Learning
Prep
At Oakleigh South Primary School, Prep is a fun and interactive year combining formal learning with integrated units and special theme days. We are dedicated to providing students with engaging activities that develop their individuality. We share our love of learning and are focused on celebrating all students’ learning successes.
Literacy
Throughout the week, students are engaged in activities centred around letter sounds, sight words, common letter digraphs and word families. Students are exposed to a wide range of writing text types including recount, procedure and information report. We LOVE using the program Reading Eggs (at school and at home) to develop our letter sounds and comprehension skills.
Numeracy
While we are constantly strengthening our counting skills, we also build on and learn a wide range of number, measurement and statistics topics. We use concrete materials and hands-on activities to support and extend students in all areas. We enjoy using the programs Mathletics (at home also), Maths Seeds and Maths Invaders to broaden our maths skills.
Interpersonal
We place a huge emphasis on developing students’ interpersonal skills in their first year of school. Students participate in the ‘You Can Do It’ motivational program, the Healthy Life Skills Program, the Buddy Program with Year 4 students as well as regular structured social skills sessions with their peers. Student successes are recognised and shared at our fortnightly Prep assemblies.
Integrated Studies
Students explore the integrated topics ‘Our Classroom Community’, ‘Schoolyard Safari’, ‘We Are Family’ and ‘Little Einsteins’. These topics encourage students to think creatively and offer a richer understanding of the world around us.
Special Activities
Some of the special activities Prep students are involved in include:
- Easter Hat Parade
- Mother’s and Father’s Day Afternoons
- Melbourne Zoo Excursion
- 100thDay of School Celebration
- Multicultural Day
- Teddy Bear Sleep Over
- Woolworth’s Discovery Tour
- Prep Swimming Program
- Fire Education
- Prep to Grade One Transition
- Prep Graduation
- Topic specific dress up days
Year 1
Reading
Children are exposed to a learning environment enriched through daily literacy exercises. Each morning, students are welcomed into the classroom to begin their morning reading routine, followed by scaffolded reading group sessions aimed at their individual needs. We celebrate many different genres through whole class, small group and individually-read texts. We use valuable resources to support our teaching program, such as Reading Eggs (also at home), Spelling City, Springboard into Comprehension and Yellow Box. Yellow Box is a levelled comprehension tool that focuses on developing students’ comprehension skills, in addition to their decoding strategies.
Writing
Students begin each week by completing a recount in the form of a journal, sharing their weekend activities. Throughout the year we explore a range of different text types including narratives, information reports, procedures, exposition writing and poetry. Students participate in a weekly handwriting lesson that focuses on developing strong handwriting habits, using Victorian Modern Cursive. Year 1 students are given the opportunity to progress their letter writing and communication skills through our Pen Pals program with Berwick Fields Primary School. Across all writing sessions we look at the VCOP writing approach, drawing attention to and aiming to improve students’ use of vocabulary, connectives, openers and punctuation.
Numeracy
Students are engaged in Mathematics lessons daily, covering the key curriculum areas within number, measurement and geometry and statistics and probability. We have a strong focus on hands-on activities and use many different concrete materials and manipulatives to ensure all maths learning has a strong foundation. While introducing new topics, we consistently revise and extend current knowledge to ensure all individual needs are met. To support the learning of mathematical concepts, students regularly engage in computer programs such as Maths Invaders and Mathletics (also at home).
Integrated Studies
Year 1 students are involved in a variety of fun and insightful educational activities spread over the year. We begin Term 1 with ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’ where we look at class and whole school values and focus on building friendship skills. We then transition into the history of our families and how family life has changed over time. In Term 2 we commence our action-packed Science unit, ‘Flash, Bang, Fizz’. Students explore chemical, biological and physical sciences through a range of cool experiments. During Term 3 we hone in on ‘Our Island Home’ and study all things Australian. An emphasis is placed on the traditions and celebrations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. We concluded our integrated studies with our Term 4 extravaganza, ‘Where in the World is Carmen Kookaburra?’. Students follow Carmen to each of the seven continents. As the year draws to a close, we learn about the different Christmas celebrations from all around the world.
