Helping your child to spell accurately

Our (Literacy Learning Specialist and Year 3 teacher) presented strategies students are taught to help them to spell accurately and also provided examples of tasks you can do at home with your child/ren. These are attached below for you to download:
Spelling glossary
Prep - Year 6 PowerPoint presentation
Prep - Year 2 tasks / handouts
Year 3 - 6 tasks /handouts
Spelfabet website (for phonological awareness)
Spelfabet YouTube clips


Over 100 parents and carers attended the Prep - Year 2 parents and carers' education session with the Year 3 - 6 session to follow.

Supporting your child's social/emotional growth
Children develop at different rates socially, emotionally, behaviourally and communicatively. They require adult support to make good choices, exercise self-control and to develop empathy until they are able to self-manage. At Westgarth, we employ relationship-based strategies to support emotional and social development, and promote student wellbeing.

Miranda Van Styn (Speech Pathologist) and Cara Sheekey (Occupational Therapist) from Kids Rise, who have been working with our staff, presented the attached Supporting your child's social/emotional growth – a parent/carer education session.

The staff have also embarked on a two year journey with the Berry Street Education model to develop consistent language and routines across all year levels.

Sexuality education

Catching On Early author, Jenny Walsh conducted a parent/carer education session which was attended by over 70 parents. Jenny spoke about:

• Putting sexuality education in context
• What is and is not addressed by the program
• Cyber safety-related issues such as sexting.

For more resources about sexuality education, visit Jenny Walsh's website:

• http://jennywalsh.com.au/primary-schools

The Department also provides information for parents about their child's sexuality education, advice on how to deal with sensitive issues, addresses the parents’ role in sexuality education and provides website links to resources for further reading.

• https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/discipline/physed/Pages/forparents.aspx

Family maths night

Over two hundred students and their parents/carers attended our Family Maths Night - with an estimated 400 parents, carers and students in attendance. There was certainly a ‘buzz’ in the air as families solved problems together – using materials, discussing maths strategies and finding multiple ways to solve problems.
 

Mathematics night for parents/carers

Westgarth parents and carers attended a series of parent/carer education programs for mathematics facilitated by Cath Pearn. The following information and resources will support parents and carers in helping their children at home in the area of mathematics.

• Addition and subtraction facts strategies: Prep - Year 2 handouts (PDF)
• Multiplication and division facts: Year 3 - 4 handouts (PDF)
• Traditional and alternate strategies for the four operations: Year 5 - 6 handouts (PDF)
• Also see: Sharing research with parents (Teacher magazine, February 2018)
  
  

eSmart for parents and carers

Detective Tracey Porter drew upon her extensive investigative experience with regard to cyber-crime (sexting, stalking, grooming, online bullying) when speaking with parents and carers. She shared her up-to-date knowledge of apps, social media and the ever-evolving online world – and importantly how to talk to children / keep the lines of communication with your children and about how to safeguard them online.

These websites provide parents and carers with information about online games, apps and social media sites that students use:

• https://www.esafety.gov.au/esafety-information/games-apps-and-social-networking
• https://www.commonsensemedia.org

 Also see: https://www.wgps.vic.edu.au/page/255/eSmart