Extra-Curricular
Extra-Curricular Activities
2015 Extra-Curricular Program Overview
At BPS, we encourage all children to make the most of their time at school and to become actively involved in their community. To foster this, we encourage participation in activities that occur outside of normal school program. This is what we mean by ‘extra-curricular activities’.
Term 3 Extra-Curricular Activities
During School Activities
Library (Monday, Wednesday and Friday lunchtime)
Chess Club (Tuesday lunchtime)
Games Club (Thursday lunchtime)
After School Activities
Creative Writing (Monday 3.45-4.45pm and Friday 3.45-4.45pm)
https://www.creativewriteit.com.au/our-story.html
New Star Art (Monday 3.45-5.15pm)
https://newstarart.com/
Big 5 Sports Soccer/Netball Programs (Wednesday, 3.40-4.40pm)
https://www.sportingkids.com.au/
Music Theatre (Wednesday, 3.45-4.45pm)
Drama Classes (Thursday, Prep-Year 2 @ 3.45-4.45pm, Yrs 3-6 @ 4.45-5.45pm)
https://www.thedramaschool.com.au/
EXCURSIONS
Usually one or two major excursions are planned per year and one minor excursion or visiting speaker is planned for each term. All excursions require a permission note. Please attend to these promptly and return with your child.
CAMPS
Our current camp program is as follows:
Year 5/6: Term 4, 2 nights – Sovereign Hill
Year 3/4: Term 3, 2 nights – Phillip Island
Year 2: Term 4, 1 night sleepover – School Hall
Year 1: Term 4, Dinner at school – School Hall
Prep: Term 4, Prep Breakfast
SWIMMING PROGRAM
As part of the Health & Physical Education curriculum, all students are involved in an intensive swimming program each year. The classes are held in an indoor heated pool.
Currently, classes will be held as follows:
Prep, Year 1 & 2 Term 3
Year 3 & 4 Term 1
Year 5 & 6 Term 2
Advance notice is given and parents are very welcome to come and watch the lessons.
Enrichment & Gifted and Talented
Enrichment
Our aim is to ensure every child is encouraged to develop to their full potential. We seek to do this within all our classrooms by differentiating the curriculum, which means making the curriculum different to meet the different needs of students within a class. For gifted students this means providing experiences that are qualitatively different from those provided for all children. We provide concepts at higher levels of abstraction or greater complexity, emphasising the development of higher order thinking skills.
Depending on their individual needs, gifted students will be presented with a variety of opportunities for enrichment and extension of their learning, and may be identified to be accelerated through classes. The enrichment program at BPS provides high potential students with an opportunity to develop their strengths and talents in areas ranging from Mathematics to Music, Art to Athletics.
The enrichment program is a flexible and integrated program run during school hours facilitated by staff members, parents and volunteers.
External enrichment programs are also offered to our students including G.A.T.E.Ways and Tournament of Minds.
Lunchtime and expression of interest programs
We provide our students with opportunities to participate in external programs that are open to all students. These programs are expression of interest programs and can often incur a financial outlay to parents. These programs also provide students with the opportunity to extent their learning and develop their strengths and talents in different areas. Many of these programs run during lunchtimes.
Competitions
Our students regularly take part in ICAS competitions throughout the year. These competitions are open to students in Years 2-6.
A science enrichment program run by a parent measuring the size of the earth using shadows in Melbourne and Cairns.
Learning Intervention
EAL (English as Additional Language)
Students are defined as being EAL students if they come from a language background other than English, and require additional support in learning English as an additional language.
In 2015, we have a dedicated EAL program across the school providing students with intensive, small group teaching. EAL will be a whole school program, supporting students from years P-6 who have been identified as requiring support.
Intervention
In 2015, BPS will have a dedicated Intervention program providing additional support for students identified as being at risk.
The program will run across the school; P-6 providing additional support in the areas of literacy and numeracy. Students identified as being at risk will be involved in intensive small group teaching, in addition to the regular classroom program, on a weekly basis to further develop their skills and understandings.
Instrumental Music Program
In addition to providing a full classroom music program within the school curriculum, Balwyn Primary School offers an Instrumental Music Program that gives all children the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument.
A range of instrumental tuition is available at the school: Strings – violin, cello; Woodwind – flute, clarinet, saxophone; Piano; Guitar – modern and classical As well as providing children with the chance to learn an instrument, the program encourages children to make music together.
Our String Ensembles, Guitar Ensembles and Orchestras involve many of our players. The range of ensembles varies from year to year in order to accommodate the changing population of instrumental students. If you would like more information regarding the program, please download the document below.
