Awareness is key – supporting students with ADHD + DLD

Awareness is key - supporting students with ADHD + DLD

WORDS:  Danielle Grisham, Head of Learning Support

I suspect, like me, you often feel bombarded with awareness days/months, and this month is no different. October is ADHD awareness month and DLD (Developmental Language Disorder) Day is on the 18th of October. But these days serve a purpose. They seek to communicate about topics which may be misunderstood, remove barriers and challenge misconceptions.

“Awareness is Key!”

The 2024 ADHD Awareness Month theme is “Awareness is Key!” Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects about 5-7% of Australians.  The name itself is misleading – ADHD is not really a deficit in attention; people with ADHD tend to have difficulties regulating their attention – they either hyperfocus (all their attention is focused on one thing), or their attention is scattered on many things. ADHD affects the pre-frontal cortex which assists with executive functions. Executive functions are a set of skills which underlie the capacity to plan ahead and meet goals, display self-control, follow multiple-step directions, stay focused despite distractions, and manage emotions. In a classroom, it could look like:

  • Difficulty planning assessments and handing them in on time, or avoiding tasks when they seem overwhelming
  • Being distracted in class and needing to move/fidget
  • Managing anger and frustrations
  • Needing reminders to work quietly (talks excessively or interrupts)
  • Difficulty following instructions
  • Making and keeping friends
  • Misplacing work or items such as water bottles and hats
  • Say/do something and regret it instantly (impulsive)
That list looks overwhelming. And for many students and parents it can be. We know that a child (and adult’s) wellbeing outcomes are much better when difficulties due to ADHD are acknowledged and managed, including teaching a child the skills they need to be successful. As a child, it was always my name I heard in class – “Danielle, stop talking”, “Danielle, stop daydreaming”, “Danielle, do your work”. I would often think that I was broken – why were these things so easy for my classmates, but so hard for me? I can remember in high school making a deal with myself that I would not talk until recess. It didn’t last 5 minutes, and some may say I still talk a lot. Without acknowledging these difficulties, it is hard to work on skill building.
 
I would be remiss if I did not mention the amazing attributes that ADHD brings too. A person with ADHD is creative (thinking of unusual solutions because of their different perspectives and quick thinking), justice seeking, resilient, curious, spontaneous, courageous, innovative and energetic. As they often have to work on certain skills, they can become self-reflective and self-aware, sometimes more so than their neurotypical peers.

Developmental Language Disorder

DLD is a hidden but common disability that affects 1 in 14 people causing difficulties understanding and using language. It is important to note that the cause of DLD is unclear and it usually starts to show in early childhood. DLD may affect social interactions such as conversations, making and keeping friends and solving social problems, and learning, including managing attention.

When we talk about language, we include expressive language (what we say) and receptive language (what we understand). If a child is having difficulties with their expressive language, they may find it hard to use correct grammar, have a limited vocabulary, and express their ideas, thoughts and feelings in a clear and organised manner. If a child has receptive language difficulties, they may find it hard to follow instructions, understand complex vocabulary, comprehend questions and texts, and follow conversations.

As we live in a language rich world, we can help our DLD kids by:

  • Using clear and explicit language
  • Repeat key phrases and instructions
  • Use Key Word Sign or non-verbal body language to support verbal/spoken language
  • Use multimodal supports such as visuals, graphic organisers, videos, etc.
  • Give chunks of information (not all information at once)
  • Support vocabulary acquisition (explain new words, support with visuals)
  • Allow for processing time

Awareness is key! With awareness we can support our children and create a safe environment where they can thrive and learn.

If you would like to learn more about ADHD or DLD, please feel free to contact me at the College.

Helpful  Links 

For further information about ADHD and DLD, and support strategies, please see the links below:

ADHD websites
CHADD
What is ADHD?

ADHD Services
ADHD WA
Free Online ADHD Course

DLD websites
DLD and Me
The DLD Project

Contact Danielle here

Year 10 Camp 2024 Highlights

This year, our Year 10 students headed out to the scenic Yanchep National Park for three days for a memorable adventure camp experience! Based in the recently restored Gloucester Lodge, the year group spent the time being challenged through a variety of outdoor activities and as they battled through the rainy weather all camp long.

Staying in the Yanchep National park allowed students to get outside and into nature by participating in the Treetops Adventures high ropes course, a tour of the Crystal Cave and Boomerang Gorge, hikes and even spotted a few koalas!

