Curriculum Opportunities

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

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

Any school can teach a curriculum. Amazing schools like ours is full of teachers actively and passionately exploring the possibilities of making their teaching practice more innovative, engaging and fun at every turn. This is the single ingredient that drives the most growth in our students.

The success we attain is not only evidenced by the assessment data – but it’s seen through the smiles and joy we see on our student’s faces as a concept is grasped. This is the indefinable element that drives us as teachers to produce and grow our own teaching skills year in, year out.

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Student Wellbeing

At Rangeview Primary School we believe in the growth and development of the whole child. Education is about supporting students to reach their full potential in all areas of learning – including social and emotional development.

Literacy

All students at Rangeview participate in Reading Workshop every day. During these sessions students learn effective strategies for life-long reading.

Numeracy

Inquiry Learning

At Rangeview Primary School we take pride in our student-centred learning where the natural process of inquiry allows students to determine a starting point in their knowledge and build on this to develop information processing and problem-solving skills.

Physical Education

At Rangeview Primary School, we believe that Physical Education should provide opportunities for students to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence necessary to lead a physically active lifestyle.

The Arts

The Visual Arts program at Rangeview encourages the development of imagination, creativity and skills in students by exploring ideas and experimenting with a range of art forms.

S.T.E.M.

STEM is a learning approach integrating the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics that prepares students to succeed in a rapidly changing world.

Languages (German)

All students from Foundation to Level 6 are involved in the German Program. Students visit the German room for a 45-minute lesson each week, where they are immersed in the German language.

Digital Technologies

We are most fortunate to have a Digital Technologies specialist program running in Level 4, 5 and 6 that each class attends once a week.

Library

The school library is large in area, well appointed and abundantly resourced. It has a reading area, teaching area, staff office area, and a bank of computers available for student usage. Currently all students access this service for a 45 minute literacy teaching session once a week

Flora & Fauna

The Flora and Fauna program is available to Grade 3 students and provides real-life context for learning where students learn the theories and practices behind growing, harvesting, cultivating and cooking seasonal food.

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Meet our principal, teachers, current students, parents, learn about our curriculum opportunities and tips for a smooth start to school.

Student Wellbeing

At Rangeview Primary School we strongly believe in the growth and development of the whole child. Education is about supporting students to reach their full potential in all areas of learning – including social and emotional development. The Victorian Curriculum stipulates that all schools explicitly teach Personal and Social Capabilities. This incorporates students learning self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and social management. Within these broad fields students learn to recognise and express emotions, develop resilience and understand relationships and diversity. This culminates in social collaboration.

The Department of Education's Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO) 2.0 recognises that wellbeing and learning go hand-in-hand - without one, the other cannot be at its optimum. This is a huge part of our philosophy and approach at Rangeview - if student wellbeing is well looked after and students are engaged, cared for, supported and feel a sense of belonging at school, they will learn and develop at improved rates. We take student wellbeing very seriously.

At Rangeview, we are very proud to run The Resilience Project across all levels from Foundation to Year 6. The key focus areas of The Resilience Project are Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness and Emotional Literacy. Our students participate in explicit lessons every week that aim to improve understanding and application of these values, and the approach of The Resilience Project is built into all areas of the school. Teaching positive mental health strategies have been proven to help people become happier and more resilient.

At Rangeview Primary School we are proud to be a Lead School in the Department of Education’s Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships curriculum. This is taught across the school from Foundation to Level 6. This curriculum has been designed to develop students' social, emotional and positive relationship skills, and supports the work we are doing with The Resilience Project. Efforts to promote social and emotional skills and positive gender norms in children and young people has been shown to improve health related outcomes and subjective wellbeing.

At Rangeview we send home a Code of Student Behaviour Book annually. The purpose of this book is to facilitate a consistent approach to student behaviour at Rangeview. We ask that parents / carers take some time to read through this with their child then sign and return it to school. Every student in the school has their own personal copy which they keep at school. The four school values are discussed in class and at Monday assemblies. Throughout the year, students illustrate or write about the values in their book.

At Rangeview Primary School we also run the Peaceful Kids Program and utilise many strategies from the Berry Street Education Model.

‘Peaceful Kids’ is a Mindfulness and Positive Psychology based program to lessen anxiety and stress and increase resilience in children. The program has been created to fulfil a need in schools to offer all children a developmentally appropriate program that gives children the skills, practice and support to utilise coping strategies that lessen the symptoms of anxiety and stress.

