Specialists Updates and Celebrations

Physical Education (Prep)

This week, our Prep students started their first lesson on Batting and Aiming. We started by practicing some hand and eye co-ordination skills. Students had to progress through five different levels of throwing and catching. After, students were introduced to the word 'striking' and looked at how we strike a ball in t-ball. Students were then split into five groups and practiced their striking technique, hitting the ball off the tee. Finally, students played a fun team competition scoring points by hitting the ball across the gym.

Music (Years 1 and 2)

Grade 1 and 2 students have just completed a unit of work on Dynamics (loud and soft) as part of our Elements of Music overarching theme. Students learnt to sing and play instruments with dynamics, conduct music with dynamics and use music specific language for dynamics such as “piano” (soft), “Mezzo Piano” (medium soft), “Mezzo Forte” (medium loud) and “forte” loud) as well as “cresendo” (soft to loud) and ‘decressendo” (loud to soft).

There was a large focus on students maintaining a steady beat/pulse without speeding up or slowing down when dynamics change. We did a lot of djembe work in this area. Students played prescribed 2 bar rhythms with dynamics marking and created their own rhythms with dynamics.

Each lesson group work, where students learnt to play music together and work cooperatively to achieve specific learning goals.

Visual Art (Years 3 and 4)

This week, our Year 3 and 4 students began creating their clay sculptures! Last week, the students planned their sculptures around the theme of nature. Each student designed a sculpture featuring a base for their piece to stand on, a layer of leaves, and either a flower or an insect.

In this week’s lesson, students began sculpting their bases and started creating their leaves. Our goal throughout this clay unit is to take things slowly and carefully so that our clay pieces are strong, well-constructed and beautiful!

The students have come such a long way in developing their fine-motor skills, and it has been wonderful to see them putting these skills into practice as they begin creating their clay pieces.

Fantastic work, Year 3 and 4s!

Mandarin (Years 5 and 6)

This term in Mandarin, Year 5 and 6 students are exploring China: Then and Now. In recent weeks, students have compared life in ancient and modern China through stories about children from the Han Dynasty, learning about farming, education, daily life and traditional activities. They have also explored how Chinese writing and communication developed over time, including bamboo slips, paper and printing. 

In the coming weeks, students will continue comparing ancient and modern Chinese culture through food, clothing, customs and other aspects of everyday life, while building their Mandarin vocabulary along the way.