PRIMARY SPECIALIST CLASSES
Art
The Primary School has a bright, purpose-built Visual Arts Centre which is a colourful, spacious environment where a diverse range of Art activities is undertaken.
The Visual Arts Programme caters for students in Pre-Primary to Year 7. The four major curriculum outcomes areas are covered.
These include:
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Arts ideas
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Arts skills and processes
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Arts responses
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Arts in Society
The Primary School is involved in the School Art Exhibition held in the Performing Arts Centre each year. Every child is represented in the exhibition. The Primary School also contributes to the combined Independent Primary School Heads Association of Australia (IPSHA) Exhibition biennially in which approximately 26 schools exhibit their work. Art is a major feature in community shows and features significantly in the International Baccalaureate curriculum.
Physical Education
The philosophy of Primary Physical Education is to encourage participation and enjoyment by all students and to develop and expand on existing skills for physical activity.
The Physical Education programme commences in Pre-Primary and focuses on the development of fundamental movement skills as well as teamwork and sportsmanship throughout all year levels.
Early Learning Centre students are involved in Daily Fitness and the Perceptual Motor Programme, in addition to weekly Physical Education classes. Primary students participate in Primary Sport where students select their preferred sport for a term, as well as their Physical Education lessons.
Three Inter-House Carnivals are held per year, comprising Swimming, Cross Country and Athletics. In addition, the School competes in several sports at an Inter-School level, including Equestrian events. A long-term goal for the Physical Education Learning Area is to continue to promote physical activity as an enjoyable, inclusive experience for all students, to develop physical skills and coordination, positive attitudes and healthy lifestyles.
Languages
Languages is the area of the curriculum where students develop the knowledge, skills and understandings to communicate effectively and appropriately in another language. At John Wollaston, students from Pre-Primary to Year 9 study Japanese. If they so choose, students may then continue to study Japanese in Years 10, 11 and 12.
Students from Pre-Primary to Year 6 study Japanese as an integral part of John Wollaston's International Baccalaureate Organisation's Primary Years Programme.
In the early stages of learning there is an emphasis on increasing confidence in understanding and responding to familiar phrases and questions, copying and viewing short authentic texts in Japanese. Students progress to being able to comprehend, communicate, read, write and express their opinion on a range of topics. Students are exposed to the Japanese scripts of Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji as they progress to being able to use these characters when reading and writing in Japanese.
Each year students are introduced to the wonders and culture of Japan and enjoy putting their skills into practice when John Wollaston hosts Japanese exchange students from Shizuoka Gakuen, our sister school in Japan. The School celebrates Languages Week each year with students participating in a range of Japanese activities.
Music
The Primary Music Programme is inspired by the Kodály approach and is designed to build a love and appreciation of music in all students. Each lesson is designed as a holistic experience to develop the whole person by enriching the heart, mind, body and soul. Students will build a range of musical skills including listening, reading, writing, performing, creating, and improvising. Over the course of their Primary years, students will explore a range of musical genres including classical, folk, rock, blues, film, and hip hop. They will engage in teamwork through song games, movement routines and folk dances. In addition to finding their singing voice, students will learn to play a variety of instruments including percussion, xylophone and ukulele. Students also have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular Music ensembles including the Choir (Years 3-4 & 5-6), Musical Theatre Club (Years 5-6), and Primary Rock Band (Years 4-6). These groups perform throughout the year at various school and community events.
Religious and Values Education (RAVE)
The curriculum of RAVE endeavours to dare every one of our students to know what it means to be human, and to be fully alive to life. As Ignatius said many years ago; 'the glory of God is the human fully alive. Whoever God may be for you, when we are alive to life we bring God's glory amongst us.'
Our curricular embraces the Anglican Schools Commission Christian Religious Map. May we be blessed with everything we need to become all we were created to be.
