Language: Italian
​Bentleigh West Primary School offers Italian as its Language Other Than English.
​
Students from Prep to Grade 6 participate in Italian lessons once a week, for 45 minutes.
​
The teaching and learning of Italian focus on developing the communications skills of listening, reading, writing and speaking.
Students are exposed to the language and culture through games, singing, performances, postcards, images, cooking, creating booklets, flashcards, and more.
​
Each Semester, over a 2 year cycle, students cover a range of topics that incorporate both cultural and linguistic elements of the Italian language.
Topics include:​​​​​​​​​​
​
Pinocchio
Il Camaleonte Variopinto
Ancient Rome
Italian Landmarks
Italy’s 20 Regions
Il Bruco Affamato
Strega Nonna, il sugo e la pasta
Le Belle Arti
The Italian Language
Pompeii
Mangia Mangia
La Macchinetta Rossa
Leonardo da Vinci
Food
Italian Multi-Age Day is celebrated as an opportunity for students to participate in cultural activities with students from different year levels.
ICT
Students have access to laptops and iPads within their classrooms. Digital cameras are available for use in each classroom and each Learning Space has access to an interactive whiteboard or plasma screen. These are mainly used by the teachers and some student leaders.
​
In addition to classroom access, Students attend a 45minute session of ICT each week in the computer lab. Here, students are taught how to be responsible digital citizens, practice touch typing, explore how to research using the internet and evaluate sources and basic computer skills. Critical literacy skills are important and older students spend time analysing information for accuracy and reliability. Basic Word, Excel and document management skills are also taught to students as they progress through the school.
There are some aspects of the ICT curriculum that blend into Media Arts, (where we investigate photography and creating Stop Motion) and Computer Science, (where we learn about Coding).
BWPS is an e-Smart school and we teach how important it is to manage screen time and promote tasks such as reading, socialising and play in spare time.
​
​ICT is used as a support for students with particular learning needs. Certain apps and programs can be very helpful. Our learning support team can give you more information about this.
Performing Arts
A growing body of Australian and international research demonstrates the enormous positive impacts that participating in The Performing Arts can have on students’ academic and non-academic success.
There is a strong relationship between the cognitive capacities developed through learning and communicating in dance, drama, media arts, music, and students’ academic and social skills. Positive effects of young people involved in arts-rich education programs include achievements in reading, language and mathematics development, increased higher order thinking skills and capacities, increased motivation to learn, and improvements in effective social behaviours.
An arts-rich education from an early age develops individual creativity and self-expression. School-based arts participation can increase learners’ confidence and motivation, thereby improving school attendance rates, academic outcomes and the well-being and life skills of children and young people.
Collaboration, problem-solving, critical thinking, imagination, communication, agility and empathy—the experiences and learning that a properly implemented Arts curriculum offer are profound. The Arts provide the logical conduit through which these capacities and related skills, in both the social and emotional domains, can be developed.
​
The Bentleigh West Primary School Arts Program
​
Students at Bentleigh West study Music, Drama, Dance and Film & Television.
Music
Students learn the fundamentals of music such as:
• rhythm
• pitch/tone/quality
• volume
• patterns
Dance
Students are introduced to dance through the following experiences:
• developing a dance/movement vocabulary
• creating dances
• performing dances
• appreciating the history and culture of dance
Drama
Students participate in drama classes where they explore:
• character: the identity of the parts that are played, including their characteristics, motivations, desires, histories, and cultures
• focus: the ability of the performer to concentrate and channel their energy into the performance
• tension: how conflict or suspense is communicated through the performance.
• symbolic use of spaces and objects: how the actors pretend that spaces and objects are representative of something else
Film & Television
Students learn to both critique and explore Media Arts through:
• conceptual and perceptual ideas and representations
• understanding of the use of the techniques, theories and practices
• respect for and acknowledgement of the diverse roles, innovations, traditions, histories and cultures of artists
• developing confidence, curiosity, imagination, enjoyment and a personal aesthetic
Performances:
• Prep – End of year performance
• Grade 1-4 Midyear Song Concert
• Grade 5&6 Broadway Junior Musical Production (alternate years)
• Grade 5&6 Wakakirri Song Dance Festival (alternate years)
Extra-Curricular Performing Arts offered
• Choir
• Dance Club
• Senior Vocal Ensemble (Term 4)
​
Visual Arts
At Bentleigh West Primary School, we deliver an exciting and engaging Visual Arts Program that enables students to develop skills, techniques and processes in the following discipline areas:
-
Drawing
-
Painting
-
Printmaking
-
Construction
-
Modelling
-
Collage
-
Threads & Textiles
By exposing the students to these discipline areas we are equipping the students of Bentleigh West with life skills such as time management, decision making, risk taking, creative thinking, problem solving and visualising.
