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PROGRAMS |
| ENGLISH
At Lara Primary School we have an emphasis on literacy. Reading is a priority across the school and literacy, particularly Years 3-6, is the major emphasis in our Strategic Plan (Charter).
Of note:
Book Fairs, incorporating Family Nights,
Entries in the Write4Fun Poetry Competition,
The Premier's Reading Challenge,
MS Readathon,
Young Writers' Festival,
Literacy Week,
The Living Poets Society competition,
EARLY YEARS LITERACY PROGRAM
Our Early Years Literacy Program is implemented in grades Prep - 4. It is based on the recognition of the importance of the early years of schooling in relation to the acquisition of literacy. It is a strategic and comprehensive approach based on the belief that all students can achieve success given sufficient time and support.
The program features:
A structured classroom literacy program,
Reading, writing, speaking and listening,
A daily two hour literacy block,
A Reading Recovery program for students in Year 1,
Ongoing professional development for teachers,
Development of effective links between home and school,
Parent participation in early years classrooms, as helpers.
GRADE 6 DEBATING PROGRAM
Lara Primary School enter teams in the Barwon Junior Debaters' Association competition. The competition is for Year 6 students and assists with:
Research skills,
Persuasive speaking,
Attentive listening,
Arguing/defending a point of view against an opposing one,
Working in a team,
Self-confidence,
Leadership.
Children participate in a minimum of four debates against other schools during terms 2 & 3, with a possibility of reaching the finals in term 4.
Members of the debating team work closely with their coaches to prepare for forthcoming debates.
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| MATHEMATICS
Students participate in a minimum of five hours of Numeracy per week. They are supported in their mathematical learning through regular use of hands-on materials and computer technology. Through playing, exploring and talking, children build on their understanding of mathematical language.
At Lara Primary School, our Numeracy Program incorporates a sequential approach to the development of our students’ mathematical problem-solving skills. From the foundation years onwards, children refine their ability to select from a broad range of strategies which include “act it out”, “make a model”, “draw a diagram” and “look for a pattern”, to decide on the most efficient method of solving a problem.
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| VISUAL ARTS
All students from Prep through to Grade 6 enjoy regular art lessons.
We make 2D and 3D art work using a wide variety of media types.
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| INTEGRATED CURRICULUM
To support literacy and numeracy and to develop other important knowledge, skills and behaviours, an integrated curriculum approach is used. The areas integrated are history, geography, economics, health, LOTE - Indonesian, Science, Technology and Civics and Citizenship.
The integrated approach is inquiry based with emphasis on students’ thinking skills, deeper levels of understanding and decision making skills.
An inquiry approach means that the students and teachers work together to investigate how the world works. The students sometimes make decisions about what they wish to investigate and at other times the teachers make these decisions.
There are certain knowledge, skills and behaviours that the students have to learn. These come from the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) which outlines certain knowledge and personal and interpersonal skills that the students work towards. The teachers plan inquiries that are non negotiable, meaning the students have to complete them. There are many other inquiries that the students investigate that are based on their own interests.
The inquiries are based on a solid grounding in literacy and numeracy.
Our curriculum approach is based on current brain research. This research shows we do not all learn the same way and that if we are interested in what we are studying then we will learn more. The research also shows that if the inquiries are related to the students’ community and the environment they will be more interested. We strive to have activities that involve students within their community, and what they can offer their commuity. One of our successes in this area is our unique Environmental Multimedia program at Serendip Sanctuary.
Curriculum Organiser – Sustainability
We have a two year cycle Integrated Curriculum topics (Curriculum Organisers) which the whole school studies. In 2007 the first semester Curriculum Organiser is 'Me, Myself and I' where the focus is on student health and wellbeing and on community involvement. The Life Education Van will visit during this semester to complement the work being done by the classes. The second semester Curriculum Organiser is the 'World Around Us' where the focus is on culture, geography and history. There is a particular emphasis on Australia.
Through-out the year the students will continue to develop practices around the school to improve and protect our environment.
Whole school activities will take place during the year and parents/carers will be invited to participate.
End Assessment Tasks
At the end of each Curriculum Organiser the students complete an End Assessment Task based on criteria. Open evenings are held at the end of term 2 and term 4 for students to share these tasks with the community.
Areas of student involvement are:
Grades 1 & 2 visiting Duck Ponds school for 'olden days' study,
National 'Clean-Up Australia' Day,
Environmental activities at Serendip Sanctuary,
Anzac Day and Remembrance Day.
Camps for 2007:
The students from years 3 - 6 are involved in a camping experience. The Year 3 students have a pre-camp day and evening of activities and the Year 4 - 6 students have overnight experiences that develop their social and interpersonal skills.
Learning to Learn:
For the first six weeks of the school year all students are involved in activities that help them 'Learn How To Learn'. There are many conditions that, when provided, maximise the way the brain works and therefore improves learning. These can be physical such as water, food, exercise or brain gym, mental such as the way information is visually presented and different learning styles, and social like teamwork and peer support. As well, during this time classroom expectations and routines are established. Assessment is conducted to determine where to begin teaching students.
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| PHYSICAL EDUCATION
At Lara Primary School we are committed to establishing healthy lifestyles through our Physical Education Program. We are well resourced with a full-sized hall, quality equipment and storage facilities.
The aim of our Physical Education program is to encourage enjoyable ways to be active, focusing on cooperation rather than competition and encouraging students to play alongside rather than against each other.
The main areas of our program are:
Fundamental motor skills,
Safety and sportsmanship,
Games skills,
Gymnastics,
Dance,
Fitness.
