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the ruyton reporter
Making a meaningful
difference – the Year 4
Programme
When you first walk down the winding path leading to
South House, you enter a unique place of learning. You are
immediately struck by its thriving garden, including
garden beds planted with vegetables in season, the herb
garden that borders the multi-purpose verandah and the
indigenous garden surrounding the pond. All of this
provides a wealth of learning experiences for the Year 4
girls. It is out here that the girls roll up their sleeves and
get their hands dirty, as they work co-operatively to plant
seedlings and nurture these to the edible stage. The
‘ewws’ and ‘shrieks’ as someone comes upon a snail or a
spider soon dissipate, as a meaningful connection and
appreciation of what the garden gives us is realised. Our
garden produce inevitably ends up in the South House
kitchen or as part of delicious pizzas cooked to perfection
using our recently-completed wood-fired pizza oven. The
Year 4 Mathematics and Literacy programmes are
enriched by the many learning opportunities to make
practical connections with our cooking and gardening
explorations. This is all before you have even entered
South House.
Once inside South House you quickly realise it is different
to any other learning environment. It is a house, and the
‘home’ belonging to the Year 4 girls and their teachers.
The girls are encouraged to live and learn collaboratively.
Central to the Year 4 programme, in this unique
environment, is the concept of community. Girls are
encouraged to step beyond their own world to consider
the needs and perspectives of others both within South
House and out in the broader community. Working
together in the spirit of giving to make a meaningful
difference underpins the Year 4 learning and teaching
programme. This comes about through inquiry, project-
based learning and collaborative, philosophical discussions
utilising rich literature as a basis. The girls are encouraged
to become mindful and in tune with their thoughts,
feelings and actions and how these affect them as
learners and in social situations. The challenge is to
become less reactive and increasingly reflective and
self-aware.
Teaching and learning in South House inspires creativity,
critical thinking, risk-taking and decision-making, while
seamlessly integrating digital learning. The Year 4 girls are
challenged to attain personal learning goals and personal
excellence in all areas of the curriculum.
As teachers, it is immensely rewarding to watch hearts
and minds expanding and growing as the Year 4 girls
begin to make real links between abstract ideas in their
learning and then connect these with real people, real
situations and real issues. It is gratifying to witness our
girls making a meaningful difference in their world.
Ms Tanya Cockwill and Ms Cate Hallpike,
Year 4
Classroom Teachers
From the girls …
Jessica P …
‘Learning in South House is fun
because we feel free. We love tending to our
garden and watching it grow. I have loved
discovering our neighbours in the pond, the
Pobblebonk Frogs. We learn in the same room
and collaborate. I love it when we break up
into groups for our learning.’
Jasmine D …
‘In South House we are learning
to understand and share our feelings. We use
the emotional thermometer, and explore
Mindfulness. We are learning how to be
in the flow.’
Adelaide N …
‘South House is different because
we have a garden, kitchen and a pizza oven. I
love getting my hands dirty in the garden and I
also love using the vegetables we grow to cook
with in the kitchen. I love South House.’
Lotus D-H …
‘South House is different because
we change seats every day and there is more
collaboration and sharing. There are no walls
between the two classes, so we are together
as one. We are very grateful for our beautiful
garden. I love South House.’
Aspen T …
‘Learning in South House is quite
different. We have a lot more independence.
We use the garden in our learning. We even
use it for Maths!’
Noraan E …
‘In South House we learn a lot
together. Everyone gets a say and we piggy
back on each other’s ideas. We have a garden
and we get our hands dirty. South House is a
home. We have an upstairs, a kitchen, a vegie
and flower garden and a big tree in our
backyard.’
Nishka K …
‘We work in a cosy house,
where we sometimes work independently
and quietly. This helps us to be more in the
flow of our learning and it improves our
listening skills.’
A Unique Place of Learning