Investigative Play”, based on Walker Learning, has been introduced into our Kindergarten classrooms.
All kindergarten teachers have participated in hours of professional learning, via Zoom, through Early Life Foundations. Early Life Foundations is a specialist team providing professional learning in Walker Learning. Walker Learning promotes child-focussed inquiry learning, based on child development research and neuroscience. Evidence shows that investigative play not only increases student engagement and motivation, but also oral language, literacy and numeracy. Many primary schools across Australia and within CEDP have implemented investigative play, with positive results. Early indications suggest that St Michael’s evidence will be similar.
At St Michael’s, each Tuesday to Friday, Kindergarten learning starts with investigative play. Teachers set up ‘stations’, indoors and outdoors, each with clear developmental and learning objectives. Investigative play is rigorous: Teachers, and teacher assistants, engage with the children to support their learning through open-ended questioning and discussion.
St Michael's Catholic Primary Baulkham Hills
www.stmichaelsbhills.catholic.edu.au
Latest news More news
30 May 2023
From Facebook
30 May 2023
From Facebook
28 May 2023
From Facebook
The St Michael's Performance Band played at St Bernadette's Fiesta today. They played exceptionally well and we are very proud of them. Thank you to Lucia our band director for organising this excellent performance opportunity 🎵🎸 #baulkham_hills #schoolband
28 May 2023
From Facebook
Kindergarten enjoyed investigative play this week. The students were learning about Geography through activities such as a Pirate Treasure Hunt in the classroom, creating a map of the school with Lego, a teddy bear hunt in the playground and programming BlueBots.
27 May 2023
From Facebook
Kindergarten and their teachers had a lot of fun learning about force and movement at their Science incursion this week. 🧪👩🔬🧑🔬
27 May 2023
From Facebook
St Michael's participated in National Simultaneous Storytime this week. Our Year 5 library monitors read the story of "The Speedy Sloth" to all of our students from Kindergarten to Year 6. We were lucky enough to have our wonderful intermediate band serenade with a few tunes before and after the story. 🦥 🎷
27 May 2023
From Facebook
Girl's Soccer Gala Day Congratulations to our girls' team who played in the Soccer Gala Day. They were undefeated and came first in their pool. We are very proud of them. Thank you, Mrs Rooney and the parents who were able to help out with the team during the gala day.
21 May 2023
From Facebook
Hooray! St Michael's is now on Instagram. Follow us @stmichaelsprimarybaulkhamhills
21 May 2023
From Facebook
Hills Cluster Debating Congratulations to our Year 6 debating teams who both won their debates in the first round on Friday. Thank you to our parent volunteers and Mrs Rogers who helped prepare our teams. We look forward to hearing the results of round 2. 🎉 🏆
18 May 2023
From Facebook
17 May 2023
From Facebook
The St Michael's staff came together to hold their annual 'Biggest Morning Tea' as many of us know someone affected by cancer or have been affected personally. Supporting this great cause is making so much important work possible. Through funding life-saving research, prevention programs and support services, we're helping to make a real difference to people affected by cancer. That's a wonderful thing. Support this great cause so that one day we can live in a world that is cancer free 😊
17 May 2023
From Facebook
AFL Congratulations to the Boys and Girls AFL teams who played in the Paul Kelly Cup last week 🤩🏈 With only 4 out of the 30 students with any playing experience it was fantastic to see the massive amount of growth and development in a very short space of time. Both teams won 3 out of their 4 pool games and finished 2nd in their pool managing to shake off the Mr Kovelis losing curse. The boys' team lost their semi final by a single point to the eventual winners of the competition Kellyville PS. They then went on to beat Kings Langley PS (who had beaten St Michael's earlier in the day) convincingly in the 3rd vs 4th playoff 👏 The girls team also played Kellyville PS in the semi finals but were able to come through with the win. In the final they played Schofield PS who they had played earlier in the day and won 4-1. In a tough physical game they really showed their dominance, running away with it in the end 29-1 🤩👏 Scarlett Barakat was named 'best on ground' for the final. Notable mention to Halle Fleming who found her favourite position at full forward with a bag full of goals in the second half and to the players who realised by their last game that the field they were playing on all day was Oval shaped ! The girls now progress to the Greaters Western Sydney Regional Final early next term 🥳🤩 Well done to both teams & good luck girls in the regional final. Thank you also to the parents who were able to help out with teams during the day. Maybe a few future AFL coaches in the mix.