Classroom News
What's Happening in Specialist this Term
LIBRARY NEWS TERM 3
Our library, for our eager and passionate readers during Term 3, will be exciting! The organised activities are intended to create enthusiasm and interest in books for all!!
Pop the following events and dates into your calendar:
- OLPS Book Week: Monday 18th - Friday 22nd AUGUST
- Dress Up Day - Friday 22nd August 9:10 am
- Book Fair - Tuesday 19th August - Monday 25th August
- Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge Ends - Friday 5th September 2025
Every year, as a school, we celebrate Book Week! It’s an opportunity for us to come together and share the value of reading for pleasure, and to promote reading as an enjoyable activity. The Children’s Book Council recommend the latest Australian releases and we share and discuss these with the students during library/class sessions. The students give reasons for their favourite books and participate in the OLPS Book Week voting. These results will be displayed in the library and announced at the assembly on dress-up day.
Celebration Dress Up Day and Parade - Friday 22nd August 9:10am
Get ready to share your creativity! On Book Week Dress Up Day, students can come dressed as their favourite book characters. Families are welcome to come along to our popular grand parade where everyone can show off their fantastic costumes. Looking forward to seeing the imaginative costumes our students come up with this year and of course our staff!!!!!
Always an exciting event on our school calendar!
Costume ideas for 2025 Book Week books
Book Fair - Tuesday 19th August - Monday 25th August
Please note - 1 week only!!!!
Mark your calendars for our upcoming Book Fair! It's the perfect chance to expand your personal home library. We'll have a range of books available for purchase, including popular titles, classics, and new releases. Don't miss this opportunity to find your next great read!
Premiers’ Reading Challenge - (ends Friday 5th September)
The Premiers’ Reading Challenge, a wonderful initiative promoting literacy and a love for reading, will conclude on Friday 5th September 2025. Please encourage your child to finish their reading list and complete the challenge before the deadline. Certificates of achievement will be awarded to participants who complete the challenge at the end of the year.
A reminder!
To complete the challenge:
CHILDREN FROM PREP TO YEAR 2 ARE TO READ OR ‘EXPERIENCE’ 30 BOOKS WITH THEIR PARENTS AND TEACHERS, 20 challenge & 10 choice books
CHILDREN FROM YEAR 3 TO YEAR 6 ARE TO READ 15 BOOKS, 10 challenge & 5 choice books
OLPS VPRC PROGRESS……
So far 139 students have completed the challenge!!!
13,321 books have been read!!
43 days to go!
Year levels will also be focusing on the following, connecting each skill to 2024 Children’s Book Council of Australia Book Week books:
Prep: discussing books they liked/did not like
One: sharing favourite books and authors and giving some reasons for personal preferences
Two: identifying and labelling aspects of books that entertain
Three: selecting and discussing a favourite book and explaining why it is preferred over another
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE MUSIC ROOM! 🎶
PREPS
It is a great pleasure to announce that this semester, our prep students will be participating in weekly music lessons in the music room. As a part of our program in term 3, our prep students will be learning how to pitch match when singing, how to recognise the difference between piano (quiet) and forte (loud) sounds and will be creating our very own bug rhythm compositions! There’s a lot happening in the music room this term so stay tuned for Seesaw videos and tasks that will be sharing our learning!
YEAR 1
This term, our Year 1 students will be learning about pitch and how to recognise high and low pitches in music. They will do this through lots of fun listening activities. Additionally, the students will explore body percussion, learning to create rhythms using different parts of their bodies. They will engage in various routines that combine movement and sound, enhancing their understanding of musical concepts in an interactive and enjoyable way. These lessons aim to develop their auditory skills, coordination, and overall musicality, laying a solid foundation for their future musical education.
YEAR 2
Our talented Year 2s will be honing their SOLFA singing skills, exploring the magical world of pitch and solfege. With each note they sing, their musical abilities will soar to new heights! But that's not all! Our young musicians will also embark on an instrumental adventure as they learn to play the tunes they’re singing in music on various tuned and non-tuned percussion instruments. Using ostinato patterns to create the songs, they will experience the joy of making music together, developing both their rhythmic skills and their ability to collaborate in a musical setting. This term promises to be a vibrant and enriching journey into the world of music! 🥁🎵
YEAR 3
Our Year 3 students will be continuing their recorder journey this term and will be creating their own recorder compositions. They will write them out, practise playing them, and record their performance as a final product! I can't wait to see what they come up with. It's going to be a fantastic opportunity for them to express their creativity, develop their musical notation skills, and gain confidence in their playing abilities. Let's look forward to some wonderful and original recorder music from our talented Year 3 students!
