Middle School
The Middle School has a culture of learning that encourages our students to be everything they can be in an environment free of discipline problems. Our students respond to the happy, aspirational atmosphere where they feel intrinsically valued in their own right and will grow up to be confident and successful citizens because of their quality early schooling experiences.
Our Middle School Program is designed to provide students (Years 3 and 4) with a range of engaging learning experiences. The practices of flexible learning spaces are often reflected as the classes open their doors and the students work collaboratively and cooperatively together.
The Middle School are fortunate to have Monash University Engineering students visit our school each year to present hands on interactive science projects. We also have a partnership with Wheelers Hill Secondary College music department, who provide their singing teacher to conduct choir for years 3-6 weekly.
The Middle School program is run by dedicated, experienced and passionate teachers, who hold the students interests, learning and well being at the forefront.
Year Three and Year Four
Year Three
Year Three at Brandon Park Primary school represents an exciting phase of transitioning from the junior school to senior school. During this year, Year Three students are presented with a range of opportunities that enable them to develop and extend their learning.
LITERACY
In Year Three, students enjoy a daily one hour reading session designed to enhance their decoding skills, enrich their vocabulary and expand their general knowledge. These important skills empower students to better understand, question and thoughtfully examine complex texts that relate to the History, (Vikings, Ancient Rome) Geography (Australia) and English (Literature – Wind in the Willows) curriculum. When it comes to writing, through the Write to Learn (w2L) program Year Three students build on their ability to write different types of sentences – simple, compound and complex. They do this by using techniques such as appositives, subordinating conjunctions and transition words while writing pieces linked to what they have learned in Reading. As they become more proficient in these skills, the students' progress towards creating high quality paragraphs and complete pieces of writing.
In our daily PhOrMEs lessons, the Year Three students continue to excel in more complex spelling rules, including patterns like ‘ti’ and ‘ci’. They also delve into the morphology of English and explore the influence of Latin and Greek root words on our English language.
NUMERACY
In Year Three, mathematical concepts and skills are thoroughly taught across all three curriculum strands, with a strong emphasis on cultivating automaticity and fluency. For example, in the domains of Number and Algebra, students receive explicit instruction on strategies of all four operations and are given ample time to practise their number facts through daily lessons, weekly reviews and engaging games with peers. Once they exhibit a deep understanding of concepts taught and their foundational skills are considered proficient, students then apply this mathematical knowledge through reasoning and problem solving.
SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL LEARNING AND WELLBEING
Year Three is a crucial time for fostering wellbeing and emphasising social and emotional growth. Each week, our students dedicate time to develop essential skills like empathy, gratitude and mindfulness (GEM). These wellbeing sessions encompass a variety of activities ranging from independent activities focused on critical thinking to small group or whole class interactions.
We set aside special occasions, such as Friendship Day where we celebrate our relationships and engage in enjoyable activities that strengthen existing friendships and create new ones.
One of the highlights of Year Three is undoubtedly the Year Three camp. This experience involves a two-night, three-day adventure away from home during which students participate in a diverse range of indoor and outdoor activities alongside their teachers and peers. The camp encourages independence, resilience, teamwork and provides valuable preparation for future camps.
Year Three truly is the place to be!
Year Four
Year Four at Brandon Park Primary School is a year of transition as the students move out of the junior years and into their senior and final years of primary school. They are introduced to cursive writing, and Year Four is a time for extending written pieces through using Single Paragraph Outlines (SPOs) to plan their writing for each genre. They also continue to develop their spelling skills by understanding the parts of meaning (morphology). Through the PhOrMeS program, students have the chance to learn the Greek and Latin root words that are the basis for many English words.
We have set a goal for all Year Four students to have automatic recall of their multiplication tables by the end of the year and are presenting prestigious multiplication awards and medals to all students as they achieve this goal. These awards are presented at assembly in front of the whole school! In Numeracy, there continues to be a heavy focus on the three strands (Number and Algebra, Statistics and Probability, and Measurement and Geometry). These topics are reviewed daily to build on and extend maths fluency.
The Year Four students are always very excited about their three-day camping adventure to Weekaway, one hour north of Melbourne. They cannot wait to participate in the fun activities on camp and further develop their independence.
To develop independent and critical thinking skills, the students are given increasing autonomy in their learning. For example, students are guided to provide their peers with constructive feedback based on the learning intentions, and classes work towards whole-class rewards by demonstrating school values. As the students prepare to be school leaders, they can apply to be class representatives on the Green Team and Student Representative Council. The students take this commitment seriously by attending meetings each week and occasionally presenting in front of the school at assemblies.
