school; learning; communicating; special schools; ;
What is school?
School is where you get an education and learn lots of information about life, society and the world. You also get to learn new skills and have fun. School is not only the school buildings, it's also the kids and teachers, and all the things you do there.
School is where most of you spend a lot of your time, from about 5 to 17 years of age.
You may have been to a preschool or kindergarten before starting in a Primary school.
You may stay at school until you are 18 if you want to go on to University or College.
School plays an important part in your life.
Some people don't get a chance to go to school.
- Maybe there are no schools near where they live. Maybe they can learn through correspondence courses, where they are sent lessons to work on at home, and then they send the work off to be marked.
- Maybe they have home tutoring where mum, dad or a tutor works with them in their own home.
- Maybe they work on lessons through the internet where they are part of a class. Look at http://www.openaccess.edu.au/about_us/distance_education.html
- Maybe there are no schools in their part of the world or maybe they can only go to school for a short time.
- Maybe they are not allowed to go to school .
- Maybe they go to a special school for children who need special help with their learning.
There are many different kinds of schools and every one is different in some way.
Whatever kind of school you go to, the main reason for being there is to learn.
You need to learn to be able to live the best life that you can.
You learn many things at school.
- You learn lots of facts about the world we live in.
- You learn lots of skills that you will be able to use all your life.
- You learn how to get on with other people.
- You learn about following school rules which help to keep your school a safe and happy place for everyone.
- You learn about values.
- You learn about yourself.
One of the most important things you learn at school is how to communicate.
Communication is about being able to talk to others, to tell what you have learned, to explain your ideas, to solve problems, to think clearly and logically, and to listen.
You can communicate in many different ways.
- Speaking --- and listening to what others say.
- Writing in lots of different ways.
- Through art work.
- Using computer skills.
- Using media skills like making movies, PowerPoint presentations and photographs
Communicating with others is a very important part of what you learn in school.
Just think how hard life would be if we went back to the times when every person had to find or grow his own food, build his own shelter, make his own clothes, fetch his own water and so on.
Nowadays people have different jobs, so that the work they do is shared by others.
Everybody works together to make our lives easier.
- School is a good place to learn how to work together.
- School and class rules are there to help people work together.
- Teachers help people work together.
- Teachers and parents/caregivers work together to help kids learn.
School is a great place for finding lots of other kids to play with!
You can learn many things from other kids, like games, sports, how to play a new computer game, how to use the internet, or draw cartoons and all sorts of other things.
Learning to play together is a great way to practise your communication skills and your working together skills.
Of course it is also FUN.
Note: sometimes playing is not fun, for example, if you can't find a friend. See our topics on "Friendship" and "Making friends", for more information
the most out of school
There are many kids around the world who would be really happy to go to school and learn enough to be able to improve their lives. Many kids are already working when most of you are just starting school.
So, if you are one of the lucky kids who can go to school, here are some ideas from other kids to help you make the most of it.
- "Try hard to learn."
- "Be a good listener."
- "Finish work on time, then you don’t get into trouble or start feeling stressed."
- "Be friendly and nice to people."
- "Get involved in school life, like take on a job, join a club or sport."
- "Enjoy your days at school. If you waste your time at school it is your life that you are wasting."
Every school is special.
What's special about your school? We thought it could be fun to find out .
Ask your teacher if you and your class can answer the questions and send them in on your school letterhead with a photo of your school.
Write in to:
- Beryl Hall
Women's and Children's Health Network
295 South Terrace
Adelaide, South Australia 5000
We will put the letters into a special section of our topic on school so that you can be proud of your school and see what makes kids in other schools proud of their schools.
Look down the page to see what some schools have already done.
What it is called.
Where it is.
What it looks like.
What's special about our school!
The great things about our school!
"Have you noticed that when adults get together they often talk about their schooldays, who they went to school with and some of the things that happened there?
School days are a big part of your life, so work hard to make them a happy part of your life."
Some schools in South Australia
School of the Air
Hallett Cove East Primary
We've provided this information to help you to understand important things about staying healthy and happy. However, if you feel sick or unhappy, it is important to tell your mum or dad, a teacher or another grown-up.