INTRODUCTION
Fintona’s Junior School is a safe and friendly environment where each girl is welcomed, valued and respected. Our Junior School embraces the vital early years of schooling from Prep to Year 4 where the foundations for all future learning are laid.
Starting school is a milestone for your daughter and a major event for your family. Her first days and years at school are of great importance.
When your daughter commences her school life at Fintona, she becomes part of a very special community where every student is encouraged, nurtured and challenged to achieve her personal best. It is an education tailored for individuals.
Fintona students grow, develop, explore, experience, succeed, participate, belong, discover and have fun.
This booklet is a general resource for key curriculum and school information. Extensive details of school rules, policies and other important aspects of school operations may be found in the School Diary and on inFintona.
We follow the Australian Curriculum, which is designed to develop successful learners, confident and creative individuals and active and informed citizens. It defines a solid foundation in knowledge, understanding, skills and values for all Australia children. It recognises that children are different: they develop at different rates, have different learning preferences and areas of interest, and have different aspirations.
Our curriculum is further expanded through an extensive Specialist Program taught by Single Subject teachers in the areas of Art, Drama, French, Library, Music, Outdoor Education and Physical Education.
We trust that the coming year will be a wonderful time for you and your daughter, and the beginning of a long association with the Fintona community.
Mrs Jackie Dimattina Head of Junior Campus
Fintona Girls’ School
Head of Junior Campus
Mrs Jackie Dimattina
Role Teachers
Junior School Pedagogoy and Curriculum Leader Lara Dresser
Prep M Amy Miers
Prep W Meaghan Walker
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Brittany Creek
Wishodha Kuruppuachchi
David Joyce
Lara Dresser
Art Fran Hyde
Curriculum Support Felicity Fritsch
Drama Andrea Mina
French Aurassi Pougault
Library Tamar Jaquiery
Music Ben Christensen
Catherine Turnbull (Strings Teacher)
Peter Sampsonidis (Strings Teacher)
Laura Tcheupdjian (Strings Teacher)
Physical Education Carmen Timms
Junior Campus Administration Denise Childs
Junior Campus Administration is open from 8:00am until 4:00pm each day during term.
The direct telephone number to the Junior School is 9880 4444 and email is jcadmin@fintona.vic.edu.au.
TERM DATES
2025
Term 1 (8.5 weeks)
Wednesday 22 January New Staff Day
Thursday 23, Friday 24, Tuesday 28, Wednesday 29 January Staff PD Days
Thursday 30 January Students return
Friday 4 April End of Term 1
Term 2 (11 weeks)
Tuesday 22 April Staff PD Day
Wednesday 23 April Students return
Friday 4 July End of Term 2
Term 3 (9 weeks)
Monday 21 July Staff PD Day
Tuesday 22 July Students return
Friday 12 September End of Term 3
Term 4 (10 weeks)
Monday 6 October Staff and students return
Monday 3 NovemberTuesday 4 November Mid Term Break / Melbourne Cup Day
Tuesday 9 December End of Term 4
Friday 20 December Administration Office Closes
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Allergy Aware Environment
In the Junior School, we take allergies very seriously. We are aware of the prevalence of allergies among children and the dangers surrounding these. Our staff are fully trained in anaphylaxis awareness, including the use of adrenalin and autoinjection devices and in addition participate in refresher courses frequently. In order to minimise the allergens students are exposed to, we ask families to avoid sending their child to school with food items that contain nuts, peanut butter, Nutella and all other nut products.
Please discuss any plans for food sharing with your child’s teacher, for example, for birthday cakes.
Fintona seeks to minimise the impact of food allergies on students. We have a brochure to cover this matter, titled ‘An Allergy Aware School’, which is given to all new families and is also available from Junior Campus Administration. We encourage parents to read the brochure and contact the School should they have any queries.
Before and After School Care (Camp Australia)
Fintona works in partnership with Camp Australia to provide Before and After School Care. Camp Australia is the leading provider of quality, safe, fun and professional Out of Hours Care. All programs meet National Standards and Quality Assurance Guidelines as set by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. All families who wish to use these programs must be registered with Camp Australia. All information regarding Before and After School Care including fees and registration forms can be found online at www.campaustralia.com.au.
Out of Hours Care is available for students from Early Learning Centre to Year 6. The Before School Care program operates each morning during term from 7:30am until 8:30 am for school children and 8:45am for ELC children. The After School program operates five afternoons per week during term from 3:00pm for ELC children and 3:15pm for School children, and closes at 6:15pm.
These programs cater for the child care needs of working parents or those who have commitments extending beyond the normal School hours. Afternoon tea is provided at 4:00pm for children attending the After School Care program and breakfast is provided during Before School Care. Children requiring breakfast need to have arrived by 8:00 am. At After School Care, following afternoon tea, older students will be supervised with their homework. Out of Hours Care is located in the Early Learning Centre.
Bookings
Out of Hours Care bookings can be made through Camp Australia either by phone 1300 105 343 or by their website www.campaustralia.com.au. Contact can also be made by email at oshc@campaustralia.com.au.
If an emergency arises and parents need to use After School Care, arrangements can be made by contacting Camp Australia. Before and After School Care bookings are available on a permanent or casual basis.
Books & Stationery
Books and stationery will be purchased by the School and a levy will be debited to your account for Prep and Year 1 students. Year 2, 3, 4 students will have an allocated booklists for each year level which is purchased through our booklist provider.
