Jessica Ellis

129 Burniston Street

Scarborough WA 6019
August 2015
13th August 2015
Mrs Jeanette Metcalf
Principal
Deanmore Primary School
21 Deanmore Rd
KARRINYUP WA 6018
Dear Mrs Metcalf
Re: Vacancy for 2016- Pool Ref IPS/TCH397346

Dear Mrs Metcalf

Re: Vacancy for 2016- Pool Ref IPS/TCH397346

It is with great enthusiasm that I submit an application for the Early Childhood
Teaching Pool, for 2015 at Deanmore Primary School as advertised on the Jobs WA
website.
I possess a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Studies) degree, obtained from
the University of Edith Cowan. It is my desire to provide all children with an excellent
education. Since graduating in 2007, I have worked in various years in the early
childhood grades. My teaching career has been geared towards the empowerment
of young children. I take great pleasure in educating children and watch them
blossom as they construct their own knowledge and understanding of their world. My
strengths lie in providing hands on, motivating, creative, social and academic
programs that integrate across all the learning areas and that are inline with the
Australian Curriculum. I have particular expertise in the Arts and Information
Technology learning areas.
I submit this application with reference to the Deanmore Primary School Business
Plan (2015 2017), The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, the
National Quality Standards (NQS) and the Australian Curriculum.
Currently, I am a relief teacher returning from maternity leave which I took in 2014. I
have spent this year as an Early Childhood relief teacher.
Prior to 2014 I was a full-time Pre-Primary teacher at Deanmore Primary School for

four years. I have become familiar with Deanmores innovative delivery of quality
programs and its community based learning environment. I relished my role as PrePrimary teacher at Deanmore Primary School and being part of a dynamic and
enthusiastic team. The Early Childhood team at Deanmore worked as a collaborative
unit to make cohesive programs and to ensure responsibility for the performance of
all students. I liaised and built great rapport with administration, fellow teaching
colleagues, education assistants and Community Health Centre professionals to
ensure the children in my class are given the help and support they need to benefit
their learning. I have gained invaluable knowledge from these professionals, allowing
me to use and apply it within the classroom setting. From this, as well as my
previous teaching experiences, I believe I could be a valuable member of the
Deanmore's team once again and expand my opportunities as an early childhood
professional.
Prior to teaching at Deanmore, I taught in a range of schools, including Government,
Independent and Christian schools, and I have taught in various early childhood and
primary grades in roles ranging from solely one year level to support roles across the
school. From these experiences, I have had wonderful opportunities to teach diverse
groups of students, including children with learning difficulties, those who performed
at their age appropriate level and those who were gifted and talented.
Professional Knowledge
My previous teaching experiences have helped me to form a personal belief on how
to formalise early childhood learning programs with the use of a range of
pedagogies. I am a strong advocate for intentional play-based teaching as a vehicle
for achieving expected learning objectives. I believe play is an important tool for the
development of social and emotional skills and understandings in young children.
Just as important is the use of explicit teaching for introducing specific topics and
skills in a highly supportive environment. As a result from all my experience I have
built a collaborative approach to an integrated curriculum that caters for childrens
diverse intelligences and where purposeful teaching strategies have been selected in
the pursuit of fostering these intelligences.
Deanmore has a strong vision where each student is challenged and supported to
develop academically, socially and emotionally through community partnerships that
nurtures creativity, confidence and a commitment to excellence in education. This
aligns with my classroom practices and the behaviours I strive to develop amongst
my students. I believe that students need to feel safe and valued at school and the
establishment of a positive supportive environment is paramount to success. I
believe I model this through best practice and creating a child-centred and learning
environment. I ensure that learning experiences are planned and implemented
based on the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers which underpins the
Curriculum Framework.
Providing students with the opportunity to have ownership over their learning and
ensuring all students believe they are capable of learning is vital in effectively
increasing student achievement. I foster these beliefs within when I teach by
negotiating learning programs with students and upholding high expectations of

behaviour based on the philosophies of collaboration and individual accountability. I

