Prep Curriculum Overview

Welcome to our school! Term 1 is a very important term for our Preps and their families. It is when we learn the routine of a big school, classroom rules, playground rules so we can keep ourselves safe and happy. You’ll be amazed how much the preppies have grown by the end of the term.

For Literacy, we introduce the SMART Foundation program where we learn a word and a sentence for each week. This includes reading and reciting the word and the sentence, learning to write by tracing the word and the sentence, and the most exciting part is we do a related craft and STEM activity for the week.

For Numeracy, we learn to represent numbers 1 – 10 in many different ways like fingers, tally marks, using ten-frame, number lines and not forgetting writing the numerals and saying the number word. We also explore and investigate measurement concepts like length, mass, capacity and time using hands-on materials inside and outside of the classroom.

Our whole school well-being program like You Can Do it help the Preps understand the importance of being Confident, Organised, Getting Along, Persistent and Resilient.

Grade 1 and 2 Curriculum Overview

Grade 1 English
Handwriting: Focus on anticlockwise letters: a, e, o, g, d, c, q
Writing: recounts and narrative texts.
Spelling: Revision of alphabet letter names and sounds
SMART Spelling: “a” as in ant, “y” as in fly, “o” as in frog, “ar” as in car, “e” as in bed, “ck” as in duck
Grammar: nouns, verbs, verb tense consistency, adjectives
Punctuation: capital letters, full stops and question marks
Grade 1 Numeracy
● Develop confidence with number sequences to and from 100 by ones, from any starting point. Skip count by twos ,fives and tens starting
from zero.
● Recognise, model, read, write and order numbers to at least 100. Locate these numbers on a number line.
● Tell the time to the hour on both analogue and digital clocks.
● Introduce CUBES strategy – use worded problems to show the process.
● Recognise and classify familiar two-dimensional shapes using obvious features.
● PBL (Problem Based Learning) – Guess and Check, Make a list/chart/table
● Investigate and describe number patterns formed by skip counting and patterns with objects.
● Recognise and interpret common uses of halves and quarters of shapes and collections
● Recognise the importance of repetition of a process in solving problems.
● Recognise small collections of Australian coins and notes according to their value.
● Give and follow directions to familiar locations.
Grade 1 Inquiry Units
Learning to Learn
Students develop their understanding of how they can become better learners and be prepared for the year ahead. They will develop individual
learning maps and through consultation with their class teacher, develop SMART goals.
Grade 1: Then and Now: Families
Students learn about their own history and that of their family. They develop their knowledge and understanding of how the past is different from
the present.
Grade 2 English
Handwriting: Focus on the correct starting point and formation for capital letters and lowercase letters. Focus on anticlockwise letters: a, e, o, g,
d, c and q.
Writing: Recount and narrative texts.
Spelling: Testing of students ability to spell the first M100 words. SMART spelling: “ai” as in snail, “ur” as in fur, “ow” as in snow, “y” as in pony,
“dge” as in bridge, “air” as in air, spelling rules.
Grammar: nouns (common and proper), verbs, verb tense consistency, adjectives
Punctuation: capital letters, full stops, question marks.
Grade 2 Numeracy
● Choose simple questions and gather responses
● Represent data with objects and drawings where one object or drawing represents one data value
● Interpret data represented in graph format
● Investigate number sequences, initially those increasing and decreasing by twos, threes, fives and ten from any starting point
● Recognise, model, represent and order numbers to 1000
● Group, partition and rearrange collections up to 1000 in hundreds, tens and ones to facilitate more efficient counting
● Name and order months and seasons
● Revise telling the time to the half hour, using the language of ‘past’ and ‘to’
● Introduce CUBES strategy – use worded problems to show the process.
● Solve simple addition and subtraction problems using a range of efficient mental and written strategies
● Describe and draw two-dimensional shapes, with and without digital technologies
● Investigate and describe number patterns formed by skip counting and patterns with objects.
● Recognise and interpret common uses of halves and quarters of shapes and collections
● Count and order small collections of Australian coins and notes according to their value
● Give and follow directions to familiar locations
● (PBL) Problem Based Learning -Make a list chart/table
Grade 2 Inquiry
Learning To Learn
Students develop their understanding of how they can become better learners and be prepared for the year ahead. They will develop individual
learning maps and through consultation with their class teacher, develop SMART goals.
My Place
Students learn that the world is made up of places, from those with largely natural features to those with largely constructed features such as
cities. The students will develop their understanding of the places that are important to them and their families. They will recognise their place in
the world and particularly the local community and resources of the City of Casey.

