Curriculum:Overview

Rainworth State School's curriculum includes the key learning areas of English, Mathematics, SOSE (Studies of Society and Environment), the Arts, Science, Technology, LOTE (Languages other than English), and Health and Physical Education.

The curriculum stresses real-life activities that integrate students' learning across the key learning areas. Rainworth State School is consistently ranked among the top schools in statewide tests.

The aim of the school's curriculum is to develop lifelong learners who are:

independent thinkers
creative, confident and logical thinkers
collaborators and negotiators
optimistic, positive members of the community.

Some of the special features of the Rainworth curriculum are described below.

English
Mathematics
Arts
Health and physical education
Sport
Languages Other than English (LOTE)
Music
Outdoor education
Technology
Enrichment activities

English The teaching of literacy skills is integrated into all of the school's programs. All year levels participate in complex learning tasks, which are developed by teachers and students. These tasks combine as many curriculum areas as possible in challenging and stimulating contexts.

English is a main focus of our curriculum and provides the basic knowledge and understandings about our English language. These include, Reading and Viewing, Writing and shaping texts, Grammar and Punctuation,Spelling and Multiliteracies.

Our students are achieving at a very high standard in all areas of literacy as tracked by Education Queensland. The standard was significantly higher than like-school and all other state schools. However, there is always the need to improve our students’ knowledge and skills in interpreting and constructing language in its many forms.

Our staff engage in professional dialogue training associated with the teaching of English and literacy at Rainworth.

As a result, we are creating a shared vision related to literacy in our school and the vocabulary needed to discuss this. This will ensure consistency and continuity is maintained in literacy development for our students.

As an enrichment activity, Rainworth takes part in the University of New South Wales Australian Schools English Competition. Rainworth students also take part in the Bardon Young Writers' Workshop.

Mathematics At Rainworth we believe that Mathematics should be relevant and challenging. We insure that we give our students opportunities to take part in life-like, activity-based tasks that are non-threatening and enjoyable.

Our teaching staff believe that mathematics learning is a continuous, life-long, developmental process. We believe Mathematics is the science of patterns. It involves observing, representing, and investigating patterns and relationships.

We endeavour to prepare our students to be risk-takers and effectively apply mathematics in their further education and life.

Our Students take part in the University of New South Wales Primary Schools Mathematics Competition.

Arts The Rainworth arts curriculum allows students to explore a wide variety of art forms and techniques. Instruction is offered in drama, dance and the visual arts, including drawing, painting, printmaking, textiles, construction, modelling and carving, and electronic imaging.

Specialist drama and dance teachers are employed through parent contributions to work with students throughout the year.

Rainworth is proud to have been awarded the Queensland Arts Council's Arts and Culture Practice Award in 2003, the only primary school in the state to receive this award. Rainworth was recognised for its outstanding visual arts program which culminates in two-yearly art shows; its participation in the Bardon Young Writers' Workshop; and its commitment to an annual artist-in-residence program. This program has included workshops in arts and cultural studies with artists from Chile, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Africa.

Health and physical education Rainworth State School offers a wide range of health and fitness activities, both as part of the curriculum and as extracurricular activities.

Languages other than English (LOTE) Rainworth is one of the few state schools in Queensland that offers LOTE instruction across all year levels. While the Queensland Government funds LOTE instruction from Year 6 on, the generous support of the Italian Government allows Rainworth to provide Italian instruction to children from Year 1 on. Students in Years 1–5 have one hour of Italian instruction per week, while children in Years 6 and 7 have 1.5 hours per week.

Rainworth's Italian Carnavale is one of the highlights of the school year, as is the celebration of Italy's national day, La Festa della Republica.

Outdoor education Rainworth State School's outdoor education program has been developed with the help of the Edmund Park Training and Leisure Centre. The program operates under the “challenge by choice” philosophy, which encourages participants to determine their own level of challenge.

Children from Years 3–7 attend camps as follows:

Year	Duration	Theme	Location
Year 3	One day	Reduce/re-use/recycle	Brisbane Forest Park
Year 4	Three days and two nights	Discovery	Edmund Park
Year 5	Three days and two nights	Communities	Camp Laurence
Year 6/7	Three days and two nights	Leadership	Apex Mudjimba

Technology Rainworth State School integrates technology into its curriculum to ensure that students become skilled in the use of computers. Students from Year 1 on learn to use programs such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft Publisher to produce class presentations, brochures and newsletters.

Every classroom at Rainworth has at least four computers. Computers are also available in the library. All computers are linked to a curriculum/student server and have Internet access. Children have their own folder and students in Years 4-7 have a personal Internet and e-mail ID and password. Education Queensland provides the school's Internet access as well as a comprehensive monitoring system that filters all unwanted or inappropriate sites.

In 2004, Rainworth added animation and digital editing to the technology curriculum. Students use still and motion digital cameras and digital editing software to create their own movies.

Enrichment activities

Bardon Young Writers' Workshop Inspiring a love of literature is a key priority at Rainworth. The Bardon Young Writers' Workshop has been coordinated since 1996 by the Rainworth teacher-librarian and staff from Bardon State School. Each year, selected Year 6 and 7 students from nine participating schools are challenged, inspired and extended by visiting authors, poets, scriptwriters, editors, journalists, illustrators and publishers.

Chess A chess program is held at lunchtimes in the library. A former Russian national chess champion coaches the children.

Information Sheets

Literacy tips There are a number of ways you can help your child to develop their literacy skills. These include:

reading to your child as often as you can
having your child read to you
discussing favourite authors together and explaining why you like them
talking about the things you read for different purposes such as newspapers, magazines and books
encouraging your child to write letters to family members and friends
encouraging your child to keep a diary or journal
getting your child to write a play and perform it for you with their relatives and friends.

Reading Helpful hints to use at home Click here to read Info Sheet

Numeracy tips There are a number of ways you can help your child to develop their numeracy skills. These include:

identifying and talking about the mathematics you use in daily situations such as cooking, reading maps and playing sport
organising, categorising and counting collections of things like toys, books, clothing and shoes
observing and using timetables, calendars and clocks found in lots of different places for a variety of different purposes such as planning television watching times or study periods, holiday planning and catching public transport
discussing the use of numbers, patterns and shapes in your daily life
cutting out items from junk mail with their prices attached for back-to-school items such as lunch boxes and pencils and letting your child add up the cost of the selected items
asking your child to weigh fruit and vegetable items and seeing if they can estimate the cost when you go to the supermarket
exploring situations like shopping and budgets which involve money.

Maths homework How can parents help? Click here to read Info Sheet