Local Schools Unite for Enhanced School Activities
Five of our local small school all came together recently to share their expertise and resources so that they could offer wonderful educational experiences for all of their students. Together they created an event which maximised variety for their students and opened them up to experiences they may never have had access to before.
Arcadia PS, Annangrove PS, Hillside PS, Macdonald Valley PS, as well as Galston HS, all gathered at Middle Dural PS for a great day of learning. Teachers planned a range of activities which were designed to offer opportunities to our ‘High Potential and Gifted’ students. All of their students were invited to participate because all students have potential and just need the right opportunity to shine!
Activities were selected based on the four domains of High Potential and Gifted Education: Intellectual, Creative, Physical and Social Emotional. Student voice was also used to gain insight into particular interests which resulted in a comprehensive list of eighteen different tasks.
After reaching out to the Environmental Education Centres in our network of schools we were also able to gain specialist knowledge and resources from Longneck Lagoon EEC and Brewongle EEC.
The activities offered on the day included a variety of sports, supported by coaches, including OzTag, Basketball and soccer. There was a selection of creative tasks to choose from including Aboriginal Art, dance, music, drama and film-making. Academic activities include STEM, Escape Room and Mission Codebreak (which involves using GPS markers to break the code).
Social-emotional experiences were incorporated through unique activities like Traditional Indigenous Games, Gunya building (traditional shelters) and interactive games like chess, connect 4 and Jenga.
Our local small schools have demonstrated that they are rich in opportunities for their students and they can offer so much variety by sharing the expertise they have to offer. At the same time the day-to-day school routines offer small class sizes, individualised attention and a nurturing and caring environment where every child is seen and known. Small schools can do it all!
