Hands on Learning
Hands On Learning (HOL) is a new program that encourages students to engage and achieve at school whilst also building confidence and skills. One day a week, up to ten students spend the day outside the classroom developing teamwork and leadership skills. Rainbow P-12 College encourage HOL students to be involved with projects around the school and the wider community, as well as their own benefit. The HOL hut is the Homebase for the HOL students; it is a converted shed on school grounds located at West Paddock. This is where students prepare and share meals and organise their activities.
Duke Of Edinburgh
At Rainbow P-12, we encourage students at Year 9 level to think big, get creative and to set goals. Duke of Edinburgh allows students to put their ideas into action while at the same time working towards the Bronze level of the Duke of Edinburgh Award. All students develop many vital skills during this subject. We work on many different ideas and events to ensure the students develop and progress in a range of abilities.
Students expand on these skills by participating in activities that focus on public liaison, telephone skills, writing formal letters, communication as they also interact with the wider community. These skills are applied when planning fundraising events for their annual camp as well as part of their community project. The Duke of Edinburgh class also focuses on employability skills. This is where students research the ins and outs of different careers, develop a resume and participate in courses that will give them extra qualifications such as First Aid. This is all to get them prepared for life outside of school and to get them involved in the community to understand the value of civic duty.
VET
Rainbow P-12 offers a wide range of Vocational Education and Training (VET) opportunities To Year 10 and above in skill based subjects such as : Agriculture, Automotive, Beauty & Hairdressing, Building & Construction, Community Services, Dance, Drama, Electrotechnology, Health, Hospitality, Music, Plumbing & Visual Arts.
These and other courses (depending on demand) are provided in pathways with the Wimmera Trade Training Centre, Federation Univeristy, Horsham Learning Centre, Skillinvest and Horsham College (as well as Rainbow P-12 and Hopetoun P-12 College).
Students spend one day a week (usually travelling to Horsham) at these sites gaining competencies in predominantly Certificate II subjects.
There is also a “Try-a-VET” day in third term for Year 9 students to investigate whether they want to enrol in VET in Year 10.
DigiTech & Techspace
In line with the Victorian Curriculum Rainbow P-12 College offers DigiTech as a subject from Foundation (Prep) to Year 10. The main elements of the course are Digital systems, Data & information and Creating digital solutions. The students will learn the basics of coding and computational thinking in both the unplugged format (no computers) and via a number of robotic and Lego sets.
The College has developed a Techspace located in room 10. This area provides students access to a wide variety of technology such as a 3D printer, Lego, Sphero, Ollie, Dash & Dot, Ozobots, video cameras and Osmo just to name a few. The Techspace is open to students one lunchtime a week.
The College have purchased a NAO humanoid robot and Miro robot. This will be used in a variety of classes from P-12 to introduce coding, computational thinking and problem solving skills.
Avocados
Avocados is a program where every student from P-12 is placed in a small group (5-6 students) with a specific teacher for 15 minutes at the start of every Thursday. The purpose of this time together is to build relationships amongst students and between students and staff. It is also used as a time to reflect on our school values and character strengths as well as participate in team building and fun activities. It is to encourage connectedness with peers and the school to ensure that we provide as many protective factors for our students as possible.
Music
Music is offered to all students at Rainbow P-12 College. Students can elect to join the piano program, which operates through withdrawal from regular classes for one lesson per week.
At the junior level, music is taught as a classroom subject, ensuring that all students have access to some musical education.
Shake, Rattle & Read
“Shake, Rattle & Read” is a fun pre-school pre-reading programme. The purpose of the programme is to support parents, grandparents and caregivers through the sharing of rhymes, songs, and storybooks with kids. The program teaches rhymes for parents to use daily with their child/children from birth to kinder age in a fun and interactive way.
Camps
The College endeavours to provide a comprehensive and engaging camps program for our students.
JUNIOR SCHOOL (P-6)
The structure of the junior school is based on a two year rotation and the class configuration each year.
- P-1 : Halls Gap Zoo or Angora Goat Farm/Aquatic centre
- 2-4 : Roses Gap or Echuca (Billabong Ranch)
- 5/6 : Students go on Cluster camps to either Melbourne Urban Camp or Sovereign Hill Ballarat
- *Somers Camp is offered to a limited number of Grade 5/6 students (attendance is by ballot)
SENIOR SCHOOL (7-12)
This may vary from year to year depending on eligibility and topics taught in classes. In the past students have gone on the following camps
- 7/8 : Surf camp, Anglesea & Kryal Castle, Ballarat
- 9/10 : Sailing Camp
- VCAL : Grand Prix, Melbourne, Charlton Driving School
School for Student Leadership
School for Student leadership is offered to Year 9 students. It is a nine week residential program where students learn a number of personal and physical skills. Eligibility is dependent on whether the College is allocated a number of places each year.
Students have to go through a rigorous application process (letter, references & interview) to be accepted into the program. In the past students have attended the Gnurad Gnurad (Noorat) and Snowy Mountain campuses.
The students are involved with planning and organising a CLP (Community Learning Project) that they implement when they come back to school.
A number of our students have also had the opportunity to be involved in international travel as part of this program.
Our Space
Each year level group has a designated areas, both out in the yard and specific class areas to look after for the year. The purpose of this activity (which will occur at least once a term) is :
- To keep the school looking neat and tidy
- To develop a sense of ownership and pride in the school
- To encourage team work and community spirit
The “Our Space” activity fits into our curriculum in a number of ways:
- It fits into our Positive Education framework under the M of PERMA which refers to meaning which relates to our efforts to encourage students to get involved in community activities
- It also fits into the Victorian Curriculum civics and citizenship component of the Humanities course.
