It all starts in Foundation…
At Bundarra Primary School our aim is to develop confident, creative, independent and self-directed thinkers and learners. Ngatanwarr/ Welcome to the Bundarra family!
“Be Your Best Self!”
We believe that each child is highly competent, capable and resourceful and that not all children learn the same thing in the same way, at the same time and at the same rate. We provide opportunities for children to become engaged in rich and varied learning experiences that respect and suit their stage of development and promote the growth of the whole child, emotional, social, language, cognitive, spiritual and physical. Children make connections and develop deep understandings in meaningful contexts that are of interest to them. They have a sense of belonging and strong motivation to participate.
We integrate the Victorian Curriculum with learning investigations in the Foundation grade in a space we call the WONDER ROOM!
The Wonder Room is used daily when students first join Bundarra. This assists our new students in the exciting progression from Pre-School to School learners. It helps our students become more comfortable in the space through a “free” play type environment, as we then move into the formal classroom learning space. Formal teaching of literacy and numeracy takes place every day from the start of the year. The SoundsWrite phonics program is a big part of our Foundation learning program, alongside daily reading and early mathematics knowledge (numbers, counting, shapes, location, basic addition and subtraction) according to the Victorian Curriculum.
As the year goes on, the Wonder Room is used less frequently, perhaps three times a week or flexibly as students require. There are 10 Learning environments in the Wonder Room.
These are:
- Dramatic Play Area – Home corner, puppets, shopping centre etc
- Dress Ups – enhance dramatic play
- Sensory – sand, water, playdoh
- Blocks – construction
- Collage – cut, paste, carpentry
- Easels – drawing, painting
- Reading Area – books of interest, magazines, newspapers, atlases
- Writing Table – various writing tools, computers etc.
- Science – various science experiments
- Interest tables- variety of different activities to support current interests
These activities are interest based, authentic and enable the children to develop many literacy, numeracy, oral language and social skills in an engaging way. At times different themes are introduced into the space to compliment Literacy and Numeracy learning in the formal classroom setting. These might include different familiar and engaging topics; such as animals, vet clinics, dolls, doctor surgeries, hairdressers, classrooms, tiny towns and cultural themes, natural environment, music and dance, and our local Gundtijmara country.
The children self select their learning during their time in the Wonder Room, with minimal adult direction. During this time the teacher and education support staff work with focus children, makes observations and further extends individual children’s skills.
The children reflect on their learning during reflection time and the teacher uses opportunities from Investigation time as catalysts for further learning and for making connections later in the day during explicit literacy and numeracy times.
Our children have so many authentic and meaningful opportunities to learn how to interact in a positive and appropriate way and when these interactions don’t go well, we can help them to restore relationships in an authentic and meaningful way. We use “restorative practices” and the Berry Street Education Model to achieve this.
We believe that the Wonder Room approach leads to:
- Smoother transition from Pre-School to School
- Higher levels of engagement and motivation
- More advanced oral language skills
- Increased writing opportunities
- Increased fine motor skill development
- Enhanced positive social skills
- Decreased behavioural events
Play is how children make sense of this world. This active investigation time coupled with rigorous planning and expectations of the children has proven to be a wonderful way to develop the whole child, not just academically, but socially, cognitively, physically and emotionally.
It has enabled us to help children forge stronger relationships with their peers and with us, it has shown us sides to your children we would hardly get to see, and most importantly it has presented us with a group of children who are happy and engaged and eager to learn. We love our Wonder Room!
Enrolment
The current school enrolment is 140 students from the local neighbourhood and many ride bikes, scooters or walk to school. Some students do catch local town bus networks to get to school and we have a small proportion of children who catch country buses.
Students may enrol and attend school if they are five years old on or before 30th April that year. A child must, by law, attend school at the age of six (6). All enrolment forms need to be filled out before your child can attend Bundarra Primary School, we also require a copy of your child’s Immunisation records and Birth Certificate. We recommend students attend their closest neighbourhood school. More information on this can be found at Find My School:
https://www.findmyschool.vic.gov.au/
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