Specialist Subjects
All students R to 6 participate in a range of specialist programs including Music and Drama, Visual Arts, Physical Education and Japanese, and we maintain a strong focus on student/staff wellbeing.
Staff, students and parents are actively involved in school planning and we have many active volunteers who are central to implementing our progressive syllabus
Music/Drama
Lobethal Primary School has a strong tradition in quality music education. We are committed to a rigorous and fun music program that has a dedicated focus on creativity and enjoyment. We know that a solid incremental music program increases our children’s abilities to achieve in all areas of life including higher performance in academic areas. Therefore, we ensure that all children have access to a quality 50-minute classroom music lesson every week with our Early Year’s teachers trained in implementing daily music within the classroom.
All students can access our Instrumental Music Program from years 4-6 where they are taught orchestral instruments and the skills to play in an ensemble.
We also have private instruction in guitar, keyboard and drums available.
Students also can access our choir program from years 4-6 with performances within our school community and in the Hills Music Festival.
As students increase their instrumental and vocal abilities they are able to audition for our school bands, where our enthusiastic band teacher prepares students for community performances. This Includes, ‘Kidstock’, Lobethal Lights and our whole school performances.
Visual Art
At Lobethal Primary School connection, community and collaboration are our focus. Collaborating and connecting with school staff, students and families, as well as Arts professionals, and our local Arts and Heritage organization ‘Fabrik’, we provide a variety of Arts learning outcomes for our students from Reception to Year 6.
Exhibitions, community murals, art retreats and cross-curricular projects and performances enrich our students learning in all curriculum areas and deepen our students’ connection with Visual Art. Regular involvement in community exhibitions engenders a sense of pride and a real world outcome for our students.
Physical Education
At Lobethal Primary School, the focus of our Physical Education and sport program is on participation, inclusiveness, skill development, fun and personal development. We strongly value the importance of providing a quality sport and physical activity program. It has a huge impact on a child’s confidence, competence and motivation to be active at school and throughout life.
Physical Education is a vital part of a school curriculum. Not only are there obvious health benefits from having happy, healthy and active students, there are other social, psychological and cognitive benefits from participating in a well-run program of physical activity and sport.
Each class group receives a minimum of 50 minutes specialist PE time a week with class teachers providing daily fitness. Annually Lobethal Primary School students have the opportunity to compete in the Hills district and SAPSASA competitions in sports including but not limited to Athletics, Swimming, football, Soccer and Netball.
We utilise Sporting School initiative to increase student’s participation in sport and to connect them with community sport opportunities.
Outdoor Classroom
The outdoor classroom kitchen garden is a beautiful space for all students to explore and engage in nature. The garden area incorporates a variety of fruit trees, a large chicken coop, raised herb and vegetable beds, compost bays, worm farm, a brick pizza oven, propagation shed, bee and butterfly garden, native recreation area and indigenous bush tucker garden.
Our school’s ‘Nature nurture’ program provides students with the opportunity to immerse themselves in gardening opportunities that promote self regulation, nurture, connection with others, and the upskilling of numerous transferable skills that incorporate garden to plate understandings, food preparation and plant usage. This program highlights the benefits organically accrued from being in nature and the purposefully taught and learned skills within the chosen 4 activity focuses (Nature immersion, Nature & sensory, Nature creations, Nature & nurture). Students are immersed in an enriching outdoor environment that promotes a strong sense of connectedness to our school community, a deeper appreciation for the natural environment through the lens of growth, agility and sustainability. Students will accrue additional tools to further promote their own sense of wellbeing and wellness. Establishment of this program further highlights our commitment to the wellbeing of our students and acknowledges the impact that the whole school environment has in safety, inclusivity, nurture and on-task engagement.
STEM
Our philosophy in STEM teaching is to ‘Make something that will make a difference!’
STEM is a favourite amongst our learners.
Our ‘design solution’ approach to STEM teaching develops learner’s understandings in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths with an ethical and sustainable approach.
Challenges are presented to learners where they must design a solution using a ‘design, make and appraise method’. Explicit teaching in each curriculum area is provided so that learners develop the skill set to be able to create appropriate and innovative solutions. They enthusiastically create their models in a hands on manner using recycled material, digital technology, lego, 3D printing and robotics. They create their designs using sketches and digital technologies.
LPS works in partnership with the University of Adelaide with their ‘ Inspiring women and girls project’ and looks forward to continue to develop our learner’s skills by being involved with their ‘Outreach’ programs. We also work collaboratively with ‘One Giant Leap’ foundation with projects such as comparing seed growth on the International Space Station.