Years 1-6
Arrival and Departure Times
Parents/carers are advised that students must not be on the school grounds before 8:20am in the mornings. When the first siren of the school day sounds at 8.50am, students need to move to their classrooms, if they are not already inside. Students are to be picked up at 3:05pm following dismissal from class and on early close Wednesdays at 2:35pm.
Bus Travel
Buses to the Junior Campus will pick up and drop off on Marmion Street, Donnybrook. A teacher will be on duty in the afternoon to ensure students are catching buses in a safe and timely manner. Information regarding the bus service in your area can be obtained from the Administration Offices. All students using the service must be registered.
Kindergarten students attending the offsite Kindergarten on Mead Street will be dropped outside their Kindergarten in the mornings. These students will then be escorted to their bus on Marmion Street in the afternoons.
Sun Safe
Donnybrook District High School, in association with the Cancer Council WA, is a ‘SunSmart’ school and adopts a SunSmart Policy. All students at the Junior Campus are required to wear a broadbrimmed, bucket or legionnaire hat when they are outside and the UV Index is above 3. Students without a broad-brimmed, bucket, or legionnaire, hat are directed to play in an area that is protected from the sun.
Bicycles at School
Students who ride to school should ensure their bicycle and helmet are secured with a padlock and chain. Bike racks are situated down the hill from the library on the school grounds. Students are required to walk their bikes, scooters, and skateboards whilst on the school grounds.
Assemblies
Junior Campus assemblies are held three times a term and usually take place on a Wednesday morning commencing at 9.00am. Students from Year 1 to Year 6 facilitate assemblies and this is an opportunity for the students to highlight their learning to a wider audience. Parents/carers and the wider community are most welcome to attend assemblies and are encouraged to see and hear what is happening in and around the school.
Homework
Classroom teachers outline their students’ homework requirements to parents/carers at the beginning of the school year as per the school’s Homework and Study Policy. Parents are encouraged to be partners in their children’s education and are always welcome to discuss homework requirements with their child’s teacher. The Homework and Study Policy can be located on the school’s website www.donnybrook.wa.edu.au
Incursions and Excursions
Students are given the opportunity to see visiting performers throughout the school year. Details and costs of performances will be communicated prior to any event. To support classroom teaching and learning programs, teachers may organise an excursion to an off-site venue. Parents/carers will be provided with details and associated costs of an incursion/excursion prior to the event. Written permission is required before a student attends an excursion.
Student Leaders
Student Leaders are elected from Year 6 during Semester 1 and again in Semester 2. This allows a number of students to take on a leadership role. Faction Captains are elected to represent their factions.
Play
Play is integral to every child’s development, health, and enjoyment of life. Play improves social skills, brain development and creativity whilst also supporting emotional resilience, physical development, confidence, and learning. It is the school’s aim to offer an open ended and creative play environment that encourages students to experiment, problem solve, construct, and engage in interesting and cognitively high levels of play. We provide opportunities for students to play freely in the school grounds opening bush/native areas for free creative ‘Nature Play’ and providing a collection of recycled materials for ‘Loose Parts Play.’
Information and Technology (ICT)
The school is fortunate to have a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Lab located in the school Library and networked computers and iPads. ICT is embedded within classroom programs and students have access to class sets of laptops and iPads.
Specialist Programs
Physical education
With a dedicated PE teacher, all students from Pre Primary to 6 participate in PE. Many classroom teachers run a daily fitness program each morning. Each week classes join together to enjoy a variety of sports. This may take the form of training for upcoming carnivals or various team sports with the focus changing on a term basis.
Throughout the year, students in Pre-primary to Year 6 have the opportunity to be involved in In-term Swimming, Faction Athletics and Cross-Country Carnivals. Students who excel at PE represent the school at Interschool Carnivals. Donnybrook is a part of the “Forrest Division” within the Bunbury Public Schools Sports Association. This means that during Interschool Carnivals, Donnybrook District High School competes against other schools that have a similar student population.
Critical and Creative Thinking
In preparing our Junior Campus students to respond to the challenges of the twenty-first century, they will receive a dedicated Critical and Creative Thinking lesson, learning these vital skills. Students will be encouraged to develop a capability to think broadly and deeply using skills, behaviours and dispositions such as reason, logic, resourcefulness, imagination and innovation, and how to apply these across all learning areas at school and in their lives beyond school.
Performing Arts
The Junior Campus offers an energetic and engaging Performing Arts program that incorporates dance, drama, and music. Through a passionate Performing Arts teacher, students develop self-confidence and a love of “The Arts.”
Science
Programming for Specialist Science is aligned to the Western Australian Curriculum with students learning covering the three strands: Science Understanding, Science as a Human Endeavour and Science Inquiry Skills.
Students engage in Science learning through inquiry which includes hands on activities, experiments, investigating, individual/group work, researching and reflecting while giving them opportunities to make connections to real world experiences. We aim to educate our students to develop Knowledge and skills to help them contribute to a more sustainable future. For example, the year 6’s participates in the Synergy Solar Car Challenge. This is a competition where students build and race a car, powered by solar energy, against students from other schools.
PEAC
A Primary Academic and Extension Challenge program operates for students in Years 5 and 6 and is coordinated by the South West Regional Education Office in Bunbury. Students are selected for this program through standardised testing that occurs in Year 4. Nominated Year 4 students are provided with the opportunity to participate in a Year 4 PEAC Taster Program.