Learning

Welcome to your child’s first year at school. Our Foundation classrooms are located in the Early Learning Centre, where our teachers aim to consistently provide children with a stimulating environment in which they feel happy and secure. The development of independence, responsibility and co-operation is encouraged in all Foundation students and teachers cater for individual needs to ensure that students have a positive first year at school.

Buddies

Foundation students are assigned a Year 5 Buddy. Buddies meet weekly and participate in structured activities designed to foster this unique relationship. This valuable and successful program develops close bonds between children at both ends of the school.

Welcome to Levels One and Two at Deepdene Primary School.

We aim to provide a happy, inclusive and engaging learning environment for all students. We value collaboration, authentic learning experiences and making connections to our local and international communities. Learning programs incorporate the following principles:

• Taking responsibility for learning and behaviour
• Accepting challenges and taking risks while learning
• Being presented with a wide range of evidence-based and high-impact teaching strategies
• Respect for self,others, learning spaces and our school

Wellbeing in Level One and Two is planned and taught around everyday scenarios that might occur in students’ lives. Students discuss and share how challenges may be overcome and they learn coping and management strategies, such as increased emotional literacy, self awareness and empathy for others. The program, which is run on a weekly basis, develops social and emotional learning and assists students with demonstrating positive social behaviour that they can apply in their everyday life.

In Level One and Two students are provided with the opportunity to explore and investigate digital technologies in our learning programs. Students are introduced to common digital systems (Beebots/coding, word processing, navigating computer skills etc.) and learn to identify how these systems are used to meet specific purposes.

Welcome to Level 3 and Level 4 at Deepdene Primary School.

Students at this level are becoming more independent learners and actively participate in a variety of programs. Teachers encourage students to develop good study habits and organisational skills.

Wellbeing in Level 3 and 4 is planned and taught based on the Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships program. These are hands-on lessons which teaches the students social skills needed in everyday life. They use these skills when they participate in weekly sports games in Level 3 and 4 Sport, which promotes our sporting values; honesty, cooperation, and determination.

At this level, students are also given the opportunity to participate in Festival Singers, Ensembles, Chess Club and Lunchtime Clubs. Each class has two Student Representative Council (SRC) members who meet regularly with teachers to organise and discuss charity fundraising days at school.

Digital Technology: Students will develop skills in using mouse and keyboard/typing skills; word processing skills, coding, internet research, and other skills to support the classroom curriculum. Students learn about cyber-safety and explore different safety issues including cyberbullying, protecting personal information and sharing content.

Camp:

Level 3 students participate in a three day camp at Arrabri Lodge in Warburton. Level 4 students participate in a three day camp at Phillip Island Adventure Camp. Camps are always a highlight of the year and help to promote independence, resilience and teamwork.

Welcome to Level 5 and Level 6 at Deepdene Primary School.

Level 5 and Level 6 is a wonderful time for the students to embrace leadership and responsibility as they are considered to be the student leaders of the school.

Digital Technologies

In Level 5 and 6, students use digital technologies to research projects, explore coding, and publish their work in creative ways. We teach students to become confident and creative developers of digital solutions through the application of information systems and specific ways of thinking about problem-solving.

Buddy Program

Deepdene Primary School facilitates a buddy program. Every student in Level 5 has a buddy student in Foundation. Once a week, they collaborate and partake in fun activities that foster cooperation, creating close bonds whilst encouraging leadership skills amongst our older students.

Camps

The Level 5 camp takes place at the Waratah Beach Camp. Students take part in a vast range of activities including surfing, climbing, exploring ecosystems, a star constellation walk and more. The camp is located two and a half hours from Melbourne near Wilsons Promontory and is one of the most memorable and exciting school camping locations in Victoria.

Level 6 students explore The City of Melbourne for a week. This tour is an incredible highlight of their last year of primary school. It fosters independence, collaboration and problem solving in unfamiliar environments. They use public transport to visit iconic landmarks such as the Australian Centre for Moving Image (ACMI), the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the National Sports Museum, the Aquarium, and the National Gallery Victoria.

