Primary School
Bialik College Primary school Years 2-5 Primary School is a time when children develop ethically and socially, gaining an understanding of right and wrong and treating others with respect and fairness. They develop their beliefs and values, including an understanding of social responsibility and acceptance of difference.
What is Bialik College for Primary School?
Bialik College offers comprehensive education for Year 2 to Year 5 students in a supportive environment. Housed in the Smorgon Family House, Bialik Primary School students start growing together in Year 2 – which is a very important year.
This is an exciting and important year as students move from the ELC and become learners in the Primary School. The Year 2s have their own collaborative space for Shabbat assemblies and regular team-building activities with classes other than their homeroom. In Year 2, students attend their first camp, a sleepover on campus, an integral bonding experience for students.
Being a one-campus school, Bialik Year 2 students are immersed in the main campus giving them access to all our top facilities, including: gymnasium and swimming pool, Makerspace, art rooms, science laboratories, music rooms and theatrette.
As students mature and leave Year 2, they participate in specialist activities and lessons that broaden their interests and skills. All Years 4 and 5 children participate in the Band program and learn an instrument. Sport, Music and Art are taught by specialist staff. Bialik recognises that relevant, open-ended Science learning is vital in the Primary years and a science specialist works alongside students and teachers. Full-class enrichment opportunities exist across all Primary Middle School year levels and include programs such as Chess, Junior Great Books and Mathematics Extension.
Our primary school also offers an optional Bilingual Hebrew Immersion program operates in Years 4 and 5 at Primary School level.
The Bialik College approach to learning for Primary students
In partnership with parents and through our Jewish Primary School curriculum, Bialik offers a wide range of opportunities for children to interact with others, take leadership roles and contribute to the life of the school and the wider community.
As part of student wellbeing, we offer a program called ‘Circle Time’ which addresses the social and emotional needs of Primary School children. The program incorporates a range of skills to assist children to establish, develop and maintain positive relationships.
Literacy and numeracy are the heart of all that we do. With a structured program under the guidance of our expert Literacy and Numeracy Coaches, children make rapid progress in a caring and high achieving environment.
Why choose Bialik College for Primary School?
Primary School is an important time in a child’s life and Bialik College offers unique programs that are designed to uncover deep interests and talents in each child and support them as they achieve their potential.
Bialik in the Bush
Bialik in the Bush is our newest Primary initiative providing positive environmental and social educational outcomes for Year 3 students. In this investigative and experiential space, the students will learn STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in a hands-on manner and then report on their learnings in the classroom through blogs, videos and podcasts.
Technology in the classroom
Primary children use computers, interactive whiteboards, iPads, digital cameras as well as a range of programs associated with these technologies. They are regularly introduced to new technology and skills to enhance their expression and communication. Every student in Year 4 has their own iPad.
Kitchen Garden Program
The Bialik College Kitchen Garden Program is an integrated aspect of the Years 4 and 5 curricula. Fortnightly kitchen and garden classes provide the children with the opportunity to explore and to be involved in harvesting and growing a wide range of fresh foods. They discover the pleasure of hands-on food education and, together with the guidance of the kitchen and garden educators, learn how to grow and care for fresh food as well as prepare meals.
Lunchtime clubs
During lunchtime, Primary students have the opportunity to join one of many Lunchtime Clubs on offer, socialising with different groups and learning and enjoying different skills. In addition to the sporting clubs, some examples are the Chess Club, Science Club, Swap Card Club, French Club, Gardening and Book Club amongst others. Students often initiate their own clubs too!
Camps
Primary School camps take place in Portsea for Years 3 and 4. Year 5 students enjoy an outdoor educational camp in Lake Dewar where they experience camping in tents, kayaking, paddle boarding, fishing, hiking survival skills and more.
Manhigut (peer leadership)
Manhigut peer leadership provides every Year 5 student the opportunity to work in a team on a leadership portfolio of their choosing. There are 6 manhigut leadership portfolios from which to choose which form the basis for all leadership programs throughout Bialik. Students are encouraged to take on leadership roles in an endeavour to increase their own leadership skills and to act as effective role models for the primary student body.