STEM & LOTE (Japanese)

STEM and Japanese are taught together to give students engaging, hands-on learning experiences with real purpose and connection. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and encourages students to be critical thinkers, solve problems and learn through designing, building and testing ideas. Lessons are guided by the STEM design process, where students explore a problem, plan ideas, create solutions, test them and then refine their designs through reflection and teamwork.

By combining STEM with Japanese, students are supported to use language in meaningful and practical ways throughout their learning. Students regularly use Japanese numbers, colours, greetings and topic-specific words during activities and challenges. For example, whilst engaging in our unit on natural disasters, students learned about earthquakes in Japan before following the design process to plan and construct their own seismographs. Students tested vibrations before improving their designs. During coding lessons, students designed scenes and used Japanese vocabulary to practise greetings and introduce family members. 

Our Japanese Sister School

South Geelong PS are proud to have a sister school connection with Namiyoke Elementary School in Osaka, Japan. Through online interactions across the year, students have opportunities to share aspects of their culture, school life and learning with each other. Students may share presentations, short videos or classroom projects and take part in simple question/answer exchanges about daily life, school routines and traditions. This partnership helps strengthen students’ awareness of Japan as a living culture and gives them a genuine audience for some of their Japanese learning.

Deakin GALS (Girls as Leaders in STEM) Program 

South Geelong PS is also involved in the Deakin GALS (Girls as Leaders in STEM) Program, with approximately 10 Year 5 and 6 students participating each year. Through this partnership with Deakin University, students engage in the STEM design process where they build on confidence, collaboration and problem-solving skills. The program supports students to explore real-world challenges and become entrepreneurs as they strengthen their identity as capable STEM learners. It encourages curiosity, creativity and innovation, helping to broaden students’ awareness of future pathways in STEM. Students present their research, design experience and new designs at the showcase launch held onsite at Deakin. 

MAV Coding Challenge

Each year, South Geelong PS enters up to two teams in the MAV Coding Challenge. The challenge, run by the Mathematical Association of Victoria, is a problem-solving competition where students apply coding and computational thinking skills to complete a series of tasks and challenges. Working collaboratively, students use logical reasoning, algorithms and trial and error strategies to design and test solutions within a set timeframe. The experience encourages perseverance, teamwork and creative thinking, while strengthening students’ understanding of coding concepts in an exciting space.