Zoe Kaskamanidis

Welcome to the very first episode of our new podcast series, School Assembly. In this series, we dive into what it’s like to build a school community from scratch, following Principal Ray Boyd and Associate Principal Rachael Lehr as they prepare for the 2023 opening of their new primary school in Western Australia.

Most schools will have students who experience some level of menstrual pain during their schooling years. So, how well are teachers prepared to deliver menstrual health education, and how can they better support students whose education may be impacted by menstrual pain?

Findings from a cross-sectional survey looking into young Australian women’s experiences of menstruation and dysmenorrhea indicate the need for better menstrual health education in Australian schools. Find out more about the survey responses in relation to menstrual health in Australian Health and Physical Education in today’s infographic.

For the past 7 months, Principal Ray Boyd and Associate Principal Rachael Lehr have been growing the school community for their new school, West Swan (Dayton) Primary School (planning name), as it’s built in Perth, Western Australia. In today’s photo story, we share some of the key moments from their journey so far.

Research shows that pragmatic and evidence-based consent education in schools can have both immediate and lasting effects in reducing gender-based violence. In this article, we outline 5 further readings which explore consent education in Australia.

Developing children’s reading skills as they start primary school can often mean meeting children at a range of different levels. In this article, we speak with Dr Lexie Scherer who explains how the reader-response method can help teachers find that special ‘hook’ that can open a child up to the wonders of reading.

‘Best literacy practices in specialist schools look very different to best practice in regular classrooms.’ New research published in the Australian Journal of Education explores the different observational tools needed to understand effective literacy environments in specialist schools.

In this episode in our School Improvement series, we hear from Dr Jason Zagami from Griffith University, who shares some of the current challenges and opportunities of computer education in Australian schools, and how teachers can better prepare for future technological advances.

‘When you’re in a bush kinder, there are no gendered materials. Everything that’s there is for anybody to play with.’ Recent findings from a Deakin University study reveal that bush kinders can build children’s early confidence and skill development in STEM, especially for young girls.

Results from the 2021 Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) collection cycle show that of all early childhood developmental domains, children’s language and cognitive skills have seen the most significant shift. Find out more in today’s infographic.