have developed a culture of self-reflection and feedback. This is achieved through
the use of an explicit goal setting program I designed. This allows students to be
responsible and accountable for their learning. I continually provide students with
feedback so they can further plan for improvement. I have successfully incorporated
classroom management strategies into my teaching which have allowed for nonthreatening resolutions to disruptive behaviours. I explicitly teach students conflict
resolution strategies and facilitate a no put down learning environment. I have had
great success with this program and as a result provide students with a harmonious
and engaging environment, which teaches them the skills to be positive members of
society.
A target stated in the Deanmore business plan is for increased opportunities for
students to participate and engage in STEM activities. I will continue to expand
students curiosity and willingness to explore through experiences that are linked to
their ongoing interest. The programs I have created in the past highlight exploration
and purposeful play for the students. One example of this this was a unit on seeds.
The children grew a vegetable garden from seeds with the collaboration of parents. It
provided the children with opportunities to create 'wonderful ideas' that they
constructed through child centred inquiry. The students took risks which fosters
greater independence and developed resilience. I believe reflection on their
experiences is paramount to children constructing knowledge about the world around
them.
Reflective Cooperative Learning groups are a effective teaching strategy which
allows for the use of differentiated teaching to meet the specific needs of the
students across their full range of abilities. I have implemented these groups in the
daily course of my teaching and they are geared for children to take ownership of
their learning. Children in small groups move through planned and assessed
activities that can be teacher, education assistant, parent or self-directed. At the end
of the activities we come back together and reflect as a whole group on self-learning,
behaviour and problems that were solved. As a result the children have preformed
very well and feel valued as each child gets a chance to demonstrate their
knowledge with their classmates, teachers and other adults in the class. A target
outlined in the Deanmore Business plan is to improve students performance in the
On-Entry writing assessment. In support of this I believe motivation is an essential
element of success. I encourage young writers to write about topics of interest and
relevance to them through the use of fun, creative and stimulating displays. By
providing them with genuine audiences this has promoted a self confidence-building
effect.
Professional Practice
I believe Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is one of the most
important teaching tools as it opens up a world of resources and materials for both
teachers and learners. ICT helps develop quality programs and allows for planning a
personalised approach to each individuals learning. ICT tasks motivate, encourage
problem solving, scaffolds learning in valuable ways and allows for increased
educational opportunities for students, thereby improving retention and results.

Deanmore recognises the importance of the role of ICT in all areas of the curriculum
and is a focus of the Business Plan. I support the idea that all students have access
to individual laptops and I look forward to taking a leadership role in this area. I use
the Interactive Smart Board with the use of Smart Technologies in the classroom on
a daily basis particularly, in mathematics and language centres. The children have
shown increased improvement in their ability to grasp difficult concepts, like
digraphs. The programs I use, such as, Reading Eggs, Starfall and Roy the Singing
Zebra allows for students to reach their zone of proximal development as these
programs move with the child as they reach higher levels. Another invaluable
teaching program that I have utilised is forming a partnership with a Senior Buddy
class. This program involves the junior students budding up with a senior student
who takes an active role in leadership to help the juniors with social, physical,
cognitive, and creative activities. The experiences have proven to enhance childrens
cooperative learning behaviours and confidence in students.
I am a strong believer of the Multiple Intelligence theory where students demonstrate
particular strengths and weaknesses in different areas of the curriculum. As a
facilitator of learning I ensure that my assessments of the students progress are
valid, educative, explicit, fair and comprehensive and that all areas of learning are
assessed. I make use of a repertoire of assessment methods; mandatory, school
based and personal selection. This caters for all students, to provide them with the
opportunity to demonstrate their process of learning and to extend or provide extra
attention to areas of need. Assessment strategies I used in the past to help collect
data and use for planning are First Steps continuums, Fundamental Movement Skills
Program, Literacy Net, Numeracy Net, Reading Recovery, WA curriculum - K-10
syllabus, A-E Exemplars, Expected Standards, Australian Curriculum Content
Descriptions and Achievement Standards. Using these documents has helped in
identifying the needs of children and assisting in planning up to date programs and
policies. Previously, I have collaboratively back mapped outcomes from the
Australian Curriculum in the areas of English and Mathematics for Pre-Primary. I
assisted to develop set achievement targets which ensured students leave Preprimary with the specific skills needed to succeed in Year 1. I plan using these
outcomes and continually participate in evaluation of student achievement to ensure
my teaching practices are effective. I believe that early identification of learning
needs combined with explicit teaching of literacy and numeracy understandings, is
essential in providing students with the best opportunity to develop their learning
skills. I recognise the importance of data collecting programs such as the On Entry
Assessment Program to collect information on Pre-primary individuals numeracy
and literacy competencies. On Entry Assessment has been used at Deanmore since
2011 and is highlighted in the current Business plan for interventions and extension
programs. The information collected from the Pre-primary at the beginning of the
year helped me reflect on each childs needs; identify those that may need or benefit
from early intervention, consolidation or extension and to develop informed and
intentional teaching for play based programs.
In addition, I value each childs learning journey. I have created individual portfolios
to itemise collections of organised and purposeful information. They highlight the
individuals skills and provide insights with overviews of learning and development
over time. In the portfolios, I include observations, photographic records, learning
stories, conversations, reflections, artefacts, descriptions, questions and analysis. I

