Specialist Programs

“Learning in Health and Physical Education supports students to make decisions about their health, wellbeing, safety and physical activity participation”.

PE lessons provide an environment in which building resilience and satisfying relationships is as equally important as developing and refining physical movement. Activities are designed to maximise engagement, accessibility and skill development for all students.

At the core of our programs is the acquisition of movement skills and concepts to enable students to participate in a range of physical activities – confidently, competently and creatively. Our aim is for students to understand the importance of being active in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Students acquire an understanding of how the body moves and develop positive attitudes towards physical activity participation. Students are provided with a wide variety of opportunities to practice their skills through learning sports games, fitness techniques and exploring through play.

As children mature and grow in confidence they begin to adapt or create activities and games for themselves and their peers. They develop co-operation and teamwork, mentor others and adapt challenges to suit their own abilities, striving to achieve their personal best.

At Southern Montessori School our Year 6 students plan our ELC Fun and Fitness mornings, while our Middle School students plan and run our Sports Day. These are fantastic days filled with student leadership, active participation, community spirit and fun!

Southern Montessori School values building strong relationships with our community. Through our PE program we develop connections with many different sports associations and local clubs to enhance our students’ learning experiences. Our school offers co-curricular programs including Sporting Schools, Soccer, Netball, SAPSASA, Aquatics, Swimming and Tennis.

‘To learn a language is to have one more window from which to look at the world.’

Our Italian program aims to instil an appreciation of culture, and a global awareness, which are both so important for a peaceful world.

Students are given many exciting opportunities to interact, respond, reflect and create with the language.

We discuss how language is always changing and that it can vary depending on the context of the situation. We make comparisons between Italian, English and other languages, which has been proven to give students a deeper understanding of their first language.

Students are encouraged to use the language as often as possible in our lessons and also at home with their families. To support this we have ‘La parola della settimana’ (the word of the week).

Each year students look forward to our ‘Italian Day’ festivities. The Gelatissimo ice cream cart was a favourite!

To share music with a child is a very special gift but to teach a child to make their own music is the best gift of all; that way the gift of music will last forever.

Our Music program develops positive connections in a fun and engaging environment, nurturing in students an enjoyment for music, thus developing a positive basis for continued musical growth.

Students experience the excitement involved in performing music through singing, dancing and playing instruments, whilst developing a sense of beat, tempo, pitch, form, rhythm and dynamics. They compose their own music, they improvise, read and record music using graphic, simplified and traditional notation.

Students listen to variety of music from a range of genres, eras and places. They explore meaning, gain inspiration, learn about composers and their purpose for composing. As students respond to music, they consider stylistic and elemental features and examine the power that music plays in invoking feelings and memories.

In the Early Learning Centre, Primary School and Middle School, students have regular opportunities to engage in gardening and cooking activities.

Some of the key benefits for students include:

• Developing positive food behaviours as students learn how to grow and cook a range of nutritious, delicious food.
• Connecting with the natural world and the outdoor environment. Learning how to grow seasonal foods, and care for a productive, healthy garden.
• Developing practical life skills through hands on learning.
• Developing skills, knowledge and understandings about environmental education, sustainable living and food security.