Information, Communication and Technologies (ICT)
Every child has access to a fully equipped computer lab within the Year 1 learning space and around the school. These labs are used to develop students’ capabilities with Microsoft Office programs such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Students also build their ICT skills by using the intranet to access computer programs such as Mathletics, Reading Eggs and Spelling City. In Term 4, students are excited to learn how to use digital cameras and import their photos in to Windows Live Movie Maker to create their own short movies.
Specialist Subjects
Students learn the specialist subjects of Japanese, Sport, Music and Art on a weekly basis. Dedicated teachers provide the children with specific and engaging activities, often relevant to the integrated studies topics being taught in classrooms.
Special Activities
Special Year 1 events and activities that occur throughout the year include:
- Easter Hat Parade
- Dress up days
- Grandparent’s Day
- Year 1 Swimming Program
- Sapphire Care community program
- Incursions and excursions, specific to integrated programs
- Buddy Program (Students catch up with their Year 5 Buddies each term, engaging in fun and developmental activities.)
Year 2
Reading
Our school day begins at 8.45 with our Shared Reading Program where parents are encouraged to join us in the classroom and assist by listening to and sharing the children’s Take Home Reading Books.
Children then participate in daily structured reading activities to develop their reading skills covered through Literacy groups and whole class sessions. These include comprehension tasks– literal and inferential, guided reading, Reading Eggspress Program, SRA, literacy program, library, accelerated reader and specific reading strategy tasks.
Writing
Students participate in daily writing tasks in which they are taught and develop the structure, style and language of the different writing genres. These include narratives, recounts, expositions, explanations/descriptions, poetry and information reports. The whole school approach to writing is that of VCOP in which the student’s vocabulary, connectives, openers and punctuation skills are progressively developed. Handwriting and presentation of work is also a major focus in which we teach correct letter formation, fluent style and develop the children’s pride in their work.
Spelling
Children progress through a structured spelling program – reading Eggspress and single word spelling tests aimed at improving their spelling of familiar and unfamiliar words, develop their word attack strategies and teach them the use of a dictionary and thesaurus.
Speaking and Listening
The basic listening skills of eye contact, focussing and active listening are taught and constantly reinforced through daily activities and structured speaking and listening tasks.
The Grade 2 Production is the major component of this curriculum area in which the children’s speech, expression and overall confidence is highly developed as they work towards the culmination of major stage performances presented to a large, live audience.
Mathematics
Students are engaged in daily mathematics sessions covering the key curriculum areas of number, statistics and probability and measurement. These sessions are aimed at teaching the basics of mathematics through many practical and written activities developing the children’s understanding of mathematical concepts and the use of mathematics in everyday life. Within this, the children are challenged to extend this understanding to solve problems. The automatic response of number facts and mathematical tables is also a major focus. These are developed through maths challenges, games and activities.
The computer programs of Maths Invaders and Mathletics are a major component of the children’s mathematical learning and each child participates in these on a structured regular basis.
Writing and Maths Groups
The areas of Mathematics and Writing are further enhanced by twice weekly differentiated Maths and Writing Groups in which the children’s skills are further developed, reinforced and extended in small group structures specifically catering for each individual child.
Integrated Studies
Students focus on major topics each term throughout the year – Getting Along and Healthy Eating, Healthy Living, Water Water Everywhere, Make It Move It (machines and toys) and Home Among The Gum Trees (Our Home Australia).
Grade 2 Production
A major event is our Grade 2 Production in which every child participates and has an important role. This is an integral part of the children’s performing arts and speaking and listening curriculum. It is wonderful to see the children’s confidence and ability in singing, acting, dancing and expressive speaking develop throughout the year culminating in nightly performances in magnificent costumes on stage with lighting and sound.
Fitness
Children participate in regular Fitness sessions to develop their Fundamental Motor Skills and endurance. This improves the children’s overall fitness and stimulates their minds to learn more effectively.
