Extra Curricular

Chess Club

The Yowie Bay Chess Club meets at lunchtime in the School Library during Terms 3 and 4.  It is open to students in Stages 2 and 3 and occasionally a Stage 1 student is asked if they show an ability to compete with the older Stages.  The students compete against one another over the lunch period.  Once a year we attend an inter-school chess competition run by the NSW Junior Chess League.  Six teams of three students participate in this competition.

Excursions

Excursions and camps are an important and integral component of the curriculum at our school.  Excursions are arranged by each grade or stage.  Such experiences are able to bring to life the work students are studying in class, by taking them to such places as the zoo, museums, the beach or historical buildings.   Teachers try very hard to keep costs for excursions to a minimum so that as many students as possible are able to participate.  If at anytime you are experiencing financial difficulties and are finding it difficult to meet the cost of excursions please talk to the Principal.

In addition to excursions, camps are organised for Year 4 and Stage 3 students. 

These camps are organised to enable students to broaden their horizons, gain social skills and develop independence as well as being valuable supplements to the work completed in class.

Naturally, these camps are more expensive than excursions, but the benefits for the children are enormous and we offer parents the chance to pay for these camps by instalments, thereby minimising the financial burden.

German

Yowie Bay School offers a Before School German Program for K-6 students.  This program aims to introduce students to a language other than English.  The program is conducted by Frau Eva Novak.  The cost for participation is $35.00 for each term.

Lessons are held before school in the Library at 8.00am.

                         Monday:                    Years 2 and 3

                        Tuesday:                    Kindergarten and Year 1

                        Friday:                        Years 4, 5 and 6

Gifted and Talented Students

Enrichment provisions in the key learning areas of the curriculum are available at our school, camps, and out of school hours programs.  Students are offered opportunities in Night of Notables.  Accelerated progression in single subjects or whole grades is available for students with exceptional abilities.

A small number of students of exceptional ability may start school before the normal enrolment age.  A decision to allow the child to start school early is made by the principal in consultation with the parents.

Opportunity Classes (OC)

 Specialist classes for academically gifted primary school students exist in schools throughout NSW.  These classes usually operate in Years 5 and 6 with students being assessed during Year 4.  Places are offered during Term 4.

Premier’s Reading Challenge

 The Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC) is available for all NSW students in K-9.  Participation by students is voluntary.

The Challenge aims to encourage in students a love of reading for leisure and pleasure and to enable students to experience quality literature.

Each year the Challenge runs from 1 February to 1 September.  All students who enter and successfully complete the Challenge will receive a Premier’s Reading Challenge certificate for that year and their name will be published on an Honour Roll.

There are booklists available to cater for students in Years K-2, Years 3-4, Years 5-6 and Years 7-9.  Students can read books at or above their Stage level.

Premier’s Spelling Bee

 The Premier’s Spelling Bee is a fun and educational way for students to engage in spelling.  The competition has two divisions:

                         Junior – Years 3 and 4                     Senior – Years 5 and 6

 Students have the opportunity to compete in Regional and State Finals.

Student Representative Council (SRC)

The Student Representative Council (SRC) is a body within the school that represents students and promotes their views and participation in some school decision making.  We aim to promote leadership and communication skills.  The School Captains and Vice Captains and representatives from each class are selected to be members of the SRC.  The SRC helps raise funds to assist charities, our main one being Stewart House. It also discusses various issues that come up in our school that effect students and suggest solutions.

Tournament of Minds

This is a National Problem Solving competition in which students have to present solutions to problems in a dramatic form.  The group comprises seven students in Year 5 and Year 6 who are selected according to their ability to think creatively, solve problems, perform confidently and be able to work collaboratively in a group situation.

The Yowie Bay Tournament of Minds Team in 1999 won the Regional, the State and the National Competition.  The team competed in Adelaide at the National Competition.

 In 2000 and 2001 our Tournament Team won the Regional Competition and participated in the State Competition in the division Mathematics/Engineering.

 In 2004 our Tournament Team participated in the Regional Competition in the division Language/Literature.