CURRICULUM
Programs
At Woori Yallock Primary School we run a number of different programs
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Art
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Physical Education
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German
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Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden
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Lunchtime activities
We base our learning on the workshop model and we make sure that we mixed teach to cater to the needs of all of our students.
PE
In PE the children will participate in games to improve the ability of various skills such as rolling, balancing, sliding, jogging, running, leaping, jumping, hopping, dodging, skipping, floating and moving the body through water to safety. All children are given the opportunity to develop their swimming ability at the Yarra Centre through the swimming program. They will develop their fitness skills through lots of running activities which increases their cardio fitness.
The children will learn to bounce, throw, catch, strike and kick using various balls and wide variety of equipment. They learn to work as a team, develop excellent sportsmanship skills and play fairly. They will get the opportunity to participate in sporting activities outside the school whilst interacting with other schools.
We have an annual Fun Run and House Sports competition. There are also experiences such as Tabloid Sports, Photo Trail, for the younger Grades, Grades 3-6 have the opportunity to take part in Athletics, Interschool Sport, Cross Country skiing and Cross Country Run.
SPELLING
At WYPS we are committed to improving the spelling and vocabulary skills of every student. We use a Single Word Spelling Test to derive student’s spelling age and determine which spelling generalisations they need to learn. Through mixed teaching we target student’s needs and students work during the week on individualised spelling words. We extend student’s vocabulary by examining tier 2 words, words not learnt in their early years of talking, we unpack words exploring their synonyms, antonyms, etymology and morphology.
READING
At Woori Yallock Primary School we follow the Reader’s Workshop model from Prep through to Grade 6. As a whole school our students have a 1 hour reading lesson every day that includes:
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Mini-lesson (developing accuracy and comprehension skills),
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Independent literacy work,
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Independent reading (where teachers confer with individual students),
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Share time.
LLI
LLI stands for Leveled Literacy Intervention and is a program designed to assist P-2 children improve their literacy in, primarily, reading but also writing and spelling. Children work in a group with three or four others who are of a similar standard with our experienced teachers four times per week. These lessons are given in addition to literacy instruction which occurs in their classroom. They are closely related to what the children are covering in class and the LLI teachers regularly communicate with the class teacher to discuss the children's goals and progress.
Children will read a variety of fiction and non fiction books, at the appropriate level, and will borrow copies of the books they have read during LLI sessions so they can re read and practise them during their independent reading time in class.
LLI has been a very successful program for improving children's literacy skills.
GERMAN
Guten Tag! The German Program at Woori Yallock focuses on developing language skills and promotes intercultural understanding, where our students become interested in and respectful of other cultures. Students participate in songs, rhymes, games, role-plays and cultural activities including Cooking and much more! Each student from Prep to Grade 6 visits “Germany” for one hour each week. ICT - IPads and Computers are also used in the classroom and this year we will have an interactive white board which will bring Germany, its language and culture into the classroom.
STEPHANIE ALEXANDER KITCHEN GARDEN
The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Programme is a wonderful part of our learning at Woori Yallock. Students from Grades 3-6 grow and harvest vegetables from our Garden and then prepare and share the fresh food in our Kitchen.
We learn to make our own compost, grow plants such as rosemary from cuttings and plant seedlings. We love digging, planting, harvesting, finding bugs, and even weeding! In the Kitchen we work in teams, read recipes and produce amazing, tasty dishes which we all share. We even enjoy washing the dishes and sweeping the floor! The best part is working together and EATING!
SCIENCE
Throughout the year four different topics of science are taught across the whole school. The students learn about biological, chemical and physical sciences’ as well as earth and space, with different focuses for each topic depending on the year level. We encourage students to ask questions and think about the world around them as they conduct experiments and explore their topics through a range of thought-provoking activities.
QUICKSMART
Welcome to Quicksmart at Woori
The Quicksmart Intervention Literacy and Numeracy Programs are run on a weekly basis. Each week selected pairs of students, from years 4-6, meet with experienced tutors for 3 x 30 minute sessions per week. The tutors provide intensive learning support and work to improve comprehension strategies, reading skills, and basic number skills in all 4 processes in a positive, motivating learning environment.
Students practise their skills in a variety of ways including flashcards, repetitive reading of texts, speed sheets, games practising specific skills, word study activities, punctuation/grammar/spelling, independent work sheets and a computer generated program to monitor both speed and accuracy.
The program is funded by the school because it promotes independence and confidence within the students. Quicksmart allows the student to catch up on concepts missed in the classroom. Because the tutor only has two students to focus on, students are more likely to ask questions and work on areas they know they need assistance with. Progress is carefully tracked by the tutor.
If you have any questions please see either Robyn, Cheryl or Michele.
