Specialists Updates and Celebrations

Physical Education (Preps)

All students had a terrific time at House Sports Day. For our wonderful Prep students, it was their first ever experience of it. They did amazingly well and we are so proud of them. They participated in running races, obstacle course relays, soccer games, throwing games, egg and spoon races and more! Congratulations to Normanby (Yellow House) for winning the House Sports Day Cup this year! It was a close race throughout the day.

A big thank you to our exemplar Year 6 students who supported throughout the day.

Mandarin (Years 1 and 2)

This fortnight, our Years 1 and 2 students have embarked on an exciting exploration of Beijing! We’ve been learning about Beijing’s most famous tourist and historical sites, and discovering fascinating facts about the city’s rich cultural heritage. One highlight has been learning to draw the Great Wall of China – the students have loved bringing this iconic landmark to life on paper!

In addition to this, we’ve introduced Chinese table manners and are practising using chopsticks. It’s been wonderful to see the students’ enthusiasm as they learn new skills and deepen their cultural understanding.

Visual Arts (Years 3 and 4)

For students in Years 3-6, a significant part of Term 4 is dedicated to planning, creating, and presenting a Personal Project. This is an exciting opportunity for older students to create an artwork of their choice. They start with a week to develop a detailed plan outlining the materials and steps needed for their project. Years 3 and 4 have two weeks for the creation phase, while Years 5 and 6 enjoy three sessions. The final two weeks are reserved for students to present their artworks to the class.

This week, Years 3 and 4 students kicked off their Personal Projects, and it’s been truly inspiring to see them working independently and passionately on their creations. I can’t wait to see their completed artworks and celebrate their efforts with the entire class!

Music (Years 5 and 6)

In our Year 5 and 6 Music Program, our theme is Rhythms from Around the World. Students have been learning whole class percussion pieces. They layer marimba and xylophone melodies over hand drum and other percussion instruments. Each piece has an arrangement where instruments are bought in and out in particular orders.

Through our work on this topic students have engaged in solo and small group activities as well. 

Our Years 5 and 6 students have also taken these newly acquired percussion skills to create and make their own pieces of music.

We have continued progressing through our guitar program too. Students have been learning 6 note/string chords in the open position with strumming patterns.

Performing Arts (Years 5 and 6)

Years 5 and 6 students have continued to explore various elements of drama. This week in particular, students learnt about the importance of the relationship between characters and the audience. Students have improved their improvisation skills and started to perform scripted plays to their peers. There has been a clear growth in their confidence and expressive skills when performing. It will be exciting to see how they continue to blossom, as towards the end of the term they will create their own scripts in group work. 

Library

Last week students from 4B and 1D came together in the library for cross-age buddy reading. It was wonderful to see how enthusiastic and engaged the students were while sharing their favourite books.