Reading Diary
The reading diaries are used to record regular reading at home for Prep and Year 1.
School Diary
In Year 2, 3 and 4, students receive a School Diary to record reminders and important events. Organisational skills are developed through the use of these diaries.
Diaries are part of School Fees – Replacement diaries are $20.
Classroom Hours
Please be advised that classroom hours are as follows:
Junior School 8.30am – 3.15pm
Each morning, the cloakroom is opened at 8.00am. The girls should arrive by 8.25am, which allows time to hang up their bag and prepare for the day. Students who arrive from 8.00am will be supervised in the Junior School Courtyard.
Girls are to be collected from the top of the courtyard at the end of the school day. If parents are delayed, a message to the office is appreciated. Staff are on duty until 3:40pm.
Regular attendance and punctuality are important.
Communication
Parent/School communication is very important and we encourage parents to contact the School if there is a query or problem. Parents can contact classroom teachers directly via email, or a phone message can be left with the Junior Campus Administrator.
Junior School and ELC Contact Details
Parents are asked to contact the Junior Campus Administrator directly on 9880 4444, or via email to jcadmin@fintona.vic.edu.au.
Junior School Absences
Students should be kept at home if they are not well. If a student is absent due to illness, parents should contact Junior Campus Administration as soon as possible.
If a girl is to be absent for an appointment or event, parents are asked to notify Junior Campus Administration before either by phone or email.
Students being picked up due to illness or appointments must be signed out by a parent or guardian at Junior Campus Administration. If the student is returning to school, they must be signed back in.
Email Communication
School notices are distributed via Consent2Go. Parents are respectfully reminded that they should update email addresses when they change.
Up To Date Contact Details
We urge parents to provide accurate and regularly updated addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses. No student should be at school without accurate contact details. It is essential in an emergency, such as illness, that we can contact you immediately.
Consent2Go
The School is using an electronic system called Consent2Go to collect medical data for school use both daily and on excursions and camps. You will be sent an email from Consent2Go inviting you to fill in the required details which are only accessible by Junior Campus Administration and your child’s relevant teachers.
Fintona Parents’ Association (FPA)
The FPA extends you a warm Fintona welcome. The Association’s main function is to bring parents together and its main aims are to provide social contact with other parents and to organise fundraising events. Proceeds from activities have enabled the FPA to provide the School with a wide range of gifts including computers, musical instruments, rowing equipment, a totally refurbished science laboratory and tuckshop, garden furniture and choir stands.
You are invited to join the FPA. It is a wonderful way of meeting other parents and enjoying the social activities arranged throughout the year. During first term, new parents will be contacted by a member of the Association and welcomed to the School.
Immunisation Status for School Entry
(New students only.)
A School Entry Immunisation Status Certificate is a legal requirement for enrolment in a primary school in Victoria. This record of your child’s immunisations will assist health authorities in protecting children in the event of a vaccine preventable disease occurrence in the School.
Please refer to www.health.vic.gov.au/immunisation/ for further details.
This Certificate will need to be given to the Registrar upon enrolment.
Infectious Diseases
Parents are required by law to notify the School if a child has an infectious disease or has been in contact with a person afflicted by an infectious disease. The School must then require exclusion of the child and, in some cases, those with whom the child has come into contact.
Please refer to https://www.health.vic.gov.au/infectious-diseases/ school-exclusion-table for full details.
News Bulletin
Communication between School and parents is the News Bulletin which is emailed to parents every fortnight throughout the school year.
The News Bulletin will include notices of activities and relevant information for the forthcoming fortnight. It will also list all notices sent home the previous fortnight.
School Policies
Our aim is to have a safe, secure and harmonious environment for all.
Student Behaviour Guidelines
Every student is an ambassador for Fintona, whether at School or in the community. Fintonians are expected to represent their School by:
Showing courtesy and consideration in their dealings with other students, staff and the public
Treating others as they would wish to be treated
Upholding the values and traditions of Fintona
Wearing the Fintona uniform with dignity and pride
The basis of our relationships in our School community should be mutual respect and trust. We should respect the rights and needs of other members of the community.
Fintonians are expected to care for School property, behaving in ways that will not cause damage, and reporting any damage that may occur. Appropriate use of School facilities, equipment and resources, according to School guidelines, is expected at all times.
Sun Smart Policy
Purpose
To maintain active awareness of Sun Smart behaviour within the School community in order to minimise the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays.
Aims
To encourage students to minimise sun damage by using Sun Smart behaviours
To develop attitudes which will encourage students to be proactive in avoiding sun damage
Guidelines
All students will be encouraged to wear appropriate hats during outdoor activities where they may be exposed to ultraviolet rays. Hats must be worn by all students from Early Learning Centre to Year 4, for all outside activities during Terms 1 and 4. Students will be encouraged to apply SPF30 (or higher) broad spectrum, water resistant sunscreen before being exposed to the sun
When away from Fintona, at School functions, every effort will be made to provide shaded areas during the hours of high risk, i.e. 11:00am – 3:00pm (during daylight savings)
Students will be encouraged to wear a hat or stay in shaded areas during recess and lunch times
Adults within the School will be encouraged to model Sun Smart behaviour
Sun Smart behaviour will be reinforced whenever possible Suitable hats, clothing and sunscreen will be required for all camps and excursions. These items will be listed on the parent permission form
The effectiveness of the policy will be reviewed each year by the Physical Education staff
Taking Holidays During School Terms
Students whose parents wish to make holiday or other arrangements for absence from school during term time, must seek permission in writing from the Head of Junior Campus. Such notifications should be made prior to the absence.
