Guardian Angels Primary School
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Curriculum
- Religious Education
- Sacramental Programmes
- English
- Mathematics
- Studies of Society and Its Environment
- Science & Technology
- Music
- Personal Development, Health and Physical Education
- Programmes Occurring Across the Year Levels
- Computers
Religious Education
We aim for the children to be nurtured in the Catholic Faith and Tradition within a Catholic Christian Community. They are greatly influenced by the Christian responses they give and receive. The love, joy. peace, patience, goodness, fidelity, gentleness and self control which they should experience in a community united in Christ, is where the most learning occurs.
Religious Education is taught daily in all classes. These lessons may be formal lessons or integrated into other units of work depending upon the topics being covered by a class at any one time.
A whole school Prayer Assembly is held each Monday, to which parents are welcomed. Each class in turn takes responsibility for preparing these assemblies. Award Assemblies are held each Friday morning.
Christian values dominate our entire school programme and are not merely 'taught' in an RE lesson. The school explicitly teaches "Qualities of Angels". The Qualities are those values, attributes and personal qualities we want our children to develop as they strive to live out the Gospel tradition. Our Protective Behaviours is an integral part of our teaching Personal Development and Christian Values.
Sacramental Programmes
Preparing children for the reception of Sacraments is undertaken as a shared responsibility between families, parish and the school. The Parish has a Sacramental Coordinator who is responsible for implementing a Family-Based Preparation Programme. Preparation takes the form of small groups meeting in family homes and working through a prepared programme and big group meetings in the Church. This form of preparation recognises the fact that parents are the first educators of their children in faith. The school plays an important role in supporting parents and the parish in this time of preparation. In Religious Education lessons children are taught units of work about the Sacraments from the BCE Curriculum but this does not replace formal preparations. The reception of the sacraments is a time of joy and celebration for individual families, the school and parish community.
Reconciliation from 10 years of age
Eucharist and Confirmation are prepared together from age 7 years
Information about these programs will be advertised in our school newsletter and the Parish Bulletin in the weeks prior to commencement.
English
The four elements of our English Language approach - Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking are viewed as a total learning area, not as separate subjects. Guardian Angels follows a comprehensive approach to the teaching of English because we believe that each aspect is dependent upon the others. The teaching/learning activities include phonics, language rules and grammar, spelling, reading for a variety of purposes and writing for different audiences.
We endeavour to provide a rich language environment with children listening and speaking and reading and writing from the first weeks at school. Our understanding is that children learn by doing, particularly in the early years. From Prep to Year 7 the children will experience reading and writing activities every day.
The teachers' approach to learning to read for students emphasises a good deal of parental help and the school provides opportunities for parents to understand this approach.
The underlying skills of phonics, spelling and grammar are taught in context. "Foundation" writing is the preferred handwriting style of our school.
The Queensland syllabus document is used as a basis for the ongoing development of Mathematics for Years Prep – Year 7. There is emphasis on the need for pupils to acquire a sound understanding of mathematical concepts together with good language skills to further the communication of mathematical ideas and experiences. Maths experiences involve the three equally important strands of Space, Measurement and Number. Through these experiences children will develop competencies appropriate to their stage of development in all strands. An important part is understanding and using Maths in real life situations and to solve problems. The appropriate use of calculators is also included in the activities presented to the children.
Basic number facts (tables) are considered a vital component of our primary maths programme.
Studies of Society and Its Environment
We promote learning through investigation, questioning, thinking, generalising and forming concepts. Through this process we aim to develop individuals who can be flexible, autonomous, cooperative and responsive to their changing social and natural environment as well as being appreciative and tolerant of other cultures.
Science and Technology
In today's society there is an expectation that children gain a greater understanding of their environment. The science curriculum is structured to allow this to occur through first hand experiences, inquiry and problem solving.
This knowledge and understanding of our environment is developed through the five areas of Life, Energy, Matter, Earth and Space.
