Specialist programs
Art
The visual arts program at Thornbury Primary School is offered to all mainstream classes for an hour each week. The children enjoy many different forms of art making including painting, drawing, ceramics, printmaking, threads and textiles and other sculptural work. Our art appreciation reflects the cultural diversity of our students by studying art works from Australia and overseas. Generally an artist a term is chosen to enable the students to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the artist and their works.
Displays play an important role in art making with all children having their art works on show at the annual school art show as well as the school foyer and other public areas.
Two thirds of all students at Thornbury Primary School learn a musical instrument
The T.I.M.E. teaching team consists of the following energetic and passionate educators:
Finley Francois – Piano / Spicy Semitones Ensemble Director
Caitlin French – Violin / Orchestra
Philip Mcleod – Cello
Matt – Viola/Violin
Liam Gerner – Ukelele / Guitar / Bass
Justin – Woodwind / Piano
Maria Moles – Drum kit / Piano
Emma Tonkin – Voice
Charlie Woods – Brass / Piano
Music
T.I.M.E is the Thornbury Instrumental Music Experience at Thornbury Primary School. At TPS our students experience a vibrant, relevant and dynamic musical experience. The objective is to develop and strengthen the enjoyment and understanding of music – to help children realise their potential by providing opportunities for creativity and expression of feelings and ideas through music.
All students have a weekly music class which involves singing, dancing, playing instruments, creating and performing. Classes are involved in a variety of teaching strategies and experience-based learning activities. Steiner classes are involved in a string program from class 3 with weekly orchestra practice. It is compulsory for all children enrolled in the Steiner stream at Thornbury Primary School to learn a string instrument. This cost is to be incurred by the family in addition to the Steiner fees.
Students are encouraged to create, perform and compose new music.
Listen to the latest T.I.M.E album.
Listen to TPS tunes on SOUNDCLOUD.
We offer a broad and engaging experience of musical experiences including wind band, orchestras, choirs, rock band, to name a few of the many ensembles our musicians may work with. T.I.M.E grows from strength to strength, this year we have 11 instrumental staff and we teach well over two thirds of our school community.
T.I.M.E. Performance Opportunities
The program organises various performance opportunities throughout the year for the students enrolled in the T.I.M.E. program. In addition to this, Thornbury Primary School hosts additional events where students not learning through the T.I.M.E. program may be invited to perform.
To sign up to the T.I.M.E Instrumental Program
Spicy Semitones @ School of Rock
Steiner Craft
The Steiner Craft curriculum encourages children to use their heart, soul, mind and body to create handcrafted objects. The curriculum is structured with careful consideration of the stages of development of the child, and seeks to consolidate and build on techniques and skills learnt throughout each year level. Knitting, for example, is started in Class one with a simple knitted square that is transformed into a soft animal toy and progresses through the child’s school life culminating in Fair Isle Knitting in Class 4.
Students learn valuable skills of stitching, embroidery, knitting and weaving while developing an awareness and appreciation of handcrafted objects for both their beauty and practicality. For instance, a recorder bag is made in Class 1 to house and protect the child’s recorder and is used throughout the ensuing school years.
Children create handcrafted objects that have a relationship to the seasons and, at times, to the main classroom lessons. For example, wet felting of Norse landscapes and mythology studied in Class 4 is done in the warmer summer months and knitting and weaving are experienced in the colder winter months. Children learn to appreciate the beauty of nature and its forms, colours and textures by referencing organic forms and by using natural organic materials where possible in their craft practices.
Gardening
Foodweb Education | Edible gardens for ecoLiteracy.
Foodweb Education is a curriculum aligned, garden-based program that uses school kitchen gardens as the focal point for integrating practical experience with science learning as the basis for an active ‘sustainability education’.
The key pillar of the Foodweb approach is incorporating foundational science education into each lesson, so that our students develop a solid understanding of the processes that sustain life.
The food garden provides a rich educational setting for learning practical and social skills as well as a living laboratory to discover and explore the processes on which we, and all life on Earth, depend.
Gardening and cooking provide an opportunity for unmediated experience and exploration, but also for casual, non-threatening inclusion of science into fun, everyday activities.
In our program our Garden Educators engage classes with hands on learning experiences. ‘Hands Dirty’ is the go.
Every student at TPS will get the chance to experience:
- Science learning through ecosystems ecology;
- Practical gardening and cooking lessons;
- Thinking tools for understanding and adapting to environmental and social change;
- Practical skills to proactively engage with Earth learning.
Science
Science is a focus at Thornbury Primary School. Every year we celebrate science week and have had some fantastic presentations and demonstrations over the past years. This year in Term 3 we will have a whole school focus on science. The science branches we cover throughout the year are biological, chemical, physical and earth and space sciences. Science is a way for children to engage in the world around them, whilst encouraging them to think critically. It is a fantastic learning opportunity and the students at Thornbury Primary love science education!
ICT
Thornbury Primary School is developing an ongoing approach to utilising ICT throughout the school. The school utilises Google Suite for Education to developed an effective system for students to enhance and assist with learning.
We use iPads and Chromebooks in the mainstream classrooms. They are used for Mathletics, word processing, presentations, inquiry learning, recording music, photographing and videoing performances, incursions, excursions and even school discos.
We will continue to build and look towards future developments in technology to assist with the future learning and growths for our students. Coding, graphic design and being able to competently transfer information on technology are a key focus at Thornbury.
Physical Education
Physical Education/Personal Development (PE/PD) is a specialist subject where all students take part each week. Students are encouraged to participate in games and activities, which intentionally encourage teamwork, communication and cooperation skills while developing a sense of belonging to the group.
During classes students share in ‘circle time’ activities with an emphasis on getting to know one another, understanding emotions and feelings, being encouraged to describe how they feel and give feedback on their achievements, successes and areas for improvement in PE/PD.
Games played also emphasise fitness and the development of basic fundamental motor skills through non-competitive skill-based games.