Ashgrove State School - Curriculum

English

Students in Year 7 identified as having special abilities in writing are selected to participate in a Writers’ Camp involving schools in the Gap Cluster. During the course of this camp the students work with professional writers with expertise in a variety of genres.

Students from Year 3 to Year 7 are encouraged to take part in the University of New South Wales English and competitions, and from Years 2 to 7 in the School Spelling Competition. The Library Staff encourages students to participate in writing and poetry competitions and in the annual Queensland Readers' Cup.

Each year the B.M.J. Shepherd Award for Literature is presented to the most outstanding student in year 7 in English.

Maths Competitions

Students are encouraged to take part in the Westpac Mathematics Competition as well as the University of New South Wales Mathematics Competition. This challenges these students and allows them comparisons with state and national benchmarks.

The school also sends teams to the annual Maths Team Challenge held between schools in the North of Brisbane.

Maths Tournament

Deputy Principals from our District organise a Maths Tournament for Year 6 and 7 students during Education Week each year. This Tournament takes place in several venues across Brisbane Central and West and involves students working in teams of 5 to solve Mathematics problems. Points are counted during the morning and the three top teams from each venue are presented with medals at the end of the competition.

Music

Instrumental Music is a wonderful feature of the school with the String Ensemble and Concert Band drawing much acclaim. Instruction is offered in the areas of woodwind, brass, percussion and strings. Specialist Teachers take students selected for these programs during normal school hours. Selection into the Strings program begins in year 3, while students in percussion, brass and woodwind are selected from year 5. Opportunities to play in concert bands, ensembles and individual performances are also given to these students out of school hours. Students who display and develop outstanding ability are given the opportunity to attend music camps where they can further develop their talents.

All students, as part of their music education, learn the basics of recorder playing.

The school currently has two Choirs, a Junior Choir and a Senior Choir. Students are welcome to audition for inclusion in the choirs at any time. The choirs take part in non-competitive musical evenings as well as eisteddfods.

Physical Education

All students participate in the School’s Track and Field Carnival and Swimming Carnival. Students who display advanced skills in these areas are selected for representative opportunities at district, regional and state levels.

Students in Years 5 to 7 are selected to represent Ashgrove State School in interschool sporting competitions. Presently we participate in:

Social Skills Program

Children in all classes are taught from a Social Skills program called “You Can Do It”. This program aims to provide all children with the foundations for achievement and social well being. It gives children the positive mindset necessary for them to develop the five foundations of Confidence, Persistence, Organisation, Getting Along and Emotional Resilience to achieve academic and lifelong success. Helping children to recognise and overcome the barriers locking their ability to adopt positive mind-habits is a key part of the program.

The Gap State High School Art and Maths Extension

Each year The Gap State High School offers several of our Year 7 students the opportunity to participate in Art or Mathematics extension programs. These programs require that the selected students attend the High School one afternoon per week to work with other students from local schools and the High School teachers. They participate in extension Art Activities which result in a display in our school foyer at the end of the year. The Maths students work on extension Problem Solving activities and are assessed by their teachers at the conclusion of the program.