Setting Goals
It is amazing to think that we have already reached the end of the first quarter of the 2024-2025 school year. In some ways, it seems like only yesterday that the children were entering the building for their first day of school, meeting their teachers and their classmates and full of anticipation for all that the year would have in store for them. And yet, judging by the progress and growth that the children have made (academically, linguistically, socially, emotionally and physically), it seems right that we have reached this milestone in the calendar.
Many of you have already had opportunities to meet with teachers about your child’s progress. In the coming weeks, you will have further opportunities to find out more about progress, learning habits and next steps for your child. These will take the form of our Quarter 1 progress reports (which will be published on PowerSchool on the afternoon of Friday, October 25) and the Parent Teacher Conferences on Friday, November 8. More information will be coming about the conferences and how parents/carers can sign up for time slots. Please note that some conferences might be arranged between you and your child’s classroom teacher on an alternate day around that time.
A key part of being a teacher is to model what it means to be a "lifelong learner". We are reflective about our practice so that we can make progress towards our professional goals. Staff at ISA articulate their personal professional goals for the year and engage in discussions with peers and members of the leadership team to plan for learning and development opportunities. When we discuss our goals, we try to identify goals that are specific and achievable. We start by having a vision of where we’d like to be in our practice, consider where we currently are and then identify next steps for making progress towards our goals. Crucially, we consider how we will assess or measure our progress - and how we might demonstrate and communicate what we’ve learned along the way.
At ISA, your children are asked to set goals for themselves in a range of areas, both inside the classroom during lessons and outside the classroom (whether that’s related to recess time or clubs/activities). It is important for them to practise this skill at home, too, so I would encourage you to talk with your children about the goals they have for themselves - and how they might work towards achieving them. Share your own experiences with setting and working towards goals, too.
Over the October holiday, I hope each of our students has exciting adventures, which can lead to stories they can share with their classmates upon their return. Parents and carers are encouraged to send their children back to school on the 21st with one or two ‘October’ tales to share!
Enjoy the break!
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