         How can we assist people in understanding animals better, so they will be more ready to help?

·         Are UFO’s and aliens real?

·         How did people live in East Germany and West Germany?

·         What can I do to find out more about the ocean?

·         Why do people keep killing white rhinos?

·         How have boats changed the world?

·         How does the process of (fashion) design happen from start to finish?

·         How do fish survive in the water?

·         How are trading cards printed so well?

·         How did the meteorite wipe out all dinosaurs on Earth and affect all countries?

·         What is animation, really?

·         How did J.K Rowling find her ideas for the books?

·         What is popular music?

·         How are megafauna related to normal fauna?

·         How did Black Sabbath come up with their ideas for songs?

·         How do drones work?

·         Is it possible to build a time machine?

·         Are there any other habitable planets?

·         How did evolution between wolves and dogs occur?

·         How can I show people that I am an artist and inspire other people to make art?

·         How big is the Milky Way and all of the things inside it?

·         Why does it snow?

·         How do you code?

·         Is quantum loop gravity the answer to all physics and will it make other theories obsolete?

·         How could I design a model aircraft?

·         How can I make more people interested in hockey?

·         Can I build a fort in the bush in 4 weeks, using only found materials?

·         What are atoms?

·         Can humans live on Mars?

·         Is it possible to rewrite the last chapter in a book in 4 weeks?

·         How can we protect endangered wildlife in Australia?

·         Did Hitler plan it all?

·         What will weaponry look like in the future and will past materials influence this?

·         How have droughts and recent bushfires impacted the koala population?

·         How can I set up a Dyson Sphere?

·         What were the long term effects of the Holocaust?

·         Is Antarctica melting or is it gaining ice?

·         How does climate change impact us now and what will it look like in the future?

·         How can current methods of farming be made more efficient?

·         What would make the ultimate snowboard design?

There was also a fantastic range of end/creative products which included: models, designs, Google Slide presentations, websites, animation, songs, artworks, pieces of writing, a drawing lesson, videos, posters and more!

To culminate the Genius Hour project, all Years 2-6 students participated in a sharing and evaluation session. This allowed for relevant and timely student and teacher feedback, and the opportunity to reflect on the success of the projects.

There was some wonderful feedback from the students related to the open-endedness of this style of project, with an overall eagerness and enthusiasm to participate in the same process again during the withdrawal group GAT sessions. 

Those students who completed their Genius Hour projects will be receiving a certificate to acknowledge their participation and effort.

Well done, everyone! I look forward to supporting you in future Genius Hour journeys.

Ms Dalziell – GAT Learning Support Team

We appreciate your support of the P&C read-a-thon by encouraging your children to read as much as they can and helping them collect fundraising for their efforts.  Two sheets were given to students, one to list their sponsors and donation amounts and the other to record the books they have read. If students need more recording or fundraising sheets please ask them to see the office staff.