Traffic Rules
We are concerned with the safety of children being left at and collected from the School and, with the parking facilities available, we ask for your continued cooperation and care.
Please note the City of Boroondara parking signs
Parents are not to park or turn in the grounds of Balwyn Anglican Church (formerly St Barnabas) as this is private property
Do not use the bus bay in Millah Road, private driveways or the Junior School driveway to park or turn
Please note that there is a Council Crossing attendant on duty morning and afternoon to control the School crossing Junior School children should be collected from the Junior School, not from the Senior School
Travelling Safely
The following guidelines should be adhered to in the interest of safety:
Girls must not cross Balwyn Road, other than at the School crossing under adult supervision
Girls must be accompanied by a member of staff when crossing the road during School hours
Girls must be accompanied by an adult when crossing the road after School hours
Girls must observe the ‘Walk’ and ‘Don’t Walk’ signs and the directions of crossing supervisors
All girls riding bicycles and scooters to and from School must wear a helmet. Bicycles and scooters may not be ridden in the School grounds.
Uniform Requirements
Fintona’s school uniform is in the School colours of navy blue and gold and a detailed list of the Fintona uniform is available on the Bob Stewart Website: www.bobstewart.com.au/products/fintona-girls’-school
Every student should have enough School uniform to allow them to come properly dressed on all occasions. Each garment must be in good order and clearly named. This includes small items such as ties, socks and shoes.
The summer uniform is worn during Terms 1 and 4; the winter uniform is worn during Terms 2 and 3. There is a two week changeover period for summer and winter uniform which occurs at the start of Terms 2 and 4. Notification of any alteration to that schedule, because of unusual weather, will be given to parents.
Students in Years 3 and 4 must have their blazer with them at all times and may be required to wear the blazer to Assembly and other special occasions. Students in Years 3 and 4 may not wear their jumpers as their outermost garment outside the School grounds.
Points to Note:
Uniform requirements must be strictly adhered to
Both the summer and winter uniform are to be worn no shorter than knee length
Below collar length hair is to be neatly tied back with Fintona ribbons
Government regulations state that girls riding to and from School must wear a bicycle helmet
With the exception of a watch and regulation gold or silver studs for students with pierced ears, jewellery is not to be worn to School. If non-regulation jewellery is worn, students will be asked to remove it for safekeeping by the office until the end of the day
Make up and nail polish are not permitted with School uniform
Formal School uniform is required to be worn to major School assemblies throughout the year. These include Presentation Evening in the Junior School, the School Concert, and on other occasions, as notified.
Bob Stewart’s of Kew, 201-211 High Street, Kew 3101, 9853 8249, is the sole supplier of the Fintona uniform (www. bobstewart.com.au).
Second Hand Uniform Shop
Parents can sell and purchase a second hand uniform at the Second Hand Uniform Shop located on the Senior Campus.
The Second Hand Uniform Shop will be open from 3:00pm to 4:00pm approximately four times each term. For more information on which dates the Uniform Shop will be open, refer to the fortnightly News Bulletin.
CURRICULUM OVERVIEW
Extra-curricular
The Junior School hosts a range of extra-curricular activities, including Chess, Jazz and Ballet, Netball, Running Club and Instrumental Music Tuition for a range of instruments. Further details and registration forms are available from Junior Campus Administration.
Homework
Homework assists with the development of independent learning skills and reinforces classroom learning. Homework should:
Be a positive experience
Encourage the development of independent study habits
Provide parents with knowledge of areas of study in the classroom
Be challenging and stimulating on an individual level, to be achieved through a mixture of open ended, revision and consolidation activities
In Prep and Year 1, homework consists of daily reading to your daughter, with your daughter and by your daughter. In addition, activities to do with spelling and speaking and listening tasks may be set.
In Years 2 – 4, homework should still include daily reading, together with revision and inquiry activities taking between 10 –30 minutes per night.
House
Girls in the Junior School are placed in one of three Houses: Bedggood, Menzies and Reid. Each House is named after an Old Fintonian who made a positive contribution to the wider community, as well as to the School. The girls compete for an annual House Cup in the areas of athletics, cross country, swimming and trivia.
Leadership
Each girl in the Junior School has an opportunity to develop her leadership skills. Opportunities for leadership mean that our girls learn, at an early age, about responsibility, teamwork and working towards common goals. Year 4 students have the opportunity to apply for a leadership role in the Junior School.
Outdoor Education
The Outdoor Education program in the Junior School begins in Year 1 with an overnight experience at ‘Lady Northcote’ in Glenmore. This is followed in Year 2 with a one night experience at ‘Camp Manyung’ in Mt Eliza. Girls in Years 3 and 4 have two night experiences at ‘Sunnystones’ in Bacchus Marsh and ‘Gundiwindi’ at Wandin Yallock, in alternating years.
Pastoral Care
Pastoral Care, like in any other area at Fintona, underpins everything that we do. The education of each girl is seen as a partnership between the student, the staff and the parents. Each classroom teacher is available for communication. The Head of the Junior Campus and the School Counsellor work together to support students and families as required. Each Prep girl has a Year 4 Buddy who is there to assist our youngest girls. Each new student to the Junior School is allocated a student mentor who ensures that she knows where everything is and has someone to play with during the settling-in period.