Swimming Program
As an important part of our Physical Education program the children participate in an intensive swimming program at our local aquatic centre.
ICT
Students have access to fully equipped computer labs throughout the school and a set of computers within each classroom. Computer skills develop competently with extensive use of the computers for research, presentation and learning programs.
Specialist Subjects
The Specialist subjects of music, art, Japanese and physical education are taught by a band of dedicated teachers and children are involved in at least one session of these each week.
Year 3
Sustainable Village
The Year 3 children spend their year in the sustainable village where, aside from the core subjects of maths and English and a range of specialist subjects (Japanese, art, music and PE), learning centres around sustainability – looking after themselves, the village animals and the environment.
Chickens
Each year in February the year 3 classes hatch chickens. Some of these are kept and raised in the village. By July the year 3’s have their own free range eggs which they use in their cooking sessions along with available garden produce. Produce is also eaten raw direct form the garden or cooked out under the covered way to be eaten in class time.
Baby Animals
In term 3 ( and if available) the year 3’s adopt a ‘baby’ animal for the term. Animals to date have included Curlee – the sheep – a long term resident, Mary and Lambie (also sheep – 2014) , Puddles and Ginger – baby pigs ( 2015). Amsden the guide dog puppy from Guide Dogs Victoria and Chester (2016), Chessie ( 2017) and Usji ( 2018) – calves from Chesterfield Farm.
Worm Farms
The village has 10 worm farms and as many compost bins – food scraps are collected and sorted between the bins and the village animals on a daily basis. Worm ‘tea’ is collected and used as liquid fertilser on the vegietable gardens
Fitness & Farming
Each morning the year 3s go out for running and fitness games and then just before recess they have fruit time in the classroom. Each week 3 ‘ farmers’ from each class stay back from fitness to take on village responsibilities – working in the garden and looking after the animals.
Waste Free Wednesday
The village also encourages Waste Free Wednesdays ( no wrappers in lunchboxes ) and always encourage minimum waste.
Year 4
English
In Year 4 Literacy takes many shapes and forms.
Working with students of a similar ability, twice weekly, Writing Groups place a huge emphasis on the VCOP principles of improving writing through powerful punctuation, using descriptive vocabulary, interesting openers and a variety of connectives. In Reading groups students refine their comprehension strategies by reading texts that target specific skills and cater to their own level of understanding.
Class Literacy occurs on a daily basis and is supported by the Accelerated Reading Program. Daily reading is an expectation at Oakleigh South. Students borrow books at their individual level from the library, read them, take quizzes to see how well they understood their book. Each student works towards earning points to reach their personal reading goal.
The MyOn online book reading program was introduced in 2018 and provides access for up to 5000 books for students to read – so everyone should be able to find something of interest!
Writing is also an important classroom focus with emphasis placed on the mechanics of handwriting as well as learning the tools of sentence structure, grammar and spelling. Throughout Year 4 students are exposed to writing a variety of text types including poetry, persuasive texts, explanations, recounts and procedures. Pen Licences are an eagerly awaited reward for students who display neat and organised bookwork as well as an even and neat cursive handwriting style.
In 2019 the SMART Spelling program has been introduced.
Mathematics
Taken on a daily basis Mathematics in Grade 4 has many components. Class numeracy focuses on teaching across the 3 strands of Mathematics – Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, and Statistics and Probability. Lessons cater to individual needs and are designed to move students from being concrete learners to developing their ability to mentally process information and become abstract thinkers.
Mathletics and Maths Invaders are an integral part of this development, so computers are used daily for this purpose. Twice weekly Maths Groups also allow for focused teaching with skill based groups across the Year 4 classes.
Production
The music teachers and Year 4 Team combine forces to produce a yearly Grade 4 Production.
In 2016 was Jungle Book with all your favourite Jungle Book characters, songs and dances. In 2017 The Aristocats wowed the crowd and in 2018 it was The Knight at Dawn (Kids) which portrayed a mystical journey through time. This year we are looking at performing ‘The Music Man.’