YEAR 4
This term in Music, our talented Year 4 students are continuing their ukulele journey! Now that they’ve developed a solid foundation of skills on the instrument, they’re ready to take the next step: creating their own music. Students will be working in small groups to compose original pieces on the ukulele, focusing on chord progressions, rhythm, and performance. Each group will rehearse and perform their composition, showcasing their creativity, teamwork, and growing musical confidence. We can't wait to hear what they come up with! 🎶
YEAR 5
Our Year 5 students have been levelling up their music skills this semester. They've embraced their inner composers and embraced the world of video game music. These musical maestros have been on a quest, creating epic video game covers that will transport you straight into a digital wonderland. Armed with their trusty digital workstations like BandLab, they will be crafting mesmerising melodies and heart-pounding beats. So grab your controllers, buckle up, and prepare to be blown away by the immersive and awe-inspiring music created by our talented Year 5 gamers. Don’t forget to check out Seesaw for their creations.
YEAR 6
Hold on to your hats because Year 6 is taking their band practice to the next level this term! Our sensational musicians are continuing their journey as they gear up to rock the stage. Excitingly, each class is now focusing on learning their own unique song, igniting their creativity and unleashing their inner rock stars!
With guitars strumming, drums pounding, and voices soaring, our Year 6's are ready to make musical magic happen. They'll work collaboratively, fine-tuning their skills, and crafting an unforgettable performance. Get ready for sensational solos, captivating choruses, and the unmistakable energy of a well-practised band! Stay tuned for more and hoping we can put on some afternoon performances for families soon.
Physical Education – Term 3
This term in Physical Education, all students at Our Lady’s Primary School will continue to build their movement skills, teamwork, and confidence through a variety of engaging activities.
- Prep to Year 2 students will be focusing on the Fundamental Motor Skill of kicking. They will practise different types of kicks and apply these skills in small-sided games designed to support coordination, control, and spatial awareness in fun and active ways.
- Years 3 to 6 will be introduced to a volleyball unit, where they will explore the basic skills of the game such as serving, passing, setting, and striking. They will also learn how to apply these skills in modified games, while building teamwork and understanding of volleyball rules and tactics.
- All year levels will participate in a gymnastics unit throughout the term, focusing on basic body shapes, balances, rolls, and turns. These sessions will help improve flexibility, core strength, and control, and provide students with the opportunity to explore movement in creative and challenging ways.
We’re looking forward to a term full of energy, skill-building, and fun!
Anthony Whitty & Jade Herd
Physical Education Teachers
Art - Term 3
Welcome back to term 3, we are excited to see students' creativity shine through a variety of artworks.
The term will start with art activities related to Book Week, which is coming up very soon. The students will create artworks related to the book chosen for their year level.
Later on in the term, the Prep students will enjoy creating a variety of collage pieces. The little artists will be using their creativity and fine motor skills to showcase their beautiful creations.
The Year One and Two students will experiment with different materials by creating collage and abstract art. The students will be given the chance to express themselves through creating an abstract self portrait.
The Year Three and Four students will focus on developing their drawing and shading skills. The students will explore how artists use shading to make their artwork look 3D. They will learn about popular artists that use grey lead to create master pieces then they will use their skills to create unique drawings.
The Year Five and Six students will be busy creating little clay sculptures. The students will use their hands and clay tools to form their sculpture which they can take home at the end of the term.
Looking forward to seeing all the amazing work the students will create this term.
STEM - Term 3
Foundation
Students will have the opportunity to learn about coding by following and representing a sequence of steps needed to solve simple problems using a program named Kodable. They will also learn how to debug (identify and fix) errors in an algorithm or program.
Year 1
Students will have the opportunity to learn about coding by following and representing a sequence of steps and decisions needed to solve simple problems using a program named Tynker. They will also learn how to debug (identify and fix) errors in an algorithm or program.
Year 2
Students will have the opportunity to explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) concepts through hands-on building and programming LEGO Education WeDO 2.0.
Year 3
Students will have the opportunity to program a robot named Edison. They will develop critical thinking, creativity and problem solving skills that are essential in today’s digital world.
Year 4
Students will have the opportunity to program/code a robot called Dash. They will learn coding through drag-and-drop programming using apps like Blockly.
Year 5
Students will have the opportunity to learn about the Sphero Bolt robot. This initiative allows students to create custom programs, explore robotics, and engage in STEM education in a fun and interactive way.
Year 6
Students will have the opportunity to build and program the Spike Prime Legos. They will learn how motors, sensors, and software all work together—just like in real-world technology.