Children in the Lower Primary are taking their first steps along the rich and enjoyable educational journey offered by Prep.
Class sizes are small and all staff are experienced early years practitioners.
In the curriculum, there is emphasis upon literacy, numeracy and information technology. Importantly, learning-by-doing forms an integral part of the children’s schooling from Kindy through to Year 2.
The work of the teachers is supported by specialist staff who teach art, music and physical education. Chess and string instrumental tuition for all children are introduced in Year 2.
10 Great Reasons to be in our Lower Primary
1. Enthusiastic and nurturing teachers who plan engaging learning experiences in all curriculum areas. All our teaching staff and assistants display their unwavering commitment and professionalism to provide a very high quality of education for all our students. We work together as a team to ensure that the children’s individual needs and interests are being catered for throughout the year. We have attended professional development together in Literacy, Play, History, iPads in the classroom, Gifted and Talented Education and Perceptual Motor Programs to ensure that we are current with recent educational research and practice.
2. Our new Early Years Learning Centre where we offer a quality Queensland Approved Kindergarten Program, Morning, Afternoon and Vacation Care sessions with qualified early childhood trained teaching staff and assistants. It has been exciting this year to be involved with the opening of our Early Years Learning Centre. We began the year with our very first Vacation Care program, which has continued to grow throughout 2012. Over fifty-five students have been having a year of play-based learning in our Kindy Red and Kindy Gold classes. Highlights have been digging in the sandpit, creating a fairy castle in the garden, riding bikes, playing musical instruments, learning French and transforming the home corners into police stations, hospitals and spaceships.
3. Newly refurbished Prep Year Centre with our new playground, where the Prep Year students have loved playing and learning skills that include reading, writing and counting. Mrs Darr, Mrs Shepherd, Mrs Fortunati and Mrs Poole have all been amazed at how much the children have learnt and grown this year. The Prep Year students are now involved in the daily life of the main campus including our beloved ‘PrepConnect’ on a Tuesday.
4. Our Science Discovery Lab within the Prep Centre is our special place for exploration, enquiry and experimentation. With specially designed child sized laboratory benches and sinks we are able to use the Science Discovery Lab during many of our Science lessons.
5. Special Lower Primary events throughout the year where we can experience the fun of childhood. In Term One, our ‘Movies on Main School Close’ event was an absolutely lovely evening. Sausages were sizzling, popcorn was popping and families were relaxing under the starry sky enjoying the movie Rio. In May, celebrating Under 8’s Week was filled with activities that help us experience how language connects us to our world. This year we added our Mother’s Day Pampering and Father’s Evening events where we had the chance to spoil our Mums with beauty and relaxation and had an amazing time constructing box cars with our Dads. Our Easter Eggstravaganza, Swimming, Cross Country and Athletics Carnivals, Gymnastics Program and End of The Year Celebrations also played a very important role in our yearly events.
6. Playing Friday Afternoon Sport has enabled us to be active and develop healthy bodies and sporting skills throughout the year. We commenced the year with our ‘Sport It’ developmental skills program where the children were involved in locomotor, hitting, throwing, catching and skipping skills. The Cricket, Rugby League and Hockey Developmental Officers all came throughout the year and organised sessions where we learnt the fundamental skills of these sports. We even had our own Mini Olympics where we celebrated an Opening and Closing Ceremony and participated in modified hockey, equestrian, cycling, hurdles and basketball games.
7. The ‘Out of the Box' program continues to be a highpoint of our week where we engage in drama, brain gym, cooking, media, dance and social skills activities. We are involved in open ended experiences that require us to use our imagination, enquiry and interpersonal skills. In Term Three we focussed on the Japanese Culture to coincide with our visit of the Japanese students from the Ritsumeiken Primary School. We had Japanese language lessons from Mr Goodsall, created Cherry Blossom Trees and paper doll kimonos, had fun learning Tai Chi and Karate moves and used the computers to play Japanese games.
8. Attending excursions and incursions such as the Peter Rabbit Performance at the Empire Theatre, Under 8’s Day at Murphy’s Creek State School, The Cobb and Co Museum, The Play School Concert, CSIRO Science visit, The Main Roads Heritage Centre; all enhanced our learning of different topics in English, Mathematics, Science and History.
9. Lower Primary Performance. Performing for our parents and friends in ‘A Walk in 100 Acre Wood...An evening with A.A. Milnewas a delightful opportunity for the students to develop their singing and poetry performance skills. The Prep children were dressed as Tiggers, the Year Ones Winnie the Pooh’s and the Year Twos were Kings , Queens and Dairy Maids to recite their favourite A.A. Milne poems.
10. ‘Prepies…..Friends for Life’. One of our favourite reasons for belonging in the Lower Primary is developing friendships and childhood memories. Throughout our daily school life and yearly events we spend time having fun and learning more about our friends.