Curriculum | Box Hill North Primary School & Kindergarten

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Curriculum Opportunities

We pride ourselves on a wide range of curriculum opportunities for our students

It’s not the curriculum that we offer that sets us apart, it’s the manner in which it’s delivered

Providing every opportunity for every child is important to us at Box Hill North. Our curriculum and learning programs are designed to challenge and support each child through academic performance, in partnership with a holistic approach, which also caters to social and emotional development.

Online Tour - See Our Full Curriculum Student Wellbeing

Our ‘house’ system is structured similar to Hogwarts. All families and staff belong to a house that is led by a house master, with an overarching focus on pastoral care.

Read More Literacy

Our strong focus on literacy provides each student with a stimulating and enjoyable language experience.

Read More Numeracy

Our numeracy program engages students in rich, open, visual and creative tasks, encouraging them to use their intuition and thinking.

Read More Physical Education

Students at Box Hill North actively participate in our physical education program, in order to enhance their own and others’ health and wellbeing.

Read More Visual Arts

Students at Box Hill North engage weekly in visual arts classes. This is designed to encourage students to express themselves in a variety of mediums.

Read More Performing Arts

Students at Box Hill North engage weekly in performing arts classes. The program is designed to build confidence in our children

Read More STEAM

It is imperative that students are provided with the opportunity to engage in skills and capabilities that they need both now, and for their future.

Read More EAL (English as an Additional Language)

Box Hill North is an approved international provider of education for international students, supported by a strong and inclusive multicultural community.

Read More Gifted & Talented

At Box Hill North, we offer students who excel in Prep through to Year 6, the opportunity to participate in the Born to Soar Program, a program designed to challenge and stretch the gifted mind.

Read More Languages (Japanese)

Konnichiwa! All students at Box Hill North study the language of Japan.

Read More Sustainability

Sustainable approaches to living are embedded into our daily practice and can be seen by the way we manage waste, care for our chickens and harvest from our edible playground.

Read More

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Student Wellbeing

All classes and specialist areas establish a set of classroom rules and consequences at the start of the school year. The rules are based on the premise that all students have the right to learn, uninterrupted by others in a safe and happy environment.

Our Wellbeing Program encourages the development of self esteem and independence though the five foundations of:

• Organisation
• Persistence
• Getting Along
• Confidence
• Resilience

Each child has a student booklet that outlines the rules and responsibilities of being a member of the school community. This booklet is signed each year by the students and their parents and kept in each child’s file.

The booklet covers the following topics:

• Responsibilities
• Expectations
• Consequences
• Conflict
• Bullying
• Treating people equally

Anti Bullying

Box Hill North Primary School believes that in order for students to learn to the best of their ability and to extend personal growth, they must have a safe and friendly environment in which to spend their time. The school provides a positive culture where bullying is not accepted, and in so doing, all students have the right of respect from others, the right to learn or to teach, and a right to feel safe and secure in their school environment.

  Learn about our Bullying and Harassment Policy

Care, Communicate, Congratulate (CCC) 

In order to foster strong relationships between the students and teachers from a daily CCC session is held. Each day students are encouraged to share thoughts and feelings about events that are taking place in the their lives. This could include something they are sad about, looking forward to or have achieved. It enables both teachers and students to get to know each other and share in good and bad times.

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Literacy

At Box Hill North Primary School, we have a whole-school approach to literacy ensuring continuity of teaching strategies from Foundation (Prep), through to Year 6.

The English curriculum aims to ensure that students:

• Learn to listen to, read, view, speak, write, create and reflect on increasingly complex and sophisticated spoken, written and multimodal texts across a growing range of contexts with accuracy, fluency and purpose
• Appreciate, enjoy and use the English language in all its variations and develop a sense of its richness and power to evoke feelings, convey information, form ideas, facilitate interaction with others, entertain, persuade and argue
• Understand how Standard Australian English works in its spoken and written forms and in combination with non-linguistic forms of communication to create meaning
• Develop interest and skills in inquiring into the aesthetic aspects of texts, and develop an informed appreciation of literature.

Learn more about the English curriculum

During literacy sessions, students develop their understanding and skills through a variety of small group, whole group and individual instruction, designed to cater for specific learning needs whilst encouraging each and every student to become independent readers and writers. Strong links are made between reading and writing and all students develop skills in a wide variety of genre.

