Dear Franklin PS Community,

Welcome back to Term 3. I trust that you all had a fantastic and relaxing break over the holidays.

While it may be a new term, our focus on providing the best possible learning experience for all students continues as per normal.

In regard to our reading priority; we continue to explicitly teach reading to every student using the UFLI (Prep – 3) and Word Origins (4 – 6) programs. We are also excited to announce that our Kinder has been accepted into a department-wide trial to use the Heggerty reading program for early years students. This is an exciting opportunity and we look forward to communicating student learning as the term progresses.

This term, teachers will also be further implementing the explicit teaching of Fluency across all grades, working collaboratively in Professional Learning Teams (PLTs) to improve the reading skills of students. We will also continue to provide intervention for students that require additional reading support using the MiniLit and Macqlit intervention programs.

Teachers are also very busy continuing to implement aspects of the DECYP Pedagogical Framework. This document (based on the latest research) provides teachers and school leaders with a lesson “road map” on how to use the most effective teaching strategies to foster student learning. This term, teachers are focussing on the Preview stage of the lesson, and are ensuring that Learning Intentions (what the students are going to learn) and Success Criteria (how the students will show their learning) are clearly communicated throughout lessons and visible for all students to understand and refer back to.

All Year 1 students will also undertake a Phonics Check later in the term. This is a department-wide assessment that acts as a screener to identify any students who are at risk in their learning of Phonics. The results will be communicated later in the term.

I look forward to seeing all of the wonderful learning this term. If you’d like to meet to discuss the learning needs of your child, please contact their teacher or contact me via the front office or email at nick.de.tarczynski@decyp.tas.gov.au.

Warm Regards,

Nick de Tarczynski (AST/Instructional Specialist).