Our School Day
Structure of a Typical School Day
Most school days will follow the same, or a similar, structure. There will be some variations due to factors such as specialist subjects, excursions, assemblies, camps, specials events such as NAIDOC Week or Science week.
The following outlines what would constitute a typical school day:
8:15 am – Classroom doors open.
Students are to enter class and prepare for the day. Classroom teacher is preparing for the day and no formal teaching is occurring.
8:30 am – School officially start.
Classes begin with a 20 minute ‘Morning Meeting’.
8:50 am – Literacy or Numeracy block.
10:30 am – Recess break
10:50 am – Literacy or Numeracy block.
12:30 pm – Lunch play.
12:55 pm – Lunch eat.
1:10 pm – Other Curriculum areas.
2:40 pm – School finishes
The Morning Meeting
Each day classes will begin with a ‘Morning Meeting’. This is a great way to build community, set a positive tone, increase excitement about learning, and improve academic and social skills.
In a ‘Morning Meeting’ all classroom members, adults and children, gather to greet each other, listen to and respond to each other’s news or information.
We take note of who is present and who is absent and it allows us to start each day as a community of caring and respectful learners.
A typical ‘Morning Meeting’ lasts 20 to 30 minutes and has four sequential components: greeting, sharing, group activity and morning message. The components intentionally provide opportunities for children to practice the skills of greeting, listening and responding, group problem solving, noticing and anticipating.
Teachers commit more than just time to when implementing the morning meeting. They commit to a belief that children have the capacity to take care of themselves and each other as they learn academic and social-emotional skills. The teacher’s involvement creates opportunities for modelling these skills and it allows children to receive valuable feedback.
Our ‘Morning Meeting’ is a microcosm of the way we wish our school to be – a community full of learning, that is safe, respectful and challenging for all.
