Our Curriculum
English
Mount Rogers Primary School promotes an approach to teaching English that allows daily opportunities to engage with literature to read, write, listen and talk in creative and purposeful ways. A range of resources and learning technologies print and digital, fiction and non-fiction are used to support learning. Our programs include explicit teaching and opportunities for investigation, creativity and enjoyment of English. Time is prioritised to think and talk about concepts because we believe that oral language underpins strong literacy learning. Students work both independently and collaboratively to construct meaning and build comprehension and effective literacy skills through engagement with real tests and authentic, purposeful learning opportunities. The skills needed to become a proficient reader, writer, speaker and viewer are taught explicitly across all areas of the curriculum, investigations and inquiry units provide authentic context for learners to develop and use language.
Mathematics
The Mathematics program at Mount Rogers Primary School provides students with essential mathematical skills and knowledge in Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, and Statistics and Probability. We aim to develop the numeracy capacities that all students need in their personal, work and civil life. Teachers use the content descriptions from the Australian Curriculum to guide them in their planning. These year level statements describe the knowledge, skills, concepts and processes that teachers are expected to teach, and students are expected to learn. Teachers use a range of resources to support learning and include time for scaffolded teaching, investigations, problem solving and application of mathematics. Time is given to think and talk about practical, hands on activities. Strategies are explicitly taught to support an understanding of numbers and mental computation. We encourage risk taking and creative problem solving whilst striving for excellence in numeracy skills.
Inquiry and Investigations
Students in Kindergarten, year 1 and year 2 are provided with authentic learning experiences through the Kathy Walker Investigative Learning Program. This ensures students develop their social, emotional and oral language skills as they embed their understanding of literacy, numeracy and inquiry curriculum outcomes.
Inquiry learning years 3 to 6 - creativity and curiosity are nurtured at Mount Rogers Primary School, and inquiry is central to our learning philosophy.
Guided inquiries draw from a range of disciplines within the Australian Curriculum including science, humanities, social sciences, technology and the arts. By selecting rich concepts to investigate, teachers focus on developing and deepening students' understandings, allowing time to ask questions, explore wonderings and make connections, ensuring our students are capable and curious lifelong learners.
Guided inquiries also provide opportunities for students to develop skills to become confident independent thinkers, collaborators, self-managers, communicators and researchers, alongside developing conceptual understandings and knowledge. Students have opportunities to demonstrate and build on these 'Learning Assets' by engaging in independent inquiries where they explore their own interests linked to specific learning intentions covered in class. Students write proposals, set goals and use success criteria to support their independent inquiry and once completed, they share their work with an audience.
Sport and Physical Education (PE)
The school provides a comprehensive sport and physical education program. All students participate in daily fitness. We provide specific programs in gross motor development and sports skills. Sports days for swimming, cross-country running and athletics are organised to ensure maximum participation of all students.
Swimming, cross-country and athletics teams are then selected to represent the school at Belconnen district carnivals. If successful at district level, students then compete in the ACT carnivals. Swimming lessons and water safety programs are offered to year 2 students in Term 3, and Kindergarten to year 5 in Term 4.
Languages other than English (LOTE) Mandarin
Language studies provide opportunities for students to develop positive attitudes towards the learning of another language as well as increasing the students' knowledge and appreciation of their own language.
At Mount Rogers Primary School students will be learning Mandarin. The content of our Chinese course will be learning Chinese language as well as Chinese culture. In our Chinese cultural learning lessons, an introduction will be given related to Chinese people, customs, food, festivals, Chinese geography, history, stories and legends. In our Mandarin learning lessons, students will work on four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Students will learn the tones, pronunciation, Pinyin (Chinese spelling) and Chinese simplified characters. Some useful phrases, vocabulary, sentences and conversations in Chinese will be introduced in progression. Various themes and topics will be taught throughout the year.
English as a Language or Dialect (EALD)
EALD students are provided with targeted support within the classroom setting.
Library
The library maintains an extensive collection of informative fiction and non-fiction resources. This range is continually upgraded.
Parents and carers are welcome to use the library. Students visit the library each week and are encouraged to borrow resources to meet their academic and recreational needs.
Sustainability at Mount Rogers Primary School
Grow. Harvest. Prepare. Share.
“Sustainability is interacting with the environment in a way that we ensure there will be enough resources left for future generations.”
Students learn about being sustainable through the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program by growing, harvesting, preparing and sharing food from our gardens. They experience the cycle of enriching our vegetable gardens using compost and worm castings generated from their daily food scraps. We also participate in important events on the National Environment Calendar (Earth Hour, Recycling Week) which allows students to make a contribution in the care of their environment.
Other activities such as the Aussie Bird Count, Pollinator Week also create opportunities for students to interact with the natural world. Benefits include developing respect, appreciation and empathy for our environment.
Junior classes have the opportunity to visit the Green Space for a 90 minute lesson each week for a Semester. Other opportunities for the students to participate and contribute is through our student environment group “Roger Rangers” and the Gardening Club during breaks.
Future projects include the maintenance and expansion of our vegetable (including our orchard), Indigenous Bush Tucker and ‘Upcycle’ gardens.
The Arts
The Arts curriculum includes Music, Dance and Drama, Media Arts and Visual Arts. Within the Arts at Mount Rogers Primary School, students are provided with opportunities that facilitate creativity and expression through a variety of mediums. Students' visual arts are celebrated at assemblies where an artist of the month from each class is presented with a certificate, and their work is then displayed in our gallery corridor. Assemblies also provide a forum for classes to perform dances, drama and musical items for an audience.
Every second year, during Children's Week, the school holds a fabulous art show in which all students showcase their individual and class art works. On the alternate year a whole school concert showcases the performing arts.
Social and Emotional Learning
Mount Rogers Primary School uses resources from Be You (formerly Kids Matter) and the Bounce Back programs which promote wellbeing and resilience and protect positive mental health in children and young people. The Be You program is an Australian mental health and wellbeing initiative for primary schools and early childhood settings. It is a framework that helps us take care of children's mental health needs by:
- creating positive school and early childhood communities
- teaching children skills for good social and emotional development
- working together with families
- recognising and getting help for children with mental health problems
Excursion / Incursions
Students at Mount Rogers Primary School have access to a variety of high-quality cultural experiences. Excursions are related to the curriculum and add to the level of understanding children will develop about the topic they are studying.
All permission notes and payments must be handed in by the due date for a student to be eligible to attend any extrusion, incursion or special event.
Homework / Home Learning
Home learning is the formal and informal learning that takes place out of school hours.
Home learning activities are negotiated at each year level and with the teacher. All students are encouraged to read each day with and to their family throughout the primary years. Workshops are held annually to assist parents and carers in supporting beginning readers.
Assemblies
Assemblies are held in weeks 3-8 of each term, alternating between junior assemblies (Kindergarten to year 2) and senior assemblies (year 3- year 6). Each class has a turn to host an assembly over the course of the year.
Camps
Year 5 and 6 students have an opportunity to attend a three-day camp, usually during Term 1. This camp provides students with time to build relationships with their peers and teachers, learn team building, build resilience and leadership skills, as well as have a whole lot of fun.
The location of the camp alternates between Borambola near Wagga Wagga, Camp Tops near Wollongong and Camp Cooba in Jindabyne.