Specialist Team News

Performing Arts

The Curriculum Focus in Performing Arts

Prep: 

Students have been learning about the music element of Tempo.                    

They have been able to sing, move and play instruments fast and slow and have learnt the words “Presto” and “Largo” that are used in music for these speeds.

Year 1:

Students have continued learning another African song called “Kwaheri” which is a goodbye or parting song. They have learnt the meaning, the lyrics and a dance that accompanies the song. 

Year 2:

Students have been reviewing the letters of the musical alphabet. They have created their own dance vocabulary to go with a set of letters. Students have learnt the order of the space notes (F A C E) of the treble clef. 

Grade 3/4

Students have been creating and sharing some rap rhymes based around times of the day. They are also considering what makes a good friend in order to write a rap about friendship.

Grade 5/6

Students have selected a small group to work with and a song to parody. They have begun sharing ideas about what they could change their song to ensuring that their new lyrics match the music.

Music Clubs

Choir 

The Willy Primary Choir is now underway with around 40 or so students joining up. Rehearsals run each Wednesday from the start of lunch for about 20 – 30 minutes. Please return permission notes to Lynne Georgiadis.    

Marimba Band 

It has been lovely to hear around 50 students try out for the Marimba Band over the last 2 weeks. A meeting will be held on the last day of term where students selected for the bands will be announced. Selection is open to all Grade 5/6 students and is based on ability not age.

Rock Band Timetable – Term 1

Warm Regards,

Faye Ferry (Performing Arts)

Visual Arts

Wominjenka everyone. 

Making the most of the warmer weather, there has been lots of papier mache happening in the Art Room lately. Needless to say, we are hanging things on drying racks and lining other things up in rows to dry in the sun.

The Preps have been practising using their scissors safely and working on improving their cutting skills. It is funny how many Preps think they are left- handed when in fact, I think they just want to use the green scissors instead of the red ones. The only problem with using the wrong scissors, is they don’t work properly, if at all. Once that problem was sorted out, the Preps cut lots of thin strips, before arranging and gluing these onto a black piece of paper. When spread out and displayed, each group described what they noticed. Different groups saw different things, including shapes, arrows, stars, long strips and short strips, depending on how what had been created. Interestingly, the one thing all three groups commented on was how they were all different.

The Grade Ones have been busy making papier mache boulders. Boulders, you say. Yes boulders. One of the things about Williamstown is that there are boulders all over the place, so we need some for our Art Show. I loved listening to the kids as they walked past the drying boulders explaining to their parents that they had made a boulder. They still need more layers of paper to make them more solid. So, no doubt, you will be seeing lots of paper rocks laying in the sun.

The Grade Twos have begun work on two different pieces of work. They have drawn pictures of themselves swimming, diving and snorkelling with masks, goggles and even some snorkels. Some have tried to draw themselves swimming towards the viewer with their legs behind them. It is great to see them experimenting and trying new things. They still need to add the water to finish these off. The other project they have begun working on is designing a sea star. They produced some lovely designs using colour, lines and shapes in their creations.

The Grade Threes and Fours have been busy adding papier mache to baubles. While this has be done now, they are just getting them ready to paint them later in the year. We will have to wait to see what they do with them.

Creating front covers for their Visual Art books has kept the Grade Fives and Sixes busy. Inspired by Andre Amador, better known as the Man with a Rake, Carrie Dietrich, Crop Circles and zentangles, they have planned and designed their front covers incorporating a variety of lines and patterns into their work as best they can. In addition to this, to ensure there is student voice, students brainstormed all the things Williamstown. Interestingly, there were similarities and differences as each class bounced ideas off each other. Now we have to work out how we can use these to come up with ‘art ideas’ for the Art Show, of course.

As if that is not enough, the Art Room has been buzzing with kids working on their entries to go into the Hobsons Bay Art Society 5x7 Art competition. More information on this later.

Until next time, have fun, be happy and keep creating art!

Jo Jo (Visual Art)

Physical Education

Fortnightly Curriculum Focus in Physical Education

Prep: Learning basic rules to a variety of games and working in small groups to develop teamwork skills.

Year 1 & 2: Linking several fundamental motor skills together to create movement sequences.

Year 3 & 4: Combine the elements of effort, space, time, objects and people when performing movement sequences through athletics.

Year 5/6: Participate in physical activities designed to enhance fitness, and discuss the impact of regular participation on health and wellbeing through athletics.

Sport

On Wednesday, March 6th, 7 students from Willy Primary travelled out to the Werribee outdoor pool to compete in the Hobsons Bay Divisional swim finals. In the relays, we had the 9/10 Boys compete and in the 4 x 50m Freestyle. In the individual events, Jett W, Ethan S and Matilda R competed in Freestyle, Hector W, Nicholas F and Ethan S competed in Breaststroke and Hunter C and Nicholas F and Ethan S competed in Backstroke. It was a huge effort by all of these students to make it to Division level. Good luck to Ethan and Nicholas at Regionals!

Warm Regards,

Paddy Gallivan (Physical Education)

Kitchen Garden

Hello WPS families. Our prep students have continued to enjoy their weekly Kitchen Garden sessions. During week 5 students were involved in preparing fruit kebabs for their class to share. A huge thank you to the parents who assisted with these sessions. They have also enjoyed time in the garden and watching the seeds they planted at the start of the term as they grow. Some are nearly ready to be planted into the garden.

As we transition from Summer to Autumn many changes have been observed in the garden. Things are starting to dry out and produce seeds, which we have been collecting. So far students from our prep classes and gardening club have collected seeds from beans, peas, parsley, spinach and lettuce. Next we will collect them from the dried out sunflower heads.

We look forward to planting these and experiencing firsthand the life cycle of these plants.

We’ve also observed some very interesting critters living in our garden. Our lemon tree has been host to some fascinating caterpillars, lots of bees have been enjoying collecting the pollen and nectar from flowers in the garden and a very clever moth was found camouflaging in the leaf little. I wonder if you can spot it in the pic below?!

Regards, 

Kate Fedele