Essendon North Primary School offers Mandarin from Foundation to Year Six. Our Language Program encompasses conversational language, character recognition and writing, as well as learning about culture, customs, history and geography. The acquisition of an additional language and associated intercultural skills is critical to the development of children, both intellectually and emotionally. It also provides greater confidence and choice when it comes to future study and work. Languages prepare our students to be responsible and engaged members of our community, and to look outward as active and informed citizens of the world. Learning an additional language provides a rich opportunity for developing a disposition for international mindedness and empathy with others.
Physical Education at Essendon North Primary School is an important component of the school’s curriculum, and being active is emphasised by all staff. Students are encouraged to participate in all types of sport whether it is in their class, Physical Education lessons or through our many other sport programs. This time is critical for students as it adds to their confidence, co-operation and sportsmanship and keeps the balance between work and play.
Each child from Foundation through to Year Six participates in weekly Physical Education lessons. In addition, upper primary students have the opportunity to participate in a Swimming Carnival, Cross Country Event, Athletics Day, Interschool Sport and Footy Day.
Students at Essendon North Primary School undertake a Camping Program in Year Four and Year Six. The school’s camping program is integral to the overall learning program, and the personal and social development for every child. At camp, students build upon their personal and social skills in an outdoor setting, starting with two nights in Year Four and increasing to three nights in Year Six. The program promotes independence, cooperation and student leadership. Each camp is carefully selected to provide students with adventure, challenge and team building in a variety of outdoor learning environments. The program encourages the participation and active involvement of all our students.
The Perceptual Motor Program (PMP) at Essendon North Primary School is a weekly school based program for all Foundation students. At the core of PMP is the research-based understanding that children require language, memory, visual, listening, physical and social skills to be prepared for high quality learning. PMP develops a range of important kinaesthetic skills to support learning, including balancing, spatial awareness, body image and control, eye/hand coordination, directionality and language and problem solving.
The Performing Arts program at ENPS, provides students with opportunities to develop knowledge, skills and processes in the areas of Music, Drama and Dance from Foundation to Grade Six. The program is designed to maximise opportunities for students to become innovative thinkers and to have experiences as both audience members and artists. Through Performing Arts we emphasize creativity, imagination and self-confidence.
The Visual Arts program at Essendon North Primary School welcomes all students in a fun, challenging and creative learning environment. Our Visual Arts program nurtures inventiveness as it engages students in a process that aids in the development of self-esteem, self-discipline, cooperation, and self-motivation. In the lower primary school years, the art program focuses on creating and making. Students are engaged in stimulating activities where they can explore with guidance, a wide range of media, materials and equipment. All areas are covered; drawing, painting, collage, construction, modelling, printing, threads and textiles. It is within these areas that an emerging knowledge of skills, techniques and processes is formed. In the upper primary school years, the art program focuses on developing the skills of creative problem solving, artistic perception and expression and also developing each student’s personal expression and communication.
The Happy, Healthy, Active Kids program at Essendon North Primary School provides students with a range of lessons on all aspects of staying healthy in school, at home and in the wider community. Our health and wellbeing lessons are a combination of health theory and active learning, with students learning about their year-level health unit before heading outside for an active game to focus on physical health, skills and teamwork. We work closely with the Bluearth Foundation to create a bank of meaningful and evidence-based games and activities that enable our students to learn through movement and mindfulness.
Students at Essendon North Primary School are offered an opportunity to undertake extra-curricular instrumental music lessons. Professional musicians provide small group music tuition in keyboard, percussion, guitar, ukelele and singing. Lessons are thirty minutes in duration and enrolment forms can be collected from the school’s office. At the end of each school year, an Instrumental Music Concert is performed by students that enable them to showcase and share their talents and learning.
Students from Years Two to Year Six have the opportunity to be part of the school choir. Our choir meets weekly, and has participated in community events such as Carols by Candlelight in Queens Park, Moonee Ponds and the Victorian State Schools Spectacular.
We offer a variety of supervised lunch clubs throughout each term. Lunch clubs provide for the physical, social, emotional, artistic, musical, technological and creative interests of students. Lunch clubs are promoted on the Student Voice noticeboard in the quadrangle, included on the Yard Duty roster and varied each term.