Principal describes school's targets

Woy Woy Public School principal Ms Ona Buckley has set out the school's targets for 2017.

"We are in the last year of the current three-year school plan cycle and are working towards making sure all of our targets set down are achieved," Ms Buckley said.

"Our improvement measures for Quality Teaching and Learning are to have 100 per cent of students demonstrating growth as measured by the Literacy and Numeracy Continuum and in Naplan, to have an increased percentage of Year 5 and Year 7 students showing greater growth than or equal to expected growth to the state in Reading and Numeracy."

In Numeracy, the school also aims to increase results by block timetabling maths lessons across stages of learning.

Structured maths groupings within stages will also be used.

Ms Buckley said the school will also be purchasing the Maths Olympiad program for the whole school; and providing more Teacher Professional Learning in Targeting Early Years Numeracy as well as quality teaching guidelines to improve pedagogy in lesson deliveries for Maths.

In Literacy, Woy Woy Public School's 2017 target will be to continue to build strong explicit teaching by training more staff in the Language Learning and Literacy program in Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 (L3).

Another target is to bump up reading levels for 20 children in Year 1 through the Reading Recovery tutoring program and numerous other students throughout the school through the Learning Assistant Support Teacher tutorial program.

A new spelling program will also be introduced to give students the opportunity to be more responsible for their learning and be challenged according to their individual needs.

The Wushka Reading Program will be introduced throughout the whole school if teachers are happy with a free trial during March.

"The use of Naplan analysis will be a focus area to allow teachers to track weakness areas and build student knowledge and skills to improve future results," Ms Buckley said.

"The introduction of a more explicit Information Computer Technology program by using a typing and computer skills program from Kindergarten to Year 6 will equip students for the pending introduction of Naplan online.

"The fantastic bank of computers purchased from the fete funds will be commissioned to enhance student learning in classrooms across all the curriculum areas."

The school will also trial innovated flexible learning spaces, she said.

"Five classroom teachers are taking up the challenge and many more are starting with room areas allotted to using different furniture areas.

"It is very exciting watching students choose their preferred mode of doing their work or learning."

Throughout the year parents will be provided with information sessions and invitations to have a hands-on view of some of the innovations, Ms Buckley said.

Newsletter, 15 Feb 2017

Ona Buckley, Woy Woy Public School