Specialist Updates
Art
What a wonderful few weeks we’ve had in the Art Room!
Last week, students from Foundation to Year 6 took home their creative and amazing artworks from our Art Show. We hope their special pieces are now proudly displayed on your walls or fridges for everyone to admire! 🌟
This week, we have been busy experimenting across the arts, combining our love of art with AFL. Students have been designing and creating their very own Disco Footballs! 🏉✨
The students have come up with some fantastic and imaginative designs, and we are excited to send our ideas through to Sherrin. They look amazing!
Looking for a fun creative activity to enjoy over the holidays? We have attached some NGV Kids’ Art Activities for families to explore together. Why not take some time to experience the wonderful National Gallery of Victoria and get inspired by the incredible artworks on display? 🎨💫
Happy creating!
STEM
Over the last two STEM sessions, our Prep–Year 2 students have been revisiting all the exciting things they have learnt this term about rubbish and recycling! They recapped which items belong in each bin, discovered where our rubbish goes after the trucks collect it, and explored what happens to plastic bottles when they are recycled. Students also learnt how companies can give plastic a second life by turning it into new products. We then followed the journey of rubbish when it becomes litter, discovering how wind and rain can carry rubbish into drains, rivers and eventually the ocean. It has been a fantastic term of investigating, questioning and discovering how we can all make a difference to where our rubbish ends up!
Our Year 3 & 4 students have been revisiting what they have learned about the life of clothing. Students recapped where our clothes come from, where they are made and the different materials used to make them. They also explored what happens to clothes when we no longer want them, considering options such as reusing, repairing, upcycling, recycling and donating. It has been a fantastic term of investigating the journey of our clothes and discovering how we can make more sustainable choices!
The Year 5 & 6 students completed one final STEM task for the term, investigating the environmental impacts of cotton, polyester and nylon. Each student became an “expert” on their assigned material, researching how it is produced and the positive and negative impacts it can have on our planet. Students then joined jigsaw groups, where they taught one another about their materials and shared their discoveries. Students uncovered some interesting environmental impacts, including that cotton requires large amounts of water to grow, polyester is made from fossil fuels, and nylon is not biodegradable, so it can remain in the environment for a very long time if it is thrown away. It was a great way for students to bring together everything they had learnt this term and consider how the materials we choose can affect our environment
Italian
To complete our Term’s work in Italian the Preps have been participating in revision activities that practise naming body parts and colours. They have also been practising two songs called Carnevale and Questo e’ Pinocchio that will be part of a performance on Italian Day next term. These songs have also reinforced some of the language they have been practising.
Years One and Two have been preparing for Italian Day which will be held next term. They have enjoyed learning the words and actions to the songs Carnevale, Questo e’ Pinocchio and Il Mio Soffitto. These songs have enabled them to learn new language as well as revisit vocabulary such as colours and body parts.
Years Three and Four have put the finishing touches on their Art Reports. It has been wonderful to see their progress in describing and naming things in full sentences.The students presented two slides that named the art works and the artists and explained why they liked or disliked it. Some students applied these skills to describe art work that had been displayed at our school’s art show.
They have also been preparing for next term’s Italian Day by learning the words and actions to the songs Carnevale, Questo e’ Pinocchio and Il Mio Soffitto. These songs have enabled them to learn new language as well as revisit vocabulary such as colours and body parts.
Years Five and Six have ended off the term by completing a short report on the artist Modigliani and have continued to prepare for next term’s Italian Day by learning the words and actions to the songs Carnevale, Questo e’ Pinocchio and Il Mio Soffitto. These songs have enabled them to learn new language as well as revisit vocabulary such as colours and body parts.
Performing Arts
Foundation students have been progressing well with their xylophone skills, making music to simple beats and rhythms. They are developing their ability to read and play basic musical notes and are becoming increasingly confident in following simple musical patterns.
Year 1 are sounding like real musicians as they practised playing the song Hot Cross Buns on the glockenspiels in Performing Arts. They have been working on learning the notes used in music and which ones go on the lines or spaces on a musical staff. They are increasing their repertoire of songs by learning Mary Had a Little Lamb.
Year 2 have made some great music as they worked together to play the songs Hot Cross Buns and Mary Had a Little Lamb.on the glockenspiel. They have taken turns either playing the beat on rhythm sticks or the melody on the glockenspiel. It was great to hear them play together in time. They have also been practising reading notes on a musical stave.
Year 3 have selected a Movie Theme created by either Hans Zimmer or John William to play on the glockenspiel. Our performing arts room is filled with the sounds of ostinatos from movies such as Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter or Raiders of the Lost Ark as the students work at their own pace to master part of their chosen song. This has given them further experience with reading musical notation.
Year 4 have now added the High D to the notes they can play on the recorder. With the ability to now play 5 notes there is a wider range of songs the students can play or attempt. As a class we have worked on When the Saints Go Marching In.
Years 5 and 6 have spent their final lessons of the term practising the chords F, C and Am on the ukulele. Many have attempted to play along with simple versions of songs that contain these chords such as Thunder by Imagine Dragons, Best Day of My Life by American Authors or even Rip Tide by Vance Joy. In the last week each student demonstrated their progress thus far to the teacher as others worked on other activities about the Ukulele.
Physical Education
During the past couple of weeks the Years 3 - 6 students have been busy preparing for the Cheltenham District Athletics and on Monday those who represented Stella Maris made us all extremely proud as they demonstrated skill, speed, determination and great sportsmanship resulting in excellent individual and team results. Fourteen of our students including 2 of our 4 x100 relay teams have progressed to the Kingston Division Athletics Championships to be held early next term. Congratulations and thank you to everyone involved.
The Prep, Year 1 and 2 students have continued working on the AFL skills of handballing, kicking, marking and moving with the football. In the past fortnight the challenge was to handball and kick the football to a target. It was so exciting to see all students focusing and tracking the target with their eyes and following up with the correct techniques to kick or handball. We celebrated much success with many of the students scoring goals and hitting their targets.
Library
Louise Moore,
Library Technician