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 are 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 students’ 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.

Online Tour - See Our Full Curriculum

Religious Education

Religious Education underpins all the learning and teaching at St Thomas’. Social justice permeates our learning and teaching and the way we interact with each other.

English

At St Thomas’ we teach English so that our students may function in the community, develop relationships and broaden their learning in a range of other subject areas.

Mathematics

Mathematics at St Thomas’ seeks to give students opportunities to use Maths in real-world contexts through daily Mathematical activities. This is achieved through activities and games to develop number sense and mental computation skills, and also through engaging in problem solving activities, individually and in co-operative groups.

Student Wellbeing

At St Thomas’ we recognise that wellbeing is fundamental to successful learning and happy, confident children are better able to establish meaningful relationships and achieve positive learning outcomes.

The Arts

At St Thomas’, the creative and expressive development of our students is supported by their engagement in The Arts.

Technologies

At St Thomas’, our Technologies curriculum includes both digital and design technologies.

Science

At St Thomas’ our science curriculum provides opportunities for students to develop an understanding of important scientific concepts and processes.

Health & Physical Education

At St Thomas the Apostle School, we are extremely proud of our physical education and sport program. Our students participate in 50 minute lessons each week with a dedicated physical education teacher.

Humanities

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Religious Education

"The celebration of our life and faith through liturgy is an important and integral part of the life of our community".

Religious Education underpins all the learning and teaching at St Thomas'. Social justice permeates our learning and teaching and the way we interact with each other.

Classes attend a Parish weekday Mass each term and students are involved in the planning and celebration of these. The whole school celebrates important events in the Church calendar through participation in whole school Masses and level liturgies. Families are welcome at all of these events and we particularly encourage them to take part in the Sunday Family Masses held throughout the year.

St Thomas the Apostle School is a faith filled community that embraces diversity. We endeavour to inspire confidence in all students to achieve, empowering them to prepare for the future, and contribute to our world, with a strong sense of kindness and respect.

Religious Education underpins all learning and teaching at St Thomas’. Faith formation is at the heart of the mission of the Catholic school and the privilege of formation in faith is undertaken in partnership with parents and families. In particular, social justice is at the core and this permeates how we interact with each other. The Primary Religious Education Framework provides a guide for teachers to plan their units. Students are educated, engaged and challenged with learning opportunities to inquire and the curriculum is explored through the following topics: Jesus and Scripture; Church and Community; God, Religion and Life; Prayer, Liturgy and Sacraments; Morality and Justice.

The Core Dimensions of the RE Framework include the following:

To enable a safe, inclusive and respectful learning environment
To connect and create nurturing and collaborative relationships
To engage and be motivated and empowered learners
To learn by explicit and innovative teaching

The Sacraments are also a focus each year with students prepared for and celebrating the following:

Reconciliation (Year Three)

Eucharist (Year Four)

Confirmation (Year Six)

The whole school celebrates important events in the Church’s Liturgical calendar by participating in school masses. Two classes also attend Parish Masses once a term and families are encouraged to attend. Each morning, classes participate in Christian Meditation and prayer with the purpose of building a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. Our Mission is to promote quality education while developing an awareness of God in our lives and a sense of justice.

English

The study of English is central to the learning and development of our students. Our aim is for all students to develop the ability to read, write and understand the English language. Guided by the Victorian Curriculum, students develop knowledge, understandings and skills in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening.

At St Thomas' we use evidence based, structured literacy approach and explicit teaching to meet the needs of our students. Our School has adopted the Science of Reading/Science of Learning models. The teaching of reading in Prep - Year 6 focuses on the five essential reading sub-skills: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. This includes a synthetic approach to the teaching of Phonics in Prep - Year 2.

Writing is taught daily. We believe that writing small amounts every day builds students' writing skills. We begin teaching writing from the sentence level, moving to single space paragraphs and then whole texts.

St Thomas' staff are developing their understanding of "Cognitive Load Theory", looking at how the human brain learns and stores knowledge. Grounded in a robust evidence base, cognitive load theory provides support for explicit models of instruction. Class room teachers engage students in daily reviews. Daily reviews strengthen previous learning and can lead to fluent recall. Our classes at St Thomas' begin reading, writing, spelling and maths lessons with a brief review of previously covered materials.

