Primary Information Booklet
This booklet is designed to introduce you to Primary at Peace Lutheran College (PLC). Our Primary comprises Kindy to Year 6
Primary provides a child centred learning environment that recognizes the developmental needs of students in the first six years of formal education.
As part of a Christian School, we believe that everyone should be treated respectfully and equally in all situations. Each of us has unique God given gifts and talents. We celebrate these differences and develop them so we are active and engaged 21st Century learners and participators.
The Prep year provides a firm foundation for formal schooling. Children develop their independence and social skills, physical skills, oral language, literacy and numeracy understandings, creativity and curiosity about the world.
Positive and secure relationships between parents, students and teachers are vital in providing strong learning foundations for now and the future. Primary School has talented and devoted Christian teachers who work together and in partnership with parents and families, to help achieve the best education for all our students.
Primary students at PLC also have the benefits of specialist teachers in subject areas such as Physical Education, Japanese and The Arts.
Other benefits for Primary students include the opportunity to join with students from Secondary in many College activities and sharing their excellent resources. Students can also remain on the one campus throughout their school life and stay with their friends whilst making new ones along the way.
Please do not hesitate to contact either the Principal or Director of Primary for more information.
Mrs Elisabeth Fenske
Mrs Christina Jacobson & Mrs Laura Robinson Principal Directors of Primary principal@plc.qld.edu.au cjacobson@plc.qld.edu.au lrobinson@plc.qld.edu.au
Peace Lutheran College has an overarching philosophy, which applies from Kindy to Year 12. Specifically, in relation to Primary, this philosophy encompasses the following main elements:
Christian
As a Lutheran School, encouraging students to explore andfollow the Christian journey is paramount. Lutheran schools must create an environment that is safe and allows students to explore, discuss and seek answers to their questions of life, spirituality, faith and the church.
Lifelong Qualities of Learners (LQL)
Lifelong Qualities for Learners suggests that Lutheran schools are about creating individuals who, whether Christian or not, understand a Christian worldview andare developing their own so that they can act with integrity and contribute to the shaping of their communities in productive and compassionateways. (Lutheran Education Australia, 2005, p. 2)
As central to their mission and ministry, Lutheran schools seek to nurture individuals who are:
• aware of their humanity,
• open to the influence of the Holy Spirit, and
• growing in and living according to a cohesive worldview
while
Living in community, reflecting characteristics of God through core values, especially love, justice, compassion, forgiveness, humility, courage, hope, quality, appreciation, and service and
Contributing to communities by being:
• self directed, insightful investigators and learners
• discerning, resourceful problem solvers and implementers
• adept, creative producers and contributors
• open, responsive communicators and facilitators
• principled, resilient leaders and collaborators
• caring, steadfast supporters and advocates
Source: Lutheran Education Australia (2005) Educational Framework Including Lifelong Qualities for Learners, Lutheran Education Australia: Melbourne. Used with Permission
Educational Philosophy
Children learn best in a safe and stimulating environment. Primary at PLC aims to cater for the intellectual and social development of students across the schooling years. Our academic programs are designed to develop problem solving skills, decision making and character.
We recognize and celebrate the uniqueness of each child and strive to incorporate this into quality programming that fosters the children’s physical, social, emotional, intellectual, aesthetic and spiritual development.
Peace Lutheran College monitors each child’s progress across all sectors of the school. The curriculum is coordinated by a dedicated team of staff through all year levels, to ensure it is comprehensive, sequential and challenging.
The Primary School Structure
Students are organised into Year Level groups. These are called Home Groups. We have two Home Groups per Year Level. The teachers, and consequently the classes, work together as a team to provide a teaching and learning environment in which all are valued and catered for.
Our classrooms have the following advantages and benefits:
• Focused literacy and numeracy blocks
• Additional support for students in key areas of English and Mathematics.
• Safe and supportive learning environments that promote self esteem and confidence.
• Stimulating and challenging programs that help prepare children for life in the 21st Century.
• Caring and committed staff who promote involvement and partnership with families.
• Focus on integrating technology skills in everyday teaching and learning.
Flexible Learning
21st Century learning is underpinned by teaching methods and spaces that are engaging, motivational and that challenge our traditional view of classroom teaching and learning. Flexible learning spaces and evolving pedagogies encourage students and teachers to be creative, independent learners who collaborate well.
Karl Fisch (Shift Happens) states, “We are currently preparing students for jobs that don’t exist, using technologies that haven’t been invented in order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet.”
If this is true, then we cannot keep doing education the way we have in the past. Students are entering into a world that is changing at a rapid rate. Knowledge is available at their fingertips. So we have changed our teaching and learning to focus not only on the knowledge side of learning, but the development of skills students need to engage and actively participate in the world in which they live.
We are focussing on the development of students’ skills for life, those of collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and communication. Combining formalised learning within a flexible space allows us to cater for the development of knowledge as well as skills.
The classroom spaces are designed to be communal spaces which can be configured in a number of ways for specific learning experiences. This means they provide opportunities for people to work together in collaborative and exciting ways in order to promote the curiosity and freedom to engage with content in the way that suits students best. We understand that each child has their own strengths and limitations a flexible learning model seeks to allow a ‘way in’ for every learner that they may not have had in a more traditionally designed classroom.
In a flexible learning classroom, you will find:
• Classrooms that encourage students to be active participants in their learning rather than passive vessels
• Design that promotes a sense of inquiry, wonder and excitement.
