EXTRA CURRICULUM ACTIVITIES

All students at Mentone Park can thrive in a safe and supportive environment with consistent wellbeing practices embedded across the school. We teach social and emotional skills using the Play is the Way philosophy of behaviour education and student self-regulation that fosters independent, self-motivated, empathetic, life-long learners.

Students participate in a unique program of physically interactive games that require and develop personal and social competencies. There are five guiding concepts that are embedded through classroom activities and a specific and empowering self-reflective language that helps children to master their behaviour so they can become responsible and capable members of society.

Strong relationships are developed between peers, teachers, and the broader community through participation in many activities through the year that highlight the school’s values, build resilience and develop empathy.

Students at Mentone Park participate in components of the Feeling Safe Together (Prep to year 4) or Growing Up (year 5/6) programs each year which have been put together by trained staff and teach children the importance of maintaining respectful relationships, recognising their own feelings, responding to changing emotions as they grow, and understanding their right to feel safe at all times.

To support our comprehensive wellbeing practices, we also use, participate in or support the following additional programs and initiatives to further enhance our students’ opportunities for social and emotional development.

• The Social and Emotional Learning Curriculum – Department of Education
• The National Day of Action against Bullying – Bullying. No Way!
• Building Respectful Relationships – Department of Education
• Bully Prevention
• Harmony Day
• Life Education Van
• Health initiatives – school nurse (Foundation), school dentist

Passionate Pursuits is an innovative and creative program to ignite a passion for learning.  Teachers share their interests with the students – showing themselves as learners – and lead students in a voyage of discovery exploring new ideas and pursuits.

Each term teachers present activities they have a passion for which are beyond the traditional curriculum e.g. photography, rap, chess, creative thinking, environmental art, healthy lifestyles. Students then enrol in one of the activity groups and complete activities over a number of weeks.  The activities are based on multi age, interest groups with the focus on engagement and broadening one’s learning and experiences.

Mentone Park offers a comprehensive and exciting camps and excursion program to complement the learning at school. Camps and excursions are considered part of the curriculum and assist with developing a students’ educational, physical and social skills.

Excursions appropriate to the learning program are included in the curriculum at each level, whilst camps are offered annually to students in Year’s 3 – 6.

As part of our curriculum programs, students at all levels across the school have the opportunity to be involved in cooking programs in the café.  From making “frog in the pond” in the junior grades, to catering a 3 course lunch in the senior grades, our students learn important life skills through this much valued program.

Students in Years 5 and 6 are able to become part of the much lauded Green Gang.  This group of dedicated students and teachers are the main drivers behind our environmental focus.

The Green Gang assists with maintaining our spacious grounds, including the veggie patch and orchards.  They also help with planning and designing open spaces for students, which in 2011 included the construction and landscaping of the Super Adobe Dome.

As well as flexing their green thumbs, this group of students take responsibility for recycling, litter and general care of our outdoor environment.