Outcomes of the Peaceful Kids program:

Lessen symptoms of anxiety and stress in children
Teaches children to self-calm
Empowers children to manage their own anxiety and stress symptoms
Builds emotional resilience
Develops emotional intelligence skills
Teaches children life-long skills to manage stress and prevent stress build up
Supports children so they know that they are not alone with suffering from anxiety

Peaceful Kids is based on evidence based therapies and research:

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program (MBSR)
Mindfulness-integrated Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (MiCBT)
Positive Psychology
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

The Berry Street Childhood Institute is an independent child and family services organisation. All of their work comes from the simple premise that all children should have a good childhood. They work with many children with a trauma background and often with children in the Out of Home Care / Foster system. They have developed an evidence based education model – the Berry Street Education Model.

Although thankfully, many of our students have not experienced trauma, our teachers are able to use positive psychology strategies in their classrooms when they are needed.

If you have any questions about our Rangeview Wellbeing programs, please contact Assistant Principal, Liam Sommers.

Literacy

How Rangeview teaches reading.

All students at Rangeview participate in Reading Workshop every day. During these sessions students learn effective strategies for life-long reading.

The reading session starts with a mini-lesson where the teacher demonstrates important strategies for reading. The children learn about the importance of comprehension, accuracy, fluency and expanding vocabulary when they are reading. A significant part of the Reading Workshop is devoted to the students reading independently and practising reading strategies with their just right books. Teachers conference with students. They work one to one with students to discuss and set reading goals. Students have an opportunity in Reading Workshop to respond to text read and think about the reading they have done.

Reading is more than just saying the words or getting from the beginning of the book to the end. To be successful readers, children need to be able to comprehend text. Research shows that there are strategies we can demonstrate to children as we read that will help them gain more understanding during reading.

Throughout the year, teachers explicitly teach comprehension strategies to aid understanding. The school has adopted a whole school approach to the explicit teaching of comprehension strategies.

Information and tips in relation to comprehension strategies are often included in the school newsletter. The best education for students occurs when teachers and parents work together. Some of the comprehension strategies are laid out here.

Monitoring Comprehension

Students need to know What it is to monitor their comprehension:

Sometimes text does not make sense as you read it and students need to learn to recognize when this happens and stop to fix it. Students should stop regularly and check to make sure that they understand what they are reading.

Students need to know How to monitor comprehension:

While reading stop periodically to check for understanding.

If you do understand, keep reading.

If you do not understand, use a fix-up strategy to help you understand the text better.

Students need to know When it is helpful to monitor comprehension:

As you read all types of text.

Prior Knowledge & Connecting With Text

Successful readers use many strategies to fully understand what has been read.

This reminds me of…

We all have a huge filing cabinet of knowledge and information in our heads. Readers use their background knowledge to connect with text. Children need to be constantly encouraged to use their prior knowledge as they are reading. They need to activate the ‘switch.’

Readers comprehend better when they apply their knowledge of the book’s topic, their own experiences and the world around them. Some students are not able to relate to a text when they are reading. They feel like they are just forced to read something that has nothing to do with them. One of the best things you can do to help a struggling reader increase reading comprehension is help them to relate to a text. Good readers always do this without thinking about it, but it is a skill that can be easily learned.

Teachers model to children how to use prior knowledge and connect with text when reading. Children have many opportunities to practise the strategy in reading workshops at school.

How To Help Your Child Use This Strategy?

To help your child make connections while they are reading, ask him/her the following questions:

What does the book remind you of?

What do you already know about the book’s topic?

Does this book remind you of another book?

Asking Questions

The students have been learning about questioning in Reading Workshop.

Good readers ask themselves questions. Through the use of questioning, students understand the text on a deeper level because questions clarify confusion and stimulate further interest in a topic.

Purpose of the strategy:

Through questioning, students are able to wonder about content and concepts before, during and after reading by:

• constructing meaning

• enhancing meaning

• finding answers

• solving problems

• finding specific information

• acquiring a body of information

• discovering new information

• propelling research efforts

• clarifying confusion

Some questions don’t have easy answers but all questions inspire thinking. It is important for readers to understand that some of our most interesting questions aren’t always answered in the text.

How to help your child use this strategy:

• model questioning in your own rereading

• ask "I wonder...." questions (open-ended)

• ask your child to come up with questions before reading to see if they are answered in the text

• keep track of questions ....verbally in an informal question log

• discuss what questions you still have after reading

There’s no doubt about it: Kids love to generate their own questions! Questioning makes reading fun. But to know how to question, your child needs to hear your questions first. This is not about asking your child questions. Instead, it’s about modelling what it means to be curious by sharing the questions you have while you read. Don’t rush the answers right away. Pose several questions and then let your child take a turn asking questions that come to his/her mind. You’re showing your child how to be an active player in the world of reading.