• Classrooms where the teacher can deliver flexible lesson content lecture style, group style, presentation style or activity style
• Design that challenges students to think and do more.
• Desks and other furniture that can easily move to accommodate different needs and different activities
• Areas that promote student and teacher communication and collaboration.
Flexible learning is where you will find the theory of inquiry learning at play, as educational theorists intended it. Students can engage in a mix of teacher directed and student directed teaching and learning, independent learning, project work, direct instruction, innovative and creative thinking, relationship building, and problem solving. There may be different ‘zones’ that have specific displays or purposes.
All students are taught according to the Achievement Standards for each year level as identified in the Australian Curriculum.
The Primary Curriculum
At Peace Lutheran College we are using the Australian Curriculum and Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority Documents. Students experience the following subjects:
• English
• Mathematics
• Christian Studies
• Project Based Learning (includes Science, Humanities)
• Physical Education
• Technology
• Japanese in Prep Year 5. In Year 5 & 6 student have the choice of Japanese or Italian
• The Arts
English
The English Language program aims to develop the students’ abilities in the aspects of Language, Literature and Literacy. Students comprehend, create, evaluate and discuss a range of spoken, written and visual texts. They should be able to apply these skills with confidence, purpose and enjoyment, in a wide variety of contexts. It may be said that in the earlier years, the children learn to read and in the latter Primary years, they read to learn.
Learning activities are planned so that children:
• learn language
• learn through language
• learn about language
• apply language to various situations and purposes
• use language to gather, comprehend, sort, organise and disseminate information
We use “Sound Waves” as our phonics based program.
Mathematics
The Mathematics program’s aim is to develop children’s understanding, fluency, problem solving and reasoning of mathematical concepts.
The content strands of the Mathematics program include the study of:
• Number and Algebra
• Measurement and Geometry
• Statistics and Probability
Number and Algebra includes counting and representing numbers, computation, fractions, decimals, patterning and problem solving.
Measurement and Geometry involves estimating, measuring, comparing and calculating using appropriate units of measurement. Geometry investigates size, shape (2D and 3D) and position.
Statistics and Probability includes collecting, representing, interpreting data and exploring the likelihood of events occurring.
Currently we are using iMaths as our standard program delivery for Mathematics lessons.
Christian Studies
Our Christian Studies program is based on Lutheran Education Australia’s Christian Studies Curriculum Framework. It is grounded in Lutheran Theology and Confessions.
There are four strands that students revisit each year:
Christian Beliefs
Christian Church
Project Based Learning (PBL)
Christian Living
Christianity in the World
“Project Based Learning is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem, or challenge.” (Buck Institute)
The teachers look into the Science and Humanities curriculums, and devise a semester long teaching sequence that impacts the community, has student choice, and allows all learning to have a purpose as to why they need to know it, so students can become more motivated and intrigued. The teachers formatively assess the children’s knowledge in a variety of ways, and then design teaching activities that challenge the students where they need to be. The teachers then design lessons that are open ended and student driven.
The students ask questions and design activities that will help them answer the main PBL questions.
Physical Education
Physical Education is conducted by specialist teachers. It involves skill development in areas such as ball skills, athletics, swimming, gymnastics and dance. Physical Education actively engages students in physical exercise in a fun and enjoyable manner and aims to develop positive attitudes to physical activity. Students are provided with opportunities to participate in individual pursuits and as a member of a team.
The Arts
Music, Visual Art, Dance, Drama and Media are all taught within The Arts specialist lessons.
Japanese
Japanese is the language taught in Primary and is conducted by specialist teachers. Students learn to speak and write and to develop an understanding of the culture.
Italian
Italian is available as a language choice from Year 6 and can be continued through to Year 9. In Year 6 the subject is designed to give students a “taste” of this language in preparation for choosing a language in Secondary learning.
Technology
Targeted Digital Technology lessons are also provided weekly. This involves the skills of coding, robotics and typing. All classrooms have interactive whiteboards, and access to computers or iPad’s. We see Technology as an integrated part of our teaching and learning program.
Co-Curricular Activities
Primary students participate in a variety of sporting and cultural activities:
Cross Country, Swimming and Athletics Carnivals
Arts Council
NAIDOC and ANZAC
Individual Music Tuition
Grandparent’s Day
Harmony Day Global Village
Life Education Van/Program
Book Week
Special Church Services
Junior Choir (Year 2 6)
Pastoral Care
Time is set aside for helping students to develop organisational skills, study skills and emotional resilience which equip them not only for success during their school years but also for further study or future careers.
With the assistance of our Student Welfare Officer and College Pastor, children can benefit from mentoring and resilience training in small groups to help enhance their self esteem and confidence.
You Can Do It – Program Achieve
YCDI is a program that will teach your child a number of different skills they need to be happy (to themselves, have friends, work hard, help others, make school and home a safe and clean place to live and learn) and successful (doing the best they can do).
Five foundations that children need to develop to be happy and successful are:
Confidence
Persistence
Organisation
Getting Along
Emotional Resilience
Summary
PLC is a school where the values of learning and Christianity are merged to provide a safe and challenging teaching and learning environment where all students are valued and prepared for active participation in our community and 21st Century society.
Thank you for considering working with us to provide your child with a quality Christian education. Please contact us if you require further information.