Resource Centre
The Betty Henty-Wilson Resource Centre aims to provide a welcoming and user-friendly area within the Junior Campus where all students can access reading materials and research tools to enable them to become proficient participants in the digital age as well as readers of a variety of genres of literature.
The Resource Centre is pivotal to the delivery of quality educational outcomes for our students. As part of the program offered in the Junior School, each class visits the Resource Centre for a weekly Browse and Borrow Session with the Teacher Librarian. In addition, during Humanities sessions, students visit the Resource Centre for sessions focusing on Information Literacy skills. These sessions are taught collaboratively with the Teacher Librarian and classroom teacher.
Technology
Technology is embedded in all learning in the Junior School, with specific skills developed across the Primary Years. Each classroom is equipped with computers or iPads and an interactive whiteboard.
ASSESSMENT & REPORTING
Assessment
Continuous assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning at Fintona. Assessment enables teachers and students to identify strengths and weaknesses and enhances program effectiveness. Formative assessment is interwoven with the daily learning and helps teachers and students find out what is already known in order to plan the next stage of learning. Summative assessment takes place at the end of the teaching and learning process and gives students an opportunity to demonstrate what has been learned.
Junior School Reporting Schedule
Parent/Teacher Interviews – Term 1 and Term 3
The Term 1 interview is an opportunity to share information with the classroom teacher and the Term 3 interview provides time to discuss each student’s growth and progress.
Continuous reporting occurs during each term. Teachers provide timely feedback to parents regarding their daughters’ progress, growth and areas of improvement. This information is communicated through Fintona’s Learning Management System called inFintona.
Learning Support
Learning support is available for all girls from Prep to Year 4 in the Junior School. The Fintona Longitudinal Testing Program is conducted at the beginning and end of each school year and incidentally throughout the year when necessary.
Each student is supported to fulfil their potential. Staff work with students to provide personalised learning in areas of support and extension.
THE AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM
The Prep – Year 10 Australian Curriculum is described as a three-dimensional curriculum that recognises the central importance of disciplinary knowledge, skills and understanding; general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities.
Disciplinary knowledge is found in the eight learning areas of the Australian Curriculum: English, Mathematics, Science, Health and Physical Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, The Arts, Technologies and Languages. The latter four learning areas have been written to include multiple subjects, reflecting custom and practice in the discipline. In each learning area or subject, content descriptions specify what young people will learn; and achievement standards describe the depth of understanding and the sophistication of knowledge and skill expected of students at the end of each year level or band of years in their schooling.
Alongside disciplinary knowledge, the Australian Curriculum provides seven general capabilities: Literacy; Numeracy; Information and Communication Technology Capability; Critical and Creative Thinking; Personal and Social Capability; Ethical Understanding; and Intercultural Understanding. The general capabilities comprise an integrated and interconnected set of knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions that apply across subject-based content and equip students to be lifelong learners and be able to operate with confidence in a complex, informationrich, globalised world. In the Australian Curriculum, the general capabilities are developed and applied, where relevant, through the learning areas. Learning continua have been developed for each capability to describe the relevant knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions at particular points of schooling.
The Australian Curriculum also includes three current cross-curriculum priorities that are to be developed, where relevant, through the learning areas. These are: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures; Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia; and Sustainability. The priorities are not separate subjects in themselves; they are addressed through learning area content, where appropriate.
Source: https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/structure/
ENGLISH
English is taught both explicitly in Literacy sessions and is also fully integrated across all curriculum areas. English includes three areas of communication: Reading and Viewing; Writing; and Speaking and Listening.
The development of a solid foundation of fundamental Literacy skills and strategies is a priority in the Early Years (Prep – Year 2). The focus across these years is the development of an appreciation, and enjoyment, of the various forms of language and literature. Students learn through modelling and begin to analyse the structure and purpose of a range of different text types. They begin to read with the aim to independently read by the end of the Early Years. Students write a range of text types suited to audience and purpose (recount, narrative, procedures and persuasive reports). They are assisted in planning and editing their writing. Strategies are taught to develop the skills to apply their understanding of grammar, spelling and an expanding vocabulary. Students are encouraged to be active listeners and develop competence in visual and oral communication.
The range of literary texts for Prep to Year 4 comprises the oral narrative traditions and literature of First Nations Australians, and classic and contemporary literature from wide-ranging Australian and world authors, including texts from and about Asia.
MATHEMATICS
The Mathematics program from Prep to Year 2 aims to develop an enjoyment of and ongoing interest in, Mathematics and an understanding of how Mathematics relates to everyday contexts.
The program encompasses explicit instruction, differentiated activities, open ended tasks, oral and written tasks, real life mathematical experiences and a range of mathematical games. The students are also taught developmentally appropriate problem solving strategies.
The Year 1 Mathematics program makes a gradual transition to more formal mathematical language and concepts. Concrete materials are used to support learning.
The Year 2 Mathematics program builds on and extends the existing understanding and skills of students. The students continue to use concrete materials and are introduced to more formalised mathematical language.
The program encompasses explicit instruction, differentiated activities, open ended tasks, oral and written tasks, real life mathematical experiences and a range of mathematical games. The students are also taught developmentally appropriate problem solving strategies.