Time for rest and relaxation included beach games (plus a few brave souls who ventured into the icy water!) night games as a group and a scenic wildflower walk.

Not only did this camp provide an opportunity for adventure and fun; it is a key part of building community into our College’s year groups. As our students spent time making memories together on camp, we pray that they will continue to bond in a classroom environment – now and in the years to come.

Year 8 Salvation Army Homeless Sleepout

September saw our Year 8 students taking part in a Homeless Sleepout supported by the Salvation Army. This event aims to raise awareness around the challenges faced by unhoused Australians. For our students, this was a wonderful opportunity to grow in empathy and understanding towards members of our community who are doing it tough.

With little more than a sleeping bag, our students spent the night gaining firsthand experience into what sleeping rough can feel like. This was followed by a day of engagement in different community service activities, where our Year 8s were able to give back to our local community and continue to grow in compassion towards others.

We are so proud of our students and their willingness to love and serve their community!

Year 6 Camp Highlights

Ellenbrook Christian College Year 6 students have spent the last week of term away on camp in Albany, where they’ve had a fantastic time! A range of exciting activities has allowed our students to connect with nature, learn about the rich history of the Albany area, and participate in some healthy competition.

Day one began with laser tag, the perfect opportunity for our students to show off their strategy (and aiming) talents and build teamworking skills in a fun environment.

The Albany area is full of exciting learning opportunities related to the history of the region and its beautiful natural environment. Our Year 6 students visited the Brig Amity, where they discovered what life on board a convict ship was like and its links to the European settlement of WA. Students also learned about the history of whaling in the area and the impacts of that industry on our natural environment. They may have even spotted a whale or two in the Sound!

Moving outside, the they travelled to the Valley of the Giants to climb the treetop walk together, taking in the beauty of the karri trees. They also visited the Albany Wind Farm, experiencing the beautiful combination of coastal scenery and information on renewable energy. Did you know that the Wind Farm produces enough energy to power over 24,000 homes?

Other highlights of the camp included visiting the Albany War Memorial and playing rounds of ping pong back at the camp grounds. It has been a memorable experience for everyone, filled with fun and making memories together!

Core Values: What does Character mean for our College?

WORDS: Michelle Cockrell 

As you walk through our campus, you may notice three key words displayed prominently: Character, Commitment, and Community. These core values are not just ideals but the very foundation of who we are and what we strive to nurture in our students. At our College, we are dedicated to the holistic development of each child, recognising that education goes beyond academic achievement. By teaching and modelling these values, we prepare our students to navigate a rapidly changing world with confidence, integrity, and purpose.

Character reflects the development of moral and ethical strength, such as honesty, integrity, and perseverance. 

Commitment emphasises dedication, hard work, and perseverance towards goals or causes, such as lifelong learning and service. 

Community highlights the importance of relationships, working together, and building a supportive environment that fosters growth and mutual respect. 

 

What does character mean for our College community?

Cambridge Dictionary defines character as “the particular combination of qualities in someone or something that makes them different from others”. In other words, character shapes how we act, the decisions we make, and how we interact with others. But beyond the dictionary definition, character is something deeply planted in the way we choose to live our lives. For us as a Christian College, character is about reflecting Christ-like qualities in all we do. 

The Bible offers a clear vision of character in Galatians 5:22-23, which lists the Fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” These are characteristics that define a life lived in step with God and one another.

As we pursue these virtues—love, joy, peace, patience, and the rest—we are living out the character of Christ. Take patience, for example. In a fast-paced world that often encourages instant gratification, patience teaches us to wait on God’s timing, to endure hardships, and to show grace to others. Similarly, kindness and gentleness are vital in building strong relationships with our peers, teachers, and wider community, reflecting the heart of Christ in our daily interactions. Self-control, also one of the fruits of the Spirit, plays a foundational role in shaping character. It equips individuals to make wise decisions, and act with discipline even in challenging circumstances. By practicing self-control, students learn to navigate difficult situations with grace and maturity. This strength of character not only benefits their personal development but also allows them to contribute positively to the community around them.

So, how can we apply this to our own lives?

Small Acts, Big Impact:  Building character isn’t always about grand gestures. It’s the small, everyday decisions—choosing to be kind when it’s difficult, remaining peaceful in stressful situations, or showing self-control when tempted—that help us grow into people of character.

