Meeting 12/8/09 - Monster Garage

1) What is our big theme?

"Developing World"

2) What is the aim of the project?

Year 9 opportunity to gain a different perspectives a chance for students to make the explicit links between subjects. Get them out of their ENSS classes.

3) What dates

Week 7 Term 4 - 23 November (Technology starts Aug 24th)
Random groups (mixed, not house groups)

4) How will each person/department contribute?
Maths classes run as usual? - better not to be in class groups if possible

Angela to come up with a 'Scaffold' for how it might work - for people to consider/alter

Meeting Today

Today we went through our Middle School Curriculum book and edited each subject making changes to last years text. Then we gave Maria a diagram which explains the progression of our subject and how each strand leads into the next.

Elizabethan Day, is not going to go ahead this year, but will be a focus for ENSS next year.

7 Day timetable will come in in 2011 and next year our Middle School focus will be Middle School pedagogy, curriculum and practice. So... some ideas for a focus next year might be: Monster Garages - how often will we have them and what will the themes be?, Year level focus eg: initiative, leadership etc - what will we do to expand on these themes, transdisciplinary units of work, Understanding by Design template for unit planning, Habits of Mind. We can discuss these at a future meeting.

Meeting with Erica McWilliams

I have just met with Erica McWilliams from MYSA - a link to her slide show from the conference is on the right tool bar. It was so great to meet her in person. She is an educator (classroom teacher), turned researcher and is now a Professor at the University here in Singapore. She was very interested to hear about what we're doing at SMC and particularly about the shared language we have created by using the Habits of MInd. Some of her most current work is around the idea of 'flocking'. She talked about flock mentality of birds and how the can move quicker and more effectively together. Apparently the birds in a flock 'talk' with the birds immediately around them, but also to the whole flock and are acutely aware of the fact that every other bird in the flock is doing the same thing. She is going to send me a paper explaining it in more detail, which I'll post here to - so you don't just get my water down version of what she is saying. She is very interested in developing a 'flock' with the 10 of us from SMC and 4 other Australian girls schools (50 in the flock). This is an incredibly exciting opportunity as we navigate our way through the uneven terrain of what it means to be educators in the 21st Century. Great news for us - I'll keep you posted, fellow flock mates!

Minutes 24/6/09

Present: WI, TF, ST, FZ, MR, AS, CP, BU, SR

Apologies: WH, WO

1) Joseph - dates and what people can do to help

2) Elizabethan day - dates for this and discussion on who can do what to help - MR introduced the idea of an Elizabethan Day following the Year 9 students study of a Shakespearean play.

Ideas for Workshops - ENSS - performance; PE/Health - sport; Sci - medical stuff or Science issue at time; Visual - specific angle; PArts – Dance, Maths – Geometry

Organisation - Need to look at how we would manage numbers – ENSS classes or Maths classes? Smaller groups?

Timing - possibly during tournament week? Term 4 before exams? Or last week of Term 3 (Tues, Wed or Thurs)? MR and FZ to talk through with 9ENSS teachers.

MR to email MS Coordinators with info next week.

3) End of year "Monster Garage" - Theme= Developing World - starting to plan what we'll do and when - TF introduced - Year 9 Cross curricular activity to take place in Term 4 (this needs to be confirmed re actual timing) - also need to consider staffing for this activity e.g. part timers

Need to spend some time exploring what each subject would do and needs to do… planning etc. Have clear aims.

It was decided that  we need more time to think about what we actually want to achieve for this activity.

4) Feedback on Janette Strang's email to MS Co ordinators - SG not hearing about the positives (or concerns) from the Year 9 cohort. SG should call meetings for all Year 9 teachers or specific class teachers – MR will email Janette about feedback from this meeting.

5) Preparation for TOD next term – meet on the last Friday of holidays – 17 July (Robin might not be able to attend) 10-12ish at school (then lunch) to plan what we are going to share on TOD.

WH needs to put across where we are at and where our thinking has gone in terms of structure… what we envisage the curriculum to look like…. visually and where it goes up and into the Senior school – the vertical aspect.

We then we share our ‘passion’ stuff or we do it first and then WH can  explain the curriculum.

Can everyone send notes on M Anderson (from conference) to SR.

Please bring some slides about your ‘passion’ for meeting on Friday 17 July.

AOB Feedback from BK – Year 7 and 8 teachers are very upset and feel that they are missing out on important communication. Need to have a talk about this next term – possible on agenda for first week back?

No meeting for next week – last week of term.

Agenda for Wed 24 June

1) Joseph - dates and what people can do to help (10mins)

2) Elizabethan day - dates for this and discussion on who can do what to help (10mins)

3) End of year "Monster Garage" - Theme= Developing Countries - starting to plan what we'll do and when

4) Feedback on Janette Strang's email to MS Co ordinators

Third Language?

Head line in todays Malaysian Newspaper = " Take up third language - The Prime Ministers wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor encourages Malaysian children to take up a third language. It is important for them to take up a third language so that they can move forward alongside developed nations, it also gives them the edge as they will be in demand in the work force - she said."

Agenda Wed 17th

1) Joseph - dates and what people can do to help (10mins)
2) Elizabethan day - dates for this and discussion on who can do what to help (10mins)
3) End of year "Monster Garage" - Theme= Developing Countries - starting to plan what we'll do and when