At Box Hill North Primary School we follow the Victorian Curriculum from years Prep to Year 8 and adhere to the above aims of the English curriculum.

All teachers have developed a scope and sequence that outlines the key learning areas for Reading and Viewing, Writing and Speaking and Listening. We follow an Instructional Model which outlines our agreed mode of practice in planning, delivery and assessment of effective Literacy lessons across all year levels.

 

Reading Curriculum

 

• From Prep to Year 6 each classroom has 4-5, 1 hour reading lessons per week
• Students participate in independent reading during the reading hour, ranging from 10-20 minutes depending on the year level
• Each classroom or double classroom has a classroom library which students regularly choose books from to read during independent reading. Books in the classroom library are regularly updated and borrowed from the school library
• From Prep to Year 6 we focus on teaching students the most effective comprehension strategies for reading
• Students participate in reading sessions using a Reader’s Notebook

Each year we participate in the Victorian Premier’s Reading Challenge and run a Literacy/ Numeracy day filled with fun activities and a book/maths character parade.

 

Writing Curriculum 

 

From Prep to Year 6 each classroom has 4-5, 1 hour writing lessons per week.

Writing lessons can consist of:

• Exploring the different writing genres
• Using the Writing Cycle
• Focus on the 6+1 Traits of Writing
• Using our Writer’s Notebook to develop our ideas
• Spelling and Grammar focus
• Language experience followed by writing
• Handwriting focus in years P-2 formation of letters, years 3-6 joining of the Victorian Modern Cursive font

 

Speaking and Listening Curriculum 

 

Speaking and Listening is a very important part of the curriculum that BHNPS values across all year levels. To enhance this area of the curriculum BHNPS also completes the following:

• Show and Tell (Prep)
• CCC (Care, Communicate and Congratulate)
• ‘Me in a Bag’ presentations in years 1 and 2
• Individual and group presentations
• Debating

Our school also participates in the local Rotary Speech competition each year in years 5 and 6

 

Literacy Support 

 

Literacy support is offered to students from years Prep to Year 6 in all areas of the English curriculum. Students are taken out of the classroom independently or in small groups 1-2 times per week for up to hour.

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Numeracy

We implement a whole school approach to developing the numeracy skills of all of the students at BHNPS. We focus on developing mathematical understanding, fluency, logical reasoning, analytical thought and problem solving skills.

We aim to equip students with the mathematical strategies necessary for their school life and real world contexts and appreciate that mathematics is an essential and relevant part of life. In each level, in some form we covers aspects of number, space, measurement, chance and data, working mathematically and structure.

We believe learning numeracy is more effective when it is interesting, enjoyable and challenging. Our approach to numeracy aims to further develop a student’s confidence, knowledge, understanding, appreciation, curiosity and most of all a love of mathematics.

We use digital technologies and tools to support mathematical exploration and consolidation of skills; A vast array of concrete resources to assist with hands on learning for Prep to Grade 6 and access to online mathematics programs and resources e.g. Mathletics and Big Brainz.

Find out more about the Mathematics Curriculum   ×

Physical Education

The PE program encompasses age appropriate movement, fitness, skills, games and sports using a variety of equipment, in accordance with Victorian Essential Learning Standards. Our PE teacher plans the program and all students are expected to participate in PE sessions to the best of their ability, increase their fitness and show acceptable sporting conduct. The development of leadership skills in teamwork and sportsmanship are also integral part of our Physical Education program.

The program includes:

• Bike education
• Annual semi-intensive swimming program
• Cross country running
• Athletics
• Annual Hoop Time basketball tournament for grades 3/4 and 5/6
• Sailing program for Grade 5/6 students with high level swimming

The school also brings in specialists from SEDA and Koonung for a variety of clinics including:

• Tennis
• Hockey
• Aussie Rules football
• Soccer

All students at Box Hill North Primary School have one hour of physical education with the PE teacher each week and one-hour Team “Platoon” sessions each week.

Students in Years 5 and 6 participate in summer and winter inter-school sports each week competing against local primary schools. The Year 10 students from Koonung also support a super coaching session with the 5/6’s every second week introducing them to new sports and activities.

Many of our students go on to represent the school at district, zone and state levels.

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Visual Arts

Each week at Box Hill North Primary School, students engage in one hour of Visual Arts education with a specialist Arts teacher.

