Assistant Principal Teaching and Learning
Held online and supervised at school, each participant was given 30 randomly selected words, read aloud via audio, and just 25 seconds to type the correct spelling. The competition is divided into three levels — Year 3 to Year 4, Year 5 to Year 6, and Year 7 to Year 8 — with word difficulty adjusted by age group. Accuracy and speed are key, as top scorers progress to the State and Territory Finals, followed by the National Finals.
Now in its fifth year, the Bee has engaged over 210 000 students nationwide, including 70 students from St Joseph's Wauchope. We congratulate Forest Hancock (Stage 2) and Ruby Joseph (Stage 3) as our school champions. We are thrilled to announce that Forest has advanced to the next stage and will represent our school in the State and Territory Finals against the top 200 spellers in New South Wales! This is a fantastic achievement for both Forest and our school community.
National winners will be announced in September and will receive exciting prizes, including a trip to Canberra, a new iPad, a $250 book pack, and a $1000 voucher for their school.
Congratulations to Forest. We will BEE cheering you on in the State Final!
Enhancing Learning and Teaching Through Explicit Instruction
We are pleased to report on the significant strides being made in learning and teaching across our school, with our staff engaged in professional development focused on explicit instruction. This evidence-based approach, as highlighted by resources like Education Research Australia's explainer on Explicit Instruction, is enhancing how our educators deliver content. By refining teaching strategies to be clearer, structured, and systematic, we are observing notable improvements in student comprehension and academic outcomes. This ongoing commitment to professional growth is a cornerstone of our efforts to continually improve the educational experience for all students.