woePerforming Arts

This fortnight in Performing Arts, students have been exploring two key elements of drama - character and setting - through a range of creative games and activities.

One of our favourite warm-up games has been Cross the Road, where students transform into different characters or imagine themselves in exciting settings. Whether crossing the road as a ballerina, a superhero, under the sea or in outer space, students have loved using their imaginations to bring each scenario to life.

Students have also enjoyed a variety of drama games and activities, including charades, Screenshot scene setting, group shape-making, Granny's Undies, Looks Can Kill, Kitty Has a Corner and Yes, No, Banana. These activities have encouraged students to think creatively, collaborate with others and build confidence in expressing themselves.

It has been fantastic to see students stepping outside their comfort zones, showing courage, and enthusiastically giving every activity a go. I look forward to continuing our drama journey as students build on these skills throughout the term.

In other exciting news, our school choir has been working incredibly hard in preparation for an upcoming performance. Students have been learning 10 songs in Ghanaian languages, embracing both the musical challenge and the opportunity to celebrate another culture through song.

On Tuesday 11th August, the choir will take to the stage at the Town Hall, performing alongside more than 300 students from schools across the region. This promises to be a wonderful and memorable experience for everyone involved.

I am so proud of the dedication and enthusiasm our choir members have shown throughout their rehearsals, and can't wait to share how the performance goes!

Physical Education

This term, our Prep to Year 6 students are developing their soccer skills during Physical Education lessons. Students have been building confidence with the ball while learning and practising key skills such as dribbling, passing, shooting and ball control. Our Prep to Year 2 students have enjoyed fun, game-based activities that focus on movement, coordination and teamwork, helping them build strong foundations while fostering a love of being active.

Students in Years 3 to 6 have continued to extend their skills by applying tactics, communication and teamwork in modified games and small-sided matches. It has been wonderful to see students encouraging one another, demonstrating resilience, and showing excellent sportsmanship on the field. The enthusiasm and effort displayed by all students has been outstanding, with many embracing new challenges and celebrating both their own progress and the success of their classmates.

Spanish - Español

Preps

Students in Prep have continued to learn new vocabulary through song in our unit "¿Cómo Está el Día Hoy?" (What's the Weather Like Today). Students started singing along to the next part of the song: "Esta nublado" (It's cloudy) and "Esta lloviendo" (It's raining). We also celebrate 100 Days of Prep together which was so much fun!

Years 1 and 2

Students in years 1 and 2 continued learning new sea creatures in our unit "Bajo el Mar" (Under the Sea). They have started identifying multiple sea creatures in Spanish only with my actions as a prompt which is very impressive after only three sessions!

Years 3 and 4

Students in years 3 and 4 have blown me away with their retention of new vocabulary in only three sessions! They have learnt to tell the time in Spanish to the hour, half past, and now quarter past as well. Students tested each other and worked together on the tricky tongue-twister: "Son las cuatro y cuarto" (It's quarter past four).

Years 5 and 6

Students in years 5 and 6 continued to explore Spanish-English cognates, learning that most (not all) words ended in "ous" can be translated to Spanish by changing the "ous" ending to "oso and that most words ending in "ary" can be translated to Spanish by changing the "ary" to "ario". Fabuloso = Fabulous. Vocabulario = Vocabulary.

They were however, introduced to false cognates in form of a trick.

Can you guess what these words translate to?

Realizar

Embarazada

Carpeta

Fabrica

Decepcion

STEM

This fortnight in STEM, students across the school have continued with their digital technologies learning block.

The Preps and Grade 1s have been learning about how to use digital devices safely and the common problems that we can use devices to solve, like finding out the weather, communicating with a distant relative or using a map application. The Preps got to put their problem solving into practise - The problem: 'we don't know how to draw a cat', the solution: use a video tutorial to guide us!