The production is a major focus during one of the school terms. Parent support for this is terrific and a group of volunteers create amazing costumes and make-up on the night. The productions are a popular night out for the school community and the quality of the performance is extraordinary for students of this age. We have so much fun!!!
Camp
Our 2 night camp to Phillip Island is a highlight for our students, with a variety of great activities such as archery, trampolining, giant swing, flying fox and many more. We also take time to visit the Little Penguins as they come ashore at dusk and have the chance to hand feed Australian animals at the Phillip Island Wildlife Park. The camp is often the first time many of our students have been away from their family and so it is a special event for teachers, students and parents.
Buddies
Each Grade 4 student is matched up to Prep children to assist their induction into school life. Once the Prep children have become accustomed to their new school and surroundings, we introduce them to their Year 4 Buddies. The Year 4 students have the chance to experience life as an older ‘sibling’ while the younger preps gain the support of another familiar face as they venture into their huge new world of school. The students love spending time together and many happy memories are created.
Integrated Studies
Civics and Citizenship: ‘Discovering Democracy.’ This focuses on rules, laws, local government and the Australian system of democratic government.
History & Science:‘Inventions that Changed the World.’ This has an Australian focus and looks at how and why humans create and invent.
History: ‘When Two Cultures Collide,’ looking at life for Indigenous Australians before European settlement. We take a peek at the First Fleet, who were our first settlers, our convict heritage and the trials and tribulations of this group.
Geography: ‘Australia, You’re Standing In It,’ This looks at our Aussie icons, famous places to go, mapping and natural geographical features and those man made.
Year 5
Curriculum
Students work in a differentiated learning environment to enhance and develop their individuality and celebrate their success.
Reading
Students in Year 5 participate in activities to develop their reading comprehension skills. They focus on key reading comprehension strategies which are targeted to the student’s level. They participate in reading comprehension programs such as Accelerated Reader, CARS, STARS and SRA. The children are exposed to a wide variety of different text types to build their literal and inferential comprehension.
Writing
Students attend differentiated writing groups to develop their writing skills specifically catering for their individual needs. They are taught a wide range of writing genres. They focus on narrative, exposition, information reports, procedure, poetry and explanation. They are encouraged to plan, organize, compose, record, edit and publish their written work, with a focus on punctuation and spelling.
Speaking and Listening
Students regularly participate in classroom discussions, respond to text, present projects and reports to their classmates. Students are encouraged to speak in a clear voice, using eye contact to engage their audience and be organised in their delivery. Students in Year 5 present leadership speeches to their peers.
Numeracy
Students attend differentiated Maths Groups to develop their mathematical skills specifically catering for their individual needs. A group of our Year 5 students work with Mr. Carroll from South Oakleigh Secondary College where they are extended beyond their year level. Students develop an understanding of mathematical concepts, and are able to pose and solve problems in Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, and Statistics and Probability. They complete Mathletics tasks at school and at home, as well as Maths Invaders.
Integrated Studies
Our Integrated units are varied, hands on and engaging. Some examples include Values (Civics and Citizenship) & Natural Disasters (Geography), Space (Science), The Human Body/Adaptation (Science), Australian History in the 1800s (History)
NAPLAN
In May the Year Five children sit NAPLAN Assessments in the areas of Reading, Writing, Numeracy and Language Conventions.
Homework
Homework is an important component of the curriculum at Oakleigh South Primary School and is set on a weekly basis for Year 5 students. Homework enables you, the parents, to become involved in your child’s learning and makes you aware of the curriculum being taught at school.
Victorian State School Spectacular
Around twenty year five students have the opportunity to be part of the Victorian State School Spectacular as part of the Mass Dance Participants each year. This is held in September at Hisense Arena with over 3000 Victorian State school children and is televised.
