Specialists
Visual Art
Meet the Art Captains for 2025!
Mackenzie K, Maia B, Charli Z, Jade J, Harper S and Kade E.
Thankyou to this group of leaders for their help to make the Art program run smoothly and always being willing to jump in with ideas and assistance. What a great start to the year it's been with you all!
Art Club
Art club has enjoyed making the most of the beautiful weather we've had recently. Prep students have been creating nature art and chalk polaroids under the guidance of our wonderful Art Captains.
Ceramic Leaf Family Tree Fundraiser
We have had a wonderful response to our first kiln fundraiser of the year - thankyou to everyone who has placed an order, we have over 40 new leaves purchased! With orders still trickling in, the office will continue to process them until the end of term, and the printing and firing process will then begin in Term 2.
In the classroom...what a busy term it's been!
Prep
Symmetrical Bogong Moths
Grade 1
Adding 'produce' and houses to their Anna Blatman inspired 'Country House' paintings.
Grade 2
Detailed fish are now swimming in their Ken Done inspired Great Barrier Reef painting.
Grade 3/4
Creating a latex resist on their terracotta vases.
Grade 5
Weaving a blanket for their ceramic alpaca.
Grade 6
Beautiful colours and patterns on tie-dyed calico bags
Physical Education
Whole School Cross Country
Our Whole School Cross Country was a great success. It was wonderful to see our community come together for this special day. The day started with the Year 6 Prep Buddy Race, which was very cute and entertaining! The rest of the levels all ran exceptionally well. A big congratulations to all our students for trying their best and completing the course. All that training paid off. Thanks to our lovely parent volunteers, the day finished off with a delicious sausage sizzle lunch. A big thank you as well to our many parents who assisted with marshalling and scoring on the day. Congratulations to Burch for winning the overall competition on the day.
AUSLAN
This term, students across all year levels have been actively engaged in learning and practicing Auslan. It has been wonderful to see their enthusiasm as they develop their communication skills and gain a deeper appreciation for the Deaf community.
Prep: Our youngest learners started their Auslan journey by learning how to greet one another. They were also introduced to some of the signs for the colours of the rainbow. Through engaging songs and fun role-plays, they reinforced their new vocabulary in a playful and memorable way.
Grade 1 & 2: Students in Grades 1 and 2 began the term by revising the signs for the letters of the alphabet. They practiced signing their own names and expanded their knowledge by learning the signs for various family members. They also worked on describing their families using Auslan, helping them to build confidence in their signing abilities.
Grade 3 & 4: In these year levels, students were introduced to the various handshapes that are essential in forming Auslan signs. Through interactive games and activities, they deepened their understanding and recognition of these handshapes, making their learning both educational and enjoyable.
Grade 5 & 6: Our senior students took their learning to the next level by exploring how signs are formed using the acronym HOLME: Handshape, Orientation, Location, Movement, and Expression. They also learned about the parts of the ear and how hearing works, giving them a broader understanding of Deaf culture and communication.
It has been a fantastic term of Auslan learning, and we look forward to continuing this journey in Term 2 with even more exciting lessons and activities!
STEM 🔬🌱
STEM Club
The STEM Captains have done an amazing job running fun activities with everyone. We have made Oobleck, slime and harmonicas this term.
STEM Club will continue to run on Wednesdays at lunchtime.Preps will have a turn in week one of Term two, and each week we will rotate, with 1/2s in week 2, the 3/4s in week 3 and 5/6s in week 4.
In the classroom
Grade 1 & 2
The 1/2s have been learning about the forces of push and pull. Classes went on a scavenger hunt to find things that move in our school. Students then investigated a range of toys use push and pull to move, drawing diagrams with labels and arrows to show direction. Finally, students were able to make a moving paper butterfly or moth using a straw mechanism.
Grade 3 & 4
3/4 students have been exploring the concept of buoyancy through a range of hands on experiments. They made tin foil boats to hold weight, and then designed a life jacket to save a tin of baked beans from the perils of the ocean. Through these activities, they learnt about what makes things sink and float, including density, trapped air, size, shape and weight.
Grade 5 & 6
Students have built simple electric circuits digitally and with real materials. They have learnt how wires transfer electrical energy to a load in the form of heat, sound, light and movement. With this new knowledge, the 5/6s tinkered with provided materials to build a 'scribble bot' - a robot that draws on paper using a small motor and battery. Their enthusiasm and innovation has been a joy to witness!
🎭 Performing Arts
🎤 Warrandyte Festival - Senior Choir Performance
What a fantastic day it was at the Warrandyte Festival last weekend! Nearly 40 of our enthusiastic Grade 3–6 students represented our school choir with pride and joy. After weeks of dedicated rehearsal, the students performed four songs beautifully and brought a lot of energy to the stage. A big shoutout to our Performing Arts Captains who did a stellar job hosting our performance—your leadership made the day even more special. Thank you to all the families who came to support us!
🌟 Matilda Jr. – Cast Announced!
After an exciting audition process—including singing, acting, specialist dance auditions and callbacks—we are thrilled to announce that casting for our 2025 production of Matilda Jr. is complete! The level of talent and commitment from our students was inspiring, and it was a real privilege to watch them share their skills and creativity.
We were especially proud of how brave and enthusiastic the students were, with close to 80 Grade 5/6 students putting their hand up to audition for a role. The talent on display certainly made casting a challenge!
We’ll be sharing the full cast list with the school community soon, and rehearsals will officially kick off in Term 2. We can’t wait to see this magical story come to life at WPPS.
🎶 In the Classroom – A Snapshot of our Recent Learning
Prep: Our youngest performers have been busy exploring the fundamentals of music! They’ve been singing songs, keeping the beat, and being introduced to the many exciting instruments in the Performing Arts room.
Grade 1/2: Students have been developing their rhythm skills, learning note values, and applying their knowledge to play simple songs on the glockenspiels. They're also starting to understand pitch and melody through hands-on activities.
Grade 3/4:Ukuleles have taken centre stage in Grades 3 and 4! Students have been learning chords, jamming along with songs like Roar by Katy Perry and, a class favourite, Riptide by Vance Joy, and even creating their own song chords, with lyrics, and album covers.
Grade 5/6: Our senior students have been diving into composition using both digital tools and live instruments. Some are even blending the two! They're working collaboratively to develop original pieces with rhythm and melody, and build confidence in both solo and group music-making.