READING WORKSHOP

Visualising

Visualising is a very useful strategy for successful reading. This strategy is also known as making pictures or movies in our head as we read.

Visualising is the creation of images in the mind as the student reads, processes and recalls what has been read. Using visualisation and discussing pictures in books help a reader increase comprehension.

Students have been practising and discussing the visualising strategy in their classrooms.

Readers can also use other senses to visualise. What kinds of things do you imagine as you are reading? Hearing? Smelling? Tasting? Feeling?

Purpose of the strategy:

Through visualising, students are able to :

• activate their prior knowledge

• gain a more complete understanding of what is being read

• match language to the images and improve their processing of ideas

• connect to text

It is important for students to know that the images we create in stories can differ from others even though we have read the same story.

We can also change our images in our mind as we read further in to stories.

Book Shopping in the Classroom / Buddy Reading / Classroom Library.

Numeracy

At Rangeview we aim for all children to be confident, creative users and communicators of Mathematics. Children are given lots of opportunities to explore and investigate Mathematics in their everyday lives. They also learn the ‘language’ of Mathematics. Children learn to ask basic mathematical questions about their world, and to identify simple strategies to investigate solutions.

Children use materials such as blocks, dice, playing cards, counters, Lego, play-doh, streamers, teddy bears and many more things, to help them solve mathematical problems.

Maths is very ‘hands on’ in the classroom.

This year all children in school have access to the online Mathletics Program. This is a fantastic program that children can do at home to support their mathematical learning.

As a parent you are your child’s first teacher and many children come to school already knowing a lot about numbers and mathematical concepts.

There are three different areas that children explore during their Foundation year.

Number and Algebra

Students initially work with numbers and number names up to 20 They estimate the size of sets, and use counting strategies to solve problems that involve comparing, combining and separating sets. They count up to and back from 20. Students order numbers up to 10.

Measurement and Geometry

Students measure and weigh familiar objects. They compare lengths, masses and capacities of familiar objects. They place familiar events in order, explain their duration, and match days of the week to familiar events.

Students identify simple shapes in their environment and sort shapes by their common and distinctive features. They use simple statements and gestures to describe location.

Statistics and Probability

Students sort familiar data into sets and use these to answer yes/no questions and make simple true/false statements about the data.

These three areas are taught in each level throughout the school and expanded on based on the Victorian Curriculum. There is a team approach to planning with a minimum of five hours of Mathematics per week. The lessons entail a variety of warm up games and tuning in activities to engage our students and put them in a positive frame of mind at the start of each lesson.

Students learn skills, which will enable them to use mathematics in everyday life and thus become numerate citizens.

Olympiad

At Rangeview there is a greater emphasis on providing students with frequent exposure to higher-level mathematical thinking. To stimulate enthusiasm and a love for Mathematics Rangeview provides opportunities to Level 5 and 6 students to participate in a Maths Problem solving contest called Olympiad. The aim is not only to develop Mathematical flexibility in solving problems but also to provide for the satisfaction, joy, and thrill of meeting challenges.

Quicksmart Program

Rangeview also offers a Mathematics program aimed at assisting students who have learning difficulties in basic mathematic operations. Quicksmart encourages Level 5 and 6 students to become quick in their response speed and smart in their understanding and strategy use. The results have been encouraging and have provided students with a sound base to further support their maths learning.

There are many ways that you can help your child with Mathematics. Below are just a few suggestions.

Some Things You Can Do To Help Your Child At Home.

Be positive with your approach to Mathematics.
Talk with your child about every day objects in a mathematical way e.g. “This plate is round. We call a round shape a circle.”
Let them help you with simple tasks such as setting the table. Say things like, “We need four plates. One for each of us.”
Help your child to take risks. It’s O.K. to make a mistake.
Have fun. Activities such as cooking are excellent for learning many mathematical concepts such as half full, more, less, millilitres and grams.

Inquiry Learning

Students are actively involved in their learning by posing a question and are supported to build the skills to investigate and search for answers. Students are guided to plan, research, come to conclusions and convert their new information or data into useful real-world knowledge.

Inquiry learning assists students to become lifelong learners by:

Determining prior knowledge to build upon.
Developing curiosity, wonderment and questioning.
Posing inquiry questions and planning.
Hands-on investigation and research.
Communicating, collaborating and reflecting.
Reviewing and refining new ideas.
Considering new learning in real-world context.