Learn from Others: In our College community, we are surrounded by role models—teachers, leaders, friends—who exemplify these virtues. By observing and learning from them, we can grow in our own character.

Commit to Growth: Developing character is a lifelong process. It requires commitment and the willingness to keep growing, even when we stumble. Through prayer, reflection, and community support, we can continue to develop the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. 

Our aim is to be a College of character, where we encourage one another to strive for these qualities. We aspire to be people of character—steadfast in love, rich in kindness, and grounded in faith.

Reading Academy Success: literacy support programs boost Primary students’ skills

Scarborough's Reading Rope

Term 3 saw the Year 1s complete the Year 1 Phonics Check: a simple test which assesses their ability to read real and nonsense (made-up) words.
However, whilst the test was simple, learning to read is anything but.

Dr. Hollis Scarborough created a diagram in the late 1990s to demonstrate the essential strands of reading and how they come together to create a
fluent and proficient reader. The rope is split into two sections: word recognition and language comprehension. Word recognition allows us to fluently and accurately recognise the letters and words on the page, it includes phonological awareness, phonics and sight recognition.

Language comprehension allows us to understand what we are reading by extracting meaning when we read and includes vocabulary, background knowledge, language structures, literacy knowledge and verbal reasoning. Learning to read is difficult and requires a systematic approach which is developmentally appropriate.

The Primary Reading Pledge stated that in 2023, “almost 90,000 [Australian] students started their secondary studies with below proficient literacy levels.” If reading is difficult for students, it makes sense that they would avoid it; however, this impacts their ability to comprehend texts, produce quality sentences, reduces their understanding of
text organisation and limits their vocabulary.

So, what can we do to help our children become fluent and proficient readers?

  • Keep reading to your children – whilst it might not help with the ‘learning to read’ process, it will build solid comprehension skills. Ask open-ended questions about the story and build critical thinking skills. Audiobooks are also a good option!
 
  • Build your child’s vocabulary – use new words in everyday conversations. This assists with their contextual understanding of the word as well.
 
  • Depending on the age of your child, play games such as “I Spy” when you go shopping, for example, “I spy with my little eye, something beginning with “o” (the sound, not letter name).
 
  • Engage with educational apps, such as Nessy, to help build foundational reading skills.
 
  • Ask your child to summarise what they have read (or watched) to help build their oral skills which assists with writing skills.
 
  • Utilise the speech to text or text to speech features on computers, iPads and phones, for example, Chrome offers a Read Aloud web extension.
 
  • Encourage your child to employ reading skills – track what they are reading with their finger, break new words
    into syllables and ask for help when a word is unfamiliar (don’t just skip it, it affects comprehension).
 
  • Be a word sleuth and explore the etymology (word origins) and morphology (small units of meaning) of new words. For example, I teach psychology – “psych” means the mind, and “-ology” means the study of, so psychology is the study of the mind.

Engaging in The Reading Academy, created and run by Gillian Falloon, as either a student or mentor, also
provides repeated opportunities for students to improve their reading. If your child (Years 1-3) has been invited to attend Reading Academy, regular attendance is important. Research shows that it takes four times as
many resources to intervene at Year 4; early intervention is the key!

Students in Years 7-12 are encouraged to volunteer to ensure we can maximise the amount of Year 1-3 students involved. If your child would like to volunteer for The Reading Academy, please contact Gillian Falloon.

If you would like to know more about supporting your child’s reading, you can read about the Scarborough Reading Rope here, speak to your child’s teacher (primary) or contact Danielle Grisham via danielle.grisham@ellenbrook.wa.edu.au.

Contact Gillian Falloon here if your child is interested in volunteering for The Reading Academy

Roof Raised in time for Winter Rains- Pavilion Update

Any renovation or new build brings with it a season of inconvenience as the process of construction is observed from the outskirts of temporary wire fencing and sandy surrounds, unearthed by large scale machinery, whose role it would seem being to destroy everything that was once so lovely.

With that in mind, it is always important to be reminded of the end goal inclusive of the benefits that will come about once finished.

The construction of the Ellenbrook Christian College Sports Pavilion began at the beginning of the year, and, like most new builds, seemed to go slow at first.

Fast-forward 5 months and the skeleton is really taking shape giving a real life image to what has till now only been recognised from artists impersonation and builders plans.