Camp Sovereign Hill
In December for two nights and three days, the Year Fives attend a camp at Sovereign Hill in Ballarat which is about a two hour drive outside of Melbourne. The students have an opportunity to experience life in the 1800’s through a variety of exciting and interactive activities depicting life on the Goldfields. They have an opportunity to:
- Attend education workshops
- see Aura the outdoor light show
- pan for gold
- experience the Chinese Camp
- see demonstrations of wheelwrighting, confectionery making and traditional candle making
- see trades including a Blacksmith, Tinsmith and Metal Spinning
- visit the cottages and shops for all walks of life
- visit the heritage steam engines and boilers
- see the parade of Redcoats at 1.30pm
- be a part of the interpretive theater telling stories of gold-rush life and characters
Sport
Students participate in fitness daily. During the year they have the opportunity to participate in House Swimming, Cross Country and Athletics, as well as compete at District, Division, Region and State level. They compete in interschool sport within the Bentleigh District in a range of sports during the summer and winter fixture. In December the children are also involved in a swimming and Fitness Program for 8 days at Monash Recreation Centre.
South Oakleigh College
Our strong affiliation with the College has allowed the Year Fives to participate in science rotations at the College. In our Science unit, the children have the opportunity to learn in a secondary school setting in their Science Lab, cook in the college’s food and technology classroom and also learn about the different muscles used in a sport and movement session in the school gymnasium.
Leadership Day at South Oakleigh College
Year fives spend a day learning about what it takes to make a good leader. They spend a fun filled day with activities that reinforce the characteristics of a good leader and team player. The children also have a BBQ lunch on the day. The children are also involved in a Media Studies session at the college where they have the opportunity to use real filming, cameras, lights and sound equipment to record and film a talent show.
Leadership Positions
The children have the opportunity to nominate themselves for a Leadership position for the following Year as a Year 6 student. The process for this is to present a Speech in Term Four in front of their cohort and Year Four students in the School Hall and then voting takes place.
Year 6
Overview
Year 6 is something to look forward to and a highlight of a students schooling. We have engaging and interesting units of study including: Science, Economics, Gallipoli, Polar Regions and Government and Citizenship. Such units help our students gain a broader understanding of the world they live in and help set them up for further study in high school. Several activities are planned to coincide with study. Remembrance Day, Colour and Chemistry experiments, major project presentations and of course our very popular year 6 camp!
During the year all children are involved in the yearly production. Children work towards their casting and singing auditions in Term 1 and production rehearsals in Term 2 and 3. This is a major highlight of the year and the benefits that can be seen post production are enormous. Speaking and listening skills improve as does confidence and expression. This is a must see! Our school wouldn’t be complete without our specialists. Our Art, Music, Sport and Japanese teachers all do a great job to ensure our children are well rounded and that each of their individual interests are met. We have continually performed well on the sporting field due to the huge efforts of our students and teachers. Children have the opportunity to choose a summer and winter sport, participate in swimming, X-country and athletics. Interschool sport is a great way to promote our strong values that we have at Oakleigh South and develop our future leaders at the school.
Integrated Unit
Our integrated units in Year 6 are engaging, interesting and full of challenging activities. We cover a broad range of topics: Economics, Government, Gallipoli, Science and Polar Regions. Our work on integrated units is always displayed throughout the school so if you have the chance please come through and look at the students wonderful work.
Interschool Sport
Interschool Sport in year 6 is a busy yet fun experience. The year begins with swimming. Each year Miss. Wells coordinates the swim squad in preparation for district titles. We perform well with students always progressing to the next level. Also starting in Term 1, students experience Summer competitions against other schools in the Bentleigh District with the chance to move onto division titles if successful. House X-Country ends Term 1. We have had great success with our X-Country and Athletics Squads winning district shields for a number of years and even having students represent the school at state level. There is a weekly running group for students to prepare for X-Country and countless hours spent at lunchtimes by teachers coaching Athletics and respective teams.
Specialist Programs
The Year 6’s participate in range of specialist programs including Music, P.E, Art and Japanese. In Music, the year 6’s will practise songs and lines for their production. A lot of effort is put into this and the students are very excited. In Art, the grade 6’s take part in drawing and painting production themed Stain Glass Windows. They learn how to tone, add shades and make their drawings look realistic. In P.E, students practise their sport and team work skills by playing multiple games such as European Handball, Murray’s Game (dodge ball) and so on. In Japanese, the students learn about the Japanese culture. They translate Japanese text to English, which assists them in learning new words. Our specialists do a wonderful job and have their fantastic work and student’s talent displayed throughout the school. Come and have a look!
