curriculum

Junior School
 
prospectus

reception – year 6

At Mount Compass Area School we merge the different phases of education with a seamless transition from Reception through to Year 12.

Agriculture

Environmental Ed & Nature Play

STEM

We:

  • Use a play-based learning approach to support Early Years learners.
  • Create a warm, supportive and secure learning environment in which students take risks to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding.
  • Create a culture of lifelong learning.
  • Provide an integrated curriculum which fosters independent thinking, problem solving skills, creativity, self management, teamwork and social competence.
  • Encourage students to recognise and develop their individual skills, interests and strengths through participation in a wide variety of activities outside the classroom, and through a range of teaching approaches.
Respect, participate, achieve

The Junior School builds on the foundation laid in the child’s first five years – at home, childcare and preschool.

Every child is encouraged to develop knowledge and skills at a rate appropriate to their level of maturation in all learning and teaching situations. The aim is to keep motivation high, embrace failure as a learning opportunity and not intervening too quickly in providing correct information but, alternatively, to provoke children to think more deeply or from another perspective.

WRAP

A WRITING APPROACH TO READING

The relationship between speaking, writing and reading is developed by children understanding the purpose of each task and how they will be able to use each skill.
Learning to read is the most important educational outcome of primary education [Literacy Secretariat]
In order to read English, individuals need to have a broad vocabulary and knowledge of language structure. The complexity of the reading process begins with the faculty of oral language. Repeated exposure to new words through conversation, by listening to reading, actual reading and through the media provide the basis of our vocabulary.

 

WRAP Booklet

Learning to Read

Research into Practice

Read more
Children who are surrounded by, and included in, rich and increasingly complex conversations, have an overwhelming advantage in vocabulary development. Conversely, beginning readers have a much more difficult time reading words that are not already part of their oral vocabulary. In fact, there is overwhelming evidence that indicates the bottom 25% of students beginning school has 1000 fewer base word meanings than the top 25%. This supports our knowledge of the enormous differences in vocabulary at school entry between students from language enriched environments compared with those from language deprived backgrounds.
In all aspects of early language development the importance of oral language remains essential. It is evident that how well and how quickly a child learns to read common words depends a great deal on how well that child has acquired and practised spoken language. This is supported by our understanding of phonological awareness [the sounds of the language].
More than ever before, the evidence suggests literacy instruction should continue beyond the elementary years and should be tailored to the more complex forms of literacy that are required of adolescent students. A growing research base on adolescent literacy supports an emphasis on direct instruction in the reading and writing skills needed to perform these more complex literacy tasks.

Literacy learning at Mount Compass Area School

WRAP is an integrated and systematic literacy instruction in spelling, writing and reading.
The explicit, systematic instruction in letter-sound knowledge has been demonstrated as the most efficient literacy learning methodology for Reception/Year 1 students. The explicit methodology teaches students how to decode words, comprehend and punctuate the English language whilst learning grammar and vocabulary.
The teaching and learning of WRAP builds on prior learning and no matter who the teacher, or at what year level, the methodology of communication remains the same.
– Kevin Mooney, Principal

Junior School

Student Leaders

EllaCIndiJamesLillyLochieDakoytaHunterSienna

Ella, Year 3

EllaCFor what year are you the captain? Year 3

Why did you accept the nomination to become a Year Group Captain?I accepted because I wanted to go to the meetings and wanted to help my peers.

What was the best thing about being chosen as Student Leader? The best things is going on the leaders camp.

What are your favourite subjects and why? My favourite subject is Art because I can do painting. I also like writing creative stories in Literacy.

Who is your favourite teacher and why? Ms Foster is my favourite teacher.

What do you love most about Mount Compass Area School?I like the big farm with animals and great playgrounds. I also think we have good teachers.

What would I like to see change in the school? I would like to see more areas to play and new playground equipment.

James, Year 4

JamesFor what year are you the captain? Year 4

Why did you accept the nomination to become a Year Group Captain? I accepted because I thought it would be fun.

What was the best thing about being chosen as Student Leader? The best thing is knowing I can make a change in the school.

What are your favourite subjects and why? I like Tech because I build things like a plane, a tower and a bridge.

Who is your favourite teacher and why? Mr Sinclair, Mr Hansen and Mrs Foster.

What do you love most about Mount Compass Area School? I like the amount of space.

