SPECIALISTS' NEWS
ART
It’s been a big term in Visual Arts, with students from Prep to Grade 5/6 diving into the power of 'Line'. Across the school, every class took on the challenge of creating “Weird Self-Portraits” using one continuous line—no lifting pens allowed. The results were bold, abstract and full of personality, with students embracing the idea that art doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful.
From there, students built on their skills in different ways. Prep students focused on the foundations, developing confidence with cutting, pasting and controlling materials. In Grade 1/2, students created dinosaur cityscape artworks, using line to build structure, add detail through hatching and stippling, and make their work stand out with strong use of primary colour.
In Grade 3/4, students explored Line in multiple ways. They created “Animals with Attitude,” using varied line techniques to build texture, movement and personality, and also designed night-time buildings using geometric shapes. In these works, students used line for detail and created emphasis by making windows stand out—often showing small stories inside.
Grade 5/6 students are currently exploring calligraphy, experimenting with expressive line and composition, stay tuned for their final pieces.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
PE has kicked off in the new year with speed, momentum and excitement! Years 3-6 have been preparing for Athletics Day in Term 2, with an Athletics Clinic at Dinjerra. They have trained and prepared for events such as shot put, discus, hurdles, triple jump as well as sprints. Prep to Year 2s have been working on minor games and movement based activities such as the Perceptual Motor Program.
Our students have been getting fitter and stronger, with many participating in the Running Club on Fridays. Kids have found new limits, pushing themselves through beep tests as well as races around the athletics track. We also had a team compete in the cross country. They all ran like brave, disciplined legends.
SPANISH
In Spanish we have been learning about different topics during these weeks, from phonetics to vocabulary games. All grades are learning similar topics in Spanish, but with more or less complexity according to the year level.
SALUDOS, DESPEDIDAS Y EMOCIONES Greetings, farewells and emotions. Especially in PREP we read “The colour monster” in Spanish. If you would like to read with them as well, here is the version in English and Spanish:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwvIdZ0ng80
MI FAMILIA Through songs, we have been learning about family members and how to express who is part of it. If you would like to practice with our estudiantes at home, here is the link: “Mi familia- Spanish with Johanna
Song – Family | Learning Spanish with Johanna
STEM
Throughout Term One, Grade Prep have been strengthening their collaboration and communication skills in STEM. Students have been challenged with a range of problem-solving activities, requiring them to explore materials and create structures. Building on their scientific vocabulary, students have been using describing words to explain the properties of materials.
Grades 1-6 have been delving deep into the digital realm, exploring topics such as robotics, coding and algorithms, data and security, and the roles of digital technologies within our everyday lives. Students have been challenged with a range of problem-solving tasks, requiring complex algorithms to solve. Grade 5/6 investigated the technicalities of digital technology including binary code and how digital systems can be part of interconnected networks.
MUSIC
Term 1 2026 has been an exciting one for Music… starting with an exciting and inspiring visit from the cast of MJ the musical! Students from all year levels prepared Man in the Mirror to sing with the cast and were taught some classic Michael Jackson dance moves by the incredible performers.
Throughout the Term we’ve been working on:
Preps: Building their confidence to sing and make noise, singing as a group, learning a few new songs (The Cow who Moo’d at the Moon, Catch my Disease, Mr. Clickety Cane etc). We’ve also introduced concepts of rhythm through the “Fruit Salad” system and got our bodies moving through some dance!
Grades 1-2: We’ve been doing a lot of singing in grades 1 and 2 this term - tackling Bruno Mars’ Count on Me, as well as working on activating different registers of our voices. We’ve continued our Fruit Salad rhythms and augmented them with the introduction of the “Grapevine” and some simple percussion instruments.
Grades 3-4: Term 1 has been a big teamwork focus for grades 3 and 4, particularly through our “Stick Game” which sees the class working collaboratively to move sticks around the circle in time with each other - one slip in concentration messes up the whole class so it’s all hands-on deck for this one! We’ve also been building the students comfort with more complex rhythms including our new “Coconut rhythm” and working towards groups playing different rhythms at the same time.
Grades 5-6: Grades 5 and 6 have also been working a lot on our team work through the “Stick Game” but have been extending it to more complex rhythms and challenging collaborative variations. 5/6s are setting their foundation this term for writing and playing their own songs with instruments later in the year!
