Specialist News

Music

Hello/Assalamu Alaikum/Yama/Hola, Nĩ Hão, Ciao, Annyeong Haseyo, Kon'nichiwa everybody! We got off to a great start in the Music and Performing Arts Department. This year we will be covering Music theory and performing, as well as preparing for the school concert. 

Important Dates:

The Whole School Concert this year is booked for Thursday 4th September at Pascoe Vale Girls College. Put it in your diaries. We will be practising and preparing in Term 2 and the first couple of weeks of Term 3. More information to come in Term 2, including excursion fees and ticket pricing. The theme will be based on movies, with 2-3 classes based on an individual movie.

Band Auditions:

Band auditions will be in next week (Week 3) and (Week 4) at the start of lunch Tuesday,  and Thursday. They are open this year to Grades 3-6. If it is a draw in the audition the older student will get the role.  Roles include:

4x Singers (Audition with 1 verse and 1 chorus of a song only)

2x Keyboard (Chords to a Pop or Rock song preferred , as that is what we will be playing)

1-2 Guitars (Chords and riffs to a Pop or Rock song preferred , as that is what we will be playing)

1x Bass (1 bass line verse and chorus)

If you play another instrument, feel free to bring it in, to try out. 

This Term, Preps will be looking at how sounds work. They explore playing percussion in time and to the beat through singing and playing simple songs. We will look at crotchets, loud and softs and working together as a class.

Grade 1/2s, are exploring songs with actions. We have already looked at the song Miss Mary Mack, with the actions, before playing the notes on the keyboard or glockenspiel. We will look at notating rhythms and playing them to the beat at different speeds (tempos).

Grade 3/6 will build on their work from last year. They are working on writing 4/4 beats with semiquavers, quavers, crotchets and rests. They are putting the notes on a treble and bass clef stave and playing in time with melodic instruments.

STEM at Pascoe Vale North Primary School  

STEM is one of the specialist programs for Pascoe Vale North Primary School in.  All students will have a 1 hour lesson each week in the STEM Portable, which is the closest portable to Derby St. STEM is taught by me (Mr Stephen Lytton) and I teach at the school from Monday to Thursday.

Our STEM lessons will be focussed around the 4 main areas of Science that we report against in Primary School. These are Chemical Science (Term 1), Earth and Space (Term 2), Physics (Term 3) and Biology (Term 4). However this will be the guide for our content, as during STEM lessons, students will be guided to make their own discoveries through an inquiry model of learning. Students will usually work in groups to complete experiments and test theories using the scientific method; or design and construct things using the engineering method.  Lessons will also integrate Maths, Digital Technology, Engineering and Design skills. This style of learning promotes problem solving, critical thinking and group collaboration.

So you can imagine, STEM lessons can be fun, loud, chaotic and sometimes challenging.

This is our third year of running STEM and I am pleased to say that the program is evolving, adapting and getting better every year as I modify and make changes.

If you ever have any questions or would like to contact me - the easiest way is to drop me an email on stephen.lytton@education.vic.gov.au There may be situations where I may email you about a student’s work, behaviour or if the student seems to be consistently absent.

In Foundation for Term 1, we will start off by looking at the concepts of what is a Scientist and what is an Engineer. We will then use fairy tales to look at different materials and their properties (The 3 little pigs/Gingerbread man).  We would look at the observable properties, what we know about them and how  we can change those properties. During our lessons, we will explore building with different materials, sink and float,  and how we can change objects (pushing, pulling etc). At the end of the Term we will start our journey of looking at digital technologies (iPads and Apps). The technology component will be built on throughout the school year.

In Grade 1 and 2 for Term 1, we are looking at the materials that we use in our daily lives and identifying the observable properties.  Our main focus will be around water and the changes we can make to its state of matter. We will investigate, experiment and research how changing the properties (such as heating, cooling, freezing) and the shape of water (bubbles, droplets, convex and concave). We will look at ogther ways to change different materials such as bending, stretching, moulding etc) and how it effects the use of the item.  The children will also compete in a lego challenge and will continue their ‘coding’ journey that we started last year by using the bluebot robots and the Scratch junior app.

In Grade 3 and 4,  in the first half of the Term, we are looking at the changes in the states of matter and the properties of materials. We will investigate and experiment using the changes of heat on liquids, solids, gas and plasma (investigation only). We will categorise the properties of natural and processed materials and their uses.  We will finish our work by learning about the water cycle and the process of condensation, evaporation and renewal. In the second half of the term we will turn to our technology unit and work on block coding (using code.org) and visual block coding to control the Sphero robots.

In Grade 5 and 6 for Term 1,  we will be exploring, researching, investigating and experimenting around chemical change for the states of matter. We will look at liquids, solids, gases (and plasmas) and how they behave based on their observable properties - and then experiment with to try and change those properties and consider yourself warned, there is a very good chance we may look at making slime (or ooblek or  floam - both slime variants that demonstrate different properties) at the end of the Term. Scattered throughout the term, the students will continue their coding journey through code.org and we will look at the concept of digital footprints and internet safety. The grade 5-6 students will be expected to complete a lesson on using the Sphero robots and learn how to program the Spheros to be capable of more than just direct input movement. I will be discussing the students about them setting up a STEM project by the end of the Term which will also be incorporated into our STEM lessons throughout the year. The students will be able to choose their own groups and own project (some materials may need to be sourced from home).  This is a new development for 2025 and whilst I am hoping for it to be student driven, we will work on establishing a framework for the students to launch their investigation from during this Semester.

