Learning

Mathematics

The Mathematics program at Yarra Road Primary School aims to develop fully the numeracy skills, language and conceptual understandings of the students, allowing them to confidently take their place in a numerate world.

The program is delivered through daily lessons where children experience learning Mathematics through Early Years Numeracy Program and the principles as outlined in AusVELS. These experiences incorporate as many practical and problem solving experiences as possible to enable the students to see the connection with real-life.

As children move through the school, they are given the opportunity to extend the already strong numeracy foundations that have been established by being involved in Mathematic competitions.

The mathematics program follows the Discipline-based Learning Domains as stated in AusVELs. These subdomains include Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, and Statistics and Probability. An understanding and application of mathematical ideas are developed through practical and problem solving activities using a wide range of concrete materials.

Our Early Years Numeracy program allows teachers to assess the fundamental understandings of children from Prep to 2 in a one-to-one interview which forms the basis for future teaching directions.

Music, Dance & Drama

All students attend a 45-minute Performing Arts session each week in our large and inspiring Performing Arts room.  We have many zones in our room, including:

• Main floor area for dancing and movement, playing instruments, and drama games and activities.
• Custom-built stage area for all kinds of performances, which also doubles as an extra learning space for music theory and media creation using our green screen.
• ‘Chill zone’ for students to create their own musical compositions and collaborate with each other.
• Our new recording studio that is set up with a variety of recording equipment.
• ‘Backstage’ area with costumes and props to inspire creative drama play.

We have a huge variety of instruments to create music, including sets of:

Keyboards, pianos, acoustic guitars, drum kits, ukuleles, bass and electric guitars, violins and a variety of other instruments including xylophones, metallophones, glockenspiels, boomwhackers, bongos and djembes, and untuned percussion instruments.

We use all of these instruments regularly in class as the students enjoy making music, exploring sound and learning how to play the songs they love.  We follow the principals of Musical Futures, which encourages students to learn about music by getting them straight onto the instruments and making music.

“Television didn’t transform education. Neither will the internet. But it will be another tool for teachers to use in their effort to reach students in the classroom. It will also be a means by which students learn outside the classroom”

– John Palfrey, educator and academic.

At Yarra Road Primary, we see the incredible value in 21st-century learning. Utilising digital technologies prepares students for the world they will grow up to be a part of and will allow them to become independent learners and critical thinkers.

Our school program makes use of Google g-suite for education, a revolutionary series of apps which promote collaborative learning and innovative thinking. All students are provided with a safe and secure user account, which they can access on any device at home. At school, students are provided with managed Chromebooks free of charge, which they have responsibility to take care of. As a Google school, we pride ourselves on the fact that these devices are tools for learning and have spent a great deal of time preparing and resourcing the best software to support student learning with programs such as Studyladder, Typingclub, Libby etc. as well as the Google suite of word processing (Docs), spreadsheet (Sheets) and presentation (Slides) apps.

Our program also allows us to take great care in providing education on the appropriate use of technology. We are an eSmart school that has developed a program of; Device User Agreements, building awareness by taking part in eSmart events (with an alien named Irl), and students in Year 5 & 6 also completing the eSmart digital licence. We also provide support for students and families through informative seminars. Our School Policy outlines our commitment to student safety and runs alongside our Student Well-being program.

Students’ involvement in physical activity can take many forms, ranging from individual, non-competitive activity through to competitive team games. Emphasis is placed on combining motor skills and tactical knowledge to improve individual and team performance. Development starts in Prep with weekly PMP (Perceptual Motor Program) sessions. We target core motor skills, allowing for a strong foundation of skills to build on as students grow. Students also participate in PE classes that further enhance their developing skills and introduce students to games, different movement sequences and sport specific skills.

They learn how developing physical capacity in areas such as strength, flexibility and endurance is related to both fitness and physical performance.

Students undertake a variety of roles when participating in sports such as umpire, coach, player and administrator and assume responsibility for the organisation of aspects of a sporting competition. Students in Years 3 and 4 participate in Year 3/4 sport on a weekly basis. This is a house-team based competition where they compete in structured games developing sportsmanship, resilience and teamwork; skills that are crucial in the growth of successful athletes.  As Year 5 and 6 students, they move in to inter-school competitions, competing against local schools, and if successful, progressing on to wider competitions, including Division, Region and State Championships.

Engaging in physical activity, games, sport and outdoor recreation contributes to a sense of community and social connectedness.

Students develop an understanding of the right to be safe and explore the concepts of challenge, risk and safety. They identify the harms associated with particular situations and behaviours and how to take action to minimise these harms.

The Health and Physical Education domain provides students with the knowledge, skills and behaviours necessary for the pursuit of lifelong involvement in physical activity, health and wellbeing.

LOTE

Indonesian is the LOTE (Language other than English) taught at Yarra Road. Each year level has its own course of study which is based around themes, with a new theme each term or semester. Many special activities are incorporated into lessons.

Class lessons include a wide variety of teaching strategies to enable the children to communicate in Indonesian through listening, speaking, reading and writing activities. There is also an intercultural dimension comparing and contrasting similarities and differences between Indonesian and Australian cultures.

There is a strong parental support for Indonesian with many parents taking holidays in Bali. A large proportion of our students continue their Indonesian studies at secondary level.

Environmental Programs include:

• Participating in the Planet Ark Tree Planting Day
• Winner of the City Of Maroondah Nude Food Challenge
• Fostering connections and partnerships with local business
• Coastal Ambassadors Leadership Program
• Maroondah Council Environmental Leaders
• Melbourne Zoo – They’re Calling on You Campaign
• Schools Water Efficiency Program-Water Wise School
• Walk to School Program
• National Solar Schools program
• Landcare Grants
• Communities for Nature Grant

Other ways Yarra Road supports Wellbeing

• National Anti-Bullying Days
• Dogs 4 Life Program
• Working with outside agencies to support families in need
• Implementing Positive Education as part of our school network initiative
• Better Buddies program
• Education around online safety
• Kagan Cooperative learning
• Mateship & Circle Time