Grade 3 and 4 Curriculum Overview

Literacy

Students will focus on two genres of writing throughout the term, persuasive and narrative. They will have the opportunity to revise the structure of these genres and further develop their writing skills in these genres. They will also cover nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs through grammar and use various VCOP strategies and editing to enhance their writing further.

In spelling, the focus will be a different weekly sound, exploring how different letters can make the same sounds, and they will continue to learn spelling rules to support their spelling.

Handwriting for Grade 3 students will focus on correct letter formation, especially entry and exit points, as they prepare for cursive writing later in the year. Grade 4 students will be working towards progressing from writing in pencil to pen.

Numeracy

Students will explore a variety of key number concepts, such as ordering and representing whole and decimal numbers, strategies for multiplication and division facts, and counting and representing fractions. They will use patterns to establish connections with numbers, enhancing problem-solving skills and effectively communicating their mathematical reasoning. Students will also investigate concepts of time, 3D shapes, and data collection. Emphasising a growth mindset in mathematics, students will recognise that everyone has the capacity to learn math and the importance of believing in yourself.

Inquiry Learning

Both Grade 3 & 4 students will start the term with the topic of Learning to Learn, which allows students to identify how they learn best, their strengths, weaknesses and goal setting.

Grade 3 students will study the unit As We Grow which looks at the human life cycle and the characteristics of the stages of life we pass through as we grow.

Grade 4 students study the unit Healthy Body and Mind, which will see them explore the various dimensions of their health, including physical, social and emotional. It will also cover who and how our community can help us to keep healthy and how everyone has different needs to remain healthy.

Term One also sees classes explore Earth Sciences. Investigations in the Grade 4 science unit, ‘Beneath Our Feet, will help students understand how human activity and natural processes can change the earth’s surface over time.

In the Grade 3 science unit, Night & Day, students will investigate shadows and develop their understanding of how the rotation and revolution of the earth results in day and night, years and seasons.

Respectful Relationship topics covered during term one are Emotional Literacy and Personal Strengths.

Grade 5 and 6 Curriculum Overview

Literacy

When reading, students will identify the main idea in a paragraph, investigate word meanings and summarise information read. Recount and narrative are the focus writing genres, with lessons involving the ‘VCOP’ and ‘Seven Steps to Writing Success’ programs.  SMART spelling will focus on the strategies we can use to help us become confident spellers, such as sound parts, syllables and remembering the tricky parts of our words.

The Berwick Lodge Radio Show is a key area of speaking and listening within the senior school curriculum, so please tune into 97.7 FM on Wednesdays at 2pm-3pm.

Numeracy

Mathematics tasks in the area of number will focus on place value, factors and multiples, and the four processes.  Measurement activities will involve perimeter, area, 2D and 3D shapes, and identifying different units of measurement and their associated conversions. Probability lessons will discuss chance and the likelihood of an event occurring. The Problem Based Learning focus for term one is ‘Make an Organised List’.

The Grade 5 students will be supported with specific learning tasks in preparation for their upcoming NAPLAN assessments.

Inquiry

The students begin the year investigating different learning styles.  They complete a survey to determine how they learn best; by visual, auditory or kinaesthetic activities.  They will discuss what makes an active learner and how to maintain a positive mindset when facing challenges with their learning.  

Moving forward in Term 1, the Grade 6s will be learning about Natural Disasters with a focus on how geological changes or extreme weather conditions can affect the Earth’s surface.  The Grade 5s will learn about Space. They will explore the Earth as part of a system of planets orbiting around a star and how its rotations affect day and night.

