Extension & enrichment

Junior School classes cater for the individual needs of all girls by means of differentiated teaching and learning programs. Our Learning Support and Enrichment team works closely with classroom teachers.

Extension and enrichment activities are offered within the classroom and through external events such as the Maths Olympiad, Murder Under the Microscope, and a number of University competitions.

Every student has individual strengths and it is important to identify and foster these strengths in all of our girls. But for some these strengths are of such an order that they can justifiably be called gifts, and for those students the pace, level of and content of the regular curriculum may require a greater amount of differentiation to meet their specific needs.

In 2009, older Junior School students will work on a collaborative human society and its environment (HSIE) program. All girls will work through key material designed to establish preliminary understanding of a topic such as gold. Following sessions will be differentiated to cater for individual strengths and to ensure greater opportunity to explore topics to a greater depth of understanding. This section of the program will be supported by additional teaching staff where and when appropriate. For example, a topic may lend itself to include an artistic or dramatic interpretation, or a creative writing element designed to tap into the gifts of particular girls. Flexible student groupings will also be a feature, allowing girls from Year 5 and 6 to work alongside each other.

This differentiated program will allow our girls to demonstrate mastery of material they already know and progress at their own rate through new material. Tasks will be assigned which are geared to different leaning styles, levels of interest and levels of achievement. The program will also provide the opportunity to have a degree of choices for the girls about what they learn and provide multiple tasks within a unity of study that are orientated toward girls with different levels of achievement.

Our enrichment staff will be supporting this program through the identification of suitable tasks which will provide extension and enrichment. An exciting part of this program will be the inclusion of "mini experiences" designed to provide enrichment away from the School, taking full advantage of the School’s location within Sydney. This may include visiting specific displays at the Powerhouse Museum, IMAC Theatre, art museums and Sydney Harbour.

Debating has a long history at Wenona. Teams enter the Independent Schools Debating Association (ISDA) and the Schools Debating Network (SDN) competitions.

Public speaking is also important at Wenona. Girls from Years 2 to 6 participate in a school-based competition.

To complement the curriculum and extend classroom experience, there are special events throughout the year. Highlights of the Junior School calendar include an Art Show, Book Week, soirees, concerts, musicals, sports carnivals and Science Week.

Excursions and camp experiences enrich the curriculum for all year groups.