Curriculum
The Australian Curriculum is taught in our school.
We use the curriculum to:
- plan student learning
- monitor and assess student progress
- report student progress to parents
- support student wellbeing.
The curriculum learning areas are:
- English
- mathematics
- science
- humanities and social sciences – history, geography, economics and business, civics and citizenship
- the arts – dance, drama, music, media arts, visual arts
- technologies – design and technologies, digital technologies
- health and physical education
- languages.
Visit curriculum in South Australia for more information.
The arts
Our arts program is comprised of 5 subjects:
- dance
- drama
- media arts
- music
- visual arts.
The arts have the capacity to engage, inspire and enrich all students, exciting the imagination and encouraging them to reach their creative and expressive potential. The 5 arts subjects in the Australian Curriculum provide opportunities for students to learn how to create, design, represent, communicate and share their imagined and conceptual ideas, emotions, observations and experiences.
Students are a part of a specialist arts lesson once a week. Depending on the subject area being taught, the arts teacher has access to a performing arts room and also an arts/science lab. Along with the interactive whiteboard installed in every room at VPS, both arts areas are also equipped with a Lightspeed REDCAT Soundfield system.
Our school offers students the opportunity to be a part of a choir. There are two separate choir groups (Year 2 to 4, and years 5 to 6). Our years 5 and 6 students have the opportunity to participate in the Festival of Choir performances at the Adelaide Festival Centre.
Physical education
Our physical education (PE) program incorporates both physical and specialist lessons. Students are a part of a PE lesson with our specialist teacher once a week for a skills-based lesson. They primarily focus on fundamental movement skills, movement exploration, active living, sports games and physical skills. Our extensive grounds and our fully equipped gymnasium ensure that our program can be run all year round.
Virginia participates in the Premier’s Be Active Challenge each year and has been recognised consistently as a top 50 high achieving school.
Annual swimming lessons for reception to year 5 students are held during term 4. An aquatics program for students in year 6 is also scheduled each year.
Our senior students participate in a range of SAPSASA events throughout the year and have had great success.
Science
Science teaching at our school is shared by a specialist science teacher and the classroom teacher. We advocate an inquiry-based approach to the teaching of science that is strongly linked to literacy.
The specialist teacher works with classes on the chemical and physical sciences. Classroom teachers cover biological and earth and space sciences.
Language
At Virginia Primary, we are proud of all the cultures that are represented within our school. Our whole school language is Italian which is carried through to our feta high school, Riverbanks College.
Our language program is much more than just being able to speak and write in a language, it is about being culturally aware and developing an interest in language.