At home, Mathematics can be encouraged and supported through various experiences: counting, number facts, real life experiences with cooking, measuring, Mathletics, calendars, reading the time, maps and signs, and strategy, dice and board games.
VISUAL ARTS
This subject encourages students to follow an art process, experimenting with ideas when making and presenting artworks that focus on the application of the elements and principles. Artworks from a variety of cultures, times and places are viewed and discussed.
Foundation Year
Outline
In Foundation, learning in The Visuals Arts builds on the Early Years Learning Framework and each student’s prior learning and experiences. The curriculum allows for play-based approaches that integrate arts learning experiences across applicable Arts subject areas and/or specialist teaching.
In Foundation, the Visual Arts learning fosters students’ understanding of how the arts enrich their lives and the lives of all people. Engagement with the arts strengthens students’ sense of wellbeing and develops their connections with the world. Arts learning involves exploration and purposeful, creative play, together with structured learning appropriate for their level of development. In The Arts, students work individually and collaboratively with peers and teachers, drawing on their imaginations, stimulus materials such as images or works of fiction, and real-life experiences.
Students explore the arts in their lives and communities. They learn that the arts are central to all cultures and explore the diversity of artworks across cultures. They build empathy and understanding that what is familiar to one person can be new to somebody else. Students use arts knowledge and skills to make artworks that represent their ideas about the world and share their work with peers in informal settings. They experience being an audience. As they make and respond, students learn about safe practices in the arts.
Year 1 & 2
Outline
During Year 1 & 2 of the Visual Arts program, student’s build upon their prior learning and experiences. Students continue to learn through purposeful and creative play in a range of structured learning programs designed to foster a strong sense of wellbeing and develop their connection with and contribution to the world. They work individually and in collaboration with peers and teachers, drawing on their imaginations, works of fiction, real-life experiences, and learnings from various areas across the curriculum to support their engagement in arts learning, as artists and as audiences.
Students explore artworks that they experience at home, school and/or through family and community events. They connect with visual artists who live and work in the community; for example, by visiting arts spaces or exploring artworks and experiences such as virtual performances or exhibitions. They use stimulus materials such as images, events, texts, questions, and observations as inspiration for their own visual arts practice. These experiences support students to develop aesthetic knowledge across cognitive, sensory, emotive, and physical domains, and to value artworks and practices across cultures, communities and/or other contexts.
DRAMA FRENCH
Drama is introduced to Prep - Year 2 students in a safe and accepting learning environment to enrich imaginations through free and directed play experiences.
A program based on familiar situations and personal experiences helps the students to express ideas and feelings about themselves and their interpretation of the world. This approach engages them to respond with curiosity and form the basis to ask questions and develop explanations for events.
Drama lays the foundations for students’ learning through different art forms of music, dance and visual art as stimuli for imaginary and creative play. The exploration in the performing arts promotes a focus on non-verbal communication skills in movement, mime and gesture to lead to the development of their verbal communication skills.
The use of spontaneous improvisation, games and puppetry enables the students to develop individual concentration and group focus in drama creations and presentations. Sequential skills involved in drama techniques and processes are promoted through observation and listening skill development.
Expression and vocal techniques are taught through voice projection, personal opinion delivery and group discussions. The students organise their ideas by working within time limits to structure tasks with the use of introduction, development and conclusion for their performance and storytelling. The students develop their recording and documenting skills using flip cameras and iPads.
The drama experiences engage students in co-operation and decision making processes to encourage confidence and personal enjoyment. An appreciation of others is nurtured by taking turns, belonging to a group and responding as part of an audience, to share and express ideas and feelings in a constructive manner. The focus on positive attitudes to learning and effort are fostered through the students’ participation in collaborative tasks and experiences.
The Australian Curriculum will be applied to the drama curriculum through the appropriate stages of learning and with a focus on developing the fundamental drama knowledge, skills and behaviors which will underpin future learning.
The French program for Prep - Year 2 is taught using a communicative approach, developing basic skills in the language.
Vocabulary and structures for effective communication are introduced and frequently revised. Much of the material is delivered in French with the teacher using gesture, tone of voice and other visual cues to make the language comprehensible to students.
Emphasis is placed on enjoyment of language learning and the ability to confidently and successfully communicate basic information. Learning activities are matched to the skills and experiences of individual students and, in the early years of language study, the focus is on developing listening and speaking skills through such activities as conversation, singing, repetition of rhymes, interaction with puppets and participation in games.
Each student is encouraged to use French orally in every lesson, either by participating in whole group activities or making individual contributions. Elements of reading and writing are also developed and students are able to recognise, match, copy and spell simple words and phrases using key vocabulary.
Topics students can expect to cover over the three years include greetings, numbers, age, the alphabet, colours, shapes, school, classroom objects, animals, plants, habitats, the weather, seasons, months, days of the week, birthdays, shapes, French festivals, family, French markets, foods and meal times, various forms of French art, French gardens, the geography of France and the French-speaking world.
LIBRARY MUSIC
The Prep to Year 2 library program nurtures students’ enjoyment of reading through two key areas, Storytime and Browsing and Borrowing, with a growing focus on research and referencing skills as they move into higher levels of schooling.
Storytime allows students to participate in different modes of storytelling including movement and symbolic play. It is a great facilitator for exploring feelings and emotions through the perspective of relatable characters and gives students the opportunity to practice their listening, predicting and comparing skills as well as develop their sense of empathy.
