Specialists

Performing Arts

Prep students have been working on finishing their keyboard unit. Students learned to play the notes C, D, and E using colour-coded icy pole sticks to help them identify the keys. Then they used colour-coded sheet music to read, follow, and play the song Hot Cross Buns. 

Some students took on an extra challenge by removing the icy pole sticks and still managed to play the song using strategies they've learned. Well done Preps!

Grade 1/2 students have completed their keyboard unit, and what a fantastic job they’ve done! Grade 1 students learned to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star using colour-coded sheet music to support their note reading and hand coordination. Meanwhile, Grade 2 students stepped up to the challenge of playing Humpty Dumpty using regular sheet music. It was wonderful to see their confidence grow as all their learning came together in a final performance. 

Grade 3-6 students have also finished up their keyboard units, and have been so proud of their own achievements so far. Grade 3/4 students learned to play Do You Know the Muffin Man?, while Grade 5/6 students took on the well-known tune London Bridge. It was fantastic to see so many students experience success as they combined all the skills they’ve been developing—note reading, hand coordination, and rhythm—to confidently perform their pieces.

Now, students have begun an exciting new journey—ukulele lessons! So far, they’ve been learning about the parts of the ukulele, how to hold and use it correctly, identifying each string, and practising some basic strumming patterns. 

Physical Education

Interschool Sport 

Interschool Sport will continue on Fridays this term for the 5/6 students selected. If you have any questions with match scheduling please contact Vicky at the front office.

Students have started Netball this week across all year levels. Please if you can watch a Netball game on YouTube to help get some familiarity for our students.

Spanish

This fortnight has looked a bit different due to various school events and the long weekend, which meant a lighter schedule for Spanish. Still, we’ve had some great moments of learning and connection across all year levels.

In the early years, students have been reinforcing key vocabulary through games and movement activities, while also becoming more confident with simple routines at their tables. We're building their independence step by step, always supporting them with visual cues and clear modelling.

In Grades 1 and 2, we continue to revisit previously learned vocabulary while introducing new words focused on describing people. These lessons are part of the lead-up to a special end-of-term project, which we’ll be revealing very soon. Students are enjoying combining drawings, words and gestures to help them remember and use the language.

In Grades 3 to 6, we’ve been running a "famous people" competition, tailored to each group’s vocabulary level. Students are working in teams and showing great enthusiasm. They even helped suggest different categories and examples to include. The competitive element has added motivation and energy to the sessions, and we’ve made sure the focus stays on having fun and learning, not on winning.

It was also a pleasure to welcome families into our classrooms during the Twilight event. Students enjoyed the chance to share what they’re learning, and it was lovely to see adults joining in and supporting them.

Across all levels, we’re continuing to use retrieval practice activities to help students consolidate and apply what they’ve learned over the term, both in spoken and written tasks.

Seguimos avanzando paso a paso, con muchas ganas de seguir compartiendo el aprendizaje.

¡MUY BIEN!

Seño Patricia

STEM

It’s been a fantastic couple of weeks in STEM, full of creativity and impressive progress across all year levels!

Our Prep to Grade 2 students have been busy bringing their ideas to life, moving from the planning phase to the exciting stage of building their prototypes. They’ve shown wonderful persistence and imagination, using their plans to guide them as they construct prototypes. We’ve been focusing on improving prototyping techniques, especially making strong joins using tape—an essential skill for young designers!

In Grades 3 to 6, students have been exploring the properties of materials to inform their design decisions. With a sustainability focus, they’re working towards creating board games that are fully biodegradable. It’s been inspiring to see their curiosity and critical thinking as they investigate which materials will best balance durability and environmental impact. Their thoughtful discussions and testing have laid a strong foundation for some very exciting design work ahead.

On a personal note, I’m very excited to share that I’ve been offered a two month secondment with the Department of Education - a fantastic opportunity that I am looking forward to. That said, I will miss being part of our wonderful school community. There are not enough words to describe how proud I am of our students and all they’ve achieved in STEM over the past few years. Sadhbh O’Donovan will be teaching STEM while I am away and I know she will do an amazing job. Please give her a very warm Sunny welcome!

Keep up the great work and I can’t wait to hear about what you have been up to when I am back!

Visual Arts

Week 8 

Time is Flying!

What a big and exciting week we’ve had in the Art Room! There has been so much happening across the school, including the wonderful Twilight event. It was such a joy to welcome parents and carers into our space to take part in an art lesson and see firsthand what our young artists get up to. A big thank you to all the amazing families who joined us, your involvement made the day extra special! The students absolutely loved having you there, and the room was full of smiles and creative energy.

We also had a very exciting surprise! the grand opening of our brand-new Art Gallery! A massive thank you goes to my husband Josh, who worked hard behind the scenes to help turn this dream into a reality. It was magical to watch students walk in and see their artwork proudly displayed, the reactions of “oohs”, “aahs” and “wows” said it all!

The gallery will feature a fresh collection of artwork each term, so please feel welcome to pop in and enjoy the beautiful creations your children have made. We are so proud of what they’ve achieved!

Prep

After finishing their beautiful autumn leaf artworks, our Preps have been learning all about rainbows! They created colourful rainbow feathers, focusing on the order of the rainbow colours. The classroom was full of joy as students shared their favourite colours and discussed why rainbows always appear in the same order. It was a wonderful way to explore colour in a hands-on, meaningful way.

Year 1/2

Inspired by our magical Twilight School event and the night sky, the Year 1/2 students explored the mystery of stars. We talked about how stars can look different depending on where you are in the world, and how they come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and even colours! Students then used cardboard cut-outs as painting tools to create stunning night sky artworks filled with stars. We’re excited to add more detail in next week’s class.

Year 3/4

The 3/4 students have been busy designing and building their fantastic 3D fish sculptures. We talked about local fish that live in the creek nearby – including a very special big orange koi fish that sometimes swims through (see if you can spot him on your next walk!). Students followed a step-by-step process: drawing a template, building a structure, filling and taping it, and finally smoothing it out with plaster. Their hard work and focus have been incredible!

Year 5/6

Our senior students have begun creating 3D bird sculptures as part of our upcoming Art Show theme Down by the creek. Each student has chosen a local bird to represent and has been working through a multi-step process over several weeks. Their sculptures are now taking shape, and students are beginning to add texture using tissue paper and fabric. We can’t wait to see these amazing works come together!

DONATIONS

We are still in need of the following items... 

-Towels

-Any type of glass jars 

--Anything green or brown in colour for example: 

Fake leaves/vines, plastic table cloths, streamers, streamer curtains

Anything you think might work in a natural/garden art display 

Thank you

Lauren Jamieson