The roof has now been installed only a few weeks before the winter rains arrived, and within the next week or two the brick work will be close to completion giving staff and student onlookers a great visual of what they can expect to be using in the near future.

This Sports Pavilion will provide key building infrastructure that links the main College buildings to the main sports oval in a cohesive way.

Keep connected for updates.

NBL Star Shoots into ECC

It was around the year 2000 when a young man migrated from his African home to Perth, Western Australia, with his family. 24 years later, Sunday Dech finds himself with the world at his fingertips the colour of that world being orange, the circumference 70cm and the weight around 600 grams. 

Sunday Dech is quickly becoming a household name among the young and old engaged in the basketball scene. He began his career playing for the East Perth Falcons alongside our own faculty member Mr. John Taylor. As JT pursued his teaching career of Ellenbrook Christian College is benefiting from, Sunday went on to play for the Perth Wildcats. He played College Basketball in the USA and now plays for the Adelaide 36ers in the NBL.

On Friday, 17 May, Sunday visited the college during the morning assembly. With a heart to inspire young people, and a special fondness towards the African-Aussie youth within the Australian community, Sunday brought an inspiring life story, giving a glimpse into his journey, which has been anchored in his Christian faith, which he deeply holds.

His challenges have no doubt been real, which, up until now, he has taken as opportunities to bring about his best. He was able to share the importance of commitment to hard work and dedication, a word timely for this generation. He says of it, “Winning is hard, and it takes a lot of hard work.” His tone carried beyond the realms of a sporting game and into the avenues of his life experiences.

South Sudan is currently number 1 on a number of the world’s poorest nations lists, having the world’s lowest GDP, according to Global Finance Magazine as of May 2024. Though a proud Australian, Sunday is excited to be selected to represent his birth nation at the 2024 Olympics, taking place in Paris, France, in a few months.
As a friend of the college, we wish him all the best. 

New Addition to ECC Faculty: Ala Altraide Brings Passion for Mathematics and Faith

Ellenbrook Christian College (ECC) welcomes a new addition to its esteemed faculty, Mr. Alanemibuboka Altraide, affectionately known as Ala. With a rich background in teaching and a passion for both mathematics and faith, Ala brings a unique blend of expertise and enthusiasm to ECC.

Ala’s journey in education spans over two decades, beginning with his involvement in Mechanical Engineering at Curtin University, where he lectured subjects like Statics, Dynamics, and Thermofluids from 1995 to 2000. His dedication to academia continued as he transitioned into the realm of secondary education, teaching Mathematics and Science at Swan Christian College from 2001 to 2003, followed by a tenure at Winthrop Baptist College where he specialized in Physics, Chemistry, and Science until 2011. From 2012 till most recently, Ala had dedicated a decade to the Students of Kingsway Christian College, a season marked by his unwavering commitment to academic excellence and spiritual guidance.

Now, in 2024, Ala embarks on a new chapter at ECC, where he takes on the role of Mathematics teacher. His deep-rooted love for God and commitment to spreading joy and love infuse his teaching philosophy. “I love God and am passionate to exude His love, joy, etc. to the people around me always,” Ala shares. Beyond the classroom, Ala’s hobbies include singing, dancing, playing sports, exercising, and savoring well-cooked meals, especially goat curry.

At ECC, Ala aims to do more than just teach mathematics; he aspires to model the principles of Jesus Christ to his students. “I hope to model Jesus Christ to my students and help as many as I can to enjoy Mathematics, helping them know, believe, and see that it is possible to do something well if you believe and work hard at it,” he expresses with conviction.

Ala’s dedication to both academic excellence and spiritual guidance aligns perfectly with ECC’s ethos of holistic education. As the school community eagerly anticipates his contributions, Ala’s presence promises to enrich the lives of students and colleagues alike, fostering an environment where faith and learning intertwine harmoniously.

 

Synergy Solar Cars Soar

Our Engineering program begins in Year 4 and progresses through Secondary College, nurturing a love for problem-solving and innovation. In Primary Engineering, students tackle challenges that hone their skills in experimentation and analysis.

On Tuesday, March 12th, a team of Year 6 students proudly represented our school in the Synergy Solar Car Competition, facing off against peers from other schools. Despite stiff competition, our students showcased technical proficiency, teamwork, and sportsmanship throughout the event.

Our dedication to fostering the next generation of innovators remains unwavering, ensuring our students are well-prepared for success in a dynamic world.