The major focus of the Foundation sub school is to develop language and communication skills.
We strive to integrate the students into the school by using their existing strengths to develop a program in conjunction with parents, therapists and specialist staff that is appropriate for the individual’s needs. In the Foundation School’s Program the staff believe in using every moment of each day as a chance for each student to learn and develop new skills.
Literacy and Numeracy
Literacy and the development of speaking and listening, early reading and writing are designed around a ‘central idea’ for the term and the use of big books. Understanding of the concept of print is encouraged through dramatisation of story, learning of dialogue and joining in the reading of stories.
Numeracy covers a wide range of activities including understanding of number, measurement and space at an individual’s level of understanding. Cooking, science and technology are an important part of the understanding of maths in a practical sense as the students are guided in weighing, measuring, time taken to complete a task and the calculations of recording the processes.
Art
Through the integration of fine motor skills and art the students learn to use the fine muscles of the arms and hands, develop strength in important muscles and understand the importance of using these little muscles to become independent in buttoning clothing and unzipping bags.
Collaboration: Dance and Communication
Each year, each sub-school collaborates with school staff and therapists in an activity that meets the objectives and requirements of each child’s needs and teaches skills base don hands-on experience. Below are some examples of the collaboration activities undertaken by Foundation Students.
Students from Foundation, along with Early Years and Pathways group enthusiastically under Rotunda each Thursday and collectively make their way to the Dance Studio to participate in this program which gives students the opportunity to practice Communication, Maths, Dressing skills, dance and sensory skills.
The students learn the sequence of steps, make choices and develop social skills. They practice doing up buttons and zips as well as taking shoes on and off and respond to the calming effect of music and experience varying textures in their costumes. In terms 2, the “Bird Dance” and “The Magic Painting” were presented to the whole school as a result of students growth and development over the course of the year.