Lastly I would like to talk about donations. When we start crafting and building we will go through an awful lot of materials - many of which can be recycled by donating to the school.

Across the year the STEM program could easily use the following donations:-

• Cardboard boxes that can be cut by scissors (cereal boxes, muesli bars, shapes)
• Shoeboxes or boxes of a similar size (for dioramas)
• Paper Towel cardboard tubes (unfortunately not toilet roll tubes)
• Coloured paper or old wrapping paper
• Straws, pipe cleaners,pom poms or any crafting supplies that are spare
• Bottle cap lids
• Old material
• Unused lego
• Screwdrivers 
• Or anything you think the imagination of a child could use.

These items can be dropped off outside the STEM room (portables 1+2), opposite Theircare building or placed in the red tub just inside the doors to the school library or sent to STEM with your child.

I am also collecting any old electronics that may contain a circuit board (such as old dvd players) for the students in grade 5-6 to dismantle in Term 3.

Any donations big or small are always appreciated. If you don’t need it anymore and you think we can re-use and recycle it - please consider donating.

Thank you

Stephen Lytton, 

STEM Specialist.

               Visual Arts Term 1, 2025

Hi there! My name is Denise Diamantopoulos but the students call me Ms Denise. I am the Visual Arts teacher. My Visual Arts room is next to the Music room. I work Tuesday to Friday. Below is the outline of Visual Arts foci, art elements and activities I will teach the students in each level.

In Foundation for Term 1, our Art Focus is drawing. As an introduction to the school year, we will learn to draw our names within a spiral and then use the primary colours to colour the spaces between each letter. We will look at the secondary colours and experiment making them by blending the primary colours. We will create our own colour monsters and experiment with textures to add depths to our monsters. We will explore drawing different types of lines and create line lanterns. 

Art Focus: drawing

Art Elements covered: Colours and Lines

Picture story books used: 'Little Blue and Little Yellow' by Leo Lionni, 'Monsters Love Colours' by Mike Austin and 'Lines that Wiggle' by Candace Whitman.

In grade 1 and 2 for Term 1, we will begin the school year 2025 by creating our own abstract art piece called 'Alphabet Soup'. This work is influenced by the works of the American contemporary artist, Jasper Johns. We will look at the Art Elements of Shape and Space and incorporate them when working on our cityscape drawing and paper shape abstract collage.

Art Focus: drawing

Art Elements covered: Shape and Space

Artists covered: Jasper Johns and Sonia Delaunay

In grade 3 and 4 for Term 1, we will explore the Art Elements of Line and Shape. We will learn to stack letters in different ways using a variety of letter forms such as block, fancy and bubble also focusing on negative and positive spaces in Visual Arts. We will look at Paul Klee's work called Fish Magic when creating our own scratchboard. We will explore the use of converging lines to create depth and perspectives.

Art Focus: drawing

Art Elements covered: Line and Shape

Artists covered: Paul Klee

In grade 5 and 6 for Term 1, we will work on our skills in line drawing and learn how to create 3D form using modelling wire. We will also use Paul Klee's work called 'Fish Magic' to create our own scratchboard and use converging lines when creating one point perspectives.

Art Focus: drawing

Art Elements covered: Line and Form

Artists covered: Paul Klee

Thank you

Denise Diamantopoulos

Visual Arts specialist

PE & Sport

Prep:

In Physical Education, Foundation students practice fundamental movement skills and movement sequences using different motor skills in varied settings. During the semester, they will focus on catching, throwing, running and dodging. Foundation students learn how to move and play safely by following rules and using equipment correctly and also further develop personal and social skills when working with others in a range of activities. Foundation students will be working on their listening skills and following instructions, both visual and voice commands during lessons. They will identify people and actions that help keep themselves safe and healthy as well as healthy eating in Health.

Grade 1/2:

 In Grade 1/2, students continue to develop their fundamental motor skills and begin to apply them to small-sided games where they develop their communication and teamwork skills. During the semester, they will focus on catching, throwing, ball dribbling, striking, running and dodging. Students will be learning the correct way to apply these movement skills in indoor and outdoor situations. The students learn how to move and play safely by following rules and using equipment correctly. They will be working on their listening skills and following instructions during these lessons. Grade 1/2 students will be focusing on being active in different places & safe medicines in Health. 

Grade 3&4: 

In Grade 3 and 4, students further develop their knowledge, understanding and skills in relation to their health, wellbeing, safety and participation in physical activity. They are introduced to the major sports of soccer, basketball, softball, netball and AFL through modified games and begin to participate in skill related activities. Grade 3 and 4 students will focus on kicking, handballing, marking, dribbling by foot, passing and goal shooting in soccer. They will participate in minor and invasion games, which promote physical movement, teamwork, cooperation and leadership through fun activities. Grade 3 and 4 students will identify enjoying outdoor activities & dangerous household substances in Health.

Grade 5&6: 

In Grade 5 and 6, students further develop knowledge, understanding and skills to create opportunities and take action to enhance their own and others’ health, wellbeing, safety and physical activity participation. Students participate in the major sports of netball, basketball, softball, soccer, AFL and learn some tactics to apply to the games. Grade 5 and 6 students will participate in minor and invasion games that promote physical movement, teamwork, cooperation and leadership. These require more detailed tactics and promote the students ability to communicate within their group to have a successful outcome in the activity. Grade 5 and 6 students will learn to promote safety by being sun smart & being anti-drug and alcohol in Health. Some students participate in intershool sports of bat tennis, basketball and softball.

If you child/children are interested in soccer there is a clinic conducted by Football Star Academy in Moonee Ponds on a saturday. Flyer attached.