Teaching and Learning
We began with implementing an Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI) model, which focuses on structured, teacher-led lessons to maximise student learning. Teachers use slides to guide lessons, ensuring consistency across the school. The use of slides ensures that learning intentions, success criteria, and instructional prompts are visible and explicit for students, promoting clarity and reducing cognitive overload. This approach helps scaffold lessons and ensures a high level of instructional coherence across all grades. The school has embedded engagement norms in all classrooms to ensure that all students are actively involved in learning. These norms include strategies such as cold calling, the use of think-pair-share, structured questioning techniques and mini whiteboard norms to engage students during lessons. The school has focused on aligning its teaching practices and curriculum across all grades. This alignment ensures that students experience a coherent and progressive learning journey, this is created through the whole school knowledge curriculum that starts in Foundation through to Grade 6. This Knowledge Curriculum is used in all parts of student learning, from specialist subjects, reading, writing etc. Since the beginning of Term 1, teaching and support staff have worked with Greg Clement the school's instructional consultant. The focus of Greg's work was implementing the 'Big 6' of Literacy and the creation of the MSPS instructional playbook. In all classrooms, Sounds-Write has been implemented, this covers the phonemic awareness/phonics of the big 6. From the Knowledge Curriculum and Reading Spine - choice vocabulary and oral language sequences have been developed. As the whole school has been implementing Sounds-Write, the school has invested heavily in decodable texts for students to read during fluency and for take home reading. In the senior grades (3-6), novel studies have been included in the literacy block. Shared reading of a whole class text has allowed for insightful discussion about themes that are linked to the knowledge curriculum.

Wellbeing
SWPBS and classroom systems were implemented in all classrooms in 2024. We have seen significant positive effects on the school by creating a structured, supportive environment that promotes positive behaviours and fosters a sense of community. In all classrooms, we began with the focus on reducing extraneous load. We were able to achieve this through having a minimalist approach to classroom decor, having all students sit in rows and to have a mandated seating plan in all classrooms. All staff set clear expectations for behaviour across all classrooms, this allowed teachers to manage their classes more effectively. This consistency helped students understand what behaviours are expected, making it easier for them to follow routines and reducing disruptions. In Semester Two, we welcomed our student wellbeing officer, Erin. She has been instrumental in working with students and families providing support in a variety of areas. In 2025 we will be completing Berry Street training, and we will continue to build our own behaviour curriculum. We have developed a comprehensive ‘Ready to Learn’ plan for the first two days of Term 1 2025. We will explicitly teach students over the day the expected behaviours, routines and structures. All staff are excited about what is to come in the wellbeing space next year.

Building Works
We began the year with the refurbishment of the school library. This space has been versatile for library, special occasions and after school care. Our basketball court has been transformed into a lively play space for students. The synthetic grass and adjustable basketball rings make the whole area inclusive for all students to play. Our wellbeing room has had a complete overhaul and is now an inviting space for our students and families to come in and work with school staff. Over the school holidays, we will have all classrooms painted and new carpet laid. This will create vibrant learning environments for our students as they begin the 2025 school year. The ITTC downstairs on the Doveton Street side of the school will no longer be used by the Department of Education. We will reclaim those two classrooms and have our Foundation and Grade 1 classrooms there. I would like to thank the ITTC for their partnership with our school for the last 10+ years, we wish you all the best in the future.

Lastly, I would like to thank our school community for another amazing year. We value the trust that every one of you place in us to educate your children. We look forward to continuing this partnership in 2025 and strive to work together to make Macarthur Street PS the best school it can be.

Have a safe and Merry Christmas, enjoy the holidays.