OTHER LEARNING PROGRAMS

PHYSICAL EDUCATION
At Mount Blowhard we are very well equipped to fulfil the Physical Education curriculum across all year levels. Our sporting fields on site include a tennis court, multiple grass ovals and a full-size indoor gymnasium. This allow us to deliver 19 sports as a part of the curriculum over a two year rotation. Sporting activities that are offered on a yearly basis include swimming, cross country and athletics. We also have a pathway for students to progress to divisional, regional and state levels of competition in these sports. During class sessions we rotate through a balance of fitness, fundamental movement skills, traditional sports, non-traditional and minor games. Our flexible timetable at Mount Blowhard allows increased opportunities for students to participate in additional sporting clinics and allows us to use our sporting schools grants to compliment our PE curriculum.  

THE ARTS
The Visual Arts program is designed to promote creativity and imagination. Students create visual art works that communicate, challenge and express their own and others' ideas. They engage with and develop knowledge of visual arts, skills, techniques and processes, and use materials as they explore a range of forms, styles and contexts.

CHINESE
At MBPS students learn Chinese (Mandarin) language through various activities including songs, stories, dance and Chinese handcrafts. Our program covers basic vocabulary, greetings, language and cultural awareness. It helps our students to improve their communication skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing. We are eager to create opportunities that support our students to become global citizens, and give them greater choice when it comes to future study and work.

STUDENT LEADERSHIP
At Mount Blowhard Primary School, we believe in developing leadership skills in all students. Juniors are inspired by and learn from older students as they lead assemblies, speak in public, greet visitors, thank guests, and perform in public. We also have a leadership team made up of Year 6 students. Students have the opportunity to be elected as school captain, vice-captain or house captain.
 
Our Junior School Council is an opportunity for students to have input into the running of the school and to learn about meeting procedures, democratic decision making, organisation, team work and communication. This is a rotating role so all students from all year levels have the opportunity to contribute. Students are involved in planning school events, suggesting new initiatives and solving problems. 

SCIENCE
At Mount Blowhard Primary School, Science is explicitly taught for one hour every week from Foundation to Year 6. Science units run for a whole term from Earth & Space, Chemical, Biological and Physical sciences. Our science units are integrated with literacy, where students are exposed to background information and terminology by reading and responding to texts aligned with the current science unit. This rich background knowledge supports individual science lessons where specific scientific skills are taught or applied.

HUMANITIES
Humanities covers a range of subjects including civics and citizenship, economics and business, geography and history.​ We provide the opportunity for students to examine the complex processes that have shaped the modern world and to investigate responses to different challenges including people’s connection with the world around us. 

The civics and citizenship curriculum develops students’ knowledge of political and legal institutions and explores the nature of citizenship in a liberal democracy. Our geography curriculum presents a structured way of exploring, analysing and understanding the characteristics of the places that make up our world, using the concepts of place, space, environment and sustainability. 

History is a process of investigation into the past that develops students' curiosity and imagination. Awareness of history is an essential characteristic of any society, and historical knowledge is fundamental to understanding ourselves and others. It helps students appreciate how the world and its people have changed, as well as the significant continuities that exist to the present day. Students at Mount Blowhard study history through classroom learning and through the MARC (Mobile Area Resource Centre) Van which provides lessons on a fortnightly basis. 

CAMPS
Mount Blowhard Primary School's camp program aims to foster social skills, independence, leadership, environmental awareness and to provide students with a range of educational activities to reinforce and extend classroom learning. The students at Mount Blowhard have the opportunity to take part in camps from Foundation right through to Year 6. Where possible, we offer a whole school camp to promote whole school connection.  

Our junior camp program consists of a Foundation and Year 1 Stay Back. Students complete a day of local activities such as the Wildlife Park, Sovereign Hill or a gymnastics class. Then stay late at school for a special dinner. 
 
From Year 2 to Year 6, students rotate through visiting a variety of external sites and take part in adventurous and educational activities. Year 2, 3 and 4 students visit Cave Hill Creek where they spend time building relationships and team bonding. On the alternate year, students travel to Narmbool and take part in an environmental sustainability camp. Year 5 and Year 6 students take part in a beach camp, where they camp in tents, surf and enjoy many other activities. On the alternate year, students take part in the Melbourne experience camp where they learn the ways of the city. Students catch public transport and visit some of Melbourne’s wonderful attractions. 

TECHNOLOGY
Every classroom has an interactive touchscreen TV, and the use of technology is appropriately integrated across the curriculum. We have class sets of iPads and laptop computers. Students learn effective research skills, and how to use ICT for communication and presenting. We use a range of high quality learning apps, chosen by teachers, to meet specific learning goals. Students also learn about cyber-safety, including privacy, keeping safe on-line and ways to protect against on-line bullying. In Years 4 to 6, Technology classes also include learning to control small programmable robots.

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
At Mount Blowhard Primary School we take advantage of opportunities for our students to participate in local events and activities, and we also bring members of the wider community into our school to share their knowledge and expertise. Extra-curricular activities include Book Week, Careers Days, visits by secondary school bands, cooking, gardening, and guest speakers.