Primary School Years 3-6

Curriculum

All curriculum areas are taught as integrated units of study. Learning is highly collaborative and contains a blend of structured and experimental tasks.

The Curriculum offerings in Years 3-6 include:

Mathematics (Australian Curriculum)
English (Australian Curriculum)
Society & Environment / History (Australian Curriculum)
Science (Australian Curriculum)
Health & Physical Education
Visual Arts
Dance and Drama
Music
L.O.T.E. (Spanish)

Support Programs

QuickSmart:
Roxby Downs Area School currently runs the QuickSmart numeracy intervention program developed by the University of New England.

QuickSmart was designed to enhance students' fluency in numeracy by improving their information retrieval times. Individually designed intervention programs are developed and implemented as part of QuickSmart in order to strengthen students' recall of number facts, and basic computation.

The QuickSmart program runs for thirty weeks. The program is intensive and participating students, selected according to school-based criteria, are withdrawn from their classes to attend the QuickSmart lessons.
Students work in pairs for three 30-minute lessons each week with the same instructor. Where possible, the pairings of students match individuals with similar learning obstacles in either reading or numeracy. An experienced teacher or teacher aide, who has been trained in the principles and structure of a QuickSmart lesson, delivers the program under the supervision of a trained teacher.
Some key components of the QuickSmart program are:

  • Structured and time-efficient lessons, which have a set sequence of activities.
  • Motivating and timed practice activities aimed at speedy recall of known facts.
  • Opportunities for students to self-monitor, and to receive and generate immediate feedback about their performance.
  • Instruction that ensures the students experience success by providing regular and predictable learning sequences: students practise and improve on what they already know, and then learn and practise new knowledge during the lesson.
  • Reflective questioning and responding are incorporated into lessons - for example, QuickSmart instructors ask questions such as, "How did you work that out? "Why are you so sure of your answer?". This focus of instruction can assist students to develop the language to describe their thinking.
  • The use of stop watches, hourglass timers, and wall clocks assist students to 'externalise' time. These devices encourage students to become more aware of their sense of time and improve their ability to estimate time.
  • Close collaboration with parents, teachers and principals of participating schools. Stakeholders are fully informed about the project and involved in its implementation and evaluation.
  • Parent participation through meetings, information, involvement and workshops.

    • Celebrating Success

    Year R-6 Assemblies are held fortnightly where we celebrate our successes. All parents and caregivers are invited to attend. Check our School Newsletter for dates and times.

    Camps

    All students have an opportunity to participate in a class camp each year.

    Extra Curricula Opportunities

    Swimming Lessons
    Student Voice
    School Camps
    SAPSASA Sports
    Choir
    School Excursions
    Sports Day and Swimming Carnival
    Instrumental Lessons
    Annual Concert Night