We offer a dedicated and well appointed Visual Arts learning space in which students are encouraged to explore their creative skills, build their Art knowledge, and challenge their technical abilities.  In a multi-arts approach to creativity, classes encourage students to:

• Slow down and see detail
• Consider before doing
• Think through composition
• Find potential in “mistakes”
• Interpret a subject
• Understand their emotional voice
• Express their views with confidence

Students explore the artistic concepts of line, shape, colour, pattern and texture.

Classes offer fun and practical drawing, painting and construction activities that not only explore the artistic concepts of line, shape, colour, pattern and texture, but also include the study of art history (old and new masters) and its significance to many world cultures.

We are so proud of our students artistic efforts that every second year the whole school participates in an Art Fair to showcase their creations, talents and abilities.

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Performing Arts

The Performing Arts Program involves a combination of music, dance, drama and mixed media.

Box Hill North Primary school presents a whole-school production biennially at a local theatre. Every student is involved taking on roles both on-stage and off-stage, rehearsing and learning basic stagecraft elements.

Our school also runs instrumental lessons in guitar, violin, drums and keyboard/piano. Lessons run on a rotational program, during school hours. Each lesson runs for half and hour and is taught by a highly experienced teachers.

Students are encouraged to attend lunchtime ‘clubs’ that include choir, karaoke club and Kelly Sports Dance that each run for half an hour per week. There are also opportunities for the students to experience workshops and performances from amateur and professional groups.

All classes perform once a term at our weekly assembly and many instrumental students also perform the National Anthem each week. At the end of each semester, students are encouraged to perform at the music soiree. This allows the students the opportunity to perform in public, including those who have private lessons outside of school hours. The school year always ends with the fun and joyous Christmas carols, where all the students sing and perform with their class to the school community.

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STEAM

Content Coming Soon

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EAL (English as an Additional Language)

Box Hill North is an approved international provider of education for international students, supported by a strong and inclusive multicultural community.  Our dedicated EAL program engages students and families from a broad range of contexts to build mastery of the English language, acknowledge different cultures and celebrate traditions.  

Our EAL program is based on student point-of-need and is typically structured through intensive small group sessions. It focuses on the explicit teaching of the English language, on the key aspects of communication: speaking, listening, reading and writing.  

Relationships are an integral part of our community; to support our all families, we regularly host a number of opportunities for people to connect.  

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Gifted & Talented

Gifted and talented young children experience wellbeing and positive development when provided with supportive and challenging learning environments that are responsive to their individual strengths and interests.

At Box Hill North Primary School we have a two programs available for gifted children: Wise Ones and Gateways. Both programs are user pays and are held during school hours.

Born To Soar

 

Extending Learning for Gifted and Talented Students

We have partnered with Born to Soar to challenge and support students who are working well above expected levels of the curriculum.  Born to Soar offer a tailor made program that is delivered to meet the individual point of need of our students, providing unique opportunity for extending the mind.   

 

G.A.T.E.Ways

G.A.T.E.WAYS provides opportunities for highly able and gifted children with special educational needs. The students are nominated by their teachers.

Like-minded students participate in programs that challenge them intellectually and help develop their individual talents.

Programs are inquiry based, with hands-on activities, problem solving and higher order thinking skills.

The School has been really successful in the G.A.T.E.Ways Challenges. Since 2011 each year the 3/4 and 5/6 teams have been placed from 1st to 3rd.

G.A.T.E.Ways website  

Tournament of the Minds

In addition to the Gateways and WiseOnes programs, Box Hill North Primary School offers all students in years 4-6 the opportunity to express their interest in the annual Tournament of the Minds competition.

Tournament of Minds (TOM) is a problem solving programme for teams of students from both primary and secondary years. Tournament of Minds provides the opportunity for Box Hill North Primary School students with a passion for learning and problem solving to demonstrate their skills and talents in an exciting, vibrant and public way.

Teams solve challenges from a choice of disciplines:

• Applied Technology
• Language Literature
• Maths Engineering
• Social Sciences

Tournament’s aim is to enhance the potential of our youth by developing diverse skills, enterprise, time management, and the discipline to work collaboratively within a challenging and competitive environment.

Teams are required to work together on a Long Term Challenge for six weeks without assistance from teachers, parents or peers. They are encouraged to explore possibilities and experiment with ideas as they endeavour to produce their best possible solution. They develop a creative and original way to communicate this solution to others, working within predefined parameters such as limited materials, complex challenge criteria and the deadline of Tournament Day.