Students are given time to experiment with a broad range of media and materials in their weekly lessons and are encouraged to use their own original ideas.
Through the study of various artists and their works, students are encouraged to identify specific art styles and discuss their responses to selected art work. The elements and principles of art and design are used to discuss, respond and evaluate their own and others artworks.
We host an Art Walk bi-annually to show case the amazing work that the Bentleigh West students create. It is a highlight for the community to see such a fantastic display of Art.
​
CREATE Art Enrichment Program
We run a high ability art program called CREATE which is for students in Grades 5 and 6 who demonstrate high abilities in the Visual Arts. CREATE aims to further develop students’ technical skills and explore their creativity as future Arts practitioners. The program will provide students with more opportunities to engage with peers across years levels, to engage with the community and with other professional artists. We provide students with the opportunity to think deeper about their art by using metacognitive modelling strategies.
​
Sport
Sport and PE have a high profile at Bentleigh West PS. Students enjoy their Physical Education sessions and opportunities to participate in intra and interschool sport.
‘Engaging in physical activity, games, sport and outdoor recreation contributes to a sense of community and social connectedness. These are vital components of improved wellbeing.’
Victorian Essential Learnings (2003)
At BWPS we believe that by encouraging students to actively participate in sport and physical education, we are supporting the development of:
-
a positive attitude towards life and positive self esteem
-
an attitude towards persistence
-
a caring mentality towards themselves and others
-
a sense of responsibility for their own health and well being by learning to make healthy choices
-
respectful attitudes towards other.
Our aim is to:
-
promote and develop lifelong attitudes towards participation in physical activity
-
encourage a wide range of opportunities for students to engage in sport and physical activity
-
maintain the enjoyment and attractiveness of sport for both student participants and their parents
-
develop skills that support greater access to sport and physical activity, which increases the potential of physical, social, emotional and mental health of students
-
foster an understanding of the qualities involved in being a cooperative member of a sporting team
-
encourage students to participate in organised sport to chase their dreams and goals.
​
‘One of the best ways to support children to enjoy physical activity everyday is to create environments that make healthy choices a regular part of every child’s day.’
Implementation
Sport and PE at BWPS is inclusive and aimed at developing positive attitudes towards physical activity through learning skills, applying them in games and having fun.
-
Students from Prep to Six have one session of PE per week with the PE teacher.
-
Grade Six are involved in Interschool Sport every Friday morning. They also have a half an hour training session with their coach during the week.
-
Summer and Winter lightning premierships are held as events where Grade Six students can practise their interschool sport in an uncompetitive environment before the season begins.
-
Grade Three, Four and Five play Intraschool Sport for one hour each week.
-
Early each year, a Twilight Sports event is held, which is a popular social event with parents and students alike.
-
Grade Three and Four participate in a Bike Ed program, which involves a bike check and rotations on bike manipulation and road safety.
-
A House Swimming event is a fun filled day at a local pool.
-
A House Athletics day involving Grades Four-Six acts as a selection guide for the Bentleigh West team which competes at the Moorabbin District Athletics carnival.
-
Our students also take part in other Moorabbin District sporting events such as Cross Country and Swimming.
-
All students have an intensive swimming program.
-
Grade Five and Six complete a Beach Program, which focuses on beach knowledge and water safety.
-
Local sport experts often visit the school to take classes for sport clinics during PE sessions.
-
Prep – 3 participate in a Junior Athletics event, which allows students to apply their learnt skills in a fun environment.
-
Sport clubs are organised at lunchtimes and held by classroom teachers (Running club).
Science
Students at Bentleigh West Primary School engage with science through reading rich texts, observations and conducting experiments.
In each year level, students study a range of science topics, including biological, chemical, physical, Earth and space sciences.
The curriculum is sequenced to ensure students’ knowledge is built upon throughout their time at Bentleigh West Primary School. For example, students learn about pushes and pulls in Prep, and then, in the later years of primary school, learn about forces and energy transfer.
Camps
Grade 3
Phillip Island Adventure Camp​
This camp facilitates a positive community experience for students and provides the opportunity for experiential learning to take place.
Grade 4
Arrabri Lodge Educational Camp
​The focus is on relationship building and the development of interpersonal skills in the fun, relaxed environment of camp.
It includes many challenging adventure activities and relaxing leisure activities.
​
Grade 5
Sovereign Hill Camp ​
Gold was discovered in Ballarat in 1851, triggering the greatest alluvial gold rush the world has ever known. The amazing living museum delivers an immersive experience from this era.
Grade 6
Summit Adventure Park​​
Summit Adventure Park is a multi-award winning venue located 90mins from Melbourne. They offer exciting, inspiring and unique activities.