When browsing and borrowing, students take ownership of their text selections, observing and evaluating key features of books. They begin to familiarise themselves with processes and language common to all libraries and grow their understanding of care and responsibility for shared resources.
The main goal of the library program however is reading for pleasure and students are encouraged to explore genres and text formats outside of their usual borrowing history to discover new aspects of the joy of reading.
Visiting authors and illustrators add to this enjoyment, giving students the opportunity to engage in hands on activities that show the creative process of storytelling.
Students in Year 1 and 2 also engage in research and reference skills. They follow the research process through exploration of the non-fiction and digital collections to answer real world queries as well as engage in cross-curricular research projects.
Prep to Year 2 students have music lessons each week with Year 2 students also participating in a strings program. Through participation in listening, singing, playing and composition, the children learn about the elements of music and how to apply their understanding.
Through a Kodaly and Orff-based program, students are able to listen and take responsibility for their own learning through repertoire and activities which employ vocal, instrumental, listening, composing and notation skills. All Prep – Year 2 girls participate in ‘Les Petits Choristes’, an invaluable opportunity which fosters community ensemble skills, vocal skills and performance confidence. The girls work with others showing empathy, compassion and respect.
The Prep Music program develops a natural curiosity for music; its beauty, intricacies and the different elements that come together to create music. Students engage in repertoire and activities which strengthen their understanding of beat, rhythm, timbre, dynamics, pitch and un-tuned percussion. Students actively enjoy music, fostering a life-long love and appreciation for music.
The Year 1 Music program heightens students’ ability to communicate through music and strengthens their understanding of the different elements that come together to create music. Students actively enjoy music, participating in vocal, instrumental, and composition activities.
The Year 2 Music program strengthens students’ ability to communicate through music and gives them the knowledge and skills to use and manipulate the different elements that come together to create music. Year 2 students begin to apply their knowledge to tuned percussion and recorder.
The Year 2 Strings program at Fintona provides a string instrument and a year of tuition in violin, viola or cello for every Year 2 girl.
Overall Music Objectives
To assist with the development of the whole child
To foster a participatory approach where students are able to learn and understand through experience
To foster an environment where individual ideas and self expression are valued and respected
To provide opportunities for performance in order to consolidate learning, foster community and develop confidence
To develop a music program that complements and supports other curriculum areas
To teach music in a manner that is accessible to all learners
To provide sequential music education that adheres to current pedagogy
To provide a complete music education that develops knowledge and music skills
To utilise movement, dance, drama and playing to reinforce music concepts
To develop listening skills and an appreciation for different styles of music
Specific Music Objectives:
To develop tuneful singing and inner hearing
To learn repertoire in simple and compound time
To compose lyrics with attention to rhythm
To aurally interpret melody and notate onto the stave using standard notation
To create, interpret and perform songs with beat, melody and accompaniment using tuned and un-tuned percussion
To develop sight singing skills
To learn pentatonic repertoire, to perform rounds and ostinatos
To experience and recognise a variety of musical concepts such as:
Tempo; largo, andante, moderato, allegro
Dynamics; piano, mezzo piano, mezzo forte, forte
Pitch; step, skip, jump, intervals of 2nd, 3rd and 4th
To recognise and correctly name a variety of orchestral instruments
To develop and use appropriate musical language
To develop an understanding of performance etiquette
To listen to and interpret different styles of music
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Program
Students in Prep - Year 2 have Physical Education every week. Throughout the program students participate individually and with their peers, in a wide range of creative and challenging activities, which allows for the development of fundamental motor skills. Every student is encouraged to develop basic technique and confidence in their own ability. Emphasis is placed on fostering enthusiasm and enjoyment of physical activity for all students.
Swimming
Students in Prep and Year 1 are involved in a swimming program. They are taught in small groups by qualified swimming coaches and have instruction in both stroke technique and water safety. This program is held in Term 4.
Year 2 students are involved in a swimming program with a focus on stroke technique and water safety in preparation for House Swimming. This program is held in Term 1.
Gymnastics
As part of the Gymnastics unit, students participate in sessions on the Senior Campus. Students are encouraged to explore how the body moves, while developing their strength, balance and flexibility.
Health and Fitness
Throughout each year level, students are involved in a health related fitness program during Physical Education. Students begin to gain an understanding of the links between physical activity and health, and engage regularly in lessons involving moderate to vigorous activity. Each class will visit the Life Education Van and will learn about making healthy choices.
House Sporting Activities
Students participate in three House sporting events throughout the year:
House Swimming Carnival
House Athletics Carnival
House Cross Country
ENGLISH
English is taught both explicitly in Literacy sessions and is also fully integrated across all curriculum areas. It includes three areas of communication: Reading and Viewing; Writing; and Speaking and Listening.
The consolidation of many skills, in a wide range of stimulating English activities, is the focus of the English program in Years 3 and 4. Students read and write for enjoyment, instruction and information, to help understand and clarify ideas, feelings, thoughts and opinions. Students learn to understand and use different media to access different sources of information and develop their expressive abilities. Students learn about the function and forms of print through using real language for real purposes and through actively seeking to make sense of it.
The range of literary texts for Prep to Year 4 comprises the oral narrative traditions and literature of First Nations Australians, and classic and contemporary literature from wide-ranging Australian and world authors, including texts from and about Asia.
Oral communication encompasses all aspects of listening and speaking, skills that are essential for language development, for learning and for relating to others.
