Pakenham Consolidated School offers an extensive specialist program that we are very proud of. In 2024, Students in Foundation to Year 4 attend 4 one hour specialist classes a week including PE, Visual Arts, Performing Arts, STEM and Cultural Studies.
Digital technologies
***Should be in a different area maybe as it is no longer a subject. It is more information about the tech at our school***
At Pakenham Consolidated School we believe that Digital Technology plays an extremely important role in bridging the gap between how students live and how they learn.
Digital Technology is used as a significant learning tool across our school and wherever possible. It is our role to provide students with a Digital Technology rich learning environment that delivers the resources, skills and knowledge required in order to assist our students to have a successful future in our ever changing digital world. The school monitors developments in this area and adopts its approach to teaching this important subject accordingly.
Digital Technology plays a very significant role in all areas of Pakenham Consolidated School, including:
Electives
Our Year 5 and 6 students participate in an electives program that allows them to engage in an area of interest to them, whilst allowing the curriculum to be explored. The program draws on the skills and passions of teachers in our school community to provide new learning experiences. The elective program is designed to give students a unique opportunity to experience and try new learning areas.
Students will select one elective for each 2 hour session, with 2 sessions provided each week. The electives are changed each term and students are provided the opportunity to select from different subjects each term.
The electives subjects offer a broad range of all subject areas for students to choose from. These include cooking, woodwork, fitness, drama, science and coding.
SPECIALISTS
Pakenham Consolidated School offers an extensive specialist program that we are very proud of. Students in Foundation to Year 4 attend 4 one hour specialist classes a week including PE, Visual Arts, Performing Arts, STEM and Cultural Studies.In Years 5 & 6 students participate in the Electives program which offers a range of subjects from each curriculum area.
Health and Physical Education - Mr Jende and Ms Mai
FOUNDATION
Foundation students will learn to participate in team based games and show good sportsmanship. They will develop their fundamental motor skills through practice and apply these to set activities in small group rotations.
Year 1 & 2
Students in Year 1 & 2 will build on their fundamental motor skills and apply these to set activities and class games. They will continue to develop their collaborative skills while showing good sportsmanship in team based games and group activities.
Year 3 & 4
Students in Year 3 & 4 will apply their fundamental motor skills to a range of sports covered throughout the year. They will be tested on their fitness and strength at the beginning of each term. Students will also have the opportunity to represent their school in several sports as well as athletics and cross country events if they are successful in these events at school.
STEM
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) touch almost every aspect of our lives. We have smartphones and tablets. We have driverless cars and surgical robots. We have expeditions going on beyond our solar system. Innovations driven by people skilled in STEM are changing how we live, work and understand the world.
STEM comprises the specific knowledge, understandings and skills in each of these learning areas as well as the interrelationship between each of them. This enables skills such as critical and creative thinking, collaboration and communication.
Each term at PCS we focus on one of the following areas each term:
Biological Science
Physical Science
Earth and Space Science
Chemical Science
Students in grade 3 and 4 will also be accessing their school Edupass account which will allow them to learn how to email, log onto apps and save to a safe space.
Teamwork is also a big focus on the STEM education and by working together in small groups we will be able to achieve our bigger projects.
VISUAL ARTS
Students will be focusing on their fine motor skill development with tasks including cutting, pasting, arranging, manipulating, colouring, folding and weaving. They will use a range of media including crayons, paints, Magiclay, clay, papers and pipe cleaners.
GRADE 1/ 2
Students will be investigating Master artists from long ago and contemporary, modern artists. They will complete a range of artworks based on these artists. Media includes paints, found objects, Magiclay, clay, plasticine and papers.
GRADE 3/ 4
Students will explore Master artists of old and contemporary artists and their various styles. They will create artworks using different media including papers, felt, fabric, wool, construction materials, oil pastels, clay and paint.
CULTURAL STUDIES
Foundation students develop their knowledge and understanding of other people’s cultures and their own culture. Students explore diverse cultural holidays, looking at similarities and differences in their life and other cultures to understand the concept of cultural diversity in Australia. Students are given the opportunity to talk about their own cultural identity and discuss what it would be like to immerse themselves in different celebrations such as Lunar New Year, Waitangi Day and Ramadan/Eid.
They learn about Thailand’s SongKran festival, ANZAC Day, Mother’s Day festivities around the world, Koorie and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditions, myths and dreamtime stories to enhance their knowledge of Australian culture.
YEAR ONE AND TWO
Grade One and Two students develop their knowledge and understanding of other people’s cultures and their own culture. Students explore diverse cultural holidays, looking at similarities and differences in their life and other cultures to understand the concept of cultural diversity in Australia. Students talk about their own cultural identity, creating a ‘My Culture’ presentation and discuss what it would be like to be immersed in different celebrations such as Lunar New Year, Waitangi Day and Ramadan/Eid.
They discuss and learn about Thailand’s Songkran, ANZAC Day, Mother’s Day celebrations around the world, Koorie and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditions, myths and dreamtime stories to enhance their knowledge of Australian culture.
YEAR THREE
Grade Three students develop their knowledge and understanding of other people’s cultures and their own family culture. Students explore diverse cultural holidays, looking at similarities and differences in their life and other cultures to understand the concept of cultural diversity in Australia. Students talk about their families’ cultural identity creating and presenting an oral report on ‘My Cultural Identity’, including discussing what it would be like to celebrate different celebrations such as Lunar New Year, Waitangi Day and Ramadan/Eid, finding similarities in their own culture and others in the classroom.
They discuss and learn about Thailand’s Songkran festival, ANZAC Day, Mother’s Day celebrations around the world, Koorie and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditions, myths and dreamtime stories to enhance their knowledge of Australian culture.
YEAR FOUR
Grade Four students develop their knowledge and understanding of other people’s cultures and their own family culture. Students explore diverse cultural holidays, looking at similarities and differences in their life and other cultures to understand the concept of cultural diversity.
Students are given the opportunity to talk about their families’ cultural identity creating and presenting an oral report on ‘My Cultural Identity’, including discussing what it would be like to be immersed into different celebrations such as Lunar New Year, Waitangi Day and Ramadan/Eid, finding similarities in their own cultures and others in the classroom.
They discuss and present their knowledge from researching about Thailand’s Songkran festival, ANZAC day, Mother’s Day celebrations around the world, Koorie and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditions, myths and dreamtime stories to enhance their knowledge of Australian culture.
PERFORMING ARTS
PCS has a proud history in the Performing Arts including our bi-annual whole school performance, participation in the Victorian State School Spectacular and the senior electives program.
Our learning environment includes access to percussion instruments and a dedicated performing space including a professional stage and lighting. This allows our students to learn, perform and rehearse during weekly lessons.
In 2024, the focus from the Victorian Curriculum is MUSIC.
We aim to develop our students’
Learning in Music
In Music, students listen to, compose and perform music in a wide range of styles from diverse cultures, times and locations. Listening underpins all music learning. Students compose and perform music using the voice, body, instruments, found sound sources, and digital technologies.
As composers, they create music in different styles and forms exploring personal interests and given ideas. Students develop their ability to identify and describe, using terminology and symbols (notation), aspects of the music they listen to, compose and perform.
