| Curriculum |
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Curriculum At Grasmere Primary School, we pride ourselves on our Curriculum program catering for all students. Our planning documents reflect the aim of personalising and differentiating the learning experiences to engage and progress all of our students. In all of our Curriculum areas, in each classroom, you will see:
Literacy There is a commitment to the development and implementation of the Big 6 Reading Commponents at Grasmere Primary School. Research has shown that effective reading instruction consists of systematic and explicit teaching of the components of the Big 6:
VCOP is an approach to Writing that aims to raise the standards and achiebements in Writing amongst the children within our classrooms. Quick Writes and VCOP is based on a fun and exciting teaching approach of the 'writer's voice' through consistent practice of oral communication and being able to freely write ideas and thoughts. We as Primary School Teachers need to become experts in Reading, Writing and Speaking & Listening instructions to broaden the experiences and opportunities for all children who we ahve within our classrooms. A whole school focus at Grasmere Primary School is to integrate many aspects of Reading, Writing and Speaking & Listening, allow for collaborative planning in Professional Learning Communities and a commitment to ongoing professional learnign as a whole school.
Numeracy The Numeracy program consists of a 60-120 minute block involving Fluency practice, explicit teaching of skills in small teacher focus groups and Rich Learning Tasks. We use data to inform and identify areas of focus for small group teaching. We have a strong focus on improving students automaticity in Fluency, which we practice daily. Numeracy must be hands on and relateable to our students in order for them to understand why they are learning what they are learning. We provide students with multiple entry and exit points for all tasks, with enabling and extending prompts. We are committed to the development and implementation of Rich Learning Tasks, hands on learning opportunities and daily fluency practice based on current research. We strive to be consistent in our approaches to teaching concepts and to vocabulary that we use in Mathematics so that there is a smooth transition throughout the school.
Science Inquiry
Technology Information and Communications Technology skills are developed progressively through every stage of student’s primary education, in partnership with our eSmart program. A variety of ICT devices are utilised by staff and students, including interactive whiteboards in all classrooms, digital cameras, laptops and desktop computers, iPods and iPads. All students from Year 3 to 6 participate in a one-to-one BYOD iPad program. The introduction of iPads was designed to provide students with the latest technology to enhance (but not replace) their learning engagement and academic outcomes. eSmart is an initiative of The Alannah and Madeline Foundation and will help teachers, students and the whole school community embrace the benefits of technology and reduce exposure to cyberspace risks such as cyberbullying, identity theft, online sexual predation and accessing or sending inappropriate images and content.
Health and Physical Education Health and Physical Education are part of the curriculum across the whole school, with students developing skills and improving their overall health and wellbeing. Students participate in P.E sessions for an hour each week, along with whole-school sports in house teams led by our School Leaders. We provide opportunities for all students to represent the school in a variety of sports including; Athletics, Swimming, Soccer, Hockey, Netball, Basketball, Cross Country and Horse Riding. We have built partnerships with the community, including the Warrnambool Seahawks and encourage and welcome our school community to get involved to assist us in providing a rich and varied Physical Education program.
Food4Life All students, from prep to Year 6, are involved in gardening and cooking to learn about seasonal produce and planning and preparing food with a focus on using local produce to create fresh and nutritional dishes. Our students work together with family and community members to grow food in our organic vegetable garden. We then harvest the produce and use it to prepare a variety of dishes that we share together.
L.O.T.E - Japanese Our students experience learning from a specialist Japanese teacher to equip them with the skills, knowledge and understanding that will enable them to engage effectively with and prosper in a globalised world as part of our 'Engage with Asia' program. Students continue to gain personal and social benefits and become better equipped to make sense of the world in which they live by developing basic language skills and a deeper cultural understanding.
Student Wellbeing Welfare At Grasmere, we promote the physical, social, emotional and psychological development of our students. We believe that students are better prepared for learning when they are healthy, safe and happy. We aim to help students learn effectively by developing positive attitudes and behaviours that are consistent and shared by the whole school community through our school values of Confidence, Resilience, Mutual Respect, Organisation and Persistence. We foster student engagement and wellbeing and believe in the philosophy and practice of Restorative Practice to promote resilience and build positive connections with other people. We offer all students across the school a rewarding program called 'Buddies'. All students across the school have an assigned buddy that they meet regularly throughout the year to complete a range of activities together. The program assists younger students in settling in and aids in building leadership qualities in the older students.
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