The teams must also participate in an unseen Spontaneous Challenge on Tournament Day. This challenge requires rapid interchange of ideas, the ability to think creatively and well developed group cooperation skills.

Visit Tournament of the Minds website ×

Languages (Japanese)

Languages – Japanese 日本語

Konnichiwa！

All students at Box Hill North Primary School study Japanese for one session a week. The aim is to stimulate the student’s interest in Japanese and to make learning a foreign language a fun and interesting experience while reaping the benefits of learning an additional language.

The language program is organised through themes and topics to develop language and cultural understandings. In a typical Japanese class, students learn and practise basic language skills through engaging games, activities and songs.

 

4 Year Old Kindergarten

Box Hill North Primary School Kindergarten children are very fortunate to participate in the Learn Languages at Kindergarten Program. The program helps children to get the best start in life by giving them the opportunity to learn and play in another language, in order to promote brain development and literacy skills, amongst other benefits. The children enjoy songs, games and stories as they are learn about the Japanese language and culture. They can been seen participating enthusiastically and it is evident that their young brains are extremely active during Japanese time.

 

Foundation to Year 2

At the introductory level to Japanese Language, emphasis is placed on the development of listening and speaking skills. Using songs as a fun resource, students learn to participate in classroom routines, convey actual information about themselves, family and friends, and participate in performances. Students enjoy activities that begin to encourage an understanding of the Japanese culture and learn to identify letters of the Japanese alphabet.

 

Years 3 to 6

Students focus on developing speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. Children participate in activities that encourage an understanding of Japanese culture. The Japanese Language program provides opportunities for students to exchange information and ideas based on the theme or topic. Students learn to identify and trace, then independently write a selected range of Japanese script. This is achieved through active participation in games and songs as well as written and verbal tasks.

 

Beyond the Classroom

Students in all year levels hear about opportunities to participate in events beyond the classroom. Children have enjoyed attending the Melbourne Japanese Festival with their families and have the opportunity to participate in the annual JLTAV (Japanese Language Teachers’ Association of Victoria) Pencil Calligraphy Contest.

Grade 5 and 6 students have the opportunity to participate in the school trip to Japan bi-annually. The 2019 trip was extremely successful and participants enjoyed a range of unforgettable and wonderful experiences. The trip began in Tokyo and included amazing sight-seeing destinations in Hiroshima, Osaka, Kyoto and Nara. The group were fantastic representatives for our school and country. They were brave, respectful and adventurous and became increasingly independent, resilient and knowledgeable!

Several students have represented our school and our country on cultural exchange at the Asian Pacific Children’s Convention in Japan. We are very proud of their efforts to make it through the rigorous selection process and spend time experiencing Japanese daily life, staying in a home with a host family and attending school.

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Sustainability

All children have the opportunity to participate in a range of sustainability initiatives and activities. We have a large kitchen garden flourishing with vegetables, an orchard full of fruit trees, as well as an outdoor classroom and outdoor woodfire oven for cooking. Children who participate in our garden program are regularly outdoors planting, weeding, watering and cooking.

Staff elect two year 6 Sustainability Captains who become leaders of our ‘Green Team’. Any student from year 1 – 6 can become members of the ‘Green Team’. These students are responsible for lots of jobs like assessing classroom’s energy usage, assist with recycling and composting as well as giving sustainability news information to classes.

The School has a thorough recycling program including separate processes for paper, hard plastic, soft plastic and compost and we teach our students to sort their waste independently. We have now moved onto being a rubbish free school. Our school canteen is moving towards reducing waste and rubbish where possible. Our school is also a drop off point for the community to recycle many items such as; oral care products, bread bag plastic tags, pens and other writing implements. Our crayons are collected and sent to The Iluka Project, to be melted and placed into gift kits for children in hospitals.

In 2018, BHNPS began its partnership with the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation. This program is undertaken in year 3 and 4.

All parents are welcome to work in the garden and work with the year 3 and 4 staff and student gardening program. Our parent community are also invited to be part of our Sustainability Committee who meet twice per term.

The School participates in Teacher Network Meetings for sustainability organised by Whitehorse Council and CERES and are part of the AuSSIVic Sustainability program. We are a proud 5 star Resource Smart school; one of only 27 schools in the state. Find out more about Sustainability Victoria’s Star Progression benchmarks.

The School participates in Teacher Network Meetings for sustainability organised by Whitehorse Council and are part of the AuSSIVic 5 star Sustainability program.