Specialists Programs
Performing Arts Term 2 Overview
This term, the learning focus of all levels will be preparing for their performances in our school production, Cinderella and her Rockin’ Fellas, which will be showcased at the performing arts theater, The Round in Nunawading on Wednesday 2nd July at 7pm. Every student will be part of a performance and it is an expectation that all students participate in rehearsals and attend this event, as it is part of their learning in Performing Arts, covering the curriculum areas of Drama, Dance and Music.
Tickets
Save the date and spread the word, there will be lots of tickets available for you to purchase for your family and friends at this beautiful new venue! More information regarding tickets will be provided closer to the date.
Costumes
Please ensure you begin to organise your child’s costume for their performance. These will need to be brought to school and given to your class teacher in a labelled bag by Monday, 26 May. Please clearly label all items with your child’s name. You will find a description of costumes for each class and role below. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me by email at ahill@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au
THE COSTUME LIST IS CURRENTLY BEING UPDATED. WE WILL NOTIFY PARENTS ABOUT THESE CHANGES.
Prep
This term in Prep, students will explore dance through everyday movements, learning how their bodies can move safely and creatively, developing awareness of themselves, others, and the dance space, while also looking after their bodies. Students will extend and vary movement ideas by imitating, joining, and changing actions, such as using different body parts, directions, and levels. As they prepare for the production, they will participate in rehearsals, singing and dancing together to create a group performance. Students will watch and respond to dances performed by their peers and others, developing their skills as audiences.
Year 1/2
This term, students will explore and create dance using safe practices and a variety of fundamental movements. They will experiment with locomotor (movements such as walking, skipping, running, sliding and galloping) and non-locomotor (still) actions, using different body parts to express ideas and feelings. Students will improvise and build movement sequences, working individually and with partners. They will reflect on how their dances communicate meaning and learn ways to connect with their audience through expression and performance skills. Students will develop their understanding of rhythm and tempo, experimenting with these and adjusting vocal pitch and dynamics when singing.
Year 3/4
This term, students will use simple technical and expressive skills to perform songs and dances that communicate ideas to an audience. They will present short movement sequences using actions, facial expressions, and different movement qualities to show feelings and ideas. Students will build their skills in performing dance routines while singing, coordinating breathing and movement, mirroring, combining stillness and motion. They will experiment with space, time, dynamics, tempo and pitch to express themselves and communicate a story through song and dance. Students will contribute ideas and work together to rehearse and perform their class and whole school songs, performing these on stage at the school production.
Year 5/6
Students will be given a variety of opportunities to contribute to the production this term, they will each take on either an onstage or offstage role and be given specific responsibilities accordingly. During Performing Arts lessons, all students will explore scripted drama, developing characters and situations using voice, movement, empathy, and space. They will practise changing their voice and movement to show different moods and relationships. Students will practise their dance skills by working on strength, balance, control, and coordination. They will use the elements of dance, like changes in speed, percussive arm movements, and rhythm, to help express different ideas and emotions to an audience. Working collaboratively, students will rehearse and refine performances to connect with and engage their audience.
Amanda Hill ahill@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au
Visual Arts Term 2 Overview
Foundation
Foundation students will continue to work on developmental skills needed to create art. Students will identify types of lines and how they are used to create patterns. A revision of holding scissors correctly will be necessary to practice cutting a variety of lines, using lines to make shapes both geometric and organic. Students will practice drawing these shapes then use them to create abstract art. Looking at various pieces of art, we will be discussing how artists create their art pieces.
Yr 1/ 2
Visual art classes this term will focus on shape and form as well as Illusion and space. Students will practice following simple instructions to create directed drawings and shapes and various lines. Students will choose a favourite toy to complete the process of observational drawing using line and shape to create depth and texture. Students will discuss how to create the illusion of space (placement, size, overlapping) to create pictures with a foreground and background. Throughout the term, students will be exposed to various artworks where they will be given the opportunity to discuss and share their opinions.
Year 3 /4
Throughout the term students will continue to explore various types of media that are used in art. They will create art using various techniques combining skills such as printmaking and sculpture. Using previous knowledge of paints and pastels, students create artworks using the illusion of space (placement, overlapping, size, etc.) to create simple one point perspective pictures. These pictures will be designed based on our concert script and included in the production later in the term.
