Specialist Areas

The pupils at Gilles Street Primary School study a range of specialist areas.

Spanish

Gilles Street Primary School recognises that understanding other cultures through learning an additional language enables cultural connections with global communities. The learning of a language develops student capacity in the General Capabilities of Intercultural Understandings and Communication and complements the learning in the other Capabilities as well as linking across other Australian Curriculum Learning Areas. Spanish is our language of choice and is provided to mainstream students from Reception to Year 4 for 50 minutes per week and 100 minutes each week for students in Year 5 and 6.

Why Spanish?

• It is the third most spoken language in the world - about 330 million people speak Spanish as their first language; another 100 million speak Spanish as their second language.
• It is the second world language of international communication and the fourth language in the Internet community. 
• It is the official language in 21 countries. 
• It is relatively easy to learn
• It is one of the supported languages of the Australian Curriculum
  

Performing Arts

Gilles Street Primary School has a strong history and reputation for an excellent arts program. We value the arts as an important means of communicating with each other in ways that build bridges of cultural understanding.

The school participates enthusiastically in arts festivals such as the Festival of Music, DreamBIG Children's Festival, the Fringe Festival and the Australian Youth Film Festival.

All children in the school study Performing Arts (Dance, Drama and Music) as a specialist subject. Students have the opportunity to express themselves and explore the elements of art through various artforms in a safe and supportive environment. They build on skills, techniquem knowledge and confidence which they are then encouraged to use in other aspects of their learning throughout the school.

We work closely and creatively with various performance companies and groups around Adelaide, building student expertise and experience in the Performing Arts. We also make the most of our close proximity to theatres and utilise performances and cultural events in our learning programs both as incursions and excursions.

Each year, all children from years R-6 in both mainstream and the IELP participate in the annual school performance, which takes place in the Royalty Theatre on Angas Street.

Students also have the opportunity to participate in different school ensembles including Senior Voices (senior choir), Middle Pop (junior choir), junKIDZ and Himawari Daiko (traditional Japanese drumming). Students are able to access instrumental music lessons from year 3 through Instrumental Music and Private Providers on a range of instruments.

P.E

Throughout the year, students participate in numerous House sport activities. We have our Sports Day where students compete in many different movement challenges to win the Sports Day Shield. Students in years 3-6 are also involved in a Cross Country Carnival.

Students have opportunities to compete against students from other schools. They are able to trial for a wide range of East Adelaide District SAPSASA Teams. A Gilles Street Primary School Athletics and Swimming team compete each year in an inter-school carnival.

Students in year 5 and 6 are encouraged to be a member of sports teams that we enter into State-wide Knock Out competitions. In previous years, we have entered both boys and girls' teams into Basketball, Netball, Soccer and Hockey. 

Gilles Street Primary School students are able to participate in two after hours inter-school sports. Netball is played on Thursday afternoons and is available to students in years 3 - 6. Field hockey is played on Friday afternoons and is available to students in years 2 - 6.

Library

All IELP students have a 50-minute lesson in the library each week. They are exposed to a wide range of texts with an emphasis on building vocabulary through literature.  

During Term 2 and 3 the Children's Book Council of Australia Shortlisted Books are read together and students undertake a number of activities around these such as writing reviews, oral retells and drama adaptations. 

A part of each lesson is dedicated to browsing books in the library and then selecting some to borrow for home reading.