curriculum

Junior School
 
prospectus

reception – year 5

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.
Integrity, respect, kindness

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

OliviaHamishHarveyEstherChloeCooper

Olivia, Year 3

Olivia

My name is:
Olivia

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

What was the best thing about being chosen as Student Leader?
The best thing about being chose is that I am able to express my words to others in the school.

What are your favourite subjects and why?
My favourite subject is Art because I can express my feelings on canvas

Who is your favourite teacher and why?
All of my teachers are my favourites because they are awesome and help me with a lot of things

What do you love most about Mount Compass Area School?
I love that people are so kind and caring to my friends and I. The teachers are awesome and so kind too.

What would I like to see change in the school?
I would like them to make a new type of jumper and different food in the canteen.

Harvey, Year 4

Harvey

My name is:
Harvey

Which teacher nominated you to be a Year Group Captain?
Mr. Rix

What was the best thing about being chosen as Student Leader?
I think the best thing was being able to meet different people around the school.

What are your favourite subjects and why?
I like Science because we get to conduct experiments and learn new things.

Who is your favourite teacher and why?
I like Ms White because she helps you when you need it.

What do you love most about Mount Compass Area School?
I like Mount Compass because everyone is friendly and it is easy to make friends.

What would I like to see change in the school?
I would like to see more grass areas to play on.

Chloe, Year 5

Chloe

My name is:
Chloe

Which teacher nominated you to be a Year Group Captain?
Miss Foster

What was the best thing about being chosen as Student Leader?
The best think about being chosen was that I now get to represent my school in a good way.

What are your favourite subjects and why?
I like PE because you get physical exercise.

Who is your favourite teacher and why?
Miss DeZilwa is my favourite because she explains work well

What do you love most about Mount Compass Area School?
I like all the nice students and the teachers

What would I like to see change in the school?
I would like to see students to be better at showing the school values: respect, kindness and integrity.

Hamish, Year 3

Hamish

My name is:
Hamish

Which teacher nominated you to be a Year Group Captain?
Miss Gillett

What was the best thing about being chosen as Student Leader?
The best part of being chosen was I get to meet new people

What are your favourite subjects and why?
P.E. because you get fresh air

Who is your favourite teacher and why?
My favourite teacher is Mr O because he is always happy to play sports with us at break time.

What do you love most about Mount Compass Area School?
There are a lot of people, and everyone knows you.

What would I like to see a change in the school?
I would like to involve more sports in school.

Esther, Year 4

Esther

My name is:
Esther

Which teacher nominated you to be a Year Group Captain?
Mr Rix

What was the best thing about being chosen as Student Leader?
The best part is I get to represent my class

What are your favourite subjects and why?
I like Music because I get to be creative and sing and play instruments. I also like HASS because I like to learn about the past, so we don’t repeat our mistakes.

Who is your favourite teacher and why?
My favourite teacher is Ms White because I used to not understand maths sometimes then she explained it better and I got it.

What do you love most about Mount Compass Area School?
I love the Teachers and students because everyone is really nice and kind.

What would I like to see change in the school?
I would like to have more lessons where we go to the swamp and learn about the flora and fauna.

 

Ruby, Year 5

Cooper

My name is:
Cooper

Which teacher nominated you to be a Year Group Captain?
Mr. Hansen

What was the best thing about being chosen as Student Leader?
The best part of being chosen was knowing that teachers think that I’m honest and kind.

What are your favourite subjects and why?
I like P.E because I like to run and maths because I am good at it and I find it really fun.

Who is your favourite teacher and why?
My favourite teacher is Mr. Oosterwegel because he helped me pass a level in Cool Maths Games.

What do you love most about Mount Compass Area School?
I like the people at Mount Compass.

What would I like to see change in the school?
I would like to change the colour of some of the student doors and add a netball court to the asphalt area.

 

OUR SCHOOL

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EXTERNAL LINKS

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Enquiries:
DL:Mount Compass Area School Info

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