Primary School Curriculum

PRIMARY SCHOOL CURRICULUM

| GREEN SCHOOL CURRICULUM OVERVIEW - PRIMARY SCHOOL1

INTRODUCTION

At Green School, ‘Primary School Program’ refers to the learning offered from Grade One through to

Grade Five. Students typically become seven years old during the academic year they join Grade One

and eleven years old during their last year in Primary School. The Primary School provides a nurturing

and challenging environment that is student centric with regards to contexts and academic learning.

The program is delivered via a student-centred structure described as the ‘Three-frame Day’. This scaffold

is designed to deliver a consistent, well-rounded and comprehensive learning experience. Grade teachers

oversee the students’ learning programs and have responsibility for their pastoral care. Specialist

teachers of drama, art, music, health and well being, Indonesian and environmental studies (Green

Studies) extend the program and a learning support team, counsellor, and English language learning

teacher support the students.

THE THREE FRAME DAY

Integral FrameUtilises thematic teaching and focuses on engaging, and satisfying, the ‘whole person’. It includes thematic lessons to challenge the students in four ways: physically, emotionally, intellectually and intra-personally - in daily sessions which are engaging and creative. These occupy the first 1 hour and 45 minutes of the day, thus, every day, students start with a deeply satisfying, human experience. These thematic lessons are delivered by the class teachers with specialist teachers, in drama, dance, music, physical education, art, and environmental education making contributions over the course of the theme in a shared-teaching atmosphere.

Together, these three frames work to foster

a creative, holistic,student-centred

environment with-ina natural setting,

to nurture and inspirefuture green leaders.

““

2 | GREEN SCHOOL CURRICULUM OVERVIEW - PRIMARY SCHOOL

Instructional FrameFocuses on core, discrete intellectual competencies that require repetition to reach proficiency, namely literacy, numeracy, and languages other than English; attention to detail for individual learners maximises success in this frame. Delivered in 15, 50-minute proficiency lessons - each week. In these sessions, traditional subjects, including: Mathematics, English and Bahasa Indonesia, are studied and ensure that students have a firm foundation in basic academic skills. Each proficiency lesson subject gets a minimum of three lessons per week – with Maths and English receiving 5 lessons. Our curriculum is strongly rooted in internationally recognized learning outcomes, and we use these outcomes to drive our instruction. A scope and sequence has been designed to fit with Green School’s unique vision, mission and educational philosophy, using Singapore Maths and Australian English Curriculums.

Experiental FrameOccupies about 2 hours each day. Practical subject areas are offered weekly: Enterprise Education, Green Studies, Physical Education, Drama, Art and Music. These sessions link students to adult enterprises and take advantage of hands-on learning opportunities that arise on, or off, campus, i.e. the arrival of a culture group or the installation of a power generator. In these practical lessons, students engage real-world workers, technologists, and entrepreneurs with increasing depth as they progress through the Primary Program.

or a deeper understanding…

THEMATIC LESSONSwithin the Integral Frame

Thematic lessons occupy the first hour and 45 minutes of each school day. One theme, positioned within a subject (e.g. ‘Chinese Hero Legends’, grade 4 English), forms the focus for the entire block; that is, the same context is presented for about twenty consecutive teaching mornings. Although all TLs are centred on a particular context within a particular subject, they also include elements that connect across several areas of learning and

provide stimulation of all four intelligences; physical, emotional, intellectual and intrapersonal. TLs are a creative and engaging means to introduce academic content that will be further covered in the second frame of learning, proficiency lessons. A wide variety of themes are explored that are specifically designed to suit the developmental stages of learning in each age group as children progress through primary school. When choosing themes for the year, teachers are guided by a map which ensures a balanced approach that addresses all learning needs for their students.


PROFICIENCY LESSONS within the Instructional Frame

Mathematics, English and Indonesian Language are offered as proficiency lessons. All subject syllabi included in proficiency lessons are expressed as a series of skills and understandings, which enable teachers to tell the students precisely what they will be learning – not merely what they will be doing. Learning Objectives are grouped by grade for practicality but, in practice, they are applied as a continuum. New content introduced in the thematic lessons is practised for proficiency in this frame.

English Proficiency LessonsThe Australian English curriculum is built around the three interrelated strands of Language, Literature and Literacy. Teaching and learning programs balance and integrate all three strands. Together the strands focus on developing students’ knowledge, understanding and skills in listening, reading, viewing, speaking, writing and creating. Learning in English builds on concepts, skills and processes developed in earlier years, and teachers will revisit and strengthen these as needed. Literacy is not a separate learning area but permeates all learning areas. For students to be successful learners of each key learning area, they need to be successful literacy learners.

Mathematics Proficiency LessonsSingapore Maths teaches students mathematical concepts in a three-step learning process: concrete, pictorial, and abstract. The first of the three steps is concrete, wherein students learn while handling objects such as shells, dice, or paper clips. Students then transition to the pictorial step by drawing diagrams called “bar-models” to represent specific quantities of an object. This involves drawing a rectangular bar to represent a specific quantity. They can use this method to solve other mathematical problems involving subtraction, multiplication, and division. Once students have learned to solve mathematical problems using bar modelling, they begin to solve mathematical problems with exclusively abstract tools: numbers and symbols.

Bahasa IndonesiaIndonesian language and culture form an important part of the education offered at Green School. The arts and culture of Bali feature in our festivals and assemblies and are taught as part of the Visual Arts and Performance Arts practical lessons. Bahasa Indonesia, the language, is also taught as a proficiency lesson.


