| BOS website Index page | BOS K-6 website index page | What's New? | Contact us |
Release of PDHPE K—6
The Personal Development, Health and Physical Education K—6 syllabus package has now been released to schools. The syllabus is designed to develop in students the knowledge and understanding, skills, and values and attitudes that will enable them to adopt and lead healthy and fulfilling lives. It also provides schools with a curriculum framework for managing some major health priorities such as student physical activity and fitness, child protection education and drug education.
The release of the syllabus package will enable schools to build upon the quality programs that they have developed and implemented based on the 1992 formal consultation draft syllabus and support document. There are enough similarities between the new syllabus and the draft to ensure that teachers will be comfortable in implementing it. Enhancements mean that the syllabus:
The package includes:
All documents in the package are now on the Board's website and a CD-ROM of the syllabus package will soon be released to schools.
Update on Creative Arts K—6
During Term 2, 26 randomly selected schools from across the state trialled the Creative Arts K—6 Draft Syllabus and the Creative Arts K—6 draft support documents. Teachers from these schools commented on the draft syllabus and draft support documents and the trialling process at a debriefing day held at the Office of the Board of Studies on 13 August 1999. Trialling within these schools has produced a great range of work samples for each artform in each stage. Feedback about the Creative Arts K—6 draft documents presented at the debriefing day and at the Term 2 focus group meetings held at Parramatta, Narrandera, Narrabri and Sutherland will be used to revise the draft syllabus and draft support documents during Terms 3 and 4 this year.
Survey responses and other written responses submitted to the Office of the Board of Studies will also inform the further development of the Creative Arts K—6 documents, so that the views of all individuals and groups are taken into account. All primary, special and central schools were sent copies of the survey in early August this year. To date the Office of the Board of Studies has received one hundred and thirty-three responses from schools across the state.
Further information about the Creative Arts K—6 Draft Syllabus and draft support documents, the Creative Arts K—6 survey and the trialling and consultation process may be obtained from Julie Stevens, Senior Curriculum Officer Creative Arts, Office of the Board of Studies, e-mail stevens@boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au, phone (02) 9367 8242, fax (02) 9367 8476.
Information Skills
Teacher-Librarians from Five Dock Public School, Chatswood Public School, Rozelle Public School, Truscott Public School and Trinity Grammar Preparatory School spent two days recently at the Board of Studies working with the Linkages project officer on an Information Skills project.
The Teacher-Librarians re-developed two units from the HSIE K—6 Units of Work support document, ‘Living In Communities' and ‘Identity and Values', to highlight how the information skills can be utilised when developing students' research skills. Their work will be added to the Linkages webpage along with student work samples.
Further information on Linkages projects can be obtained from Suzanne Ziems on ziems@boardof studies.nsw.edu.au, ph (02) 9367 8274 or fax (02) 9367 8476.
The Linkages webpage can be found at http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/k6_linkages. index.html If you would like further information regarding these items or K—6 curriculum matters in general, contact Margaret Malone, Inspector, Primary Education, on lambert@boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au, ph (02) 9367 8199 or fax (02) 9367 8476.
Linkages Update
School-based projects
During Term 3, 23 teachers from 11 schools have been collecting work samples and other artefacts while teaching units of work based on integrated content. These materials are to be included on the Linkages webpage and will form a component of the Linkages CD-ROM, planned for release next year.
The schools participating in these activities are Bald Face Public School, Double Bay Public School, Green Valley Public School, Hurstville Public School, Hurstville South Public School, Lucas Heights Community School, PLC Croydon, Sacred Heart Primary School, Mona Vale, St Catherine of Sienna Primary School, Prestons, St Catherine's School, Waverley and St Rose Primary School, Collaroy Plateau.
Teachers involved in this project spent a day together at the Office of the Board of Studies in August, working with curriculum advisers and members of the Linkages reference group to identify outcomes and content from the different key learning area syllabuses.