The grade 5/6 students will participate in live interactive webinars and activities about cyber safety throughout the year, with an aim to keep them safe in our ever evolving technological world.

Respectful Relationships

Students will begin Term 1 focusing on Topic 1: Emotional Literacy. Activities and discussions in this topic will support students to explain how emotional responses may influence behaviour, learning and relationships and analyse factors that influence their ability to regulate emotions. 

Students will later move to Topic 2: Personal Strengths, in which activities will assist students to describe the range and influence of personal qualities and strengths, monitor their progress in consolidating their strengths and assess the value of working independently.

Extra-Curricular Opportunities

Within the senior school, students will have the opportunity to participate in many additional sporting clinics and interschool sport. Students are also able to elect to participate in extra programs including Garden, Art, Mandarin, STEM clubs and State School Spectacular, as well as various other extra curricular activities happening throughout the school. The students are looking forward to meeting their younger buddies and sharing the many activities with them throughout the year

Visual Arts Curriculum Overview

Prep – Students will have an opportunity to experiment with different materials and
become familiar with art room routines and rules. They will begin creating their own art
work about themselves in simple self portraits, as well as learning the primary colours and
rainbow colour order. Students will have fun with lines and patterns and making different
marks with crayons as well as developing their fine motor skills with cutting shapes and
traced objects.
Grade 1/2 – Students will be beginning the year with a focus on line, colour, shape and
pattern. They will experiment with oil pastels and watercolours, with an emphasis on
learning about the effects of oil crayon resist. They will have fun mixing primary colours to
make secondary colours and using paper collage to create artwork inspired by artist Paul
Klee.
Grade 3/4 – Students will look at the op art movement beginning with a project for
Valentines day, combining line, colour and abstract patterns, with a stark contrast between
the background and foreground. They will then move onto the fun of printing and making
marks with items such as bubble wrap and other objects to create their own 2D music
stereo, as well as using bright neon colours in oil pastels and paints.
Grade 5/6 -Students in grade 5/6 will begin the year with the celebration of Lunar New
Year, with a focus on the year of the Dragon. Using paper skills and overlapping techniques
students will create a colourful dragon combined with a fun filled firework background
with splattering effects of paint and combined pastels. An insight into the art movement
of Pop Art will inspire the students to complete their next project using the skills of
printing, impressions and bold outlines to create works similar to artist Andy Warhol.

Physical Education Curriculum Overview

Prep: The Prep students will participate in a wide variety of physical activities, on their own and with their peers (including games, creative play- with or without equipment) in a range of movement environments. They will focus on building their skills and following rules through positive participation and play. Students will be introduced to and practise fundamental motor skills such as leaping, running, jumping, dodging, throwing, catching, rolling and kicking.

Grade 1&2: The Grade 1/2 students will participate in a wide variety of physical activities, on their own and in groups in a range of movement environments. They will focus on building their skills and following rules through positive participation. Students will practise and refine fundamental motor skills such as leaping, running, jumping, dodging, throwing, catching, kicking and bouncing.

Grade 3&4: Students will be practising and refining their skills in preparation for our upcoming athletics day in Term 1. They will have the opportunity to work in teams and small groups whilst building their confidence performing athletic movements such as long jump, high jump, hurdles, shot put, discus, sprinting and relay racing.

Grade 5&6: Students will be practising and refining their skills in preparation for our upcoming athletics day early in Term 1. They will have the opportunity to work in teams and small groups whilst building their confidence performing athletic movements such as long jump, triple jump, high jump, hurdles, shot put, discus, sprinting and relay racing. Students will also have the opportunity to try out for school team sports such as swimming, Interschool sports and the St Margarets netball challenge. 

Performing Arts Curriculum Overview

Prep: Students will learn to move safely around the room and respond to imaginative scenarios with the use of mime. 

Grade 1 and 2: Students will be using dramatic tools like role play, mime, improvisation, thought-tracking and still images to explore stories and themes.  

Grade 3 and 4: Students will develop their ability to work cooperatively within a group to create a variety of scenes using role play, mime, improvisations, dance drama and still images. 

