STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths)
Languages Other Than English (LOTE)
Classroom music education at Clifton Hill Primary School is designed to engage students in music making and discovery. The pedagogical approach of the program is based on Orff music education. The Orff teaching process involves singing, body percussion, playing on a variety of both tuned and un-tuned instruments, movement, dancing and speech activities to encourage active music making.
Click here for more details on the Grade 1 - 3 Music Program.
Extracurricular Music Opportunities:
Choirs
At CHPS we have 3 Choirs:
These choirs are run by staff members who have an interest and experience in singing in choirs. The choirs rehearse at lunch time and perform at assemblies and special occasions.
Guitar
Russell Bratton teaches individual guitar lessons. Parents are charged directly by Russell. If you are interested in your child learning guitar, contact Russell directly on 0418423519 or at cnizcniz@yahoo.com.au.
Violin/Cello
The string teacher, Ross Henderson, has a limited number of places for individual instrumental tuition. Parents are charged directly by Ross. If you are interested in your child learning the violin or cello, please contact Ross directly on 0406 090 338 or at r.w.henderson@hotmail.com.
String Ensemble - Tuesday morning at 8:00am is the rehearsal time for the String Ensemble. Students who have learnt violin, viola, cello or double bass for twelve months or more are welcome to join the string ensemble. The String Ensemble is directed by Ross Henderson.
African Drumming Ensemble – offered to Grades 3-6 one lunch time per week (the start date is yet to be confirmed - information will be sent in a newsletter.) It is taught by Mohamed Camara, a Master Drummer from West Africa. The fee for participation is $15.00 per class, and students are expected to join for the term.
Drum Kit
Mark Knowles provides lessons in drum kit on Thursday afternoons after school. Contact Mark directly on 0413 407 313.
Students create artworks during weekly lessons using a wide range of mediums including painting, drawing, ceramics, textiles, print making and modelling. They are encouraged to plan, discuss, experiment, make and share their work. Each lesson challenges students to sequentially develop their knowledge and skills. By viewing and responding to the work of other artists, students expand their arts-based language and further develop their own aesthetic values. We frequently link projects to the study of historical and contemporary artists and to current exhibitions where possible. Throughout the year students participate in a series of relevant incursions and excursions. The Clifton Hill Primary School Art Show is held every two years and each child is involved in creating work for this whole school event.
All students in Grades 2 to 6 attend weekly sessions in the Science Centre.
Over the year, students will develop their knowledge and understanding across the four main content strands of the Science curriculum:
Biological Sciences:
The Biological Sciences sub-strand is concerned with understanding living things. The key concepts developed within this sub-strand are that: a diverse range of living things have evolved on Earth over hundreds of millions of years; living things are interdependent and interact with each other and their environment; and the form and features of living things are related to the functions that their body systems perform.
Chemical Sciences:
The Chemical Sciences sub-strand is concerned with understanding the composition and behaviour of substances. The key concepts developed within this sub-strand are that: the chemical and physical properties of substances are determined by their structure at an atomic scale; and that substances change and new substances are produced by rearranging atoms through atomic interactions and energy transfer.
Physical Sciences:
The Physical Sciences sub-strand is concerned with understanding the nature of forces and motion, and matter and energy. The two key concepts developed within this sub-strand are that: forces affect the behaviour of objects; and that energy can be transferred and transformed from one form to another.
Earth & Space Sciences:
The Earth and Space Sciences sub-strand is concerned with Earth’s dynamic structure and its place in the cosmos. The key concepts developed within this sub-strand are that: Earth is part of a solar system that is part of a larger universe; and Earth is subject to change within and on its surface, over a range of timescales as a result of natural processes and human use of resources.
