Learning

Our subjects

Explore how we teach the NSW curriculum through key learning areas.

Religion

At Nuwarra Public School, students can take part in special religious education (SRE). These classes are delivered by approved providers each Tuesday morning, from 9:00 am to 9:30 am for years 3-6 students and 9:30 am to 10:00 am for years K-2 students.

When enrolling your child, you’ll be able to choose an option from the approved providers offered at our school.

Currently, the following classes are available at Nuwarra:

• Protestant
• Catholic
• Orthodox
• Islamic

Students not attending SRE are given supervised alternative activities.

You’re welcome to change your choice at any time. Just let us know in writing or use the online form (if available at our school).

For more information, visit the department’s website or contact us.

High potential and gifted education

At our school, we give the right support to help gifted learners to grow and do their best.

We notice these students early. They may learn quickly or show strong skills in creativity, leadership, problem solving or sport. We help them stay challenged with lessons and activities that match their strengths.

Learn more about how we support high potential and gifted learners.

English

Language and text shape our understanding of ourselves and our world. This allows us to relate with others and contributes to our intellectual, social, and emotional development.

In English K–10, students study language in its various textual forms, which develop in complexity, to understand how meaning is shaped, conveyed, interpreted, and reflected.

Students engage with literature from Australia, including the rich voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and from across the world. These texts communicate in distinctive ways and are shaped by lived experiences, knowledge, cultures, and connections.

By exploring historical and contemporary texts, representative of a range of cultural and social perspectives, students broaden their experiences and become empowered to express their identities, personal values, and ethics.

Students develop foundational literacy skills in the early years and progressively build on these skills. This enables them to learn about and control language in a range of increasingly sophisticated contexts.

Through interrelated practices and experiences in understanding and creating texts, students learn about the power, purpose, value, and art of English.

At Nuwarra

At Nuwarra we support students to become confident communicators, critical and imaginative thinkers, and informed and active participants in society.

Mathematics

Mathematical ideas have evolved and continue to develop across cultures and have been practised in Australia by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples for thousands of years. Through the study of mathematics, students apply their knowledge and skills to deepen their understanding of the world.

Mathematics is a reasoning and creative activity, integral to scientific and technological advances across many fields of endeavour. The symbolic nature of mathematics provides a powerful and precise means of communication.

Making connections across mathematical concepts and other subject areas enhances students’ ability to understand the purpose of learning mathematics and to develop a deeper conceptual understanding. This helps students to recognise the role of mathematics in solving problems in the world around them, applying their understanding to familiar and unfamiliar situations.

At Nuwarra

Nuwarra teachers believe that by studying mathematics, students develop essential numeracy skills and fluency, while nurturing the ability to think logically, critically, and creatively. They learn about patterns and reason about relationships, creating opportunities to generalise their solutions and to solve non-routine problems.

Human Society and Its Environment

Human Society and Its Environment is the study of how humans interact with the world, how society operates and how it is changing. Through the study of HSIE, students develop the skills to prepare them to participate as informed citizens, actively and responsibly, in the contemporary world.

For the practicalities of teaching, it has been divided into geography and history.

Geography

Geography through geographical inquiry students develop an understanding of the interactions between people, places, and environments across a range of scales, to become informed, responsible, and active citizens. This will stimulate their interest in an engagement with the world.

History

By studying history, we aim to stimulate students’ interest in and enjoyment of exploring the past; develop a critical understanding of the past and its impact on the present; develop the critical skills of historical inquiry and enable students to participate as active, informed, and responsible citizens.

At Nuwarra

In considering meaningful learning within local contexts, Nuwarra teachers will make decisions about the sequence, the emphasis to be given to particular areas of content, and any adjustments required based on the needs, interests, and abilities of their students.

Science

Science and Technology is mandatory for all students from K-6. In science and technology, students explore the natural and made worlds. They learn how to apply scientific and technological skills, knowledge and understanding across a broad range of contexts. Science provides a way of inquiring about the world around us. It explores evidence and investigates ways to discover, develop and produce solutions to real-world problems. The inquiry and skill-based nature of science open stores to ideas and discoveries.