Year 3
Students engage with a variety of texts for enjoyment. They listen to, read and view spoken, written and multimodal texts. Texts may include oral texts, picture books, various types of print and digital texts, chapter books, rhyming verse, poetry, non-fiction, film, multimodal texts, dramatic performances, and texts used by students as models for constructing their own work.
In Year 3, students engage with a range of texts that support and extend them as independent readers. Informative texts include content of increasing complexity and technicality about topics of interest and topics being studied in other areas of the curriculum. Literary texts may describe events that extend over several pages, unusual happenings within a framework of familiar experiences and may include images that extend meaning. These texts use language features including varied sentence structures, some unfamiliar vocabulary, a significant number of high-frequency words that can be decoded using phonic and morphemic knowledge, a variety of punctuation conventions, and illustrations and diagrams that support and extend the printed text.
Year 3 students create imaginative, informative and persuasive types of texts, which may include narratives, procedures, performances, reports, reviews, poetry and argument for particular purposes and audiences.
Year 4
Students engage with a variety of texts for enjoyment. They listen to, read, view and interpret spoken, written and multimodal texts. Texts may include oral texts, picture books, various types of print and digital texts, short novels of different genres, rhyming verse, poetry, non-fiction, film, multimodal texts, dramatic performances, and texts used by students as models for creating their own work.
Literary texts that support and extend students in Year 4 as independent readers may describe sequences of events that develop over chapters and unusual happenings within a framework of familiar experiences. Informative texts include content of increasing complexity and technicality about topics of interest and topics being studied in other areas of the curriculum. These texts use language features including varied sentence structures, some unfamiliar vocabulary that may include English words derived from other languages, a significant number of high-frequency words, words that need to be decoded using phonic and morphemic knowledge, a variety of punctuation conventions, and illustrations and diagrams that support and extend the printed text.
Year 4 students create a range of imaginative, informative and persuasive types of texts that may include narratives, performances, reports, reviews, poetry and arguments for particular purposes and audiences.
MATHEMATICS
The Year 3 Mathematics program extends and refines the students’ skills and builds on their mathematical thinking.
The Year 4 Mathematics program further extends the students’ formal recording of mathematical thinking and develops the students’ mathematical language.
In Year 3 and Year 4, learning in Mathematics builds on each student’s prior learning and experiences. Students engage in a range of approaches to learning and doing mathematics that develop their understanding of and fluency with concepts, procedures and processes by making connections, reasoning, problem-solving and practice. Proficiency in mathematics enables students to respond to familiar and unfamiliar situations by employing mathematical strategies to make informed decisions and solve problems efficiently.
The program encompasses explicit instruction, differentiated activities, open ended tasks, oral and written tasks, real life mathematical experiences and a range of mathematical games. The students are also taught developmentally appropriate problem solving strategies.
At home, Mathematics can be encouraged and supported through various experiences: counting, number facts, real life experiences with cooking, measuring, Mathletics, calendars, reading the time, maps and signs, and strategy, dice and board games.
VISUAL ARTS
This subject encourages students to follow an art process, experimenting with ideas when making and presenting artworks that focus on the application of the elements and principles. Artworks from a variety of cultures, times and places are viewed and discussed.
Year 3
Outline
During Year 3 of the Visual Arts program, students build upon their prior learning and experiences. Throughout the year, students, purposefully and creatively, continue to participate in holistic activities through the arts to nurture and develop their identity, well-being, and connection with and contribution to the world. Students also develop their capabilities and confidence in utilizing subject-specific skills and creative and critical practices, individually and in collaboration with their peers and teachers. Notably, students are encouraged to discover and explore artworks they encounter at home, school, or through family and community events. They are also encouraged to connect with visual artists who live and work in the community by visiting art spaces and exploring virtual exhibitions. Students refer to various stimulus materials to inform and inspire their visual arts practice and processes, including images, events, texts, questions, and observations. These experiences support students’ development of aesthetic knowledge across cognitive, sensory, emotive, and physical domains and encourage them to value artworks and practices from diverse cultural, temporal, and spatial contexts, including countries or cultures in Asia.
Key Skills
Apply knowledge and taught skills to artworks; select and combine art elements to demonstrate aesthetic awareness; solve problems creatively; use appropriate language to describe their own work and that of others; identify stylistic features of contemporary and traditional arts.
Assessment
Practical folio comprising two-dimensional and three dimensional artworks, visual diary, demonstrating appreciation/analysis.
Resources
Provided by the School.
Year 4
Outline
During Year 4, students engage in Visual Arts learning that build upon their prior experiences and knowledge. The curriculum continues to utilize purposeful and creative play-based activities to promote their identity development, well-being and connection with the world around them. Students further develop their skills in using creative and critical practices and subject-specific techniques with increased confidence and capability. They work both independently and collaboratively with their peers and teachers. At this level, students continue to explore artworks they encounter in their homes, schools, and communities. They also connect with visual artists within their local community such as visiting art spaces or experiencing virtual exhibitions. They draw inspiration from various stimulus materials such as images, events, texts, questions, and observations to enhance their visual arts practice. These experiences help students develop aesthetic knowledge across cognitive, sensory, emotive, and physical domains while also developing their appreciation for artworks, traditions and techniques from different cultures, times, and places, including those from countries and cultures in Asia.
Key Skills
Apply knowledge and taught skills to artworks; select and combine art elements to demonstrate aesthetic awareness; solve problems creatively; use appropriate language to describe their own work and that of others; identify stylistic features of contemporary and traditional arts.
