Welcome to Foundation!
At Pearcedale Primary School our Foundation teachers provide quality instruction based on the Victorian Curriculum, researched interventions and enriching extensions to provide outstanding education for all.
Play is an important part of the curriculum where learning is related to real life, as children are encouraged to make sense of the world around them through real life experiences. Our Foundation teachers understand and nurture each stage of development and support students to achieve their personal best across all areas of the curriculum.
Teachers work collaboratively to ensure that the learning activities and resources cater for varying abilities. The Foundation team establishes a pathway for each child to learn, discover and grow to prepare them for the learning journey ahead.
Wellbeing
In the classroom, teachers foster a safe and happy learning environment where students are valued, and encouraged. Every day, classes starts with a Welcome Circle, to nurture meaningful relationships with the students. The school’s values, ‘Safe, Aspire, Courage and Respect’, are integrated into daily learning experiences. The ‘Play is the Way’ program is also explicitly taught, ensuring students develop social and emotional learning and an empowering self-reflective language based on empathy. The Berry Street Education Model is used in each classroom. This program teaches students self-regulation techniques, and aims to increase student engagement, relationships, wellbeing, growth and academic achievement. Students also participate in ‘Respectful Relationships’ activities which promote respect, positive attitudes and behaviours. It teaches students how to build healthy relationships, resilience and confidence.
Literacy
The Literacy Program enhances each child’s literacy skills and knowledge, and develops the foundations for future learning. Our Literacy program is built around three interrelated strands of Language, Literature and Literacy. Through fun, interactive and interest based activities, students develop their reading, phonemic awareness, creating, speaking and listening, and writing skills and come to enjoy and appreciate the English Language. Teachers use the Little Learners Love Literacy program which encompasses all the vital components of an evidence-based structured literacy program – explicit teaching, a carefully developed scope and sequence and a range of decodable activities and books. Literacy lessons involve explicit teaching of vocabulary, language structure, verbal reasoning, literacy knowledge, phonological awareness, decoding, and sight word practise. The use of digital technologies in each Foundation class within the Literacy program is an integral part of teaching and learning. Classes also incorporate daily activities which aim to increase students’ working memory.
Numeracy
The Mathematics program focuses on developing the knowledge, skills and understanding to express reasoning and to problem solve and learn more effectively. Students become familiar with key vocabulary and simple strategies to structure and improve thinking. Foundation students use hands on resources and objects, and draw pictures to develop links between their immediate environment, everyday language and mathematical activity. Students work on number and mathematical fluency, problem solving, working collaboratively, and using reasoning to become competent maths learners. Digital resources are also used to enhance the interactivity of the maths program. Students sort and clarify objects, count, order, add, subtract and share small sets of objects. They create and continue simple patterns, compare objects with respect to length, mass and capacity, and estimate measurements using informal units. Students describe position and movement in their immediate environment, investigate situations requiring data collection and present this information in simple data displays.
Specialist Subjects
At Pearcedale Primary School, our Foundation students participate in a range of specialist programs which aim to provide opportunities for all students to develop and nurture a range of interests. The students participate in Physical Education, Performing Arts, Visual Arts, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), AUSLAN (Australian Sign Language), Library and Foundation Sport. All of these programs are coordinated by a specialist teacher that plans and implements a fantastic and engaging program.
Additional Information
The Foundation classes are paired with a ‘Buddy’ class of Grade 5 or 6 students. Buddies participate in weekly mentoring, play based activities, games, Literacy or Numeracy games under the guidance of the class teachers. Buddy time is a weekly highlight for many Foundation students. During lunch times, there are numerous opportunities for students to participate in extra activities such as Prep Club, Lego Club, Digi Tech club, Library story time, mindfulness colouring and more!