It is the time where discovery leads to the building blocks of strong foundational understanding in all areas of learning.
Kindergarten at Lowther Hall is for 4-year-old girls and offers a rich, creative program providing a diverse range of outdoor and indoor activities. Teachers extend and encourage each child’s existing knowledge and interests, providing her with opportunities to hypothesise, experiment, experience success and develop a positive self-image. Play is an important aspect of the program. It enables the girls to grow, understand and consolidate their ideas about the world in which they live. It also promotes the development of valuable social skills, such as sharing, negotiating and cooperating with one another. A strong integrated curriculum is incorporated into the program, led by experienced and knowledgeable educators, with a focus on five important learning and development outcomes: Identity, Community, Wellbeing, Learning and Communication. Aspects of each of these outcomes are thoughtfully and deliberately developed through the play and learning of the girls every day.
Prep and Year 1 are the years of schooling where strong foundations of learning are built. Optimal learning in Blinkbonnie House occurs in a positive and challenging environment in which girls are offered the opportunity to grow in all aspects of development and to express their abilities using a wide range of skills.
The development of a range of knowledge, understandings, skills, interests and dispositions is a central feature of our comprehensive curriculum. Sequential, explicit teaching forms an integral part of the girls' learning which ensures they are equipped with fundamental skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Health and HASS (Humanities and Social Sciences). Support is provided for students who require assistance to reach their full potential within the classroom program, through small group experiences and some out-of-classroom programs, by well-trained and experienced educators. These programs, along with opportunities for enrichment allow all students to flourish and grow during their time in Blinkbonnie House.
Our philosophy is guided by work of the Reggio Emilia Education Project, which sees children as strong, active protagonists in their learning. There is an emphasis on allowing students to express themselves using ‘100 languages’ and a focus on the guiding principles of equity, social justice, participation and honouring of childhood, which are reflected in the Lowther Hall Image of the Child:
We believe that children are unique and rich in potential. They are active participants who construct knowledge and create theories about their world. We recognise that children have rights and are capable of being responsible for themselves. They can make decisions about how they respond to situations. Children move through the world with wonder and awe.
This understanding and belief in our youngest children informs the many programs and learning opportunities presented across Blinkbonnie House.
Informed by both Australian and Victorian curriculum documents, all programs in Blinkbonnie House are thoughtfully constructed by teachers to encourage learning through listening, sharing, working and playing.
Our English program, supported by the specialist subject Literature, is informed by the latest research into the science of reading, and is specifically designed to allow students to learn and practice skills in reading, writing, spelling, speaking and listening. Systematic, synthetic phonics is explicitly taught in both Prep and Year 1, with a corresponding focus on listening comprehension from Kindergarten onwards.
Mathematics is also taught in a systematic and sequential way, with a significant focus on early number concepts such as counting and subitising from Kindergarten, and explicit teaching of number, computation, algebra (patterns), measurement, space (shape) and statistics in Prep and Year 1.
Our Inquiry program runs through Kinder, Prep and Year 1 and encourages the girls to explore and make sense of their world through the lenses of Art, Science, Health and HASS. Our expert educators guide the investigations, ensuring that learning meets the curriculum requirements, while tapping into the knowledge and interests of the girls at each level. Art concepts are woven through the Inquiry, and the girls benefit from using a variety of ‘languages’ to share their thinking.
Our specialist programs are specifically designed for the young learners in Blinkbonnie House and allow students to build on their knowledge and skills over time. Our expert specialist teachers are informed by programs such as Kodaly in Music and Movement, Fundamental Motor Skills and Perceptual Motor Skills in Physical Education, and eSafety and the Design Process in Digital and Design Technology.
The physical education curriculum for our youngest students is designed to foster coordination, teamwork, and a love of movement, all while laying the foundation for a healthy and active lifestyle. By the end of their early years, students are ready to engage with more advanced athletics, building on their skills and experience as they progress through the school. Physical education is an exciting part of the curriculum, focusing on the development of fine and perceptual motor skills through a variety of engaging activities. These include:
An Environment that stimulates learning: our purpose-built spaces offer welcoming and stimulating experiences that support development.