Scarborough's Reading Rope (below) illustrates how skilled reading can be achieved. The Word Recognition strands are taught explicitly in the Prep - 2 classes along with the Language Comprehension strands. We aim to teach decoding to automaticity so students can free their 'cognitive load' to focus on reading for meaning.

It is essential that every student develops their English skills as they are necessary in every other curriculum area.

Mathematics

We believe that all students can achieve success in numeracy. We want our students to develop a strong foundation in mathematics which enables them to solve real problems and to transfer their knowledge to other learning areas and the wider world.

Mathematics education is changing. The future workplace requires strong interdisciplinary skills in problem solving, analysis, data, modelling, coding, algorithmics and so on.

The Mathematics components taught are:

Number and Algebra
Measurement and Geometry
Statistics and Probability

At St Thomas', we create rich mathematical learning environments that encourage a positive mindset in our students and which open up the potential for growth. Using a range of teaching strategies that connect the content, skills and concepts, we work to enhance understanding and engagement and build students' confidence as mathematics learners and thinkers.

Our teachers plan challenging, stimulating and purposeful learning using the Victorian Curriculum to guide the progression of learning. Each lesson involves the Mathematics proficiencies of understanding, problem solving, fluency and reasoning to ensure students are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to successfully engage with their world.

We use contemporary data collection tools to ensure all students' individual learning needs are being met and ensure that the resources are tailored to their needs, whether they be hands on manipulatives or technologies.

Student Wellbeing

At St Thomas' we recognise that wellbeing is fundamental to successful learning and happy, confident children are better able to establish meaningful relationships and achieve positive learning outcomes. We believe that the learning environment of our students needs to be safe and supportive for the development of the 'whole person'. We promote inclusion and model values which are consistent with the Gospel teachings of Jesus.

Our school is committed to the following strategies that nurture this environment.

Positive Relationships: student-student, student-teacher
Positive involvement of parents
Support for the diverse learning and developmental needs of our students
'You Can Do It' program to encourage resilience
Leadership programs
Buddy program
Student Representative Council
Student-led initiatives
Student awards
Orientation to school (for new Preps)
Transition to secondary school (for Yr 6)
Hip-Hop Dance program
Kitchen garden program

Positive Behaviour

At St Thomas', we recognise the need for positive behaviour management, so we can learn, work and play in a safe and harmonious environment. We believe that our Positive Behaviour Policy is intrinsically related to our Vision statement and that behaviour must be ‘owned’ by individuals in order to foster a positive environment where respect for self and others is enhanced. We encourage our students to make responsible choices about their relationships and behaviour and our policy strives to give our students the skills, knowledge, values and attitudes that will enable them to successfully belong and participate in all facets of society.

Cybersafety

Cybersafety is the safe and responsible use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Children are increasingly using technology in their day-to-day lives, therefore Cybersafety education and safety protocols are imperative.

At St Thomas' we

maintain a positive approach about the many benefits technologies offer.
have strategies in place to minimise and manage risks.
have a Cybersafety program which aims to teach students about how to be safe online and how to be responsible digital citizens.
provide information to parents about Cybersafety.

We source information through the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) and this includes student, staff and parent education. For further information visit the ACMA Cybersmart website: http://www.cybersmart.gov.au

St Thomas' is also part of the eSmart initiative, which is supported by the Alannah and Madeline Foundation. eSmart is a framework approach to help improve cybersafety and wellbeing in Australian schools. For further information visit the eSmart website: http://www.amf.org.au

The Arts

At St Thomas’, the creative and expressive development of our students is supported by their engagement in The Arts. Our students express, represent and communicate their creativity through learning in Performing Arts, Music and Dance. As they engage in this learning space they are developing their confidence and communication as both artist and audience, developing their skills individually at times, and also collaboratively.

Performing Arts

In our Performing Arts program at St Thomas', students dive into the world of Music, Dance, and Drama. Through music, they explore singing, playing instruments, and composing, finding joy and emotional expression. Dance classes build coordination, balance, and creative flair while providing a fun way to stay active. Drama sharpens communication, creativity, and teamwork as students immerse themselves in role-play and improvisation. These dynamic activities allow children to express themselves, ignite their creativity, boost self confidence and equip them with invaluable life skills. A whole school Performance is enjoyed every second year.

