Specialist Programs
At St Brendan’s, we offer a broad range of specialist subjects to ensure that each student receives a full and well-rounded education. In these curriculum areas, students are given opportunities to learn and develop an extensive range of life-long skills. Students are provided with opportunities to demonstrate their skills in these areas at events throughout the year. Student achievements are recognized and celebrated at assemblies and in the newsletter. Students are encouraged to also share personal achievements with the school community in areas such as gymnastics, horse riding and dancing.
Yoga
The yoga program at St Brendan’s aims to improve body awareness, breathing and mindfulness. All classes are timetabled to participate in yoga sessions in our well-equipped St Brendan’s yoga room!
Having the opportunity to regularly go through a variety of yoga poses, helps our students learn about their bodies and the movements they are capable of doing.
Perfecting a pose or improving their balance and flexibility can give children a sense of personal empowerment.
While children’s yoga is designed for fun and helps strengthen children’s growing bodies, it can also make a positive impact on their emotional regulation and self-esteem. It helps children learn to be in the present moment while relaxing and gaining a peaceful state of mind.
Visual Arts and Performing Arts
The Arts curriculum is divided into two interrelated parts – Performing Arts and Visual Arts with students participating in one hour of music and one hour of art lessons per week.
School Production - The school production takes place every two years and is held at a community theatre venue. Each level in the school participates in a high quality performance featuring acting, singing and dancing and provides a wonderful platform for students to showcase their amazing talents.
Choir - Students from Years Two to Six are invited to take part in the school choir. The choir performs in community events such as Christmas Carols and at Masses throughout the year.
Physical Education
We provide students with knowledge, skills and behaviours to enable them to achieve a degree of autonomy in developing and maintaining their physical health, through the development of motor skills and movement competence, health-related physical fitness and sport education.
The students have one hour lessons per week. The Year Five and Six students also participate in Inter school sports sessions on a weekly basis. Students are given the opportunity to try different sports such as; golf, badminton, hockey, football, basketball and gymnastics.
Swimming lessons are provided to all students from Foundation to Year Six during Term Four.
Opportunities for representing our school in District, Divisional and Zone competitions are available for students in Years Three to Six in the areas of swimming, cross country, athletics and basketball.
LOTE - Japanese
In 2018 we are excited to be undertaking a new phase of language learning by introducing the study of Japanese.
The purpose of the students of St Brendan’s learning Japanese is trifold;
It introduces and develops the teaching and learning of an Asian language to support the Victorian Curriculum requirements.
It broadens the students’ horizons about the personal, social, cultural and employment opportunities that are constantly evolving in the interdependent world. With Japan on Australia’s doorstep, it is logical for Australian students to learn a second language that will be purposeful and add to their skill set as the workforce of the future.
It challenges them to implement a growth mindset in a new learning area in which their capacity will outweigh their fears. Only through experiencing new stimuli and challenges are the students supported to grow and learn.
Numerous research studies have proven the importance and benefit of learning a second language and here at St Brendan’s we strongly support this notion. With a long history of LOTE learning, we are looking forward to the evolution of a program that will enhance the students’ learning opportunities to help them become globally informed and capable citizens.