Specialist Updates
Art
All classes are extremely busy in the Art Room, preparing and finalising their amazing artworks for our upcoming Art Show!
Parent Helpers Needed - Thursday 27 August
Putting up the Art Show is a big job, and we would love the support of our wonderful school community.
If you are available to help us install and display the students’ artworks, we would be very grateful for your assistance. Every helping hand will make a difference! losullivan@smbeaumaris.catholic.edu.au
Thank you to all our families for supporting the students and helping us celebrate their creativity and hard work.
We can't wait to see the Art Show come together!
STEM
Our Prep–Year 2 students have been exploring the question, “Where does our rubbish go?” and have shown a growing interest in recycling, landfill and composting. We began by taking a closer look at our three bins and investigating what belongs in each one. Students then followed the lifecycle of a plastic water bottle, from drinking the water and placing the bottle in the recycling bin, to its journey on the recycling truck and through a recycling centre. We discovered how plastic can be sorted, chopped into small pieces and melted down to create something new, such as another bottle, a bench, playground equipment or even clothing. As their curiosity grew, so did their questions! Students wanted to discover which companies use recycled materials, including LEGO, and became particularly interested in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and how rubbish can make its way into our oceans. Our original focus was “How can we make new toys without buying new things?” However, the students’ questions and interests have inspired us to pivot our learning and explore a bigger question: “What happens to the things we throw away, and how can we give them a second life?” It has been wonderful to see our young STEM learners driving their own learning through questions, curiosity and a desire to make a difference to our environment.
Last week our Year 3-4 students had the opportunity to explore and share their learning by looking at each other’s Ozobot maps and Scratch games. It was a great chance for students to see the creative ideas of their classmates, share their thinking and celebrate the different ways they approached their challenges. This week, students began a new unit of work called “Giving Clothes a Second Life.” We started by exploring the journey of a T-shirt: from growing the cotton, making the fabric and creating the T-shirt, to adding colour and designs before it is sold in a shop. We then followed its journey as it is worn and eventually reaches the point where we no longer want it. Students brainstormed the many different choices we have when we no longer want a T-shirt, including reusing, donating, repairing, upcycling and recycling. This has sparked lots of interesting ideas and questions about what happens to our clothes and how we can give them a second life instead of simply throwing them away.
Our Year 5–6 students have started exploring the topic of Fast Fashion and thinking about how our clothing choices can impact people and the environment. Last week, students investigated “Why do we want new clothes?”, exploring the difference between wants, needs and influences and considering what makes us want to buy something new. This week, students became Clothing Detectives! They investigated different items of clothing to discover where it was made, what materials it was made from and how they thought it travelled to Australia. This has left our students with an important question to consider: “We can see the T-shirt. We can touch it. We can wear it. But how much do we really know about its journey?”
Italian
Prep students have been practising naming some body parts in Italian through the song La Canzone di Geppetto (Geppetto’s Song), games and the story of Pinocchio. They enjoyed making their own Pinocchio out of cardboard.
Year 1 students have continued to practise asking for quantities of fruit using Italian numbers to ten. They have enjoyed creating a list of ingredients in Italian for a fruit salad, rolling a dice to determine how many pieces of each fruit were needed. Students then demonstrated their understanding by using their ingredient lists to illustrate their own individual fruit salads in their Italian books.
Year 2 students have continued to practise asking for quantities of vegetables using Italian numbers to ten. They have enjoyed creating a list of ingredients in Italian for a minestrone rolling a dice to determine how many of each vegetable were needed. Students then demonstrated their understanding by using their ingredient lists to illustrate their own pot of minestrone soup in their Italian books.
Year 3 and 4 students have explored the works of Donatello. They have begun to practise writing a report in Italian about one of his sculptures they like and one that they do not like. This week the students have selected two art works by any of the four artists that have been introduced this term. These will be the focus of a short report that they will complete in Italian, using the format and language practised in class.
Year 5 and 6 students have learnt how to change some words in an Italian sentence so that they can describe others as well as themselves. They have selected a famous person or fictional character to describe in a wanted poster. Each poster will contain a description of the subject’s eyes, hair, height and given name in Italian.
Performing Arts
Foundation Finds Their Rhythm!
Our Foundation students have been getting their rhythm on in Music! They have been learning some basic rhythmic patterns, including Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and putting their new skills into practice on the xylophones. It has been wonderful to see the students listening carefully, keeping the beat and exploring the different sounds they can create. There have been lots of smiles and plenty of musical discoveries along the way!
Well done, Foundation — keep making music!
Year 1 have been working on rhythms and have created their own 4 beat rhythms using the notes and rests they have learnt so far. The class enjoyed hearing each other's performances. This week they have begun to learn about the notes in the C scale and have begun to play the glockenspiel.
Year 2 students have finished creating and presenting their rhythm patterns. This week they have been learning about the notes on the treble clef and completed activities to help them read musical notes.
Year 3 have shown their creativity as they presented their original Ostinato’s. They have then attempted to correctly place the notes they used in their creation on a musical stave.
Year 4 have shown off their developing skills with the recorder by performing a song they have practised containing the notes B A and G. This week they were presented with some rhythms and used those notes to improvise a tune. We look forward to listening to them next week.
Year 5 and 6 have practised songs and musical exercises that use the chords Am and C. Some students have also performed for the class. This week they have been introduced to the chord of F which will help us play a wider range of songs.
Physical Education
Years 3 - 6 : the excitement is building for District Athletics!
Years 3 - 6 students are completing trials in some field events to compete in the Cheltenham District Athletics Carnival which will be held at the end of Term 3. While many students have already qualified as a result of their results in the School Athletics Carnival held in Term 2, spots are still available and the aim is to send as many students as possible to represent our school. All students are learning the Circular Relay Baton handover and developing their skills in all areas of athletics.
Junior students in Prep, Year 1 and 2 are learning AFL skills, beginning with handballing. Students have learnt the importance of having the correct fist technique to execute a handball. Students have progressed from simply making contact with the ball to being able to handball the footy through specific targets. Catching (marking) a football will be the next skill students will work on in this unit.
Library
Term 3 is a busy term in the Library!
We have been exploring the books that have been shortlisted by The Children’s Book Council of Australia, CBCA, the students and staff have already voted for their favourite shortlisted ‘Picture Book’. The shortlisted Picture Books are; Bob and Dob, Dawn, Dear Broccoli, Once I was a Giant, The Frog’s First Song and A Tiwi in Paris. The winner will be announced at our assembly on Monday 24th August after our Book Week Parade and activities. I wonder which book will win? Ask your child what their favourite book was!
Our Jungle Themed Book Fair is looking fantastic! Please support our school by purchasing some books, posters, stationary items or special packs. The commission that we make will go back into our school library and classrooms by purchasing resources.
The Premiers’ Reading Challenge finishes on the 4th of September, with 30 students now completing the requirements. There is still plenty of time to go so keep reading!
Book Week is just around the corner, we’re looking forward to celebrating from Monday 24th to Friday 28th August. Our Book Week Character Dress Up Day will take place on Monday 24th August, we warmly invite families to join us for the Parade and Assembly.
Monday 24th August
- Book Character Parade - 9:00am
- Book Week Assembly - 2:30pm
Throughout the week, we encourage everyone to come along and support our Stella Maris Jungle Book Fair, which is already looking fantastic. A huge thank you to Mrs Louise Moore, our LSOs and the parents who have helped bring it to life. Families are welcome to visit the Book Fair before and after school each day.
Louise Moore
Library Technician