PRACTICAL LESSONS within the Experiental Frame

The practical subject areas are offered weekly: Enterprise Education, Green Studies, Physical Education, Drama, Art and Music – one subject area per day. These practical sessions link students to adult enterprises and take advantage of hands-on learning opportunities that arise on, or off, campus. In these practical lessons, students engage real-world workers, technologists, and entrepreneurs with increasing depth as they progress through the Primary Program. Occasionally, one subject area will take over the entire week of practical lessons when significant learning opportunities arise. These moments are balanced out over the course of a year.

Enterprise EducationIn the Green School Primary Program, Enterprise Education(EE) is a subject in its own right. EE projects respond to authentic opportunities that arise in the community such as a dance production, play area development, animal and environmental conservation activities, visiting a performance group or a local market, etc. and provide structured systems to engage appropriately with the opportunity. Teachers enliven every enterprise project by linking to ‘real-world’ practi-tioners or events. Each class typically completes two to three Enterprise Education projects per year.

Physical Education - GamesThe focus of Physical Education at Green School is on the enjoyment of physical activities, building physical skills and abilities and providing opportunities for students to participate in a variety of sports. PE in the Primary Program is offered daily in the form of short aerobic fitness sessions, once per week as personal skills and agilities and once per week as a games lesson within the practical lesson program.

Green StudiesEnvironmental Education, called Green Studies at Green School, is central to the mission of the school and permeates every aspect of our operations, including the grounds, permaculture gardens, the stunning bamboo buildings and all the learning opportunities. Green Studies is a dedicated subject in its own right. In the ‘Primary Program’ it is delivered via term-long topics and a range of extended projects. It also plays a role in many of the Thematic Lessons, Enterprise Education as well as in the basic Mathematics and English proficiency lessons.

Performance ArtsPerformance Arts permeate many of the Thematic Lessons. In addition it is a dedicated subject in its own right and several of the Enterprise Education projects are drama based. In the Primary School, the subject is delivered via a range of topics and extended projects in the practical frame of the day.


Music Music is delivered experientially as a practical lesson. It occurs as part of the practical lessons program through such activities as marimba ensemble, drum-ming, musical plays, and singing.

Visual ArtsTwo dimensional and three dimensional art and handcraft projects are explored in every PS grade as a component of the practical lessons. The creativity, mental energy, and school enthusiasm generated by the arts earns them an uncompromised place in the program. Often the projects reflect content that is being studied in the Thematic Lesson part of the program.

Cultural FestivalsEach year, every grade in the Primary School actively participates in cultural celebrations from around the globe with a special focus on Balinese festivals. Chinese New Year, Nyepi (Balinese New Year), Galungan, rice harvest festivals, Halloween, Saraswati Day, and others festivals specific to nationalities attending the school are included.

Environmental ActionIn Green School education in sustainability deeply penetrates the entire operation; it is part of the air we breathe and the ground we walk on, at every turn. In short, ‘sustainability’ components attach to thematic teaching in all subject areas; working shoulder-to- shoulder with other teachers in those subject areas. Our environmental educators are viewed as researchers and teacher educators who have the important role of increasing the green wisdom of the entire staff. Environmental sustainability, deep respect for the earth, and intentional eco-harmony are not subjects in the Green School curriculum–they are inevitable consequences of the way we live. Each class also has a garden of vegetables

and flowers that they tend. Composting, worm farms, water conservation, life cycles and other topics relevant to organic gardening and permaculture are discussed and become part of the experiential learning process. In summary, Green School’s entire approach is sustainable. The school offers education where environmental responsibility is an inevitable consequence of its humane schooling vision.

PRIMARY SCHOOL ETHOS

In additional to the Primary School curriculum, Green School offers important events, celebrations, festivals, and style that contribute to our ethos. Here are some of the elements:


Involvement with Organisations in the CommunityAll Primary School classes have involvement with charitable organisations, both global and in the local community. Examples of affiliation and support for these charities are: Yayasan Senyum (Smile Shop), Dr. Ating Foundation and Jane Goodall’s Root and Shoots, Bali Animal Welfare Association (BAWA), MEI club, Kul Kul Farm, Kul Kul Connection and Kambali.

MindfulnessSocial and emotional skills of Mindfulness play an integral role in self development. Mindfulness offers easy strategies for helping students to focus their attention, improve self-regulation skills, build resilience and develop a positive mind-set whilst at school and in life. Mindfulness as a practice in class and school wide, is a feature of each day: as the day or lesson begins, at moments of transition or even waiting for lunch.

I RESPECT ValuesAs a school we subscribe to a set of values - I RESPECT. These are the values of Integrity, Responsibility, Equity, Sustainability, Peace, Empathy, Community, and Trust. At all times we should be teaching and modeling these values and supporting our students in doing the same. We encourage all teachers to honor and recognize theses values in our students at all times with on-going dialogue, discussions, and reinforcement.

Integrity – being honest and ethical with thoughts and actions. Responsibility – being accountable for thoughts, actions and deeds. Empathy – understanding and caring for the feelings of others. Sustainability – ensuring that your own body and surroundings are cared for so they are clean and healthy for as long as possible. Peace – contributing to a state of harmony. Equality - respecting everyone as an equal and as an individual. Community – being part of a group seeking common goals and taking care of each other. Trust - building and maintaining strong relationships with each other, the school and the environment.

Primary School Curriculum

Education

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