Welcome to the Upper Years at St Elizabeth's Catholic Primary School Tarragindi! Our upper years program, from Grade 4 to Grade 6, is designed to provide students with a well-rounded education that focuses on building independence, leadership, confidence and collaboration.
One of the highlights of our upper years program is our buddy system, where our Grade 6 leaders are connected through to our youngest learners in Prep. This creates a supportive environment where younger students can look up to their older classmates and learn from their experiences. The buddy system promotes collaboration and fosters a sense of belonging within the school community.
At St Elizabeth's, student wellbeing is a top priority. In Semester 1, our Health Unit of learning focuses on friendships. Students learn about making friends and being a good friend, as well as how to navigate conflict when it arises. Through role modelling and practice in the classroom, students develop essential social skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.
In Term 3, our wellbeing focus shifts to interoceptive processing and self-regulation. Students learn techniques to identify and manage their emotions, promoting self-awareness and emotional resilience. This helps students develop skills to regulate their own behaviour, resulting in a positive and productive learning environment.
As we approach Term 4, our focus shifts to personal safety and cyber safety. Students learn about personal boundaries, online safety, and how to keep themselves and others safe in various situations. These are essential skills for the modern world that empower our students to navigate the digital landscape with confidence and caution.
In addition to our comprehensive wellbeing curriculum, students also attend specialist lessons throughout the week. This includes French, Visual Arts, Physical Education, Digital and Design Technology, and Dance, Drama, and Music lessons throughout the year. These lessons provide a well-rounded education and allow students to explore their talents and interests in various fields.
At St Elizabeth's, we provide numerous extra-curricular opportunities, including joining our incredible bands. We offer three award-winning bands, giving students the chance to develop their musical skills and perform at various events throughout the year, should you wish your child to follow this passion.
Our teaching in the upper years is aligned with research-based high impact strategies. We implement explicit instruction, goal setting, and listen to student voice to ensure a rigorous and connected curriculum. These strategies ensure that all students are engaged and excited about their learning and develop a deep understanding of content taught. Our teaching is based on the neuroscience of learning and targeted specifically for our learners.
We also have Learning Enhancement teachers to support all learners across our school at their individual levels. At St Elizabeth's we have a high level of students who participate in our gifted and talented program, where they are given multiple opportunities to further extend their learning throughout the year via competitions, targeted teaching and small group activities based around the research based practices to support and enhance learning.
While some students may consider leaving at the end of Grade 4, we strongly encourage students to continue until the end of Grade 6. Our leadership program, innovative curriculum, and targeted teaching have proven outcomes that are highly competitive to much more expensive schooling options in our area.
We invite you to join us at St Elizabeth's Catholic Primary School Tarragindi, where we strive to provide a nurturing and challenging environment for all students, fostering their growth and preparing them for a successful future.
© BCE, St Elizabeth's School (2023)