Junior School
In the Junior School (Foundation to Year 2), every child is special. Our curriculum meets children at their stage of development and includes child-centred programs that include Art, Mandarin, Technology and Physical Education.
Learning is fun, for the children and their teachers, and extends beyond the boundaries of the school with excursions and activities that explore the world.
“Our Junior School Program is designed to awaken young minds to the joys of learning.”
— Janice Corbett, Assistant Principal
Foundation
Foundation marks your child's first year at primary school, during which they lay the essential foundations for their education, nurturing their social, emotional, and academic development. It is a year filled with exponential growth!
During the Foundation year, teachers strive to provide your child with numerous opportunities for success, fostering a lifelong passion for learning. Students are taught to make connections to the real world through our content-rich curriculum programs.
Excitement abounds in Foundation, from our annual Teddy Bear’s Picnic to our '100 Days of School' party, concluding with our special Foundation Graduation.
Our Buddy program supports a smooth transition for your child as they start school and are paired with a special friend from an older year level. This promotes social and supportive networks, fostering a sense of community and belonging within the school.
At the beginning of each year, our 'Family Fun Night' brings all the Foundation families together for a delightful sausage sizzle and engaging activities coordinated by our school leaders.
We are always thrilled to welcome new Foundation students to Brandon Park Primary School and eagerly anticipate being a part of their learning journey!
Our Buddy Program!
At Brandon Park Primary School, we have enthusiastically embraced The Alannah and Madeline Foundation's 'Better Buddies' Program. This initiative is purposefully designed to cultivate a warm and compassionate school environment. Through 'Better Buddies,' our Foundation students are paired with Year 5 students, embarking on a journey to explore and internalise essential values such as caring for others, friendliness, respect, valuing differences, inclusivity and responsibility.
The Better Buddies Program is integrated into our weekly schedule, with a dedicated hour per week for these activities. Additionally, Year 5 students extend their support to their buddies during schoolwide events, introduce them at school assemblies, and ensure their well-being in the playground.
Our school's strong sense of community fosters an environment where bullying is virtually non-existent. Implementing the 'Better Buddies' program further reinforces this positive atmosphere, making our Foundation students feel exceptionally nurtured and secure at school. Moreover, the 'Better Buddies' initiative serves as a vital steppingstone, preparing our Year 5 students for the leadership roles they will encounter in their final year of primary school.
This is a program the students absolutely love!
Exciting Events in Foundation
Each term, children develop an important link between their learning and community by participating in a range of excursions and incursions.
All of our learning programs are supported by dedicated and experienced teachers.
A trip to Myuna Farm!
The Teddy Bear Hospital
A wonderful incursion where students bring their favourite soft toys and learn how to look after them at the Teddy Bear Hospital!
A visit to the Safety Village!
100 days of School!
Our Foundation staff all dressed!!
Year One
Oh, what fun we have in Year One!
In Year One, we encourage all students to share their love of learning through a range of curriculum areas, including Literacy, Numeracy, History, Geography, ICT, and Respectful Relationships. We are dedicated to providing students with engaging and differentiated lessons and learning experiences that allow them to reach their full potential. Students are provided with opportunities to work in groups, with a partner, and independently to apply and embed their understanding of skills and concepts taught.
We promote a growth mindset in Year One and understand that we have to persist and challenge ourselves to continue to make our brains ‘stronger’.
As a passionate and creative team of educators, we understand that every child is unique, and we love developing relationships with them and their families throughout the year.
We raise the bar and celebrate all student successes!
Special activities that occur throughout the year include:
· Year One Swimming Program
· Teddy Bear Hospital (alternating years)
· Year One Stay Late
· Year Six Buddy Program
· Themed dress-up days
· Incursions and excursions that support current topics (for example, an excursion to Como House to further enhance our understanding of past and present in History, Science Works to further develop our knowledge of scientific concepts)
· Community involvement (such as a relationship with Nellie Melba Retirement Village)
Year Two
A typical Year Two day at BPPS includes a Literacy block that consists of PhOrMeS (spelling and vocabulary program), Read to Learn (reading program), and Write to Learn (writing program). This is followed by a Numeracy block, which incorporates a daily review focusing on the automaticity of number facts and fluency before transitioning into a numeracy curriculum session. Afternoon sessions involve integrated lessons, including The Resilience Project (TRP), Respectful Relationships, and Information Computer Technology (ICT). Throughout the week, students also participate in a session of Health and Physical Education, Mandarin, Visual Arts, Music, and Science.
Year Two is an exciting time for students inside and outside the classroom. The students love to explore History and Geography topics, and the teachers do this by integrating topic content into our R2L and W2L programs. Students gain a deeper understanding during reading sessions by unpacking the content and being able to answer comprehension questions about what they have learned. They are then able to include learned vocabulary and knowledge to enhance their writing. By integrating these topics into our Literacy programs, students have shown to have a deeper understanding of the content and are able to create detailed sentences with a richer vocabulary.
Read to Learn Units:
Ancient India
Ancient Greece
Ancient China
Properties of Matter
Famous First Nations People
Continents and Oceans of the World
Insects
Some extra-curricular activities that the Year Two students look forward to throughout the year are:
Ancient Greece Incursion
Education Week – Special Friends Afternoon
Healesville Zoo Excursion
Stay In (Year Two camp experience program)
Year Two Swimming Program
Police Academy visit