Interschool Sport

During Term One and Two students in Level 5 and 6 participate each Friday in Interschool Sports, where they compete against other schools in the Kooyong District. Term One offers Kanga Cricket, Teeball, Hot Shots Tennis and Volleyball. Term Two offers AFL, Soccer, Netball and Softball. Each week students play at home or away. Home games are played at Deepdene Primary School (or Reservoir Reserve depending on the sport) and students take the bus for away games to play at different schools and parks. Interschool sports provides an exciting environment for students to experience playing competitive sport.

At Deepdene Primary School we believe student wellbeing is at the heart of learning. We use an evidence-based, whole-school approach to wellbeing, through the Resilience, Rights, and Respectful Relations (RRRR) program. The program is used to develop student’s social, emotional, and positive relationship skills. Topics within our wellbeing program include, Emotional Literacy; Personal Strengths; Positive Coping; Problem Solving; Stress Management; Help Seeking; Gender and Identity; and Positive Gender Relationships. It starts in Foundation and continues through to Year 6, building on the skills required each year for a healthy and happy student.

Respectful Relationships

Respectful Relationships is a Department of Education and Training initiative and is part of our whole school approach to wellbeing at Deepdene Primary School.

Respectful Relationships education is a core component of the Victorian Curriculum from Foundation to Year 12 in all Government schools. The Royal Commission into Family Violence identified the critical role that schools and early childhood education have in creating a culture of respect to change the story of family violence for future generations.

Everyone in our community deserves to be respected, valued and treated equally. We know that changes in attitudes and behaviours can be achieved when positive attitudes, behaviours and equality are embedded in our education settings. This evidenced based approach leads to positive impacts on student’s academic outcomes, their mental health, classroom behaviour, and relationships between teachers and students.

In the primary years, Respectful Relationships is taught as part of the Health and Physical Education and Personal and Social Capability areas of the Victorian Curriculum. The curriculum supports schools to promote and model respect, positive attitudes and behaviours. It teaches our students how to build healthy relationships, resilience and confidence. These age-appropriate resources align to the Victorian Curriculum and include lesson plans and activities that help students learn and practise social skills and apply them in a positive way to learning, life and relationships.

As part of our Wellbeing program we have recently introduced a ‘Wellbeing Journal’ throughout the school. These Journals have a variety of daily or weekly activities where students begin to track their emotions and learn skills to identify their own feelings and emotions. They contain a collection of weekly student driven activities to build their mindfulness, character strengths, elements of wellbeing and growth mindsets. The Journals focus on students self-assessing, setting self-expectations and being grateful for the positives they experience.

Information and communication technology and digital literacy is successfully integrated into learning programs at all year levels. ICT is used in all classrooms during Literacy, Numeracy and research tasks related to curriculum units of work. Each classroom is equipped with an interactive whiteboard or Smart TV and a minimum of six classroom desktop computers. We also have 60 notebook computers which are shared between the level 3 – 6 classes as well as a class set of mini notebook computers (tablets) for younger classes. Our well-resourced computer lab holds 28 touch screen computers and provides all students with access to a broad variety of challenging educational software programs and learning support equipment.  Our school also has another 15 desktop computers in a specialist area which can be utilised.
The use of technology is integrated into all classroom programs, whether it be for research, creating and collaborating, online programs, literacy and numeracy support and assessment, and for a variety of skills development. Students at our school are well equipped for the digital world of high school, while maintaining a balance so that primary school students are able to develop handwriting, collaborative teamwork skills and hand written and produced project work.

Health & Physical Education

Throughout the Physical Education program students will learn, develop and improve their knowledge and skills through play, games, challenges and modified sports. During Physical Education lessons there are several main focuses that include skill acquisition, participation for all, and the development of a healthy attitude towards being active and an enjoyment for Physical Education.

Students in Foundation to Level 2 mostly focus on acquiring, developing and improving their general motor skills. They do this through games, activities and challenges that allow them to explore and experiment using their bodies for various types of movements and actions. They play with different pieces of sports equipment to develop and improve their ability to throw, catch, kick and strike successfully.

