Learning in the community
Nilma Primary School has been actively engaged in many activities extending beyond the classroom and school grounds this term.
Nilma Primary School aims to develop students' educational, social and emotional competencies to the highest possible level, preparing lifelong learners who are confident, collaborative, caring, creative and critical thinkers in an ever-changing world.
To achieve these goals, the school provides as many alternative learning opportunities as possible with the support from the local community.
The school values, which guides its community, are REAL @Nilma; Respect and Responsibility, Environment, Achievement and Learning.
Opportunities to engage with the community has been a focus this term to learn beyond the classroom.
As a lead up to the festive season the school will encourage students to intrinsically feel good about themselves.
One way to support this is to encourage students to understand feelings associated with giving.
December is the school’s acts of kindness month (A OK! Month).
Students have created their own calendar for the month of December.
The students across the school have chosen some acts of kindness and can colour in each day or mark in some way when they have completed.
The school community will be talking about kindness and ways to show it during the month of December.
Acts of kindness can boost self-esteem, let others know how they are appreciated and builds confidence.
As part of the chaplaincy program at Nilma Primary, students have been working with the chaplain to make gifts to give to the elderly.
Over the past weeks students have been making ‘Christmas Trees’ from old books, folding back the pages to create the shapes and then decorating them. Once they are finished, they will be given to Meals on Wheels clients.
Students in years Foundation to grade 2 participated in an excursion to the Warragul ‘community’ recently.
During the day students and staff visited the Warragul Fire Station, Warragul Post Office and the West Gippsland Regional Library, participating in a range of activities.
They also visited Civic Park for lunch and a play.
Students experienced learning outside the classroom and engaging in the community, developing their interpersonal skills and community awareness.
The school thanked volunteers at the CFA and staff at the post office and library.
Students in year 5/6 attended a problem solving robotics session at Gene Technology Access Centre (GTAC) in Melbourne.
Students worked with a partner to code and program a robot to move through a plane in order to quarantine passengers.
Using thermal imaging camera and testing samples, students identified the passengers who were unwell and carried the ‘said virus’.
Supported by a mentor, students worked together to problem solve and program the robot/vehicle to deliver medication to those sick passengers.
Each student had their own iPad to code on, troubleshooting and adjusting their sequence of instructions for the robot to follow.
Students accessed modern technologies that are normally out of reach for most students, with each robot worth about $25,000.
The experience also linked with the schools’ science, technology, arts, engineering and mathematics (STEAM) curriculum, as throughout the year students have been learning about coding and programming.
Students are currently attending the Warragul Leisure Centre for whole of school swimming and water safety program.
Participants have been impressed with the new facilities at the Leisure Centre, and the staff have been very welcoming and accommodating.
“We are very lucky to have such a supportive community in the Baw Baw Shire, being able to access facilities to complement our learning and curriculum as ‘it takes a village to raise a child’,” the school said in a statement.
“We thank the community for supporting the students’ growth and learning opportunities at Nilma Primary School.”