OVERVIEW
Academic Excellence
Strong leadership with a clear vision for continuous improvement underpins our philosophy of high expectations for all. We provide a quality educational environment where students are always encouraged to give their personal best in all endeavours. Teachers aim to provide a differentiated curriculum which enables all students to experience success. Our results indicate that many students are extended and performing above the expected levels outlined in the Victorian curriculum framework.
Developing the whole child
We are committed to providing all children with a quality, comprehensive curriculum. At the core of our curriculum is a strong focus on teaching key Literacy and Numeracy concepts, supported by a range of current technologies. All classrooms have interactive whiteboards, access to laptop computers and several banks of ipads which are used to enhance learning on a regular basis.
Students’ talents are nurtured and developed through involvement in programs such as:
Award winning Performing Arts, including musical productions, choir and participation in States Schools Spectacular
Outstanding Visual Arts
Enrichment and Extension programs such as Gateways, Maths Explorer and high levels of participation in the Victorian High Abilities Program
Intervention programs such as Literacy Support, LEAP and tutoring are available foridentified students
Physical Education classes, specialised clinics, interschool sports, camps Grades 3-6, Prep Perceptual Motor Program, intensive 2 week Swimming and twice weekly running club for interested students.
Student Leadership- extensive training for school leaders, active Student Voice Team (SVT), Buddy program, Peer Mediation
Quality excursions and in school visits that complement and enrich learning
Our curriculum is engaging and meaningful and this strongly contributes to children wanting to come to school, wanting to learn and happily connecting to their peers and teachers. Our school is a vibrant learning community where our students are challenged academically, whilst also being taught those essential social and emotional management skills needed in today’s world.
LITERACY:
Writing
All students are part of a dynamic writing community where student voice is valued and teachers create an environment where students become competent, confident and motivated writers. Our consistent whole school program includes the seven conditions for effective writing: time, choice, response, demonstration, expectation, room structure and evaluation. The Writing dimension involves students in the active process of brainstorming, planning, composing, editing and publishing a range of texts including writing for print and electronic media and performance. Writing involves using appropriate language for particular purposes or occasions, both formal and informal, to express and represent ideas, issues, arguments, events, experience, character, emotion and information. Our school implements the SMART Spelling program to support students in developing their understanding of patterns and regularity that exist within words.
Reading
Students are explicitly taught the skills and strategies to become confident and independent readers. The Reading dimension involves students understanding, interpreting, critically analysing, reflecting upon, and enjoying written and visual, print and non-print texts. It encompasses reading and viewing a wide range of texts and media, including literary texts such as novels, short stories, poetry and plays as well as popular fiction and non-fiction works, newspapers and magazines, illustrations, posters and charts, film and television and the texts associated with information and communications technology.
Speaking and Listening
Students will be explicitly taught the speaking and listening skills through a variety of experiences. This dimension refers to the various formal and informal ways oral language is used to convey and receive meaning. It involves the development and demonstration of knowledge about the appropriate oral language for particular audiences and occasions, including body language and voice. It also involves the development of active-listening strategies and an understanding of the conventions of different spoken texts including everyday communication, group discussion, show and tell, formal presentations, speeches and storytelling.
MATHS:
We offer our students an engaging and challenging approach to the gaining of key mathematical competencies. Our approach is differentiated whereby students are provided with learning experiences relevant to their range of understanding. To help teachers address individual student needs, the grade standards of the year below and the year above are also included in this extensive planning.
Teachers thoroughly plan their Maths using the Victorian Curriculum framework. It is organised around the three content strands and four proficiency strands. The content strands, which describe what is to be taught and learnt, are Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, and Statistics and Probability. The proficiency strands, which describe how content is explored or developed are Understanding, Fluency, Problem Solving, and Reasoning. The standards are grouped into key units of work to facilitate the delivery of the curriculum. Teams of teachers develop a range of meaningful activities, using a range assessments, open ended activities, explicit teaching ideas and extension activities that can be used as an on-going resource.
Maths is timetabled for 5 to 6 hours per week at all grade levels. Lessons begin with a warm-up activity, which is be followed by an individual or partner activity, often open-ended or explicit teaching at the students’ point of need. Lists of relevant vocabulary are built up on the board throughout the lessons and students are encouraged to use these words when reflecting on their learning each day. Students are pre and post tested so growth in learning can be measured and used to influence future learning.
We actively encourage our students to see Maths as part of their everyday environment and provide opportunities for the development of skills, application and real life problem solving. Complementing our curriculum is the students’ use of an elearning program ‘Mangahigh’ which is an engaging software package that can be used at home and school to consolidate understanding through modules of lessons and games.