 |
|
Further Curriculum Detail
(click on the link below)
 |
 |
The teaching of Japanese language
and culture at Para Hills West Primary School focuses on
students working towards achieving success in "learning
to learn" a language other than their own.
The overall goal is to make Japanese meaningful and
relevant to students. This is done through a
sister school relationship, penpal clubs, Japanese
teaching assistants and visitors and the home hosting of
groups of Japanese Primary school students.
Japanese is also thoroughly integrated with other
learning areas and school activities. For example
to align with the school environmental focus a native
garden in a Japanese Style has been established. |
|
(top of page) |
|
 |
 |
|
 |
|
Put percussion instruments,
keyboards, recorders, computers and song together and
you have a dynamic music programme for students across
the school to participate in lots of hands on
activities. Our music room is never a quiet place
during music lessons!
Students from reception to Year 7
participate in specialist music lessons once a week in
the music room. The focus of the music curriculum
is on students experiencing as many aspects of music as
possible whilst they are developing their own unique
tastes and abilities. We aim to encourage students
to include music as a part of their lives into the
future as participants or as an appreciative audience.
Our school is a member of the
Festival of Music Society as a representative we have a
choir, which participates in the annual concert at the
Festival Theatre each year.
Private tutors are available for
students to learn guitar, keyboard and violin and
students from year 6-7 are able to access the instrument
programme at the Para Hills High School. |
|
(top of page) |
|
 |
|
At
Para Hills West Primary School all students are involved
in an extensive Physical Education Programme provided by
a specialist teacher for one lesson per week. The
Physical Education programme is geared to meet all
students individual needs, build on their skills and
improve their self-esteem and self-concept.
Each class participates in daily fitness and is expected
to reach the recommended amount of 100 minutes of
organised physical activity per week.
Term 1 is highlighted for our annual, whole school
sports day where members
of local clubs are invited to provide specialist
activities and a guest speaker encourages sportsmanship
and teamwork.
Students in reception to year five are expected to
participate in a week of swimming lessons each year.
Year six and seven students complete the Aquatics course
at West Lakes in term 4, this includes snorkelling,
windsurfing and sailing.
Para Hills West Primary School is committed to improve
the participation of students in out of school sport.
We provide Friday night T-ball in terms 1 and 4 and
Saturday morning netball in terms 2 and 3.
Throughout the year we have two nights a week where
local clubs/ businesses provide free clinics to our
students for example - soccer, break-dancing,
basketball.
Our
school is a member of S.A.P.S.A.S.A. and we nominate
teams in a variety of interschool carnivals including
knockout competitions. |
|
(top of page) |
|
 |
Each year Para Hills West Primary School
enters the prestigious Tournament of Minds.
A team of seven students works on a long term
challenge chosen from one of three disciplines;
Maths Engineering, Language Literature and the
Social Sciences.
The team then presents its solution, along with
all the other schools at Flinders University.
On the day the team also does a short
spontaneous challenge which is the same for all
teams.
Tournament of Minds began in South Australia in
1991 and is an exciting, creative and vital
competition.The Objectives for Tournament of
Minds are;
- To provide the challenge of open-ended
problems
- To encourage creative problem finding
- To encourage experimentation
- To reward divergent thinking
- To encourage team co-operation
- To stimulate curiosity, a sense of
humour & to foster a love of learning
- To stress positive reinforcement
- To develop enterprise
- To celebrate excellence
|
|
|
(top of page) |
|
Literacy |
| Literacy is a priority at Para Hills West Primary
School.
Learning Experiences cover:
- Listening & Speaking
- Reading & Viewing
- Writing
- Spelling
At Para Hills West Primary School we
endeavour to meet the wide range of literacy needs of
the students with comprehensive, focussed teaching.
The skills of reading for a purpose, writing for a
purpose, speaking to an audience and purposeful
listening are skills that are fundamental to active
learning and successful outcomes. Therefore, we aim to
create a warm and positive environment where students
are encouraged to have a go and emphasis is placed on
imagination, participation and enjoyment.
Early
Years Literacy
Excellent literacy is vital in providing
a solid foundation to a child's education. All levels of
ability are catered for with class groups and
individually. There is a timetabled literacy block of 2
hours each day. Parent help is welcomed where parents
assist with the classroom program. The school is
building up a large resource of reading materials,
technological support materials and teacher resources.
The school provides additional opportunities for
children in Grade 1 who are having difficulty learning
to read and write; in addition to this intervention
program we provide additional support for older children
with individual and small group programs. Our aim is to
enable children to become active, independent readers
and writers. |
|
(top of page) |
|
 |
The improvement of numeracy levels is a high
priority at Para Hills West Primary School.
Learning experiences cover:
- Number
- Spatial Sense and Geometric Reasoning
- Measurement
- Exploring, analysing and modelling data
- Pattern sense and algebraic reasoning
Our school works towards having a common
understanding of what numeracy and mathematics
is. We want students to be able to
use mathematics effectively to meet the general
demands of life, future work, and participation
in the community.
P.H.W.P.S. is a place where teachers strive
to meet the wide range of mathematical needs of
the students. Our Numeracy Coordinator
works along side staff and students to develop
their understanding of the content, processes
and language of mathematics curriculum in line
with South Australia Curriculum Standards and
Accountability Framework (S.A.C.S.A.).
The teaching of Mathematics at Para Hills
West Primary School will:
- reflect a 'hands on' approach to the
learning of Mathematics utilising a broad
range of tools and concrete materials.
- enable students to develop a broad range
of problem solving skills
- provide opportunities for students to
develop and use Mathematics skills for a
variety of real life purposes
- empower students to discuss, explain and
justify their choice of strategies and
procedures when working Mathematically
- reflect the Mathematics Curriculum and
Standards Frameworks guidelines
- encourage active investigation of
Mathematics each day
- build upon the Mathematics experiences
of the students by matching students
learning needs with appropriate teaching
activities
- actively foster and develop home -
school partnerships
- provide opportunities for parents to
further develop their understandings of
their child's mathematical development
- involve the use of a broad range of
technologies
- enable all students to experience
success
- provide a useful tool for investigating
aspects of the integrated curriculum topics
- involve regular focussed assessment
activities and records of student progress
- provide additional support for students
designated as 'at risk' in learning
Mathematics
- provide opportunities beyond the school
setting for students with specific talents
in Mathematics
- provide access to a wide range of
Mathematics materials and experiences.
(top of page) |
|
|
|
