Learning and Teaching
Term 1 Art
Visual Art classes have started with colours and lines everywhere to explore our curriculum focus of Patterns.
Juniors have drawn a variety lines to express emotions and created abstract designs, landscapes and an Owl Artwork using simple lines and shapes repeated to create interesting and unique patterns. These will be painted with primary and secondary colours considering warm and cool colours to create contrast.
Seniors have been exploring the contemporary art of American artist Reggie Laurent and his inspirational, colourful abstract designs. They have cut out organic and geometric shapes and considered their composition when collaging these.
Students are now drawing and painting patterns onto these to create amazing unique artworks. These individual pieces will be placed together to create a large mural like Reggie Laurent’s Life & Love series.
Thank you to everyone who has organised an art smock for their child. If you are unable to get an art smock for your child please let me know.
We also have some wonderful student artwork created in 2022 which will be exhibited in the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Art Exhibition from Tuesday next week until Saturday 18th March at the Catholic Leadership Centre.
Please go online to book your viewing of this exhibition which has six entries from our school.
Those planning on attending will need to book a session through https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing?eid=1016938&
Location: Catholic Leadership Centre – 576 Victoria Parade, East Melbourne, VIC 3002
Below are some works in progress.
Katherine Slater
Visual Arts Teacher
Ciao a tutti.
Across the school we are looking at patterns. We are learning that these are not just designs on our clothes or in colouring books. Patterns are all around us in our beautiful world.
The junior classes look at weather patterns in seasons this week. Students listened to a story about Elmer, Elefante Variopinto (Elmer the multi-coloured elefant). They designed their own Elmer. Elmer felt tired of being different to the other elefants. He finds out that the herd loves him for his difference and they decide to create colourful patterns on their body, one day each year to celebrate Elmer.
Senior students looked at Carnevale which is celebrated in Venezia, Italy, each year. People wear masks to hide their identity and for one day, they can be whoever they want to be. There are traditional characters that are part of the Commedia dell’Arte tradition. They have distinctive costumes and masks. The students designed and decorated their own mask.
Last call for donations for Junior DT!
The junior school is beginning a STEM project in DT where they will be designing and building a minibeast hotel to increase the biodiversity within our school. The objective is that the minibeast hotel is to be built with recycled materials and with items that they can find in our environment.
If you have any spare plastic bottles or clean paper towel/toilet rolls that you can donate, that would be greatly appreciated. If these items could be brought in before your student’s specialist day next week (7/3/23 - 9/3/23).
Each junior space will have a cardboard box where they can be placed.
SPORTS NEWS
SENIOR SPORTS
GRADE 5/6 INTERSCHOOL SPORTS
SFS VS RANGEBANK
St Francis DeSales Primary School played today against Rangebank Primary School. The Grade 5/6's played in an amazing spirit after a great evening at Twilight Sports. I commend everyone for their sportsmanship and the teachers for their continued support. Our PBL for the week was Respect, which each and every student showed to each other and their opposition. Well done Grade 5/6's!
DIVISIONAL SWIMMING
Congratulations to our Divisional Swimmers: Sashenka, Orlando, Dante and Evangeline. We are so proud of them for representing us and the Hampton Park District at Divisional Swimming. We would also like to congratulate Orlando for coming 1st in freestyle. He will now go onto represent us at Regional Swimming later in the term. Well done Orlando!
GRADE 6 BIKE EDUCATION
This week our Grade 6's started riding in Lynbrook community on Pathways, using the skills they learnt last year. Each Home group went out for ½ an hour with Lull and an additional staff member.
A reminder to parents, bicycles and helmets will need to be at school each Friday up until Week 10. If it is raining heavily in the morning, like last year, we ask you to leave bikes at home.
JUNIOR SPORTS
TENNIS CLINICS
Juniors continued to have an exciting time with Bianca from AP Tennis this week. They focussed on ball handling skills, forearm and backhand shots. Remember if your child is interested in continuing tennis the flyer for AP Tennis can be found in the Community section of the newsletter.
A reminder to parents there will be no tennis clinics next week but they will continue in Week 9 and 10. Below are the days the Tennis Clinics will be held for each Learning Space so that you ensure your child is wearing their sports uniform for the day and brings their drink bottle and hat. Reminders will be placed on Morning Gathering as well as in the Newsletter.
Mondays Learning Space 3 – Week 9 Monday March 20th
Learning Space 1 – Week 10 Monday March 27th
Tuesdays Learning Space 2 – Both Week 9 and 10
Wednesdays Learning Space 1 – Week 9 Wednesday March 22nd
Learning Space 3 – Week 10 Wednesday March 29th
SFS CROSS COUNTRY
On the last day of term, which will be Thursday 6th April, the whole school will be involved in our traditional Cross Country which will be held here at school. We will be looking for the winning House as well as the winners for each level in the Juniors and age group in the Seniors. We will also be identifying Senior students who will qualify to attend District Cross Country in Term 2.
SFS TWILIGHT SPORTS!!
What a great night!! Thank you to all the SFS staff for their support. We could not hold events like this without them.
We would also like to thank Parents & Friends for cooking hundreds of sausages; the staff and students really appreciated their snack!! A group of our Grade 6s demonstrated their leadership as they assisted with the Junior House Sports Competition. We had students helping lead the cheering with their Houses, returning students to their Houses after the races and preparing juniors for their races. Thank you to the Grade 6s!! We are very proud of you!!
It was a close competition and we would like to congratulate all the students and teachers in each House for a fantastic effort! Congratulations to Teresa for winning the House Sports Shield for 2023!! Well done! And a big congratulations to all Houses for their cheering!! Well done to Bosco for winning the House Spirit Shield for 2023!
We would also like to congratulate Cory for winning the Grade 6 Gift. He will now have the opportunity to attend District Athletics to represent SFS. Other Senior students who came first in their running race will also have the opportunity to try out for District Athletics later in the year.
A big thanks to everyone for your support!
Lulli and Giuliana