The recent student free/professional learning day gave teachers the opportunity to build and refine our understanding of the ‘Formative Assessment’ techniques that allow our students to learn from assessment throughout the learning process and not simply with a test at the end of a unit. Research has shown this to have a huge impact on student learning and provides individual student feedback. Teachers participated in a Webinar from one of the world’s most prominent researchers and educational experts, Professor Dylan Wiliam who participated with other Tasmanian teachers via Zoom. It was encouraging to learn from the webinar that Burnie Primary teachers are certainly practising some of the most efficient techniques that elicit learning in students!
We have been reflecting on the needs of our learners from the past, and projected into the future, to the year 2032, the year that our current Prep students will leave formal education as year 12 students. Understanding the learning needs of students as 21st-century learners is essential for us as educators to plan for the attributes our learners will need to be lifelong learners. This certainly reinforced our vision for Burnie Primary School into the year 2021-22.
Our Vision: Collaborative, creative and innovative learning community.
We have also been reflecting and aligning our new Burnie Primary School Strategic Plan 2021-22 to our Department of Education Strategic Plan, and we have found some strong alignments we would like to adopt. These include the DoE
"Our Commitment" Together we inspire and support all learners to succeed as connected, resilient, creative and curious thinkers.
We have also been reflecting on our 2017-20 Strategic Plan and the aspect that has gained the most leverage for our school community has been identified as
Our Expectations: Best Effort, Positive and Safe
These expectations are a reflection of our Values. We are driven by our Department of Education’s "Our Values" which are;
Aspiration – a culture of high expectations and high achievement
Respect – respecting ourselves, others, our past and our environment
Courage – accepting challenges and embracing opportunities.
Growth – improving by always learning and finding better ways of doing things.
Our Strategic Plan will now be prepared to be endorsed by our School Association before the end of the school year in preparation for 2021.
This year has been an opportunity to look at the things we do a bit differently. The Grade 6 students have been reflecting on how they would like to celebrate their years of learning here at Burnie Primary School, especially as they were unable to go on Grade 6 Camp this year. As a result, they have organized a ‘Grade 6 Celebration Day’, planned for Wednesday, 9 December. The day will include activities at Camp Clayton and a formal lunch to replace the Dinner that has been in the past. At the School Association meeting last Tuesday night, we endorsed the planning for our end of year Celebration Assemblies. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, our Kinder – Grade 5 Celebration Assembly will be conducted in the JMC, but unfortunately, we will not have the capacity for family members to join us and we will organise for some form of live steam or recording to be available to parents instead. At the Grade 6 Assembly though, we will be able to invite the two parents of each Grade 6 student to join their children to celebrate the Grade 6 awards. These invites will include the Covid-19 Screening Form which will need to be completed before our Grade 6 Assembly to be held on Tuesday, 15 December.
It was a privilege to witness the Grade 5 Leadership speeches conducted recently. The sincerity and respect for Burnie Primary School certainly reflected all of the values mentioned above! The quality of all of the speeches was a real credit to our Grade 5s, but also to the Leadership preparation program that has been conducted by the Grade 5 team throughout the year, with a real emphasis this term. We expect all Grade 6 students to be student leaders, and we have certainly prepared our 2021 Grade 6s for this.
Andrew Starick
Principal