The Grade 2s and 3s have been using Scratch Jr to create animations. This fortnight, we learnt about the different trigger blocks we can use so that certain animations only trigger when particular actions are performed (like clicking on a character, or when two sprites collide. We’ve then used all of the new skills we’ve practiced and made a short animated story.

The Grade 4s and 5s have been looking at user interfaces. We’ve been discussing the purpose of particular apps and unpacking the design choices used by app developers when making an application, such as the inclusion of text, images and icons, and how their size and placement make a big difference to how easy an app is to use and how well it achieves its purpose. The students had a go at building their own weather interfaces and also fixed a poorly designed music player interface.

The Grade 6s have been using Scratch to make and edit game code. We’ve been building and troubleshooting a 2D fish game, creating the code that moves the character, interacts with its environment (walls and fish food) and also added code that randomises the map and shows a player score as they venture through the game level.

This term we’ve also set up a STEM club, which is a puzzle club. Students Grade 4-6 are welcome to spend their lunch time on Mondays in the STEM room quietly working on jigsaw puzzles.

A big thank you to the STEM Leaders for their help crafting some club rules and designing some posters that we’ve displayed to advertise the club and outline the rules for those attending.

Science week is coming up in a couple of weeks, some more information regarding what we’ll be during this time will be communicated next week.

Visual Arts

Preps:

Australian Natives

Our Prep students have begun celebrating the beauty of Australia's native flowers through a colourful Visual Arts project inspired by our unique natural environment.

To begin the project, students created vibrant painted backgrounds while learning about warm colours. They explored how colours such as red, orange and yellow can represent the warmth of the Australian landscape, making them the perfect choice for this artwork.

Next week, students will continue their learning by exploring a variety of Australian native flowers, including banksias, waratahs, wattles and gum blossoms. They will discover that these special plants grow naturally in Australia and provide important food and shelter for many native birds, bees and butterflies.

As they observe the unique shapes, textures and brilliant colours of these flowers, students will use their discoveries to inspire the next stage of their artwork while developing a deeper appreciation for Australia's beautiful native flora.

Grade 1/2:

European Leadlight Windows

Grade 1 and 2 students have been learning about the tradition of stained-glass and leadlight windows found throughout Europe. Inspired by these colourful artworks, students designed their own leadlight window patterns using geometric shapes, bold black lines and vibrant colours. Through this project, students explored shape, line, colour and pattern while developing their drawing and design skills. The finished artworks are bright, colourful and demonstrate wonderful creativity and attention to detail.

Grade 3/4:

South American Inspired Psychedelic Cactus Art

Our Grade 3 and 4 students have been exploring the vibrant colours, patterns and landscapes of South America through a colourful cactus art project. Inspired by the striking cacti found throughout the Americas and the bold use of colour seen in contemporary Latin American art, students created eye-catching artworks featuring detailed cactus drawings set against optical illusion patterned backgrounds.

Students learned how artists use line, repetition and contrasting colours to create movement and visual interest. They carefully drew and decorated a variety of cactus shapes before filling their backgrounds with swirling lines, concentric circles and bright colour combinations. The contrast between the black-and-white cactus drawings and the vibrant backgrounds helped create artworks full of energy and excitement.

Throughout the project, students developed their skills in drawing, pattern-making and colour theory while learning about the unique environments and artistic influences of South America.

Grade 5/6:

AFRICAN MASKS

Our Grade 5 and 6 students have been working on African animals inspired masks.

Students began by investigating traditional African masks and discussing how they are used in ceremonies, storytelling and cultural celebrations. They looked closely at examples and identified key features such as bold shapes, repeated patterns, symmetry and the use of colour and texture.

Using this inspiration, students designed and constructed their own masks. They carefully built up their artworks using layered cardboard to create a 3D effect, adding raised features and decorative elements. They will continue this task over the next few weeks.

I am incredibly proud of the creativity and effort shown and look forward to displaying these striking artworks in our Art show

Fundraising at SHPS!