From the Head of Learning K-5

What can you do to help your child transition well? The holidays before your child is due to start Prep is a wonderful opportunity to help grow some of the basic skills needed so they can manage themselves and transition smoothly into school...

We will soon begin the complex process of allocating students into classes for 2021. This is a process we take very seriously and many factors are taken into account when considering each child’s placement. These include student learning needs,...

A new study of 8 to 11-year old children has revealed an association between heavy television use and poorer reading performance, as well as between heavy computer use and poorer numeracy. The Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne...

Thinking routines teach students to make their ideas visible and accessible. This is done through a variety of graphic organisers, which help structure ideation and reasoning. They are simple to use, yet powerful in impact. The purpose of thinking...

National Science Week is Australia’s annual celebration of science and technology. It provides an opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of scientists, STEM professionals, innovators, designers and entrepreneurs to the world of science. This...

Let's figure it out, mathematically! Student A reads 20 minutes five nights of every week; Student B reads only 4 minutes a night...or not at all! Step 1: Multiply minutes a night x 5 times each week. Student A reads 20 minutes x 5 times a week =...

What time did your child go to bed last night and was it about the same time as the night before? Having a consistent and early enough bedtime during children’s younger years is likely to pay dividends when they are older, with research showing that...

Over the last few weeks, I have had quite a few discussions with parents in the Prep – Year 2 car park around what we are seeing reported in the news. Children often see or hear the news many times a day through television, radio, newspapers,...

At Pacific we have several ways that we report. These include: Semester reports – written reports against year level Achievement Standards. Three way conferences – the sharing of progress, learning goals and assessment data. Student led conferences...

As we return to the new normal here at Pacific, it’s easy to take for granted some of the challenges we have already overcome. In particular I think the work of teachers and parents should be acknowledged as the full gravity of their response to...