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.
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

EstherHarveyMelissaCharlieChloeRuby

Esther, Year 3

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

Why did you accept the nomination to become a Year Group Captain?
The reason why I accepted the nomination was because I wanted to learn new skills and I wanted to be part of a team.

What was the best thing about being chosen as Student Leader?
The best thing was I felt like my teachers trusted and believed in me. I felt happy and excited and I had big butterflies in my tummy all day.

What are your favourite subjects and why?
My favourite subjects are Art and Science, I like to learn about animals, plants and chemicals.

Who is your favourite teacher and why?
I don’t have a favourite teacher because I like all my teachers. They are all very supportive.

What do you love most about Mount Compass Area School?
The thing I love most about Mount Compass Area School is because everyone is a good friends to me and I love all the teachers.

Would you recommend being a Year Group Captain, why?
I would recommend being a Year Group Captain because we get to learn new skills and make new friends.

What would I like to see change in the school?
The one think I would like to see change is people not littering and respecting the environment.

Melissa, Year 4

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

Why did you accept the nomination to become a Year Group Captain?
I accepted because I wanted to help other students.

What was the best thing about being chosen as Student Leader?
The best thing about being chosen was knowing I can help other students with their problems.

What are your favourite subjects and why?
My favourite subject is writing because I get to put my mind to work and use my weird imagination to make awesome stories.

Who is your favourite teacher and why?
I like all my teachers because they are kind and caring. They are always in a good mood.

What do you love most about Mount Compass Area School?
I like the staff because they are always helping and making fun activities for us to do.

Would you recommend being a Year Group Captain, why?
I would recommend becoming a Year Group Captain because it means you can help students and the school. You also get to make decisions about what can change the school.

What would I like to see change in the school?
I would like to see rubbish control improve in the school yard. I would also like to see classes having more brain breaks.

Chloe, Year 5

ChloeWhich teacher nominated you to be a Year Group Captain?
Mrs Foster and Mrs Edwards

What was the best thing about being chosen as Student Leader?
The best thing about being chosen was doing things for the school and make things better like having interhouse competitions.

What are your favourite subjects and why?
My favourite subjects are Maths because I like doing addition and subtraction and doorstep maths.
I also like Art because I like drawing pictures of tress and other random things.

Who is your favourite teacher and why?
My favourite teacher is Mr Hansen. He is a good teacher because he doesn’t just make things easy. He gives us a bit of a challenge.
I also like Ms Foster. She is really nice and she is good at making the Year 3 and Year 4 work different.

What do you love most about Mount Compass Area School?
The thing I love most is a lot of kids to make friends with and bond with. The students here are kind. I like the new nature play area and the grass area. There are lots of new things happening at our school.

Would you recommend being a Year Group Captain, why?
Yes, because the camp is fun because you make suggestions to try and change things in the school. You also get to help your classmates.

What would I like to see change in the school?
I would like to have an Interhouse Art Competiton.

Harvey, Year 3

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

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 about being chosen was being able to feel like I could change the school.

What are your favourite subjects and why?
My favourite subjects are HASS because its interesting. I have liked learning about countries.

Who is your favourite teacher and why?
My favourite teacher is Miss Gillett because she is fun and funny.

What do you love most about Mount Compass Area School?
The thing I love most is the playground, especially the top playground.

Would you recommend being a Year Group Captain, why?
Yes, because the camp is fun. You get to do activities like swimming.

What would I like to see change in the school?
I would like to see student leaders help run lunchtime discos.

Charlie, Year 4

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

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

What was the best thing about being chosen as Student Leader?
The best thing about being chosen as a Year Group Captain was going on the camp. My favourite part of the camp was going to the beach and doing fun activities.

What are your favourite subjects and why?
My favourite subjects are Art and PE. I like PE because we get to play games and with Art we get to trace over things and learn how to draw.

Who is your favourite teacher and why?
My Favourite teacher is Ms Mugsy because she is funny and she talks in different languages.

What do you love most about Mount Compass Area School?
The thing I love most is the computers because it means you get to type and your work looks less messy. My Dad, Step-Mum, Aunty and Uncle all went to this school. I like this because I have had some of the same teachers that they had.

Would you recommend being a Year Group Captain, why?
Yes, because its fun. You get to help people, you get to go to meetings and you get to go on a camp. I feel happy to have the job because I’ve never done it before.

What would I like to see change in the school?
I would like to see more balls available from the buddy shed at breaktimes.

Ruby, Year 5

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

Why did you accept the nomination to become a Year Group Captain?
I believe I have good leadership skills and I also love helping people out in anyway I can.

What was the best thing about being chosen as Student Leader?
The best thing was that I felt special and noticed. I also like that we get to have a say in what is happening at school.

What are your favourite subjects and why?
My favourite subjects are PE and HASS. They are both very engaging and fun to learn about.

Who is your favourite teacher and why?
I like all of them because they are all so concentrated on their students and because they help when you are struggling.

What do you love most about Mount Compass Area School?
I love the tunnels because it’s a great spot to hide and chat with friends.

Would you recommend being a Year Group Captain, why?
I would because it is great to be a role model. You can show your responsible. If you don’t like something you can have a say to change it.

What would I like to see change in the school?
I would like to see decorated and welcoming classrooms, upgrades made to the playground that include a hammock.

OUR SCHOOL

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Enquiries:
DL:Mount Compass Area School Info

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