What would I like to see change in the schoolI am looking forward to seeing the new buildings at school.

Lochie, Year 5

LochieFor what year are you the captain? Year 5

Why did you accept the nomination to become a Year Group Captain? I accepted the role because it is cool to try something new.

What was the best thing about being chosen as Student Leader?
The part of being chosen is to be able to make the school better.

What are your favourite subjects and why? I like P.E. and Maths because I enjoy them.

Who is your favourite teacher and why? Mr Sinclair because he likes sport and being active.

What do you love most about Mount Compass Area School?I like the teachers. I like how good the communication is between the students and staff.

What would I like to see change in the school? I would like to see the students interact with other subjects like Agriculture and Home Economics.

Hunter, Year 6

HunterFor what year are you the captain? Year 6

Why did you accept the nomination to become a Year Group Captain? This is the second time I have been Year Group Captain. I liked it last time so I decided to do it again.

What was the best thing about being chosen as Student Leader? The best thing about being a Student Leaders was going to camp.

What are your favourite subjects and why? My favourite subject is P.E. because I like sport.

Who is your favourite teacher and why? My favourite teachers is Miss Potter because she is nice.

What do you love most about Mount Compass Area School? I love it at Mount Compass because most people are nice.

What would I like to see change in the school? I would like to change the classes because I think they should be straight year groups.

Indi, Year 3

IndiFor what year are you the captain? Year 3

Which teacher nominated you to be a Year Group Captain? Mrs Evans

Why did you accept the nomination to become a Year Group Captain?I accepted because I want to go to the meetings and make a change in the school.

What was the best thing about being chosen as Student Leader?The best thing is being able to help make the school a better place.

What are your favourite subjects and why? My favourite subjects are Art, Writing and Science because I enjoy learning.

Who is your favourite teacher and why? Ms Foster because she is nice and kind.

What do you love most about Mount Compass Area School?I like the teachers, the new people you meet and get to become friends with.

What would I like to see change in the school? I would like to have straight year level classes.

Lilly, Year 4

LillyFor what year are you the captain? Year 4

Why did you accept the nomination to become a Year Group Captain? It was a big honour and I was excited because I got to go on a camp.

What was the best thing about being chosen as Student Leader? The best thing was knowing I could help others. I like to think that I can help take care of problems.

What are your favourite subjects and why? My favourite subject is Art because I get to be creative.

Who is your favourite teacher and why? Miss Potter is my favourite because she is fun. I also like Mr Sinclair because he teachers P.E.

What do you love most about Mount Compass Area School? All my friends are here and the people here are really nice. I also really like the teachers and staff.

What would I like to see change in the school? I would like to put up some paintings near the breezeway. I would also like to re-paint the lines where the handball courts are.

Dakoyta, Year 5

DakoytaFor what year are you the captain? Year 5

Why did you accept the nomination to become a Year Group Captain?I accepted because I thought it would be good to try something different and I thought it would be fun to change the school in a great way.

What was the best thing about being chosen as Student Leader? The best things being able to give myself and other kids a chance to make the school the best it can be.

What are your favourite subjects and why?The subject I really enjoy is Maths because I really like learning new sums.

Who is your favourite teacher and why? Miss Potter and Ms Foster are my favourite teachers because they have made me learn a lot.

What do you love most about Mount Compass Area School? I like the Agriculture and the support the teachers give us.

What would I like to see change in the school?I would like to see all the Junior School classes using the school’s forest more often.

Sienna, Year 6

SiennaFor what year are you the captain? Year 5

Why did you accept the nomination to become a Year Group Captain?I accepted the nomination because I want to help make the school a better and more inviting school.

What was the best thing about being chosen as Student Leader? The best thing about being chosen as a Student Leaders is making new friends and meeting new people.

What are your favourite subjects and why?My favourite subjects are Maths, Art and English. Maths because I like long addition; Art because I like to be creative and English because I like to write.

Who is your favourite teacher and why? My favourite teacher is Miss Potter and Ms Wilkinson. Miss Potter because she challenges me and gives feedback; Ms Wilkinson because she challenges people and will help people if they need it.

What do you love most about Mount Compass Area School? I love the teachers and students. They are really nice and are always there for you.

What would I like to see change in the school?I would like to see an improvement in the amount of rubbish around the school.

OUR SCHOOL

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