Grade 5 and 6: Students will plan and play a role in a performance, explore character stereotypes and devise unscripted drama works.  

STEM Curriculum Overview

At Berwick Lodge Primary School, we are proud of our comprehensive STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) program that spans from Prep to Grade 6.
Led by our dedicated STEM teacher, Mr. Kelly, our whole-school approach focuses on
fostering essential skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, reasoning, and
creativity.
Our STEM program is designed to provide students with a solid foundation in these
critical areas, preparing them for the challenges and opportunities of the future. Mr.
Kelly conducts weekly 48-minute lessons, immersing students in a dynamic and
engaging learning environment.
Starting in Prep, our youngest learners embark on their STEM journey by creating basic
code using software like Scratch Jr and exploring the world of programming with
Bee-Bots. This hands-on introduction lays the groundwork for future STEM exploration.
In Grades 1 and 2, students delve into the fundamentals of STEM, building a strong base
in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics concepts. The curriculum is
designed to spark curiosity and lay the groundwork for more advanced exploration in
later years.
Moving on to Grades 3 and 4, students begin to explore engineering design principles
through engaging projects involving LEGO and other hands-on activities. This phase of
the program encourages collaboration, problem-solving, and a deeper understanding
of the application of STEM in real-world scenarios.
As our students progress to Grades 5 and 6, the program evolves to focus on STEM
through the lens of the 21st century. This forward-thinking approach ensures that
students are well-equipped with the skills and knowledge needed in our rapidly
evolving technological landscape.
At Berwick Lodge Primary School, we believe that STEM education is crucial in primary
school as it instills a love for learning, encourages curiosity, and develops essential skills
that extend beyond the classroom. Our teaching philosophy revolves around providing
students with a solid foundation in STEM disciplines, preparing them to become lifelong
learners and innovative thinkers.
STEM Education is not just about acquiring knowledge but also about fostering a
mindset of exploration, creativity, and adaptability.

Mandarin Language Curriculum Overview

PREP

Prep students are provided with a happy and positive learning environment in order to promote interest and build their confidence in Mandarin learning. In term 1, students will learn expressions of greetings and classroom routines. They will be introduced to the legends and traditions of Chinese New Year and Lantern Festival in cultural sessions.

G 1-2

In term 1, Grade 1-2 students will continue to build on their Chinese vocabulary. They will focus on learning vocabulary, sentences, Chinese characters, songs, and dances relating to Chinese Zodiac animals. Students will be introduced to the legends and traditions of Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival. They will also be provided with an opportunity to make related handcrafts.

G 3-4

In term 1, Grade 3-4 students will continue to build on their Chinese vocabulary. They will focus on learning vocabulary, sentences, Chinese characters, and songs relating to seasons. Students will be introduced to the legends and traditions of Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival. They will also be provided with an opportunity to make related handcrafts.

G 5-6

In term 1, Grade 5-6 students will continue to build on their Chinese vocabulary. They will focus on learning vocabulary, sentences, Chinese characters, and songs relating to classroom routines and the names of subjects. Students will be introduced to the legends and traditions of Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival. They will also be provided with an opportunity to make related handcraft.

BLPS Gardens

Over the past few years we have designed, created and built three new gardens at Berwick Lodge Primary School.

Junior School Council

The JSC (Junior School Council) is the student Leadership Group at our school. Two students are selected from each class from their peers and teachers. These students have shown that they are responsible, dependable and hardworking. They look at community concerns and issues and work hard to raise money, food or other items to address some of these needs. We also look at how we can improve our school and make it a better place for everyone.

JSC Mission Statement:

At Bewick Lodge Primary School, we embrace the voices and agency of every student. Our Junior School Council’s mission is to cultivate an inclusive environment where every child feels heard, valued, and empowered to enact positive change within our school community and beyond.

With creativity and teamwork, we organise fun and meaningful events that not only raise funds but also uplift spirits and spread kindness. Together, we’re on a mission to create positive change, one initiative at a time. Join us as we make a difference and build a brighter future for all!