Year 5/ 6
During term 2, students will spend time in visual art preparing props and backdrops to enhance the school production at the end of term.
Students will continue to examine the relationship between colour and value. They will mix and blend colours to create a range of value that will be used in our backdrops. Students will use perspective techniques to create the illusion of three-dimensional form on a two-dimensional surface to bring life to the various scenes of the production. Throughout the term, students will be exposed to various artworks where they will be given the opportunity to discuss and share their opinions.
Deirdre Cosgrave - Visual Arts Teacher
dcosgrave@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au
Chinese - Term 2 Overview
Prep Overview
In Term Two, students will be exploring numbers and animals in Chinese. Students will keep focusing on using Chinese numbers to count objects and using gestures and body parts to make numbers in Chinese characters. Students will also learn to say some common animal names in Chinese via songs and games.They will learn to recognise the tonal nature of Chinese and understand that characters are formed by strokes.
Year 1/2 Overview
In Term Two, students will develop their knowledge in regards to Chinese inventions. They will be learning the names of major inventions in both ancient China as well as modern China. The learning experience also provides students opportunities to enrich their knowledge in Chinese culture of science and history. They are learning to use subject–verb–object sentence structure to share ideas. In addition, they also learn to use pinyin to write, knowing that characters represent the real form of writing in Chinese.
Year 3/4 Overview
In Term Two, students will develop their knowledge in regards to Chinese inventions. They will be learning the names of major inventions in both ancient China as well as modern China. Students will also deepen their inquiry skills by discovering how innovators communicate their ideas and how human endeavour can change the world. The learning experience also provides students opportunities to enrich their knowledge in Chinese culture of science and history. In terms of language learning, students will be provided with various opportunities to practise using Chinese through action-related talk, and completing tasks while relying on teacher modelling, prompts and repetition.
Year 5/6 Overview
In Chinese this term, students will be exploring the concepts of weather and seasons. This includes the Chinese name of the four seasons and how to express different feelings in different weather. Students will also discover the differences of weather conditions in Chinese cities and Australian cities. They will be learning to use simple structured sentences in Chinese to create short informative and imaginative texts to report weather, including background information, data analysis, and safety recommendations.
Elina Li
Physical Education Term 2 Overview
Prep
During term 2, students will be participating in kicking based sports AFL and soccer, as they focus on their kicking techniques. Students will also be practicing netball skills such as passing and catching. Following this, there will be a focus on rolling skills through games, including bowling and lawn bowls. There will be a great focus on learning the skill through games, playing safely and following the rules.
Preps also have an opportunity to register for a 5 week Auskick program being run at St Johns by AFL Victoria to continue the fun and games and further develop their skills they learn at the beginning of the term.
Year 1/2
Grade 1/2 students will be participating in kicking based sports AFL and soccer, as they focus on their kicking techniques and kicking to each other. Students will also be practicing netball skills such as passing and catching, which will complement the catching and throwing skills they practiced in term 1. Following this, there will be a focus on rolling skills through games, including bowling and lawn bowls. There will be a great focus on learning the skill through games, playing safely and cooperatively.
1/2s also have an opportunity to register for a 5 week Auskick program being run at St Johns by AFL Victoria to continue the fun and games and further develop their skills they learn at the beginning of the term.
Year 3/4
The 3/4 students will be practicing skills and gameplay to help them score in sports related to their Winter Gala Day on Friday 13 June. They will develop skills and learn the rules of the game for; soccer, AFL, netball and Tball. Continuing from term 1, students will not only focus on the skills of each game but also showing respect, sportsmanship, teamwork and effort. Students will have the opportunity to represent the school at the district Cross Country on Friday, 9 May.
They also have an opportunity to register for a 5 week Auskick program being run at St Johns by AFL Victoria, allowing them to further develop their skills they learn at the beginning of the term.
Year 5/6
The 5/6 students will be practicing skills and gameplay to help them score and defend in sports related to their Winter Gala Day on Monday 23 June. They will develop skills and learn the rules of the game for; soccer, AFL, netball and Tball. Continuing from term 1, students will not only focus on the skills of each game but also showing respect, sportsmanship, teamwork and effort. Students will have the opportunity to represent the school at the district Cross Country on Friday, 9 May.
Michael Van Rooy
mvanrooy@sjmitcham.catholic.edu.au