Specialists

LOTE

Our Indonesian learners have had a wonderful start to the year!

Our Preps have gotten off to a flying start exploring colours and numbers in Indonesian. They’ve been using their detective skills to interpret songs and stories, listening carefully for key words and patterns. It has been fantastic to see their confidence grow each week.

Students in Prep to Year 2 have also been introduced to the much-loved Indonesian folktale character, Mouse Deer (Kancil). They enjoyed discovering how Mouse Deer uses his clever ideas to trick other animals and solve problems, while learning about traditional storytelling in Indonesia.

Across Years 1 to 6, students have been practising how to introduce themselves in Indonesian and share information about who they are.

It has been a positive and energetic start to Indonesian for 2026, and we are looking forward to continuing to build our language skills throughout the term.

Performing Arts

Over the past fortnight, students across the school have been developing their musical knowledge and skills in exciting and creative ways!

Prep

Our Prep students have been exploring beat – the steady pulse in music. Through movement games, action songs, and percussion instruments, students practised keeping a steady beat and recognising that the beat stays constant even when the music changes. We have been using our bodies (clapping, tapping, and marching) to feel the beat in different songs.

Years 1 & 2

Students in Years 1 and 2 have been learning about dynamics in music. We explored how music can be loud (forte) or soft (piano), and how composers use dynamics to make music more interesting and expressive. Students enjoyed performing short pieces where they changed their movements to match musical cues.

Years 3 & 4

Our Year 3 and 4 students have been focusing on grouping beats in a 4-count metre. They practised counting “1, 2, 3, 4” while clapping and playing percussion instruments, identifying the strong first beat in each group. Students are developing their understanding of how music is organised into patterns and measures. 

While the Year 4 students were away at camp, the Year 3 students explored yoga through a Performing Arts lens. Students responded to calming music through controlled movement, focusing on balance, posture, breath control, and expressive body shapes. This supported their understanding of how movement can communicate mood and emotion, linking directly to the elements of dance.

Years 5 & 6

Students in Years 5 and 6 have been creating and performing their own riffs. They explored short, repeated rhythmic or melodic patterns and worked collaboratively to compose original riffs using classroom instruments. It has been wonderful to see their creativity, teamwork, and confidence shine during performances.

School Choir

It has been wonderful to see so many students from across all year levels come along and give choir a try. Our school choir is working hard in preparation for a special performance later in the term. Students are focusing on expressive singing to deliver a meaningful performance that celebrates inclusion. We are looking forward to sharing their beautiful music with our school community.

I am very proud of the enthusiasm students are bringing to Performing Arts and look forward to continuing to build their musical skills throughout the term!

Physical Education

Building Our Throwing, Catching, and Gymnastics Skills

Over the past two weeks in PE, students have been developing their throwing and catching skills, along with practising gymnastics movements that focus on balance, body control, and spatial awareness. Across all year levels, we have continued to reinforce safe movement, listening for signals, and demonstrating positive sportsmanship and teamwork during games.

Prep to Year 2

Students practised rolling, bouncing, and underarm throwing with a partner, focusing on “soft hands like a pillow” when catching and stepping forward with the opposite foot when throwing. They also enjoyed hoop target challenges and the game "Clean Your Backyard", while building confidence in gymnastics through safe balancing and controlled body movements.

Years 3 to 6

Students refined their throwing and catching techniques through partner work and target-based challenges, focusing on accuracy, control, and consistent technique. They worked on stepping with the opposite foot, following through towards their target, and improving their catching away from the body.

In team games, students continued to build positive sportsmanship, communication and fair play, supporting teammates and responding respectfully to different game situations.

During gymnastics sessions, students practised safe body movements, balance, and controlled transitions, developing greater body awareness, stability, and confidence in their movement skills.

STEAM

It has been a busy and creative time in STEAM as students across all year levels explored the world around them through science and art!

Prep

Prep students investigated different materials and their properties. They sorted objects by texture, shape, and surface, then applied their discoveries to create textured artworks inspired by what they observed.

Years 1 & 2

In Years 1 and 2, students explored living things, habitats, and mini-beasts. They learned about where animals live and what they need to survive, before creating textured animal artworks using collage techniques, patterns, and careful observational drawing.

Years 3 & 4

Years 3 and 4 turned their attention to our local environment. Students investigated local plants and animals, recorded their features, and began developing an understanding of life cycles and adaptations. Their scientific observations helped inform their detailed visual representations.

Years 5 & 6

Meanwhile, Years 5 and 6 stepped into the world of design and animation. Students developed storyboards, created characters and sets, and experimented with mixed media and design principles as they began producing their own stop-motion animations.

Across the school, students are strengthening their curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking skills, using science to inspire art, and art to deepen their scientific understanding. We are so proud of the way our students are thinking, designing and creating in STEAM!

Exciting News - 2026 Science Talent Search ✨🌱

We are excited to share that 14 students have already expressed their interest in participating in the 2026 Science Talent Search! 

If your child would like to take part, please send your expression of interest to Rachel Baum as soon as possible. Numbers are limited for each school, and we will be contacting the successful applicants shortly.

The Science Talent Search is a long-standing competition that celebrates curiosity, creativity, and scientific thinking. It provides students with the opportunity to develop their own projects, investigations or explorations, while applying real scientific inquiry skills.

This year’s theme, “Seeds of Science – Nurturing knowledge for all,” encourages students to plant ideas, ask questions, and grow their understanding of the world around them. Students can choose from a variety of project formats, including scientific investigations, engineering challenges, and creative science communication, allowing them to showcase both their critical thinking and creativity.

We are incredibly proud of the enthusiasm shown by our students and are excited to see the innovative projects that will grow from this opportunity. Stay tuned for updates as our young scientists begin their journey! ✨🔬