Educational Excellence

Teaching and Learning

High academic achievement, a positive attitude to learning and development of life-long thinking skills are key features of Roselea Public School.

Learning programs are based on curriculum documents and support materials developed by the Board of Studies, the Department of Education and Training and are enhanced by the Roselea Learning to Learn program. Teacher and teaching activities are regularly evaluated so that they best meet the current needs of the students at Roselea.

Parents are kept informed about curriculum issues and have the opportunity to express their views concerning any significant changes or developments.

Learning to Learn Program

The implementation of the Learning to Learn program at Roselea Public School is an approach to teaching core subjects in a way which develops students as life-long learners. We live in a knowledge-based society with unknown futures and we need to prepare our children for this.

The career choices of primary students today most likely haven’t been invented as yet. To this end, teachers and schools are faced with the challenge of providing building blocks for their students’ effective participation in workplaces and communities of the future.

To operate effectively as life-long learners, our students will need to be highly literate, numerate, articulate and proficient as knowledge workers. A knowledge worker is someone who takes something they know and works with it to create something they don’t know (i.e. to create something new).

Skills required by knowledge workers include:

• An understanding of the process of thinking
• An ability to think creatively and critically to solve problems
• Co-operation, team work, resilience, citizenship, flexibility, effective listening
• Self-esteem, social worth

Through the Learning to Learn program at Roselea Public School, these skills as well as learning behaviours called Habits of Mind are explicitly taught and developed.

A whole school approach to the implementation of this thinking curriculum will enable on-going opportunities for all students to develop, practice and refine the skills listed above and the strategies required by life long learners.

Parent Participation

Parents are involved in the following ways:

• Active membership of the Parents and Citizens' Association
• Participation in the Before and After School Care Committee
• Membership of the Roselea Auxiliary
• Assistance with ground maintenance
• Active role in fundraising and social activities
• Assisting in the canteen
• Assisting teachers with learning programs such as fitness, reading, excursions, camps, sports and creative arts

Student Involvement

The development of leadership skills is a strong focus of the activities offered at Roselea. Students actively participate in school assemblies, the Peer Support and buddy programs and a range of public speaking opportunities.

Students are encouraged to take responsibility for their own actions and to care for others at all times. Problem solving and thinking skills are actively taught in classrooms. Students take part in 3 way interviews (with their parents and teacher), working together to set goals for future learning.

Additional Activities

Classroom teaching and learning activities are enhanced by a wide range of other activities available as options for students. These include choir, band, dance, debating, Computer Club, Maths' Club and the environment group.

Debating and Public Speaking

From as early as Kindergarten, Roselea students are provided with regular opportunities to develop confidence in public speaking as they, for example, prepare topic talks to present in class, lead assemblies, speak about their learning during conferences with their teacher and parents, and take on the role of class messengers or as Student Representative Coucil members.

Year 5 students enhance their debating techniques, confidence and general public speaking expertise by taking part in the inter-school debating competition organised by the Epping Rotary Club. Teachers are justifiably proud of the observable improvement in the skill level of the debaters and their confident preparation of each new increasingly challenging debate topic.

Environmental Education and Management

Roselea students are involved in a range of environmental learning experiences. The school wide scope and continuum of Connected Outcome Groups ensures that all students participate in environmental education through topics studied in class. In addition, on School Tree Day each grade plants a native tree on the school oval to provide more shade and animal habitats. Students readily accept the responsibility of watering their trees, building up understanding of the on-going commitment needed to protect the environment.

All students participate in the Rubbish Free Lunch Challenge each year. Other initiatives to decrease general rubbish have included the use of a recycling bin at the canteen and also the introduction of composting bins. Members of the Roselea Environment Club learn about composting and are beginning to take responsibility for it on a daily basis.

This year the Environment Club planted an edible garden. They have been able to use the compost collected to fertilise and maintain their vegetable patches, and are looking forward to their first harvest.

Informing Parents

Parents are informed about school activities, functions and students' progress through:

• A fortnightly newsletter
• Parent-Teacher interviews
• Written reports
• Open days and evenings at the schoolMonthly Parents and Citizens' Association and Roselea Auxiliary meetings

Student Welfare

To meet the needs of all students, the school is fortunate to have the services of a competent and experienced teaching staff ably assisted by a large number of specialists.

These include school counsellors and support teachers trained to teach English as a Second Language, remedial education and library skills.

Students with hearing or visual impairments and those students with behavioural problems are supported by specially trained itinerant teachers.

On request from parents, students with disabilities in the Roselea Support Unit are assisted with their mobility needs by privately employed specialist therapists.