Co-Curricular - The King David School

Co-curricular Program

King David recognises it is our responsibility to educate the whole child. We have a comprehensive co-curricular program that broadens students’ learning experience. Our before and after school sports programs, lunch time activities, participation in inter-school sporting competitions and extensive performing arts programs offer students an avenue for self-expression.

These rich holistic learning opportunities available at The King David School provide a broad educational model that extends students to ensure that they develop habits that will see them become excellent citizens.

Sport

From before school sport training at both campuses, inter-school competitive sport from Years 5 - 12 and fitness sessions in the Magid Campus gym, there are plenty of opportunities for students to be active and try new sports at King David. As part of our Wellbeing program, students also participate in mindfulness and yoga to give them skills that assist not only with academic study but for life.

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Music & Performing Arts

Our Instrumental Music Program is offered from Prep - Year 12 in a wide variety of instruments. Students receive individual tuition, belong to an ensemble, and perform in our soirees and concerts. Students also have the opportunity to join in School productions. In the Junior School, all students are involved in productions. In the Middle and Senior Schools, students can elect to join in each year.

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Kinor David

Kinor David is our flagship program recognising our students' co-curricular achievements. It allows students to explore and be rewarded for the skills they are learning outside of the classroom.

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STEM

King David provides extended opportunities in the fields of Science and Technology. From writing games in the Coding club, working on irrigation programs in the Vertical Garden challenge, and the popular MERIT (Making, Engineering, Robotics and Innovative Technology) program there are many opportunities to try something new and be creative.

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Lunchtime Clubs

With a wide range of co-curricular opportunities on offer, students are encouraged to explore their passions. Our lunchtime club program operates at both of our campuses with a wide variety of options including Art, Debating, Environment and more. Clubs vary based on student interests.

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Leadership Opportunities

Encouraging students to be ‘upstanders’ who now and in the future will assume leadership roles within the School, the Jewish community and beyond is of central importance at King David. Student leadership, activism and voice are promoted through a number of avenues.

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Outdoor Education

Outdoor education is an integral part of our learning environment. The program extends students’ learning into the outdoors and uses scope and sequence to transition learning from one year to the next. In particular, students are taught collaboration skills and resilience.

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PERFORMING ARTS

Students have an incredible range of performing arts opportunities at The King David School. The Instrumental Music Program covers most orchestral and contemporary instruments and our instrumental and vocal ensembles rehearse regularly throughout the year.The Performing Arts Program includes concerts, soirees and fully staged productions. Classroom Music offers students the opportunity to experience a number of instruments. Following this program, students may choose to continue with individual instrumental music lessons at school.

Instrumental Music Lessons

The KDS Instrumental Program is based on best-practice principles and is benchmarked against other leading Independent Schools and available to all students from Prep – Year 12 for an additional cost. All students in the KDS Instrumental Program regularly perform in public. After their first year of lessons, all students in the Years 4 – VCE program can be members of our expertly run choirs and ensembles. Aside from the enormous intrinsic benefits of ensemble participation, instrumental and voice students have been shown to make powerful gains in areas such as self-regulatory skills, pro-social behaviours and cognition.

Instruments:

Bass Guitar
Cello
Clarinet
Drums / Percussion
Euphonium
Flute
Guitar
Music Theory
Piano
Recorder
Saxophone
Trombone
Trumpet
Viola
Violin
Voice

Ensembles

In order to establish fundamental reading and group performance skills (e.g. tuning, co-ordination, balance, sight reading, rehearsal technique etc.), it is compulsory for all students in Years 6-12 who are in their second year or beyond of receiving instrumental lessons at the School to be involved in our ensemble program. Ensembles rehearse weekly and perform at school events including concerts, assemblies and school musicals. Music students take pride in their School and respect its educational programs and reputation.

Ensembles:

Junior Choir
Junior Guitars
Junior Percussion
Junior Strings
Junior Winds
Nana – Jewish Music Ensemble
Senior Choir
Senior Guitars
Senior Orchestra
Senior Percussion
Senior Strings
Senior Winds

Productions

Participation in a musical or play is, for many students, the highlight of their school year. KDS prides itself on staging productions that are both challenging and engaging. Prep – Year 2 Production > All students participate Years 3 – 5 Production > All students participate Years 6 – 8 Musical > Any Year 6-8 student may participate > Lead roles are auditioned > Chorus roles non-auditioned Senior Musical (Years 9 – 12) > Any Years 9 -12 student may participate > Lead roles are auditioned > Chorus roles non-auditioned

STEM

The MERIT program encourages curious and creative learning through a broad range of practical learning experiences.
Operating during lunch times at both the Dandenong Road and Magid campuses, the MERIT program activities are a combination of usually two – three (structured) learning activities for students as well as free-choice for students. Activities are centred around one of three levels: observer (watch and learn), tinkerer (pull down/ build up/try something new) and creator (design and build).