Other areas of the program include:
Alternative sports, such as Badminton or Hockey,
Clinics - eg Tennis, Baseball and Hockey clinics offered throughout the year.
Our program includes:
An intensive swimming program,
30 minute daily P.E. program, taught by class teachers and P.E. specialists,
Interschool sporting competitions for grades 5-6 students,
Interhouse cross country for children from grades 3-6,
District Lightning Premierships for winter and summer,
Interhouse athletics.
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| ICT - INFORMATION & COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY
Lara Primary School is committed to embedding technologies within the every day lives of students. In all programs across the school, staff and students constantly use an array of technologies.
Students from grades P-6 have weekly I.C.T. lessons plus a minimum of one full week per class at our Serendip Sanctuary Environmental Multimedia Learning Centre classroom.
Interactive Whiteboards: Every class has its own Interactive Whiteboard as our teaching philosophy incorporates ICT as an integral part of learning.
Laptops and Desktops: There are pods of networked laptops/PCs in all classes as well as a laptop bus with 12 new Toshibas. Lara P.S. has banks of networked computers in the Library, the ICT room and 24 laptops at the Environmental Multimedia Learning Centre at Serendip Sanctuary.
ICT Peripherals: As part of our students learning, ICT peripherals such as web cams, microphones, digital cameras and DV camcorders are readily available.
Qwizdom: Recently we purchased a set of 28 Qwizdom units that will be used by students and staff as a teaching tool and for providing effective and immediate feedback.
Vados: We have a set of Vado's that are used by staff and students. Having USB connections Vado's are particularly portable and handy in classroom situations.
Robotics: We employ a robotics expert from Deakin University allowing students from our Learning Groups (grades 5 & 6) to have weekly robotics classes using Lego NXT. Students devise their own programs and two teams participated in the RoboCup where their robots performed dance routines.
We are proud of the work our students produce using such programs as Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, Word, FrontPage, Publisher and PhotoDraw, Inspiration, Kidspiration, PhotoStory, Macromedia Flash 8, Kahootz 3, Windows Movie Maker, Super Duper Music Looper & Let's Edit 2.
ICT achievements at Lara Primary School
Australian Teachers of Media (ATOM) winners in 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2005 and finalists in 2006,
Numerous gold awards in the Barwon South-Western Region Sprockets & Flares competition and overall winners in 2005,
Winners of the "Primary School Award" and the "Advertisers' Choice Award" in the GoAmazing Online SunSmart Competition,
Winners of the 2006 Australian Student Short Film Festival (ASSFF) ~ Primary Category, with the film 'Water',
2008 RoboCup competitors in the 'Dance' section.
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| MUSIC
All students participate in weekly music lessons. The program includes:
Listening,
Music appreciation,
Singing,
Rhythm,
Dance,
Playing percussion instruments.
Exciting opportunities for students are:
The choir,
Performances at the Geelong Schools' Music Festival,
Rock Band,
A Whole School Musical,
Class assembly performances,
The grade 6 Graduation performance.
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| SPECIAL PROGRAMS ~
ENVIRONMENTAL MULTIMEDIA LEARNING CENTRE AT SERENDIP SANCTUARY
Lara P.S. have a unique program at Serendip Santuary where we have a classroom within a Parks Victoria Sanctuary. The program strives to equip our students for a world that uses technology effectively whilst understanding and caring for the natural environment.
All students from Prep to 6 attend our Environmental Multimedia Learning Centre at Serendip Sanctuary in Lara for a minimum of one week each year. Serendip Sanctuary is just 1.5km from our school and is a 227 hectare wetland/grassy woodland sanctuary that breeds native species.
At Serendip students interact with Parks Victoria Rangers, environmental experts and community volunteers so they can understand and appreciate the Australian environment.
Students use the information gained at Serendip in many ways including to inform, to communicate and to create multimedia presentations.
Our classroom at Serendip Sanctuary is connected to Lara P.S. via a microwave link and incorporates 24 networked laptops, DV camcorders, digital cameras and other multimedia equipment that enhances the learning experience.
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ASSEMBLY
Every second Friday assembly is conducted by school captains and vice captains in the hall at 2.40p.m. All grades have joined with a 'buddy class' and together they entertain the school community. Parents, grandparents and friends of Lara Primary School are welcome to attend.
A pre-loved uniform stall operates at each assembly.
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SUSTAINABILITY at LARA PRIMARY SCHOOL
At Lara Primary School we endeavour to:
encourage positive sustainability practices,
reduce classroom waste and yard litter,
promote energy efficiency & reduce water usage.
This is achieved through a variety of programs and activities:
We have a whole school curriculum commitment to the teaching a learning about the environment and sustainability ,
The Serendip Environmental Multimedia program,
The 2008 Environmental policy,
Class environmental HEROs whose responsibility it is to promote and reduce classroom waste,
Our classroom 'Three bin system' which collects food, paper and landfill waste,
Encouraging students to take no packaging in the yard and there are designated eating areas for canteen foods,
Yearly packaging audit including Packaging Free Days every term,
Paper Recycling with VISY,
SETS (School Environmental Tracking System) Data to monitor water, gas and electricity usage,
A ‘switch off’ attitude to electrical appliances with signage throughout the school.
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ROBOTICS
Every week Robotics classes are held for 5/6 students. A PhD Robotics teacher from Deakin University works with students using laptops and Lego NXT software. The aim is for the children to complete given tasks and program a robot. These tasks help the children enhance their logical analysis and problem solving skills.
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23/11/2009
GLG to Lara CFA
Prep Transition