School Production
The Senior School Production is a main highlight of Year 6. Every child has the opportunity to audition for any role, and there is a huge focus on speaking, singing and dancing. Months of hard work from students, teachers, and parents culminate into a musical production of extremely high quality! Our shows are performed in the second last week of Term 3 in our own hall (completely set up with our own sound and lighting system) Well worth coming to see!
Production Pages Click Here
Year 6 Camp
In year 6 we have headed off to a very exciting camp where the children engage in many amazing activities and experiences. Information about when and where the camp is held will be distributed to parents earlier in the year.
Year 6 Graduation
It seems that a very special occasion for each of our year sixes is their Graduation ceremony. It is a night of formal dressing and photos being snapped from all directions. The evening begins with a “sit down” dinner for students and staff. Year five parents happily organise and serve a lovely meal before the formalities begin. Both the dining room and school hall are decorated by the year six parents to create a most exciting atmosphere, and an evening to remember. Along with academic awards and speeches from our principal, the school president and year six teachers; each student is required to write and deliver a short speech. As a group, the year sixes perform a number of “graduation songs”; and finish the night with some formal dancing where they have the opportunity to dance with their parents. For many families, this occasion is a final farewell to Oakleigh South and therefore can be quite emotional.
Japanese
Konnichiwa
Our approach to teaching Japanese is based on fun learning and the students have experienced a wide range of activities such as songs, games, speaking sessions, reading quizzes, cooking, worksheets, cultural demonstrations, writing hiragana, origami, artistic expression, listening games and communication activities.
Prep, Year 1, Year 3, Year 4 and Year 6 have Japanese for 50 minutes a week whereas Year 2 and Year 5 have Japanese for 100 minutes a week at O.S.P.S!!
Year 2 and Year 5 ILPIC Program
This year the Year 2 and Year 5 students are engaging in the Innovative Language Provision in Clusters (ILPIC) initiative.
It aims to increase student engagement in learning Japanese while identifying and sharing innovative use of technologies (computers, iPads and flip cameras), interactive games and software to increase the opportunities for and interest in language learning. The ILPIC sessions go for 100 minutes per week.
The Year 2 children learn with topics such as colours, likes and dislikes, animals, food etc.
The Year 5 children learn with topics such as hiragana (Japanese writing), self-introductions and about family.
Mami Sensei’s WikiPage
Students often use Mami Sensei’s WikiPage to engage in individual, partner and group activities. The children learn to navigate and access various Japanese internet resources. Some resources include colour matching tasks, a katakana name translation site, Kids Web Japan link as well as interactive games and research based websites.
Click here to visit Mami Sensei’s WikiPage
Overseas Trip
A small group of grade 6 students is chosen to visit out sister school in Japan during term 1. They also come and visit us.
Past Events and Achievements
- Hosting Japanese Students
- Innovative Languages provision in Clusters (ILPIC ) Click here for more!
- The Victorian Language Assistants Program
- Matsuri Week
- Skype sessions with Tanba Higashi Primary School, Hyogo
- Sushi Stall at the Oakleigh South Primary School Fete
Performing Arts
Oakleigh South Primary School is committed to creating an understanding of and interest in the performing arts to all our students and providing it in an enriching and enjoyable environment. We do that through Dance, Music and Theatre. Our year 2, 4 and 6 Musical Productions are outstanding displays of student talent.
PE & Sport
The Physical Education and Sport program at Oakleigh South Primary School encompasses fitness, skills, movement, dance, games, aquatics, recreation and sport. It aims to develop resilience, respect, relationships and respect in all children.
Sustainability
The teaching of Sustainability related concepts at Oakleigh South Primary School begins in the early years, however in year 3 when the children spend the entire year in “The Village” sustainability becomes a major focus
Visual Arts