believe visual learning journeys, are beneficial in all early childhood years not just
Kindergarten and Pre-Primary. I received very positive comments from both Preprimary and the Year 1 parents about the uniqueness of individual portfolios, the
enjoyment shared together and the sense of pride displayed by the children when
reflecting on their Semesters work. In addition at Kapinara, North Cottesloe and
Deanmore Primary schools, I have reported to parents in the years of Pre-primary,
Year 1 and Year 2 via half yearly reports in order to communicate and demonstrate
to parents their childs progress and achievements. Together, mid term reports and
mid term Portfolios give parents detailed content of evaluation of their childs
learning.
Professional Engagement
I believe in life long learning and self development. I develop a culture of selfreflection and feedback within my class. This is achieved through the use of an
explicit goal setting program I designed and allows students to be responsible and
accountable for their learning. As a practitioner I also model this, I willingly listen to
and act upon advice from a mentoring program I utilise within my school as well as
assume leadership roles. I continually keep myself up to date in the current
educational research and attend professional learning on a regular basis. I have
ensured that I keep myself informed with the progress ACARA are making on the
Australian Curriculum and have facilitated planning using the content descriptions
and achievement standards throughout the ECE area. I understand and include in
planning the general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities to assist children to
reaching their full potential in a 21st century learning environment. I have a good
understanding and knowledge of both curriculum requirements and departmental
policy including the CAR Policy, Protective Behaviours Policy, Reporting to Parents,
Early Years Learning Framework, K-10 Syllabus, the Australian Curriculum and The
National Quality Standards. This knowledge and understanding enables me to
effectively collaborate with colleagues when assisting in whole school planning whilst
ensuring optimum delivery of the curriculum, enabling all students to achieve
success. Deanmore Primary School received an Independent Public School (IPS)
status in 2011. I committed time to Deanmores new direction by attending sessions
to help with the process of a Deanmore Business Plan. I am a strong advocate for
the IPS initiative, as I believe it will give schools increased flexibility to deliver the
best possible education for the students
I valued my time at Deanmore as a teacher in the early childhood pod and being part
of a dynamic and enthusiastic team. The early childhood team at Deanmore works
as a collaborative unit to make cohesive programs and to ensure responsibility for
the performance of all students. During this time we committed to sharing expertise
and advice to help improve programs. The co-operative participation from all parties
including myself set a clear idea of direction and programs for future grades as well
as past grades. Together we showed effective lines of communication and have
valued and respected each others approach to teaching and learning. The early
childhood team and I are strong supporters of co-operative small group work. We
formulate small groups to develop new ways of presenting learning experiences in
the best interest of each child. Together we collaborated in all the learning areas to
ensure continuity in the learning programs. I believe we made a great supportive

team.
To be a lead teacher, I believe, it is not only what you bring to class teaching and
collaboration in whole school planning but also the commitment shown to the school
community. Deanmore is a Kids Matter school and closely follows the framework to
improve the mental health and wellbeing of the students. An effective school
community like Deanmores shows children, carers and school staff experience a
sense of belonging and promotes positive mental health for all community members.
I take interest of my students contributions and achievements outside of school. I
have formed healthy, positive and lasting relationships with the students and their
families. In the past I have enjoyed being involved in Deanmore's community
activities and special functions where I have helped planned and contribute to. For
example, I have taken photos at community gatherings to capture memorable
moments, attended the school discos and quiz nights, helped in the organisation of
Deanmore's 50th School Anniversary and worked at busy bees to help create the
school farm as well as the nature play scape. I believe that contributing to the school
community reinforces positive relationships and shows that you are committed to the
development of the students sense of belonging.
I have a friendly and caring disposition and possess excellent interpersonal and
communication skills along with a collaborative and supportive approach to
education. I have an open door policy, in which I am approachable and I encourage
building strong communication between parents and myself. This further supports
the National Quality Standards as being a key aspect of Deanmores business
target. In particular working together with the community as positive partners to take
shared ownership of developing emotional regulation of students.I believe parents
are a fantastic resource and I encourage parents and caregivers to share their
abilities and skills with the class. In previous years, parents from Deanmore have
been very willing to help with assisting and guiding children in Reflective Cooperative
Learning groups. This is big contributor to the success of learning in these rotations.
Parents have also volunteered their time to teach the children cooking, crafts,
languages and demonstrated very informative sessions on their own jobs and
abilities. This was highly beneficial for both parents and the children involved as it
promoted the view that parents are key members of the education process.
I have liaised and built great rapport with administration, fellow teaching colleagues,
education assistants and Community Health Centre professionals to ensure the
children in my class are given the help and support they need to benefit their
learning. I have gained invaluable knowledge from these professionals, allowing me
to use and apply it within the classroom setting. Meaningful collaboration amongst
professionals in the past has also helped in devising Individual Education Plans
(IEP). These plans are used to help children with learning difficulties, behavioural
issues and gifted children to help reach their learning and developmental goals. In
addition, for the time I have taught at Deanmore, I have been lucky enough to work
with highly accomplished education assistants that have been an invaluable asset. I
have found that building on EA's skills and strengths has enabled me to get the best
out of them. To the benefit of myself and the students.
In summary my time as a Teacher has been extremely rewarding especially at

Deanmore. I strongly believe I can bring both the experience and skills in teaching to
fulfil an early childhood teaching position at Deanmore. I am a passionate, dedicated
and motivated worker who seeks to actively present myself and the teaching
profession in a positive way. Attached is my Curriculum Vitae which will provide you
with an overview of my experience and skills. I look forward to supporting this in an
interview, with the hope of once again becoming a staff member of the Deanmore's
school community.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to apply.

Yours sincerely
Jessica Ellis