Music
The school employs a specialist music teacher who teaches music to the children in the lower grades, and is responsible for the school's instrumental music program.
Personal Development, Health and Physical Education
Each child is involved in some form of physical activity designed to help maintain an adequate level of fitness; to improve gross motor skills; to aid in the development of fine motor skills and to introduce skills required for participation in leisure sports. It has been demonstrated that participation in physical activities will not only achieve these ideals but that they also enhance academic achievement.
As this is an integral part of the Guardian Angels curriculum a note will be required by the teacher if your child is to be exempt from such a lesson.
Programmes Occurring Across the Year Levels
Japanese
Children participate in 'Language Other Than English' (LOTE) classes to experience Japanese language and cultural activities through the teaching of a second language. We have a specialist teacher who provides instruction each week to children in Years 5, 6 and 7.
Learning Enhancement
Early intervention is provided for children who have difficulty in acquiring the skills of literacy and numeracy. This assistance is provided for children throughout the school, with a concentration on children demonstrating difficulties in the early years classes.
Gifts, Talents and Special Needs
As stated in our School Vision Statement, children at Guardian Angels are considered to be special. As such, each is given the very best opportunities to develop their God given gifts and talents. The school acknowledges that all children have been given unique talents and all children possess areas of weakness that require special nurturing.
Our school endeavours to cater for this broad spectrum of strengths and weaknesses in all children by good, solid, contemporary teaching practice. As well, the school focuses on giving all children the opportunity to discover that there are many different ways of thinking about any given problem or situation.
At Guardian Angels we endeavour to identify those students who may be working to a capacity well beyond those of their age group in one or a number of different areas of the curriculum. We recognise the specific needs of these students and utilise a number of strategies , such as enrichment, extension and types of acceleration, to meet their unique development needs.
USSR
Each class spends time daily on 'Uninterrupted, Silent, Sustained Reading'.
Library
Children visit the library on a regular basis each week with their class teacher for borrowing and returning books. The library is fully automated and children have access to the library's inquiry computer. Each child's borrowing records are kept on the computer system.
Library bags are compulsory for all children from Prep to Year 7. No bag - No borrowing.
The library is opened at lunch time and before and after school for children to borrow, or sit quietly and read, or share a book with a friend. Children also have access to CD’s and the internet on request, during this time.
The teacher Librarian conducts regular information literacy lessons with all classes. These sessions are not isolated lessons but form part of a cooperative program plan with the class teacher.
Outdoor Education Policy
This policy is designed to give all classes at Guardian Angels progressive involvement in outdoor education activities specific to each year level. For infant grades, outdoor education involves excursions such as nature walks, environmental trails etc. For the primary grades, the emphasis moves on to school camp activities ranging which commence in Year 4 and culminate in Year 7 with a trip to Sydney and Canberra.
Activities Available at Guardian Angels Outside the School Curriculum
Children attending Guardian Angels have the opportunity to learn specialised instrumental music, speech and drama. As well, the school has a tennis court and swimming pool with coaching taught for both sports.
All these lessons are conducted at the school during school hours or outside school hours. These lessons are offered by specialists in their respective fields are billed separately. We believe it is an excellent opportunity for children to receive expert tuition on the school premises. Parents may find this advantageous, as no specific transport needs to be provided. Please contact the school for further details.
Information, Communication Technology
It is the aim of Guardian Angels School to provide all children with hands-on experience with computers. Through working on computers children not only discover exciting new ways to learn but also are learning how to utilise the technology of the present and the future.
Computer Education is not an isolated subject but is an integrated part of most areas of learning.
The school has a computer laboratory with Internet, Intranet and Email capabilities. The school is also networked with each classroom containing a minimum of four terminals. As well, we have introduced portable labs of computers that are available to all classes in the school and are internet accessible via a wireless airport facility.
This year we will be expanded our knowledge of making movies and creating our very own DVD's.