Glendalough

The curriculum at Glendalough has been designed to allow students to participate and learn in a challenging and caring environment. They will be called upon to work independently, in pairs and in co-operative groups. This will enable our students to have a better understanding of themselves, their peers and the world in which they live.

The basis of our Religious Education program is ‘To Know, Worship and Love.’

It is concerned with fostering a sense of Belonging in the Church through developing an understanding of the student’s relationship to the Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, to the Church and to the World. The Religious Education program aims to support the parents as they assist their son in their faith development.

The Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) are organised so that there is variety in their school day and continuity in learning. All teachers at Glendalough are aware of and plan activities to cater for the different learning styles and individual needs of each student in their class.

The teaching of Literacy and Numeracy is a high priority at Glendalough as they are the corner stones of all learning. The school has implemented effective teaching programs to improve a student’s performance in and attitude to reading, writing, speaking and listening and all aspects of Mathematics. Support and enrichment programs cater for students with individual learning needs in these areas.

At Glendalough an integrated approach is implemented in our teaching and learning activities. The purpose of this approach is to develop the standards into units of work. There is an emphasis on Science, Humanities and Technology throughout these units. The integrated curriculum approach provides purposeful contexts for learning where the students are provided with opportunities to develop and consolidate knowledge, skills, attitudes and values.

A range of specialist programs are part of the diverse curriculum that is offered at the Junior school. The L.O.T.E. (Language Other Than English) subject is Japanese which has an emphasis on immersing students in Japanese culture and introducing them to basic vocabulary.

Visual Arts provides opportunities for the students to communicate their ideas through a number of artforms. An art exhibition of student work is held biennially

Physical Education plays an important role in the whole school program and focuses on fitness, games and skills associated with a variety of sports.

The diverse Music program cultivates the students’ skills, interests and awareness of music. Each student has the opportunity to learn a musical instrument and participates in composition, performing and listening activities. A Junior School Musical is presented biennially.

To enhance classroom learning all students participate in a variety of excursions, incursions, concerts and Year 5/6 students have the opportunity to play a variety of inter school sports in the APS competition on a Wednesday afternoon.

Once a year our Year Three to Six students participate in the outdoor education program at Silver Creek, St Kevin’s College campus where they learn such things as bush craft, safety, camping survival skills, orienteering, abseiling, and canoeing. Each camp is based on a different theme: Year 3 – Australian Animals; Year 4 – Indigenous Education; Year 5 – Water Conservation; and Year 6 – Astronomy.