Special Interest Programs
Primary Extension
The Balgowlah Extension studies centre operates a program for Gifted and Talented primary- aged children three days per week within the grounds of Balgowlah Boys’ Campus. With a dedicated classroom, the Centre caters for around 140 Year 5 and Year 6 students each year, running co-ed classes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and a boy’s only class on Thursday. Student’s selected for the programs attend the centre for 1 day per week for two terms. There are presently sixteen northern beaches area primary schools involved in the program, and the demand for places is always high.
The Extension Studies Centre focuses on enrichment rather than acceleration. The aim is to introduce the classes to content they may not normally be exposed to within their primary school environments, thereby broadening the learning experience for these students. The days run as a series of “workshops”. This means that in most cases, the whole morning (or day, in some instances) is devoted to a particular task or topic. This emersion technique allows time for some very high-quality work to be produced. Most of the tasks need to be completed in pairs or small groups.
Over the semester, some of the topic’s covered include Forensic Science, Geology and Palaeontology, Surrealistic Art, Public Speaking, Calligraphy and Medieval History, and the science of fun parks. The teaching style is based on the latest research in the field of Educational Psychology and a lot of emphasis is placed on how we think and learn, how memory works, and the concept of Multiple Intelligences.
Being within the Balgowlah Boy’s Campus environment has many advantages. For example, the Centre has the full use of science facilities, the library, the food technology rooms, and the gymnasium. Many parents have commented on what a great introduction the Centre has been to how a high school operates, making the transition from primary school to high school an easy one. From both an academic and a practical point of view, the benefits of the Extension Studies program are far-reaching, and certainly the feedback from students, parents and participating schools indicates the high regard in which the program is held.
Linda Mekertichian
Teacher/coordinator
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