LUNCHTIME CLUBS

Lunchtime clubs give students with like-minded interests the opportunity to engage with students in other year levels and explore their creativity and thinking skills.

Whether it’s Lego, Art, Nature, Debating or Chess, there are many opportunities for students to try new activities and explore their passions.

LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Encouraging students to be ‘upstanders’ who now and in the future will assume leadership roles within the School, the Jewish community and beyond is of central importance in the School. Student leadership, activism and voice are promoted through a number of avenues.

In their final year in Junior School, all Year 5 students elect to be on a particular Vaad (committee), charged with leading and taking ownership over a particular area of school life, including Ruach (school spirit), Yahadut (Jewish life), Tikkun Olam (social Action), Iton (newspaper), Sport, Ichut Sviva (environment) and Media.

In the Middle and Senior School, each year level elects two students to serve on the Kol Echad (One Voice – Student Action Committee), which provides a forum for raising concerns, sharing ideas and organising social justice and fund-raising projects. Year 10 students participate in Derech, a program in which leadership capacity is developed through explicit training and opportunities to facilitate sessions with younger students. Year 11 students have the opportunity to mentor Year 7 students in Amit, our peer leadership program.

As Year 11 students approach their final year in the school, they may stand for a position on the Hanhagah, the school’s peak student leadership body consisting of elected representatives (Manhigim). The Hanhagah meets weekly with the Jewish Experiential Education team and school leaders to discuss initiatives and plan events. It plays a central role in driving student engagement in Jewish life activities and building school spirit and culture. Members are offered leadership training and mentoring.

There is also the opportunity to become house captains and contribute to school spirit and sports events through this avenue.

outdoor education

Outdoor education is an integral part to learning at King David. It is an ideal complement to classroom learning, with a structured program to ensure that students learn valuable ‘life skills’.

Our outdoor education program takes an adventure-based, holistic approach to education. Students learn how to negotiate with others to achieve the best results, develop safe risk-taking strategies, work best as individuals and within teams and how to lead others in challenging situations. Students develop important skills that help shape their adult lives. The School’s program also educates our students about social and ecological sustainability.

The program extends students’ learning into the outdoors and uses scope and sequence to transition learning from one year to the next. Students from Years 3 to 11 participate in the outdoor education program. After Year 4, all camps are conducted at different locations.

Year 6 students have the opportunity to visit Canberra and explore the many national monuments and museums as well as learn about the Australian Parliament.

Year 7 students learn water skills, including surfing, body boarding and stand-up paddle boarding. Team-building and integration is a key focus on this camp since many students join us in Year 7.

Our Year 8 students spend a week hiking in Gariwerd (the Grampians) where they learn about First Nations’ cultural practices and see Djab Wurrung and Jardwardjali rock art. They practice camp skills and teamwork.

Year 9 students build their knowledge of Israel together with our Jewish Life and Learning staff on our Shvil Israel camp where they come together to learn about Israeli history and politics away from the confines of the classroom. Later in the year, Year 9 students spend two weeks hiking together, growing their independence and resilience.

Year 10 students have their peak outdoor education experience in Israel, with our Yesh program. During Yesh they have a chance to sleep under the stars and hike in Makhtesh Ramon. Before Yesh, Year 10 students also have a Shabbaton camp with our Jewish Life leaders. They also have the opportunity to attend the Year 7 camp and Junior School camps as madrichim (helpers).

Year 11 camp is an expedition based camp that allows students full independence while working within teams. Students spend time learning the skills in sailing and water navigation. The navigation skills required when sailing, and the team effort required in working and steering the yachts is extremely important as it calls upon all students to communicate effectively with one another and assist each other in demanding situations on the water.

Our Year 12 students have a Shabbaton which focuses on connection and reflection, enabling the cohort to deepen their support for each other as they embark on the final stages of VCE.