Primary Perspectives Network Day

Date: Saturday 14 September 2024

Time: 9.00am - 3.00pm

Venue: Blue Gum Community School

Category: Network Meeting

Registrations have now closed

Program Description

Exploring Reggio Emilia through the lens of the Primary Years

Come together to join the discussion in a face-to-face day, to share examples of research and practice from Primary Schools across Australia who interpret the ideas of Reggio Emilia in their contexts.

Fiona Zinn and Sophia Williams will facilitate this day.

The day will include a tour of Blue Gum Community School PLUS 6 amazing presentations from Primary educators around Australia

How Structures Empower Freedom – Susan Winesmith

Exploring the structures Blue Gum Community School has in place to enable educators the space and freedom to plan through cross curricular research.

Reimagining Education –Lauren Davis and Amy Littely

Reimagining education through the lens of Reggio Emilia’s Approach® to education lived out in our Footscray, Melbourne primary school context.

Living in Our Current Literacy Landscape – Lisa Burman

How can we honour a strong image of the child AND ensure children develop literacy skills and dispositions?

Seeds of Hope – Bridie Premraj

Woodline’s whole school research project and as a metaphor for Woodline’s optimistic approach to designing an organisational structure and framework that promotes research.

Reclaiming Purpose and Proof in Primary Schools – Jill McLachlan and Susie Godfrey

Sharing from different perspectives of Principal and beginning teacher, working with students and each other in ways that reimagine what primary schools can be like. Both will speak to how the philosophy and values or the Reggio Emilia Educational Project have supported their commitment to reclaiming purpose and proof in primary schools.

How do you make a Band? – Rosie Domanschenz

The community shared a love of playing music and signing. This led them to the question – How do you make a band? Come on a journey exploring how interest lead research can explore all areas of the curriculum, while still supporting community cohesion.

Fiona Zinn is an accomplished education consultant, leader, and researcher in the field of early childhood and primary education. She works with educators in Australia and internationally to develop a “shared pedagogy” that emphasises agency, creativity, and inquiry-based learning in response to contemporary research.

Fiona is a National Committee member of the Reggio Emilia Australia Information Exchange, a former sessional lecturer at Melbourne University’s Graduate School of Education and has served as a principal early years consultant to the Tasmanian Department of Education.

Currently in a leadership role at The Friends’ School in Hobart, Fiona is enjoying renovating pedagogy with educational teams locally while continuing to develop and provide professional development for teachers in International Schools.

Fiona’s academic research upholds a rhizomatic concept-as-method approach, creating innovative thinking tools for teachers to further their spatial literacy skills and recognise their learning environments as the ‘third teacher’.

Sophia Williams, Principal of Blue Gum Community School, brings over two decades of experience and a passion for innovative, student-centric education grounded in the Reggio Emilia philosophy. Beginning as an elementary teacher, she quickly became known for her creative methods and deep connections with students, leading her to pursue a Master’s in Educational Leadership. At Blue Gum, Sophia has implemented a dynamic curriculum inspired by Reggio Emilia principles, emphasizing critical thinking, creativity, and real-world application, promoting holistic growth and academic excellence in students from Preschool through to Year 10. Sophia is passionate about incorporating creativity, nature education and community into everything that she sets her mind to.