Specialised Learning Areas

Italian

All children have the experience of learning Italian at the school. Foreign language learning apart from the obvious benefits, allows the brain to develop pathways that also impact positively on other learning areas, e.g. mathematics, music and the understanding of their own first language.

Language learning in a primary school setting is about a positive exposure to a foreign language and culture. In the classroom, language is learnt through studying cultural topics or topics that are relevant to the children’s lives. It is of paramount importance that the children’s experience of learning Italian instills in them an interest and receptiveness to other people, languages and cultures throughout their lives.

Embracing other languages and cultures is increasingly becoming important as we move towards a more global community. Cultural awareness and sensitivity is a necessary requirement in any relationship; either local or global. As an educator, I am passionate about exposing the children to a world beyond our shores.

The Performing Arts

The Arts have the capacity to engage, inspire and enrich all students, exciting the imagination and encouraging them to reach their creative and expressive potential. Together they provide opportunities for students to learn how to create, design, represent, communicate and share their imagined and conceptual ideas, emotions, observations and experiences. (From The Australian Curriculum – The Arts rationale).

At Henley Beach Primary School, all students have lessons in the Performing Arts taught by specialist teachers. Students develop their skills in Dance, Drama and Music. They learn to work in groups to create their own items and to perform to an audience. They also perform other artists’ work (for example, singing a song written by someone else). By developing their skills and by performing to others, students develop their confidence and express their creativity. Students learn to be respectful audience members and to discuss their responses to performances showing an understanding of the elements of each of the Arts forms. At the end of the year, the students perform with their classes in a concert or musical play that combines the Performing Arts.

Science

Science is divided into the four learning areas of:

  • Biological Sciences: the study of living organisms involving structure and function, interdependence and diversity and evolution. In Biological Sciences students can learn that living organisms depend on each other and the environment to survive.

  • Chemical Sciences: the study of various forms of matter, their composition, structure and properties. In Chemical Sciences students can learn that changes to materials can be reversible, such as melting, freezing, evaporating; or irreversible such as burning and rusting.

  • Earth and Space Sciences: involves exploring changes to the Earth and systems in Space. In Earth and Space Sciences students can learn that Earth’s rotation on its axis causes regular changes, including day and night and that some of Earth’s resources are renewable, but others are non-renewable.

  • Physical Sciences: involves the study of the physical world, students can learn about transformation and conservation of energy and explore a variety of forces and motion.

Physical Education

At Henley Beach Primary, we strive to promote the benefits of living a healthy and active life, in and out of school. Due to our highly engaged and active staff members, student participation in sporting activities is very strong at Henley Beach Primary.

Students of all year levels take part in regular fitness and skill activities and have weekly PE lessons.  PE lessons encourage participation of all where students strive to do their best, challenge themselves and play like ‘good sports’. 

In PE younger students primarily learn and develop Fundamental Movement Skills.  These are the basic skills involved in being active and these are developed through explicit teaching, practice, game play and introduction to sports.  They also learn the basics of game play, strategy and all that is involved in being a ‘good sport’.

Our older students play sports and games in PE time with an exposure to common and less common sports.  They also engage in clinics where they can access sporting coaches.  Students learn about types of games and sports rather than discreet sports.  There is also a further development of understandings of game play and strategy.  Students are encouraged to behave in ways that support the ‘good sport’ ethos and show leadership amongst their peers and across the school.  PE participation involves both written and physical components so students can show their learning in multiple ways.

Each year we have a Sports Day and our school fields teams in school based and district School Sport SA (SAPSASA) competitions.  We also enter teams into other carnival style school sporting competitions.

Students from Reception to Year Five are involved in yearly swimming lessons in the last week of school at the Thebarton Aquatics Centre and the year 6 students take part in Aquatics at West lakes.

Technologies

Technologies draws together the distinct but related subjects of Design and Technologies and Digital Technologies. It will ensure that all students benefit from learning about and working with traditional, contemporary and emerging technologies that shape the world in which we live.

In creating solutions, as well as responding to the designed world, students will contribute to sustainable patterns of living for themselves and others.