The Australian Curriculum includes English, Mathematics, Science, The Arts, Health and PE, Humanities and Social Sciences (which includes History and Geography), Technologies, and Languages.
Through our classroom learning programs, we aim to give our students a broad understanding of the world, and build their skills for the future. Creativity, varied approaches to problem solving, and the ability to work cooperatively with others, are highly valued skills. Opportunities to develop these strengths are integrated across the subject areas.
The School recognises and values Aboriginal students and their families within our community.
Significant events such as Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week are acknowledged and celebrated by the whole school to promote cultural identity and awareness.
Our teachers include Aboriginal Perspectives when planning and implementing the Australian Curriculum.
We prioritise the learning of every Aboriginal learner. Our rigorous implementation of Aboriginal Learner Achievement Matrix strengthens our improvement strategies to raise literacy and numeracy achievement levels for Aboriginal learners.
The key personnel supporting Aboriginal students and their education are the:
- Aboriginal Community Education Officer (ACEO)
- Aboriginal Education Teacher
- Pitjantjatjara Language and Culture Teacher
Aboriginal students are supported in classes and throughout the school by these staff members. The ACEO supports Aboriginal students and families to make and maintain strong connections with the school.
Climate Change is the phenomenon that drives our learning in science and social studies.
As the children progress through the years they learn about our atmosphere, the greenhouse effect, how energy is generated, fossil fuels, greenhouse gases, weather, climate, the effects of global warming on the polar ice caps, acidification of the oceans, changes ocean currents, sea level rise, rainfall trends, biodiversity, melting of glaciers, agriculture and weather patterns.
The school has made a commitment to ensure that students are able to rely on science and ethics to form their views about appropriate actions to take to protect the environment.
Cowandilla Primary School is a Climate Change Specialist School.
At Cowandilla, we value language learning highly because of the intercultural understanding and improved relationships that come from learning another language. Students can study either Greek or Italian as a Languages subject.
In the Early Years classes children have a range of language experiences. Students in Years 3–6 learn one of the languages, with two Language lessons per week.
At Cowandilla we have a Special Education program that supports students within the classroom or in a 1:1 tutoring situation. All our Negotiated Education Plan students work on a learning plan that meets their individual needs. They are supported by their classroom teachers, SSOs, and the Special Education teachers.
Specialist staff from the region are called to assess students who are not progressing as well as we would like. Parents are closely involved in the drawing up of learning plans and special modifications are made to suit students’ individual needs.
At Cowandilla we have a specialist Physical Education teacher. Classes have at least one lesson a week with the PE teacher. Classroom teachers also implement their own PE lessons during the week. The school provides many opportunities to participate in physical activity, exercise and team sports. Our sports facilities include a swimming pool, covered outdoor basketball court (known as the Grassketball court), climbing wall, playground exercise equipment and a modern gym with basketball, netball and volleyball courts.
Every child participates in swimming lessons with qualified instructors in Term 1.
Many sporting clinics are conducted throughout the year for all students. These include AFL Auskick run by West Adelaide Football Club, cricket, and Footsteps Dance.
Students have the opportunity to participate in SAPSASA sport, including district and state swimming, soccer and netball, athletics and cross-country carnivals.
Cowandilla Primary School is part of the Sporting Schools Program.
