Parent Resources
NAPLAN
In 2021 Beehive requested an exemption from the move to online NAPLAN testing in years 3, 5, 7 and 9 for 2022 and beyond.
There is an extensive body of research which now exists highlighting the inferior comprehension experienced by students reading on a screen to those reading in a hard copy (paper) format. Beehive strongly believe that to undermine any student’s potential performance in a testing situation by providing an inferior mode of delivery is not in the interests of our students. This is particularly pertinent when the NAPLAN test has become so high stakes, as high schools now request previous NAPLAN results as part of general enrolment procedures.
Montessori pedagogy has a strong basis in learning by doing, and puts particular focus on using the hands to experience learning in order to reach abstraction in concepts. It is now well understood that a strong foundation in working in this way provides important development of neural pathways, with superior results not just in terms of academic understanding , but also in terms of mental health .
Students in our primary schools do not have extensive or prolonged access to computers, but continue to work primarily by doing, manipulating Montessori materials and recording their findings in a paper and pencil format.
Montessori students across Australia will therefore continue with the paper tests rather than moving to the online format.
[1] Singer, L & Alexander, P (2017) Reading on Paper and Digitally: What the Past Decades of Empirical Research Reveal https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3102/0034654317722961
[2] Ekwueme, C et al., (2015) The Impact of Hands-On-Approach on Student Academic Performance in Basic Science and Mathematics Canadian Center of Science and Education https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1086006.pdf
[3] Twenge, J and Campbell, W (2018) Associations between screen time and lower psychological well-being among children and adolescents: Evidence from a population-based study Preventative Medicine https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335518301827?via%3Dihub
Keeping Safe Child Protection Curriculum Resources
Beehive Montessori School includes the Keeping Safe Child Protection Curriculum as part of our health lessons. Parent information and resources are available on the Keeping Safe Child Protection Curriculum information for parents page, and includes the following fact sheets:
KSCPC-Global-Parent-Factsheet-EY-Ages3-5
KSCPC-Global-Parent-Factsheet-EY-Ages5-7
KSCPC-Global-Parent-Factsheet-PY-Ages8-10
KSCPC-Global-Parent-Factsheet-MY-Ages11-14
Orientation to Adolescence Online Event (May 18th 2022)
Orientation to Adolescence Slides
Orientation to Adolescence Parent Education Notes