Students will also develop their science inquiry skills:
The Physical Education program is designed to cover the movement and physical activity dimension of the school curriculum. The program allows all students to develop their personal fitness, coordinated movement patterns and the development of fundamental and complex motor skills. The program aims to develop students’ confidence in using movement skills and strategies to increase their motivation to become active, to improve their performance and maintain a level of fitness that allows them to participate in physical activity without undue fatigue. The course also aims to provide opportunities for maximum participation, cooperative play, leadership and fair sporting behaviour. A fun and supportive environment is fostered in which students are encouraged to strive to reach their potential in all that they attempt.
All students will receive at least one specialist Physical Education session each week. Students in Grades 4 to 6 have the opportunity to participate in a range of activities outside the general curriculum including selection trials in Swimming, Cross Country and Athletics. A P-3 Tabloid Sports Day will be held in Term 4.
In 2022, the School Council commenced a review of the school’s educational offerings. After consultation with the school community, the School Council determined in 2023 that in the future we would only offer one LOTE program. The decision was made by the School Council in 2024, to phase out our Mandarin program and only offer French to our Foundation students from 2025.
We will continue to offer both Mandarin and French to grades 1-6 in 2025, progressively phasing out one language over the next six years.
FRENCH:
Our French program has the following features:
** Our annual grade 6 Language trip to New Caledonia is currently on hold.
MANDARIN:
CHPS offers a comprehensive Mandarin program from Prep to Grade 6, which focuses on learning the language, developing an understanding of Chinese culture, and broadening the children's experience of living in a global community. We aim to foster a life-long passion for language learning in general, something that will give each child great skills for their future.
Language Learning: Our classes are designed to introduce language in a dynamic and fun way. From Prep onwards, all students learn essential language skills through a variety of activities and tasks. While there is an emphasis on listening and speaking initially in accordance with the Communicative Competence approach to language teaching, we also introduce children to the fascinating world of Chinese characters at a young age and progress to simple reading and writing supported by ICT tools.
Learning about Chinese culture: Learning about China's history and cultural traditions is an integral part of our program. We examine Chinese festivals and compare them with our own, and learn about the daily life of people in China, particularly children of a similar age through watching a variety of videos.
Fostering a passion for language: Our program embraces a student-centred approach to language learning with many games, activities, songs, crafts and hands-on experiences with the language as an everyday tool. This approach awakens children’s curiosity and inquisitiveness and helps foster their desire to learn more about foreign languages and global cultures.
The following opportunities are offered as part of the Mandarin program (please note - these are currently on hold):
Language Immersion Program in Machong (March)
We have established a sister school relationship with Dongguan City Machong Gu Mei Central Primary School in Guangzhou, China. Every March, a group of CHPS Mandarin students is offered the opportunity to undertake one week of intensive language immersion in Machong where our students attend an intensive Mandarin class every morning taught by our sister school staff and practise the language with the local students. CHPS students also participate in a wide range of subjects taught entirely in Mandarin, including Science, ICT, PE, Arts, Music, Martial Arts, Calligraphy and Fencing. This program is limited to Grade 5 students learning Mandarin.
Cultural Immersion Program in China (September)
Every September, CHPS offers students the opportunity to visit China for a two-week cultural immersion. This trip includes visits to Shanghai, Beijing, Xian and to our other sister school, Huaibei Experimental Primary School, where students spend up to four days living in homestay with Chinese families. This trip provides students with first-hand insights into Chinese culture, geography, education, arts, history and daily life in modern China as well as some language development. The program is open to any CHPS student in Grade 6. Students DO NOT need to study Mandarin to participate in this trip.
Sister Schools Visiting CHPS (July and August)
Every year students and teachers from our two sister schools come to visit CHPS to immerse themselves in our school community and experience life in an Australian primary school.
In April, students and teachers from Dongguan City Machong Gu Mei Central Primary School come for a five-day language immersion program, which includes participating in regular classes as well as targeted English instruction.
In August, students and teachers from Huaibei Experimental Primary School come to CHPS for a five-day homestay experience. They also participate in some of our specialist classes.
Our ultimate goal is to prepare children to be active global citizens in the “Asian Century” and give them the skills and adaptability to flourish.
© Clifton Hill Primary School