At CGPS we endeavor to make the Visual Arts curriculum as immersive and hands on arts process as possible. It has four main parts.
The first part of the art process is where we ‘EXPLORE AND EXPRESS IDEAS’. In essence this is our Inspiration. Artists and their artworks work as our creative mentors.
The second part of the art process is VISUAL ARTS PRACTICES. In the visual arts we have the Art ELEMENTS and the Art PRINCIPLES. The elements are our basic building blocks for creating. Artists generally concentrate on one or two of the elements. Each art element has a strength. The art principles is how we assemble the elements. For example each artist is usually renowned for composing their works in certain style. Students produce artworks with a variety of materials and technologies.
The third process is to PRESENT and PERFORM. This is where we create and display artwork considering how ideas can be expressed to an audience. Students are encouraged to be as hands on with materials and technologies in this part of the creative and visual inquiry process of art making.
The last part of the process RESPOND and INTERPRET. This is where we share our works with an audience and respond and interpret the work of others. Our School Values of: Respect, Responsibility, Honesty, and Resilience are a guide to having these conversations. Students also might return to some of our questions that they had earlier. This reflection also ‘VALUES’ how ideas are expressed in artworks by comparing artworks from different contemporary, historical and cultural contexts.
Students at CGPS love the journey that each artist takes them on. They get immersed in the art process as they explore, perform, practice and reflect on their art journey. Art at CGPS is fun and very productive.
At Courtenay Gardens Primary School students from Grade 2 to Grade 6 are learning Indonesian. Learning Languages Other Than English (LOTE) broadens students’ horizons about the personal, social, cultural and employment opportunities that are available in an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world.
Our students learn the Roman Alphabet Language of Indonesian. By learning Indonesian, students extend their literacy repertoires and capacities to communicate. It fosters an understanding and respect for diversity and difference and an appreciation of different experiences and perspectives.
Students are learning to communicate with greetings and basic pleasantries in Indonesian. Students learn with role-play, songs, games as well as simple sentences and labelling in Indonesian language. Students are learning Indonesian numbers and colours, days of the week and months of the year as well as vocabulary for family members, parts of the body and words to describe ourselves and others.
P.E. is what the students know Health and Physical Education as. At CGPS every child participates in a 50-minute P.E. session each week. The students explore various fundamental motor skills that require the use of large muscle groups to perform tasks like running, walking, jumping, balancing, catching, kicking, throwing and striking an object with a bat / racquet etc. We utilise the facilities around the school including our lush oval, single indoor basketball court sized gymnasium and our outdoor double court area.
We have a swim program that is highly encouraged of our Grade one, three and five students to learn about water safety and swimming skills. We have interhouse sport for all grades across the school that activities are suited to their age group. The older classes have the chance to compete in district sports, including cross country and athletics.
In prep and grade one we focus on the Perceptual Motor Program (PMP) that aims to give the child experiences in linking the senses (seeing, hearing, touching) and using a variety of common and specially designed equipment to process and make perceptual judgements and reacting though carefully sequenced activities.
In grade two to four we focus on developing their fundamental motor skills through modified games. Students look to more specific use and determining a difference of the types of throws, kicks, striking etc. that is required for the game. The students learn about teamwork and resilience through various game scenarios.
In grade five and six the students look more in depth of games and learn various strategies to assist success. The grade six (and some grade five depending on numbers) students can represent the school in interschool sports, which in turn can lead onto representing the district. The students also look at how being healthy impacts their lives and their general wellbeing.
During Science classes, students visit the newly re-furnished laboratory to engage in a range of hands-on activities designed to assist them in exploring the world around them. They apply their inquiry skills, along with the scientific method, to develop their knowledge in the areas of biology, chemistry, physical science, earth and space science, as well as learning about science as a human endeavour to solve problems and improve people’s lives.
In our Junior grades, there is a strong focus on examining the properties of familiar objects, identifying similarities and differences as well as recognising simple cause and effect relationships. Students learn that seeking answers to questions and making observations is a core part of science, as well as the many ways people use science in their daily lives.
Grade Three and Four students learn to recognise questions which can be investigated scientifically and to follow instructions to investigate these concepts. They make predictions based on prior knowledge and are taught to use equipment safely to make measurements and observations. Students suggest explanations for observations and compare their findings with their predictions. They use formal and informal scientific language to communicate their observations, methods and findings.
Senior classes continue to broaden their scientific knowledge and deepen their understanding by identifying patterns, relationships and variables in their investigations. They discuss and make improvements to their experimental methods as well as researching and identifying ways to improve the quality of their data. Through these activities, they can see how scientific knowledge is used in decision-making and develops from many people’s contributions.
STEM is a Specialist subject – the letters stand for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. We also call it STREAM so that it includes Robotics and Art. This is an area that encourages problem solving, collaboration with others, creative and critical thinking as well as parts of all the other areas already mentioned.
Students can be given a Challenge to solve, usually in a group, which may include building towers or bridges or parachutes or to solve real-life problems. The school has several types of robots suitable for various ages such as Dash and Dot, Colby mouse and Spheros, which help to teach coding skills. Students also enjoy using a 3D software program called Makers Empire to create designs which can be printed on our 3D printers.
