Keeping Up with Mrs Faalili

 High School Week  What is it? High School Week is an initiative created and designed to support our students to be mentally prepared for high school. This is a week dedicated to resilience, movement around the school, reading timetables, completing school work and homework, ultimately being ready for learning.  Why are we doing it?  We have a duty in preparing our year 8s for high school and this is important to us. As busy and chocka as Term 4, I know that one will give time and energy into things that are important. This week will help us show our Year 8s, who are going to high school next year, a glimpse into what it is like to move from class to class, teacher to teacher. What it's like to carry bags and gear around the school. What it's like to do homework etc.  When are we doing it?  This will happen in Term 4 - week tbc. Who is involved?  With the make up of our school, we usually have our year 5-8 students participating in this. While some may say that there isn't

With my inquiry into supporting our Year 8 learners in a successful transition into high school, we do not currently have a program that effectively helps this. My intervention focusses on supporting our year 8s to transition successfully into high school next year. This intervention is called ' High School Term '. While aimed at our Year 8s, part of this will include the years 5-7 as well. This will be an opportunity for our younger students to start mentally preparing themselves for education in high school. This intervention will focus on preparing Year 8s for high school by: - Connecting with current Year 9s at Tamaki College for a Q & A session with our current Year 8s - Connecting with whānau and following up 2023 enrolments - Meeting with Year 8s weekly for 45 minutes with a focus on specific elements of high school. This will be structured but also provide our Year 8s with an opportunity to ask questions and provide suggestions for what they would like to focus

The domino effect  A causal chain is like the domino effect, if I make one change then I hope the rest will follow, you push the first domino over and the rest just topple down afterwards The focus of my inquiry is  How can I support my Year 8 students transition into Year 9 and achieve success? What changes in my teaching practice are going to lead to this change  Professional readings and research Collecting & analysing data - Observing what is currently happening in our setting that supports the transition for our Year 8 learners Observing Year 9 habits and movements Student Voice - worries and concerns for our Year 8s heading into Year 9, tips and advice from Year 9s for our Year 8s End of Year data for current year 9s. This will be compared to this year's end of year data. Use the comparative data to identify patterns and students who achieved accelerated progress.  Start the conversations of high school now! Don't wait for term 4.  Be proactive in Year 8 enrolments

Reading Practice Intensive Day 1 (Teacher hat on)  Today has been a great way to reflect on my own understanding of the kaupapa and pedagogy of the Manaiakalani Reading Programme. The benefits of having a common practice reading model is that it creates a space for consistency to grow and happen, but also to identify areas of development and support that may possibly be needed for teachers within our school. So, how can we build a common practice reading model that is consistent across our school so that it serves our readers and creates a community of tauira who love to read? R - Recognise A - Amplify T - Turbo charge Recognise - Data shows that there is a consistent pattern around the teaching of reading and that the needs of our children aren't being met or amplified. The great thing is we identify and recognise this as an area that needs our attention and therefore now, can focus and inquire into the teaching and learning of reading and build a community of readers.  Amplify 

  Meeting Type Meeting to visit another ASCoL and talk transition programmes Motivation My inquiry this year for ASCoL is looking into establishing a transition program into high school. Not having one established previously, I am exploring and looking into schools that have successful transitition programmes to help me create and establish one for our learners. So What? I am WAAAYYYY behind in terms of my inquiry. Key Takeaways • Don't limit myself to just working with Tamaki College. Look into other feeder schools and identify what knowledge, habits, awareness do our students need to know to help them start off the Year 9 year with a BANG! • Relationships relationships relationships. Start building relationships with these schools. Get in there and get to know staff, students and Year 12 students that could potentially be mentors for next lot of year 9 students • One stop shop HUB for our staff (and possibly other schools) that will help inform and support teachers of Year 8s. •

Transitioning to high school involves more additions and changes to curriculum and the structure of learning. This journey of learning has higher stakes - the impact of academic and assessment achievement on future plans. There are a number of studies conducted in New Zealand that highlight the importance of transitions in supporting student achievement and success.  While reading the following pieces, the biggest reflection I've come realise that I'd been putting this huge focus and emphasis on support our students and whānau in getting our learners prepared for high school but our schools play an important part as well. Transitions shouldn't be seen as just enrolling into high school or a one off event where students spend part of the day at a high school. No. Our transition programme should be weaved throughout and is a process that takes time. As a school we have a responsibility in setting up our Year 8s for a successful start to high school. Student-teacher relationsh