Curriculum

St Michael's Catholic Primary School

School Curriculum

Religious Education

Religious Education Programmes are based on the Religious Education Guidelines for the Archdiocese of Perth. St Michael’s incorporates Sacramental programmes as part of the Religious Education syllabus of all years with particular emphasis on the following:

Religious Education is an essential element of all Catholic Schools and every child is expected to participate fully in all aspects of the programme – i.e. daily lessons, prayer, liturgies and special events. Parents, Parish and community members are invited to participate via the school and parish newsletters.

The Sacramental Program for 2022 is:

Pre-primary

Our Pre-primary emphasis is to provide the children with rich play based learning experiences to develop their cognitive, social, emotional, physical and creative skills.

Language

The acquisition of language is a developmental process and at St. Michael's we aim to develop children as language users. Students are fully immersed in language in all its forms and for all its purposes. We provide whole language programmes which integrate reading, writing, speaking and listening within a relevant and meaningful context. Children are encouraged to share responsibility for their own personal progress and to think, to question and to elevate their own performance within the process of language learning.

Creative thinking, individual viewpoints and risk taking are encouraged within a success-oriented framework of strategies and experiences integrated across all areas of the curriculum. Language programmes offered at St. Michael's focus on each child as an individual learner and allow for each child's literacy development to be carefully monitored and evaluated. First Steps Language strategies are implemented and each child is placed on a continuum which will be explained to parents.

Reading Recovery Programme

Our ‘Early Years Reading Recovery Program’ promotes literacy learning for children who have been identified at risk in reading and writing. Our highly experienced and trained ‘Reading Recovery Program’ specialist teacher provides one-to-one reading instruction on a daily basis that is individually-designed to meet the needs for each child.

Literacy - Reading & Writing

Our Mini-Lit program designed for younger readers and Multi-Lit program for older readers are evidence-based reading programs, effective for reading intervention for children with ongoing literacy intervention. Our Literacy Support Teacher and Support Educators explicitly teach children, who have been identified to receive literacy support, as part of our ongoing intervention program. These regular sessions involve supporting children to build skills in reading accuracy involving explicit word attack and sight word skills, fluency and reinforced reading as well as comprehension and spelling.

Mathematics

The teaching of Mathematics at the school follows the pathway of the Curriculum Frameworks using an activity based approach. Mathematical knowledge and skills will be acquired by the children in the course of practical activites involving pupil interaction with concrete materials.

The chief aim of teaching activity-based maths are to:

Maths policy is based on developing positive attitudes to maths understanding, skills, knowledge and intellectual abilities. Maths lessons could involve either electronic, written or mental activities. The element of dicovery learning, often seen as play, is of paramount importance in developing the above outlines. The calculator activities will be based on familiarisation, games, development of self-checking skills and application to the four processes at the level of each child and clearly after concrete understanding of the process involved.

Society & Environment

Our aim in Society and Environment is to develop in the children the concepts, knowledge and attitudes that will enable them to live in their society and environment as responsible Christians. Our studies are based on the WA Education Department's national syllabus and follows the Curriculum Framework, at all times integrated with R.E.

Science

At St. Michael's, we believe that science should provide the primary school child with a means of learning about themselves and their environment through as many practical first-hand experiences as possible. Science should develop in the child attitudes of curiosity, perseverence and enjoyment. We follow the guidelines of the Curriculum Frameworks, studying the areas of animals, plants, matter and energy. We follow the Primary Investigations programme for all grades. The school emphasises a problem solving approach through inquiry and discovery. The children are guided to observe, measure, describe and to think creatively and responsibly about themselves and their environment through a variety of science-related experiences.

St. Michael's has developed a 'sustainability' programme that encourages a hands on approach to environmental issues. We have a well equipped Science Resource Area. Parents are invited to assist by contributing to its shelves in collecting equipment and items of scientific interest. The St. Michael's science week has produced many enthusiastic and creative scientific inventions in our school. Children are encouraged to participate and to experience fun and enjoyment in science.

Art & Craft

The St. Michael's Art programme allows the children opportunities to express their ideas and feelings through techniques of drawing, painting, colouring, printmaking, collage, papercraft, textiles, weaving, 3D activities and ceramics. They will experience enjoyment in developing their creative potential.

Through structured, sequential activities based on their level of understanding and stages of development, they will explore line, colour, texture, shape, form and space. They will develop an understaing of art and develop motor, visual, analytical and perceptual skills. Their art learning will contribute to their spiritual, intellectual, emotional and social growth.

Music

The Music programme aims to develop good aural skills, the ability to keep the beat and sing in tune. It also encourages the enjoyment and appreciation of music. Activities including singing, listening, moving, playing and creating are carefully structured and sequenced.

Guitar lessions are provided as a part of our instrumental programme in the school and piano lessons are also available through an external provider.

As concepts are clearly understood, children develop music literacy skills, and together with sound aural ability, this forms the basis of a musically educated person, able to pursue more sophisticated music training.

Physical Education

Physical Education is an important part of the curriculum at St. Michael's. Children in all years participate in a variety of physical activities, where skill development games are fostered. All fitness and sport sessions are coeducational. Modified rules of games are taught and modified equipment is used. All children in Years 4-6 are taught the basics of major sports.

It is important that children are properly attired for physical education lessons. On sport days, children wear their sport uniform for the whole day. They do not change for daily fitness but they may sometimes remove their shoes and socks for certain activities. Each year all students participate in a Faction Athletics Carnival towards the end of Term 3 and a Faction Swimming Carnival in Term 1. An Inter-school Athletics Carnival is held in Term 3/4 with local schools participating. Participation in Inter Schools Aussie Sports is also encouraged.

Technology Education

It is our policy at St. Michael's to integrate the use of computers and other technology into children's learning in the classroom. They learn to use computers rather than merely about them. In keeping with this policy, the school has a a set of Ipads for use within the school.

L.O.T.E (Language other than English)

St. Michael's has a LOTE programme with the teaching of Italian in Years PP - 6. Students receive one session per week and are involved in a variety of cultural activities including Italian dancing, singing and food appreciation.