Through studying science and technology students explore scientific and technological concepts and gain knowledge and understanding of the world. They developed skills in conducting scientific investigations and designing and producing solutions through learning about the living world, material world, physical world, earth and space, and digital technologies.

Students develop and apply skills in:

• scientific inquiry through the process of working scientifically.
• design product and production process is in the development of solutions.
• design and production of digital solutions.

Students develop knowledge and understanding of:

• the natural world including living things, materials, forces, energy, and earth and space.
• the built environment including engineering and material technologies.
• digital technologies including digital systems and how digital technologies represent data.

Students:

• value the importance and contribution of science and technology in developing solutions for current and future personal, social, and global issues and in shaping A sustainable future.
• appreciate the importance of using evidence and reason to engage with and respond to scientific and technological ideas as informed, reflective citizens.
• value developing solutions to problems and meeting challenges through the application of working scientifically, and design and production skills.

Computational Thinking:

Computational thinking is the thought process involved in formulating a problem and expressing its solutions in such a way that a computer minus human or machine minus can effectively carry out.¹

In response to the need for a higher level of literacy around computer programming (coding), the federal government initiated an increased focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and innovation in Australian schools. STEM aims to provide students with the coding and computational thinking skills that will be essential for their future careers.

The K10 curriculum documents refer to working mathematically, working scientifically, working technologically, historical inquiry, geographical inquiry skills, problem-solving, critical thinking, and design processes. These thinking processes are similar to computational thinking and develop students’ ability to think abstractly - a key aspect of computational thinking. All of the K-6 subjects have technology embedded in them.

At Nuwarra

At Nuwarra we begin coding in Kindergarten - using Bee Bots while reinforcing sequencing skills, sight words, and basic maths computation. As coding becomes increasingly more complex, we employ the company, Scope IT, to engage our Stage 2 and 3 students. STEM activities occur in classrooms, while STEM activities requiring more specialised equipment happens in the Tech Hub.

Reference

1. JM Wing, ‘Computational thinking benefits society’, Social issues in computing, blog entry,   http://socialissues.cs.toronto.edu/2014/01

/computational-thinking/,10 Januay 2014.

Personal Development, Health, and Physical Education

The study of Personal Development, Health, and Physical Education is mandatory in NSW from kindergarten to year 10. Through the study of Personal Development, Health, and Physical Education, students at Nuwarra Public School develop knowledge, understanding, skills, and attitudes to strengthen their health, safety, well-being, and participation in physical activities.

At Nuwarra

Nuwarra teachers strive to help students promote a sense of personal identity and build resilience and respectful relationships with each other. Physical education is fundamental to the acquisition of movement skills and concepts to enable students to participate in a range of physical activities - confidently, competently, and creatively.

At Nuwarra we have in addition to class activities, school sports from K-6 and inter-school sports from 3-6. Students participate in a school cross-country carnival, an athletics carnival, and a swimming carnival. Some of our students represented the school at regional and state levels.

Creative Arts

The study of creative arts is mandatory in NSW from Kindergarten to Year 6.

Creative arts in K - 6 is designed to enable students to gain increasing understanding and accomplishment in the visual arts, music, drama, and dance. We want students to appreciate the meaning and values that each of these art forms offer personally, culturally and as forms of communication. Creative Arts students experience and develop complex skills required to create and test ideas, generate creative works with confidence, shape enquiry and critically evaluate and reflect on what they do. Studying in the Creative Arts prepares students to be significant producers and informed consumers of culture.

Creative Arts enables young people to engage with and enjoy exploring expressive forms, ideas, and values. The Creative Arts provide opportunities to enchant, explore, investigate, and respond to the world through making and performing.

At Nuwarra

Creative Arts is showcased in a yearly school or Community of Schools performance and a talent show.