New furniture facilitates innovative approach to teaching

St John’s School staff and students were excited this week with the delivery of new flexible learning space classroom furniture to the school. The new furniture was
purchased for the school through a collaborative project between the Wilcannia-Forbes Diocese and St John’s P&F Association. Pictured testing out some of the furniture are school principal Ross Davidson with staff members Rebecca Kershaw and Roslyn Lawrie along with P&F president Genie McMullen.

Learning has gone high tech and gotten a whole lot more fun for students and teachers at St John’s School with the recent delivery of some very innovative furniture.

The school took delivery of their new flexible learning space furniture last week which aims to create inspiring spaces for better learning outcomes.

Thanks to a joint venture with the Wilcannia-Forbes Diocese and the school’s Parents & Friends Association, who raised money to purchase the furniture, the Year 5/6 classroom has been decked out with a ‘campfire’, ‘mountain’ and a ‘cave’ with soft chairs, stools, a range of different desk configurations (many of which double as white boards), along with wobble boards that students can use while standing up at high desks.

St John’s School principal Ross Davidson said the new furniture has been very well thought out and planned by the school’s staff.

“It will encourage students to work independently and change the way we teach.

“It’s really positive, it looks cool and will facilitate new ways of teaching,” Mr Davidson said.

He said the school is taking part in the Wilcannia-Forbes Diocese Innovation project and is becoming a leader in the Diocese.

“You can see how engaged the students are and how eager they are to come into the classroom,” Mr Davidson said.

He said the Year 5/6 classroom new fit out was the first phase of a long term project for the whole school with ultimately each classroom to become a flexible learning space.

Two of the school’s teachers, Roslyn Lawrie and Rebecca Kershaw, have been trained on how to use the learning spaces to promote communication and collaboration within the classroom and will pass on their knowledge to the rest of the school’s staff.

The furniture will not only benefit students and staff, but will help to attract new teachers to the school who are keen to be a part of the dynamic approach to 21st century learning.