Inquiry learning takes place from Foundation to Level 6 across a range of subjects from the Victorian Curriculum including:

The Humanities – History, Geography, Economics and Business, Civics and Citizenship
Science – Chemical, Physical, Biological, Earth and Space
STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

Physical Education

Physical Education is a vital component of the Rangeview Primary School curriculum and community. Our focus is on developing confidence, strength and knowledge in the fundamentals of the body and movement. Through high-quality and meaningful activities, our students not only develop their skills, but also develop curiosity, have fun, learn the value of teamwork and sportsmanship, and strive for personal growth.

Our junior school program provides a solid foundation for students to develop fundamental motor skills and participate in games and sports. The Level 3-6 program builds on these skills to develop game skills, team behaviours and personal growth.

We complement the PE program with school wide activities such as:

House Sports/Whole School Sports Days

All students are allocated to a House when they commence at Rangeview Primary School. On House Sports Days, students are encouraged to wear clothing in their House colours. The four Houses are: Terra (Red), Solar (Yellow), Arbor (Green) and Hydro (Blue).

Whole School Run Club
Level 4-6 House Swimming Carnival
Twilight Sports
Level 3-6 House Athletics Carnival
Whole School House Cross Country
Foundation-Level 2 House Athletics Carnival

Level 5/6 Inter-School Sports

Our Level 5/6 students also have the opportunity to compete in the Nunawading District for Inter-school Sports during Terms 2 and 3. We place a strong emphasis on being a good sport, an effective team member, goal setting, and achieving personal bests, and encourage maximum participation in all our programs. Students participate in a range of sports including Soccer, Football, Netball, Basketball, Volleyball, Cricket, Tennis, T-ball, Rounders, Softball & Ultimate Frisbee.

We also offer a range of additional programs and opportunities, including;

District/Division/Regional & State level Cross Country, Swimming, and Athletics
Foundation to Level 6 Intensive Five-day swimming program at Just Swimming Nunawading
Perceptual Motor Program (PMP)
Level 3/4 Friday Sports
School-wide Sporting Clinics
Our students also have the chance to participate in programs such as the Level 3-6 Hoop Time Basketball Program, Netball Victoria Schools Championships, Girls AFL Gala Day, Volleyball Primary Schools Cup, and All Schools Badminton Championships.

At Rangeview Primary School, we are committed to linking our program with the local sports community. We have established strong relationships with local sporting clubs, including Heatherdale Cricket and Heatherdale Tennis Club, Vermont Eagles and Heathmont Jets Football Club, Mitcham Thunder and Vermont Vultures Basketball Club, Ringwood Little Athletics, and Heathmont Jets Netball Club.

Our students have achieved outstanding results in a wide range of sports and competitions, reflecting our school's commitment to excellence and community values. We welcome all students who love sport and are committed to helping them achieve their potential.

Visual Arts- Performing Arts (Music & Drama)

Visual Arts

The Visual Arts program at Rangeview encourages the development of imagination, creativity and skills in students by exploring ideas and experimenting with a range of art forms. Students’ ideas are inspired by themes studied in the classrooms, books, artworks, personal experiences, observations and feelings about themselves and their world. The Art forms that all students engage in at Rangeview are painting, drawing, printmaking, ceramics, threads and textiles, construction and collage.

The Visual Arts program is based on the Victorian Curriculum, which outlines a practical and theoretical curriculum. The standards in the Visual Arts Domain is developed with the intention of “Creating and Making’ Student agency forms the basis of all art work created by the students.

The Visual Arts program at Rangeview is highly valued and supported. We are proud of our art program and how it engages students in critical and creative thinking. Students’ artwork is displayed and celebrated in the foyer and corridors of the school, in the classrooms and in community displays and events.

Performing Arts -MUSIC and DRAMA

The Performing Arts program at Rangeview aims to develop

The enjoyment of music and movement
A basic understanding of technical elements of music such as reading and writing
Self – esteem and confidence in performing

All levels have one forty-five minute period each week, where they explore musical elements through singing, dancing, listening to different styles of music, playing instruments and participating in drama activities. We provide many new and engaging learning opportunities for students and regularly have incursions at school to showcase areas in the Arts for all to enjoy. We encourage all students to showcase their skills and develop their self-esteem and confidence by performing to their class or to the school community.

Extra-curricular opportunities

We have an extensive instrumental program held at school both within and after-school hours. Students can learn a variety of instruments such as Violin, Flute, Clarinet, Trumpet, Saxophone, Percussion, Piano, Guitar and Keyboard. We also offer a School Band for instrumental students from Grade four to six, and a String Orchestra for strings students of all year levels.

