Enrichment
Campbell Primary School has an optional junior and senior enrichment program that caters to our G&T children over the course of the year. At present, for entry, teacher and parent nominations are considered, as well as psychological testing and work portfolios. Students in Years 3-6 will sit an AGAT test each two years (or on their arrival). Students will sit a Cogat test at the end of Kindergarten.
Defence School Transition Aide
At Campbell Primary School we are fortunate to have a Defence School Transition Aide (DSTA).
The Defence School Transition Aide Program provides support to children of Australian Defence Force (ADF) Members and their families, particularly during their transition into and out of a school on posting. The DSTA assists children and parents to connect to the school community. The DSTA provides support to children during times of parental absence.
Children respond differently to relocation and change. The DSTA works in conjunction with classroom teachers to monitor the transition of both new and leaving students and provide assistance to support the social, emotional and academic wellbeing of these students.
A Defence School Transition Aide is not necessarily a teacher but a member of the school team.
The duties of the DSTA may include the following:
- assisting children and families to integrate into the new school and local community,
- coordinating appropriate welcome and farewell activities,
- smoothing the transition from school to school and between different education systems (including minimising the impact of relocation on learning outcomes),
- monitoring the social, emotional and academic wellbeing of Defence students,
- helping students develop self-confidence, self-reliance and resilience,
- referring students to services, or school and community programs that meet their needs,
- enhancing awareness and appreciation of the unique Defence lifestyle in schools and communities, and
- providing support to children during times of parental absence.
MultiLit (Making Up for Lost Time in Literacy Program)
Students are given the opportunity to participate in a literacy intervention program called MultiLit. This program consists of three parts MiniLit, MacqLit and Spell-It. These programs have been operating at Campbell Primary School since 2013.
The skills covered in the MultiLit programs will assist children to: decode text by associating sounds with letters or groups of letters with accuracy and fluency; to build up a bank of high frequency sight words to access text more quickly; and with support at home, be exposed to and have the opportunity to practise reading every day using strategies that reinforce reading.
EAL/D (English as an Additional Language or Dialect)
EAL/D students are those whose first language is a language or dialect other than English and who require additional support to assist them to develop proficiency in English.
EAL/D students come from diverse, multilingual backgrounds and may include:
- Overseas and Australian-born students whose first language is a language other than English (students born in Australia must have one or both of their parents born in a non-English speaking country to receive support)
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students whose first language is an Indigenous language, including traditional languages, creoles and related varieties, or Aboriginal English.
EAL/D students require specific support to build the English language skills needed to access the general curriculum, in addition to learning area-specific language structures, at Campbell Primary, we have a specialist EAL/D teacher.
G.A.T.E.WAYS
Campbell Primary School takes part in G.A.T.E.WAYS programs that are offered across the ACT. This program has developed expertise in catering for the special educational needs of gifted and talented children. Students who require extra challenge beyond the regular classroom have an opportunity to work with a cohort of other gifted children from a range of schools who are interested in the same sorts of things as they are. Programs are run at a faster pace and at a higher level than is often possible in their own classroom. The emphasis is on activity-based learning, higher order thinking, critical and creative problem solving and other recommended practice for gifted learners. G.A.T.E.WAYS aims to ignite and maintain that 'spark', that love of learning, which can be lost when a child is not sufficiently challenged. Parents often report that a G.A.T.E.WAYS program gives their child something to look forward to, and many children attend programs regularly throughout their primary school years.
ICAS
Campbell Primary School is a long standing participant of the word-renowned ICAS Assessments.
ICAS is developed by UNSW Global, a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of New South Wales, with over 35 years’ experience in educational assessments.
ICAS is designed to target students’ higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing, Spelling and Digital Technologies.
Each assessment celebrates students’ accomplishments by providing opportunities for recognition. Every student will receive a certificate and an online result report. Top performers will be eligible for medals and are invited to attend special award ceremonies to have their academic excellence publicly recognised.