Specialists

Global Studies/ Ethics

Welcome back all students and families. It has been wonderful to get back into the classroom and to again have great discussions and hands on learning experiences with the students.

We have all been celebrating Reconciliation Week. Unfortunately, it was not possible to celebrate it all together on the actual week this year, due to many students still working from home. However, instead; the whole school did the same activity, including the staff. We made a School footpath of our feet- we each traced our feet and after discussions and stories about the importance of Reconciliation Day, we wrote our name in one of our feet and then a single word that we best thought represented what Reconciliation Day meant to us. The students all enjoyed the activity and their artistic designs and thoughtful words were excellent.

Foundation Students have been learning about feelings and about body language in the last few sessions. We have discussed how these can be different for different people and in different cultures.

Junior Students have been learning more about Indonesia and the way of life over there. We have been looking at the many similarities and differences and using this opportunity to broaden the students Indonesian vocabulary.

Middle students have been looking at different countries and how many things are similar and many things are different in other cultures and how this is positive. 

Senior Students have been looking at aspects of happiness and what makes us happy. They are  also undertaking a research project on Japan, and are doing an excellent job in gathering facts and being creative with how they wish to present them. I cannot wait to see them present these.

Have a wonderful and relaxing break from school everyone.

Kym Wallace

Visual Arts

It has been wonderful to have all our students back in the art room creating magnificent masterpieces in the last few weeks! All classes have been finishing off and completing this terms units of work. We are looking forward to getting more hands on when we begin our Term 3 units. Thank you to all families that participated in the Virtual Art show. It was great to showcase all the work that our students completed at home. To access the Art Show, please follow the following link or refer to the email sent on Wednesday. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1s_45XqKKgSLGyY97eF7wAZ84DlgTCR_J?usp=sharing 

Foundation students have been participating in guided drawing and listening carefully to step-by-step instructions to draw frogs, cows, butterflies and monsters! They have improved their listening skills and have produced some amazing work. Next term, Foundation students will be working on paper sculptures and looking at mentor artist Alexander Calder.

Junior School finished the term off creating their own version of Jeff Koons 'Balloon Dog'. Over two weeks, they traced, cut and painted their paper to look like balloons with a reflective surface.  Using paper and markers, they created a cityscape and positioned their balloon dogs in the foreground. Next term, Junior School will be working on printmaking and looking at mentor artist Robert Indiana. 

Middle School have completed their unit on portraits, this week looking at abstract art. Their Picasso inspired portraits were amazing (check out our Facebook and Instagram page) as are their Sandra Silberzweig portraits they have been working on this week. They have experimented using glue outlines and soft pastel on black paper to create vivid colours. Next term, Middle School will be working with textiles and sewing. 

Senior School have wowed us with their optical art this term. They have finished it off creating a tornado piece, using line and colour to create a 3D effect. Keep your eyes open for these in the hallway and stand back to get the full effect! Lots of persistence, patience and resilience is needed to complete these works of art! Next term, Senior School will be working on modelling (wire) and will look at works of art by Picasso and Alexander Calder. 

Have a safe and creative holiday break.

Bec Bertrand

Science 

What a term! All the students have shown such resilience and have been really dedicated to all their lessons in Science – both in remote learning and back at school. I’d like to extend a huge thank you to all of the parents and carers too. I really appreciate the way you have supported your children’s learning over this very unique term we’ve all been through.

Foundation:

The Foundation students have made a seamless transition back to ‘at school’ learning. They have continued to learn about the way things move and it’s been fantastic to be able to engage in some really fun hands on investigations. They have enjoyed testing how the size and shape of an object can affect the way it moves. They have tested how objects roll over different textured surfaces and through all this have continued to develop great skills. 

Junior School:

As with Foundation, the Junior School students have made a terrific transition back to on campus learning. They have carried on learning about the way our eyes can see and the way our ears hear. Over the last few weeks they have investigated how sound can travel along a solid surface. They had great fun using tin can telephones! Then they investigated how our eyes work better when both are open. Dropping coins into a cup was a fun way to test that!

Middle School:

Middle School students haven’t been back on campus for long, but they have really made the most of it! They switched up from learning about the energy used in simple machines to the energy used in magnetism – maintaining grace and enthusiasm the whole way! They have investigated the attraction and repelling forces of magnets as well as how gravity can be a competing force against magnetism. Using ring magnets over a vertically supported straw was so much fun! I’m starting to wonder if Rube Goldberg ever thought about using a magnetic force in one of his contraptions…

Senior School:

These students are so exceptional! They completely switched up their learning focus upon their return to the school campus. They moved from learning together with the Middle students about simple machines to learning about the way light works and its role as an energy source. It’s been a lot of fun to cram as much in as possible over the last few weeks! From investigating how light travels, to shadows and to light refractions these students have stepped up to every challenge. They have been able to explain their thinking in various ways including graphs and diagrams. 

Health & Physical Education

Interschool Sport Challenge 3rd Place! 

The KPS community did a fantastic job participating in the 6 week Yarra Division Interschool Sport Challenge. With 25 schools competing, we needed as many students and families to contribute to push us to the top. KPS certainly showed resilience with physical education while learning from home by taking 3rd place. Fantastic work team!

Virtual Cross Country Runners up!

Cross Country looked a little bit different this year…we used the virtual method instead! Because Foundation and Junior school were back at school, they were able to run a 1km course around the school with some pretty impressive times! Middle and Senior school did a job well done by running the course at home and submitting their scores online. We even had some family members participate to help our school! Showing so much excellence moved us to 2nd place in the 2020 Yarra Division Virtual Cross Country! Great work everyone! 

Foundation have been having lots of fun in Health and PE while being super resilient! We have been learning all about our amazing body, inside and out, from our head to toes. We have talked about how our body grows, how unique we are, and what happens to our body when we exercise. We are also getting active! Students have been learning to use equipment such as bean bags and recreational balls to practise ball skills through fun games. 

Junior students have been learning about the 4 keys to being healthy. They have been super clever when identifying ways to keep the body moving, staying hydrated throughout the day, recalling which foods are healthy and knowing how much sleep to get! Students have also been sharpening their kicking skills! We have been learning how to dribble a soccer ball, trap the ball to stop it, pass with a partner and kick into a goal!

Middle students have done a wonderful job staying active while being at home! When they returned to school, we got straight to work on our basketball skills. Students learned how to dribble the ball, make passes, use proper footwork when shooting a lay up and the correct shooting form. Not only have our students done a wonderful job with their basketball skills, I have seen lots of improvement with our teamwork, sportsmanship and cooperation. 

Senior students have absolutely smashed the return to school and are doing a wonderful job working collaboratively in PE. We have been working on our basketball skills and polishing what we already know. Each PE lesson, I see more and more growth as leaders and respectful athletes! Students are learning how to reflect on their athletic performance and make decisions as a group in sport.

Have a happy & healthy break!! 

Taylor Mathers