As students develop and refine these motor skills over the years, they will then begin to apply and tailor these skills towards modified sport environments. Students will learn basic technical skills to allow them to execute skills during modified gameplay successfully. They will develop knowledge of fundamental tactical skills that will allow them to better understand how these games and sports are played and what strategies can be used to generate a successful outcome.

Students in Foundation to Level 2 will participate in a gymnastics program that is designed to improve student’s core strength, balance and general coordination. This program will run for half a term. During Level 5 and 6 all students will have the opportunity to participate and compete against other schools in the Kooyong District in the Inter School Sports program during the first half of the year.

Students explore many sports throughout the Physical education program that include both individual and team sports. They learn vital teamwork skills that assist them to cooperate and solve problems with other students and to communicate effectively.

Other Events: School Cross Country, School Athletics Carnival, School Swimming Carnival.

French

The purpose of French classes will be to engage the students in meaningful French communicative activities, encouraging a positive attitude towards learning languages as well as an appreciation of and a curiosity to learn about other cultures. Students will participate in speaking, listening, reading and writing using the French language. Students will be encouraged to risk takers and speak in front of others. Students will learn to greet and farewell another person. The students will engage in simple dialogue where they may express their likes and dislikes. Students will learn their colours, numbers, and basic classroom directions.

Learning Languages

• extends literacy repertoires and the capacity to communicate; strengthens understanding of the nature of language, of culture, and of the processes of communication
• develops intercultural capability, including understanding of and respect for diversity and difference, and an openness to different experiences and perspectives
• develops understanding of how culture shapes and extends learners’ understanding of themselves, their own heritage, values, beliefs, culture and identity
• strengthens intellectual, analytical and reflective capabilities, and enhances creative and critical thinking.

Visual Arts

STEM

STEM education is a teaching and learning approach where the curriculum areas of Science, Technologies (including Engineering and Digital Technologies) and Mathematics are integrated, enabling a deeper engagement in each of the disciplines. STEM education aims to bring these curriculum areas together, helping students to practise their skills of critical and creative thinking, ethical decision-making, collaboration and communication. STEM is directly related to the learning areas of: Science, Technologies and Mathematics.

The STEM program at our school will be taught by a specialist STEM teacher. It will cover all year levels and feature a design process that wil examine a wide range of real world applications for students’ evolving knowledge.

Performing Arts

The Arts have the capacity to engage, inspire and enrich all students. The Performing Arts learning area comprises four subjects: Dance, Drama, Media Arts and Music. Together they provide opportunities for students to learn how to create, design and share their imagined and conceptual ideas, emotions and experiences. At Deepdene we have a vibrant Music and Performing Arts program that includes classroom music across the whole school, choir, instrumental lessons and class ensembles. Each class receives one 50-minute session weekly of instruction, in which they focus on both making and responding to music.

In the early years, the program involves games and activities relating to singing and ear training. Using the Kodály and Orff teaching methods, students are able to experience and gain knowledge of the fundamental concepts of music through aural, kinaesthetic and visual styles of learning. Students learn a repertoire of music, they use familiar songs to build their knowledge of musical concepts and terminology in a sequential and developmentally appropriate level. More information about the Kodály approach to music education can be found at http://www.kodaly.org.au.

In Levels 3 and 4, students will be introduced to the recorder and formal music notation, where they are given weekly instruction on playing, performing and recorder technique. Students will engage in playing and accompanying simple songs. They will create simple rhythmic and melodic patterns using the recorder, percussion and Orff instruments.

In Levels 5 and 6, students play instruments in classroom ensemble situations and use traditional and technological methods to notate their musical understandings. They have access to a variety of musical instruments and enjoy the opportunity to compose and create their own music, as well as learning about music from around the world and through history. Students are asked to bring the instrument they are learning to each class. Orff instruments are also used to accompany instruments the students have brought to class.

At Deepdene there are lots of opportunities for students to perform for their peers and wider school community. Students are encouraged to participate in the choral program. Festival Singers, Instrumental students and ensembles perform at ‘Deepdene on the Green’ concert, assemblies, open days, evening concerts and at various community events.

Deepdene Festival Singers Ensemble Program

Students from Level 4 to Level 6 can be involved in the Deepdene Festival Singers Ensemble which performs at various events and in the wider community.