We offer a Junior Choir for students in level 2 and 3, and a Senior Choir for students in level 4 to 6. Our Rock Band is a wonderful opportunity for students in level 5 and 6 to showcase their talents and perform to the school and wider community.

These ensembles perform at many school activities throughout the year such as assemblies, the School Fair, Education Week Open Evening and Carols Night. They also perform at local community events such as the Annual Oxfam Music Festival and local festivals.

Production

Our biennial Level 5 and 6 production is a wonderful opportunity for students to share their creative talents with the school and wider community. All level 5 and 6 students are involved in the production through speaking roles, singing, dancing, artwork and prop making. Being a part of the production is a wonderful experience that students often refer to as a highlight of their primary schooling, and creates cherished memories to last forever.

S.T.E.M.

STEM is a learning approach integrating the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics that prepares students to succeed in a rapidly changing world.

It is estimated that in the next 15 years up to 75% of all Australian employees will require STEM skills with some routine manual jobs lost to automation, current jobs transformed and new jobs created.

At Rangeview Primary School, STEM is an integral component of student learning from Foundation to Level 6 and develops the capabilities of critical and creative thinking, collaboration and ethical decision making.

Through STEM education, students develop key skills including:

problem solving
creativity
critical analysis
teamwork
independent thinking
initiative
communication
digital literacy

Languages (German)

All students from Foundation to Level 6 are involved in the German Program. Students visit the German room for a 45-minute lesson each week, where they are immersed in the German language. Our German teachers Frau Ulrike Lindner and Frau Kylie Petrilli conduct all lessons in German, and provide students with the opportunity to experience German language and culture through a variety of activities including games, songs, books, videos and computer programs.

Special activity days and events throughout the year provide further opportunities for students to extend their German language skills and appreciation of other cultures/traditions.

Digital Technologies

We are most fortunate to have a Digital Technologies specialist program running in Level 5 and 6 that each class attends once a week. Students engage with a variety of digital tools including audio and photo editing programs as well as an extensive series of lessons in robotics exploring the Lego Mindstorms EV3. We also have an extension program where a select group of students take part in the First Lego League competition where teams have to program a robot to achieve certain missions on a game table within a set time and also produce an elaborate innovation project that they also present.

Library

The school library is large in area, well-appointed and abundantly resourced. It has a reading area, teaching area, staff office area, and a bank of computers available for student usage. Currently all students access this service for a 45 minute literacy teaching session once a week. They also have the opportunity to informally use the library resources during lunchtime and after school borrowing times, whereby consistent borrowing habits are strongly encouraged!

The library is managed by our library technician: Mrs Lynette Ellis.

The library aims to:

Co-ordinate the selection, acquisition and organisation of resources to support the curriculum of the school

Provide a wide variety of materials that will enrich and support the literacy and research program

The main focus with students is:

To create an environment where they are encouraged to enjoy reading
To introduce them to a wide variety of literature
To progressively build a sound library skills base so they can select appropriate resources and information for their needs and understanding of the world around them

Flora & Fauna

An abundant vegetable, herb and fruit garden provides edible, aromatic and beautiful resources for the school kitchen. In the kitchen, students prepare a range of delicious dishes using the produce from their school garden.

Students discover the pleasure of hands-on food education in a fun and interactive environment. The students share their finished meal with each other, teachers, education support and volunteers. A fun kitchen experience transcends into family life and the wider community.

Flora and Fauna is integrated into the curriculum as students learn new skills and knowledge in language, literacy, numeracy, science, cultural studies and sustainability practices. The program encourages teamwork and delivers observable social benefits as students engage and interact with each other and adults. Students also learn life skills which they can take beyond the classroom.

Most importantly, the Flora and Fauna Program is fun. It stimulates the senses, creates curiosity and engages the students to feed their hungry minds.

Curriculum Opportunities

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

Student Wellbeing

Literacy

Numeracy

Inquiry Learning

Physical Education

The Arts

S.T.E.M.

Languages (German)

Digital Technologies

Library

Flora & Fauna

Take Our Online Tour

Book a School Tour

Isn’t it time we got to know each other? Take our online VIDEO TOUR or book a SCHOOL TOUR!

Student Wellbeing

Literacy

Numeracy

Inquiry Learning

Physical Education

Visual Arts- Performing Arts (Music & Drama)

S.T.E.M.

Languages (German)

Digital Technologies

Library

Flora & Fauna

Isn’t it time we got to know each other?
Take our online VIDEO TOUR or book a SCHOOL TOUR!