Welcome to Balaclava State School
Balaclava State School is a Prep to Year 6 primary school located in the centre of Cairns. Our students are drawn primarily from the surrounding residential suburbs of the local area. We work to continually foster positive relationships with our families, local businesses, surrounding schools, clubs and professional associations. Our commitment is to give our students a strong start to education through creating a learning environment in which each child can thrive and become an independent, creative and connected learner. It is through these solid foundations that unlimited potentials will emerge.
- We focus on literacy and numeracy delivered through structured English and Mathematics programs ensuring our students have the necessary skills to participate in all aspects of learning;
- We use high-yield research-based teaching methods such as Explicit Teaching and Direct Instruction coupled with regular consolidation teaching episodes on a daily basis;
- We provide interesting and engaging curriculum units that broaden our students' experiences in Science, Technology, HASS, HPE and The Arts;
- We integrate IT into units of work and make a commitment to keep pace with new and relevant technologies;
- We promote traditional values such as high expectations, strong discipline, respect, and pride in our school;
- We utilise a team approach to planning curriculum and teaching to ensure consistency in what is being taught and the standards expected.
Our school motto is 'Connect ~ Commit ~ Excel' and we strive to enact this each day in our school. Our staff are professionally supported to reflect and improve upon practice and we are dedicated to helping our students build on strong foundations as they strive to be the best that they can be. We are a community of learners, committed to innovation and led by a united vision for professional excellence.
Balaclava State School provides an education that prepares our students for life. We offer a distinctive learning environment and believe in engaging children in learning experiences that foster their independence, creativity and the connectedness needed in today's world and our global future.
We recognise the individuality and varied abilities of our students and provide every opportunity for them to find their passion, take risks, strive to improve, succeed and learn from any set-backs.
I invite you to share in what we do by reading this handbook. We hope that it will answer many of the questions asked by parents and carers and I urge you to familiarise yourself with its contents and to keep it on hand for easy reference throughout the year.
If you require further clarification about any aspect of your child's school life, we invite you to discuss this with your child's teacher or the school administration.
We look forward to working in partnership with you during these, the formative years, of your child's life-long education.
Mr Peter Begemann
Principal