Curriculum

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**Curriculum**

English
The English program at St James is based on **Literacy Advance**, **Class and P-4 Foundation Literacy.** The program focuses on maximising the literacy achievements of all children particularly within their early years of schooling (Prep – Year 4). This is achieved through a structured assessment and monitoring program that is implemented throughout the school year. The school has been part of the Middle Years Literacy program for Years 5 & 6.

At all levels, students read, write, speak and listen as part of the English curriculum within the **Victorian Essential Learning Standards** (VELS ).

Mathematics
The Mathematics program at St James the Apostle is based on the **Success in Numeracy Education** (SINE) and **Contemporary Teaching and Learning in Mathematics** (CTLM) strategies developed by the Catholic Education Office in Melbourne. Both of these programs focus on developing the children’s understandings in the areas of number, space, measurement, chance, data and structure as described in the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS).In addition, children are encouraged to see mathematical connections and be able to apply mathematical concepts, skills and processes in posing and solving mathematical problems.

Integrated Inquiry Learning
Throughout the year, students are involved in learning about broad topics that develop their capacity to:
 * Understand the world in which they live;
 * Act effectively in that world; and
 * Manage themselves as individuals and in relation to others
 * [[image:int-in.jpg width="448" height="336"]] || [[image:int-out.jpg width="448" height="336"]] ||

In our Integrated Inquiry Curriculum program, students inquire into ‘the way the world works.’ The children develop skills, processes and strategies across a range of learning areas that support their ability to express, reflect and act on their understandings about the broad topic. While investigating a broad topic they learn about:

**Humanities ** -  involving the study of human societies and environments, people and their cultures in the past and the present.

**Civics and Citizenship** <span style="color: #867b4c; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">– providing opportunity for students to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours that enable them to take action as informed, confident members of a diverse and inclusive Australian society.

<span style="color: #867b4c; family: Tahoma; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">**Science-** developing students' curiosity about the world we live in, to wonder why it is that way, and to ask about our place in it.


 * Design, Creativity and Technology**– enabling students to undertake research and investigation to identify the human, material, equipment, and/or energy resources available to meet an idea, problem, need, want or opportunity.

<span style="color: #867b4c; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Health <span style="color: #867b4c; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> - developing the knowledge, skills and behaviours that enable students to maintain good health and live a healthy lifestyle.

**<span style="color: #867b4c; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt;">Information and Communications Technology **
<span style="color: #867b4c; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 12.6pt; line-height: 115%;">St James the Apostle has a Local Area Network (LAN), which can be accessed from all classrooms and a number of other locations around the school. **All classrooms have two computers**, which are connected to the LAN. There are another thirty computers in our multimedia laboratory area. Students also have access to **banks of laptop computers** to use in class time, with connectivity to the LAN.

Through our network, students have access to a variety of software and multimedia applications and to a **library resource centre**. Our multimedia area is also set up to display work that children have produced. Students visit both the multimedia laboratory and library resource centre regularly within their school week.

Students in Grades 3 to 6 also have access to e-mail facilities and we are connected to the **Catholic Education Victoria Network** (CEVN) which has cached sites that are appropriate for students to access. Students can also access the **World Wide Web** under strict controls should this be deemed necessary. Through CEVN we are able to communicate with all schools across the state.

Specialist Programs <span style="color: #867b4c; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 120%;">In our Specialist Programs students learn a range of understandings, skills and strategies that extend their experiences beyond their classrooms with specialist teachers:

<span style="color: #867b4c; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">The focus of the PE program develop the students’ knowledge, skills and behaviours that enable them to: · <span style="color: #867b4c; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Understand the role of physical activity in ensuring good health · <span style="color: #867b4c; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 120%;">Engage and participate in physical activity.
 * //<span style="color: #867b4c; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Physical Education //**

Students are given the opportunity to learn skills in a supportive and non-threatening environment. As they progress through the school, they are given further opportunities to develop these skills in co-operative activities and major games. Students in Grades 3 to 6 are given the opportunity to participate in the Hoppers Crossing Primary Schools Sports Association Athletic and Swimming Carnivals. Participation in both the winter and summer inter-school sports is open to all Grade 5 and 6 students.

<span style="color: #867b4c; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> <span style="color: #867b4c; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 120%;">The program focuses on ideas, skills, techniques, processes, performances and presentations across the **visual arts, drama and music**. Students explore experiences, ideas, feelings and understandings through making, interpreting, performing, creating and presenting. They are involved in creating and making arts works that involves imagination and experimentation; planning; the application of skills, techniques and process, use of a range materials and equipment.
 * //The Arts//**

<span style="color: #867b4c; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 120%;">The program develops the students’ knowledge, skills and behaviours in order to use ICT to access, process, manage and present information; model and control events; construct new understandings; and communicate with others.
 * //<span style="color: #867b4c; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Information and Communication Technology //**//<span style="color: #867b4c; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';"> **(ICT)** //

Students in Grades 3 to 6 participate in a one-hour Italian lesson every week. The focus of these lessons is to expose the students to basic language learning and cultural aspects of Italy through total immersion of the language. Where possible this work is integrated into the classroom curriculum focus.
 * //<span style="color: #867b4c; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif';">Language Other Than English (LOTE) - Italian //**<span style="color: #867b4c; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 120%;">