Assessment
Practical folio comprising two-dimensional and three dimensional artworks, visual diary, demonstrating appreciation/analysis.
Resources
Provided by the School.
DRAMA FRENCH
Drama is developed in Years 3 and 4 in a trusting environment encouraging creative experimentation and exploration of cultural and global aspects.
Students select and develop ideas for their drama through an investigation of situations, feelings, values and beliefs in various contexts relevant to their personal and social development.
The students’ responses are promoted through non-verbal communication techniques using body language, movement, mime and gestures. Verbal communication is developed through characterisation in improvised and structured situations with attention to appropriate voice and movement techniques. Students develop the ability to manipulate dramatic qualities of time and space to shape performance and convey meaning in their work.
Drama is developed through a process of inquiry and reflection using a variety of art forms of music, dance and visual art as stimuli for their ideas and presentation. A sense of confidence and purpose in student performance is encouraged with a constructive ability to give appropriate feedback and recognition of individual differences using appropriate drama terminology. Planning, presenting and responding to various aspects in performance and the importance of being a receptive audience are developed.
Students use specific verbal communication skills such as persuasive language, discussion, argument and description to express their ideas. The students draw from a range of dramatic forms, including role-play, mime, interviews, documentary drama, improvisation and storytelling to express ideas, to communicate and expand their presentation skills.
The Australian Curriculum will be applied to the drama curriculum with attention to the stages of learning. There will be a focus on developing the fundamental knowledge, skills and behaviors which will underpin future learning.
Students in Years 3 and 4 continue to learn French using a communicative approach. They make connections to a number of Units of Inquiry, with a focus being on the skill of communication through meaningful experiences.
Students begin to participate in the annual Alliance Française Berthe Mouchette Poetry Competition and are introduced to a new program called ‘Histoires en action’ or ‘AIM’ (The Accelerated Integrated Method).
This program is an innovative and entertaining approach to second language instruction. It is content-based and is centred upon the use of stories and music as the context for language acquisition.
The vocabulary presented to students has been carefully selected and is targeted for acquisition through a highly effective kinesthetic method termed ‘The Gesture Approach’. This method accelerates the internalisation of the target vocabulary because students experience and respond to vocabulary and structures kinesthetically, visually, physically and aurally. It ensures an equal and strong emphasis on the development of all four language skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) through a program that meets the needs of all language learners and their learning styles. Spontaneous communication is frequently encouraged.
Amongst the topics covered, students can expect to also include greetings, describing the weather, numbers, age, colours, classroom objects, months and seasons and French festivals. These allow the students to participate in authentic routine exchanges, make statements and ask questions.
LIBRARY MUSIC
Building on the Prep to Year 2 library program, students in Years 3 and 4 continue to engage in Storytime and Browsing and Borrowing, forming a more academic understanding of the library’s circulation and cataloguing processes.
The Year 3 and 4 library program allows students to critically analyse their reading habits and understand, more deeply, what they seek when reading for pleasure. Students explore elements of various genres and
text formats, identifying which of these most appeal to them and use this knowledge to select and recommend texts. Year 4 students also engage in the Book Chat program which gives them the opportunity to meet and discuss books with their peers.
There is also a strong focus on research skills, with both year levels engaging in research projects throughout the year. The non-fiction collection plays a major role in these projects as students learn how texts are organised according to universal classification systems, facilitating information literacy skills that will serve them through to tertiary education.
The main goal of the library program however is reading for pleasure and students are encouraged to explore genres and text formats outside of their usual borrowing history to discover new aspects of the joy of reading. Visiting authors and illustrators add to this enjoyment, giving students the opportunity to engage in hands on activities that show the creative process of storytelling.
In years 3 and 4, students continue to learn from within a Kodaly and Orff-based philosophy.
An emphasis is placed on composition, arrangement and group work tasks that facilitate the development of students’ creative thinking and communication skills. Students apply their knowledge of pitch, rhythms, and the elements of music to a wide range of instrumentation including melodic percussion, recorder, and ukulele. They benefit from multiple performance opportunities at assemblies, school, and community events, and can further progress string instrument skills by joining the Mitiamo Orchestra. Students continue to develop their ensemble and singing technique within Les Chanteuses Choir rehearsals.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Program
Students in Years 3 and 4 have Physical Education every week. Throughout the program students participate in a range of activities both individually and with their peers to further develop their fundamental motor skills. They participate in games using acquired skills and learn about tactical situations, team play and awareness of space in a competitive situation. Every student is encouraged to develop basic technique and confidence in their own ability. Emphasis is placed on fostering enthusiasm and enjoyment of physical activity for all students.
Swimming
Students are invloved in a swimming program where they are taught by qualified swimming coaches and have instruction in both stroke technique and water safety. This program is held in Term 1.
Gymnastics
As part of the Gymnastics unit, students participate in sessions on the Senior Campus. Students are encouraged to explore how the body moves, while developing their strength, balance and flexibility.
Health and Fitness
Throughout each year level students are involved in a fun fitness program during Physical Education. Students begin to gain an understanding of the links between physical activity and health, and engage regularly in lessons involving moderate to vigorous activity. Each class will visit the Life Education Van and will learn about making healthy choices.
House Sporting Activities
Students participate in three House sporting events throughout the year:
House Swimming Carnival House Athletics Carnival House Cross Country