Visual Arts

The Visual Arts Specialist Program at St. Thomas the Apostle Primary School, is designed to provide all students with a comprehensive and enriching education in the field of visual arts. Students participate in weekly art classes in a supportive and engaging art room. Our program aims to foster creativity, critical thinking and technical skills in young artists. Through an Inquiry based approach, the students explore various artforms, including drawing, painting, sculpture and digital art. A whole school Art show is enjoyed every second year.

Technologies

At St Thomas’, our Technologies curriculum includes both digital and design technologies. Our students are supported in developing their analytical, design and problem solving skills through their learning in this space and through linking this with other areas of the curriculum. We want our students to develop their understanding of technological systems so that they may contribute to a sustainable society.

STEM

STEM at St Thomas’ covers the specific knowledge and skills found in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics disciplines. It also covers the interrelationship between these areas, allowing learning to be delivered in an integrated way, helping to build a deeper engagement in the four disciplines. Through hands-on experiments, interactive activities and collaborative projects, the students develop critical thinking, problem solving and teamwork skills. The students engage in projects such as constructing shelters for the Three Little Pigs, building bridges for the Three Billy Goats Gruff and testing them with robotics, or designing solutions to improve the environment.

Digital Technologies

In Digital Technologies, the students are exposed to a range of digital skills and concepts that prepare them for the digital age. The students visit the computer lab and use Chromebooks and iPads to learn how to navigate the online world responsibly and safely. The students learn to code using platforms such as Scratch, creating their own animations and games. Additionally, the students explore the fundamentals of robotics, working with tools such as Bee-Bots and Spheros which help to develop their computational thinking skills. Some examples of activities in Digital Technologies include creating a website about a product you have designed in TinkerCad, using code to create an art work or making a video to teach a younger class a cyber safety skill.

Science

At St Thomas’ our science curriculum provides opportunities for students to develop an understanding of important scientific concepts and processes, the practices used to develop scientific knowledge, the contribution of science to our culture and society, and its applications in our lives. The curriculum supports students to develop the scientific knowledge, understandings and skills to make informed decisions about local, national and global issues.

Health and Physical Education

At St Thomas the Apostle School, we are extremely proud of our Physical Education and Sport program. Our students participate in 40 minute lessons each week with a dedicated Physical Education teacher. All levels also take part in weekly year level sport as well as completing a five day swimming program at Monash Aquatic Centre. The Year 3-6 students also take part in an Open Water Learning Experience day conducted by Lifesaving Victoria

Our Physical Education program helps to teach the students the importance of an active lifestyle, while it also teaches them lifelong skills about teamwork, sportsmanship and fair play which they will use in their everyday life on the playground and beyond.

Sporting Opportunities at St Thomas the Apostle

House Carnival
When arriving at St Thomas', each student is welcomed into one of our four House Teams. We have an annual house Athletics Carnival where all students participate, which encourages school spirit and teamwork. Parents and families are invited to attend and support the children and house teams. Students from Years 3-6 also participate in a House Cross Country event and an end of year House Swimming Carnival.

Interschool Sports Program
Our Year 5/6 students participate in Summer and Winter interschool team sports within the Blackburn District Sports Association. It provides all students with the opportunity to experience being part of a team and to further develop their sporting skills.

District Sport
Students from Years 3 – 6 are invited to participate in District Carnivals throughout the year in sports such as swimming, athletics and cross country. Successful competitors may continue through to School Sport Victoria Division, Region and State finals.

Humanities

At St Thomas’ we want our students to understand their position in the world and their connection to others and the environment. Our Humanities curriculum, encompassing Civics and Citizenship; Economics and Business, History and Geography, prepares our students to become active and responsible citizens. Our Inquiry approach to learning allows our students to investigate the curriculum content and question, build understandings and contribute to society.

Civics and Citizenship learning teaches our students about the political and legal systems. They explore the nature of citizenship, diversity and identity in contemporary society.

In History and Geography, students explore the processes that have shaped and which continue to shape different societies and cultures, to appreciate the common humanity shared across time and distance, and to evaluate the ways in which humans have faced and continue to face different challenges.